Mel Hopkins

19 hours ago, richardmurray said:

fair enough

Actually, Thank You.  Your thread here led to an epiphany! Thank You! 

10 hours ago, Cynique said:

Whatever they are, I always try to make their job harder. Writing rebuttals, be they valid or not, is good mental exercise for me. 

These folks work on troll farms. But they're nothing like day laborers who pick fruit and vegetables. They are puppets paid to disrupt by posting propaganda.  I like your approach too! I bet, academic debate teams are training using these pawns too! 

On 6/19/2022 at 2:51 AM, Cynique said:

Since males are the ones with whom the   trouble begins,  I suggest a law be passed to perform reversible vasectomies on all boy babies at birth.

Ok @Cynique remember when @Delano said you're a magi and we all agreed lol... Look what came up in my feed yesterday  
 

"Four-year-old given vasectomy when doctors performed wrong operation"

Four-year-old given vasectomy when doctors performed wrong operation (msn.com)

"

The child from Texas went in for an operation for the hernia in his groin area in August last year, but a doctor mistakenly cut one of the tubes that carries semen.

It means the boy will likely need to have further surgery and could face fertility issues later in life."

8 hours ago, richardmurray said:

But the 13th amendment could be mentioned couldn't. I daresay maybe even celebrated, but I comprehend that while the civil rights act of the 1960s is mentioned heavily, black people have never seemed interested in celebrating the 13th amendment, which is the true end of slavery legally outside of prisons. It seems to me, black parents should be catering to the black populace  in their home when communicating to their children. I don't know why black people need white people to cater to black folk if black folk actually value it.

Because "passa" didn't say it. Our history was supposed to be preserved by our black churches. But like many black booksellers, black churches have also come under federal fire for keeping, teaching, and preserving our legacy. A sniper assassinated cur "passas," and ghouls bombed our churches. All these activities, over the years, have weakened those who lead in our sacred spaces.  

But more than ever, we have to share our history orally now that the current powers are removing our books from public institutions. We must continue speaking out and sharing Black American and African tribal history the best we can.   

Note: Passas = Pastors

4 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

However I personally wish women...especially Black women globally...would be more honest and sincere about their feelings on sexuality
It would have made things MUCH easier on me when I was younger if I had known exactly what most women wanted and were looking for instead of having to do "trial and error" with them.

@Pioneer1 oh hon-ty,

You should read my book! Or even have read my blog back in the day! Google kicked me out of the advertising program until I removed one of my posts.

So let's be mindful of Troy's platform. Google AdSense frowns upon "let's talk about sox" topics.

Most women I know aren't shy about sox or even talking about it. But think about it - we are all still learning when we're young. So it's anything that goes until you know what works. 

Now, if someone asked me back then or even now how many O's I have had... I'd wonder why he wanted to know and I would most likely be turned off.  I've heard women my age and younger say "He ain't ready" and here's why.

I learned early on that you can learn a lot about a man's approach to intimate encounters by his ability to hold a stimulating conversation about everything else. It seems to have something to do with intellect,  an open mind and creativity. Compelling conversationalists always seem to bring heightened encounters.

While climaxing is great, the best encounter can transpire over days...Sort of like the scene from Modern Problems with Chevy Chase and Patti D'Arbanville. I didn't know that was possible but I learned it is transcendent.

I believe this is why many women seek out "sapiosexuals." With those types,a lot of O's happen while we're fully clothed. And usually that's just the beginning.

