Pioneer1

Troy It is hard to have this discussion because you're mixing up race, with phenotype, and culture. Lol...... How am I the one mixing all these subjects up when YOU are the one who said: Black = Culture You said a lot about light skin and dark skin, but it really is getting away from your original statement that Black is a CULTURE. So I want to get back to it...... Since Black is a CULTURE.....according to you. Since your roommate's mother you met in college was so acquainted with Black culture that you considered HER to be just a light-skinned Black. Do you believe that YOU/TROY can stop being Black simply by changing your culture? And do you believe that Steve Bannon or Trump can BECOME Black.....if they sincerely adopted "Black culture"?

If Oprah ran for President.....I've readily vote for her. She's a smart self-made Black woman who's overcome many obstacles in her life to get where she is. Ofcourse she had a lot of support also, but she earned that support by being a natural winner whom people could count on to always come through and accomplish. She's also very likable and business savvy. What better gift can a President and world leader have than excellent PEOPLE SKILLS? She's just what this nation needs. BTW.....she gave us Obama. Incase people forgot, Oprah was among the first people in public to throw their support behind Barack Obama and she promoted him.

Troy You asked me: "What are you talking about? What community are you talking about and who outside of it is trying to promote homosexulaity? " I provided you with not only clear evidence but absolute PROOF from a main-stream well respected media source (NYT) that the West is actually PROMOTING homosexuality among Black people in Africa. Infact the word "promote" is in the very article! But instead of conceding and considering that I may have a point.....you decide to ignore the very exerpt you asked for and found OTHER bits and pieces of the article. Bits and pieces that don't even contradict or oppose what I've said, but just takes the focus away from it. I'm beginning to believe that you really don't want know whether what I'm saying is true or not. I'm beginning to believe.....that your mind is already made up brother. Cynique I still want to know the name of this chemical being introduced into the black communities that can affect the sexual orientation of straight men. Once it is identified, straight guys can avoid anything of sustenance that contains it - if they so choose. One of them is called ATRAZINE. A Black scientist named Tyrone Hayes out of UC Berkely discovered that it was in the water supply and turning a lot of animals homosexual. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z5MA_5Zfb0 But if your mind is made up that no chemical such as this exists.....well. 　 Wendy Which of these African Americans who have contributed or are contributing mightily to African American culture--known to be either gay or bisexual--do you, Pioneer 1, wish had not been born? James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry, and Alice Walker. None They weren't great BECAUSE of their sexuality, but INSPITE of it. Also, how are our gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning sisters and brothers not part of our community? All of whom, by the way, are reading what you are saying. Just as you were sensitive to the death of my brotherfriend, please be sensitive to our fellow community members. Who said they are not part of the community? BTW..... I'm glad the "questioning" sisters and brothers are reading what I'm saying because perhaps some of their questions may be answered. What you are doing is very similar to what white racists were doing throughout the 19th and 20th Century discussing the "Negro Problem." Our fellow human beings are not abstractions. They are our sisters and brothers. There are a lot of Black men and women who sell dope to our people also.....doesn't mean I support their behavior and encourage it. We can love the person without co-signing the behavior. Instead of making up arguments over things I've never said, why don't you consider the possibility that you are being brainwashed into accepting that which is immoral and against the teachings of Jesus.....by those who want to trick you into hell. 　 Public Announcement: It's clear to me that I'm alone in this thread and no amount of evidence, proof, or sound argument is going to convince people who's positions are set and minds are made up. If after this you 3 continue to ignore any good points I've made and pretend I didn't make them, argue against strawmen statements that I've never made and attribute them to me, or just remain quiet about anything you DO agree with me on only to focus on disagreement........ I don't see a logical reason for me to go further on this particular topic. It's not the original subject of the thread anyway. *Although they do typically go hand in hand because almost everytime you find a woman criticizing the behavior of Black men.....strangely that same woman loves GAY Black men. You never hear a woman who criticizes Black men, talking about how no good, weak, and trifling so many of them are.....criticizing GAY Black men or calling them weak. 　 　 　

