Mel Hopkins

@Pioneer1 folks with their own businesses are counted in the labor force - they/we are doing the work but we are doing it with W-9/EIN status not a W-2... Now if you mean the essential workers - well we are always going to have those workers in institutional settings hospitals, schools etc., and private-ownership. The industrial age is gone - education needs to change with it and in some cases it has. As for agricultural, the millennials (like my daughters) started growing food in their condos during the lockdown.. I think that's a good start. My daughter grows tomatoes, peppers and some other stuff. I tried to grow herbs but I made the mistake of taking them outside and the bugs ate them up.

This is absolutely the truth! Yet it is also exhausting especially if you're a black woman - and for one reason: black women wouldn't have to deal with sexism if not for racism. I blame racism and human trafficking that enslaved Africans. Case-in-point, a "free-colored man" had to purchase his wife out of slavery for nearly $8,000. Do you think women were a commodity before 'supremacy'? Here's the Text from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn New York) Thursday, October 28, 1841 : It now appears that the slave Sarah, who was lately sold at the New Orleans Exchange for $8000 was purchased by a free-colored man - her husband! The sum of $7,800 was bid for her by n white man. What a world we live in" ( I guess the n white man made a $200 profit 🤨 Black men (not all) are so tied up in supremacy they've forgotten how to LOVE. The man who bought his wife back - probably couldn't get that out of his mind... Since then they've (not all) mimicked the supremacist's brain damage - and brought it back to the community. I can't even listen or watch my local news for hearing about how another black woman has been shot, burned up and body left by the roadside by her former mate. I can't tell you how many black men I've heard that subsist on medication to help them with their mental health - and those are the men who are doing the best they can by their families. Now imagine what happens to the minds of black women? Especially when we have no one? Ok, I'm exaggerating. I've been fortunate to have many men friends. But there are so many horror stories, it's hard to feel hopeful. Even though I do So this morning, I went in search of Fuller's code. I have seen nothing but praise for his work. Do you know how unusual that is on the internet LOL... So, if I get my hands on a few copies I might be giving them out as gifts - because something has to change.

Whew! Ok now you're speaking my language of love 😍

I recently learned of "Heirs' Property" through a ProPublica news report. Link: https://features.propublica.org/black-land-loss/heirs-property-rights-why-black-families-lose-land-south/ The practice is another side-effect of racism - where many Black Americans especially in the south were suspicious of the courts, legal system, etc. When they died intestate the property was left to the heirs. Unfortunately, this opens families to additional theft of property - not through eminent domain but greed. The brothers in the story had their land sold out from under them when another "heir" sold the property to developers. The refused to leave the land and was sentenced to prison. It is important for families, non-traditional families - including single parents, cohabitating singles, and even single men and women to file a Will and set up a Trust Estate.

This is more rhetoric. More than 160 million voters registered in the 2020 Presidential election - U. S. census reports the turn out supports the number of votes cast in the election - 81 million people most likely believed going to “COVID parties weren’t a good way to spend their time. Serious voters don’t go to rallies during a pandemic. What was necessary - standing in lines at polling places My wait time was about an hour - that’s how serious we are about voting in my state. That’s how we wrestled GA from the man who thought it was ok to trample over united states constitutional rights - However the Saturday following the election when the electoral votes tallied over 270 - coast to coast people start spontaneously dancing in the streets. So rallies for candidate JB maybe not, but a President-Elect JB could fill a 7 - Eleven across the country and even the world, eh? There’s nothing you’ve written , which wasn’t much, that I haven’t heard, read, or seen. I deal in facts, and results. -And you didn’t even bother to supply one fact to support your argument. Heck, you even waffled and back-tracked on your own suggestion and then tried to raise the stakes. When you started with the name-calling, you showed your hand. Glad you know it’s time to fold. #Bye

See I told you in one of those threads way back - that we share the same thoughts some time...and I thought the same about this one too. I think the genuflection is for the lives lost, not the flag.

Ok! Yes! But that's up to the states. At least 11 presidential candidates made it on states' ballot in 2020. Check it out here Link: https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_candidates,_2020 My ballot here in Georgia had 4 candidates. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it's not about dismantling the two party race it's about changing the U.S. Constitution. It would require 3/5 of the congress and 3/5 states to change this part of the constitution Established in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the Electoral College is the formal body which elects the President and Vice President of the United States. So yeah maybe not in our life time BUT we could definitely do the first. We the people could get at least twenty presidential candidates on each ballot. We did it in Illinois (I think they had 6 during one election) and it happened in Georgia in 2020.