@Troy

was a panelist on the Wall Street Journal May 18, 2022 event "The Future of Publishing. He gave an excellent presentation, and representation for #readingblack.com. So much of what the panel said resonates with what we tackle here on Readingblack.com. It also resonates within the independent and traditional black publishing world. One part that struck me as tone-deaf was the panel's talk of more mergers in traditional Big 5 publishing due to its valuable "back list." So you probably know, I cheered when Troy pointed to the richness of our "black book backlist that is selling handily, 20 years or more after its debut. The "BLACK LIST" seems like an opportunity for some authors to republish their out-of-print books. I recently bought an out-of-print book published on September 11, 2001. Sympathy for the Devil is timeless, and its subject matter is still relevant. Troy mentioned Discoverability was a pain point for publishers, authors, and readers. Well, I first heard about this book on Twitter in 2021. The thread I followed came from another black author "Victor LaValle ("The Devil in Silver.") The Topic: "Worse day for a book release." The Discoverability of this title didn't come from a pitch but rather from an exciting topic. 

Since this panel discussion is beyond a paywall, I'll share some notable points raised during the panel. 

• As Troy mentioned, Discoverability is the first challenge in the publishing world. Frontlist books (new releases) have a hard time gaining attention. The less time and money you have to promote your book, the worse your chances for discovery. 
• Book packaging/platform. Readers consume books in different ways, including accessibility (braille, audio, digital, paper, etc.) Most publishers start with digital, but It is important to know your audience before spending money on packaging/platform. 
• Word of mouth /trusted voices promotion. For example, it's difficult for some books to get mainstream reviews or be short-listed for awards. 
• Shortage of hand-selling booksellers who can get the right book into the right hands. If your book gets shelf space - it will stay put if the bookseller doesn't know how or who needs a recommendation. 

The moderator wanted a solution for getting Black-authored books into the booksphere. Troy's suggestion of a hybrid approach to bookselling, "take advantage of the data but infuse that with a personal touch," will help readers discover new books. 

The bottom line: The future of publishing depends on Building awareness and making the book available to those who need to read it.

19 hours ago, Delano said:

I had said something that upset you. I talked to my partner and she explained how it sounded to her and I apologised to you.

 

One of the things I often say is everyone believes they are right until they know that they are wrong. 

@Delano this is so powerful and intimate! You took the time to "see" beyond you.  A lot of people say that's "soft" but this is true strength! Thank you. 

6 hours ago, Delano said:

Communication is either propaganda or manipulation

@Delano

Truth!  This is truth and ranks right up there with the other genius and profound observations you’ve shared in this space (and on my blog too!) 

Communication is like sequence, a simple algorithm that causes folks to carry out tasks.   It is absolutely manipulative - that’s the function! 

@Troy said something very powerful in his WSJ appearance -(paraphrasing) algorithms will have a lot of things popping up for you to buy but they are meaningless without context - therefore sharing your experience cuts through the noise . 

I realize now from this simple distinction is why I call you twin.  We don’t communicate, we commune ( a word that has  become obsolete) we share feelings and experiences. Commune rises to a level of intimacy. 

The only time you and I have locked horns here was that one time we tried to out-fact each other. lol …

Aside, I remember @Pioneer1 made a comment that  I never called the black men in this forum “brother” .. I always wondered about that but later I began to feel a kinship.  

From your observation  - I get why some folks I’ve  never met now feel like family and others can eff all the way off. 

The old and new currency is intimacy —🗝

“Don't give the fact; give the feeling"  -Crossing Lines

5 minutes ago, richardmurray said:

  I was not suggesting the black populace of the usa has nothing but in the context of Juneteenth, not it aside, the black populace seems to only utter voting as a collective action, and I think that is a negative. 

I don’t watch TV local news and i don’t watch cable news. So I never see the Black community through that lens.

But back to your statement, I hear Juneteenth utterance with its pairing of 1865 w/ freedom and enterprise. I see the activities planned in my neighborhood, which is majority black and in other black majority counties and cities in the U..S.  So far these events are related to commerce and our natural environment. 

What black people do is indicative of what they believe. Just today, the proprietor  of black-owned business in Cincinnati came to the aid of his vendor whose business was gutted by fire.  The first thing he said was 1865! Let’s help this brother in the spirit of 1865. 

