ProfD

Racism isn't about thinking of racial superiority and/or hating another race of people. Racism is having the power to subjugate other races of people. Africa is a predominantly black continent but they do not control their natural resources or infrastructure. Black folks cannot be racist because they do not have the desire or power or a system in place to do so. The system of white supremacy is the true definition of racism as evidenced by the fact that it controls the whole planet.

Removing statues and other symbols will not change the hearts and minds of people to whom the preservation of white supremacy is most beneficial. Attention should be paid to the fact that in addition to removing that which can be seen as symbols of white supremacy, they're also whitewashing history books too.

Republicans want America to be more like it was before the 1960s...a utopia of white supremacy. Democrats believe people should have freedom of choice within the confines of white supremacy. Again, both political parties are two sides of the same coin. Their main goal is the maintenance of white supremacy. Neither party gives a d8mn about pawns, er, people of color and poor folks. In economics it's called loss leader.

There is a reason Jews who were not born during the holocaust will never forget about it. Every AfroAmerican should know the history of slavery and how racism still exists. By design, that knowledge is being white-washed.

@Cynique, as you may already know, I'm a huge fan of NFL football. So, I'm posted up in front of the TV whenever a pro football game is being played. I'll be that way until the 2nd week of February 2022. I think the Packers and Chiefs will end up in the Super Bowl. To be modified if either team loses in playoffs.

Black folks would have to be organized as a group to move collectively in all areas of human activity with protective mechanisms in place too. Unfortunately, we've been fractured and diluted in that regard. White supremacy wasn't built by an individual nor is it controlled by a single entity. It's a whole system and well oiled machine.

Marcus Garvey was absolutely correct in his ideology that AfroAmericans begging whites for social equality was pointless. Instead, AfroAmericans should have been building a strong race, industrially, commercially, educationally and politically, etc. and allowing everything social to come afterwards. People are more inclined to listen and do business with those who bring something to the table more than crumbs i.e. grievances. Well, 100 years later, after integration and civil rights movement, AfroAmericans are still begging for social equality and do not have an infrastructure in place to make us a force to be reckoned with neither here in America nor globally.

Fighting for America's sovereignty is a complicated issue especially for those who have been disenfranchised by systemic racism. As an example, voter rights should be a given for citizens yet legislation is still being debated. So, it's harder for folks adversely affected by it to care about illegal immigration.

Blacks need to invest in and control their own industries and how they are promoted and perceived in advertising and media. Owners control the game.

Advertisers pay attention to current events and the narratives being spun by politicians and the media. As a result we end up with more images on the smoke, er, screen to reflect diversity and inclusiveness.

The Wonderlic test shouldn't be a problem especially for someone who's attended college. Maybe the athletes should be better students too.

I remember when his 100th b'day was celebrated. Passed away in his sleep. RIP Mr. Charles McGee.

Temperature dropped 20 degrees in less than 24 hours in these parts. Supposed to get snow and freezing rain.

China has been supplying 80% of the rare earth metals globally for 30 years and counting. That's a huge head start. Meanwhile, US companies are making huge sums of money from the millions of jobs they have exported overseas.

@Cynique, my sentiment echos @Troy in that regard. Your views and opinions were part of the reason I stuck around this forum. i respect your divorce from the race and self-imposed hiatus but I'd much rather read you than not even if we disagree.

@Mzuri, unless someone is born rich, they have to produce goods and/or perform services in order to earn income. That's a job. A prostitute doesn't make any money just laying around thinking about it. There's some work involved regardess of mindset. Poverty is a condition into which people are born. Most folks do not choose it. Getting out of poverty requires a different mindset, knowledge, skills, abilities, talent, opportunities and luck.

Most people have to work for an income (active) in order to cover their basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, education, etc.). Hopefully, they will have earned enough income to make investments leading to passive income (real estate, stocks, bonds, etc.). Accumulated income (active), personal property and capital gains (passive) produces wealth. Unless there is generational wealth, there is no getting around having to work.

Hearing or reading about stuff happening in a major city like NYC, it seems really bad. But, there's a reason millions of folks either flock to and/or have spent their entire lives living in a place like NYC. It's not that bad.

@Cynique, happy new year. I'm glad you popped in to check on the gallery. @Troy definitely tries to maintain levity around here. As always, I give him props for giving us this space to grumble, complain, theorize, pontificate, etc. This forum is like a barbershop or salon or any other place folks show up to talk about current events, politics, religion, sports, etc. Differing views and opinions can lead to interesting dialog. Sometimes, it can be constructive and/or educational. Regardless, there's nothing new under the sun. Shooting the breeze on a forum defnitely won't change the arc of the universe.

Permanent citizen is not the condition here. This is a case of a non-citizen/permanent resident being allowed to vote.

@nels, no whining from this AfroAmerican man who has done very well for himself. However, that will never preclude me from giving my opinions. I'm entitled to do so under the Victim Guaranteeed Qualification (VGQ) as codified by the honorable Neely Fuller Jr.

As a fan of NFL football, I'm equally as guilty as Dr. Watkins especially when I attend games. The NFL could do a much better job of hiring black coaches and executives. But, the teams are predominantly owned by white men. College football is the farm system for the NFL. The schools are funded mostly by white folks. Ultimately, black athletes have to realize their worth and how they make up a very high percentage of sports and its ability to generate revenue. At the same time, black folks need to form investment groups and start buying into sports franchises. It's harder to call shots from the outside looking in but that shouldn't stop us from calling balls and strikes. Silence is the enemy of knowledge and awareness. Some folks can't do any better because they don't know any better. We have to speak out against inequities regardless of whether we are sitting in the nosebleed seats or standing on the sidelines.

@Troy, you're absolutely correct. Entertainment is money driven. It's not all bad either. I'm a huge fan of sports like NFL football and boxing, some ignorant music and movies too. None of it requires me to think. However, there should be a balance in what we consume mentally. No different from nutrition. Unfortunately, there is less incentive to produce entertainment content that also stimulates the mind. We should not have to turn our brains off. Networks like OWN, BET and TV One have enough bandwidth to produce and nclude intelligent content without losing money. Instead, they will marginalize a dude like Roland Martin in order to satisfy their sponsors. The digital age does provide a platform for folks to produce and provide intelligent content. The challenge is that it has to sought out because there is no heavy marketing and promotion. This awesome site and forum is proof positive. I found it by luck. I'm not a writer nor a publisher. But, the dialog i've found here is right up my alley. So, I'm here for it. As content producers, whether it is literary or music or knowledge, etc., we just have to keep pushing it. Often times, it will be a labor of love moreso than a financial windfall. At the same time, we have to encourage those around us to expand their minds too. For every 2 hours of visual or auditory junk food one consumes, seek out at least 1 hour of knowledge-based and/or thought provoking content.

@nels, the producers of the make-believe nonsense think they're enriching the actors, actresses, crew, etc., working on their TV shows and films. Of course, they don't see anything wrong with peddling a steady dose of mental bubblegum, burgers and fries, popcorn, candy and soft drinks to their captive audience. The real question is when will black folks reject the pseudo-escapism beaming through their screens and demand realistic, quality content.

@nels and @Mzuri, you all are going to stop making sense and screwing up the potential sell of KN95 and N95 masks. Meanwhile, for 2 years now, I cannot help but to think a whole lot of cash has been made on the porous, er, disposable masks folks have been wearing. I'd imagine the achoo virus condom, er, disposable masks offer a level of protection or as the scientists are now saying, they are still better better than nothing. I'm fairly certain that disposable masks and hand wipes will add a lot more crap to landfills. I see a lot of them have been discarded on the street and in parking lots.