@ProfDFACT: This happens nearly every presidential election. In 2020, 1212 candidates registered for the US presidential candidacy. Link: https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_registered_2020_presidential_candidates And if Americans were serious about voting - someone other than a democrat or republican could actually win the presidency. And we wouldn't have to amend the constitution either. Although it takes 270 electors to become president-elect - if none of the candidates got to 270 ...then the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVE would decide who would become president. Link: https://history.house.gov/Institution/Electoral-College/Electoral-College/ The power has always been in the hands of the people. The people simply won't participate - and allow excuses to absolve them of their civic duties. ADDENDUM I wrote about the Presidential electoral process in 2016. Literally, any US citizen over the age of 35 can become president - but it's up to the 163 M+ registered voters. Link: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/04/record-high-turnout-in-2020-general-election.html COLLEGE RULES? MAYBE CONGRESS WILL DECIDE PRESIDENT IN 2016 Link: https://melhopkins.com/2016/08/04/college-rules-maybe-congress-will-decide-u-s-president-in-2016/

I held the GOP precinct committeeman office for my Illinois precinct from 2006- 2008. The TEA PARTY and Q ANON ( still in its infancy) hadn't yet infiltrated the GOP nor had the GOP gotten into bed with other countries seeking to destabilize an already shaky nation teetering on the brink. That GOP is gone - those who vote independent mostly caucus with the democrats now... And the reason why is because the democrats still write legislative policy and do their best to get it passed into the law. Not sure what the government is doing - check here ... It is called the FEDERAL REGISTER a website that you can READ for yourself to find out what's going on instead of saying "JOE BIDEN IS BAD - DEMOCRATS BAD... REPUBLICANS BAD... INDEPENDENTS BAD. 🙄 EVERY legislative proposal (BILL) that has become law since January 21, 2021 - has been passed by CONGRESS (GOP/DEM/IND SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES) and signed by PRESIDENT BIDEN.. SO unless you can share with the class what NEW LAW, you all hate and why... this thread is moot

@Pioneer1 Yep... 😂 You were correct ... This argument is vote for republican or make sure your vote doesn't count in the presidential election. Here we go again.

Thank You!!! 🥰

YEP! It worked in 2016 - and they even put together a documentary showing how well it worked. The documentary showed how they profiled black voters in key states. They identified the weak minded, the thinkers, individualists, and one other type and then convinced them not to vote. I guess even weak-minded, but engaged, social media users couldn't be persuaded to vote for Trump. Kind of like a hypnotist can only get a subject to do something they might be inclined to do but not something you'd never do. @Troy ,can we get a "Yep" button to go with "like," "thanks," "laugh," "sad," and "confused.") I don't like everything I agree with.

Ok. Except I think this species sometimes wears 'white' skin. Sometimes they may choose other skin colors to advance their agenda but calling them people, folks, or even human is a stretch. 😛 As you mentioned, LEGERDEMAIN only occurs in plain sight. They can't help but record in writing all of their dastardly deeds. So anyone who doesn't read is S.O.L.. because their hubris forces them to keep 'history' - I guess it's necessary for the others who join them at a later date. Anyone with excellent reading comprehension, the ability to connect the dots and detect change will always stay ahead of the curve.

With NYC Central Park Condos going for nearly $10 million, imagine how much Seneca Village would be worth today? Descendants of the Lyons family may know the dollar amount but they probably will never see a penny. I shared this NYT article from my account it should be open to read. Their Land Became Part of Central Park. They’re Coming Back in a Monument. A new sculpture will honor the Lyons family, black activists and property owners who once lived in Seneca Village, a community destroyed by the creation of the park. A double ambrotype portrait of Albro and Mary Joseph Lyons. The city is planning a monument depicting them, along with their daughter Maritcha, in Central Park.Credit...Smith Collection/Gado, via Getty Images Also, check out the book Black Gotham |A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City  by Carla L. Peterson, "an academic who wrote a book on investigating her own family history. Dr. Peterson is a great-grand-niece of Maritcha Lyons."

@MzuriI Know Right! This case put the spotlight on many other eminent domain landgrabs from Black Americans. The local media here in GA even resurfaced how ( haunted )Lake Lanier was actually a community (Oscarville, GA) of Black Americans run out of their homes. The land was flooded, cemetery, fences many remnants of the what the town looked liked remains but underwater.

Yep Black and indigenous people…I think we collectively hold a little over 1 percent of this country’s wealth. And they continue to write laws to remove of us from our land and chip away at what we do have. At least one family, in California, got their land back this week. The California governor returned Bruce’s Beach back to its rightful owner.

