Troy

I hear you man and need to adopt that mentality. I have a lot of stuff some of it I consider archival material. I've donated well over 1,000 books in the past and need to donate hundreds more. When I left my last corporate job 15 years ago (wow). One of the managers asked me on my way out the door, "Troy, you don't have anything to take with you?" I was like. "Nope." I was acutely aware that I was not going to around months before I left. I just discovered that I lost all of the discussion forum data prior to 2010! Well I did not lose the data. I transferred the domain registrar to Google from a much smaller company and I broke the site?! I need to fix it because there were some great posts there. @richardmurray I see now that it is up to the individual to maintain their information, but technology failures and changes, and individual fallibility really make it difficult for individuals to save their own information.

Dr. John Henrik Clarke said he reads this speech once a year and gets something new from it each time. Clarke emphasized the importance of Washington's message: Self-Reliance. ---------- Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech ADDRESS BY BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, PRINCIPAL TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE, TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA, AT OPENING OF ATLANTA EXPOSITION, Sept. 18th, 1895. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Board of Directors and Citizens: One third of the population of the South is of the Negro race. No enterprise seeking the material, civil, or moral welfare of this section can disregard this element of our population and reach the highest success. I but convey to you, Mr. President and Directors, the sentiment of the masses of my race when I say that in no way have the value and manhood of the American Negro been more fittingly and generously recognized than by the managers of this magnificent Exposition at every stage of its progress. It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since the dawn of our freedom. Not only this, but the opportunity here afforded will awaken among us a new era of industrial progress. Ignorant and inexperienced, it is not strange that in the first years of our new life we began at the top instead of at the bottom; that a seat in Congress or the State Legislature was more sought than real estate or industrial skill; that the political convention or stump speaking had more attractions than starting a dairy farm or truck garden. A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal: "Water, water; we die of thirst!" The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back: "Cast down your bucket where you are." A second time the signal, "Water, water; send us water!" ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered: "Cast down your bucket where you are." And a third and fourth signal for water was answered: "Cast down your bucket where you are." The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River. To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in a foreign land, or who underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southern white man, who is their next door neighbor, I would say: "Cast down your bucket where you are" — cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded. Cast it down in agriculture, mechanics, in commerce, in domestic service, and in the professions. And in this connection it is well to bear in mind that whatever other sins the South may be called to bear, when it comes to business, pure and simple, it is in the South that the Negro is given a man's chance in the commercial world, and in nothing is this Exposition more eloquent than in emphasizing this chance. Our greatest danger is, that in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands, and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labor and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial and the substantial, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful. No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities. To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race, "Cast down your bucket where you are." Cast it down among the 8,000,000 Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labor wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, built your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defense of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress. There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all. If anywhere there are efforts tending to curtail the fullest growth of the Negro, let these efforts be turned into stimulating, encouraging, and making him the most useful and intelligent citizen. Effort or means so invested will pay a thousand percent interest. These efforts will be twice blessed--"blessing him that gives and him that takes. "There is no escape through law of man or God from the inevitable: “The laws of changeless justice bind Oppressor with oppressed; And close as sin and suffering joined We march to fate abreast.” Nearly sixteen millions of hands will aid you in pulling the load upwards, or they will pull you against the load downwards. We shall constitute one third and more of the ignorance and crime of the South, or one third its intelligence and progress; we shall contribute one third to the business and industrial prosperity of the South, or we shall prove a veritable body of death, stagnating, depressing, retarding every effort to advance the body politic. Gentlemen of the Exposition, as we present to you our humble effort at an exhibition of our progress, you must not expect overmuch. Starting thirty years ago with ownership here and there in a few quilts and pumpkins and chickens (gathered from miscellaneous sources), remember the path that has led from these to the inventions and production of agricultural implements, buggies, steam engines, newspapers, book, statuary, carving, paintings, the management of drug stores and banks has not been trodden without contact with thorns and thistles. While we take pride in what we exhibit as a result of our independent efforts, we do not for a moment forget that our part in this exhibition would fall far short of your expectations but for the constant help that has come to our educational life, not only from the Southern States, but especially from Northern philanthropists, who have made their gifts a constant stream of blessing and encouragement. The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing. No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized. It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercises of these privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera house. In conclusion, may I repeat that nothing in thirty years has given us more hope and encouragement, and drawn us so near to you of the white race, as this opportunity offered by the Exposition; and here bending, as it were, over the altar that represents the results of the struggles of your race and mine, both starting practically empty-handed three decades ago, I pledge that in your effort to work out the great and intricate problem which God has laid at the doors of the South you shall have at all times the patient, sympathetic help of my race; only let this be constantly in mind that, while from representations in these buildings of the product of field, of forest, of mine, of factory, letters, and art, much good will come, yet far above and beyond material benefit, will be that higher good, that let us pray God will come, in a blotting out of sectional differences and racial animosities and suspicions, in a determination to administer absolute justice, in a willing obedience among all classes to the mandates of law. This, this, coupled with our material prosperity, will bring into our beloved South a new heaven and a new earth. You can download the PDF file from the State Historical Society of Iowa

