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Again, I'm thankful that you continue to support and provide this space for discussion. I haven't been around here as long as everyone else but I do enjoy reading you all and I'd hate to see this discussion forum shrivel up completely and/or go away.

"The forum is under constant attract by trolls they are not extended invitations as some might believe. Most of the accounts that are created here are banned after they are created. I'm sure I've banned legitimate posters, but I find it is better be overly cautious rather than too lax. I don't remember when I approved your account @Michel Montvert, but most of the accounts I do approve never post." You just approved my account in the last 2 days. Yes what you're saying about the internet---sad but true. Oh I'm no troll. I'm just an old guy frustrated with the way the world is going looking for intelligent discourse. You are fighting an uphill battle, I say that not to discourage you but to say HOORAY for you for putting in all this effort. In my experience, ANY forum or chatroom labelled as "African-American" will attract Kluxers and other assorted racist scum. A Jewish forum attracts Nazis. Native American forums are crawling with white racists. It's sickening. This is not a Golden Age of civilization. sadly...

Thank you, Troy. OMG this forum is intelligent! Nearly all of the ones I find are just flame-war battlegrounds. I think it has always been true in the USA that African-Americans are in the forefront of the fight for justice which benefits all of us (I'm an Appalachian white). That was certainly true in the 60s (which I'm old enough to remember) and it's still true. So I'm happy to march with you, or engage in whatever form the struggle takes that I can manage at my age. We have a big battle impending, the possibility of that Orange Megalomaniac returning to power which in my opinion pushes us into full fascism. They'll be coming after black people, gays, progressives, immigrants, Muslims... oh hell and even women! This forum provides a very positive contribution to the struggle against that! Thanks!

Hope the day was enjoyable and your friends and family showered you with affection.

Black women and men fight between ourselves over who has more of a right to freedom, instead of seeing each other's struggle as part of our own and vital to our common goals. Audre Lorde

Happy b'day @Cynique and wishing you many more. I know you get tired of reading the SOS (same ole sh8t) from some of us. Still, it's a blessing to have your presence, perspective, wisdom, wit and cynicism here. You make this forum an even cooler place to hang. Enjoy whatever you decide to do on your day.

This issue of who was "black" in ancient times can be very contentious, a reflection of the racism in our society which often affects peoples' interpretations of history. "Oh, they HAD to be black," or "Oh, they HAD to be white,"... and why? Because we want them to be one or the other. We have to define the terms if we pursue this. What does "black" mean? Here in the USA we labor under a one-drop notion that any discernible "blackness", evidence of African ancestry, makes one "black". So, if we saw an Egyptian from 3000 years ago who was actually 1/4 African, we'd call the person "black". Well, I had a friend who was caramel-colored, she went to Africa to visit, expected people to welcome her back home, and instead in Nigeria people laughed at her and called her "chicken flesh". To them she was essentially "white". Hmmm. so what does "black" mean? The Bible doesn't often mention skin color because it was not an issue then. They were not in the USA raised in this color-obsessed culture. What we know about Egypt, looking here at scientific data rather than the Bible, is that the civilization began in Upper Egypt among a mixture of Nile Valley Neolithics and Saharans. Both groups were African, which is to say, "black". Very quickly Egypt became rich and powerful and attracted many migrants. and so by the Middle Kingdom, Egypt was quite mixed. Many people there in fact therefore looked a lot like many African-Americans. Many like to look at Eurasian DNA found in Egyptian mummies from the Middle or New Kingdom and then proclaim that, "See, Egyptians were just like today's Arabs or Berbers." But of course they're ignoring Egypt's origins and the changes which were always occurring as more people came into Egypt both from Eurasia and from the South (Africa). As for Israelites, the same dynamic applies. They enter history already mixed, like many of the Semites of the Levant and Mesopotamia. Some of their ancestry did come in from the north. The peoples in the various hills and mountains of the "Fertile Crescent" were quite diverse, from the Zagros Mts. to Anatolia and the northern Levant, but all of Eurasian types. Likewise, there was migration out of Africa, especially through Yemen, of "black" people. so that today in southern Arabia genetic studies show the population to be of 22% African descent. The Israelites, as well as the other Semites, therefore had African admixture in their population. So... who was "black"? If we went back to the time of the Kingdom of Israel, we'd see many Israelites whom in the USA we'd call "black". Most would have looked like what we loosely term "Mediterranean" today... like Greeks, Moroccans, Lebanese, etc. To anthropologists "race" is interesting only as it indicates migrational history and mixing of various groups. What really identifies people is their culture. Again, in the USA we've a confused view of this, since 2 of our ethnic groups are named after colors (black anad white)! And so, in the USA we are often confused about all of this, not understanding that ethnicity has nothing to do with race, really. But for both of these 2 groups, ethnic ancestry is very mixed. Whites are Scottish, English, German, Irish, Italian, Dutch, etc. Blacks are Yoruba, Bambara, Mandinke, etc. Then in Virginia in the 17th century the categories "black" and "white" were codified, creating an oppressive social division (which worked against working class whites as well as blacks) and engendering an obsession with color which is still with us, as evidenced by the intense arguments over whether Egyptians or Israelites were "black" or "white". The joke's on us, since most Israelites in ancient times likely wouldn't quality as "white" even if they weren't "black". So... what was Jesus? Answer: He was a Jew.

