Troy

“What It Would Take to Disrupt the Publishing Industry,” is an article by by Brooke Warner in Publishers Weekly (Oct 08, 2021). The article highlights several recommendations to improve the industry. I agree with the spirit of the article. One weakness of the article is that is fails to explain who the main culprits and how because of their might and greed, have been holding the industry back despite advances in technology that promised to democratize the industry. Of course when America has a cold Black America is on a respirator with Covid -- in other words all of this hurts Black books, and their readers, the most. Brooke's main points in bold, with my comments, are below. Visit PW to read the full article. Print fewer books, and find ways to print what we can sell. This is of course easier said than done, but as she indicates in her article improved print on demand technology will make this possible, but that technology does not exist today. Find better ways to distribute books to the marketplace. Ingram has an effective monopoly on book distribution in the US. This combined with Amazon's virtually integrated business (they handle everything from publishing books to delivering them to the customer). Because there are essentially two companies with their fingers in the sale of every book, change is very difficult. The are certainly better models, but the the dominant players currently have no incentive to change, they won't. Cancel returns. The ability to return books to Ingram is a fundamental weakness, and booksellers exploit this by ordering more books than they need or expect to sell, only to return them for credit on the purchase other books. Of course royalties have to be held up for months as publishers wait for returns which will offset sales and what the author is ultimately paid. This overhead is what increases the inefficiency in the business and lowers margins for publishers and ultimately booksellers. Sell more digital and audio. Again, easier said than done. You can not talk about selling more audiobooks and ebooks without talking about driving more business to Amazon's Kindle and Audible products, which are far and away the dominate formats sold, and the negative impact that this will have. Also, I prefer physical books and I'm not an unusual consumer. Raise the prices of all books. $30 for a hardcover book is plenty, given the cost of production. If the inefficiencies and monopolies in the did business not exist, there would be plenty of profit at this price point. The other problem is that books have a set price, this notion needs to change. Brick and mortar stores can't charge more than the price stamped on the book by the publisher. Amazon does not let the price set by the publisher stop them for charging whatever they want for a book. Empower authors to work with and support bookstores. Authors don't need to be "empowered" they already are. Authors, like publishers, booksellers, and consumers, need to be educated to understand what is in their best interest. This could not be more true for the Black author/publisher/bookseller/consumer. In 2021, there is no real reason for there to only be a handful of publishers who court the best authors and command the most attention and respect in the industry and media. The dominance of Amazon and Ingram has contributed to stifling competition and lowering margins for the remaining competitors in the book industry. The "disruptions" needed to improve the book industry can be addressed by changes our collective behavior.