So, it this is your belief and action…

.” I have said in this very community that black people have always owned businesses. I am certain of that based on my bloodline, whose business ownership goes into the 1800s. “

Then you know after slavery ended  in the Land of Dixie, enterprise and job creation was the only way black people could survive. By now LLC is embedded in our psyche and DNA  . Voting came much later. 

BTW, be careful with local tv news.  

When I prepared MOS (Man on the street) interviews for my CBS network affiliate  - I edited the responses the way I wanted them to appear on the evening news.

That is to say,  what you see on air isn’t necessarily what the community or individuals believe.

It’s what the news producer wants you the viewer to believe about your community. 

Local news programming aims

to keep the attention of teens. And video story development borders on propaganda - produced to win “hearts and minds of its viewers. 

1. Always demand evidence from those who troll forums and liter threads with egregious and false generalizations.  

Don’t click any links. Their information only leads to more propaganda and malware.   

Instead, demand they include the url and a legitimate source.  

Note: Trolls never have a primary source - they are lazy and don’t have the capacity to do the research on their own. 

On 6/14/2022 at 5:29 PM, richardmurray said:

t seems to me like most black people or black groups don't have anything. 

 It's inaccurate to say black people or black groups have nothing. There is black commerce. There are black-owned businesses in every U.S. industry or sector. 
 
We are communicating on one of the top black-owned global black literature - bookselling and publisher platforms. 
 
Black-owned businesses thrive where I live -and not in just media and entertainment, even though we have a strong showing in that industry. Such as Tyler Perry recently opening one of the southeast's largest film studios/sound stages. I say one of the largest because there are several black-owned film studios in Atlanta-Metro. We have black-owned billion-dollar law firms here - and Black-owned Tech firms with a billion-dollar valuation. 
 
So Juneteenth aside, black groups have more than a vote; we have private equity.

5 hours ago, ProfD said:

Our course, sista Mel Hopkins you're still the OG MH among us. 

Mellody Hobson has a great backstory -I’m not surprised she’s winning in the finance game.  

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

 

If someone throws a rock into a group.....the only one who hollers is the one who got hit.

 

Like I wrote, “whackamole” - works every time!

I usually block/mute bots in black face on twitter because they are easy to spot.   They are easy to spot on AALBC too because they spew the same rhetoric as the " the greys"  trying to claim supremacy.  Unfortunately there are so few of us that participate in these discussions, I feel like we're playing a game of whack a mole when they pop up. Anyway, this is an oldie but goodie report from Black Enterprise on the rise of blackface bots

Mellody Hobson, the 53-year-old co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, is believed to be the first Black woman to be publicly identified as part of an original ownership group purchasing an NFL team.   Here's what Broncos Quarterback Russell Smith had to say about Hobson and the $4.6 Billion  historic purchase.

On 5/30/2022 at 4:31 PM, Pioneer1 said:

Lol....and here I was thinking YOU were one of them!

Depending on why you thought I was a millionaire, this might be the best compliment you've ever given me!

2 hours ago, richardmurray said:

 I only asked cause I wasn't going to search

I know. 

Data is the currency of the U.S., and it's available. Those who turn that data into information create revenue streams.  

So, of course, @richardmurray I know how many Black women are eligible to vote and the number of those registered. I also know how many Black women registered voters cast ballots in past elections.

There are quite a few "apathetic" but eligible Black women and men voters who, as you say, are "uncomfortable" with the current system. Yet, if they chose to use their discomfort to get involved and consistently vote in every election, they would disrupt the entire U.S. Political system. 

That's the only way this government has ever changed. 27 times so far. Heck, Black men gained the right to vote in 1870 during the Reconstruction period, and two served as U.S. Senators. But back to the present. 

As I mentioned, data is available. And it's accessible to all, including those who choose to overturn democracy or maintain its status quo. These would-be revolutionaries, commonly known as insurrectionists, see the number of "apathetic and uncomfortable" citizens and count on them to aid in their mission.  

