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The first 24 hour Black News Channel is expected to launch November 15, 2019 @6:00 AM. The cable network is the brainchild of J.C. Watts, Jr., former U.S Representative (R-Oklahoma) now BNC chairman and Veteran Journalist Bob Brilliante who will serve as the cable network's CEO. BNC Newsroom management made their rounds at the National Association Black Journalists Job fair in Miami, FL earlier this month. The news channel, headquartered in Tallahassee, Fl, will broadcast to 33 million households nationwide with a major presence in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York. ~MH You can read the release here: https://blacknewschannel.com/wp-content/uploads/BNC_NABJ-Press-Release_2019.pdf

@Mel Hopkins yes I was beautiful, and as a gymnast the athleticism was not lost on me. Yes I remember doing the "Freak," but we were not filiming it and watching it constantly. Did you think the freak was appropriate? I know at least one guy that ejaculated while freaking (no it was not me 😎). So while I don't disagree with anything you wrote Mel, I find it hard to believe you would host a party where your teenage daughters were dressed and dancing like that. Would you you let them "freak" or dance "rub-a-dub style" in the basement with the lights off? @Pioneer1 if you are familiar with those dance styles, same question.

A few moments ago I was hunting around my Google Home app trying to figure out how to change my "assistant's" voice. Google presented me with the following video. The video's preview image -- which is carefully crafted -- grabbed my attention for, what should be, obvious reasons. I watched the video in it's entirety. I'm not alone; the video was posted less than 24 hours ago and has almost 3 million views. Normally, I'm pretty good at ingoring the stuff that social media throws at me, largely because I actively avoid exposure, but this one hooked me. I don't think I'm being a "gruppy old dude" by complaining about Google's use of videos like this. I just can't image being a kid today, regularly exposed to videos like this. It must be hard not to objectify women when you see these images all the time. Now this is the same Google that banned my old discussion forums from displaying ads because of content, but they can push this in front on millions of people. I've posted a similiar video on Nicky Minaj sometime ago, so I know these video are not unusual. What seems unusual to me is that no one seems to think this is a issue. Maybe it is just me... I guess I have to ditch my Google Home too.

David doc Robertson's new book Body and Soul was named for the classic improvised lyrical phrases of the Coleman Hawkins jazz performance of the same name. On the first page of the story, which opens in 1940, Peter Daniels plays the song loud enough to drown out the humming tubes on his living room phonograph and dances with his wife to celebrate the birth of their first and only grandchild, Adam Daniels, the story's protagonist. Right away, Robertson's sensitive description teams with Hawkins' tender jazzy lyricism and allows the reader to see the couple in step and undeterred by improvisation that makes it so seductive. This vision presents the structural purpose of the book, which takes the reader beyond the story and into the novel itself as participants. Doc parallels the ballad by appealing to a body's senses, including smell, taste, etc. "If a character smells fresh bread or falls in love, I want the reader to savor the aroma or experience the emotional sensation." He points out that the novel shares a variety of feelings and reactions, both joyous and painful. Though Adam's birth provides joy for his grandparents, it hurts his mother since her son was born bi-racial in 1940 Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The story descriptively outlines the standards of the time and even takes a look back into the early 1900s. After the look further back in history, the book details Adam's journey into manhood where he starts a family and a career in law. But like Hawkins improvised with unanticipated riffs in his song, Doc improvises Adam's life story in unexpected shifts that changes the setting to El Centro, CA and even into Mexico. Through it all, the story emphasizes the importance of family and the strength one gains from the connections whether through blood or embraced by choice. And like Hawkins' music, it ultimately demonstrates a new way to tell an old story, ending with a sense of glowing satisfaction.

Extraordinary Women in Publishing a Conversation Hosted by Tori. Tracy Sherrod, the editorial director of Amistad; Yona Deshommes, Associate Director of Publicity at Atria Books; and Cherise Fisher, a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates Literary Management. All of these Sisters are have been supportive of AALBC for years and provide keen insight into the publishing industry

I've just created a page where I will compile lists of Top 10 Book Categories. I'm really looking for overlooked, unusual, and creative categories for which to creates lists and the books to go with them. I put a started a category for "Black Girl Hair" and "Steampunk," but am looking for many more along with titles to go with them. I have not shared this project with anyone yet, hopefully some of you out there who read these forums but don't contribute will be moved to share some ideas. Really trying to raise awareness of breather of out literature beyond the regular run of the mill categories. I'll happily include those but I want to make it much broader.

