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@aka Contrarian....your home team, Da Bears had an excellent season. Especially compared to the past few years. 1st year Head Coach Ben Johnson deserves a lot of credit for helping QB Caleb Williams and the offense play better. HC Johnson assembled a very good coaching staff too. Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen earned his money in his 1st year with Da Bears. I thought HC Johnson should have gone for a 2 point conversion after QB Williams threw that miraculous TD to tie the game. If the conversion was successful, Da Bears would have been in the NFC championship game. From a strategic perspective, I understand why HC Johnson played for overtime. Hindsight is always 20/15. Nonetheless, Da Bears and their fans should be very proud of the team. They have a bright future ahead.

If we lived in a perfect world, none if these bumps in the road would hamper one's life's journey. Folks need to be reminded on a regular basis that "nobody promised you a rose garden". At some point little girls and boys have to mature into adults who deal with reality. Life is not fair.

I believe Da Bears will be even better next season especially if the team stays healthy.

I agree. The latter are a showcase for pedophiles In regard to the initial question posed by this thread, I never got around to anwering that yes, I do remember the Miss Black America and Miss Black USA pageants that originated back in the 1960s. Contests to crown Miss "Whatever" were common back then, especially on a local level, and I didn't I pay much attention to the details of a national beauty contest. The black versions to detemime an American female paragon just struck me as eager attempts to imitate white folks... What I more importantly recall during that era, was how dark-skinned actress Cicely Tyson always got her props when it came to recognizing something other than white beauty, and in1963 she was the first black actress appearing regularly on a network TV series, to wear her hair natural. That CBS program was entitled "East Side, West Side". Over the years, the question I and others posed, just for the sake of needling those people who always want to "read light-skinned blacks out of the race", was: why having other negroid characteristics such as nappy hair and full lips and noses that weren't keen didn't matter as much as having a lot of melanin, especially since the aforementioned characteristics are common among African Americans of all skin tones. The responses to this question tended to suggest that dark skin was more distinguished. And so it goes... As for science usurping consensus, the science most appropriately involved in blackness, is Anthropology because the blackness of America's slave descendants is social as much as science. It is a culture, and state of mind as much as a skin color; it is about essence as much as about geography, it is about soul as much as about body. Of course "high yellows"should not be given preferential treatment. But neither should their skin color automatically disqualify them for representing their people in beauty pageants, etc. There are universal standards of beauty that have nothing to do with color, and the "cuteness" trait is found among all species. Yes, these points can be challenged and disputed, and this is where consensus comes into play. If the majority of people who make up this negroid segment of the American population don't agree on what constitutes their blackness, then science becomes irrelevant, especially if it is based on interpretation. imo 🫨 And, yes, I may have figuratively and petulantly "divorced" America's black sub-division but I'm still "married" to my tribe.

Title: Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon's Journey Author: Craig Yorke Publisher: Flint Hills Publishing Pub Date: April 23, 2025 Page Count: 176 ISBN, Format, Price: 9781953583987, PB, $16.99 About the Book: Steep traces an odyssey from a gritty Boston neighborhood to a neurosurgical practice in Middle America. It’s more about the price of success than the weight of bigotry – a story of resilience and self-discovery that will resonate with anyone who has wrestled with their past as they chased the American Dream. The word “steep” has two meanings: the adjective that conjures a precipitous climb—or descent, but also the verb that connotes a ripening or maturing over time. Both definitions are evident in Yorke’s story, one that will resonate with anyone who’s run from their past, anyone whose world feels too small. About the Author: Dr. Craig Yorke was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He received a BA from Harvard College in 1970 and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1974. His parental directive insisted he avenge centuries of bigotry with a life of infinite success. After a neurosurgical residency at the University of California at San Francisco, he and his wife Mary found their way to an unlikely destination. He practiced in Topeka, Kansas, for 25 years, wrestling with his history and the armored identity it had imposed. He and Mary raised two admirable boys, Zack who lives in Brooklyn and Chris who calls Seattle home. Dr. Yorke brews coffee for two each morning in the colonial home they’ve occupied for 33 years. He’s a credible violinist, having played the Bruch G Minor concerto with the Boston Pops at 17, and hits tennis balls with passion. Steep is his first book. Review copies are available. Thank you for considering Steep for an AALBC review. If you need more information from me, please let me know.

Would you say US Blacks are free?

I am happy AALBC is still in existence. I need to test the calendar export and see what is actually exported as some of my calendar post are quite large. And I was wrong active membership didn't double by 2026. I have to do better.

@Troy cool, I hope the calendar functions and embedding do not go away. but no matter what happens I will figure it out and stay:)

For the umpteenth time: The concept of "race" exists, the presence of this website demonstrates that. Race is purely an arbitrary social construct with no basis in genetics. A person's skin color tells you nothing about their intelligence or the size of the penis @Pioneer1 @richardmurray won't come to your rescue on this issue any sooner than he'd come to the rescue of someone who believe the Earth is flat or that vaccines are bad for us.