White have been bitching about this since the days of affirmative action...this is a tired notion expressed by white men who feel they are not getting their due. The white man's ice has been colder for a long time and until it is not we will be in this predicament. The reality is in many cases the white mans ice is colder, so we have to be very intentional about investing in Black business, for example, and give them an opportunity to develop and be on par with white businesses. We will never be free to lead until we have economic freedom. No one will hand Black people this we have to do this for ourselves. The Willie Lynch Letter has been thoroughly debunked, but the "syndrome" may be real. Hey if I overlook the milestone, Have a Very happy Birthday Cynique. I remember correcting be for referring to you as an octogenarian, and now you are a year shy of being beyond that Hummm....Have you looked at where Black people choose to spend and invest their money? Or even where they spend their time online? I think you many arrive at a different conclusion. Now I'm not talking about us... Anyone posting here could be spending their time on facebook or instagram. I'm talking about the Black folks you don't even consider visiting and engaging with a Black site.

@Troy how come you didn't think of doing this?

It is sad indeed to watch the govt including Democrats do nothing about the already obvious list of felonies committed by the Orange Narcissist. What happens now will be the indicator if the system as a whole has decided to allow the USA to slide into fascism or not. Trump clearly belongs in Club Fed. Is it all a colossal sham, a show? Or can we trust anyone, even the FBI, even the progressive Democrats, at this point? The entire world is ominously dysfunctional and worse by the day. At this point I have to say, Here's hoping we survive!

IMO, the chances are zero but I'll call it very slim to none that the former POTUS goes to prison. Time and again, he's proven to be Teflon in court.

Vitamins and supplements are fine for but eating nutrient rich foods is better for the human body. Proper diet and exercise are the real keys to weight loss and good health. Consider all of the places on the planet with the most physically fit people. They're not popping pills or pressing patches on themselves. Physically fit people live a healthy lifestyle from what they eat to how they work and play.

And now it's Republicans screaming "Defund the Police!" This is beyond hilarious and hypocritical. Eric Trump actually admitted, after accusing Joe Biden of personally ordering the raid: "That's how it worked in our White House." https://www.yahoo.com/news/eric-trumps-accidental-confession-father-085759577.html Ignoring a subpoena for national security documents that the government knows are in your possession does not seem like a good move. And doing something like this is certainly something that could result in the FBI paying a visit. Which happened. The corruption is on Trump.

I've been hearing and reading that talking point from the Right. They are the same people who wanted Hilary Clinton locked up over some emails. The former POTUS took 15 boxes of documents from the White House back to Florida. That's against the law. Nevermind that he sent the boxes back to DC when he got good and gotd8mn ready. No telling what was removed from those boxes. Oh no...wait a minute. The Feds sent a subpoena asking for the documents to be returned. Then, they interviewed his lawyers at the house and saw the documents. They asked him to better secure them. This dude put the documents in his safe. Not smart. There's a reason former POTUS took the 5th amendment a bunch of times yesterday. He did the same thing he said only guilty people do.

Welli have not yet read the trolls post, but i God I’ll get to them shortly. I’ll ban them immediately and remove their posts — thanks for the heads up, but next time let me know name too Ok i get it pee air funny

They are single-handedly dismantling the notion of White Supremacy.

Nick Johnson Interviews Dr. Daniel Leroche MD, How to Be A Successful Black Man Dr. Daniel Leroche Nick Johnson is awesome. He turned up on my channel yesterday, and initially, I thought his video was going to only cover the subject of a Florida’s rich and poor community, however, Nick has produced his video with an aggressive concentration on issues of racial disparities and he does not back down! He introduces Dr. Leroche at about the 9:40 minute mark of this video and I loved every minute of it! Nick continued to lead the question on ‘racism’ as he interviewed the doctor. Dr. Leroche’s responses were so on point. I have never been to the south of Florida, however the video looks a lot like Central Florida too. Sanford, Fla. And Orlando seems to have the same divides. Nick also has other amazing videos too of areas in the Panhandle and how poor White communities have been impacted with the college beach scenes and how Hurricane Michael changed the dynamics. I love his passion. Nick Johnson

Word Up!

