Mel Hopkins

These two groups have different interests ... So politically you have to separate them. As a homeowner raising a family and putting my children in the best public schools; my needs will look a lot different than someone who has no property, pays no taxes and literally is faced with a law-and-order tax on a daily. So when it comes to policy making - government barely serves the interests of poor people... AND again the majority of poor people aren't BLACK people. But I digress. That's not the point you communicated. YOU mentioned black people fawning over democrats such as Bill Clinton as if they didn't know what they were doing. Here's why - All those banking bills and legislation, drug trafficking, and gunrunning is well documented to come from republican administrations... Every time a democrat gets into office they have to clean up all the corporatist activity from so-called republicans. Further of course a democrat such as President Obama would hire from wall street -He was elected right on the heels of the collapse. It would have been stupid not too. If you are trying to get a handle on how google operates and how to get ahead of their thought process - would you hire someone from netscape search engine? C'mon now. Anyway, If you were on wall street then you have a myopic view of policy and deal making - and it was people like you who journalists/ reporters like me turned to to get an handle on the growing catastrophe and helped those on the outside to investigate from all angles. This is how reporters got to the heart of the story. Remember media is not expert in anything but gathering and disseminating. Nothing was buried everything was in plain sight - and that's how some banks serving the middle-income earners tried to put in place sustainable banking programs in place from Latin America, to Amsterdam to the US, as early as 1999 (I got hired by an ABN AMRO bank to communicate the program's message.) By Jove, I think he's got it!!! lol

Whether I suggest that or not - (which by the way, I have no way of knowing ) why is the question relevant to my statement of being haunted by black men not being able to provide protection then or now? Further, It's not a matter of "buy in" of Delano's observation that collectively black men appear not to have respect for black women. Lack of respect appears in the language we use (notice how Delano called both you and NubianFellow "Girls"), our institutions including church, schools, banking and finance etc, and socially. For example, how it's the norm to blame black women for a black man's shortcomings or failure. I'm always amazed how many black men blame feminism for them not being in the home. Even the fact that your question took away my agency by asking me about Delano's perception - instead of simply asking me "do I believe black men respect black women". Something as "innocent" as framing a question to a woman based on what a man thinks is disrespectful. But it doesn't even faze me anymore. I notice it and continue to move on. The challenge in this whole dynamic - isn't about what anyone believes anymore; it's about action. Black women who are about anything -are no longer waiting around for that protection or respect - that may or may not come. They are just moving on, building movements and forming sanctuaries.

CONTEXT is your friend, @Troy - we were in the middle of getting slaughtered daily by the crack epidemic and the jamaican, dominican and colombian drug cartels in the 90s... I couldn't have take my babies to the park - because it was bloodstained with bits of brain matter .... I left NY because it was no longer safe to raise my family in brooklyn... I was one of those mothers who was tired of seeing dead bodies in the streets because of the lawlessness. No mother should have to tell her pre-teen daughter not to step in blood... but that's where we were before Clinton took office. Rememember they flow of drugs and guns coming into the america under the republican watch? Remember Ollie North and Bush and the iran-contra affair and the blowback of gunrunning in the US? That was under the republicans. ... So tell me again how hyper-incarceration wasn't good for black people who who lived right in the middle of the drug wars. Welfare reform? Make up your mind - are we talking about poor people or black people? Again black people aren't the biggest stakeholders in the welfare system -so let's not mix apples and oranges. And Bill Clinton signed the wall street bill after his impeachment - remember the republicans impeached him but he was acquitted? Still don't be confused it was a republican bill ... Gramm-Leach-Bliley bill remember? In fact, everyday the republicans better known as corporatists chip away at the credit and banking protections . I was knee deep in reporting hard news during the clinton era .. I wasn't a bystander...So tell me again why wouldn't those looking to keep their homes, lives and wealth vote for democrats? Beliefs and knowing are two different things. People know what they don't know even while defending their beliefs. Ignorance isn't a negative unless you're creating policy and not seeking to educate yourself.

Actually it's not. The electorate absolutely knows why they are voting -The ignorance lies in those who believe they know why people vote they way they do...and still don't take the time to find out otherwise. I used to be like that and then I actually started listening to others - and their reasons became loud and clear. By the way those reasons are as diverse as the electorate.