Here's an article from the New York Times about how the U.S.has admitted to PROMOTING homosexuality in Africa: "Since 2012, United States officials said, the American government has spent more than $41 million specifically to promote gay rights globally, along with a portion of $700 million earmarked for marginalized groups to support gay communities and causes. More than half of the $700 million, and $6.6 million of the $41 million, was spent on sub-Saharan Africa — just one indication of the continent’s importance to the new policy." https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/world/africa/us-support-of-gay-rights-in-africa-may-have-done-more-harm-than-good.html Is the fact that over 300 million dollar was spent to support homosexual communities in Africa enough proof that they are PROMOTING homosexuality among Black people? The question you should be asking yourself is WHY are they doing this? Why is it so important to get Black people to change their mind and accept homosexuality?

Troy This is also why I wrote "Black" is cultural; because there is not genetic basis for it. But if I'll accept the term "Afro-American" for people who confirm to "Black culture" in the United States. I use "African American" myself hence the name of the website--which address culture, not the color of someone skin. Listen to me, let us use pure simple logic. You said that Black is cultural. That means if a person PRACTICES a particular culture...then they can become Black. And if they DON'T practice a particular culture...they will no longer be Black. Going by you logic, 1.If the people who were enslaved because they were Black could have changed their culture and turned White...they would have freed themselves. 2.Those people who were forced to sit at the back of the bus during segregation because they were Black, could have sat up front with the rest of the Whites had they only changed their culture. Wouldn't those 2 assumptions be correct?

The major media in the United States promote homosexuality as normal and acceptable. Most of the Universities in the United States promote homosexuality as normal and acceptable. There are laws in every state that protect homosexuals from being discriminated against because of their homosexuality. Infact there are many internet sites that prohibit you from speaking badly about homosexuality or homosexuals. And although I'm not sure I've heard from multiple people that there are conditions being attached to foreign aid from the United States that certain countries in Africa and the Carribean must not discriminate against homosexuals in their nations if they want to continue to receive assistance. In almost every case with the above mentioned, these are NON-BLACK people at the top decision making level trying to force people.....many if not most of whom are Black....to accept homosexuality and not criticize it in any way with threat of some sort of punishment.

Troy Well since I won.....then LISTEN to me! Lol..... No one is "culturally Black" because Blackness is not a culture. There are Black people in Africa who's culture is 180 degrees different from AfroAmericans. And there are Black people in Brazil who's culture is different from Blacks in Haiti. But we're all called "Black" despite those cultural differences. So how do you explain? You're mixing race...which is based in genetics...with ethnicity....which is based on culture. Your roommate's mother was culturally AFROAMERICAN....not "culturally Black", because Black has no solid culture.

Cynique, Del, Troy I think you all are missing my greater point. It's not about whether or not people are born gay or become gay....I also believe most homosexuals ARE predisposed to be. Nor is it even about the morality of homosexuality or whether or not it's acceptable. My point is, IF someone from outside of the Black community is actively trying to promote homosexuality inside our community....should we not be concerned?

　 Troy But I give. I'm convinced there is nothing I can show you or tell you to convince you of the fallacy of any genetic basis for "race." Now I know people like to use the term "race" to describe the way people look, but even that is a slippery slope and I rather simple describe people rather than pinning a racial label on them -- especially if don't know how they define themselves. Since you admit you can't produce hard evidence- And since you admit it's no longer a matter of SCIENCE, but a matter of personal PREFERNCE- Lol, do you realize that you have henceforth basically forfeited your right to argue against my belief that there are multiple races? 　 Blackness is about culture not genetics. If Blackness is about culture and not genetics...... Do you think those dark skinned people who were enslaved because they were Black could have gained their freedom simply by becoming White by changing their culture? And do you believe those dark skinned people who were lynched for being Black....could have avoided their fate if only they had practiced a non-Black culture that made them no longer Black?