Set in the summer of 1968, One Night in Georgia, is a provocative and devastating novel of individual lives caught in the grips of violent history—a timely and poignant story that reverberates with the power of Alice Walker’s Meridian and Ntozake Shange’s Betsey Browne. Recommended Reads Evil Never Sleeps: Tales of Light and Darkness by Robert Fleming “A compelling collection of unsettling tales, evil as a butterfly knife to the throat. Fleming’s daring visions resonate long after you’ve turned the final page.” —Brandon Massey, author of Dark Corner Evil Never Sleeps is a stunning collection of chilling tales, portraying dark, nightmarish scenarios, blending fact and fiction, myth and history, magic and mystery. Fleming s writing is a bizarre mix of Kobo Abe, Edgar Allan Poe, Lovecraft, Joyce Carol Oates, Baldwin, and Ray Bradbury. Writing at a grotesque, bewitching tilt, Fleming bares the soul and psyche of his characters, and he spares us nothing. The stories collected here are riveting and haunting. More ► The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison “Morrison’s discussion spans decades; however, the reason for the discussions remain consistent to elucidate repression, control, the origins of racism, the effects of globalism, private and public space, the future, masculinity, language usage, population, the goals of war, race and raced, being foreign, and motherhood; and these mentioned issues are not comprehensive of all discussions in the text, each reader will interpret their own topics and issues from the writing.” Read the rest of Tony Lindsay’s Review ► His to Claim by Brenda Jackson It could be his toughest mission yet: win back his wife. When navy SEAL and honorary Westmoreland Mac McRoy returns home, he discovers his wife has left. Teri has retreated to the Wyoming ranch they’d planned to visit together, and is resentful when he follows. She doesn’t want a second honeymoon; she wants a marriage Mac doesn’t take for granted. But life-or-death circumstances are about to put their love to the ultimate test. More ► AALBC bestselling author, Brenda Jackson has written over 100 novels (59 are on AALBC), and is one of the America’s most successful romance novelists. The Fund by Kevin P. Chavous In this stunning, action-packed follow up to The Plan, someone is killing the homeless in America’s largest cities. Whoever it is has the technology and access to stay one step ahead of the police. Do the killings relate to a proposed urban renewal fund being debated in Congress, designed, in part, to help the homeless? Or could this be a new copycat Plan? Or something else? Frustrated and stymied, the FBI asks Jackson Lowery and his team to find out who is behind the killings, leading them on a high stakes, nail-biting game of cat and mouse with a psychotic killer fueled by torture and murder. Read the first chapter. Notes on “Quotes” – from An American Marriage “That’s your fate as a black man. Carried by six or judged by twelve.” Tayari Jones: –Years ago, when I was riding a bus in Atlanta, I sat next to a little boy was about eleven years old. He was scribbling “6 or 12” on the cover of his notebook. Curiosity got the best of me and I asked him to explain. It was a heartbreaking moment. I have often wondered what became of him. Who put this idea in his head so that he already felt his fate was sealed. I pray that life has shown him something different, but you never know.” More ► Book Events Video – Rainbow Book Club VI Discussion of Barracoon AALBC’s Troy Johnson Joined the Rainbow Book Club VI’s meeting, in St. Thomas USVI, on June 1, 2019, to discuss the book Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston and Deborah G. Plant. It was a very interesting conversation, as members hail from Amsterdam, London, St. Thomas, South Carolina, and Jamaica. Learn more about the club and watch video excerpts from the discussion ►. Photos from the Black Pack Party 2019 The 2019 celebration was sponsored by Kwame Alexander and Versify Books. The Black Pack Party, organized by AALBC, Linda Duggins, and One Book One Bronx, is an annual gathering of publishing industry professionals. It is held during Book Expo America. See all the photos from this year’s celebration. Save the Date: The 2020 Black Pack Party will be held May 27, 2020 at the Frying Pan on the Hudson River in New York City. Book Giveaway – After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom Win a Free Copy of, After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom by Alice Marie Johnson Three books will be mailed to three lucky entrants. To enter, simply click the “Click to Enter Contest” button below and you’ll be entered automatically. Three entries will be randomly selected on Monday, June 24th. You’ll be notified, via email, if your entry is one of the winners. Books will only be mailed to addresses in the continental United States. This contest is limited to AALBC eNewsletter subscribers. Winners agree to have their name (first initial and last name) and city mentioned on AALBC.com. Read more about After Life ► Click to Enter Contest Hello Troy, If you are near Austin Texas this Saturday, June 22nd, please visit the Austin African American Book Festival and say hello. I’ll be discussing self-publishing, marketing, and distribution. Please don’t forget; Independent book websites, like AALBC, thrive with your patronage and support. When you discover something of value on AALBC be sure to share the information with others. If you value what we do, purchase your subscription to this newsletter. If you have already paid for an annual subscription, thank you on behalf of AALBC and the writers whose work you are helping to support. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This email is sponsored by Amistad Our newsletter may be read on your Kindle ebook reader or via RSS. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated mailing. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – June 18, 2019 - Issue #272

