Troy

January 2020 marked the 10th year of this version of the AALBC discussion forums. in January 2010 I had to make two substantial changes to the discussion forums; I had to implement different software. The software I was previously using (Discus) made it impossible for me to deal with the spam posts the site was getting. Spammers could programmatically hit the site with 100 posts and I'd have to find each one manually, and delete them one by one. This software (Invision Community) is infinitely better dealing with spam. Invision is also fee based while Discus was free. I had to migrate from ThumersCorner.com to AALBC.com/tc. Google banned the entire thumerscorner.com domain from serving ads. There were posts on the forum that Google said were offensive. Google refused to provide me with a complete list of the offensive pages, which made it impossible for me to deal with issue. As a result, Google simply banned the entire domain for serving ads. At that point Goolge was effectively a monopoly and I lost all advertising revenue of the domain. Both changes led to a big drop in the number of participants. The most prominent hold over from the old domain was @Cynique indeed besides myself she was the longest tenured participant, permanently leaving in 2019. Of course 2010 witnessed the rise of social media and I'm sure that had an impact as well. As of 2020 the forum participation was never as high as it was during the peak pre-2010. We have more registered users but less participants. I have not figured out why so many people create accounts but never post. Back in 2002 I implemented Discus' software to address performance issues I had with the original discussion forum software I used which was provided by Microsoft. Over the years, I used a variety of Microsoft application and software to run this site and they ALL have failed me at some point. This most substantial problem has been Microsoft's unwillingness to upgrade their software. Microsoft's FrontPage was the worst -- that software killed many sites. Today I use Microsoft's Bing to power the AALBC search engine, so far so good but we will see how it does over the long haul -- it has been less than two years. During the Discus Software Era (2002 to 2010), far and away the most prolific poster was a Brother named @Thumper. His name was synonymous with these forums. in fact the URL of the forums today aalbc.com/tc is in honor of the old Thumpers Corner. During this period Thumper wrote hundreds of book reviews. readers loved reading his reviews. Authors loved them too, but sometimes they hated them, because Thumper never pulled punches he would trash a review as easily as he would praise one. There are authors will not speak to me to this day because of a review Thumper wrote -- one is (was) very famous. Don;t ask me what happened to Thumer I do not know. The forums were around at least as early as 1999. Unfortunately, I was unable to archive any conversations prior to 2002. Ths software was simply unuseable (thanks again Microsoft) and those conversations are lost forever. Of course there have been many other great contributors to this forum, over the years, and those posters are the people who have kept these forums alive. If people did not participate the forums would be completely worthless. Thanks to all of you! Facebook's sites completely dominate online discussion today, and as a result there are a faction of Black owned and operated platforms than there were 15 years ago. This is one the many great loses the WWW has suffered over the past two decades. Of course many young people will argue how great Instagram is, but they are unaware of a world before social media and have no clue what was lost and what could have been.

Maybe you were thinking about "Jill Scott" @Chevdove 🙂 I was speaking to a room. Full of people during Black history month about Carter G. Woodson when it dawned on me, by the reactions, that no one had heard of him. I asked the class of grad students in Library science, and one lone sista two of the only Black people (women) in the room had ever heard of him. It is interesting the people I assume others must know but don't. As I get older the general population knows little about the stuff I know and care about. Maybe this is why so little of pop culture interests me...

What's up man? The pandemic has different reacts depending upon where you live. NYC is shutting down. The college I teach has cancelled all instruction for a full week and will then resume all classes online. They have shut down Broadway theaters, museums, at events too numerous to count. Stores have no hand sanitizers, cleaning products, toilet tissue, water, etc. many people are wearing masks. My boy told me about a guy that sneezed without covering his mouth. He got cursed out and almost caught a beatdown. In Florida, some events have been cancelled but walking around in stores it is just a regular day unlike NYC where civil society is beginning to break down.

Sometimes I think I should ban links to Amazon. Sean do you have a website?

@Chevdove you were probably to young to remember tbe concert Wattstax. They made a documentary film in the 70s with same name. I saw the film in the theater and I recall wnjoying it a great deal. I own the DVD -- check it out

I really need a team of people to run this site. That is the next boundary the site must deal with. As smart, hardworking, and mission driven as I am, there is only so much I can do by myself. At any rate, I hope to have the rest of the site restored this evening 🙂

Again, no. Del, we are all ignorant in some area. I know more about web development than you do, but that does not mean I'm more intelligent than you.