Wendy Honestly I've been going back and forth on this subject......homosexuality....for years. First as a kid I didn't know what it was. Then as a younger adult who was very "religious" I condemned it. Then as I got older and learned to think more for myself, think more analytically, and became less religious I TRIED to accept is as just a natural part of life with no threat to our community. But then as I got even older and looked more into the history of homosexuality, the history of White supremacy, and interacted with Black people from all over this planet.....I began seeing it as a threat to Black society. So here I am. Not condeming it, but not welcoming it either. You mentioned Jesus. I'm not religious but I do know the Bible. Jesus said you can COME TO HIM as you are.....but you can't REMAIN like you are. Once you are in his presence you must clean yourself up and make your body presentable as a temple. He didn't come to erase the law, but to fulfill it....meaning the law was and is still in effect for those who believe in him and the law strictly prohibits men from sleeping with men. It's White people who made it ok....not Jesus....so Black Christians need to get a back-bone and decide who their REAL master is. Now for a scientific point of view, I actually believe that just like mental retardation and people being born blind or deaf.....homosexuality occurs NATURALLY....to a certain extent....in society. Meaning that, if there were no influences PUSHING homosexuality in the population....a certain percentage of people would STILL be homosexual and BI-sexual as well as A-sexual. I believe it to be a natural form of birth control. However I also believe that chemicals have been introduced in our environment to ENCOURAGE many of our people to be born predisposed to homosexuality. A much higher percentage than normal. So now you got one group introducing chemicals in the environment that causes more homosexuality and transgenderism in the society..... And then on the other end of this you have another groups pushing us ACCEPT them instead of scratching our heads trying to figure out why so many of our people are like this TODAY as opposed to 200 years ago. We as Black people don't control the media....Whites do....and they are the ones who are telling Black people what is and isn't acceptable. Look at the amount of autism, drug addiction, and alcoholism so many of our children are being born with today. It's not too far fetched to believe that many of our women and men are being introduced to chemicals in the environment (like soy products) that are actually producing an unnaturally higher rate of homosexuals in our community than would naturally or ordinarily would. I encourage you to look up a man by the name of Wesley Muhammad and the work he's been doing on the chemicals that have been introduced in the Black community since the 60s to increase the homosexual population among our people and how the synthetic marijunanna that is on the streets of Black America today is also playing a role in feminizing Black men. I also encourage you to check out a scientist out in California by the name of Tyrone Hayes who has found chemicals in the water of many Black communities around the United States that has been showned to increase the amount of trans-sexualism (species being born half male and half female) among fish and frogs and how these chemicals are being directed at the Black population. This is not natural sister....our people are being targetted and we have to be wise enough to realize this and not just accept it.

Troy See I told you...lol. She couldn't find an actual statement in my previous post to disagree with so she felt COMPELLED to go on a journey to FIND something in which to disagree with me over. Digging up statements from another thread from an entirely different subject all together just for the purposes of arguing...lol.

I love it when Black people from different cultures sit down to dialog together, even if we may disagree from time to time. BTW, Watch out for that African sister on the right with the grape kool-aid lip stick! She's a HOT mess....lol.

