Mel Hopkins

Or spiritual development must come first in an effort to understand what physical demands are actually necessary. The more I focus on my spiritual needs; I find I need a lot less... In fact, I've recently noticed that I mentally spend money that I don't have... because I'm CONSUMED with thoughts of what I WANT ... notice I wrote "want" and not "need". Without spiritual development I don't think we'd notice and would forever be in CONSUMPTION mode.

BLOG ALERT!!! Maybe as a collective, disparities in the black community harm us but not as individuals because we all have different perspectives. One perspective; not all of us exist for outside acceptance and approval For example, I don't "dress up" my black in an effort to be accepted or even appreciated by the white majority. Frankly I don't give a damn if they accept me or not. I do me...and if I seek any approval it's from family, friends, associates, acquaintances and in that order. My cry is don't physically harm me because of your bias. Now if this is your point, FlareonDon, then yes harming indirectly by one's community member is a challenge. I have been harmed by black people who have been hurt by the system. Sort of trickle down hate brought on by racism, if you will. After reading the article, I noticed one thing missing from the argument. It's usually missing in all arguments of this nature...Most people never ask or answer "Why were some Africans enslaved in America"? (Noting that many Africans came willingly and were free as in never a slave) While it is reported that all the colonies/ later states participated in African enslavement - the states that abandoned the practice early were the states that didn't benefit from it. - So answer why were some Africans captured, brought here and enslaved? I've read one perspective on why some Africans were enslaved...and why they were all but shunned after their services were no longer required or legal. Once you answer "Why" then they rest of the "most hated" story makes sense. Once you answer the why - then you like most successful African-Americans will use that answer to your benefit. stop copying me!

Beautifully stated!

And now his book is cancelled... https://www.yahoo.com/news/publisher-cancels-milo-yiannopoulos-book-dangerous-223646571.html "Simon & Schuster and its Threshold Editions imprint announced Monday that "after careful consideration" they had pulled the book, which had been high on Amazon.com's best-seller lists and was the subject of intense controversy." Welp now we know you can say practically anything except endorse pedophilia! We've finally found the deal-breaking threshold for provocative shock-and-awe speech.

@Pioneer1Nothing is wrong with personal gain! Are you kidding me? LOL! In fact, if I shift perspective "raising the level of consciousness" or vibration, as I stated IS personal gain. I want to live in a world where everyone shine's their light. So there, I guess everything is personal gain because what I'm actually saying is I don't want to be distracted by folks bitching and moaning Still when I cast spells in the past it was for monetary gain, or a smooth going in a relationship, or something that I really didn't need to cast a spell for. All I needed was to focus. As I got older I realized that I just needed to be what I was seeking (so to speak) ...Whenever I "vibrate " at the level of what I want - it comes to me. Even if I concentrate on something that I know a friend of mine is into, it causes them to call me. Magick is just that simple ... "be what you seek" - It's that simple but it sure ain't easy!

@Pioneer1 Yes. I heard about the book first - I have many sources but if I had to point to one source I'd say it was my google alert that is set to "Black Women" . so yes, I had the pleasure of hearing about Margot Lee Shetterly's book before I heard of the movie. Old Journalist tricks are hard to break and I'm a information junkie. BTW, I disagree with your assessment about general public, and academia - it's usually individuals with a specific interests or out of necessity that make the breakthrough and bring information into the mainstream. I even read the flint water crisis was brought to light by a homeowner , a woman named " Leeanne Walters"

I can believe it. I've learned during this last year that you really have to engage as a super end-user to fully appreciate the nuances of this website. Once one is familiar with the nuances then and only then can you see how exploit them to make it easier to attract even more traffic.

@Delano Yep this is exactly why I gave up casting for personal gains sometime ago. I began working on raising my vibrations instead. Thank you, though! Now my focus and goal is getting others to raise their vibration so that we can shine bright in this world...

You'd lose. The movie is based on the book.

The juxtaposition of this statement with your closing (Bey and Obama) proves "Yes we can!"... Our next step is to figure out what to lie about that would raise the profile of the Black American collective.

@Pioneer1 someone heard your question AND answered it! How cool is that? Here it is... From Freedom’s Journal to the NNPA, Black Press Is Still Relevant "Margot Lee Shetterly, author of “Hidden Figures,” said if not for the archives of the Black Press such as the “Norfolk Journal and Guide” and the “Pittsburgh Courier” the inspiring story of the Black women geniuses at NASA would not have been possible to tell. If not for the “Florida Sun” in Orlando, the story of the great training in science and technology happening at Bethune-Cookman University – one of the nation’s historically Black universities – would go untold and unnoticed."

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?