Mel Hopkins

I didn't know that about the blackamericaweb. I only use it when I hear something on the TJMS and I want more information about the topic - unfortunately they don't update quickly - and since I rarely use facebook; I don't go to the TJMS facebook page anymore. I wasn't suggesting that AALBC partner with BAW. I'm still on the same kick that AALBC "capture all the hearts and minds" and be the clearinghouse of all things black literary. That reach is far wider and affords more latitude

Damn shame! I think we can get black minds back - just like Tom Joyner has got our ears... TJMS and BlackAmericaWeb finds a way to promote every black person out there. The key is promoting what we want instead of giving our attention to what we don't want.

It was not unknown to Researcher Margot Lee Shetterly or NASA's Langley A black woman’s research project and subsequent manuscript leads to feature film “Hidden Figures” (2017). “Hidden Figures” is the story of a team of African-American women mathematicians who were the brains behind the space race and astronaut John Glenn’s 1962 orbit. Check out Margot Shetterly talk at NASA Langley’s youtube channel

Why are black folks so weird? We say we're not a monolith but then our first inclination is to boycott. Roxane Gay is a published author who chooses not to share the same platform as an alleged white supremacist. She moves books so she can always take her project to another publisher. But we can use our dollars to support more black authors and get them Big 5 publishing deals. If we boycott S & S then why not buycott Penguin Random House's black authors & novelists. In fact, I'm loyal to Penguin since they hired me into their marketing department and other black women and men before it was popular. I read more black authors from Penguin than any other publisher. If we pull our dollars from S & S, what would be the incentive of them publishing black literature? We surely don't have the numbers to incentivize the trade book publisher - so instead of boycotting, why not consciously promote and buy from trade book publishers who are responsive to our culture. I read that he is gay.

LawdHahMercy don't get me started. From USA Today, January 09, 2017 Black pastors rally in Washington for AG nominee Jeff Sessions

Nope crazy isn't normal. If it was, then it's true we get the leaders we deserve.

In a letter sent, November 3, 2016, to the Government Accountability Office by the 5 U.S. Senators request- "As one of the largest advertisers in the United States, the federal government should play an active role in ensuring that minority-owned media outlets have fair opportunities to compete for and be awarded federal advertising contracts." A 2007 report revealed the federal government agencies spent more than $4 billion in advertising but " a pittance of that amount (5% from 5 agencies) was spent with minority media publications." Maybe some of those advertising dollars might find its way to websites with large audiences too. Follow or contact these five senators .S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was joined by fellow Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for updates on how to bid for these advertising contracts.

Me too... and with the government's help if possible - and yes black women have been instrumental to our survival since time immemorial from when we migrated through what's now called Africa and out of it to travel and settle the rest of the worlds. It was then men and women were smart enough to work together. BUT your comment is indicative of the flawed mindset of men in the black community - and men overall, today. Case in point, I've had a twitter account for 8 + years and for the first time my numbers of likes and retweets soared through the roof last night- because I tweeted that Trump now lives in public housing as a result of his bankruptcies and poor credit rating. The trolls went insane... one so far as to tell me Obama sucked D to find financial success whereas Trump made his money from the private sector... Then it hit me; Men are conditioned to believe the worst thing in life is to accept a handout. Even if his surrogate (i.e. baby mama) is accepting an handout then he might as well be dead. No man wants to be reminded of his perceived failure. And before anyone speaks to the psychology of women being a man's surrogate in the market place... tell me you've never heard a man ask or say "is that you, homey" when referring to the man's wife/girlfriend or life partner. (Women may date "projects" but men marry their projection" ) As I wrote in my profile status and blog post " AALBC Discussion| I'm not your mule" patriarchy has been a great disservice to men too. For many reasons, but especially because if you look closely a man's psyche has been severely damaged and it's allowed him to become a tool of oligarchy. Want to know the cause that is producing the undesirable effect in the black community? Y'all (generally speaking) don't recognize help when it arrives nor do you know how to ask for help or accept help when its offered. If you do accept help you make sure to bury the helper's body so deep it can't come back to haunt you. You can't apply a solution to a symptom. It's like applying a band-aid to a gunshot wound, you may stop the blood from soiling the shirt but the bullet remains to destroy the body from within. No the solution is for men to get their mind right. This action produces consequences that benefit us all. Especially because so no one can get you to use your own hand to punch you in the face. That old 'hood trick's time has run its course.

I'm not complaining about black men. I'm complaining about the focus put upon black women for the disappearance of some black men. An alleged impoverished baby mama society doesn't happen in a vacuum. Black women aren't equipped for parthenogenesis as are Komodo dragons. Therefore, blaming the woman for the shortcomings of a man will only allow his apparent dysfunctional behavior to continue. We're all experiencing these adverse cultural conditions both directly/indirectly. Maybe it's the nature of a woman to ask for help when the going gets too hard. "I need help" is definitely in my vocabulary as is " Yes, Please and Thank you". Maybe the lack of compassion for some is the "twisted culture" that produces "Disappearing Acts" [see what I did there - always bring it back to black literature] But before one can receive compassion one has to admit he needs help and recognize and accept it when offered. As I mentioned black women fared well under the Obama administration. However President Obama also did what he could to help black men too. Reports indicate prison population was reduced. The Fair Sentencing act in 2010 and other acts, legislation and programs were championed to alleviate some of the pressures on the black community.

