Mel Hopkins

Oh snap! This has FEAR written all over it! Even the example you gave about police in the black community is a result of fear. Not fear like “punk” “scaredy cat” but a deep-seated fear that the “ruling” class, those who have a lot of riches, must control certain groups or they will lose wealth. They are fearful and have a need to control everything so they can keep themselves safe. For those types everyone/thing is a possession they must control for their own survival. This describes the “ruling class” of the United States in a nutshell.

@Pioneer1 No. I find that behavior repulsive in humans period. I will never understand nor want to understand why humans have this desire to control anyone but themselves. This trait is the main flaw in humans. A lot of types of men exist. Like isn't a strong enough emotion to be bothered; there also has to be a desire. Still there's only one kind of man with whom I've ever found sexy enough to get naked. A brutish man would never make my list.

Aggression is the number 1 trait of a bully. Animals, including the human species are usually ostracized or put down when they show aggression. They can't be trusted. This dude sounds like a bully. And from what you wrote, this woman saw you , @Pioneer1 put him in his place. That requires confidence and confidence is a hella sexy trait. Most women (and men) are attracted to assertiveness and confidence. Intuitively, we know we can trust people who exhibit confidence.

Ok, authors-publishers I've been playing around with AMP stories. The app is currently in beta WordPress (open source content management systems). If you have a WordPress website and activated the plugin AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), try it! AMP stories allow you to introduce your book succinctly. Think of it as a way to make a trailer for a book without video production. If you don't have an open-source WordPress site, then try Makestories.io. According to its creator, it's free to use until 2020. Here's a link to the travel story I made on the makestories site [ https://onl.st/miraflores-1/ ] I didn't install the Makestories plugin for WordPress because there's no recent update. But here's the same story I made on my website. https://theleadstory.org/stories/peru/ There's a call-to-action (CTA) link that you can add to lead your viewers to where they can purchase your book directly from you AND not AMAZON DOT COM!

@Troy this line made me laugh out loud! I'll have to do some soul searching to figure out why - but for now; it's tickling!

The first 24 hour Black News Channel is expected to launch November 15, 2019 @6:00 AM. The cable network is the brainchild of J.C. Watts, Jr., former U.S Representative (R-Oklahoma) now BNC chairman and Veteran Journalist Bob Brilliante who will serve as the cable network's CEO. BNC Newsroom management made their rounds at the National Association Black Journalists Job fair in Miami, FL earlier this month. The news channel, headquartered in Tallahassee, Fl, will broadcast to 33 million households nationwide with a major presence in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York. ~MH You can read the release here: https://blacknewschannel.com/wp-content/uploads/BNC_NABJ-Press-Release_2019.pdf

@Pioneer1 Yes Kim Coles also graduated from Brooklyn Tech with me and Troy. Best. High. School. Ever. And yes - haven't you noticed we fight about and agree with each other on the topics dealing with the subject of "Social Engineering"... It's as if you and I both believe that we humans are consistently being programmed and hacked to behave a certain way. Sexuality goes right to the top of the social engineering ! Early Anglos found out how to harness and supress sensuality, sexuality and sensuosity and use it to create super soldiers /killing machines . In short, suppress sexuality you kill creativity and then you can create monsters. @Troy In a way, I agree but how we use our experiences is what's at odds. As a woman, I learned sexual boundaries in the safety of my parents home. When you are under a watchful eye of your caregivers - they let things go but so far. We've seen on social media where at some of parties teenaged boys and girls have gotten drunk and some boys have gone as far as gang raped girls. A lot of times these parties were not chaperoned - and what's worse those children didn't learn boundaries and popped like corks under pressure. Now the girls are scarred -and the boys have to register as sexual offenders for the rest of their life. My friends and I played RCK (run catch and kiss)- as young as 11... by the time we were teens - we knew boundaries. Boys knew sexual contact in varying degrees wasn't off limits because girls liked it too - but we all learned no means no. As society progressed - I guess some parents didn't have time for children anymore. But when I was growing up we all had parents to consult in the absence of our own (for the moment). It did take a village. Most of the kids I grew up with - played kissing games, bump and grinding when we were teenagers, and none of us ended up as sexual predators. When the child learns how to exercise their personal agency it will later serve them as adults. My body and persona doesn't belong to my parents - it's mine. My children's bodies doesn't belong to me or their dad. They learned this from the time they were toddlers. While they were under our care we had to let them determine their boundaries or they would never learn. Or worse, learn when they were older. If you wonder why some women exist in abusive relationships while some women NEVER experience that life;-it's all due to learning. We all have to learn - it just depends on when.

@Troy I never censored how my daughters dance or what they wore. Even when my youngest was going through her goth phase - I just sucked it up. lol - Today, the twins barely wear clothes but that's their self-expression. My oldest daughter is more conservative and that's her style choice. I had nothing to do with it. Anyway, I'm not prudish ... And neither did my parents censor me. EDIT: I had a lights off rub-em-up sweet-sixteen party in my basement. It was great! Also Do you not remember this? This was our senior fashion talent show - I was 17! Kim Coles, Vicki and I dressed like this and even the high school administration allowed us free expression! And yes, this was a one-night only performance - but still creative arts require raising the Serpentine fire/Kundalini! In fact, if we see more of those performances like in Normani's video and less gang-banging - our current "drive-by - mass shooting" culture will change for the better.

