Troy

Wikipedia is another problem. People volunteer to update it, but companies like Google monetize it. if i monetize Wikipedia the way Google does, Google would bury me in their search results. Again, as with journalism, people expect encyclopedias, like Wikipedia, to be “free.” It is not rational. As a result we have a sub par product. i won’t even get into how Wikipedia citations are exploited by marketers.

I’m not so sure the federal government will be so willing to pay three years of back rent for people in New York City. Hope do you sell that to the rest of the country without giving them something too? The solution will need to be local as the problem is local (mostly). The last place you went to be behind in your rent is New York City. NYC can’t not evict everyone who is behind on their rent as a result of the pandemic. They must find a solution. As does every municipality in this situation. Up next: student loans. On deck: health care.

@richardmurray here are two spam guest comments on your blog. I guess I’ve been deleting them before you see them. Maybe you can’t see guest messages until I approve them?

Why do you refuse to play real dollars to obtain it? It cost real dollars to generate "the best news reportage." This is the crux of the problem. People have been programmed to think journalism is free. Stefan's stance helps explain why. The situation is much worse for Black publications simply because they have FAR less support to begin with. I not saying that YOU are lying. What I am saying is that the NY Post's coverage was once sided and, as a result, a poor source to understand what actually happened an why. @Stefan I read the Black Enterprise article. The NY Post was a better. The BE article was a rehashing of the NY Post article with images taking from Twitter. They did not add any additional incite or information. As a side bar: I thought the Google ads here were intrusive, but the ad situation at Black Enterprise is intolerable! I could barely read the article. That coupled with the fact that the article was cobbled from the NY Post's article, gives me pause for concern regarding BE's content. What do the rest of y'all think?

If the account is "true," then tell me why she was treated like a "leper" and "banned." Surely there must be a reason, or some form of justification, whether we agree with it or not. What is it? Black Enterprise covered the story. Please share a link I'd like to read the article. Black Enterprise, unfortunately, is no longer what it once was. What do y'all think of the trajectory of the publication over the past two decades? That said I'll support the business as long as it exists.

I have no though on the matter as I was unaware of, or have completely forgotten about. the initial effort. Is Orkut Black owned? Actually I liked the opening sentiments and have signed up for the updates. The problem, unfortunately, is that in order to do all the good things promised in their opening salvo will require Orkut to do things that the other corporate site do... that is unless they charge people to use the service.... and you know people think everything online should be free. AALBC secured some modest funding and will be working to improve the site over the next few months. I'm also looking into alternative ways to support the site without the use of Google ads which have become increasing intrusive over the years.

@Stefan, coming from New York City, I have to tell you (perhaps again), the New York Post is not known for its journalistic excellence. It is a classic tabloid biased to sensationalism over accuracy. I would not cite it as a source of racism, or anything else, for that reason. I did however read the article as it was possible I knew the principal, as I got to know a lot of educators in NYC, a couple of whom founded schools. The City started many new schools sometimes taking an existing school and breaking it up into 4 difference schools with all the reductant overhead and additional cost--paying 4 principals where previously one was paid. I always though this was a bad idea... but I digress. I read the article and it only told one side of the story. Did the Post even try to get the current principal's side of the story? The other side of the story was all hearsay, so we don't really know why the former principal was not welcomed with open arms--maybe she deserved to be treated the way she was treated. To jump to the conclusion that it is racism is a real stretch.

Richard, I changed this on each forum individually. I did not touch the blogs, so I don’t see why anything should have changed there. Has your blog ever been spammed? Thanks for your support! Yes, if you blow up, that will be the true test of your relationship with the site 🙂

Oh, I can say with certainty that it will not end in our lifetime. But I do believe it will end. Maybe, maybe not, but i don’t know. Do you think more white people are racist today than say 50 years ago?