Black women voters, who gained the right to vote only 102 years ago in 1920, are merely trying to maintain a semblance of democracy. We don't have time to sit back and be "uncomfortable" "thinkin' of a master plan" to launch someday. 

We're too busy trying to keep what little rights we have left under this current system and remain free.

16 hours ago, Stefan said:

All women need to keep silent and only listen to men. Yeah, which ones? Discuss.

Oh snap I missed that one!

Oh one more thing!

Thanks to President Obama's Jobs Act, my mother and I have private equity shares in black-owned technology fabless semiconductor company, Espre Technologies, Inc.  Equity crowdfunding allows us to support black-owned businesses. And it's the first time we've been able to get in on the ground floor before it goes belly-up or public. 

The seed money we raised in the first round of regulation crowdfunding allows the inventor to fabricate his Edge device protection SoC (System on a chip). While the proprietary technology is a bit complicated, In short, -it helps wireless channels handle increased data. Without it, autonomous cars could stop processing information when it's most vulnerable. Or it can protect construction cranes from bad actors.  

The Jobs act allowed a black woman, Linda (Lynn) P. Smith, President/Founder/CEO, in Cincinnati to start a private equity regulation crowdfunding platform to raise money to "buy the block."

While many people have probably heard about Bezos's real estate investment platform to allow people to buy shares in rental property, This sister's business helps people crowdfund to property to prevent gentrification. 

So, again working with who we have serves us. We need more legislators who believe in democracy and equity for all people. 

On 4/18/2022 at 7:48 AM, Troy said:

Black people love to proclaim “we are not a monolith,”

Black women are a monolith when it comes to voting. Black women registered voters typically back Democratic candidates, referendums, and questions by 90%. So far, nothing can shake our position other than suppression. We are the most loyal Democratic voting bloc - and it's because Democratic legislative proposals solve our problems. 

For example, before the Supreme Court and Republicans started chipping away at the Affordable Care Act - (Obamacare), we paid out of pocket for the minimum primary health care visits - forget about testing because that was cost-prohibitive. After ACA, our uninsured rates went down, and we got our health care issues addressed.

Under President Obama and his  JOBS Act, we gained access to private equity funding for our startups for the first time. Before legislation passed, President Obama helped black women gain equity in the U.S. 

Thanks to President Obama's renewed interest in our academic journey from Pre-school to Graduate school, Black women could get undergraduate, professional, and graduate degrees.

As I inferred from @Stefan and @ProfD commentary - working with the party that delivers on legislative proposal solutions; and supporting candidates that propose to do the same is how we get a political party representing our community. 

Attempting to start a new party is laudable -but it reminds me of a Richard Pryor joke when he said," dude told his woman - he was leaving her and going to find some new "P"… She paused for a minute, then told him "if you had two more inches of "D" you'd find some new "P" right here. 

In that respect, Black women are a monolith because we believe in working with and using the resources we have to prepare enough to feed everyone. 

58 minutes ago, ProfD said:

From slavery up through present times, there have always been and will always be black folks who have compassion, sympathy and forgive those who murder and trespass against us.  it is a warped mentality.

True - but it helps folks like us to not carry them. They need to be left in their hell...they don't need us to remain there with them. 

(Aside: Someone killed my loved one and I forgave him on day one. And when I look back I think about my loved one and all the beauty he brought into the world) 

4 hours ago, Chevdove said:

People from Ethiopia will tell him that he looks like he is Habesha ... I just laugh. 

Africans asking about your son's "tribe"  makes me so happy! I got so giddy reading your reply. And I think it has something to do with my experience while working for United.

One of my passengers looked like my Nana. She didn't speak English. She didn't know how to find the person supposed to meet her when our flight landed in Dulles. I think it was a delay or something. Because she looked like my Nana - I gestured if she spoke "Amharic," She did! I went to another passenger - who appeared to be from West Africa (he was wearing cultural garb), I know their language can be Yoruba, but I took a chance and asked if he also spoke Amharic, and he did! I was able to help my "nana" looking woman -and the West African brother agreed to help her when they disembarked.  