The dancing in this video is beautiful! And look at all those chocolate young women and men!~ They are beautiful! Thank you for sharing! It reminds me Janet Jackson's "IF" video but with a majority of beautiful black people. And @Troy don't you remember how sensual we were as a teenagers and young adults? Google can't promote what comes naturally - Young people are sensual, curious and carefree with each other. This choreography just communicates this age but with pure athleticism mixed sensuosity and grace.

welp, there goes that! Why not write it true to life? It could still be dramatic! Hell, if they got those degrees after the kid was born the absentee-parent would still be valid! This is why I can’t stand watching most “black” dramas. Show runners usually let us down. I don’t know why you want to get me started! I was ready to root for this show! Oh! By the way, I watched one episode of GoT and the black man was a “prop.” I didn’t see any black women - so I never went back. Don’t get me wrong, I indulge in Film & broadcast programming but it’s mostly romcom, rom-mystery, holiday romcom, mysteries, thrillers and the supernatural. Most of the time, even with a black cast, Hollywood does a better job with those genres.

You took the words right out of my head! I didn't want to give google or godaddy any airtime it would interrupt my flow. Thank you for the added information! (Quiet as kept, I counted on you adding it! lol)

Thank you @Troy ! I really enjoy slice of life stories - especially when the medium portrays our slices accurately. I'm going to check it out.

Some of us were not socially conservative but fiscally conservative. We believed in the bootstrapping way in life. -That was until I woke the eff up and realized that was a lie too. (Pre-Obama) I was actually a card-carrying republican appointed official for two years. When I moved to Illinois, the GOP preyed on me like I was a lost native venturing too near to the door of no return in West Africa. They snatched me up and appointed me an elected official. Once inside, I saw the GOP for what they were really are; gang members.- The political party system in America is nothing more than a bunch of thugs and gangsters. Prior to my two-year GOP stint, I was strictly independent and only voted issues - and that's where I've returned. I vote for folks who represent legislation that I believe is best for the nation.

@Troy what moved you to recommend this show? What's the plotline? Is this a lot of testosterone and chest beating - or are there some real life lessons? C'mon, give us the 411?

YOUR WEBSITE!!! First, thank you for updating and managing your digital platform. We book lovers, and avid readers enjoy visiting you and purchasing your books directly. We like finding out about your appearances and events. We appreciate your photos, videos, blog postings, and podcast. We especially like updates such as information on when you'll release your next publication. Those of us who don't use social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, etc., like knowing we don't have to sign in just to read your thoughts. We trust you with our email address, and we appreciate that you won't track us throughout the internet. Since we're on the topic of email addresses, did you know if you don't secure your website - you leave us, visitors, vulnerable? An unsecured site makes it easy for bad actors to get our information if we visit and purchase anything from your website. Now, before you say it, yes- big corporations are hacked all the time; this is why I'm asking you to secure your website. Visitors are hack-weary and if we see a not secure notice on your site - we may bounce. Let's make it easy for your supporters to do business with you. PLEASE SECURE YOUR WEBSITE with a digital certificate such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate. More on Digital certificates from Verisign. https://www.verisign.com/en_US/website-presence/online/ssl-certificates/index.xhtml

@Wosey Thank you. As a professional journalist, research takes up most of my time. But when I get a chance to encounter a primary source I jump at it. I’m familiar with the secondary source information on Yoruba culture - I even follow a priestess on wordpress (smile) but when you shared the background of the language, you appeared to be a native speaker with first hand information. That’s not to say I don’t use wikipedia - but I only use to determine the author’s sources - and then I go to the source. Usually when I ask questions on this board - it’s more for the member’s first hand experience.

@Troy any of them! BUT who has a product like CBS' 60 Minutes to distribute that caliber of an interview? Maybe because I was a managing editor/news producer for a CBS' Network Affiliate I understand what goes into making a polished product like 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday or even 48 hours. Ed Bradley was an excellent journalist but trust me, 60 Minutes, Sunday Morning et al - also has an elite team of writers, videographers, editors, graphic artist, sound, lighting technicians... AND it appears they had a generous budget too. 60 Minutes, the media product stands alone. I really do miss the days when we cared about packaging good journalism! ALSO, I did feel the gripping loss watching this interview! Thank you so much for sharing it! Toni Morrison was a giant! She was courageous and eloquent too. I don't think we'll see another like her, of any ethnicity or sex, in our lifetime. Morrison stood alone on that pedestal. And I'm not just talking about her literary skills, either. Morrison was the whole package who embodied all that a great writer represents. She made us want to be in her world.

@Troy can we purchase "The Africans" - A triple heritage through AABLC? I couldn't purchase this one through the publisher - and it appears Mazrui's website is defunct.

Let the church say "AMEN" and celebrate life!

@Delano Gotcha! And I think that's the truth for most of us. I think your position should also be considered too. Often we believe others are appropriating the African american culture because we expect people too look a certain way - but who can dictate who belongs to the culture and who does not. @Delano this is documentary I referencing. @Wosey, thank you. Are you a native speaker? what is the name of the universally accepted dialect?

@Maurice no apologies needed! I laughed because reading it - really highlights the absurdity of it all. Like, yes - who shoots up a “Garlic Festival?”

@Delano I shared this concept with my Nigerian ( Igbo) friend - because he displays this rhythm, tempo and cadence in all his creative endeavors. He mentioned I have it too. I’ve noticed it others - who like Slim Shady, do not share our phenotypic traits. So, these traits appear to be genetic but not limited to ethnicity. So, do you include genetic traits in your definition of culture? If so, would this mean African-American culture would be a misnomer? Would it be more inclusive to say - cultural traits found predominately in the African-American ethnic group. This is what the documentary video, I posted “The Africans - Three Heritages” talks about too! . @Pioneer1 I keep telling you that’s the main reason I can’t be moderator! Moderators are supposed to provoke NOT agree! Sadly, history has shown this to be true. Whenever a group is captured and colonized the first thing outlawed is language.

@Wosey Thank You! Is the language called “Yoruba?” If not what is the name of the dialect? Also, is it your native language?