Man auto correct actually changes what you type all after you’ve moved on. My typos would be better than the corrections. @Stefan I meant to write “Do you believe…” it was a question not a presumption. I don’t care about Twitter; what i do care about is Black people who use it to the point that there is a so-called “Black Twitter.” I wish there was a Black-owned platform(s) that we embraced with the same gusto. But we will continue enriching the worlds wealthiest people rather than supporting our own. @richardmurray they wouldn’t even need to scarifce it, just continue some of it 🙂 Actually more of this is actually happening; for example there are many efforts today to support Black entrepreneurs. Racism will end one day. It is ending now. Racism is a relatively, short bump in the road In the evolution humanity. We just had the unfortunate experience of living through the tail end of it. It could have been worse; Imagine living in 1822 rather than 2022.

Right which create little incentive for people to change it. You have to give credit to any white person who is trying change this and it seems to me that there are plenty woi are trying to change it.

When tracing the history of almost any major American institution of power and wealth you’ll find it was either created by Black Americans or created to control them. And now, award-winning author Clyde Ford has compiled the history of this struggle in his new book Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of White Power and Wealth. Incredibly researched and documented, Of Blood and Sweat is a fascinating look at the past offering broad implications for the present and invaluable insight into our understanding of Black history and the story of America. Available now from Amistad Books! Buy Now ▶ Win a Copy of Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! Isn’t Her Grace Amazing!: The Women Who Changed Gospel Music by Cheryl Wills At long last, Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! salutes the pioneers and present-day superstars of gospel in a lavishly illustrated and beautifully packaged book. Some talented performers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe have faded from history, while singers such as Mary Mary and Yolanda Adams have appeared at The White House, on reality television, and sold millions of records. Many women in the gospel music industry such as Willie Mae Ford Smith often go unnoticed, unpaid, and under-appreciated for their talents. These women of song are the bedrock for songwriting, arranging, directing, and developing singers – now is their moment to shine. Five winners will be selected, and all you have to do to be entered is click the button below. Enter Our Contest *THIS BUTTON ONLY WORKS WHEN SENT TO YOU VIA EMAIL. CLICKING IT HERE WILL NOT ENTER YOU INTO THE CONTEST The Best Recently Published Books One-Shot Harry by Gary Phillips Los Angeles, 1963: African American Korean War veteran Harry Ingram earns a living as a news photographer and occasional process server: chasing police radio calls and dodging baseball bats. With racial tensions running high on the eve of Martin Luther King’s Freedom Rally, Ingram risks ending up one of the victims at every crime scene he photographs. When Ingram hears a call over the police scanner to the scene of a deadly automobile accident, he recognizes the vehicle described as belonging to his good friend and old army buddy, the white jazz trumpeter Ben Kinslow, with whom he’d only just reconnected. The LAPD declares the car crash an accident, but when Ingram develops his photos there are signs of foul play. Ingram feels compelled to play detective, even if it means putting his own life on the line. Read More ▶ Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption. “Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a brilliant writer in a class all by herself. I love her voice and how she makes the past feel immediate and relevant, because it is.” —Terry McMillan, #1 AALBC and New York Times bestselling author “Dolen Perkins Valdez takes a moment in our history that has been hidden inside the folds of time and she brings those heinous acts back into the light. This is a riveting story of one woman’s fight against a system that believes it has the right to determine who should give birth in this country and who should not. Civil Townsend’s plight as she seeks justice is heartbreaking, but also inspiring, reminding us that one woman can stand and make a difference. Beautifully written in typical Dolen Perkins Valdez’s style, I didn’t put this book down until I closed the last page and even then, I wanted more.” —Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling author of The Personal Librarian Read More ▶ Song for Almeyda and Song for Anninho by Gayl Jones Gayl Jones, the novelist Toni Morrison discovered decades ago and Tayari Jones recently called her favorite writer, offers two books in one with this volume of poetry. Jones renders the saga of Palmares, a foundational tale in the annals of colonial terrorism and Black resistance, in verse, told in the voices of the characters in her epic novel Palmares. In the late 17th century, the fugitive slave enclave of Palmares was destroyed by Portuguese colonists. Amid the flight and re-enslavement of Palmares’s inhabitants emerges the love story of Almeyda and Anninho. In Song for Anninho, Almeyda moves between a dark present, in which she is once again enslaved and abused by a terrible captor, and memories of her lover, Anninho, whom she believes to have been killed. Song for Almeyda, released now for the first time, is told in the voices of Anninho and his fellow warriors. Read More ▶ Shine Bright: A Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith A weave of biography, criticism, and memoir, Shine Bright is Danyel Smith’s intimate history of Black women’s music as the foundational story of American pop. Smith has been writing this history for more than five years. But as a music fan, and then as an essayist, editor (Vibe, Billboard), and podcast host (Black Girl Songbook), she has been living this history since she was a latchkey kid listening to “Midnight Train to Georgia” on the family stereo. Smith’s detailed narrative begins with Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman who sang her poems and continues through the stories of Mahalia Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and Mariah Carey, as well as the under-considered careers of Marilyn McCoo, Deniece Williams, and Jody Watley. Read More ▶ More Black-Owned Bookstores Than Ever! Our popular list of Black-Owned Bookstores has had some recent updates. The biggest change is the addition of several stores in the state of Georgia. Boasting 17 Black-owned stores, Georgia has more than any state. This comes as no surprise; Atlanta, GA topped my list of “The Top Cities for Readers of African American Literature,” While operating my own pop-up bookstore, in Tulsa, OK, a customer from Bermuda came in. I asked if they were familiar with the Nubian Nookbookstore in Bermuda. It turns out that they were related to the store’s owner, author Rosheena Beek. They also informed me Rosheena passed away and that the store was now closed. Rosheena had a lovely spirit, She will be missed, for people like her run the best bookstores. Earlier this year we lost bookseller, Yusef Harris, who, in 1986, founded Alkebu-Lan Images Bookstore & Gift Shop in Nashville Tennessee. Harris built an institution that continues to serve the Nashville community. Publishers Weekly’s Coverage of Black Book Publishing Publishers Weekly recently published a variety of articles covering all aspects of Black books. Mainstream and independent publishing is covered. Most importantly the articles provide a historical context: Black Publishing in High Cotton By Tracy Sherrod LANGSTON HUGHES received one of the earliest book deals in publishing. Carl Van Vechten, a novelist (Nigger Heaven) who was primarily known for his photography, introduced Hughes’s work to Blanche Knopf in the 1920s. She also helped Nella Larsen, who is best known for the novel, Passing, get a book deal, practically launching the Harlem Renaissance, as Blanche was one of the few women in publishing—before women were commonly being published. Read More in PW ▶ Paul Coates: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey in Publishing and Bookselling MORE THAN 50 years ago, poet and publisher Haki Madhubuti issued a call for independent Black book producers and sellers to unite and work for the common good of the Black community. Read More in PW ▶ Erroll McDonald: I Am Not Your BIPOC The acronym BIPOC… is an abstraction stunning for the violence of its erasure of identity, its blithe lumping together of groups… as if their concerns were indistinguishable. Read More in PW ▶ Dear Troy, Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This message is sponsored by Amistad Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – April 21, 2022 - Issue #357