@Delano Sad but true. I’m not a black man but if I were I’d be haunted by the fact I couldn’t protect black women and children from enslavement. I couldn’t protect black women and children in the jim crow south -I couldn’t protect black women and children while they worshipped; or when they went to school; and couldn’t protect some of them from poverty - child sex trafficking ...workplace sexual assualt ... yes protection a long way off..

@Troy that makes no sense to me. The impoverished have different needs than ethnic group. Further, If the wealthiest people in this country are democrats -including black wealthy people then it’s serving them. If middle class to working class people including black people vote democrat it’s serving them... now the question then becomes who is NOT being serve... chances are those the majority of people who don’t vote period - and of course those who are disenfranchised. For example, voting democratic could serve someone because there’s legislative protection for the environment - and the animals - or there’s a mandate for clean drinking water... or violence against women protection act isn’t going expire... or here’s something - the supreme court isn’t stack where women no longer have the right to what happens to their bodies. It’s pure ignorance to say someone is voting for something that is NOT serving them... Instead they should consider that they are unaware how they’re being serve.

@Troy I asked to which you were referring to when you say “serve us” black people or poor people... there’s a difference. A party that is most wealthy people (Democrats) is probably NOT serving poor people. So when you say US then chances are you’re speaking about poor people. I just asked to whom you were referring.

@Pioneer1 I’ve folkowed Goldie on twitter long enough to know she’s not trying to make friends. This piece is political satire -written tongue-in-cheek. Goldy has blocked folks on twitter for less and because of vitriolic tweets - msnbc did not renew her contract back in 2014 or 15... but anyway, Goldy, the former U.S. Marine, probably has a good grasp on how white nationalism works - she was literally in the trenches -

Serve us, as in Black people? Or Serve us, as in Poor people? Because there’s a difference. Also most wealthy people claim they vote democrat (or registered democrats ) depending on where you live this would mean wealthy people are in the democratic tribe too.

Will do! I subscribed and then I didn’t pick anything to read. I just signed up for notifications and to my surprise their algorithm couldn’t figure me out so I get all this cool stuff! I have a feeling they’ve been good all along but folks make popular what they want to read so that’s what trends. But I’ll get the link. I almost thought @Pioneer1 was a covert operator and was pushing the china story - because today they wrote about who has a bettet chance of making it - a poor 18 year old in China or the US https://nyti.ms/2DtMtMv?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Will do! I subscribed and then I didn’t pick anything to read. I just signed up for notifications and to my surprise their algorithm couldn’t figure me out so I get all this cool stuff! I have a feeling they’ve been good all along but folks make popular what they want to read so that’s what trends. But I’ll get the link. I almost thought @Pioneer1 was a covert operator and was pushing the china story - because today they wrote about who has a bettet chance of making it - a poor 18 year old in China or the US

Could be. Both you, @Delano and @Cynique clarified there’s a difference between “support” and “defense”... It’s hard not to agree. When you mentioned Troy’s belief, that is shared by quite a few black men (putting racism before feminism), I couldn’t think of any time in history when black men haven’t suggested “there’s a time and place for black women... (whatever black women conjured up for the best for society) — by the way, the Ethiopian PM made put women in half the cabinet positions - and put in place a woman president... because he believes women are best for the country... there’s that but its not quite the same as defending women. He put women in position to defend the country. They were feminist? Rallied for equal rights for black women? Black women march against the state to save the lives of black men and boys they don’t know. That’s the difference.

Can’t say. According to Iceberg Slim, the world is divided into hustlers and suckers .

Actually the report and others who follow budgets have mentioned there have been cuts to military spending - this year alone. And then you think about 5600 troops at the border to “assist” homeland security ... then it forces you to look closer to find out if (and how) the strategy in place is actually weakening the U.S. Btw, the New York Times is doing a 4 part series on China this week.

This has been historically true here in America - from Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman to the present. I can’t think of one point in recent history where black men have come to the defense of black women. I hope someone can and will correct me.

@Troy I believe the same day NYT busted facebook, the National Defense Strategy Commission submitted a report on the military. The report revealed the U.S. military is unable to win a war against the Russia or China - if we had to go to war against them. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-military-might-struggle-to-win-or-perhaps-lose-war-with-china-or-russia-report-says/

Yeah, I can’t think of black men organizing to specifically come to the aid of black women... but I can name a bunch of men who have supported me as an individual... I can also name men who have come to aid of indiviual women... If black men would ever organize to conspicuously support black women - that is the day “race” relations will change - and the current system will crumble.