@richardmurray I'm long past the time when I should have upgraded this software. There is a completely overhauled version of this platform that I'm interested in implementing. I will probably do it before the end of the year. I'll keep you and everyone posted.

Hi everyone! I'm Faithful Byrd, a Christian author and published journal creator. I recently published The Best 30 Days of Faith: A College Devotional for Women, and I also have journals that pair beautifully with my books to help readers reflect and grow. I'm excited to join this book club to connect with like-minded readers who love African-American literature. I look forward to growing spiritually and personally in 2026 and sharing meaningful discussions about our stories, faith, and experiences.

Hey y'all! I've been away too long. I apologize for lack of attention, but that ends today. I'll be posting at least weekly, and I encourage everyone to do so as well. Though there's been a lot of progress with Black representation in scif and fantasy, we still have a long way to go to reach equity, and the best way to do so is to build among ourselves. Thank you for being here. Let's rise!

Understood. I claim this raggedy azz country warts and all as my home (state) because it is my birthplace and many generations of my ancestors too. Despite my travels, this place has always been my home. I will die and have my ashes scattered here in the USA too. In the meantime, I'll continue calling balls and strikes especially as it relates to the betterment of FBA/AfroAmericans and the system of racism white supremacy.

TLDR: but "beauty" pageants are a thing whose time has come and gone... and they really need to get rid of the ones featuring little girls.

I have not read the conversation, but I'd imagine the maps Richard posed would be having white nationalists wetting their pants. As I travel the country it does seem like there are Mexican everywhere LOL! As AI becomes more powerful, the need to a UBI will become more necessary. We are set up for this. The pitch forks will have to come out first.

...gonna have to pick a side, and stick to it, lol. Can't treat America like you treat Starbucks. Walking up in the joint and enjoying the privileges but refusing to buy anything on principle. "I got this for free. My manz bought it for me on the strength. ....cuz' I ain't spending MY money up in this token of capitalist imperialism."

ProfD Well, I know our brother calls himself as a "DOSer". I haven't been DOZING off during our exchanges.....lol. But that doesn't really identify one's nationality or citizenship status. Most Jamaicans and Haitians are DOSers. as well. Well people can "consider" themselves whatever they want. But ICE is going from door to door right now, so they better hurry the fuck up and make sure their paper work is backing up anything they claim...lol. "I will NOT open the door! I don't consider myself under your authority and I declare immunity. Banish from my premises at once, you disgraceful vagabonds!"

@Milton I found this spreadsheet online that says you can make recommendations to it for Worldcon 2026. It has useful information on the sheet, but I haven't quite figured out where to make the book recommendations. When I do, I will add your book, mine (Austin Creek), and all the others that list their books on the next thread. *update: I have added your book and mine to the LONG LONG LONG List of Recommendations, and I will continue to add the others recommendations noted in this forum. In the meantime, I don't see why we shouldn't create our own recommendation list. Of course, people are free to vote from their hearts, but it can be helpful to know that there is a community who knows that you would appreciate their support. Let's use this thread for discussion and the next thread for recommendations. The thread for recommendations will be called WORLDCON RECOMMENDATIONS 2026, and I (and others) can update that post with books, poems, anthologies, and short stories to recommend. Also, let others know if you are a voting member or not. To vote, you have to be a WSFS member by January 31, and the cost is $50. Here is a link to the registration page. @Milton, the virtual panel that I am proposing is about ancestral memory. If you think along those lines, let's connect via email (ksl@legacycollectivebooks.com) so as not to flood this thread. You can also reach out about what's on your mind. I wouldn't mind be part of more than one panel. I do beleive that proposing a panel, workshop, or talk (there seem to be many avenues to get invovled) is the best way to approach Worldcon so that even if your book is not nominated, you can still be seen and share your work and your thoughts.

Hi Kimberly! I've been contemplating nominating my Spacefunk! Anthology. Usually stay away from the awards because of the controversies, but this is a special book that I think deserves notice. I'd also be interested in a virtual panel. I'm not the most popular Black Speculative Fiction writer out there, but there are a few folks involved with the Hugos that know me.

Yeah, I couldn't remember whether it started in the 60s or 70s. 1968

@ProfD knowing Sammy's wild personal behavior at times, he may be:)

News. Said. The. Great. Dr. Gladys. West. Has. Died. ..She. Broke. Barriers. In. Mathematics. And. Science. She. Laid. The. Foundation. For. Global. Positioning System .GPS. ,Known. As. ,,Hidden. Figures. ..Her. Brilliance. .Transformed. The. Modern. World. .She. .Will. Be. Rendered ..For. Her. Work. In. Science. ,,Mathematics. And. Technology. ..Dr. Gladys. West. Was. 95. -95 ,Years. Old. ...