🙂 Of course. But that does not mean that I don't actually disagree with you. I knew you would bring up the Freeway Rich Ross stuff. If you actually read the article you shared you'd know that the entire fiasco was about funding the contras in Nicaragua. The destabilization of the Black community was a terrible consequence, but it was again not the goal. You do realize white folks used cocaine and crack during that period right? Even if destabilizing the black community was the goal, who was responsible for cutting, distributing, packaging, marketing, and selling the drugs -- not to mention using them? Again, look at our current opioid crisis which has destabilized the white community arguably to a worse degree than the crack epidemic -- It has literally brought down the average life expectancy of Americans! Of course Black people are dying from opioids too, but again the people involved are motivated by money the horrific impact on the country is of no little concern to Big Pharma or the Doctors. You know most of the people who died from HIV were white. But again I'm sure you'd call this collateral damage too. Where did you dig up this one up?

The Internet archive is great. I’ve found found files from AALBC that i lost. Maintaining AALBC over the decades and through various upgrades has been a challenge. I lost the first few years of this discussion forum because i could not maintain the software that was driving it. At some point this discussion software will likely become obsolete. There is a cloud version but I’m not using it as I’m storing it on my server. But eventually the OS or PHP will evolve to the point where it can no longer run the discussion forum software. The data will still be on a database but there will be no way to access it. i used the Internet archives wayback machine to find one of the first posts on this discussion forum “de self-hate debate” The wayback machine showed the link but not the actual post. I then used the search engine on this discussion forum (which is not very good) to find the post, but it did not come up. I then went to Google and found the actual post from almost 13 years ago: At some point the company that built the software that runs this forum may go out of business and it then it will be a real challenge to manage this discussion forum’s data.

I know you live in the Midwest, but it does not sound like you have any experience with several feet of snow falling in a short period of time. That much Snow can easily cripple a city. as far as heated sidewalks and/or streets I’m just not sure how practical it would be to retrofit existing side walks or how difficult a problem it was be from an engineering perspective. I can’t even image how much additional load it would put on a power grid at a time when energy is at our greatest demand. it does not seem practical, municipalities would be better off proving more affordable housing for their citizens.

not being a demographer and going solely on your observations should give you pause before drawing conclusions about society in general. Our personal observation are generally a terrible proxy for the general population. My experience differs from yours in that black men generally have an advantage when it comes to black women. But again this just my experience and i would not say that it is true generally for a variety of reasons. This is true in my opinion. oh that one is easy, because it is exceedingly difficult in todays world.

Why are examples which counter your narrative lost on you? You are throwing the word "fact" around with reckless abandon. Can you conceive of any other reasons that drugs were brought into the Black community? if you consider opioids in the white community do you see anything in common? If you want to use the Civil War as a shining example of white unity, go ahead, but it makes no sense. The Civil War and the lost cause narrative has driven a wedge between white folks that has divided this country to this day. I guess we'll agree to disagree. Just for kicks, @Pioneer1 share with me the "Proof" to substantiate the claim, "drugs were brought into the AfroAmerican community by racists to destablize it." It think you'll find more evidence that it was done for profit -- even with the Iran Contra situation. Remember CREAM 😉

Florida has the prettiest beaches in the country and the water is typically warm enough that you can swim all year around. As I said, the place is diverse you have cities like Miami that rival in major US city and you have rural areas where pretty much anyone can own a home on an acre lot. The wildlife is impressive from my back patio (I live in a modest townhome in a gated community) I can see a wide range of birds including bald eagles and animals including alligators and deer. It is crazy, and part of the appeal to I feel closer to nature (but really we are encroaching on the habitat of these animals and they will probably not last too much longer...) The place is super flat, so if you are into mountains forget Florida. If you like the 4 "traditional" seasons you can forget that too. As far as racists I've be willing to bet there are more in California, Texas, and New York. As a percentage of the population who are racist, Florida is probably no different than the rest of the country, largely because 2/3 of the population came from other states. @Pioneer1 if you were going to Mobile probably. But places like Montgomery or Birmingham are too far north to have taken you through Florida. It is worth a visit if you have never been. I've lived in West Palm Beach and Tampa. Visit during the winter for a break from the frigid midwest. It will be in the 80's and sunny most of this week 😉

Click to buy the audiobook from Libro.fm or from Audible

As a long-time Florida resident, I must take issue 😉 Florida does not exactly corner the market on harboring white racists, miscreants, and other ner do wells. Florida is a massive state that covers two time zones and roughly 7% of the U.S. Population (basically one out of 7 Americans live in Florida). It is a very diverse state that has a higher percentage of Black people compared to the rest of the country. I've been called nigger in North Carolina and have had racists hurl rocks at me in Brooklyn. Racists come to Florida for the same reason I did -- the weather is great and the livin' is easy 🙂 Though the worsening economy is making the living less easy -- even for racists

Perhaps, but many of us have been inconsiderate and unwise from time to time. However, we view her statement as the media is holding her to an unfair standard -- just because she is a celebrity. Why the media choose to make this newsworthy is why we are so dumb as a culture. Yeah, @Stefan Envy is often the root of anti-(fill in the blank). I see we all agree we need to focus on ourselves.

That is an interesting interpretation of your dad's allegory. I think it means that if you are feeling sorry for the sheep by shearing it, not shearing it only means we will not benefit from its wool and the briars are going to take the wool anyway -- so it is better for us to take it rather than for to go to waste in the briar patch. Actually, this was a massive storm even by Buffalo's standards. Buffalo is well equipped to deal with snow, but this was a massive storm, and if people can't be bothered to stay home when these storms hit. They will get trapped in their cars a die. The national guard can not protect every store, apprehend very criminal, and ensure that every citizen stays home with sufficient provisions. Yeah, pretty much, or you can live in China where they can easily force your monkey a-s to stay off the streets. 😉

Kenneth, are you implying that what Whoopie said was anti-Semitic? I have a slightly different take on what @ProfD is saying. I don't think when should be "indifferent" to the plight of other groups. We can learn from, sympathize with, and even support other groups, but our first priority has to be our people. As a Black man promoting Black culture through books, when people are people start talking about "diversity" in this context it is not the same thing and in many cases undermines the advocacy of Black people. "Diversity" has come to mean everyone except cisgender white men, who are not impoverished or addicted to drugs. Any "diversity" effort purporting to support Black people is just as likely to support white women. AALBC profiles Jewish writers, as many have had a significant and profoundly positive impact on Black people. But of the 6,000 authors profiled on the site, less than 1/10 of 1% are Jewish; 98% are Black. Black people are my first priority, Jewish writers have a great number of resources to promote their work and to tell their stories. Black people are the ones in desperate need of support and we should be our first and best supporters so that when others want to lend a hand we can more easily identify agent provocateurs and others who would undermine us deliberately or unintentionally.

No, that would be you setting up another strawman; I know the difference. It is odd that you see the Civil War as an example of unity. I think everyone else would view it as a prime example of disunity. Have you been following the news about the "opioid crisis?" We have big pharma (run by white folks) killing 100K folks (mostly other white people) a year. Are white people trying to destabilize white communities, or are you going to tell me it is still an attempt to destabilize Black communities and the white deaths are collateral damage?

The video says she self-identified as Jewish Aw shit, you in trouble now! 😲

Some people prefer to watch 👀 @Pioneer1

It was stated at the end of the video that Whoopi was "minimizing" the holocaust. That is ridiculous. This is yet another reason why the human-conjured idea of race is so ridiculous. What Whoppie seems to be trying to convey is that practitioners of the Jewish religion do not constitute a race. You can not look at anyone as tell that they are a Jew based upon the way the look. This is a simple fact. Now if the Nazi's considered people of the Jewish faith a "race" and tried to exterminate those people based upon that racial designation rather than their religion, then that would be news to me. If that is true it seems extreme to rake Whoopie over the coals for it. Just point to the history and teach her indeed anyone who des not know something. Or as Dave Chappelle says, "...There are two words in the English language that you should never say together, in sequence and those words are 'The' and 'Jews.' I never heard someone do good after they said that."