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am offers an artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the legendary storyteller and Nobel prize-winner. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to ‘70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature. Inspired to write because no one took a “little black girl” seriously, Morrison reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Woven together with a rich collection of art, history, literature and personality, director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ film includes discussions about Morrison’s many critically acclaimed works, including novels The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Song of Solomon, her role as an editor of iconic African-American literature and her time teaching at Princeton University. In addition to Ms. Morrison, the film features interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez, and Oprah Winfrey, who turned Morrison’s novel Beloved into a feature film. Using Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ elegant portrait-style interviews, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am includes original music by Kathryn Bostic, a specially created opening sequence by artist Mickalene Thomas, and evocative works by other contemporary African-American artists including Kara Walker, Rashid Johnson and Kerry James Marshall. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Will be in Theaters Starting June 21st Get Tickets Watch the Trailer This email is sponsored by Magnolia Pictures Our newsletter may be read on your Kindle ebook reader or via RSS. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated mailing.

It is called hacking a post 😉 It would be better in a separate thread and would be more easily discoverable by others interested in the subject. Thanks for posting something related to the post. 🙂 yeah Facebook is heavy handed unless you pay them, then they will pretty much let you say anything to other people…

these statements are factually inaccurate. @Pioneer1 do you now see the trouble we get ourselves into with this artificial notion of race? When your understanding of the science is flawed you will arrive at flawed and even alarming conclusions. It was fascinating to read the back and forth between Pioneer and Rev. because one would think they’d be on the same page being believers in the notion of race, but since the foundation of what they believe is flawed they can’t agree.

Thanks Fania, I was not aware of Major's latest novel and have added it to our upcoming book's page.

Join us on Wednesday, October 13th for Edelweiss Presents: Mystery, Murder & Mayhem. This free virtual event will be held on Wednesday, October 13th (11:00 am ET – 5:00 pm ET) and will feature author conversations, plus an interactive and immersive mystery/thriller experience for all participants. Walter Mosley, Richard Osman, Kellye Garrett, S.A. Cosby, Shari Lapena, Yasmine Angone, Naomi Hirahara and others will be your guides as they talk all things mystery-thriller! Click here to become a member and access sessions on October 13th.

Exactly!!! Black folks strive for white validation because that is how money is made. We refuse to create the platforms to self validate and generate our own wealth because the white man's ice is always colder... When you live in a culture that relentlessly denigrates and marginalizes Black people, while constantly elevating white people and their institutions, it is completely understandable why Black people reject themselves -- we've been brain washed. Even White folks will value our institutions if we value them -- why should they otherwise?

@Mel Hopkins let me look into a "Yep" button. ROTFLMBAO! Basically. The question is unanswerable. But, I believe Bernie Saunders could have made a real difference. Given how easily he was cast aside by the Democratic party in favor of a Biden/Harris ticket -- who no one was excited about -- I can only assume this was because Bernie was going work for the people as opposed to the plantocracy the way Obama did. Today, perhaps for the life of the Union, it is virtually guaranteed that anyone with the wherewithal to get into the office of the presidency does not truly represent the people -- especially the Black ones. The interests of the wealthy are ALWAYS taken care of, that is why wealth inequality -- even between white people -- continues to grow.