Troy As far as a traditional African cultures that accepted homosexuality and was not influenced by islam or judism... try all of them. Come on man, can't Black men stick together or atleast unite on SOMETHING? It used to be a time where unless a Black man was actually gay himself, you could rely on your brother backing you up in acknowledging that.....right or wrong....homosexuality was routinely condemned in Black culture and that the acceptance of it came from OUTSIDE of our community....usually from White culture. How many Africans have you met who told you that homosexuality was accepted ANYWHERE in their country or culture whether it was Christianity, Islam, or traditional? I haven't met one yet. 　 Wendy 　 I don't understand heterosexual males or females who are so upset about males or females who are gay. What difference does it make to you who someone loves? Because of 2 reasons: 1. More women who practice homosexuality means less available women for me as a heterosexual man to chose from. Black men who aren't wealthy are already limited in their sexual options. Lesbianism takes even more of those options away. 2. The more homosexuality is encouraged in the Black community the less sex men and women will be having with eachother....which will in turn lower the birth rate. Also, how does a black person not see that condemnation of gays involves the same dynamic patterns as racism? It never made sense to me. Because it's not. Homosexuality is condemned in most major monotheistic religions, and because of this there is a strong moral foundation for the aversion and condemnation of homosexuality. Although racism has a long history and strongly practiced, their is no moral argument for it's practice like there is for being anti-homosexual. I'm trying not to sound insensitive to the death of your friend. He sounds like he was a productive brother and I'm not taking that value away from him because he was homosexual. But the fact is, since the 60s there has a been an agenda from OUTSIDE the Black community to push homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviancy ON TO the Black community. And this kills two birds with one stone: 1. It lowers the Black birth rate. 2. It tears the community apart because you have Black people who either ARE homosexual or SUPPORT homosexual loved ones fighting with those who CONDEMN homosexuality as a sin or see it as a non-productive way of life. The energy we're using to fight with eachother over a practice that is NOT a part of African culture could be used to build stronger healthier families among ourselves. And quite frankly, it irriates me that so many Black women love running to the defense of deviant Black men. If they aren't defending thugs, criminals, and dead-beats......they're standing up for and defending homosexuals and transvestites. It's as if White men have unzipped Black women's backs....crawled up inside of them....and are now using their bodies to push THEIR agendas. Why would a heterosexual Black women DEFEND a Black man who has sex with another man or where's a dress and acts like a woman? Why? I could understand it more if most women just remained neutral and didn't have anything to say about gay men one way or the other, but the fact that so many actually come out to DEFEND gay Black men and fight for them....is what puzzles me.

Troy It appears to me that most millenials are more sexually repressed and timid than even the baby boomers were at their age! There is no social and sexual freedom among them. No one is meeting anyone new and growing because they're all continuously revolving in their own little social media worlds....afraid to leave their comfort zone. 　 It does however influence our collect condemnation of homosexuals through, I suspect, our brand of Christianity. If you eliminate Christianity you would still have Islam as a religion...which condemns homosexuality. And if you look at all of the traditonal African societies that neither ascribe to Christianity or Islam, can we find any that accepts homosexuality? 　 Cynique indicated, science is showing people are born this way. It will however take time a long time for homosexulaity to become more universally accepted, probably as long as it will take people to dispense with racial-driven stereotypes. I do believe human sexuality for the most part is a predisposition, however that doesn't make all sexuality "normal". Natural doesn't necessarily equal normal because a percentage of the population are born psychopaths. Nor do I think it will ever be universally accepted. I think it may be "tolerated" but not accepted or welcomed....because it is a clear abnormality. Even most heterosexual children have an aversion to homosexual behavior. Take little boys in the 1st and 2nd grade who barely even know about sexuality if at all...... Now if a little girl came up and kissed one of them they would probably blush or smile a little. Very few would say that's nasty and try to hit the girl, most would be shy and bashful while secretely enjoying it. But if another boy came up and kissed them the same way, most would probably have a gutteral reaction of "yuck" , or one of anger pushing the boy away or even hitting him. Look...... My position isn't to condemn homosexuals or punish them for being who they are. My position is that we as Black people...both in America and abroad....should be the ones who decide what OUR morals will be and what we will and will not accept. It shouldn't be force on us from the outside. Cynique I'm wasn't talking about how a black female would react to a white male saying what you said. I asked how you knew whether a white female wouldn't have reacted the same way, had a white man said to her what you said to a black female, I'm sorry I didn't read that correctly. To be honest, I think a White female's reaction to a White male saying something like that would be FAR WORSE. She'd probably turn red and tell him to "fuck off" or somehow make it verbally clear that his comment was unwelcomed. But this is because flirting and the warmth that Black men and women traditionally showed to eachother during social interactions is UNCOMMON among most White people, especially in Western society. Sexuality and public displays of sexuality are often shunned, condemned, disapproved of. But that's not us. I don't now about the 60s but in the 70s ad early 80s Black men and women who didn't even know eachother still called eachother "baby" and "honey" every other sentence. I'm not homophobic. But I have family from the West Indies on both sides and I can tell you for a fact, there WERE NO BLACK CARRIBEAN WOMEN taking on gay men as "confidants" and "best friends" back in the old days. Ofcourse homosexuality existen, but it was hidden and kept in the closet because it wasn't seen as acceptable back then like it is today. In places like St. Kitts and Greneda if a man was caught being a "batty boy" the women of the family would get together and beat the hell out of him before the men got to him. I don't approve of that treatment of homosexuals. But it gives you an idea of how far we've came as a people where that which was once vehemently rejected is now embraced.

