Mel Hopkins

2 hours ago, Stefan said:

The data from that Website is said to be the most current and its analysis is considered to be the most unbiased and accurate. 

Thank You @Stefan - I misspoke, well kinda.  I want news reports that tell the story from the Black American perspective.  We used to have Amsterdam News as a go-to, but I don’t think they have the budget to cover global stories let alone war.  I did look at the website  and at first glance, the content looks dense - and it’s kind of intimidating.  But I’ll see what I can get from it.

6 hours ago, ProfD said:

Adding to the confusion, scholars wrote, er, interpreted these scriptures filled with *wisdom*.

Maybe that’s how folks get so caught up - lol

2 minutes ago, ProfD said:

However, black folks already under the persecution of racism white supremacy need to figure out to avoid the sh8t that rolls downhill when the dust settles between the white folks.

Absolutely!  This is exactly why I've been keeping a side-eye on this invasion-war  because eventually black people pay the price for not paying attention!

On 4/20/2022 at 6:12 AM, Stefan said:

And the progenitor of the Black Race is believed by most anthropologists and Bible scholars to be Cush or Kush, a son of Ham and grandson of Noah.

One black child is the part that cracks me up! Do you feel this is a case of colorism: light-skin vs. dark-skin. Because according to these scriptures - Emzara gave birth to all of Noah's children. Further, Kush is Canaan is Kemet -KMT is Mizraim is Egypt is Ethiopia. Nearly all of the land by the Nile river. So really, Noah's story is more of a story of migration. While some people feel these stories are "holy," - I see a report of a people, their record of movement, practices, and their knowledge of the universe, solar system, and Earth.  

Case-in-point, take these two supposed Greek letters "Nu (Nv) and Mu. The Greeks based their alphabet on the KMT (Egyptian) hieroglyphs. (The Phoenicians popularized the hieroglyphic system - but that's another story). 

These two "hieroglyphs" together loosely translate into "created from the primordial waters) 

Nu is the name of the oldest Egyptian god, who is the father of the Sun god, Re. Nu is also the symbol for primeval water that began all creation. 

(By the way, there's also an updated 'feminine' for this translation, which means the ancient Egyptians were not originally a patriarchal society - which was probably another source of contention for surrounding societies.) 

Mu is also the symbol for water - offspring from the primordial waters.  

Archaeologists say Egyptian hieroglyphs date back to early 27 - 28 B.C.  

So riddle me this. How did ancient Africans know that water was the oldest element in our universe? It was only 2014 when modern scientists discovered Earth's water (via a study of ice molecules ) is older than Earth and the sun?  

Scriptures have a lot of information, but very few "scholars" have extracted its wisdom. 

On 4/19/2022 at 10:23 PM, Stefan said:

Ask the people of Bosnia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Rohingya in Malaysia. Soldiers, ordinary civilians and even a few religious leaders will take part willingly.

There's so much geopolitical ignorance in America - but it's not surprising since most of us don't even know how our own government works.  

I can't speak intelligently on the Ukraine war-invasion... I'm still heartbroken that I can't get unbiased information on what appears to be a civil war in "the land of the gods" Ethiopia.  Please continue to share your perspective and information  - I'm paying attention I just don't know where I should focus it across the pond.  (aside:  we are so isolated here in the americas)

4 hours ago, Chevdove said:

This law would be dividing, imo. And, it makes me think about the issue with laws such as the use of marijuana in the past. I sometimes wonder how many Black people have been cited for breaking this law and criminalized but on the other hand, how many White people guilty of the same offense were able to get lawyers to avoid being cited.

Don't stop there, Sis! Keep thinking it through. Laws are never divisive. It is the application of the law that divides the people. You brought up marijuana laws - look at the 2022 map, determine where marijuana is illegal, then look at incarcerated people based on the laws written for possession and distribution of marijuana. If you feel inspired, look at the record of the prosecuting attorneys involved in those cases - and law enforcement. Next, look at the states where marijuana is legal - or a misdemeanor- to see how those states seek to offer retribution to those tried and convicted under all laws. Once you gather that information - see if there's any relation to proposed criminality for terminating an unwanted pregnancy. Legislators who protect your freedoms separate themselves from those who don't. Vote for the ones who create legislation to protect you. 

22 hours ago, Stefan said:

But let's deal with NOW.

@Stefan Well stated! And thank you for the reminder! What we (I) do today will determine  the future. 

18 hours ago, KENNETH said:

It's refreshing to see us talk about solutions that should make up a political agenda. Too often we leave that to whites. I would add a few things. I'm no expert these are just opinions

@KENNETHAnd they are viable opinions too! I was fortunate to work on a multimillion dollar project  in West Virginia like the one you've mentioned in community development.  It works but there is a lot of push back from people who believe they are too proud to accept help. Thank you for adding to the list! 

22 hours ago, Stefan said:

It is obstructionist Republicans who have consistently refused to support Voting Rights, Women's Rights, Immigrants' Rights and adequate funding for the Disabled, Single Mothers, Children, Education and the Elderly.

Absolutely, this too! I just hope when the democrats and independents gain control of congress again - they move quickly.