@Troy thank you. The sharing and editing features haven't returned to the profile status... I'll keep checking

I don't like to characterize black men as being the weak link either especially when 46 % who handle their family responsibilities aren't. But that leaves black women with sole-custody of 54% of the nation's black children. So, if we're to believe Xeon's claim of” a celebrated impoverished American Negro baby mama society” in which black women give birth to the children, raise the children, work a job/start a business to maintain the household and get advance academic degrees to provide some semblance of a life for herself and her children; then the only person missing from the 2-parent equation is the man who sired the child(ren). Black women are left holding the chain. So, you're correct @Troy. Black men who choose to be absent aren't weak links - they are the missing links. . There's no excuses for fathers/men who choose to be absent. Nor is it a woman's responsibility to get him to return. A mother/woman raises her children but it's not her responsibility to raise, repair or rehabilitate a broken man or the relationship from which he walks away. That is all very much an inside job.

It does. I can no longer edit more status or share them. However, when I posted the following (11 year old girl...status)- I could do both (edit and share) With the share ability I can promote my profile status on other social networks - I think I can even embed in my own blog. Thank you for looking into this.

I've studied this board for a year and that is exactly what I've observed - thank you for the confirmation. I hope he returns.

Well this would make black boys & black men the key challenge that needs addressing in this cyclical problem. Black women (including single black mothers) are the most educated and employed according to the US Education and Labor Department 2015 statistics. Therefore this would seem they're the only responsible group in service to the black community. But they alone are not enough. So what is to be done about these black boys and men? How, when and why did they become the black community's weakest link and make themselves the target of the former and current president?

@Troy Is there a suggestion, Q & A topic for current discussion boards & profile? I have a question that wants to masquerade as a suggestion. It seemed as if I could share my profile post on other social networks but now I can't. I'd like to share my aalbc member profile posts on my other social networking accounts just like I can share my discussion comments. I know it was available last year. Is that possible now? Or will it return?

Welp, you win... "I got tears" from "salad days of our youth" to the quoted. All beautifully expressed, @Cynique

Ha! Well that's certainly an attention-grabber!

I'm not speaking for the author - ( Aside: It seems as though folks drop stuff here and never return) just offering my observation to your remark @Troy Currently there is no difference between men and women because as the quote indicates "both men and women participate in the patriarchal system"... I believe some women are working to free themselves from the mindset and as the author suggest men too - but as I wrote in my blog the other day, women spend so much time loosening themselves from the shackles that its hard to do anything else. All this to say; yes, men need to have that conversation separately -

Sounds like the return of an egalitarian society.

Western mythology is influenced, if not, built on African teachings. What we call astrology was part of a star-worshipping curriculum which also included astronomy - maybe the western church separated them but the origins began in what is known today as Africa. I use the quote below because I'm unable to pull my research. The "star-worshipers" also studied or venerated the sun and moon and, roots of their practice dates back to well before 5000 B.C.E. Evidence for a level of sophistication and knowledge of astronomy has been found at several archaeological sites in Africa, including the complex at Nabta Playa in southern Egypt. The structure at Nabta is almost 7,000 years old, and is the oldest astronomical complex in the world. Other astronomical sites in Africa include: Namoratunga II, near Lake Turkana, in Kenya, which was in use around 300 B.C.E.; the Senegambian stone circles; and the Bouar megaliths in what is now the Central African Republic. Also psychology was originally the study of the soul, spirit (psyche) - while these words have latin and greek origins if we look further back there's a Canaanite origin... I apologize for not making my statement clearer - I didn't make the time to condense my explanation.

Nailed that one didn't you! LOL!

My introduction was horoscopes. My friends mother did my astrological/natal chart. When I began researching the scriptures - astrology for me became the study of the constellations and planets and its perceived effects on society. Now when I think of astrology I tend to combined it with psychology.

No reputable Literary agent will ask for a fee upfront - they get a percentage 15-20% of the deals they make for you. As a screenplay writer - you're best bet is to look for an agent in Los Angeles- they do contracts for screenplays ; remember most screenplay writers have to belong to the writers guild - but before you can gain membership you have to first sell a screenplay - I know it sucks but that's the nature of the game. But who knows you could be the one that breaks the mold. if you turn your screenplay into a novel you may have a better chance of landing a literary agent on the east coast. Those agents represent fiction and non fiction writers. Best way to find a fiction nonfiction literary agent is to use search engine and enter the genre of your project and book agent - for example " literary agent, Occult" this should result in literary agents that represent occult writers. Once you get to their website read their terms carefully - if they ask for money upfront - RUN!!! All this is spelled out in a great book I found "Get Published! Get Produced!  A literary Agent's Tips on How to Sell Your Writing" Much success!

OMG...YES!!!

and how about 13% of black men voting for Trump? Really? Unsurprisingly, turnout for Clinton was higher among black women than black men, with Hillary earning 94% of the female black vote (4% for Trump) and just 80% of men (13% for Trump).