This quote sums up the article : Natalie Hopkinson, a professor at Howard University, summed it up. “A lot of black men are just not hearing what black women are saying because they are too busy complaining about their own situation,” she said. “When it comes to really supporting black women, nobody has our back but us.” But individually I believe black men protect black women who they believe deserve protecting. In fact, I don’t even think ethinicity really plays a role. It’s the battle of the sexes in play. At least, that’s been my perception. I think black women move to protect black men because we actually give birth to them so our knee jerk reaction is to protect the “baby boy”. I don’t have that nurturing reaction or response because I gave birth to girls - I expect men to protect me whether they want to or not.

@DelanoAccording to MSNBC’s Ari Melber the answer is yes https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-returns.html

@Troy this is beautiful! And look my book is right there! yaaay!

I will no longer say (in my tone-deaf way) "why didn't those folks vote"... Thanks to social media and all the attention on Stacey Abrams - I now know why black people can't get their numbers up at the polls. These m-fers engage in much f-ckery here especially if it means keeping black people from voting. Seriously. I see it up close now. I live in a mixed neighborhood - and my county is heavily blue laced with old money; So we got what we need here... I voted early and with no problem BUT go to low income socioeconomic neighborhoods where black people live - and there's a lot of bs going on at the polls. In one precinct there was 3 voting machines for district that most likely has tens of thousands residents. I'm disgusted but my eyes are open. Also, I get the sense that a lot of people don't read the referendums but usually they benefit the rich. There's one referendum on the ballot asking for tax breaks for land owners who allow their buildings to be used for nonprofit organizations who house the mentally ill. Stacey Abrams endorsed this referendum , So, what could possibly go wrong? I'll tell you what can go wrong - There's a new york city judge that just ruled that a building owner doesn't have to give leases to tenants that were formally homeless and lived in the building on a program that was run buy a nonprofit organizations that shut down in 2015... Except the tenants did what the nonprofit program set out to do - empower the program's recipients. They actually started to pay the rent on their own. Yep - they were able to get on their feet because they actually had a roof over their head. Now this dude - is no longer getting the tax break that NYC put in place - so he's kicking them to the curb. It's heartbreaking. . By the way, I voted "no" on that referendum. If you're blessed to own the building - pay the property taxes period.

@Troy this looks so organized! How does it work? When someone arrives on the site - where does this appear?

@Troy I read in one of the publications (daily news, NYPost, NYT) that Harvey Weinstein contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars (through his lawyer) to various campaigns of the NY DA, Cuomo and some others that could assist him with his sex assault charges to disappear. If Bill did that he probably has a lot more folks to pay (not just the woman he paid off) and with a lot more money - and still end up in jail but Camille would be left penniless. It's all speculation but that's why I think he fell on his sword - to take care of Camille.

@ErnestLiving You're welcome! One thing @Troy chat about in the #readingblack.com forum is how authors should make it super EASY for prospects to purchase your book. Consider directing interested readers to your own platform before sending them to Amazon. That is unless Amazon has your book exclusively. If amazon has your book exclusively I hope you got a nice advance on your royalties. If your own all the rights to your book then tell readers how they can purchase your book -and then list the price, s/h and what forms of payment you accept such as PayPal, checks, money order, et al. Also please join us over readingblack.com for more selling tips! Much success!

I just finished Victor LaValle's novella "Lucretia and the Kroons" which is like a prequel to "The Devil in Silver." It is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lives with her mother in an apartment building in Queens, NY. No mention of a father but there's an older brother that lives on his own. Anyway, we meet Lucretia as she prepares to celebrate her 12th birthday with a party. Long story short, things don't go as planned since she invited "mean girls" from her class and then has to tell the "whores" to get out after they make fun of her. She ends up celebrating with her mother - with a look towards the future to celebrate when her best friend "Sunny" is stronger. Sunny is suffering from cancer and about to succumb to the effects of chemotherapy Sadly, things don't get much better. We, the readers, do learn how Lucretia wound up in the psychiatric unit of New Hyde Hospital with the protagonist "Pepper" a 40-something day-laborer. One thing I'm loving about LaValle's writing is he makes me fear to turn the pages of the books he has written.