Show the World is a celebration of self-expression and the power of using your voice, centering Black children, and exploring the many things they can do, create, and say to make their mark. Buy Now ▶ White Lies: The Double Life of Walter F. White and America’s Darkest Secret A riveting biography of Walter F. White, a little-known Black civil rights leader who passed for white in order to investigate racist murders, help put the NAACP on the map, and change the racial identity of America forever Walter F. White led two lives: one as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and the NAACP in the early twentieth century; the other as a white newspaperman who covered lynching crimes in the Deep South at the blazing height of racial violence. Born mixed-race and with very fair skin and straight hair, White was able to “pass” for white. He leveraged this ambiguity as a reporter, bringing to light the darkest crimes in America and helping to plant the seeds of the civil rights movement. White’s risky career led him to lead a double life. He was simultaneously a second-class citizen subject to Jim Crow laws at home and a widely respected professional with full access to the white world at work. His life was fraught with internal and external conflict—much like the story of race in America. Starting as an obscure activist, White ultimately became Black America’s most prominent leader. Read More ▶ AALBC Book Reviews The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi by Chinedu Achebe Some of the world’s finest fiction has been written by Nigerians. Let’s look at the writers from that area in the Motherland, who have created a distinctive collection of classic works of imagination and timelessness: Wole Soyinka, Ben Okri, Chinua Achebe, Sefi Atta, Helon Habola, Teju Cole, and the popular Chimamanda Nzogi Adichie. Joining this roster, Nigerian-American Chinedu Achebe, The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi, stands tall with its particular brand of cultural irony, sexual intrigue, and political awareness. Read the Entire Review ▶ Black Chess by Roberta Roberts To succeed at chess, players need to be—among other things—tactical, strategic, calculating, in control, focused, and vigilant. In Black Chess the characters represent both players and game pieces, who make it to the opposite end of the board in their individual and corresponding ways. In the process, they reassess their values, needs, support systems, and aspirations. Their stories are now fresh and hopeful. Roberts’ use of the game of chess as a metaphor for Black lives seeking to survive and thrive against all odds is genius and provides scope for layers of interpretation that are sure to intrigue readers. Checkmate. Well played. Read the Entire Review ▶ “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is probably my best book.” —Walter Mosley A masterful, moving novel about age, memory, and family from one of the true literary icons of our time. Ptolemy Grey is ninety-one years old and has been all but forgotten by his family, his friends, and even himself as he sinks into lonely dementia. His grand-nephew, Ptolemy’s only connection to the outside world, was recently killed in a drive-by shooting, and Ptolemy is too suspicious of anyone else to allow them into his life. until he meets Robyn, his niece’s seventeen-year-old lodger and the only one willing to take care of an old man at his grandnephew’s funeral. Read More ▶ N. Ojo of Richmond, VA. was the winner of an autographed copy of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey in AALBC’s last contest. Dr. William E. Cox Passes The Cox family regrets to announce the passing of Dr. William "Bill" E. Cox, 79, of Clifton, Virginia, on March 21, 2022. Bill passed away, surrounded by his loved ones after a long illness. He leaves a rich legacy from his lifelong career advocating for equity and opportunities in higher education. Bill’s legacy was important to the Black community, because he understood the importance of storytelling. He founded Black Issues Book Review, and helped to put Black authors on the radar by pushing these writers to self-publish their work. BIBR, as it was commonly known, was published from 1999 to 2007 and was the only large circulation forum solely devoted to covering both fiction and nonfiction books written by black authors. More about BIBR ▶ Dear Troy, During the next few months, we will be upgrading the AALBC website — AALBC 3.0! We are aiming to enhance the look and feel of the site to help visitors appreciate the tremendous repository of information about Black Books AALBC provides. We are also planning to make enhancements under the cover to make AALBC a world-class platform. Troy, you are the primary reason AALBC continues to grow in an increasingly competitive environment. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This message is sponsored by Viking Books for Young Readers. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – April 5, 2022 - Issue #356