If only we could get Tariq Nasheed and Umar Johnson to end their nasty squabble and work together for 2018 Troy If you check it out, I actually have a record of AGREEING with Cynique most of the time. SHE is the one who makes it a point to disagree; even on subjects where there initially was no disagreement. If I said 1 plus 1 was 2 she'd find a way to disagree with that! Start telling me how 1 plus 1 could really be 15 in a parallel universe and if I could think in the abstract I would realize it....lol. Troy your girl is something else, lol. Like the old folks used to say: Some people would sit up and argue with a leaf on a tree, if the leaf was fool enough to argue back....LOL.

Guest Tific @ Pioneer 1 . You advocate that 25% of people in University drop out & focus there attention to building factories & supplies. Those 25% will most likely be the least qualified or experienced with debts , external influences & additional pressure & indifference. I shouldnt have to expand to demonstrate why that's a recipe for failure. Well 25% is a quarter or 1/4 of the population....lol. So I guess it's a matter of WHICH 25% that drops out would determine how successful they'd be. If the bottom 25% of the students with no ambition, little intelligence, and even less common sense were the ones who dropped out and focused on the hair care industry......perhaps it would indeed be a disaster. My overall point is that we need strong young Black minds who aren't caught up in and focused on what White people tell them to focus on......but rather will focus on what's best for our community and what will generate us wealth. Many if not most Black people in college actually COME FROM poor and disadvantaged neighborhoods where the housing is crumbling and the roads and infrastructure is raggedy. The smart thing to do would be for them to learn civil engineering and architecture insteaed of computer software design and communications that so many are taking today. Are you in the UK or Europe?

Cynique How do you know a white male saying the same thing to a young white woman wouldn't have elicited the same response as you did? I don't know it. But I don't believe it would, because out of the decades of observing Black females deal with White males.....I haven't seen one react to a White male the way she did over an issue so petty. Oh don't get me wrong....I've seen Black women cuss out and beat up on White men. But it was usually over something serious like a threat or racist insult, but not mild flirting. Usually the Black woman will still smile a little out of social respect even if they didn't particularly find the remark particularly charming. And you continue to underestimate the intelligence and instincts of black women. They are no more influenced by white women, than white women are by them. Yeah? Well how do you explain so many younger Black women today WELCOMING homosexuality and befriending gay Black men? 2 generations ago it was totally unacceptable among most Black women, even if they had a gay brother or son they condemned it. Today many defend it. In most African and West Indian socieites where there is LESS direct contact with White people....most Black women are still anti-gay. I'd say that Black women in the United States....just like Black men....are heavily influenced by White society. 　 These fragile "me too" white women are now emulating strong sistas most of whom have learned how to deal with men who proposition them, something they've been doing for centuries. I'm inclined to agree with you somewhat....in that White women are learning to be bolder toward their men. However, the difference is no matter how much White women condemn sexism and "toxic masculinity".....you don't really hear too many of them condemning "White men" in specific. Where as a lot of Black women will actually name BLACK MEN in their condemnation. 　 All women are a part of a current culture which is becoming increasingly cynical about the inappropriate behavior of horny males. But how do we know most of this behavior is actually "inappropriate"? Who is making the rules? Again, I have to go back to what I said earlier about White women influencing Black women. Black women aren't the one's making the policies that decide what IS and ISN'T inappropriate.....White people in general are. The girl in question is of the humorless Millennial generation and these types are "politically correct" to the extreme. What might've offended her was your insinuation about "straightness" and "blackness" which is a "no-no" to the Millennial mindset of inclusiveness and tolerance. This is why many stand-up comedians won't appear on college campuses anymore, because the audiences there are too easily offended about subjects comedians have traditionally made jokes out of. I can't argue with anything you've said here. I just hope that young Black women don't allow themselves to be "tricked" out of healthy sex lives and relationships by listening to racist White women. Black people should be educated about THEMSELVES and realize that our mentality and how we relate to eachother is DIFFERENT than White people and we shouldn't use their standards of sexual relations. Most White men I know would never flirt with a woman in public, but would be all over them in a bar.

