ProfD

*News* has become a mix of information and entertainment depending on the outlet. I saw the handwriting on the wall as a young person walking up to the checkout line of a store and seeing tabloids. I knew it was just a matter of time before the news featured personalities putting their one spin on real world events. Now, we have a 24/7/365 news cycle. Then, there's social media spreading disinformation. Thankfully, there is still objective news reporting. Gotta look beyond the McDonald's equivalent of it.

Folks do not love the flag. They're only enamored with the hope that it's supposed to represent. Historically, that flag carries a lot of baggage too.

@Pioneer1, no matter how he tried to clean it up...Kanye West was on his f'n head when he said antebellum slavery was a choice. That n8gglet should have gotten the sh8t slapped outta him like Will did Chris. Otherwise, I agree that black folks should be closing ranks within their own communities to control the sociopolitical dynamics that affect them. The bottom line is black folks are peaceful and lack the aggression that it takes to dominate and control their own sh8t. It's not a choice. Maybe a biological synapse. The Supreme Being knows that if/when the black man really wakes up, life will be a lot different but better for everyone on the planet.

It's no secret that white folks have been stealing ideas, knowledge and information from non-white folks forever. They didn't know sh8t when they stole America. Native Americans taught them how to survive in it. Slavery built the American economy. AfroAmericans through slavery taught white folks how to cook and build and make things. That's before we were allowed to read and write. White folks study, imitate and codify everything they steal from others and they capitalize on it. Black folks are divinely gifted and talented. We bring style and flava to everything we do. We are so creative and prolific that it's like a positive form of attention deficit disorder. We come up with stuff, enjoy it for a while and move on to the next episode. As a result, black folks don't get stuck on thing. Unfortunately, we do not commodify and capitalize on our gifts, talents and intellectual property. Lost generational wealth. Take music for example. Black folks created Blues, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Funk, Gospel, Hip-Hop, New Jack Swing, Neo-Soul, etc. White folks have Classical music which is hundreds of years old. They stole from black music to create Rock and Country. They've been recycling the same music for many decades. But, white folks know that it's important to own everything that non-white folks produce. So, white folks feel entitled to stealing the truth from non-white folks and peddling it .

@Pioneer1, appreciate the compliment and vote of confidence bro. I dig this space brotha Troy has provided for us. It's not social media busy but there's enough substance to make it worth hanging out. Like a coffeeshop, I've just plopped into an easy chair to praise, motivate and encourage our people and give my opinions; calling balls and strikes on issues that relate to and/or affect us. Our generation was taught manners which carried over into how we dealt with real police officers. They were *friendly* back in the day. But, two things have happened over the past 30 years, 1) race soldiers have been deployed into black communities and 2) they have become more militarized. Nowadays, race soldiers are barking orders at citizens and beating them up. They've got tanks and other former military equipment. The worst of race soldier clowns are on some different sh8t now when it comes to extortion, drug dealing, selling illegal weapons and killing folks.

@Cynique, I could only shake my head when Uncle Ruckus/Clayton Bigsby made the dad and spoiled brat comments. Dude is clearly clueless across the board (pun intended) and ignorant on all fronts. I didn't bother to check or correct it because I knew you would come back and rotisserie his azz.

I didn't know sista Jenifer Lewis was a musician too. Black don't crack unless it's been rode real hard. Being able to identify fake news and staying informed requires reading multiple news sources.

Russian moms and dads too for that matter may not want their daughters looking up to sista Brittney but its going to happen especially if her media coverage continues. People from all over the world seek to imitate the style and flava AfroAmericans bring to the table.

Inflation is making it harder for ALL Americans to survive. Neither side of the political aisle is doing much to stop it. Probably because most politicians are already rich.

White folks have been manufacturing diseases in labs for 50 years or more. Every now and then, they unleash them on certain populations. Biological warfare.

@Pioneer1, bro, you've been MIA long enough...its great to have you back in the seat. Handle your BI out there. The fat to chew on will be here whenever you return. I know you're old enough to stay away from the race soldiers.

@Pioneer1, you're absolutely correct...protests haven't worked when it comes to race soldiers killing folks. They know the playbook...n8gglets gonna holler and slobber with signs and t-shirts. Celebrity civil rights activists and attorneys will show up. Rinse and repeat. As we've mentioned already, the effort should be placed on insuring the police force reflects the community.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jayland-walker-death-protest-breonna-taylor-jacob-blake-relatives-arrested/ Adding insult to injury, Akron police arrest protesters. They weren't being destructive or violent. Akron police have enough questions to answer considering how they mowed that young man down. Yet, they show no empathy. The police should be handing out bottled water and doing whatever it takes to make peace with the community they've sworn to protect and serve.

Sista Brittney isn't really under duress in Russia. She's still a celebrity caught up in a political game.

Considering they have a 97% conviction rate in jury trials, plea bargains are the norm over there. Sista Brittney's case is purely political. She's been carrying that oil internationally for years. If that Russia/Ukraine conflict hadn't jumped off, Brittney would be running up and down the court in WNBA games right now.

Black folks refer to others as sistas and brothas when there is no familial relation. Spelling is definitely not my Achilles heel. I don't need a proofreader or an editor. @Greg...talk about the pot pointing at the kettle. Your English and grammar skills read like someone of an age below adulthood an/or someone who skipped those classes. Maybe it was that homeschooling. Irresponsible parents/teachers.

Music is my opiate. I would sit down and play my electric piano. At some point, I'd be talking about what I believed juxtaposed with the new discovery.

Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to resign at some point. Maybe PM Johnson will finally get to the barbershop for a decent hair cut. He also needs to see a tailor to get fitted for suits. After 60 members of his government quit, PM Johnson has lost the confidence of his party. The citizens are ready to see his circus leave town too. I hope the US will be fortunate enough to keep its former clown in chief from bringing his big top back to Washington. All it takes is for the GOP to close ranks and shut him out. Unfortunately, power and greed are intoxicating.

I haven't been to NYC lately. I have friends who live there. They're not stressed out over the gun law changes.

Our sista Brittney Griner just took the necessary steps towards securing her freedom. She only had a 3% chance of winning her case. Pleading guilty to a charge allows her to move to a less severe sentence and/or a deal. The US gov't and back channels are working to bring her home. I suspect she will be back in the US before Thanksgiving. It's an unfortunate situation that Brittney got stuck over there in the middle of a conflict. Otherwise, they would not have detained her for some weed oil.

I don't feel like I'm wasting my time when I choose to cruise the forum. Refuting anti-black sentiment is necessary especially when it shows up in a space for us. It's no different than swatting flies and mosquitoes at a hot and humid outdoor event.

I think we're doing a pretty good job of shooting down those clay pigeons claiming black men are killers and mass shooters. That's all we can do until someone gets tired of pulling them.

Black folks aren't responsible for bringing the following into their communities: Drugs Firearms Liquor stores Beauty supply stores Asian food carry-outs Black folks are victims under attack from external forces. The system of white supremacy is responsible for all dysfunction among people on the planet. White folks really only have to *worry* about being victims among themselves.

@Delano, entertainment definitely should not be viewed as a replacement for real world role models i.e. parents, family members, teachers, mentors, etc. Unfortunately, some folks will be heavily influenced by what they see and hear through entertainment and their external environment too. There is enough capacity within entertainment to reinforce positive role models and influence constructive results.

Yep. Of course, this comes to mind.