Well I did have my fingers crossed. Anyway, I had to refresh my memory on the President’s record so far - I haven’t seen anything he’s done except clean up the ish left by the last administration. This is what the democrats do for the first two years of their administration - especially after the GOP raids the treasury, pass laws for their cronies and reduce taxes on the wealthy. Here’s a list of President Biden’s signed executive orders. He even issued an EO for the Human Rights crisis in Ethiopia - - Some of the bills he’s signed into law overturn 45’s harmful laws against the environment and working class. I like that he overturned 45’s Usury law and put the cap back on how much payday lenders can charge “the poors”. - those exorbitant interest rates usually hurt black communities the most. And he also overturned a Trump law that made it easier for employers to retaliate against workers who filed EEOC claims - that is direct win for the black community. I know because I once had to file a claim against my television station. So… it would be interesting to learn who we should be checking out next.

I remember when you pointed out this one - and with receipts … I appreciated your fight. I didn’t understand why the algorithm would come for black women. But a caste system needs a base. 🤨

Same question.

OMG! You just read me like a book …and you probably don't even know how deep it goes but this is truthdotcom! It is exhausting - especially when I have to stifle the " I told you so" in the aftermath. And yes, as a journalist, I'm used to other people's words LOL!

Bridgeman Sports and Media (EBONY's new owner) isn't expected to and they are no longer based in Chicago - even though a lot of people seem to think so. According to their spokesperson, , for the time being, EBONY is digital format only. Bridgeman Sports and Media, bought the BRAND name, EBONY, and decided to keep the BRAND's money-making events. For example, the EBONY 100 gala. Bridgeman Sports and Media, bought EBONY from the Clear View Group, during the liquidation process. The Clear View Group bought the EBONY brand Name from Johnson Publishing in 2016. The Clear View Group put the magazines (JET Included) under Ebony Media Holdings LLC but the CVG owners were forced into bankruptcy chapter 7 (liqudation) in 2020. So. that is it. In short it is EBONY magazine is a resurrected digital version. OH one more thing - the CVG CEO is allegedly in trouble with the SEC for using cannabis funds to resurrect EBONY. Remember my cover story on Issa Rae in September 2018? Well, that was the next to the last print issue of EBONY. Note: Some of the links are behind paywalls. After the sale, it appears Bridgeman Sports and Media transferred EBONY to another of its business holdings. "EBONY is a property of 1145 Holdings LLC"

@Cynique, I was recently thinking the same! The older I get, the less I have to say too. WHY IS THAT? I began to think about the elderly who have come before us - and they seem to disappear from the script. However, the sad thing is that the young people are simply repeating the same damn things that everyone has said before us. So, while I don't believe you have anything interesting to say - I think anything you would say would be off-script, and we sorely need those words.

These are presently the most important jobs. Probably why governments pay farmers to stop producing, and prevent others to start. Further, social movements are system disintegrator. And lawmakers are working overtime to stop it. See: Florida, Texas and Georgia.

The objective of a book review is to provide insight into the author's message. Without an independent review of messaging, it's difficult to judge whether the reader might want to explore this new perspective. I recently read a fascinating book review by a black woman, Veronica Chambers, about an 800+ page novel written by a black woman, Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. I was damn near tempted to buy the book, "The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois," and read it. The only thing that stopped me, for now, - is I don't have the time. It is definitely on my list. I would like to explore what it would be like growing up in the south (Georgia). Then, navigating the world of "Our Kind of People" and regular black folks. Then deciding to take the road less traveled in your career choice. The reviewer also provided the literary context of the coming of age novel and its relationship to poetry. The latter indicated that the prose would be musical. Also, the reviewer is a subject matter expert on W.E.B Du Bois, has been highly educated in the literary genre and discipline. So the review was art in itself.

Yep! I definitely missed @Cynique when she left; it was like losing a wise friend who was way more intelligent than me. The sad part is I had to wean myself from her posting, and anyone who has experienced loss knows it's a process. And I got into a habit of not visiting as much. I'm so glad you've returned,@Cynique. Thank you, @Troy , for tagging me. AALBC forum requires independent thinking. Haven't you noticed the people who post here don't follow a script? Thinking outside of the program is a challenge, especially when the forum is not an echo chamber. The latter makes it hard for trolls and ditto heads. The good news is the people who sign up want to throw away the "script." Maybe when they attempt to post, it makes them feel uncomfortable. For example, has the OP who wrote the AALBC forum is "boring" ever started a topic? If s/he hasn't - that indicates how intimidating this forum may be to some. Still, I find it encouraging that a lot of people are signing up. Signing up on a literary website means people are ready for a new paradigm. Give them time.