Cynique because they are seeing how he gets away with thumbing his nose at convention and protocol, something they admire especially those among them who are used to to engaging in deceptive underhanded tactics. His shameless public persona has seduced and influenced them into emulating him. I actually agree with this. I do believe they admire his shameless style, but that's not what you said earlier.

I like and respect the idea of Kwanzaa but I don't like how it was sold as an "alternative" to Christmas. Karenga should have given it it's own special time separate from the Christmas season. Maybe in February during Black history month....or better yet in a warmer season like in the Spring or Summer. But to your point Harry about Kwanzaa not being celebrated much in the United States....... I was actually thinking about that during the Christmas season. I was looking at so many Whites and Asians going around shopping, wearing goofy looking Christmas sweaters, at many of the families in my neighbohood inviting family members over. I thought to myself........ It's funny how Black people will invent something and practice it for a few years and then forget about it. But White people are STILL practicing and honoring many of the traditions and holidays that their ancestors laid down CENTURIES ago. Even White people who claim to be anti-religious and atheist, you'll catch them walking around in Christmas sweaters, flying across the country to visit family, taking time off work, and having big celebrations just like the bible thumping White Christian. Perhaps Black people should have forced congress to make Kwanzaa an officially government set of holidays like Passover. But I'm not sure if even that would help. I think a lot of Black people have just "given up" on trying to have anything of their own and have just regulated themselves to trying to "be apart" of and "fit in" with more established White traditions.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders are falling under the sway of Trump. They aren't "falling under the sway" of Trump. Do you believe seasoned Republican politicians are stupid enough to let someone like Trump trick them or shmooze and sweet talk them into doing something they didn't want to do? It's a game. All of the Republicans are working together with the same goals in mind, despite what they may say or do in public. The newly-elected senator from Alabama now speaks in conciliatory tones, hoping Democrats and Republicans can compromise for the "good of the country". Look at this..... Black folks go out of their way to put this clown in office sending a clear message that they don't want racists or sexists pedophiles in power.....and what does Doug Jones do? The same thing MOST White Democrats do, cave in and start talking about compromising with Republicans and begging them to work together. This is why I'm neither Republican nor Democrat. But I have more respect for the Republicans because atleast they tend to be more honest than White Democrats. I don't think Doug Jones will be any better for Black people than Moore.....I really don't.