“A love letter of recognition to children of color"—The Horn Book “A moving reminder of what we gain when we draw strength and inspiration from the past.”—BookPage, Starred Review A History of Me, written by Adrea Theodore and Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, is one mother’s account of her experience as the only Black child in school serves as an empowering message to her own daughter and children of color everywhere. Inspired by her daughter’s experience in school as well as her own, Adrea Theodore’s debut picture book is a powerful testament to the past as well as a benediction for the future. Buy Now ▶ Top 100 Recommended African-American Children’s Books Children’s book authors, booksellers, and avid readers shared their favorite children’s books with us and we’ve compiled Our Top 100 Recommended African-American Children’s Books. This list is an updated version of our very popular list, which focused on books spanning a longer period of time. Many of the titles are of historical significance, but unavailable for purchase. Our new list only includes books that are available for purchase. All 100 books on our list may be purchased with the ease of ordering a single book and will be shipped via UPS 3-day service for free. As always, no sales tax is collected on AALBC orders unless the books ship to Florida. AALBC Book Reviews Hand-Me-Down Dreams by Phillip Wilhite Phillip Wilhite’s novel, Hand-Me-Down Dreams, happens in a period in the glory days of big-league sports during 1980, when the media and baseball were having an extended honeymoon. Xavier, a pitcher with the New York Yankees, lives the high life with his former college sweetheart, Ida, until a serious injury in his pitching arm forces the elite club to release the fire-baller. Drinking has always been lurking in his life, but it raises its head full-blown in his troubled existence. It has been said that male writers sometimes fumble when they try to create an entertaining tale of love, lust, and romance. Here Wilhite, a business broker for Wells Fargo and a sportswriter, concocts all of the ingredients for a bewitching story that plucks the heartstrings. But it’s not all fantasy. It’s the stuff that turns real-life on its head. More ▶ Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard Following a troubled childhood, Eric L. Heard, an army brat who resided in Germany and Japan, decided to write a book warning African American fathers to up their game as responsible parents. He looked back at his early life in Pensacola, Florida, a Black community confined by the systematic bias of Jim Crow. No challenge or obstacle would emotionally cripple Heard, for he earned a BS in engineering from Florida State University through sheer determination. Every book has a purpose. “I wrote this book to connect my childhood to the challenges I face as a father of an African American child,” Heard wrote. “I have come to realize that I need to face the ghosts of the past to raise a son who can be ready for the future. The uncertainty and pain that were instilled in me fuel my anxiety and irrationality in ways that I pass on to my son as a father and mentor…” More ▶ Dear Troy, During the months of April and May AALBC will experience growing pains as upgrade the AALBC website. We are aiming to enhance the look and feel of the site and help visitors appreciate the tremendous repository of information about Black AALBC provides. Troy, you are a big reason AALBC is able to continue to grow. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This message is sponsored by Neal Porter Books. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – March 22, 2022 - Issue #355