In West Mills, is a new novel by De’Shawn Charles Winslow. Readers who enjoyed The Twelve Tribes of Hattie and The Turner House, will also enjoy this intimately told story about a woman living by her own rules and the rural community that struggles to understand her. Recommended Reads The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave – Breeding Industry by Ned and Constance Sublette Authors Ned and Constance Sublette tell the brutal story of how the slavery industry made the reproductive labor of the people it referred to as "breeding women" essential to the young country’s expansion. Captive African Americans in the slave nation were not only laborers, but merchandise and collateral all at once. In a land without silver, gold, or trustworthy paper money, their children and their children’s children into perpetuity were used as human savings accounts that functioned as the basis of money and credit in a market premised on the continual expansion of slavery. Slaveowners collected interest in the form of newborns, who had a cash value at birth and whose mothers had no legal right to say no to forced mating. More ► After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedomby Alice Marie Johnson For years, Alice lived a normal life without a criminal record—she was a manager at FedEx, a wife, and a mother. But after an emotionally and financially tumultuous period in her life left her with few options, she turned to crime as a way to pay off her mounting debts. Convicted in 1996 for her nonviolent involvement in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization, Alice received a life sentence under the mandatory sentencing laws of the time. Locked behind bars, Alice looked to God. Eventually becoming an ordained minister, she relied on her faith to sustain hope over more than two decades—until 2018, when the president commuted her sentence at the behest of Kim Kardashian West, who had taken up Alice’s cause. More ► Authors You Should Know bell hooks bell hooks is a cultural critic, feminist theorist, and writer. the 2 time AALBC.com Bestselling Author is celebrated as one of our nation’s leading public intellectuals by The Atlantic Monthly. She was also voted the #33 Favorite Author of the 20th Century by AALBC visitors. She is a charismatic speaker who addresses topics such as uplifting women, equality for all, and bridging the gap — especially for the ones in the lower end of the economic sphere. She continues to reside in New York City and speaks actively against racism and sexism in America. More ► James Mercer Langston Hughes Langston Hughes, “Poet Laureate of Harlem,” essayist, novelist, playwright, journalist and lyricist was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. Descendant of enslaved African American great-grandmothers and white great-grandfathers who were slave owners and traders. Hughes would become one of the best known and most versatile writers of the artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes is a 9 time AALBC.com Bestselling Author and was also voted the #9 Favorite Author of the 20th Century by AALBC visitors. More ► Recently Reviewed Books for Younger Readers The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson If you have been searching for a book that will fill a child with the greatest sense of self-worth just for being who they are, then look no further. Talented author, Kwame Alexander has placed the representation bar higher than the stratosphere in his book, The Undefeated. His poetic writing style fuses seamlessly with the bold illustrations of Kadir Nelson. Written as a tribute to his second daughter and the nation’s first African American President, Barack Obama, Alexander wants to inspire all people of color to “keep rising”. Together, these artists have perfectly captured the essence of Black pride. More ► Jake the Fake Goes for Laughs by Craig Robinson and Adam Mansbach, Illustrated by Keith Knight In general, kids enjoy a little something funny and wacky in the books they read to keep them interested until the very end. There is no way to escape from an attack of the giggles in this humorous book, Jake the Fake Goes For Laughs, which is co-authored by musician, comedian and actor Craig Robinson and New York Times best seller Adam Mansbach. This is the second book in the comical series and yet there is no lack of gags to bring on the laughs from young readers. The illustrator, Keith Knight, has managed to make the story even funnier with his zany drawings that only serve to upgrade the entertainment value of this book by tenfold. More ► Upcoming Events The Austin African-American Book Festival – Saturday June 22 Under the theme Making Good on the Promise of Economic Freedom, the festival will highlight Black economic opportunity from the late 19th Century to those present-day millionaires who include celebrities, entrepreneurs and regular hard-working people. Presenters will include Dr. Juliet E.K. Walker, Dr. Dennis Kimbro, A’lelia Bundles, and others. AALBC’s Founder, Troy Johnson has also been invited to discuss self-publishing, marketing, and distribution. Learn ► Prolific AALBC Contributor, Kam Williams, Passes AALBC Mourns the Passing of Kam Williams, May 30, 2019 “AALBC has published almost 900 of Kam’s articles and reviews, over the past two decades, including his popular ‘Blacktrospective,’ Kam’s annual assessment of the best in Black cinema. Kam had a keen insight into the workings of hollywood and was one of the best predictors of who would win the Academy Award — once getting every category right! Kam was a conscious Brother, perhaps the most supportive individual of independent, Black-owned, platforms (newspapers, magazines, websites) than anyone I knew. He would not hesitate to try new things on the web and worked to development alliances between the many platforms he wrote for. He was even willing to work with me on his fee to help keep AALBC growing. It was also not unusual for him to give me a free article, because he wanted to help a writer or someone doing good in our community. I doubt many of these individuals were aware of the impact Kam’s coverage had on increasing their visibility. The AALBC family of readers was blessed by his presence. He will be missed.” —Troy Johnson, AALBC.com Founder (More ►) Hello Troy, If you are in the vicinity of Austin, TX. Independent book websites, like AALBC, can only thrive with your patronage and support. When you discover something of value on AALBC please be sure to share the information with others. If you value what we do, please purchase your subscription to this newsletter. If you have already paid for an annual subscription, thank you on behalf of AALBC and the writers whose work you are helping to support. Peace and Love, Troy Johnson Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com This email is sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing Our newsletter may be read on your Kindle ebook reader or via RSS. Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated mailing. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – June 4, 2019 - Issue #271