15 hours ago, nels said:

Everything has its perspective.

Exactly. So make sure you aren't responsible for any woman's decision to have an abortion.  

On 5/15/2022 at 11:19 AM, ProfD said:

 

Yet, while they had *power* the liberals never put any safeguards in place  codifying these rights into law.

This is the one thing that makes me crazy about democrats and the independents that caucus with them. Write that ish into law when you have a (REAL) majority. When President Obama was elected in 2008 -the 110th Congress should have lined those legislatives proposals up and got them signed before 2010.  

On 5/14/2022 at 8:17 PM, Delano said:

What is the commonality for billionaires other than having money?

All billionaires supply the wants of those in need. (Or they inherited from someone who did.)

Supplying wants is how anyone earns money. Find a person's need to fulfill their desires. 

For example, your ability to read the stars is the answer for someone who wants to hedge the predictions for their future. They need to be self-sufficient.  

Some of us determine "wants" better than others. And those who do earn a lot of money.

I earn money from clients because I pay attention to what people want from me. People usually want me to prepare statements. It doesn't matter what type of statements - they all have one thing in common. Many people need to appear versed in their vocation, and they are, but they sometimes have difficulty expressing what they know. 

So I help them. I can't make millions from helping people - because I help one person at a time. 

I could scale my knowledge by writing a book. But I don't know how to address their want commercially. And I NEED to get it right. (lol)

BUT billionaires have figured out how to scale their product/service to sell to multi-millions.   And I think all billionaires have a need to create the future. 

7 hours ago, Stefan said:

Even I skipped over that and I apologize to Ms. Hopkins.

"skipped over" maybe, but it's obvious you didn't stop! Thank you. Old-school Journalists never lose their skills!  I can only imagine how your brain was working through the scenarios.  

People often think journalism is about telling other people's stories.  And yes, on the surface abortion does seem like a woman's problem...But that is exactly what "Right Wing Wackos" want the electorate to believe. Journalists may start with a subject but that's just the beginning of any story. 

Thank you so much for the follow up!
 

22 minutes ago, richardmurray said:

isntitutions are the symbols of a communities strength. 

Is this your belief?  It’s not fact - but if this is your belief it does make your position clear to me.

I don’t debate “beliefs.”

I thought you were stating what you witnessed.  And I didn’t see any empirical evidence.   But now I understand the perspective  is more nostalgic “Make Black America Great Again.”  

Although I I have more in common with iconoclast. I don’t have a strategy. I observe what is and analyze migration and the structure of movement.

A movement doesn’t care about what you believe or how you feel about it - but it will run you over if you don’t adapt. 

23 minutes ago, richardmurray said:

but the black communities black churches/historical black colleges, negro leagues, institutions are clearly less than in the past, the nation of islam as well..., every single black organization gets weaker over time in the usa not stronger.

@richardmurray

Those are institutions/organizations, NOT a community. 

Using the definition of community from both Merriam Webster  (definition 1 ) and also using the description of Umoja  

on page 158 refers to "Oneness." See Linguistic Dilemmas of Afrocentricity The Diaspora Experience Ali A. Mazrui | State University of New York, Binghamton, New York Alamin M. Mazrui | The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.  A community is a group of people with shared interests and likeness. 

The Black community continues its growth stage. It quickly becomes a large, diverse, decentralized, peer-to-peer networking community. 

The Black population in the USA is 46.8 million strong  (second only to German-Americans at 49 million people here in the U.S.)

Further, these individuals, many whom are immigrants, have chosen to identify as Black/African American. These individuals self-identify as Black, which is what makes us a community.   Presently the black community mirrors Del's assessment. Definitely, not the community of enslaved Africans you continue to refer to when you mention war between the states. But it is understandable why newly unshackled Africans needed a central meeting place the laws codified Africans as less than. Still, Institutions and organizations that outlive their usefulness tend to die.  And self-directed individuals take their place.  

If you're interested in reading about the trajectory of the black community, PEW Research already did the heavy lifting. All that is left to do is independent research to fact-check. 

1 hour ago, Delano said:

 

If they default it could start a panic.

 

Panic would only happen among people who don’t understand decentralized finance.  

Even when hackers hit Coinbase  - folks didn’t panic. The took the L but coinbase also has criminal insurance.  

Most cryptotraders don’t even deal with exchange platforms.  They trade peer-to-peer.  

Coinbase is for people looking to play it safe … which is why coinbase content does it best to explain’s cryptocurrency’s movement and volatility. 

7 hours ago, richardmurray said:

So I concur about new ways but the black community in the usa hasn't had time to settle as a community since the war between the states and that can be problematic when you are trying to organize. 

From this reasoning, It appears you agree with @Delano assessment.

 “If people learn to be independent the movement doesn't stop when the leader no longer leads.”

And from your reasoning, it appears  even after we lost the use of our language - we retained our cultural heritage, oral tradition and cipher that maintains our community without a so-called “leader.” 

15 hours ago, Delano said:

I wouldn't consider information workers as labourers

Please share your perspective. Are you referring to day workers - who harvest produce?  When I think of laborers, I think of blue collar, plumbers, lineperson home builders, road construction. etc. 