The critically acclaimed author of The Rib King, Ladee Hubbard returns with The Last Suspicious Holdout, an eagerly anticipated collection of interlocking short stories deftly chronicles the poignant moments in the lives of an African American community located in a “sliver of southern suburbia.” Exploring relationships between friends, family, and strangers, The Last Suspicious Holdout is a stunning testament to the enduring resilience of Black people. Buy Now ▶ AALBC’s Bestselling Books January/February 2022 Our Bestsellers List has been published continuously since 1998 and is the most visible list focused on Black Books in existence. You will learn about books selling well, in the Black community, that may never show up on lists published by larger corporate entities. Spread the word about our list, don’t let others determine which books are important. Fiction: The bestselling fiction book this period is a literary Magazine, the Killens Review of Arts & Letters (Fall / Winter 2021). Published by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Ever College and Edited by Clarence V. Reynolds, the Killens Review provides a wonderful collection of essays, poetry, and nonfiction. Nonfiction: Nonfiction books were by far the bestselling genre this period. During Black History Month we often see a surge in nonfiction book sales. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story created by Nikole Hannah-Jones is the bestselling book, of all, this period. Children’s Books: Children’s Books sales were led by Born on the Water written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. This book is also part of the 1619 Project and was the #1 bestselling book for all of 2021. Poetry: Poetry sales were led by the 4-time AALBC Bestseller, Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman. We are especially happy to see Cosmic Deputy: Poetry & Context by Kalamu ya Salaam make our list. Kalamu was the coeditor, with Kwame Alexander, of our first bestselling book of poetry, 360° A Revolution of Black Poets, which made the list in 1998. View a printer-friendly version and a collage of the book covers. This powerful book reimagines discipleship by begging us to acknowledge that racism exists in the Church—and offers the hopeful message that we can disciple it out. It is not an accident that racism is alive and well in the American church. Racism has, in fact, been taught within the church for so long most of us don’t even recognize it anymore. Pastor Albert Tate guides all of us in acknowledging the racism that keeps us from loving each other the way God intends and encourages siblings in Christ to sit together in racial discomfort, examining the role we may play in someone else’s struggle. Buy Now ▶ Dear Troy, Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This message is sponsored by Amistad and FaithWords Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – March 8, 2022 - Issue #353