Written more than 15 years ago, “Can Black People Go 5 Minutes Without Music?” remains one of my most popular Blog posts. It is also one of my most popular conversations on AALBC that is not on this discussion forum: https://aalbc.com/blog/index.php/2006/07/09/can-black-people-go-5-minutes-without-music/#disqus_thread it got 31 comments in the past year. Which is more than I got when I first made the blog post. All of the traffic came from search and I'm not sure what is responsible for the increase. Are Black people increasingly blasting music? Id does seems like some of the respondents are racist, but what would you expects with the subject line I chose... I know here in Tulsa it is not uncommon for white folks to be blasting music from cars, in the park, on their bikes, or just walking down a trail. Usually it is a guy. Women rarely do this: I wonder why? I think the availability of these big-ass blue tooth speakers is part of the reason. Fortunately I'm not in a situation where I'm constantly being assaulted by someone blasting music.

From funny and fearless entertainment journalist Sesali Bowen, Bad Fat Black Girl combines rule-breaking feminist theory, witty and insightful personal memoir, and cutting cultural analysis for an unforgettable, genre-defining debut. Weaving together searing personal essay and cultural commentary, Bad Fat Black Girl interrogates sexism, fatphobia, and capitalism all within the context of race and hip-hop offering a new, inclusive feminism for the modern world. Buy Now ▶ Books by 2021 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, each year, identifies talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. Awardees receive a no-strings-attached grant of $625,000, paid out over five years. Algorithms Of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble Algorithms Of Oppression is a revealing look at how negative biases against women of color are embedded in search engine results and algorithms. I noticed this problem more than a decade ago, when I observed Google’s search results highlighted the most negative aspects of Black women authors — so much one had to dig hard to discover their positive accomplishments. Recently, Facebook rejected the inclusion of Algorithms Of Oppression on my Facebook store. This bias is simply baked into the way the handful of companies, who control the World Wide Web, operate. Learn More ▶ Sing, Aretha, Sing!: Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Civil Rights Movement by Hanif Abdurraqib A young Aretha Franklin captivates her community with the song “Respect” during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in this striking picture book biography that will embolden today’s young readers to sing their own truth. With Hanif Abdurraqib’s poetic voice and Ashley Evans’s dynamic illustrations, Sing, Aretha, Sing! demonstrates how one brave voice can give new power to a nation, and how the legacy of Aretha Franklin lives on in a world still fighting for freedom (Preorder: Ships Dec 28, 2021). Felon: Poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts The AALBC bestselling book, Felon tells the story of the effects of incarceration in fierce, dazzling poems — canvassing a wide range of emotions and experiences through homelessness, underemployment, love, drug abuse, domestic violence, fatherhood, and grace — and, in doing so, creates a travelogue for an imagined life. Reginald Dwayne Betts confronts the funk of postincarceration existence and examines prison not as a static space, but as a force that enacts pressure throughout a person's life. Drawing inspiration from lawsuits filed on behalf of the incarcerated, the redaction poems focus on the ways we exploit and erase the poor and imprisoned from public consciousness. Traditionally, redaction erases what is top secret; in Felon, Betts redacts what is superfluous, bringing into focus the profound failures of the criminal justice system and the inadequacy of the labels it generates. Challenging the complexities of language, Betts animates what it means to be a felon. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi Kendi is also the author of the bestselling book on AALBC.com for 2020, How to Be an Antiracist. But it his earlier work, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, is his most critically acclaimed. AALBC captured video of Kendi, in 2016, when he won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 2016. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. Stamped from the Beginning uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to offer a window into the contentious debates between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists. Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Race for Profit uncovers how exploitative real estate practices continued well after housing discrimination was banned. The same racist structures and individuals remained intact after redlining’s end, and close relationships between regulators and the industry created incentives to ignore improprieties. Meanwhile, new policies meant to encourage low-income homeownership created new methods to exploit Black homeowners. The federal government guaranteed urban mortgages in an attempt to overcome resistance to lending to Black buyers — as if unprofitability, rather than racism, was the cause of housing segregation. Bankers, investors, and real estate agents took advantage of the perverse incentives, targeting the Black women most likely to fail to keep up their home payments and slip into foreclosure, multiplying their profits. As a result, by the end of the 1970s, the nation’s first programs to encourage Black homeownership ended with tens of thousands of foreclosures in Black communities across the country. AALBC Gift Certificates An AALBC gift certificate is a great way to share the joy of reading. Gift certificates can also be applied to all of AALBC’s services including advertising — a perfect gift for the author in your life. Literary Activist Lynda Johnson Passes Lynda Johnson was a renaissance woman. She was a professor, fashion stylist, and magazine journalist. She was also the President and Co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club a national literary sisterhood, boasting more than 48 chapters, 500 members, across 16 states, supporting authors, in multiple genres, from the African diaspora. Lynda was an ardent supporter of AALBC. She helped make what I do possible. She encouraged and celebrated my efforts. I will always love her for that. Her loss will be profoundly felt across the Black book world. May she rest in peace. 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 This message is sponsored by sponsored by Amistad Books Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email. ★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – October 5, 2021 - Issue #336 © 2021 AALBC.com, LLC | Tampa, FL ★ Tulsa, OK ★ Harlem, NY

Algorithms Of Oppression speaks to the exact problem Facebook is demonstrating by rejecting my ability to sell the book on their website. The book's author, Safiya Umoja Noble, provides "a revealing look at how negative biases against women of color are embedded in search engine results and algorithms." Algorithms Of Oppression came out in 2018 but I noticed this problem more than decade ago, as Google's search results displayed a clear bias toward the most negative aspects of Black women authors in their search results. Read how Google search results focused upon Terry McMillan's scandals over the successes. See how Google's search results elevated the most negative aspects of the author Zane. It was not just Google, it was Wikipedia and Facebook as well. Below is a screen shot of an email I got from Facebook after adding the book to my store (an automated process). Facebook rejected the book saying. "...it doesn't comply with our Policies." I guess the capital "P" is for emphasis... Of course a policy that would reject this book is absurd. Facebook does give me the option to request a review of the case, but I sell so few books on Facebook it is not worth the effort. When I first started writing about this problem no one seemed to care, so I was really pleased to discover Noble's book on the subject. I was also very surprised I had not heard about the book previously, given the fact that I troll the internet, on a daily basis, for books and I have a keen interest in and knowledge of the subject. The failure to discover this book before now is not simply the publisher fault but a bias in with the hand full of companies who control the discoverability of things on the World Wide Web -- including this site A friend, who knows my position on this subject, texted me information about the book, which she discovered because Safiya Umoja Noble was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" Grant recently.

@Cynique it should not matter which device you are using to access the forums, as long as you credentials are valid. There should be a way for you to reset your password, if necessary. Of course no one is allowed to use your screen name, as a quest, to post -- not even you.

That response was not what I expected. You wrote, “Mandingo warrior types, 6 feet, 250+ lbs, and dark.“ At 5’4”, Most men are bigger that you. Your type would seemingly exclude the youthful Denzel Washington and Marvin Gaye. But as Cinque’s wrote, people have the types they like, and it all good to me, But I think I’m more along the line of Del’s response, “Woman.” Let’s start there then go to on to personality… Cause it don’t matter how fine a sister of she if is kray-kray.

So, heres the thing, the Internet can’t really go down, if the entire Internet “went down,” we’d have much more serious things to worry about. Sadly, the reporting equates Mark’s massive sites with the actual internet. Sadder still, for many people Facebook, and a handful of other sites IS the Internet. I was completely unaware of Facebook’s outrage until I read it here. I would have thought a multi-hour outage of these fault tolerant, highly secure, globally distributed website would be immune to such a thing. We do not have the entire story sports fans, and given the state of journalism today we may never learn it. All we’ll get are conspiracy theories and Facebook’s own propaganda.

Why do you think that is? Old school Farrakhan. I wonder if he would be so harsh today? I think he got it wrong though. Women appreciated Prince’s music more than his looks. In fact, it did not matter what Prince looked like.

@nels as @Mzuri wrote there is no group think and filter bubbles here. The opinions are as varied as the number of participants. If you want your world view consistently supported go to Facebook. If you can tolerate differing opinions stick around. Sometimes someone will write something and give me reason to rethink and even change an previously held opinion. It is also cool when i can get a good laugh. yeah, but it is not so much the moderation that gets me. Is the algorithms that determine what you see which is the real problem. Purportedly they are used to serve you the contact you are most likely to appreciate, but the reality is they are designed to show you the content that is optimized to deliver the most advertisements. Any benefit or enjoyment we derive is purely incidental. Imagine if @Cynique never saw @Pioneer1’s posts and @Delano only saw @Mel Hopkins and cyniques’s posts, and no one ever saw mine, and we all saw everything Trump and his detractors posted. That is not ideal, but that is social media today.

I believe this to be true; our best and brightest typically play from the white American playbook, winner take all mentality — do what ever it takes to make money — enslave Africans, work children in sweatshops, go abroad and steal wealth and natural resources, etc. If they can’t emulate white business practices in their own businesses then they strive to work for white businesses. I’m working on a variety of projects involved in what I call, the “Black Wall Street” state of mind, in the spirit, of the Black community that was created in Tulsa Oklahoma before white folks destroyed it — twice. It is not a novel concept, but hopefully on more will embrace moving forward.

@Delano, it is called modesty, a characteristic that has been completely devalued in our current culture. I’m actually surprised you saw it that way; you have been around long enough. Cynique’s explanation stand on it is own so I won’t try to elaborate. There was this poster that named @Sara that called @Cynique a “nigger bitch.” It was the first time I pulled a post AND cautioned a poster. Cynique argued in Sara’s favor, but I pulled the post anyway. I probably would have let nigger or bitch, used separately slide, but both in the context Sara used them was simply beyond the pale and for no good reason. Sara, deleted all of her posts and never came back. Aside from spammers there only other person’s posts I deleted on occasion and that was Kola Boof. I did not caution Kola because I knew it would be a waste of time 🙂 I did give her her own forum, as she gave @Thumper fits. He wanted her gone, but I would not boot her. Now both of them are long gone… Both Kola and Thumper were great contributors to the forums, but for very different reasons, but they were like water and oil. As @Pioneer1 says…

That is deep if it is indeed related.

Don't ask me how this book escaped my discovery (Google's fault I guess). Algorithms Of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble ADD TO CART

s Angeles, CA ) Melvin Van Peebles “The Godfather of Black Cinema” documentary film Sweet Black continues with production in ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Melvin Van Peebles “God Father of Black Cinema” Documentary Sweet Black Production Continues In The wake of His Death (Los Angeles, CA ) Melvin Van Peebles “The Godfather of Black Cinema” documentary film Sweet Black continues with production in light of the famed filmmaker’s unexpected death. The iconic filmmaker was 89. The legendary director who brought us films that illuminated the black experience, including Sweet Sweetback’s Badaass Song, considered to be the movie that pioneered the blaxploitation sub-genre, passed away September 21 at his New York City home surrounded by his family. His son, acclaimed director/actor Mario Van Peebles made the announcement of his father’s death the next day via Instagram. Los Angeles based Tanya and Philip Hart of Flying Free Films are co-producers of the documentary Sweet Black along with Sylvie Gautier of Pop Films located in Paris, France. Sweet Black is a feature documentary about the director, writer, actor and playwright Melvin Van Peebles, and it celebrates the 50th Anniversary of his industry game-changing film Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song which debuted in 1971. Catherine Bernstein and Martine Delumeau are the writers and directors. Jerome Colin is director of photography for the film. Phil and Tanya Hart were in the middle of producing Sweet Black when they received word of Melvin Van Peebles’ passing. They had completed an interview with famed director Reggie Hudlin and were preparing to interview with actor/director Bill Duke. Phil Hart recounts, “I was in the midst of being interviewed by our crew from Paris about my experience of attending the March 31, 1971, premiere of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadaaasss Song at the Grand Circus movie theater in Detroit. At the time I was a graduate student and activist at Michigan State University. On September 16 our crew was at Melvin’s apartment in Manhattan where we interviewed his sons Mario and Max and his grandchildren Mandela and Marguerite. Each read an excerpt from Melvin’s diary. Phil and Tanya Hart are both excited and saddened as they enter post-production on Sweet Black, “We are so pleased to be on the team that is telling the story of The Godfather of Black Cinema” Melvin Van Peebles with permission from and participation by the Van Peebles family. Rest In Peace and Power Melvin Van Peebles.” Sweet Black will air in March 2022 on ARTE TV in France, Germany and the EU. Soon thereafter it will air in the US. For more information or interviews contact: Media Contact, Edna Sims, Owner ESP Public Relations (310) 770-8117 E-mail: esppr@icloud.com About Tanya and Philip Hart The Harts are both included in The HistoryMakers Digital Archives and are co-producers of Sweet Black, a documentary film about Melvin Van Peebles and the making of Sweet Sweetback’s Badaasss Song to air on ARTE TV in March 2022 in France, Germany and the EU and soon thereafter in the US. Tanya Hart has a long relationship with both PBS and BET which began during her years on the air in the Boston television market. Tanya Hart has won four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and other recognition for her television, radio, and film content over the years. Philip Hart has been recognized with a Notable Non-Fiction Children's Trade Book Award, and other awards for his films, books, and urban development projects Together the Harts have numerous types of content available via distributors and online such as Ray Charles: The Music Lives On and Tanya Hart Sings both on Spotify and other streaming services. Whether through films, books, music or documentaries the Harts continue to spotlight African American achievements. The Harts are recipients of the Diversity in Media Award from The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors and the 2019 Bessie Coleman Aerospace Legacy Award. Social Media – Phil and Tanya Hart Twitter and Instagram @TanyaHollywood Facebook Tanya Hart Media Contact: Edna Sims, Owner ESP Public Relations (310) 770-8117 E-mail: esppr@icloud.com  

I think the current theory was that a catastrophic meteor event wiped out the dinosaurs, but still this may be part of the "grand design," God's way of rebooting the planet.

I could make the same pronouncement but no one in the media would pay attention to me. The media gives them a platform. I doubt any man want the masses to know another man is banging his wife, which may be why Will seems salty @Delano. I’m any event I have no idea as i don’t consume the information. Social media keeps thrusting photos of the “son,” who seems to be an effeminate cross dresser, but i never click the images.