Mel Hopkins

ASE'! "Out of Darkness" indeed! "Beautiful! Science is only possible with nature and spirituality. Theoretical physicists are now understanding consciousness - yet the explanation of consciousness has been with us all along. So much wisdom was shared in less than two hours! Brilliant!" Much respect to the Brothers and Sister who made their presentation onscreen. And much respect to the director and editor Amadeuz Christ, writers, camera people, animators, editors, and everyone involved in this production! This documentary film is everything I needed to see after an entire month of watching consciousness-expanding films. Woo-Chile!Here is the link to Amadeuz Christ's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@BuildingSe7en/videos and his shop https://these7encollection.com/collections/all Never mind, I found it! https://these7encollection.com/collections/all

Author and KMT African Antiquity Expert Anthony Browder and his daughter, Atlantis, are prominently featured in this informative documentary! I'm watching the film on the streaming channel TUBI TV. But I need this book if it's available. And if anyone knows if there's a DVD, please share.

Please visit the #Readingblack Club to answer the survey question, or feel free to respond here. QUESTION: Are you reading anything this year? If Yes, what genre? Fiction or Nonfiction? Is the format Digital, Audio, or Print (Paperback, Hardcover)? Are you consuming the material with a digital device such as an iPhone, Android, or electronic reader (kindle, PC, etc)? Are you reading the traditional way, such as an actual book in hand where you turn the pages? Which is your favorite way to read now? What is your preferred way to consume media content if you no longer read books?

This is a great answer, especially for writers! We should write about what people can't get in their lives. Even voyeurism!

QUESTION: Are you reading anything this year? If Yes, what genre? Fiction or Nonfiction? Is the format Digital, Audio, or Print (Paperback, Hardcover)? Are you consuming the material with a digital device such as an iPhone, Android, or electronic reader (kindle, PC, etc)? Are you reading the traditional way, such as an actual book in hand where you turn the pages? Which is your favorite way to read now? What is your preferred way to consume media content if you no longer read books?

Oh snap, your vocation revolves around books but with little time to read! My oldest daughter (millennial) listens to many podcasts (on YouTube). She reviews and negotiates contracts for work, so reading a book is the last thing on her mind. So maybe my next question in #readingblack will be a survey, "Are you reading?" If so, what genre? And how are you consuming the material?

Please share the data! Last year, I read two novels (both published by AALBC) and one children's book (for review and interview). I started three novels last year, two of which are classics, and I plan to finish them this year. I can't begin to count how many government publications I've read for my consultancy work. The Washington Post reports I've read 70 Articles, and if I checked, it would probably be even more for the New York Times. Still, this statistic makes me a bit sad. While watching a rom-com film on the Lifetime channel, I heard this quote from the fictitious writer on why she wrote about what she hadn't herself experienced. To paraphrase, the romance writer replied, "I write these novels to give women what they can't get in their real life." I wonder if this is the reason why black women read.

If you couldn't purchase a book through an independent bookseller - what stopped you? Do you have a strategy for buying from independent booksellers? How do you purchase digital books if the book is only available digitally?

I had a Mastodon account - I've since deleted it, and unfortunately, I can't remember who hosted it. Medium dot com offers members an account through their hosting site, but I'm just burned out on social media platforms. But I will always follow AALBC. So, if I understand correctly, and you do an upgrade, I'll probably go through medium dot com /mastodon since I have an account there.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics statisticians remove unemployed people from monthly reports. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/063015/how-does-us-bureau-labor-statistics-calculate-unemployment-rate-published-monthly.asp

@Chevdove Thank you for sharing this overview - many of his activities within the Black Community are on exhibit, too, with a call to the attendees to get involved. One of the activities included the elimination of cash bail. -It's rarely reported, but many people, including Black women, are in jail because they can't afford bond. And before anyone says they shouldn't have done anything wrong, consider this here in Georgia: it could be as simple as not knowing you have to stop even on a four-lane highway if a school bus is stopped on the opposite side and there's no cement median. This is one of his causes that he's put his reputation on the line by speaking out and using resources to get laws changed. While the slow wheels of Justice churned, I heard about one of his efforts to bail out moms before Mother's Day, and I also found out he did the same for fathers. I don't feel the need to plead his case because he wields way more power in this country and doesn't need me -but I appreciate when many lend their celebrity to shine the spotlight on injustices in the Black Community. https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2017/06/22/jay-z-follows-footsteps-mothers-day-bail-out/ @richardmurray I appreciate how the Black Excellence forum prohibits negativity - but I felt this one needs to be open to all commentary. Also, quiet as kept, I don't believe in "Black Excellence" in art. Art is messy, and it's open to interpretation. Thank you for sharing info on the NY State Library system. I'm a native NYer, and while there, I never knew to ask if there was a difference in library cards because mine was a Brooklyn Library card. I did ask the Librarian while I was there, and he told me about the closed system. Libraries are the "best-est."

Brother @ProfD THIS!!! Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic! No student loans, nothing but relying on what he already possessed!

Oh, snap! Excellent! I just got my copy from Thriftbooks, but you'll be sure I'll get a copy of this one, too! Autographed, please!!

This time, they followed JAY-Z to the library and got a card. A library card that will give them access to a lot of worlds for a long time after this exhibit ends. However, I won't comment on Jay-Z's personal life or what he buys. That doesn't interest me. And further, none of that is on exhibit. I'm sharing my perspective on the powerful display and how anyone can tell their story in this age of digital media to inspire others. The exhibition does an excellent job providing insight into Jay-Z's career and what he does with his celebrity to help those impoverished people you've mentioned; it also shares how others can follow their dreams and ascend the ladder to financial and professional success. This is a generous endeavor on a scale I've not seen from any other celebrity thus far. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/exhibitions/book-hov

Reverend Sharpton looks normal in person. He was on one of my flights when I worked for United. You can tell that he changed his eating habits. I agree, though he has a small frame, and his build probably struggled with that extra weight.

Thank you @Troy. I didn't know that the Brooklyn Public Library is a closed system. We discovered that the BPL card isn't accepted in the NYPL and vice versa. I never realized that the public library system differs from state to state. I think that is a good idea, though. This way, neither a presidential administration nor Congress can close down the system! Different Boroughs, Different Library Systems By Keith Williams Dec. 7, 2017 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/nyregion/different-boroughs-different-library-systems.html?unlocked_article_code=kgnfpwXujYou4jpfMI5HRVGUYsjBEl-eFs2IjwzNymI9Y_1D8jG29O3_3ELCXEgwYyJC-IMdyluVJiDuFoSPmi4uQxk--bUJCyljmRfMe69GtU304A6tZzljj64x36_aCS4xqTm7SxkAOlqqHN66WyxPh5C7O0zDXmAfMDJuiU95Qmfl1npleAUlne6cH3D-6VJ8XkHKOjOS3HvotHLqc4wM6hMVk3iHni2giqflpecYnf8u0aaFJniWst0QLeMpjVS86NGo2OTRtOnUewXy-qE7mw1YJ2QKlRn83RCTuTJbPe6gcgjAVKvTaxyYs6kQkrR0yt4u_HCaDRBthPb5IW1AAnNT4QVxFVit9-lvDI9mq-3OB7su&smid=url-share

But I couldn't get one of the 13 versions because I'm not a NY resident! But my daughter is, and she got the "Hard Knock Life" card pictured below. I did get an eyeful of this beautiful "Book of HOV" two-story, 8-section exhibit. The exhibit has been extended twice and will end on December 4, 2023, coinciding with Jay-Z's birthday. The brilliance of the production lies in Jay-Z's storytelling ability. There will be no re-writing of his story. It is a fully interactive exhibit with artifacts, including signage from The Marcy Projects to a replica of the Baseline studio where Jay-Z recorded his multiplatinum albums. The beauty of this endeavor is that nothing stops us from erecting our multimedia memoir exhibition. As I write this, I realize that I can't capture the emotions I experienced in words. Especially as I think there may have been some residents who have never stepped foot in a library yet will probably be inspired to come now, even if it's to see this memoir come to life. The day I attended, the library was filled with tourists and residents alike. It was challenging to get a proper photo without someone photobombing the shot. But I did get some good pictures. All in All, I give this exhibit five out of five stars; if you can, see it.

@Pioneer1 You ask great questions - and the beauty of the internet is the answers are also there too. In this case, the U.S. Census also offers its methodology. As @Troy mentioned, institutionalized individuals aren't represented in the poverty report. "People Whose Poverty Status Cannot Be Determined Poverty status cannot be determined for people in: Institutional group quarters (such as prisons or nursing homes) College dormitories Military barracks Living situations without conventional housing (and who are not in shelters) Additionally, poverty status cannot be determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) because income questions are asked of people age 15 and older and, if someone is under age 15 and not living with a family member, we do not know their income. Since we cannot determine their poverty status, they are excluded from the “poverty universe” (table totals)." . I usually provide links so that "lurkers" can review for themselves. :D Also, These reports aren't based on observation but actual data from the groups. I live in Atlanta and I would never base what's going on in Black America with many of these folks who are multimillionaires, That assumption would be an absolutely false representation of the financial status of Black America. I'd suggest going by the numbers - especially since Michigan doesn't even fall in the top five when it comes to the largest number of African-American residents. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/blackafrican-american-health

Awesome sauce! I look forward to contributing to this forum!

While the Black community is still overrepresented at 20% in the poverty category, Black people have reached a "new low"overall. This time, "low" is good because, according to the US Census Bureau, the official poverty rate for the Black Population reached a historic low of 17.1 %. The Black Community was the only group to experience a significant change in poverty between 2021 and 2022! (Say what?) For comparison, in 1959, more than half (55.1 %) of the Black population was beyond broke. I've attached the link to the study below. When you have time to review, you may conclude that COVID-19 programs helped the Black Community immensely because one measurement (Supplement Poverty Measure) indicates the poverty rate was as low as 11.3% before the pandemic safety net programs expired. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/black-poverty-rate.html By the way, did you notice the poverty rate for the white population? OMG!!! President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."

Action is the necessary component. Nothing happens without active participation. I can’t think of one thing alive or mechanical that doesn’t require input. Therefore between introspection (compare /contrast/ Know thy self) and meditation (intentional focus) mediation is the most powerful. . The one who achieves the goal of meditation is the most powerful.

Thank You, Brotha ProfD!

Belief, power, and knowledge are all things (nouns) that must be used to measure their effectiveness. None of those things is powerful without action. The use of power, which comes from the use of knowledge, could be considered the most powerful. But power without work and elapsed time amounts to nothing. In fact, the equation for Power = Work/time. Same with one's belief - which reminds me of the verse "faith without works is dead." So the same could be said of belief, albeit it is a temporary power. For example, if your belief is strong enough, it can change how you perceive reality and possibly defy natural physics. I'm thinking of those stories where an adrenaline surge allows the person to lift tons because they believed they had to save a life. So what's the most powerful? ACTION.

I think you included this because you mentioned you'd vote for Cornell West in the Election 2024 primaries. Why, however, it is beyond me. West is behaving as a mouthpiece for DeSantis. The same Italian American catholic who just vowed to do away with the U.S. Department of Education -even after signing into law banning abortions after six weeks. Aside: Do you realize how many women could die without a life-saving Dilation and curettage (the medical term for scraping the uterus of dead tissue.)? The same DeSantis, "Florida, "where Woke goes to die? The DeSantis, who seems to enjoy, comparing professional basketball players to "freaks of nature," while banning African American books. I have no patience for African Americans like Cornell West, who appear to support legislators like DeSantis, who behave like white nationalists. Cornell West isn't slick - he's no different than Kanye West. https://www.wsj.com/articles/desantiss-revolutionary-defense-of-the-classics-florida-western-canon-galileo-caesar-great-books-275268d9?st=hoftdr0ahg6z6fl&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Please define "Black Policy." I once asked forum participants to share what policies would benefit people of African descent in America, and I think only @Pioneer1 answered. Ok it appears other participated in the question...