richardmurray

I recently updated a short story for digital readers called "Classified" - The political thriller is the first in the series of the small-town reporter Nicole Jettison aka Nicky Jett.  Nicky developed her supernatural gift during the first year in college.  Nicky's prophetic dreams transported her to the netherworld.  Once there, she gained abilities to see and battle shape-shifting drug dealers and a sorcery-wielding obeah priestess. She also recognizes nothing is as it seems.  When Nicky recovers, she hides in a journalism career.  She breaks news stories thanks to her all-seeing third-eye.  Nicky's gift is well-suited for news reporting but awful for her personal life.  Nicky morphs into a full-blown space-cadet once those preternatural abilities gain control. Check out Nicky Jett's riveting back story in the page-turner "Sleeping with a D-Man" available at theleadstorydotorg.

Happy Hardcore Easter

The art of lying:) from #Omarosa enjoy what is the lesson concerning the fury from black folk that lick white people's balls or the lies we tell, for she is trying to bring down the, i quote her, the most powerful man in the universe, and she has the audiotapes to try  https://photos.app.goo.gl/G9RxaEaqCzGNepML9

The Cooking Gene by Culinary Historian Michael W. Twitty  is The 2018 James Beard Award (non-cookbook) winner and as much as I can't stand awards I have to give them a second look now because without hearing that Twitty won the award I would not have heard of this book - which I now absolutely must have on my bookshelf.   

I love to cook but I especially love to cook the foods that are indigenous to my family.   Anyway, I found this interview from Mr. Twitty  and African Ancestry's co-founder Dr. Gina Paige and it too is delightful!!!
 

If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for?  Of course, one of the wishes would be to get more wishes. In absence of wishes, then 10-year-old Marley Dias made a goal.  She decided to get more books with Black girls as the protagonists into elementary schools. To make this happen she launched  #1000blackgirlsbooks campaign. Once she accomplished goal, she then authored a book, "Marley Dias Gets it Done and so can you"  to create more activists.   "Marley Dias Gets it Done and So Can You" is available from Scholastic Books

Tucked away in their vast film library -  Pioneers of African-American Cinema  streaming on Netflix  - "This newly preserved collection features more than 20 films made by groundbreaking African-American directors for black audiences from 1915-1946. "

Tucked away in their vast film library -  Pioneers of African-American Cinema  streaming on Netflix  - "This newly preserved collection features more than 20 films made by groundbreaking African-American directors for black audiences from 1915-1946. "

Tucked away in their vast film library -  Pioneers of African-American Cinema  streaming on Netflix  - "This newly preserved collection features more than 20 films made by groundbreaking African-American directors for black audiences from 1915-1946. "

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A rich source of melanin is beneficial to those who need to survive the effects of radiation.   Some could ingest it because it's also found in fungi.   
Using melanin to determine "race" is a slippery slope.  I rather not be someone's source of survival in an aftermath of a nuclear holocaust  because I'm dark skin. 

  From ~ The Problem of Identifying Ourselves Based Upon Whites' Concept of Race

Mel Hopkins replied to Troy's topic in Culture, Race & Economy 

You can borrow another  $100 -200,000 to get your Masters  or  you can

Quote

"learn from the people who know what they're doing."

 ~Amy Astley 

From YA Author to Newbery Medalist to having his own imprint!  "Kwame Alexander Will Start His Own Imprint. The Name? Versify. Get It?   "  Link:  New York Times Books

From YA Author to Newbery Medalist to having his own imprint!  "Kwame Alexander Will Start His Own Imprint. The Name? Versify. Get It?   "  Link:  New York Times Books

Kwanzaa 2017-2018

I celebrated  Kwanzaa (first fruits) 2017-2018 through my thoughts and words.  In answering the phrase Habari gani  I wrote a separate blog post  in response.  It  put me in a positive community-focused frame of mind to start off the year.   

From my blog on theleadstory.org.   

Imani: Golden Rule

Kuumba : The Chosen Ones

Nia: Reasons

Ujamaa: Until the Lion Learns

Ujima: Yes We Can

Kujichagulia Goal Minds build Gold Mines

Umoja No Man's Land

Storytellers play the long game - 
"We must remember, we’re a civilization rooted in story-telling.

We share information filled with iconic imagery, symbolism, and sounds.

Celebrities are no different.

They use the media to tell stories that voice their platform position or opposition." ~Melhopkinsdotcom

"Marc Lamont Hill, a noted author, social commentator and professor, has made a foray into entrepreneurship by opening a new coffee shop and bookstore in Philadelphia.

His new shop, Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, officially opens Monday morning in the city’s Germantown section. The store serves up LaColombe coffee, coffee drinks, gourmet teas and hot chocolate." Via The Philadephia Tribune

2015 Newbery Medal Winner 2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner novelist and Poet, Kwame Alexander, brings a new show to facebook - "Bookish with Kwame Alexander"  

2015 Newbery Medal Winner 2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner novelist and Poet, Kwame Alexander, brings a new show to facebook - "Bookish with Kwame Alexander"  

2015 Newbery Medal Winner 2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner novelist and Poet, Kwame Alexander, brings a new show to facebook - "Bookish with Kwame Alexander"  

Third World Press Celebrates 50 Years in Publishing -

...I'm a man of action and two, that ideas, and the creative carriage of ideas can change lives.  I didn't go out there deciding to start a book publishing company.  But I knew, I'm not going to be digging ditches for these bad boys."  Dr.  Haki R. Madhubuti , Publisher -  on what inspired him to found a publishing company in 1967.

2015 Newbery Medal Winner 2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner novelist and Poet, Kwame Alexander, brings a new show to facebook - "Bookish with Kwame Alexander"  

Never Forget  - N'EM

#PhilandoCastile  murder trial

Most people don't want to hear this but we black people must be better involved with government...A quick search engine query returned that Ramsey county where the murder trial of Philando Castile was held has a diverse population 36% are people of color (and there's a lot of Ethiopians and Somalis immigrants) but low voter turnout...

If people aren't even voting there's less chance of being called for jury duty. This jury had 1 black American male and 1 Ethiopian-American woman... that's 1 man who may have shared Castile's perspective of what it's like to be a black man in America - the rest of the jury were middle-aged white men and women. While we hope a jury can be impartial at least and empathetic at best when viewing evidence - not everyone shares a perspective that would allow them to view evidence the same way.

By now we should stop being surprised that the system is failing black people... black people who are not involved in government - at the very least by voting and serving on juries are failing the black community. Let's stop being surprised and get involved; let's teach the next generation how to shape a government that works for them, not against them.