@Del @Troy@ProfD Thanks, guys!! Nice to be remembered by my online buddies! What would I do if I didn't have you to keep me on my toes? For now, I'm enjoying my day. Hope we can do this again next year.

Yes Happy Birthday Connie may you have many more!

I'm sorry man it does not work that way. You are identified with the generation your were born into. I, for example, am a young baby boomer. most of my children are millennials, and kids born this century are Gen Z. Get it?

Black Women & Blonde Wigs; What About Black Men? The Origins of It Wongel is fast becoming one of my favorite youtuber to watch. This recent video had me almost in tears from laughing. She revisited this topic because just recently, Kenya passed a new law in which their judges and lawyers are no longer required to wear the colonial wigs. Furthermore, Wongel did brief research of the origins of these ‘blonde’ wigs and powered white wigs that Black African men and women wore in their courtrooms in certain African countries. However, it should be obvious to most of us that the origins of it stems from the colonial movement from Europe due to the early portraits that are depicted in history books of European men that set up the Colonial Empire all over the world. But why blonde though? Why did Black Africans choose blonde or white horsehair wigs? Yes, that right, I said ‘horsehair’; the wigs were made out of horsehair. But why not wear black wigs like some of the Colonial Frenchmen wore? From a scientific Point-of-View, and even though the world has become obsessed with European traits and therefore associate blond hair as such, ironically though, blond hair stems from a Black African origin. Nevertheless, many African people do not like these wigs and feel that the huge amount of money spent on getting them from Europe could be put to better use.

Exactly which is why it's called a generation gap. We are part of the same era but we come from different generations. You can't have a productive discussion if you have your own definitions of words. Maybe forget about having a"High Intellect Forum" until you can use standard or widely accepted definitions of terms. Please note I am not saying you have to change, but doing so would facilitate clearer communication. Unless obscuration is part of your strategy in discussions

New book coming from AALBC.com.

The video is hilarious on several levels especially to someone like myself who finds humor in d8mn near everything. It's amazing that Black folks hold on to the goofiest BS left behind by their colonizers. Those wigs have always looked ridiculous even back in the 1700s. Unfortunately, AfroAmericans are spending a sh8t ton of money or hair and wigs nowadays. Many of them look just as ridiculous. In as much as some things change, a lot of it stays the same. Thank goodness I'm totally comfortable in my baldness.

Slavery would not have ended. They already had white slaves in the 13 Colonies. In the 17th century in Virginia there were more white slaves than black. They'd have kept on enslaving the Irish and Scots and poor English, transporting them, indenturing them, and so on. Or they'd have started importing Filipinos or someone else. The African-American experience here created a people resilient and strong, and besides providing a lot of labor and talent which was exploited, blacks here also contributed a lot of positive things to this country. I suppose all that suffering was not really worth it just so I could listen to music by Miles Davis and Snoop Dogg... of course there is no way to repay that. But the nation owes African-Americans a lot of gratitude for things most haven't even thought of yet. I don't know if I should even say this, but I'm glad y'all's ancestors did NOT all poison themselves. I'm glad you survived, if that's any consolation. Damn, now I need a drink... this is troublesome to ponder. Just wanted to confirm this. I'm white and was a teacher in South-Central L.A. I'd go into the donut shop in the morning, talk to people, walk around all over, nobody bothered me. Once the people in the neighborhood knew me, I would go everywhere, on any street, visit students' homes. The Crips would shake my hand and thank me for helping their siblings get educated so they could escape this life, as they put it. Put a black teacher in a white area acting as I did there in S-Central and there would be an army of hysterical white Karens calling the cops, if not worse things. Well I'm not saying that the people in S-Central should have confronted me, but certainly the whites should get a clue and stop having a hissy fit every time they see a black person.

Black folks should not be applying for jobs with companies that are overtly racist and discriminatory. The interview process contained enough red flags to warrant getting up and leaving immediately. Imagine working there.

Thank you @Cyniquefor the check. I will reflect. @Pioneer1 America has done a job on us.