This is a very, very serious problem with the WWW. Google actually makes this problem FAR worse because Google search "results" can be dominated by paid advertising a sophisticated SEO. The tennesseestar.com have almost a million links to it's site, but from only 10K domains. In other words, the average site ink to the tennesseestar.com has 10,000 links to it! Who are these sites (chart below)? I have not checked, but I'd bet money many of them are also run by the same entity. The tennesseestar.com owns search on terms like "mankato schools vote to allow extra pay for non-white teachers." Why? Look I know this way to technical for most, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. Google's search, like social media, is a tool to keep us misinformed in filter bubbles. Snoopes is trying to tell us, but who reads snoops to validate their sources? @nels have you? Does what they say matter to you? If not why not? @nelsRead this article https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/03/04/activists-setup-local-news-sites/ I just now read it and see that theohiostar.com have over 39K links to the tennesseestar.com I'm pretty sure you will find connection with more of the sites listed. The idea that site like tennesseestar.com can even rank in search, while Google has buried Black-owned newspapers in search is criminal. We have a serious problem on our hands. Misinformation is too profitable.

True, but it disproportionately hurt indie websites as we don't have the resources to deal with this. Eliminating guest posts will reduce participation. Again, the solution is simple people simply have to create accounts. Still I have to approve every account, because spammers have bot that create bogus accounts, which I have to sift through. There was a time when none of these precautions were necessary, but the WWW is still the wild, wild west, lawless and ruled by power thugs... Interestingly, the VAST majority of people who buy books from this site do not create accounts during the process. I mean these are some of my most ardent supporters and they chose not to create accounts -- but they ALL have social media accounts where they share much more information-- I just don't get it.

"Coming true? Man those words were true before the words were uttered and are true now. The issue to me is why, despite all our technology, this remains the case. I know the profit motive is the reason Malcolm's words are true. It is just unfortunate that we, collectively, marginalize anyone who tries to do something about. but again if you go back to Malcolm's quote you understand why... As discussed, this only serves the individual not the Black community. I would how much wealth the richest Black Americans hold as a percentage of total Black wealth. My guess is that the Black American 1% hold a great deal more wealth of the Black community than the white American 1% holds of the white community. I was old enough to have attended, but had no interest in doing so, because I was also old enough to know it was a show -- all about the optics. By that point in my life I was already about supporting Black owned businesses, entrepreneurship, etc and would have embraced any strategies that came out of the MMM to benefit Black people. I don't recall any... Back to the subject to the thread... @Stefan, despite the anecdotes you've shared to you believe white racism is on the rise in America? I do believe it exists, but it is on the decline, in terms of white people who actually hold and act upon white racist views. People in my children's generation are far less racist than the ones in my parents generation. Any young person who holds racist attitudes today are profoundly misinformed and/or stupid; neither is an insurmountable hurdle. Of course we also have to deal with the people who structural racism has, and continues to benefit. These people are much harder to deal with as we are now talking about messing with their money. Whether they are a Black race hustler or a white capitalist profiting from predatory loans, the prison industrial complex, the the gig economy, social media, etc. These people need racism to persist in order to continue making money and have no incentive to see things change -- even if they are sophisticated enough to say otherwise Black people can't allow either group of individuals to hold us back, and we must also realize we can not deal with them alone. We need each other and any non-Black allies willing to help.