　 A situation I ran into the other day in Pennsylvania made me think about this video and others like it that are a little extreme but I do think it gets into the head of how a lot of sisters actually view Black men and "our" approach to women. I stopped into this place to get some coffee and there was a young Black girl at the counter I'd judge to be about 22 or 23. She smiled and asked me my order and I said a large coffee. She asked did I want any cream or sugar in it and I said, "No. I like my coffee like I like my women....straight and Black." A line I've used thousands of times.... A line that has actually gotten me a few dates.... A line that had women smiling over 80% of the time..... But this time, this young girl stared at me for a COUPLE OF MINUTES with a blank look on her face. Now I didn't say a few SECONDS.....I said MINUTES. A minute is a long time for someone to stand there staring at you. A number of thoughts was going through my head about what was in hers.....lol. After staring, she rolled her eyes and sighed while shaking her head, went and got my coffee (I had to watch her after that....lol) came back and gave it too me without giving me any eye contact. As I was leaving I heard her go to her co-workers (white girls) and say, "Giiiiirl, you would not believe.....was he serious." Now this isn't the first time I've seen something like this. For the past 10 years or so it seems that a lot of young Black women, especially those who have been raised around a lot of White people, don't seem to understand flirting or "slack talk" that a lot of Black men do. It seems that many of them are being TAUGHT....not coming to the conclusion on their own but TAUGHT....that the way Black men talk to them is rude, inappropriate, and disrespectful.....especially compared to the rather bland way White men conduct themselves around women which is being held as the ideal. Now I know a lot of Black men ARE rude and disrespectful with women as well as with eachother, but it seems like with this new "#metoo" movement and "street harassment" movement......the very culture of Black masculinity seems to be scrutitinized. Does anyone understand what I'm saying? In other words....... Black men have THEIR way of communicating with women. White men have THEIR way of communicating with women. But the way Black men do it is slowly being framed and labled as "wrong" or "inappropriate".

She basically spends basically an hour berating Black men for using ALL forms of communication in displaying their attraction towards Black women. I mean just about everything. As far as this woman is concerned, even calling a woman "beautiful" or asking her where she goes to church is an insult....lol.

It has occured to me that well over half the products found in most of these beauty supply stores focus around exploiting Black self-hatred. Their biggest selling points are convincing Black people that these products will make them "less Black" or "less African". Everything from the wigs, hair relaxer, hair bleach, skin bleaching cream, blue and green contacts, pink and red lip stick, blue eye shadow, wave pomades, doo-rags, hair texturizer kits, ect...... If Black people would just develop a solid wholesome love for themselves and how they looked, the Koreans would go out of business in Harlem and other Black communities all over America in less than a month.

If you look at what's going in in Africa you'll see 2 major problems: 1. When Black African nations "officially" freed themselves from the reins of European colonialism, instead of re-instituting their former political and social institutions from pre-colonialism.....or developing NEW political and social institutions....most of them decided to KEEP the same political and social structures than the Europeans forced on them. This is leading to many of their problems. European morals and social habits (like monogamy and the nuclear family) aren't necessarily good for African people. 2. Atleast under colonialism (as under slavery) Africans were FORCED to work. They were FORCED to produce food and other products and weren't allowed to be idle or lazy. Since the end of "official colonialism" many (certainly not all) Africans have become too lazy and disorganized among themselves to produce mass cash crops and foods to sustain themselves. Many would rather wait on foreign assistance from America or European nations and divide them among themselves or LEAVE Africa and travel to Europe as immigrants. Even if you look here in America, it seems like a lot of Black people work their hardest only when White folks FORCE them to work. Again, I'm in no way saying this is the case with all or even most Africans....but it is the case with far too many. Slavery and colonialism has taught too many of our people to be afraid of and shun work and this has to be corrected.

HB I Am Sure Cynique ,Troy And Pioneer Are All Good ,Cooks If I were you I wouldn't put any money on that my brother....lol. I can scramble up a few dishes to impress those who are easily impressed, but for the most part I leave the REAL cooking up to the experts. Troy That's a fine looking dish. But it doesn't look like that gumbo I'm used to. I see what looks to be a little crab meat up in there but..... Where's the "scrimps"??? Where's the "Ok-ray"????? If you're folks are from the south and REALLY wanna do it up....they'll be making some "HOPPIN' JOHN" for New Years...lol.