In general, Black women and Black men work towards freedom together. Statistics (numbers) and Labels (reporting agencies like HHR, CDC, Census et al) have data to support our unified movement. However. our “feelings” tell a different story. Feelings make people behave contrary to the own well-being. Consider some men who “feel” inadequate and leave or hurt their families Just recently, a Black women, mother of six was murdered by her children’s father Raymond Thompson. He told Philadelphia authorities he believed she was cheating on him. He allowed his emotions to cloud his mind and stabbed her more than 18 times while she sat in the car with him. She had a restraining order against him but her family said she wanted to continue building a home with him and their six daughters. I just added the father’s name because she wasn’t the only mother of 6 in Philly murdered recently. Sadly, reporting agencies ( Justice Department / CDC), also state, per capita, Black women are more likely to be killed by their Black spouses/ partners than any other ethnic group. Whereas intimate partner murders rank 1 - 1.4 out of 100,000 for other groups, Black and First Nation women rank 4.4 - 4.3 per 100,000, respectively. Also noted. possibly by surviving family members, Black women rarely report domestic violence most likely to keep Black men out of the prison system. So, no matter how we “feel” about unity between Black women and men, the numbers show Black women are “ride and/or die” when it comes to Black men.

@Cynique, you're right especially considering you've heard some form of the same thing for well over a half century and counting. Instead of being delusional and/or wasting our keystrokes pontificating about what would make life better for AfroAmericans, it probably does make more sense to acquiesce to the status quo and let the chips fall. I'll wait until your b'day arrives before officially recognizing and hoping it's a happy one.

You all speak of the past in the present. Your explanations and suspicions and accusations about the black dilemma are familiar ones. Familiar because I have been hearing them for over 50 years. How ironic that I, in the course of counting down to my 89th birthday in 4 days, speak of the future. You don't have to be a seer to predict that change is going to come. The changes may not be what you expect or what you desire but that doesn't mean they won't be for the better. Society will transform itself through adjustments. Skin color requires no high tech science to change. Sexual fluidity is a natural form of population control. Survival is about evolving. That's not opinion, that's reality. But believe whatever makes you comfortable. Makes me no difference. Why should it???

The leaders of the confederacy were not shot for treason. If seems unlike that Trump will be punished for anything he has done. But the changes are not zer,o and I'd be willing to be that he will be imprisoned with the right odds.

In his wisdom, a few years before he died, Dick Gregory talked about it. When the former POTUS was elected, Dick Gregory basically said white people in America would start losing their minds and doing dumb sh8t. When asked what AfroAmericans ahould do...Dick Gregory said "do nothing...this ain't about (you) Black folks".

@Delano He knows it! He knows that he has insulted certain people and that he is trying to divide the community. He knows it. True. Even though opportunist seek to divide the community, in some circumstances, the division may turn out to be a good thing because it may cause self reflection and also those who want to be better and to want to build a better Black level of respect amongst each other to strive for it. Well, @Cynique I do think he's condensending. He is not like Greg though. Black communities have always been easy to infiltrate and divide to conquer. White people can walk right up into a Black Barber shop and feel at ease, but it's not the same in other communities.

Indeed. Self moderation and self discipline is a sign of maturity and high intellect in and of itself.

The bandwidth of this forum can accommodate topics that lead to healthy discussion/debate. The religion threads is an example of a topic that some of us do not post leaving it up to those with more knowledge, information and interest in it. I posted a humorous comment in one of the religion threads and sista @Chevdove piped up. A topic of high intellect discussion could automatically separate the chaff from the wheat.

Another thing that causes division between AfroAmerican men and women is how they are treated by law enforcement. Time after time I know of and have heard of stories where Black women have stabbed or shot Black men only to serve little or no time in jail and in some cases not even be arrested. Rarely does this happen the other way around. AfroAmerican women are often let off the hook for crimes committed against AfroAmerican men that if they did the same thing to a White man or woman would have been prosecuted for. Cynique One of my daughter's white male coworkers told her it is currently "a black woman's market", that they have usurped both white and black men, This is propaganda being whispered in the ears of Black women to gas them up and DECEIVE them into thinking they have finally "arrived" at some seat of power in a market they don't even control. It's designed to cause FURTHER division between Black men and women. Most White men (and most Black people with common sense) clearly see that White men for the most part STILL control the economics of this nation and decides who gets the money and positions and how much OF it. The fact that they can pick and choose who they give jobs to versus who they incarcerate gives you an idea of their plans. These hybrids may very possibly produce a new race which embodies the best of both/all races, and color will become irrelevant. We already have this. It's called the LATINO community, and it's even more confused and divided than the AfroAmerican community! Because they are so racially mixed, most of them don't know who the hell they are or what to identify as and end up ignoring the most of their Black population. It doesn't matter what happens AMONG AfroAmericans....most White people will still know who they are and many will still try to preserve their integrity.