Yes ignorance is the right word. Yes, we live in a 24/7/365 news cycle, but do you truly believe our population is better informed now, in a why that best serves us, than were were for the rise of the WWW? Most of us live in filter bubbles anyway and simply are not exposed to useful information. Nice meme @Stefan Sounds like something I've said. You sure you did not grab that quote from one of my posts 😉 The only difference , since people consume news through the filer of social media and not printed newspapers, I would swap the word "media" for "Newspapers"

Unfortunately, the spammers have scored another victory against freedom on the web and independent websites. Every day spammers use bots to create guest posts. It stated about a year ago and results in hundreds of posts a week. If i do not stay on top of it hundreds of posts will accumulate that i have to delete that is not bad but in order for The legitimate guest posts to make it through i have to sort through all the bad posts. This is particularly irritating as the post never see the light of day. They only serve to irritate me. The effort of delete queued up guest posts is simply not worth my time any more. given how easily we create accounts on the corporate sites, who will sell your information. Surely people will create accounts on sites created to support them … right? no more guest post in will be allowed on these forums.

"Confederate Heritage Month" wow! I can't imagine this passing - especially in a state with a Black population approaching 40%. But I've stopped underestimated our collective ignorance. @StefanI can see why @richardmurray was not too anxious to proclaim that Black people are "free" in this country. To be sure we enjoy more freedoms than we did 100 years ago, but are we completely free here? I'm not so sure. I know you are familiar with gerrymandering which has diminished the impact of our vote, so while we can vote, our vote is not equal to that of a white person's. I know you understand what redlining is and how that systematically prevented Black people from buying real-estate. The impact if this continues to this day in terms of lost generational wealth that give white families a substantial benefit over Black ones. Obviously the hyper-incarceration and policing of Black people has created an unimaginable toll on Black people. Sure we can buy a car and drive down the street, but we are far more likely to be pulled over, arrested, and even killed than a white people is. I can't even tell you how many times I've been pulled over by the police. This stands in stark contrast to the number of white women I've spoken with who have NEVER been pulled over -- or get off with a warning for the same infraction. I can create a website, but white-owned companies monopolize search and marginalize Black-owned websites in favor of white-owned sites in search results. as a result, Black website's value is stripped away. what is the value of that freedom? I could do this all day... and so could you. I many ways our freedom is a farce. Oprah, Obama and others are the exception not the rule. The fight for freedom is a constant battle. Otherwise we end up with Confederate Heritage Month.

Hi @mama i almost did not approve your account and after seeing this post I’n pretty sure that I made a mistake. I happen to be in Cape Town and recognize the country code so I decided to see what you wanted to share here. From my perspective, what you’ve posted reads like a classic scam; designed to separate desperate, vulnerable people from their money giving them nothing but false hope and disappointment in return. Sidebar: @Stefan I actually do engage in a form of censorship by determining who gets an account and which guest posts are approved. Most accounts are rejected and most guest posts are not approved. The vast majority are clearly spam, some like mama’s don’t become apparent until they post.

I want the Black man's ice to be colder.

There is a review of The Black Agenda coming. The solution is really simple: we must educate and support our own, before allowing ourselves to be educated by and supporting others. but that is exceedingly difficult. we have been divided and conquered. undoing this will take several more generations… Black people love to proclaim “we are not a monolith,” but that is where our power comes from. What other group with power goes around proclaiming how fragmented they are? Our nation prizes individualism, but while that may work for the individual it can not work for us as a people. Actually it does not work for white folks either, they just benefit as a consequence of being the same “race” as the group in power. Read Claud Anderson too. More about Claud Anderson https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Claud+Anderson

“Defend” If by that you mean allow the opinions to be posted… well I’m guilty as charged. However, if I did not allow the opinions to be posted then people like you would not be able to tear the arguments apart for all to see. Sometimes the posters expose themselves with the lunacy of their own words, other times it is not so simple. For example, i never brought into the notion that Trump is dumb; (not saying this is your argument) objectively the man is not “dumb.” However when one uses that argument, cavalierly dismissing his arguments, and more importantly his supporters one misses a great deal of insight on how they think. Again i welcome the arguments of Black Trump supporters. It helps me understand our people. Which is why i maintain the entire website. i have books here by the likes of Candice Owens and there is every little i like about her. She is however skilled with words and making believe people like her don’t exist, or worse under estimating their impact, is a mistake — as Mark Lamont hill did fitting her interview of him: