Troy

@Pioneer1 Your statement: “Minister Farrakhan and other Black leaders have WARNED you not to trust your open enemy. But greed and love blinds a lot of our people into having unconditional trust for them.” Who is our open enemy? The global scientific community? Do vaccinated white people have the same enemy? Who are these people with unconditional trust? Is the NOI telling people not to get vaccinated? If so is this just for Covid, or does this extend to other vaccines like MMR and the seasonal flu?

I described some of the benefits working in a coworking space in an earlier conversation, so I figured I'd share this video. The Brother in the video runs a venture capital firm which operates out of the office I'm in. This has inspired me to think about AALBC in new ways. In 60 seconds, Lightship Capital’s General Partner, Brian Brackeen, describes three of their programs to support Entrepreneurs:

One of my favorite books 🙂 Kindred by Octavia Butler ADD TO CART Buy the Audiobook A Top 10 Book in the “Science Fiction Books” Category Voted #15 of the Top 100 Books of the 20th Century 6 Time AALBC.com Bestselling Book! Selected for 3 Book Clubs’s Reading Lists A QBR 100 Essential Black Book Publication Date: Feb 01, 2004 List Price: $16.00 Format: Paperback, 288 pages Classification: Fiction ISBN13: 9780807083697 Imprint: Beacon Press Publisher: Beacon Press Parent Company: Unitarian Universalist Association Borrow from Library

The following report is from El Muhajir/Marvin X who is well known for his work as a poet, playwright and essayist of the BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT or BAM. He attended Merritt College along with Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. You should read more of his work at Black Bird Press News & Review ------------------ “Huey P. Newton, The Rain Man” Dr. Huey P. Newton, Co-Founder of the Black Panther Party, was assassinated on August 22, 1989 on Center Street in West Oakland, a few blocks from what was the Cypress freeway. On October 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the Bay Area, crashing the Cypress freeway, the Bay Bridge and other structures, causing more than $5 billion in damages. The Cypress freeway was replaced as the Mandela Parkway. Today, on the 55th anniversary of the Black Panther Party, a. bust of Dr. Huey. P. Newton was unveiled on the parkway. The ceremony occurred despite a drenching storm. Was Huey saying to those attending the unveiling of his bust, "I departed as the earthquake, I return as the storm!"? As I approached the event full of people under umbrellas and tents, the first person I ran into was novelist Cecil Brown, author of The Life and Love of Mr. Jive Ass Nigga. Cecil, a Stanford University Professor, said, "Marvin, they should have a bust over there of you!" I didn't answer him but thought to myself would that mean I would be dead? As we chatted in the rain and I scanned the crowd, Cecil remarked that President Biden is pitiful. I retorted, "Do you think he's a Chinese agent?" No, Cecil said, I think they're working together. But, he continued, don't you think this Covid19 is germ warfare? I shoot back, "Absolutely. Do you think the Chinese are so stupid they would fight the white man with guns? The Chinese have ten thousand years of culture and can easily outthink the white man." Cecil said, "You're right, whitey just got out of the cave a few years ago!" I asked him where was the bust, he pointed where I could see Huey's natural above the crowd. We departed and I eased my way toward the bust but the crowd was tight so I took refuge under a tent that turned out to be the stage where Fantastic Negrito was doing a sound check. I love Fantastic Negrito and his neo-blues, but more so because Oakland's three-time Grammy winner is so humble, perhaps because he was in a terrible car accident but miraculously survived. He appreciates life. His first song was entitled From Dark to Light. But his song was interrupted by Sista Akua on another mike, and she was demanding to be heard. Apparently the MC tried to prevent her from speaking but this Chicago Black Panther woman was determined. Of course she was only the widow of Fred Hampton and you know she was pregnant in the bed with him when the Chicago pigs assassinated him with detailed information supplied by a black snitch. Akua gave a brief history of her and Fred's work in the Chicago Black Panther Party. She noted how Fred had established his rainbow coalition. After her short speech, Fantistic Negrito resumed his song From Dark to Light with a female backup singer, drummer and keyboard player. As I stood under the tent swaying to the beats of Fantastic, a masked man approached me that I recognized as D'wayne Wiggins of the band Tony Toni Tone. Although I already knew, he informed me of his trip to Accra, Ghana and meeting my daughter, Muhammida El Muhajir. I asked rhetorically, "How was she?" He replied, "She's powerful, powerful!" I wish I was humble as Fantastic Negrito and my children too, but Muhammida told me to tell North American Africans don't think they can come to Accra and not deal with her. Dad, I run this! She said her Howard University school mate, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, came to Accra and tried to get past her. They ended up at the same house party! After enjoying the neo-blues of Fantastic, I made my way toward the bust of my buddy, Huey P. As I recall in my conversation with Cecil Brown, he'd asked me about my play One Day in the Life with the scene of my last meeting with Huey in a West Oakland Crack house across from the Acorn Projects a couple of blocks away. The scene was made into a one-act play entitled Salaam, Huey, Salaam, co-authored by playwright Ed Bullins and myself, produced off-broadway by Woody King's New Federal Theatre. I said, "Cecil, they don't want to see my play because it's not a romantic version of Huey, it's reality. Nigga's want fantasy not reality!" I made it to the bust and put my hand on the rock. Like the earthquake and rain, was the rock symbolic as well? Was it the Crack rock, the rock of chemical and germ warfare the USA's Cointerpro machine made pervasive in its war against the Black Liberation Army and North American Africans in general? Was it simultaneously the Rock of Sisyphus he was condemned to roll up the mountain for eternity, only to have it fall from his hands thus he had to begin anew. Both W.E.B. DuBois and Amiri Baraka deconstructed the Greek myth of Sisyphus as a critical myth-ritual in the North American African narrative of how I got ovah or why we didn't get ovah! As I departed the bust of Huey, several photographers took my pic at the bust, so I told them I will pay the first one who sends me some pics like yesterday. Gene Hazzard was the first. Thank you Gene. Before I could head to my car and go home since I was pretty much dripping wet, I brother on security informed me that Akua and her son Fred Hampton, Jr. were in the car to my right and wanted to speak with me. I went to the car and embraced Akua. Tell me what mother, what wife in America has been through more trauma and grief than Akua? I embraced her and then hugged her son, Fred, Jr. who told me how much he loved me and I did the same. And then I said, "Big Fred, you know who we love and who love us too: Mrs. Amina Baraka! Fred shouted yes, yes, yes. Oh, Marvin, you know I love me some Mrs. Amina Baraka!" I said good-bye to Akua (Isis in Kemit mythology) and her son (Horus) as they search to liberate the vitality of Fred Hampton (Osirus, crucified but resurrected and ascended on a rainy day in the Bay). Power to the People! --El Muhajir/Marvin X 10/24/21 Black Bird Press News & Review

…. or those furry house shoes. Ohh that is so “low class” the airport looks like a grey hound bus station. I remember when people dressed up to get on a plane. Today some dress like they are going to bed.

i forgot to ask was this just a random number you used to make a point, or did you get it from someplace? i ask because the number would be very low the discussion Forums alone have more pages than that, and the main web site has way more than that too. The reason the site is so large is because most of content is stored in a database and the webpages are created with queries. The fact AALBC was costumed designed this way it the site’s biggest distinguishing factor. Interestingly (at least to me) I learned how to build a database driven site when i started teaching web design 5 years ago. I simply did not know how to do it before that and it really has made all the difference in the world. This is s feature of what is called Web 2.0 My biggest technical challenge will be to gear up for Web 3.0…

That wouldn’t be a determination of one’s class. keep in mind i started building sites almost from the moment that HTML was introduced to the public and I’ve been working on this site for over 24 years. I also greatly enjoy the activity. So it might look hard to someone who does not share the experience. Also, there is a lot that I don’t know about web development, which is why i don’t build sites for others I’m optimized for AALBC. My time in the coworking space, with other people, has helped the website — despite the pandemic.

You forced me to do a search. I was familiar with the story, but did not know the guy’s name or that his remains were found. The “news” story was completely uninteresting to me, but now i get your joke 🙂

Hummm, that sounds like anti-vaccer rhetoric to me, but OK, we will just say that you are a covid antivaccer. You are fortunate to have the resources to shelter in place. Most people don’t. Are you suggesting that authorities are going to go door to door and force people to take the vaccine? If so, please cite a reputable source. I can see it done as a service to the sick or shut in. Otherwise it just comes across as another unsubstantiated anti vaccer talking point.

i agree with all of the above. Perhaps in a few generation the Obama descendants make become upper class, but i doubt it. Yes, I’ve been to Martha’s Vineyard. What striving Negro hasn’t? @Pioneer1 i don’t know who I don’t know who he is.

What is the bottom line of what y'all are talking about? Is there a take away for someone like me. who is not steeped in Biblical text or history?

LOL! These guys are pretty quite. They only do that when threatened. Yeah they do sound like the Teradactyls from the Jonny Quest cartoon. I feed them, and they will eat right out your hand. I've see hawks pluck fish out of the water and carry they away to a tree. There are an amazing array of birds. I saw a bird (I have no idea what kind of bird). Fly into the pond, stay under longer than I could how my breath and come out some distance away and fly off! Now I knew fish could fly, but I never knew birds could swim! There are alligators in the water, fox, deer, rabbit, turtles, snakes, armadillos, etc all viewable from my patio. It is like Wild Kingdom up in here The shot below is from earlier this year.

See the two ads below. The are inserted into the discussion forum virtually indistinguishable from a forum post with the exception of a tiny little icon green icon that says "Ad." I would image that these are are very effective given how seamlessly the fit into the page. The ads are also high quality books from major publishers. in fact, I was unaware of Anita Hill's new book -- until I saw it advertised on my own site! I should be happy, but I have mixed feelings as I do not have the technical capability to create these ads on my own, nor do I know how much Google is making serving these ads on my site.

When you write "consumes" what do you mean? Information? Now there is an idea. That class would transcend race, wealth, education, and income. No one would go hungry or unseen. People can be their true selves. Imagine. Pelicans Sandhill Cranes are a function of living in Florida not class. 😉

This is sad. People with empty lives, who attempt to fill the void, with social media will always be disappointed. Real life altercations that are a result are completely voidable. That is probably the best course of action, but I'm too lazy to do it. A web backed my blockchain technology will make doing this much easier. I just joined (but do not participate) in a social media site called https://steemit.com/ which addresses these issues.

I did a quick search and did not find anything at all....

What?! Please share a reputable source.

Sure we can horse trade on definitions.🙂 I would not put "Factory workers, postal workers nurses, cops,.." into lower middle class or working class because of a lack of college education. Education level is often confused with class. Sure they are highly correlated, but not a condition of one's class. In fact the people you mentioned, nurses and the like, in an earlier era were the foundation of the Black middle class. Well keep in mind there is also a mentality associated with class. $15 million can be easily, and quickly, squandered by someone with a low class mentality. Many lottery millionaires and professional athletes have ended up bankrupted for this reason. There are plenty of people who grew up poor but become middle and even upper middle class because of their mentality. Of course they probably have to work harder than anyone else -- especially if they are Black. My lower class mentality, as it impacted financial decisions has impact me my entire life. I can see the same impact in others with my background.

The physical interaction with other people. My Tulsa office, for example, introduced me to the world of venture capital. I may be able to take advantage of this would could be substantial for AALBC. I have had people come to my office and buys book from me on the spot. The text messaging service I use is from a startup that was right next to me in the office There is a company that sells web development and SEO to HVAC companies and I learned quite a bit from the owner. I have started learning about Crypto currency through folks in the office I could go on, but none of those would have happened in my home office. I have worked in Libraries, cafes, Starbucks, and B&N's but this pales in comparison to a proper desk in a coworking space or home office. I work as hard from from any location. Right now I'm on my patio in Florida (photo below). This time of year it is great, work space, but without other people you are constrained. I have largely worked in isolation for virtually all of AALBC's existence and that, in hindsight, has stunted the site's growth. Incorporating the ideas of others makes you better.

It is as simple as that. @Pioneer1 I would not take this personally at all. Sometimes it bees that way. I have seen Cynique take what I considered abuse from people like Sara. Kola Boof took that to a whole 'nother, but Cynique defended them both. What is the difference between Pioneer and Kola I did not know. I'm trying to think of someone I took an instant disliking to on these forums and honestly I can not think of anyone. It may not be in my nature. There are of course posts I dislike, or disagree with, but it did not extend to the person. Actually there is a class of poster I have an immediate distain for: Remember the guy who posted all those conspiracy theories about Covid at the beginning of the pandemic? What differentiated him from you and Mzuri's posts regarding covid was that he was deliberatively trying to misled people. When he was exposed he left. You and @Mzuri strike me sincere in your anti-vaxxer position and are not trying to get others not to take the vaccine.

That thought occurred to me. The best a Black person can really do is upper middle class. A level I have never reached. These folks have trust funs setup for their children -- i.e. they will never have to work a day in their lives and enjoy generational wealth. They attend private schools. Their parents, grand parents, and even great grand parents are educated. They enjoy legacy admission to Ivy league schools. A middle class person can not see a penny of income, for at least 6 months, and it will not impact their lifestyle one iota. They live in safe clean neighborhoods, go on a nice vacation every year, may have a 2nd home, money is not a source of stress. They will pass on wealth to their children. A lower middle class person is essentially living paycheck to paycheck, but can consistently supply their basic requirements. Extravagances like private college education and two week foreign vacation is out of reach. A lower class person struggles to meet living required living expenses like housing or food. These are the folks who get evicted and have homes foreclosed, they have cars reposed, have bad credit scores, and no saving, etc. Too many people, in a country as wealthy as ours, are in this situation. *These are Troy's definitions and like most things their is some overlap, for example, some lower class people will have good credit scores. I've spent most of my life between lower middle and middle class.

I just thing the Wanda character is crass and not very funny. Was the intent to show how it feels to a guy when an unattractive women is attracted to you? What make it funny? I do too. But they can simply patronize the site too. Every day I have to explain to an author that, as a bookseller, telling me your book is available on Amazon does not interest me. Just this week I was on an almost 100% Black zoom conference commemorating a Black owned business. There were several established Black booksellers on the call to. But every time a Black author talked about buying a book they mentioned Amazon -- I'm not talking about young ignorant authors either. I'm talking about supposedly conscious Black writers. Again they are completely clueless on this sort of think. Their default is anything but a Black business. When the web started this was true, but today that is no longer the case. The web, for most people, is really just a few sites. This makes my point to @ProfD Facebook famously told businesses that you have to pay to reach your contacts. I appreciated their honestly, but I took a few years to build 20K fans and Facebook simply took the information and charged me for it. It was not long afterwards that I stopped meaningfully participating on the platform. I've already shared with you how Facebook regularly rejects innocuous books on their website. They have banned numerous romance titles from their website: I regular research Black author and Black business information for many, Facebook is their primary web presence, for most of the others there Facebook presence is actually superior. Plus Google serves up one's Facebook page before their official website. Another reason I ditched Facebook because it was beating my website on searches for my name! This is a big deal. I benefited a great deal with my office space in Tulsa. I'm working with someone to establish our own coworking space in Tulsa as well. I'm actually in Florida right now, looking for office space (shared).

This one looks like it may be interesting Del. I will definitely check it out. I'm not sure there are any "upper class" Black people in America it is more than a function of wealth. But in terms of wealth relative to the Black masses like me -- there are plenty of upper class Black folks. I've had a brush with a few. None of whom I could call a friend. It is if we could not be friends, as I can't "roll" with them since I can't afford to do what they do or go where they go. Plus they have to be careful about who they open up to since people would try to take advantage of them. There are not many opportunities for Black people of different classes to mingle. This is an issue that has gotten worse since integration (I believe). I did not know that Lawrence Otis Graham died until I read Pioneer's post. He was younger than I am now when he passed. A quick search did not reveal the cause of his untimely death.

Yeah it happens that way. It is sad his death has been used “evidence” against getting vaccinated.

That is probably my problem I think too small. I love y’all too that is why every newsletter ends with “peace and love.” None of this would be possible without y’all. I watched the skit with Jamie Foxx dressed up as a woman. I did not find it funny at all. I never did like the Wanda character… Jamie Foxx, I would later learn is super talented. The role of Wanda was actually beneath him, but in this wacky culture of ours, roles like that launch careers. Jamie has a new memoir out.