@Stefan, I wrote that all AfroAmericans including leadership should be using their voices and platforms regarding the preservation of Black History.

It's an interesting fight considering AfroAmerican men and women are in the same proverbial boat. This power dynamic only seems to exist among AfroAmericans. Even the poorest men and women in other cultures do not seem to struggle over leadership.

Where I grew up we called it jonin'. We mostly laughed at the insults but sometimes it would lead to arguments and fights. Nobody got killed though. The mama jokes defnitely descended from the dozens. To this day the easiest way to offend most AfroAmericans is to talk about their mother. "Your momma hair so short she has to roll it up with rice." "Your momma so ugly she look like your great-grandaddy." It was juvenile and insensitive but some of it was funny as h8ll and we'd be in tears laughing back in those days.

We used to call this activity “snappin” and i agree with @Chevdove it is sad. Audre Lord’s idea that this is a crucial exercise to learn how to take verbal abuse tells me she never participated in this activity on a regular basis. All it was, was us kids verbally abusing each other. there were no lessons no instructions it was just juvenile and stupid. Our time could have been put too much more constructive use.

Without reading the article I’d say if it is one with any market penetration it would be duckduckgo. Note i will read the article… DDG was #2 smile I never heard of the others. Here is a the source article: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/best-private-search-engines-true-no-log-services/

It's not true and everyone on the forum knows it , but he does not. Sometimes a person can neither take criticism nor perform self inspection.

From a racial pov it's about collectively dealing with the larger society and the restrictions it placed on people of colour. On the relationship side it's an issue of dominance. I would say it's a multifaceted problem.

i don't agree with this Audre Lorde quote. It's not a contest for freedom, It's a contest for leadership. Black men want to lead, despite the fact that they have not proven their leadership skills. Black women don't want to to follow because they are too strong to bend to the demands of incompetency.

The funniest part of this is the former POTUS was notoriously a non-reader. He didn't care to read the POTUS briefs or too much of anything else for that matter. So, the question becomes why the former POTUS took 15 boxes of documents to his Florida home/resort. It's not like he's going to read the documents for old times sake. But, maybe there was just enough information in those boxes for the former POTUS to sell to to the highest bidder and/or anyone who had dirt on him.

Regardless of party affiliation, that's some funny sh8t right there.

Yes you did and so did I I do not want you to accept anything I say or post all I want is for you to express your truths as we reason and learn from each other. I am here for fun and to spend the time in fruitful communication.

So are you saying that the Stories and Narratives we read in the bible has no basis in historical facts and or Reality?..I think bible stories are based in facts It is my thought that they do have some basis in historical fact but that the authors took "poetic License" to make a point, teach a lesson or pass on Knowledge. It akin to making a True To life Movie some parts are embellish to make the movie interesting catching or memorable. The Expulsion from Eden is God's way of weaning Man....Man is No longer a Brute but Sapient nor just a Nomadic hunter/gatherer. Are Chinese people considered caucasian and do they blush? I thought Adam meant Earth Ground or Dust, and that the Story is telling us that all human beings are One Family Thanks for the Honesty....Neither can I say the the bible is a 100% true I know there is Truth in the bible. The Bible is more than a history book How would you recognize a "Divine Book"? How do you know that what you label as "falsehood" is not just you not understand the message or truths it imparting? The Mythical "Greater Caucasian Civilization" would have to be in my estimation the Aryans....The Aryans are and were Persians And who do these Caucasians Descend from? Neighbor means someone living close to you or with whom you associate, not necessarily a tribal affiliate. Honesty is the basis of all long term mutually beneficial relationship... Cool

The colorful art work depicted in tombs, on pyramids and in hieroglyphics should be an accurate indicator of the color of the people who are the subject of such illustrations. Are there any artifacts that actually show people with black skin? All visual records seem to be of people with a neutral skin shade like King Tut's. (Oil paintings by latter day artists don't count.) To me, the bible has always been a case of who is doing the interpretation of the lore and legend being hyped by priests or translated by drunk monks. And, apparently, even waaay back then the deepness of skin tone was associated with being cursed, so colorism has always been a factor that inspired prejudice. BTW, has any one ever determined what "god" looks like? There's a rumor going around that she's black. I will stand corrected on any of the observations I expressed here because I'm definitely not a student of the bible. which I've never believed to be divine in origin; more like an ancient almanac.