Troy

So @Ldvirtue, love is not enough for say a Christian and non believing good person to be married to each other?

You can go by you own opinion ProdD. You can easily look up the stats and learn that life expectancy has gone down and see what the leading factors are. If that was true people would stop smoking cigarettes immediately. Fear is not enough of a motivator -- if the action is hard. Everyone know exercise improves health, but fear of dropping dead from a heart attack provides insufficient motivation to change behavior. It is actually Fear + Propaganda that is stopping people from getting vaccinated. Again fear alone is not enough to motivate people. This is propaganda. It is untrue and demonstrably false. Again the propaganda is FAR more powerful a motivator than fear alone. Propaganda defines science and reason. Propaganda has the power to manufacture fear out of thin air. Propaganda taught the world, for centuries, that so called "Black" people were subhuman. Propaganda got people to storm the Whitehouse...

Well that is my point. I'm sure there are some great book discussion happening on Goodreads, why there -- why not here? Why do Black folks marginalize Black platforms in favor of white ones? Better question @Mzuri, @ProfD, anyone; why do you come here and post? If it were not for you and a few others the foums would not just be boring it would be dead. We have not choice but to keep pushing. The problem is that I'm old enough to see how much we have lost in terms of owning platform and controlling our own narrative. We have lost a tremendous amount of control on the web, but well have lost so much more media ownership.

I had just watched Uptown Saturday Night, before learning of Poitier's passing, sharing the experience with someone who was unfamiliar with the movie. R.I.P.

What a nice story Sarah; thanks for sharing it with us.

Yes, your comments and those of others have made that abundantly clear. Many years from now if enough of us do not get vaccinated. Hopefully the army vaccine will be available to you soon, @Mzuri.

You keep mentioning “third world,” but what does that mean? Is Mexico, in the third world, why? Is Ghana in the third world and if so what does that really mean? Who defined the term and why? Again, if you’d actually been to any of these places you’d realize that all of the opportunities that you have ascribe to people here in the US are true for people in the countries I mentioned. Now we can argue about whether those opportunities are more easily achieved in America versus the countries I mentioned, but to disparage the medical service available in Africa to ”witch doctors” is insulting (even if you were being hyperbolic to make a point).

while deleting a spam post (the site gets lots of spam lately) i had the occasion to read mosaicbooks comment, for what feels like the first time. i got that comment a lot over the years. The discussion forum has always tended to create the kind of content that some feel is beneath AALBC’s brand. The forums have also hosted some great posts that have elevated AALBC. Given my ability to manage and moderate these forums I take the good with the less desirable… gladly. The forum originally started out as a place to talk about black books. Overtime the conversations often strayed away from books to more general topics and I started the culture race and economy forum, and that forum quickly became the most popular forum and remains to this day. Conversations about books went to places like Amazon‘s GoodReads and social media. It has always been a challenge for indie black-owned sites to corral a large black audience. If the content is salacious or scandalous (ala World Star) we get to own that stuff, but the more highbrow content tends too be hosted and owned corporate (read: White-Owned) sites. I’ve always advocated for Black people to control how our culture is presented to a wide audience and be the arbiters of what is valuable. Unfortunately, even in 2022, we really do not control our voices, Black people rely on others to validate what we do and what is important. Am I wrong?

Have you been to Ghana, Nigeria or Mexico City? It does not sound like it, because it is hard to imagine why you would write that. Quiet as it is keep there are many Americans living right here in “third world” conditions. Why not? If that is true it sounds like the police here. this has always been true.

I did not write “significant” but it has had a negative impact on life expectancy wouldn’t you agree? The centers for disease control reported on this last year. Other contributors to the decline in life expectancy includes an increase and overdose deaths. True, but why ignore the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people who could have been saved with a simple vaccine? the risk of dying from Covid unvaxxed is much higher than dying from a blood clot from the vaccine … that is just math. you know the science behind these vaccines not invented yesterday; decades of research was already done. you should read this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-coronavirus-vaccine-development-speed/amp it with help you understand how the vaccine was approved so quickly. Black people have already died, disproportionately, in huge numbers. Almost a quarter million Africans have died from Covid. More than 100,000 black Americans have died from the disease. How people gloss over these death figures boggles the mind.

Perhaps, but moving to Canada has little appeal to me (I don't like the climate). I've spoken to a number of people who are considering Ghana, Nigeria, and other African countries. Interesting Mexico City was suggested to me as a place to live. I will probably visit and check out out, as it is so much less expensive than America.

Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López’s highly anticipated companion to their #1 New York Times bestseller The Day You Begin illuminates the power in each of us to face challenges with confidence. On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael Lopez’s dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift ourselves up and imagine a better world. Buy Now (and Save $2.00!) Praise for The Day You Begin: ★ “Energetic layered multimedia illustrations accompany the poetically repeating lines, vividly depicting winged escapes over images of a slave ship and contemporary real-world high-rises.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ “ [A] narrative rich with literary and visual symbolism, simultaneously simple and profound…With this book, Woodson and Lopez create a path that children may follow as they gain confidence and imagine a way forward no matter what challenges arise.” —Booklist, starred review ★ “The incomparable Woodson and Lopez extend a reassuring hand in this verbally and visually poetic book.” —New York Times Book Review ★ “A beautiful and inclusive story that encourages children to find the beauty in their own lives and share it with the world.” — School Library Journal This email is sponsored by Nancy Paulsen Books, an Imprint of Penguin Random House. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.

A moving tribute to the joy and grounding that fathers bring to their children’s lives. Daddy Speaks Love speaks to that everlasting bond between children and their fathers and is a perfect gift for special occasions including Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more! Buy Now ▶ AALBC Book Reviews Will by Will Smith There are millions of success stories in America. This is one of them. Film superstar Will Smith’s memoir, Will, is almost a fantasy comprised of Yankee success, determined ambition, and sheer luck. However, what makes this book special is Smith’s bold candor about his emotions, motives, and intentions. Rising from a troubled childhood in the Wynnefield neighborhood of West Philadelphia, his soaring journey from “bubble gum” rapper to TV sitcom star to mega movie idol moves from one improbable event to another, endlessly aided by one of this society’s powerful “angels,” who guided him through self-doubt to lofty heights of fame in every facet of media. Read More ▶ Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar is Harold Phifer’s memoir of childhood abuse, family dysfunction, and his search for peace. Starting in the present, we go back to the past, then further back to his childhood, looping back and forth in interwoven narratives, as he recounts his life. “I grew up in a severely dysfunctional environment where I was constantly manipulated by a controlling aunt, abused by my mindless big brother, and shamed by my schizophrenic mom. Ducking, dodging, and going un-noticed were daily rituals.” Read More ▶ New Books Stacey’s Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams The debut picture book from iconic voting rights advocate and #1 New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams is an inspiring tale of determination, based on her own childhood. Stacey is a little girl who loves words more than anything. She loves reading them, sounding them out, and finding comfort in them when things are hard. Read More ▶ The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs The Three Mothers, the first book to celebrate the three great women who raised and shaped America’s most pivotal heroes: MLK, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin. Much has been written about the Berdis Baldwin’s son James, about Alberta King’s son Martin, and Louise Little’s son Malcolm. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them, who themselves were all born within six years of each other, all contending with the very specific prejudices faced by Black women during Jim Crow. Read More ▶ You Don’t Know Us Negroes And Other Essays by Zora Neale Hurston One of the most acclaimed artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston was a gifted novelist, playwright, and essayist. Drawn from three decades of her work, this anthology showcases her development as a writer, from her early pieces expounding on the beauty and precision of African American art to some of her final published works, covering the sensational trial of Ruby McCollum, a wealthy Black woman convicted in 1952 for killing a white doctor. Among the selections are Hurston's well-known works such as “How It Feels to be Colored Me” and “My Most Humiliating Jim Crow Experience.” You Don’t Know Us Negroes was edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and M. Genevieve West. Read More ▶ “The Magic of Just Being” by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of a dozen books for middle grade readings including the upcoming novel, Operation Sisterhood. My mom was from Jamaica, my dad is from Nigeria, and I was born in New York. I grew up nourished by stories from my family of “back home,” of immigration, of my heritage and multiple ethnicities. Those were my favorite bedtime stories by far. From the moment I was born, my family gave me the precious gift of Black stories on our bookshelves, at the dinner table, at bedtime, from their own lives, from Black authors all across the Diaspora. All those stories helped me to understand that Black lives are beautiful, powerful, and dynamic and come in infinite flavors. Read More ▶ F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival 2022 — Daytona Beach, FL 11th Annual Daytona Beach F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival 2022 - January 7th and 8th, 2022 The F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival returns for its annual on-site “All Things Books” weekend in Daytona Beach., FL. Donna M. Gray-Banks is the Founder and Director of the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival (Fiction, Romance, Erotica, Spiritual and Health), one of the largest book festivals for minority and indie self-published authors in Florida. The Festival began in 2011, and the City of Daytona Beach, Florida, began sponsorship of the Festival in 2012. AALBC’s Founder, Troy Johnson will be participating. Register and Learn More ▶ Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap is a first-of-it’s-kind multimedia collection chronicling the growth of the music and culture from the parks of the Bronx to solidifying a reach that spans the globe. The set includes 129 tracks on 9 CDs (Check out our YouTube Playlist featuring all 129 songs) and a 300-page book with original design by Cey Adams, artist and founding creative director of Def Jam Recordings, as well as essays by some of hip-hop’s leading writers and critics and never-before-seen photographs. Through the music, writing, and extensive liner notes, the Anthology reveals the many trends within this multifaceted genre, it’s social and political implications, and it’s influence on popular culture. More ▶ Writers Who Passed Away in 2021 ▪ Floyd Cooper (Jan 8, 1956 – Jul 15, 2021), Award Winning Children’s Book Illustrator ▪ Eric Jerome Dickey (Jul 7, 1961 – Jan 3, 2021), One of AALBC’s Bestselling Authors ▪ Bernette Ford (Jun 30, 1950 – Jun 20, 2021), Children’s Book Author and the First African-American Editor to Hold the VP/Associate Publisher at a Major House ▪ Glen Ford (Nov 5, 1949 – Jul 28, 2021), Author and Executive Director of Black Agenda Report ▪ Eddie Faye Gates (Feb 5, 1934 – Dec 9, 2021), Renowned Historian on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre ▪ Lawrence Otis Graham (Dec 25, 1961 – Feb 19, 2021), Chronicler of America's Black Upper Class ▪ Eloise Greenfield (May 17, 1929 – Aug 5, 2021), Award Winning Children’s Book Author ▪ bell hooks (Sep 25, 1952 – Dec 15, 2021) Cultural Critic, Feminist Theorist, and Writer ▪ Lynda M. Johnson (1956 – Sep 25, 2021), President and Co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club ▪ Kamilah Aisha Moon (Sep 5, 1973 – Sep 24, 2021), Acclaimed Poet ▪ Paul Mooney (Aug 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021), Legendary Comedian ▪ Melvin Van Peebles (Aug 21, 1932 – Sep 22, 2021) Founding Father of Black American Cinema ▪ Jerry Pinkney (Dec 22, 1939 – Oct 20, 2021), Award Winning Children’s Book Illustrator ▪ Colin Powell (Apr 5, 1937 – Oct 18, 2021), Secretary of State ▪ Albert J. Raboteau(Sep 4, 1943 – Sep 18, 2021), the Henry W. Putnam Professor of Religion at Princeton University ▪ Winfred Rembert(1945 – 2021) Artist, Subject of Two Award-winning Documentary Films ▪ Greg Tate (Oct 15, 1957 – Dec 7, 2021) “Godfather of Hip-Hop Journalism” ▪ Desmond Tutu (Oct 7, 1931 – Dec 26, 2021) Nobel Prize-Winning South African Archbishop Emeritus ▪ Cicely Tyson (Dec 19, 1924 – Jan 28, 2021), Actress, Lecturer, and Activist May they all their souls rest in peace. Dear Troy, As 2021 draws to a close and I reflect on nearly two years of a global pandemic it feels almost surreal, like something out of an Octavia Butler novel. Despite so much hardship and heartache there is still good reason for hope. I trust the books shared in our newsletter and website bring you joy, inform you, and improve your life in someway. 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 helps support AALBC’s mission. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This message is sponsored by sponsored by Amistad Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – December 28, 2021 - Issue #344

These poems reflect on all the things we carry within us, be it loss, grief, hope, healing, history, the future. This breakout poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman captures a shipwrecked moment in time and transforms it into a lyric of hope and healing. In Call Us What We Carry, Gorman explores history, language, identity, and erasure through an imaginative and intimate collage. Harnessing the collective grief of a global pandemic, this beautifully designed volume features poems in many inventive styles and structures and shines a light on a moment of reckoning. Call Us What We Carry reveals that Gorman has become our messenger from the past, our voice for the future. Buy Now ▶ “Subtle…subversive…Call Us What We Carry [is] an act of courage.” —The New York Times Book Review “Poet Amanda Gorman reached a new level of celebrity after she performed at the 2021 presidential inauguration, but her work and the impetus behind her words remain the same. . .With Call Us What We Carry, Amanda Gorman addresses the great divisions in the U.S. across race and class—and hope.”—People “Amanda Gorman is a seer, a seeker, a speaker of our most difficult and astonishing truths. Reading these poems, I feel at once haunted, heartened, and formidably ministered to.”—Tracy K. Smith “A book of poetry so alive you want to hold it and protect it, to read it all at once, and then immediately read it again.”—Malala Yousafzai ★ “An inspired anthem for the next generation—a remarkable poetry debut.” —Kirkus Reviews Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda’s activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, Essence, and O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2017, Urban Word named her the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles. The special edition of her inaugural poem, The Hill We Climb, was published in March 2021 and debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and AALBC bestseller lists. This email is sponsored by Viking Books, an Imprint of Penguin Random House. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.

Folktales’ Black Women’s Literary Society’s Reading List Book clubs are an excellent way to discover good books. The Folktales’ Black Women’s Literary Society book club, who starts their 30th year in 2022, is one of AALBC favorite sources for book recommendations. In addition to the books on their reading list, club member Peggy Terry, has shared her favorites with us including; “If you can only read one book this year,” check out; Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears. Both novels are by S. A. Cosby and each have been auctioned off for movies. Books on her Santa’s Wishlist include: ▪ The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers ▪ Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature by Farah Jasmine Griffin ▪ Shoutin’ in the Fire: An American Epistle by Danté Stewart ▪ The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones ▪ Her Name Is Knight by Yasmin Angoe Your Audiobook Gift Guide Who doesn't love a quiz? Find the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list, and remember: Your Libro.fm purchases support AALBC! Take the quiz ▶ AALBC Book Reviews Andrew Billingsley Scholar and Institution Builder: Essays and Tributes Edited by Charles Jarmon Professor Billingsley’s life stands out as a redemption of the corrupted American Dream, all earned with dogged determination, controlled ambition, and a profound love for the Black community. The scholar’s prologue, “An Autobiographical Essay: Growing Up in Alabama, 1926-1947” reveals the hardscrabble early years in Marion, the difficulties of family life during the Great Depression after a work injury to his father, the educational excellence of the two boys after a faulty start, only interrupted by a stint by the young pair in Army after the Pearl Harbor attack. He returns home to continue a goal-directed civilian life. His writing is assured, bold, and energetic. Read the Entire Book Review ▶ Killens Review of Arts & Letters (Fall / Winter 2021) Killens Review of Arts & Letters, Fall/Winter 2021The Beautiful Struggle The tumultuous events that have occurred over the past eighteen months are inconceivable. With the global health pandemic, national and international issues of racial and social unrest making headlines, life as we knew it has been drastically altered. The Fall/Winter 2021 issue of the Killens Review of Arts & Letters explores the ways in which writers, poets, and artists of various genres found inspiration over the past year and a half when matters of personal safety and self-preservation, affected by nationwide and world affairs, became a primary concern. Read More ▶ Taint Taint Taint Magazine Taint Taint Taint Magazine is a literary and cultural arts magazine dedicated to decolonizing the art world. The magazine gives writers and artists, especially underrepresented voices, a chance to be heard. Issues will feature the creative works of writers, multimedia artists, photographers and journalists who recognize and push against mainstream culture. Your donations will help us bring the best of contemporary voices in literature and arts to the forefront. Contributions will go directly to supporting Taint Taint Taint’s website design and maintenance; 501(c)(3) status; and the TTT Readers Program—an initiative to mentor a new generation of inclusive editors and publishers. All donors regardless of their contribution amount will have the option of being acknowledged on our website. Dear Troy, As always, 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 subscription, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements helps support AALBC’s mission. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – December 7, 2021 - Issue #343

The African American Children’s Book Project will host a virtual global literary celebration on Saturday, December 4, 2021 – 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EST). An array of best-selling, award-winning authors and illustrators of books for preschoolers to young adults will be featured on panels that address Black Books Are!!! The individual panels will tackle the topic of Black Books Are!!! by focusing on how they are essential, enduring, empowering, edifying, entertaining and exquisite. The panelist will discuss how their work is reflected in those topics. Register Now ▶ The free event will open the pages of some of the best books of the year. The Literary Café – Books & Events will feature all the titles of the participants. For more information call (215) 878-BOOK, email, or visit their website. Call for Papers: 16th National Black Writers Conference Please submit electronically an abstract/proposal of 300–500 words, a list of related references for the presentation, and the thesis or question you plan to explore. Do not send manuscripts. Submissions must be authentic and original and should not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication while being evaluated for this event. Learn More ▶ Deadline: January 7, 2022 Acceptance Announcement: By February 10, 2022 The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY (CBL), will present the 16th National Black Writers Conference from March 30 to April 2, 2022. Writers, scholars, literary professionals, students, and the public will gather virtually to participate in and listen to roundtables and panels on the conference theme, “The Beautiful Struggle: Black Writers Lighting the Way.” Dear Troy, The Center for Black Literature and The African American Children’s Book Project are two intuitions that have formed mutually beneficial partnerships with AALBC which have lasted almost two decades! The African American Children’s Book Project’s African American Children’s Book Fair (February 5, 2022), now in its 30th year; and the National Black Writers Conference (March 31, 2022), started in 1986, and run by the Center for Black Literature; are the premier events of their kind in the United States. Everyone in this country should know about these events; please help spread the word. As always, 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 subscription, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements helps support AALBC’s mission. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This message is sponsored by sponsored by Amistad Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – December 3, 2021 - Issue Supplemental

The notion that "vaccines are dangerous" is ludicrous. This idea is the raving of people who are no knowledge of the devastation that the diseases vaccines protect us from have caused. Life expectancies despite pollution, processed foods, and more sedentary modern lifestyles are dramatically higher -- largely due to vaccines. Of course life expectancy have actually been dropping largely because almost 900,000 people have died unnecessarily, because of Covid. Surely we all know someone who has died from Covid during the pandemic, why is believe the vaccines are a form of population control makes no sense to me. Wouldn't it be much easier to reduce the population -- especially the Black population -- by doing nothing? On another note: I do believe Pharma will push additional boosters for variations of Covid. But their incentive is purely financial, which is a flaw in how we provide healthcare -- not a diabolical plan of the Illuminati

Sorry to read about the woman being stabbed to death, but as @ProfD wrote, "...a change in leadership nor a New Year puts a moratorium on stupidity, ignorance, violence and murder." New's York City Murder rate continues to increase the highest in about 10 years. Philadelphia, a much smaller city have over 500 murders last year! WTF!

Perhaps, but consider the sources (how videos are edited, potential biases, and when video were recorded, which is often different that when they were posted on YouTube). If there was a video when he was particularly inarticulate recently please share it here.

Not knowing anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa may have biased your opinion. There are a significant number of people who celebrate the holiday. I login to see what’s happening and i see this and gotta read how we go from Kwanzaa to KY jelly to 🙂 lol!

True, but surely something can be done about it. The political process is not total useless … is it? a lot of young people want to leave America, so disenfranchised, they feel other countries provide better opportunities. It is sad for people have legitimate reasons to feel this way…

One day, but not in our life time.

The map thing is a trip though. You really don’t appreciate how those visuals impact your perception of self. The U.S. and the rest of North America is always depicted as if, in terms of size, it is on par with the continent of Africa. Religion (spirituality) has been perverted being recognition I’m sure…

A note from a subscriber; "rip. I particularly enjoyed Kamila Aisha Moon's work and will always be grateful; tp Melvin Van Peebles for championing the splendid works of Chester Himes, one of the greats." Yeah Chester Himes wrote some interesting books, an "urban fiction" writer before that was a thing. A couple of his novels were turned into pretty good movies one of my faves was Cotton Comes to Harlem.

Happy Kwanzaa y’all!