Dude looks like he could be Diddy's grand-daddy.

Of course, I'm not surprised by your opinion/position. However, let it also be stated that English is the most spoken language in the world. That is not a lie or false praise or misrepresentation. It is a fact. English is the language that allows us to communicate on this forum.

So many. The 1985 super bowl shuffle video, of course. And this season, all of the last minute come-from-behind victories orchestrated by the "ice man" QB Caleb Williams. Those thrilling moments were like something out of a movie. Unreal! We were on our way to another one of these miracles this past Sunday - but no such luck...

@richardmurrayI am not so inclined to dismiss popular usage. Language is fluid. Nothing illustrates this more than black slang and Ebonics. If you had your way, what word would you replace "perfect" with? Or are you of the opinion that any such state as perfection exists? Your sentiments in regard to Webster would explain your tendency to make up words.

@ProfDYes, all things considered, it was a good run for DA BEARS. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum alive for next season and go from better to best! Thanks for keeping my spirits up all these past weeks!

@richardmurrayI prefer the dictionary definition of the word "perfect" which you might want to check out. And I assure you that watching old reels of Walter Payton in action will not lift my spirits about yesterday's loss.

@richardmurrayJust go with your assumptions. Why do I have to justify my sentiments to you? All of this is hypothetical.

We have no way of knowing which one of us is right. Do we?

Not sure of how this thread became about Iran not siding with Black nations. Of course, those Persians (Aryans) and sand n8gglets in general have zero respect for Black folks who they feel bent a knee to imperialism a long time ago.

I think this is a trick question.....lol

@Pioneer1behave yourself

I think I'm the only one in this discussion who was alive or at least an adult during the King/Civil rights era during the 1950-60s. And, as I've mentioned many times before, how these times impacted on black people differed from place-to-place. A lot of what I absorbed about these times was from what I saw on TV because in the little western suburb of Chicago where I lived, no overt racial turmoil existed nor were any Jim Crow laws on the books in Illinois. Blacks and whites just went their separate ways, self segregating themselves, observing unwritten laws that perpetuated the status quo of subtle racism. This was a fairly typical atmosphere in that region. I always attended integrated schools, always had a few white friends and neighbors, never had a black teacher, and my Freshman year at the University of Illinois was when this schools' dormitories were first integrated. I've spoken often about how in my Sophomore year there when I moved into one of these dormitories, while black college students in the South were "sittin in" and being arrested at segregated lunch centers, I and my black dormmates were having our rooms cleaned by white maids, and served meals in the dining rooms by white waitresses and waiters who spoke with the accents native to the down state region of Illinois. I've mentioned how I always worked side-by-side with Whites in the Civil Service Federal work force where you were eligible for employment by simply passing a test open to everyone. This is what qualified me to work for both the Veterans Administration and the Social Security Administration before ending up at the U.S. Post Office after passing the postal exam. All during those times. I never got the impression that MLK embodied a tightly-organized, long standing strategy. This was more the domain of A. Phillip Randolph, the head of the Pullman Porters Union, and the leader who actually organized the1963 March on Washington for jobs and opportunities. King was moreorless romanticized as a young minister who was on the fringes of the NAACP bus boycott that Rosa Parks initiated. He was cast as an unknown who was propelled forward to a leadership role because he was so eloquent and intelligent and, subsequently, like Jesus, he surrounded himself with a band of Disciples that included dynamic young turks like Ralph Albernathy, Andrew Young, Julien Bond, John Lewis, and Jesse Jackson, who with the non-violent model of Mahatma Gandhi as their model, marched forth to pursue the integration dream of justice and equality for all! Meanwhile, King's militant counterpart, Malcom X was telling it like it was, ironically doing what Trump did; which was publicly saying all the things about white folks that black folks had always been thinking. I was surprised by Richard's statement that his people laughed at Malcom. Everybody I knew agreed with and admired him. Which just goes to show how history can be in the eye of the beholder and how varied the black experience can be. As for King's personal life, much of what was made public was taken from the FBI files of J. Edgar Hoover who kept MLK under close surveillance. Also, after King's death, in his memoir, Ralph Abernathy inspired a lot of resentment for revealing some things about King's intimate liaisons. "Keepers of the Flame" never forgave Ralph for this. Whatever. King has earned and secured a place of honor and affection in the hearts of his people. RIP MLK.

....where DO you come up with these analogies???