15 hours ago, Delano said:

If people learn to be independent the movement doesn't stop when the leader no longer leads.

This is exactly the age we’re living in - the two generations after the boomers are making their own rules … and building communities around their similarities. 

I haven’t.  And I am naive when it comes to certain aspects of finance.  I only think about unsecured creditors when it comes to lining up for money after filing bankruptcy.  

But I think people are getting confused between traditional finance and decentralized finance. There  are few protections in DeFi.  traders are own their own and risk and reward is very high.  

When you mentioned coinbase - I was looking at from a trading/depositor perspective. Once cryptotraders get coins they deposit in their noncustodial wallets like mycelium - cryptotraders know not leave large sums in coinbase.

18 minutes ago, Delano said:

 

I have been thinking that the US is like a sports farm

 

I thought about “salary cap,” when I heard - high labor cost were the root of inflation.  I never looked at it like that before. It makes sense though because the higher the wages the more we can pay for goods.  If I charge a 1.00 for an apple - and someone wants it for a 1.25 - I’m selling at that rate.

So, the feds  attempt to slow down the economy and  make some work for “slave wages” to keep prices low. But can work today? Especially with digital technology and cloud computing?  Both allowed for sex work to go virtual during lockdown.  Sex and Tech became bedfellows no pun intended.  

And the same for labor and digital technology too.   Remember the call centers in India? Well thanks to AWS and “Intel inside” laptops - There’s a business called live ops where anyone with a laptop,  internet and two weeks to train can handle customer service calls for as many fortune 100 clients they can handle.  And they can make their own hours and a decent salary working from home.   Because of semiconductor chips, the same is happening with repetitive labor inside factories.  These are just some examples that come to mind.   
 

I like your analogy but don’t forget about all the information workers in this society now.  

Yes, but if we only use it for trading cryptocurrency.  Once you make a purchase...send it to your storage wallet. 

1 minute ago, ProfD said:

The current system definitely wouldn't allow every black person to be a multimillionaire.

Sadly this true.  But only because of perspective.  In fact, there was something you wrote in the abortion anti-abortion thread that help me have a paradigm shift. Once we start looking at things differently- things change! 

On 5/10/2016 at 9:07 PM, Pioneer1 said:

I too support free education as long as the students maintain 3.0 GPA

Infact, they should offer all students free room, board, and give them a small allowance to take care of their clothing and daily needs...as long as they maintain a certain GPA.

The costs of going to college far exceed tuition.
You have to eat and have a place to stay and have money for books, stationary, lap tops, accessories and a host of other items not covered in the tuition.

How many students can afford all of this while going to school full time?

I'm hearing from a lot of younger people that not only do Universities charge high tution but even the community colleges charge extrodinarily high "lab fees" for those who take medical and science classes on top of their tuition rates.

I've said it once and I'll continue to say it that college for the most part in America today is a well organized SCAM.

If President Biden actually forgives student loan debt...this will partially come true for those who went to college in the past. I still blame Reagan for the end of free college tuition

2 hours ago, ProfD said:

No amount of money, privilege or access truly liberates black folks. 

Why? 

Because if every black person in America were a multimillionaire that would absolutely liberate us here in the U.S. -   

Or do you believe the white nationalist power structure coded in U.S. laws prevents it? 

17 hours ago, Stefan said:

 

1 A) Abortion is a Women's Issue - Period. Men need to stay out of it. (EXCEPT FOR WHEN MEN VOTE FOR CANDIDATES THAT BELIEVE ITS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE) (addendum - mh)

1) Let Blacks vote without hesitation, the same way Whites can

2) Fund Women's HealthCare, from Gynecology, Pre-Natal, Pre-Birth, Post Birth, Pre-School and then actual Schooling. Do this with the same percentage of funding that is provided Whites and other ethnic groups.

3) Provide adequate money for Child Care, reasonable accommodations for the Disabled and those otherwise requiring assistance.

4) Teaching young men and young women proper Birth Control will help the Black Community. Again, this is a financing issue.

5) Make sure that Black Mental Health issues have adequate funding, support and resources. 

This is just a start. 

A while back for a political platform for black people  - and after a billion years later someone finally answers!  Thank you @Stefan

WAIT... I lied! We did start to develop a black political platform thank you @Pioneer1!!! (I hope you're doing well!) 
 

1 hour ago, ProfD said:

s I mentioned in another thread, the anti-abortion movement is about protecting the white population.  Non-white folks are collateral damage.  

Thank You for responding.  I can see how it may attempt to solve the white nationalists’ numbers problem.

But, I’m Black woman.  Therefore, I look at the harmful effects of any legislative proposal and how it can impact the future of the Black community. I don’t care about the white nationalist movement and their desires. I do care about Black people and other disenfranchised groups. We are always hammered by their laws and initiatives.  For example, Nixon earmarked funds for the Medicaid program  to sterilize Black and Brown women back in the 70s. There was a whole program to sterilize women in Puerto Rico that still some say still haunts them to this day. Yes, I’m sure that was a numbers game then too. But those women didn’t get a pass. I agree,  It is important to peep their game but it’s even more important to prepare the community.