Really @frankster? Given the popularity of this thread, why do you think no one else (that I know of) has contributed to this conversation or joined the forum? Do you remember how you discovered the conversation? Back to the conversation which, surprisingly I have not contributed to... "The FBI reports don't lie." That is laughable on its face, as there are documented instances of the FBI, indeed all government law enforcement agencies, lying. "Blacks commit 60% of all violent crime." I could not find any stats to support this statement, but we'd need a definition of violent crime if we include homicides and assault, I would not wager that this is not a "true" stat. But we know a few things about law enforcement in America. The Black community is hyper-policed, so if there is a bar fight The Brother will get arrested and convicted much more quickly than a white boy. White people are arrested and convicted less frequently for all offenses. We also know there is a correlation between poverty and crime. This country with its history of racism has created an environment in which Black people are disproportionately living in poverty. If we controlled for poverty alone I suspect violent crime rates would be comparable -- even ignoring the fact white get off more frequently. Throwing around stats without context is misleading at best and dangerous at worse.

I’ve owned a keyboard for all of my adult life, with the hopes of learning to play. It has not happened yet … lack of discipline i suppose. I envy people who can play 🙂

Most new posters are people looking to have their book reviewed. but you can answer that question for yourself @richardmurray if you look at this link: https://aalbc.com/tc/discover/, It will show you the most recent activity (posts and Comments). this is The link i use to see what has been recently posted across all the forums.

@richardmurray, product reviews are largely useless in my opinion. First, they are rife with bogus reviews (paid reviews, reviews to harm a competitor, etc); and second, the vast majority of people do not leave product reviews, so the sample size is not representative -- even without the paid/bogus reviews. They persist because people believe they are valuable. @Delano, I'm sure screens have a larger percentage of our time. Some engage actively, but most engage passively. Obviously, we are all in the former category. When the WWW first because commercially available it was an exciting time. Bloggers were popping up everywhere, but now, for a variety of reasons we have fewer indie bloggers and more social media "influencers." Social media is touted as the be-all and end-all, but I would not trade my email list for 10,000,000 likes on Facebook. Email is still powerful. A website can still be powerful. A discussion forum can still be powerful. But a discussion forum is only as powerful as the people who use it. @Pioneer1 to answer your question: the period between Xmas and New Years is when the site has the lowest amount of traffic compared to any other time of the year, so participation will be naturally lower. If it is any consolation theyear'ss lull in traffic did not occur and the next few months are usually the busiest of the year 🙂

13 years is not a long time to build a school from scratch, but I'd be really surprised, pleasantly, if it ever gets built.

Well, this is apparently true of this forum. I dunno if TV and other screens have anything to do with it -- maybe it is just human nature. Here is the result of some research on the subject.

The 90-9-1 Rule for Participation Inequality in Social Media and Online Communities "Summary: In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action. By Jakob Nielsen on October 8, 2006" Another interesting comment: "Signal-to-noise ratio. Discussion groups drown in flames and low-quality postings, making it hard to identify the gems. Many users stop reading comments because they don't have time to wade through the swamp of postings from people with little to say." This speaks to the need for moderation which would reduce the Signal-to-noise ratio, but increase the perception bias and furthure reduce participation. While this is old data it holds true based on my experience.

This post continues to be the most popular conversation on our forums over the last 30 days -- viewed over 9,100 times and more than 7,600 unique visitors. What will it take to get more people to comment? Even 1 percent of visitors shared their thoughts that would be 76 additional posters. When I allowed guest posts (posting without creating accounts) there was more participation, but that opened the floodgates to spam, so I had to shut off guest posting. @Pioneer1 here are some conspiracy theories for you 🙂 : (1) I believe "big-social" is behind the spamming of discussion forums. The know spamming forums make them harder to manage and forcing administrators to require logins. This reduces participation and therefore competition. (2) Racists troll Black forums to prevent Black forums from thriving while sowing dissent in the Black community. (This one I'm actually inclined to believe, as there is ample evidence of it)