Mel Hopkins

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...

I sound like I made a threat and a promise.

Thank You! And thank you for sharing! I hope to write more. Kim gave a great interview. Yes -I kind of new she was close because we knew the same alumni. She was in. the band and graphics major when they had to typeset advertisements and articles lol. So much has changed

@richardmurray, are you familiar with the legacy of African "Americans" who were not enslaved during the colonial period and when this nation became the United States? They traveled here, like most from Europe, Africa, and Asian continents. While it is reported that life wasn't easy for African "Americans," they still had their freedom - and there was a large enough number of Africans during the 1700s to make up a small city. They did not, although many lived in urban centers - as many of us do today. What would these free people or their ascendants have in common with those enslaved and subsequently freed? While they may look similar - their thought process would be decidedly different. There has never been a point when those of African descent behaved as a monolith, and historical artifacts were available, not even on the continent. But this isn't new. Although those of African descent don't practice individualism, we tend to be more culturally diverse tribes, not a monoculture. W.E.B Dubois did a paper on the difference between those of African descent raised in the North and how they differ from those raised in the South. That divides becomes even more pronounced when southern leaders ban books and water down public education. However, it appears from some of your posts that you believe if we were to become (a monoculture) led by (who ), we'd achieve (something). I haven't seen any evidence of this claim in history. Maybe those who are American Descendants of Slaves might have a better shot at becoming a monoculture. However, that doesn't include every person of African descent in the USA - so that might be a sticking point.

Wait, what? My financial positions? What does this even mean?

Yes he would! In my mind’s eye he has those freckles too - And I bet when he was “little pioneer” he had those blond edges like a halo to his light brown ‘fro! I betcha!!! And yes, @Pioneer1 a lot of my fair-skinned and multi-ethnic friends were always marching on the frontlines! You nailed the psychology of “light skinned ” freedom fighters. But Neanderthals - there is genetic difference between modern humans and neanderthals. Biological evidence indicates all modern humans originated out of Ancient Africa - And that’s what is problematic for people who turned “pink” due to migrating out of Africa (away from the sun and equator) then mixing with the remaining Neanderthals. BRB

Why did I know you were light skinned -lol! One thing I’ve learned on this journey is more freedom fighters of African descent look like more like Malcolm than Martin lol.. (ok I’ll be back with a response) Also, you will have no argument with me on the topic of Education! Education is always the key and it would definitely help people understand the difference between social construct vs biological construct. Race is not biological - but if there were different races, it would homo sapiens vs neanderthals. Today, neanderthals are allegedly extinct. Ok for real , I will develop a response.

You're welcome!