😆 @Pioneer1 Yes Kim Coles also graduated from Brooklyn Tech with me and Troy. Best. High. School. Ever. And yes - haven't you noticed we fight about and agree with each other on the topics dealing with the subject of "Social Engineering"... It's as if you and I both believe that we humans are consistently being programmed and hacked to behave a certain way. Sexuality goes right to the top of the social engineering ! Early Anglos found out how to harness and supress sensuality, sexuality and sensuosity and use it to create super soldiers /killing machines . In short, suppress sexuality you kill creativity and then you can create monsters. @Troy In a way, I agree but how we use our experiences is what's at odds. As a woman, I learned sexual boundaries in the safety of my parents home. When you are under a watchful eye of your caregivers - they let things go but so far. We've seen on social media where at some of parties teenaged boys and girls have gotten drunk and some boys have gone as far as gang raped girls. A lot of times these parties were not chaperoned - and what's worse those children didn't learn boundaries and popped like corks under pressure. Now the girls are scarred -and the boys have to register as sexual offenders for the rest of their life. My friends and I played RCK (run catch and kiss)- as young as 11... by the time we were teens - we knew boundaries. Boys knew sexual contact in varying degrees wasn't off limits because girls liked it too - but we all learned no means no. As society progressed - I guess some parents didn't have time for children anymore. But when I was growing up we all had parents to consult in the absence of our own (for the moment). It did take a village. Most of the kids I grew up with - played kissing games, bump and grinding when we were teenagers, and none of us ended up as sexual predators. When the child learns how to exercise their personal agency it will later serve them as adults. My body and persona doesn't belong to my parents - it's mine. My children's bodies doesn't belong to me or their dad. They learned this from the time they were toddlers. While they were under our care we had to let them determine their boundaries or they would never learn. Or worse, learn when they were older. If you wonder why some women exist in abusive relationships while some women NEVER experience that life;-it's all due to learning. We all have to learn - it just depends on when.

Troy "Harm" many not be the right word. So I can't answer your question as posed. Sure you can, your answer was actually "no"...lol. Because nothing in this video harms children in any way. It may make ADULTS feel uncomfortable if they are around children when it comes on, much like frank sex talk makes parents uncomfortable when their children (of any age) are around....when that same talk wouldn't bother either if they were by themselves. And it all originates from people NOT having honest and frank talks about REAL sexuality to begin with, but instead hiding or ignoring it....suppressing it. And as is often the case, when something is suppressed it comes out with much force and discomfort from being kept into such an unnatural state. dunno man, I can only imagine what the average teenage boy wants to do after seeing this video I got news for you my brutha, the average teenage boy DOESN'T NEED videos like this to get him going....lol. When I was a teenager my erections WORK ME UP like an alarm clock. 　 Look, scantily clad women gyrating in this manner were around when I was a teen too, but you had to go to a strip club to see this stuff. Now come on man, you grew up in Harlem in the late 60s and 70s! Are you telling me all those pictures I saw of prostitutes on the street half naked and every day girls walking around in miniskirts, halter tops, sting tops, and hot pants, braless, ect....was just on television? You didn't see women walking around shaking what their mama gave them in REAL life? I know when I was a kid growing up in the Midwest in the 70s and 80s when it got hot women and girls were wearing clothes about as skimpy as what you see in that video. 　 Yes I remember doing the "Freak," but we were not filiming it and watching it constantly. Did you think the freak was appropriate? I know at least one guy that ejaculated while freaking 　 So while I don't disagree with anything you wrote Mel, I find it hard to believe you would host a party where your teenage daughters were dressed and dancing like that. Would you you let them "freak" or dance "rub-a-dub style" in the basement with the lights off? @Pioneer1 if you are familiar with those dance styles, same question 1. When I was coming up we were doing the same thing but we called it "grinding". White folks called it "dry humping". All it was was having as something as close to sex as you can with your clothes on. 2 . I did grind on a lot of females at parties and clubs and altough I don't remember "busting" in my pants, most of the time I DID feel a little "pre-cum" come out. I'll stop right there rather than get too graphic....lol. 3. Not only did we do this as teenagers but now that I think on it even back in elementary school at 7 and 8 we used to chase girls around getting out "squeeze" on all over them. We called it "hide and go get some". What you're seeing in the video as well as what you saw growing up is African youth behaving the way we NORMALLY behave when nature is allowed to take it's course. Before Caucasians came and influenced our thinking with their prudish anti-sexual religions and philosophies most African and Dravidian societies had "sex cults" where the entire community would come out to have sex with eachother in mass.....nothing to be ashamed of. You can read in the Bible where the Israelites (Caucasians) tried to stamp it out in the different lands they conquered. 4. To answer your question: No. As open minded as I am about the idea, no I probably wouldn't let my teenage daughter do it. Why not? Irrational male over protectiveness. But my decision is an emotional decision, not a logical one. You were a gymnast? I bet you were strong as hell! I've met a few male gymasts and them cats had muscles like wire cables. 　 Mel The dancing in this video is beautiful! And look at all those chocolate young women and men!~ They are beautiful! Not only do I agree with you but I absolutly LOVE seeing attractive and physically fit AfroAmericans be sensual and express their sexuality. I'd much rather see them do THIS than fighting and pulling guns on eachother. I'lll promote Black on Black love over Black on Black violence any day. 　 Alright.....you've been agreeing with me so much lately I'm getting suspicious! What are you up too....lol. BTW...when you say "Kim Coles" do you mean you went to school with Kim Coles the actress from Living Singles?