You already know I did a lot of research for my book. So without that background, I wouldn't have a clue to make the connection between the two if I hadn't, especially since I'm just a regular black American woman who happens to share mtDNA with North Africans/Ethiopians. 

All this to say, I'm not surprised your son looks like Habesha. And here's why I think it's a given. When I was in Lima -some of the Peruvians thought I was from there. When I flew to Jamaica, WI, and Aruba, some locals asked me if I had family there. We can learn a lot from the people who call us out. I know I did. For example, I learned the people from Aruba are Arawak (Taino), also from West Africa and Peru, and spoke a language-remix called Papiamento.

As I was traveling around the world, I felt so proud to be African - even where they "hate"  black people they still paid deference. It was a bit unsettling but in a way that made you wonder about your place in history.  

When we Black Americans travel abroad or find ourselves in a global setting, we see our people. I believe we (our ancestors) were nomadic people for so long that we crossed the whole African continent!  

On 5/21/2022 at 8:50 PM, Chevdove said:

as @Mel Hopkinsalso comment on about the wife of Noah, I base my point on that wise too.

This thread was eye-opening for me. Another one of "there is no right or wrong; simply belief" Although I used logic (as in debate) to tackle the topic, I still realized that my way of reading scriptures is more Hebrew than it is Christian. I even found an article in  Time magazine that tackled the same theory of how Hebrews (Jews) and Christians read the Bible differently. I've always read the scriptures as a story of the Hebrew people, how they viewed their Creator, and their interaction with the Tribes they met along the way.

Have any of you ever perused Stewart Synopsis?  This website is one of the most detailed history of the African Diaspora I’ve seen on the internet. 

I’ve never fact checked the work but it is fascinating.  I think I chose the link about Africans and the bible but there is so much - much more to review.  

https://stewartsynopsis.com/dogon-tribe-palestine-and-benjamin-banneker

Not the monkey pox!  We are living through a full-blown apocalypse and don't even know it!  

If this were a debate, the original poster @Addison's position would be "The bible is holy, slavery is in the bible, then slavery is holy." 

This syllogism's crux hinges on believing that if the bible is good, it couldn't endorse something horrific as slavery. 

@Stefanshows that the bible condones slavery but codifies ethical treatment in the rabbinical literature. Condoning slavery is the point where many believers suffer from cognitive dissonance - and try to justify their belief that their God would never justify slavery so they can continue to believe God is good all the time. 

BUT the very people whose ancestors wrote and lived by the Old Testament with commentary (Talmud) tell us the Hebrew word "ebed" means slave. 

- "Where real slaves are referred to, the English versions generally use "bondman" for "'ebed," and "bondwoman" or "bondmaid" for the corresponding feminines (Lev. xxv. 49)."

When one is referring to the old testament, one must take into consideration Hebrew transliteration. They must also consider the Talmud/oral history (Mishnah) that corresponds to understanding the history of Rabbinical literature. In this case, foreign-born enslaved people couldn't own anything - they had no agency.

So, it's a stretch to conclude the bible doesn't endorse chattel slavery. It does. 

The Hebrew people had to contend with this fallacy, too - maybe right up until the Egyptians enslaved them. 

"Not until the Greek and Roman period, however, does the emancipation of slaves attain, as an institution, any importance for the Jews. According to a not wholly reliable authority, most of the Jews captured by Ptolemy I., Lagi (322-307 B.C.), were taken to Egypt, where they were ransomed by his son, Ptolemy II., Philadelphus (285-247), for a considerable sum and set free (Aristeas Letter, ed. Wendland, § 22). " 

So maybe if believers deal with the bible endorsing slavery - they will better be able to understand Jesus ransoming his life to free the Hebrews and others who chose to follow his way of life.