Hindsight is only necessary to the extent of avoiding past mistakes & building on success. IMO, any form of criticism by way of hindsight is totally unwarranted & unnecessary. The question is how many folks today are doing an ounce of what Dr. MLK Jr. did for Black folks over 50 years ago. Regardless of motivation, the fact that Black folks put their lives on the line so that even the most ungrateful of their own people could have a better life...deserves nothing less than total praise, admiration, appreciation & respect. Dr. MLK Jr. had everything...looks, personality, charm, charisma, intelligence, oratory, education, beautiful wife & children. Based on credentials, Dr. MLK Jr. could have lived an affluent life like modern day pimps in the pulpit. He would have run Saturn rings these clowns as a salesman of the gospel. Dr. MLK Jr. didn't strive to be a perfect man. He deserved every drink he sipped, every cigarette he smoked and every woman he poked. Dr. MLK Jr. played the hand he was dealt by the universe. He pressed towards the mark of a higher calling. Fulfilled his destiny. His place in the annals of history is solid.

During a recent "vacation" I took to reading old issues of Ebony Magazine. I have a collection of about 30 issues from the 50's and 60's. The images below are from the September 1963 issue. I found the magazine simply fascinating. It can be purchased on Amazon (not for sale by me) and Google has made this issue available online, Interestingly, I see no indication that Ebony has provided an online archive on their website. I still find it amazing, annoying even, that Google profits from Ebony's content while Ebony loses out on traffic and associated revenue. Of course, I've been critical of Ebony's online presence in the past, but it still irks me when they blow opportunities by failing to take advantage of their wealth of information. Run a Google search on Ebony Magazine September 1963, as see how many pages deep you have to go before you even see a link to Ebony Magazine's website. The quality of writing was superb for a magazine marketed to a Black mass audience. The whole idea that these types of articles (long form, written above a 8th grade reading level, not celebrity or scandal driven) don't appeal to Black readers in 2014 does not hold water--particularly with so many more Black people holding college degrees in 2014 compared to 1963. The article depicted below, "Negro in Literature Today" was written by John A. Williams. Williams offered a terrific, now historical, snapshot about the best Black writers in 1963. Most of the authors cited are profiled here on AALBC.com, but there were a couple of writers I was unfamiliar with, but rest assure I will profile them here on AALBC.com shortly. I can't image Ebony or any mainstream magazine publishing a piece like this today. While the contest was the advertised products often left a lot to be desired. Advertisements for cigarettes and hard liquor dominated. I was also surprised to see ad for skin lightening creams. The dichotomy between the advertisements and the content was much more stark back then. Cynique in some ways I envy your generation. Don't get me wrong you can keep the overt racism and segregation you had to deal with, but I think the Black community was better served by their institutions (publications, churches, civil right organizations, HBCU's, etc). What do you think?

Liquor and cigarette ads were taken in stride. Drinking and smoking were considered cool, and mostly everybody did it, including me. There actually used to be ads claiming 1 out of every 3 doctors preferred Camel cigarettes. Famous athletes also endorsed cigarette brands. But, even back before the "black is beautiful" phase appeared, the ads for skin lighteners didn't meet with a lot of approval. Hair products alternated between hair straighteners and Afro enhancers as the popularity of each style rose and fell down through the years. Fads and fashions came and went, but the quest to exude sex appeal never vanished. When Musk oil first came out, it was all the rage because it really did turn men on. Later, wearing cologne became acceptable among guys and the sale of different brands really took off. Wearing earrings also grew in popularity among men about this time. Yes, back then Blacks were anxious to integrate the white landscape but, they were not entirely compromised. Along the way, the black mystique ended up capitvating white people who came to be impressed with the inimitable hipness and style of soul brothas and sistas.

Unfortunately, Troy, it was during my generation that black resources became under utilized because the drive for integration was on and this meant forsaking what was “all-black” while eagerly embarking on incursions into the white world that was opening up for us. But there was one exception back then. During the infancy of TV and the absence of the Internet, the the print media was the home of literary and intellectual discussion. When it came to a black dialogue on these subjects a showcase was provided by a "Negro" counterpart of LIFE magazine that was relatively new to the field. This upstart publication was Ebony and it quickly became the flagship for black communication, providing a voice for all segments of the African American population which included the successors to the Harlem Renaissance crowd who always found an outlet for their output on the pages of Ebony. So Ebony has, indeed, earned its place among the paragons and pioneers of black journalism. Also worthy of note, is that the book by one of its editors, Lerone Bennett, entitled “Before the Mayflower” is a definitive study on slavery still used as a reference in many classrooms. And to this day, appearing on the cover of Ebony remains an honor and a privilege. As you discovered, Troy, copies of Ebony down through the years provide a pictorial as well as editorial record of black life in America. There was one particular series Ebony ran entitled “The White Problem in America“, a groundbreaking analysis of race that really dispelled many long held assumptions. Do you happen to have a copy of this issue? Incidentally, having been an inveterate contributor to the “letters-to-the-editor” feature of newspapers and magazines, I am proud to say that Ebony always printed letters I wrote to them back in the day.

Men too