Ive quite a few books on Hendrix but as yet not this one but I'd like to share this for any fans of Jimi.

The dancing in this video is beautiful! And look at all those chocolate young women and men!~ They are beautiful! Thank you for sharing! It reminds me Janet Jackson's "IF" video but with a majority of beautiful black people. And @Troy don't you remember how sensual we were as a teenagers and young adults? Google can't promote what comes naturally - Young people are sensual, curious and carefree with each other. This choreography just communicates this age but with pure athleticism mixed sensuosity and grace.

Created in the image of he that created all The Goddess or deity stands in heaven’s halls, Making her way into places many fear to go, Her desire for knowledge surpasses excellence, While her story remains untold Her experience is apparent, it is found in every facial fold, Her beauty defines her fortitude; your future is her Goal To see tomorrow’s child and watch their dreams unfold To understand the fight yet venture past the obviously unknown The Goddess is the spirit that mothers from afar, Who lifts the broken hearted and with love helps us to embrace the scars. She is in essence that voice that says it is okay, she allows us to breathe, she sees each of us as special, this just seems to be her way. She is the smile, the butterfly, the call from an old friend, the encouragement that we needed to press pass what we deemed the end. She is that gentle touch of God, the directions in the dark, she watches from afar, but resides in every heart. She is as divinity, one that cannot be explained, so she is titled the Goddess but she goes by many names, some will call her mother, others see a friend many see a soldier, her names have no end, her attribute can be found in Proverbs 31, she as the deity is the wish each mother has for a son. Created in the image of he that created all, the Goddess or deity stands in heaven’s halls. Making her way into places many fear to go. Her desire for knowledge surpasses excellence. While her story remains untold. Genesis 1: 26 And God said let us make man in our image. Let them have Dominion over all (sickness, finance, relationship, ect, ect. Ect) 27: So God created man in his own image, in the of God created he him, male and female he created them, (We are products of he that created us, but how often we forget)

Troy Oh don't get me wrong, I totally respect the right for whoever to get themselves all tatted up if they like. But I don't like this "monkey see monkey do" attitude of just because you see a lot of Caucasians doing something you feel an automatic urge to imitate them even without knowing the meaning. Infact, I make the same complaint about so many AfroAmericans wearing suits and ties as so-called "business" attire. Common sense should tell us that one's ability to do good business pertains to what's going on in their head and their ability to sell their ideas and effectively communicate.....and as long as their clean and neat whether or not they have a suit on should be irrelevant. But since the founders of this society (Caucasians) established that you should wear a suit and dress shoes to business (and church) many of our people just go along with it unquestioned. ....but that's another topic all together, lol. Listen, I'd lke you to think about my question carefully....... Exactly what (as in what scenes can you point to) in this video do you think would actually harm a child by them looking at it? There is no nudity. No one is even having sex. It's just a bunch of people dancing and shaking and showing a lot of skin (and tatoos). How could this be detrimental to a child's development or psyche?

From Authors Publish “These publications accept creative nonfiction, including personal essays and memoir. Most of these outlets accept other genres also, like fiction and nonfiction. A few also publish translations and artwork. All of them pay writers, from token to pro rates, and are listed in no particular order.”

“The Authors Guild’s 2018 Author Income Survey, the largest survey of writing-related earnings by American authors ever conducted finds incomes falling to historic lows to a median of $6,080 in 2017, down 42 percent from 2009.” Read the conclusions drawn from the survey here. There are many additional reason for this decline, not mentioned by the authors guild, because as a bookseller I see the problem from a different angle. During the same period my revenue from the sales of books has declined as well. This is the reason there are fewer booksellers online, or offline, than there were 10 years ago. The major reason: Amazon. I sell books anyway they can be sold; I sell books directly; send readers to the author's, publisher's, and even other indie booksellers; and I sell books as an affiliate of Amazon, IndieBound, and Barnes & Noble. The vast majority of readers chose to purchase books from Amazon. Last year Amazon cut affiliate commission in half to 4%. Effectively cutting my book sales revenue in 1/2 overnight. Amazon also pressures authors, through their KDP Select program to give away free books for a period, to keep ebook prices below $2.99 (99 cents is not uncommon), and to give Amazon the exclusive right to sell their ebook (this would normally be laughable if Amazon were not a monopoly). Authors do this in exchange for some "promotion" and higher "royalties." As a result, I'm increasingly earning 4% on the sale of a 99 cent eBook. My commissions earned from Amazon, on the sale of books, have plummeted. A question for the author: What incentive do I have to sell an ebook that I will generate less than 4 pennies in revenue? What am I doing about it. I'm working to bypass Amazon completely and to ultimately drop all of my Amazon affiliate links. I've already turned down listing books of authors who have given Amazon exclusive right to sell. But I'm also working with some of these authors to sell their book through their own websites. I'm also working on a commission model that allows both the author and any bookseller to make more money on the sale of a book than we would if we went through Amazon. Let's be clear: Amazon has a monopoly on the sale of Black books. When we give a corporation that much power over our culture, we are all impoverished not just economically but spiritually.