Del you asked the following statement: The short answer is yes and, based upon your answer to my question, you agree. I measure intelligence by how quickly one assimmilates new information, but more importantly how they apply what they know to create something novel or generate new ideas.

Are you equating ignorance with a lack of intelligence? My sentence was a question. You usually focus on trying to devine intent rather than simply answering the question posed to you.

I consider how the information one has to determine ones intelligence. Do you believe every Ph.D is "smarter" than you

Three years, for shit white boys do every day of the week! They get golden parachutes, bailed out, and even elected to the white house. They are going to put this woman in prison and take all of her stuff! I'm not saying people who take advantage of the public trust should not get punished but why do we always crucify Black people and elevate white men? The over policing and hyper-incineration effects Black people at all levels.

@Walkman93, sounds like the guy was more knowledgeable than you about a money management, but does that mean he is smarter than you? If you manage to become the Nick Fury, I suspect you be the smartest of the bunch.

Just finished Where the Crawdad's Sing. Picked it up in the 50% off bin at an airport bookstore. It was a decent story, perfect formula for a movie; story about love with a white female lead who over comes adversity dealt by several abusive white men, strong peripheral Black characters, beautiful setting. Good ending. The cover is not right given the story.

This has been true most of the time we have been on these shores. I thought in the age of the World Wide Web that this would change. However as the control of the web increasingly falls under the control of Facebook, Google, and Amazon we have actually reversed many of the gains we have made both on the web and off We don't even have the platforms to make truth plain to the masses. This is indeed horrible. It will get worse before it gets better.

My understanding is that the copies currently for sale, as new, on Amazon are bootlegged versions. This was told to me by a prominent figure in publishing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 08, 2020 MEDIA CONTACTS: April R. Silver and Lea Byrd for the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY pr@akilaworksongs.com | lea@akilaworksongs.com (718) 756-8501 (office) | (917) 319-5449 (mobile) THE 15th NATIONAL BLACK WRITERS (VIRTUAL) CONFERENCE TO EXPLORE INTERSECTIONS OF BLACK THEATER, FILM AND CULTURE Dominique Morisseau, Woodie King Jr., Carl Clay, Voza Rivers, Stanley Nelson, Richard Wesley, Talib Kweli, jessica CARE moore, and others Brooklyn, New York --- The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York (CBL) and presenting partner AKILA WORKSONGS announced that the 15th National Black Writers Conference (NBWC2020) will be held virtually, from Wednesday, November 11 to Saturday, November 14, 2020. The Conference was rescheduled from its annually-held Spring dates because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ever so timely, this year’s theme, Activism, Identity, and Race: Playwrights and Screenwriters at the Crossroads, is a new focus for the Conference that boldly affirms and celebrates the ways that Black playwrights and screenwriters expand society’s understanding of Black life and the human experience. CBL will also honor luminaries Carl Clay, Dominique Morisseau, Stanley Nelson, Voza Rivers, and Richard Wesley during its virtual NBWC Awards and Tribute Program on Saturday, November 14, 2020. Other Conference highlights include roundtable conversations, panel discussions, a town hall, film screenings, author readings, writing and playwrighting talkshops, a local vendor marketplace and much more. The four-day virtual gathering will bring together students, writers, artists, activists, scholars, literary professionals, theater and film giants and other literature enthusiasts from near and far. The aim is to explore the challenges, rewards and impact of working within the Black film and theater industries. Discussions will examine the ways that race, identity, politics and popular culture shape the production of plays, films and television shows. Over the years, NBWC has attracted national and international audiences from states such as California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia; and from file:///C:/Users/troy/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpgcountries in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. Its roundtables, panels and town halls are known for their informative and high-spirited content. NBWC2020 BACKGROUND AND THEME Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the writing and works by Black playwrights, screenwriters and scriptwriters. These writers, so often at a crossroads, are focused on breaking new ground; creating bold new work in theater, film, and television; and expanding the narrative of the Black experience in America and throughout the African Diaspora. Professor of English and NBWC Director Dr. Brenda M. Greene offers this insight: “Black screenwriters and playwrights are changing the ‘master narratives’ in Black theater and film. In a culture that is driven and shaped by race, class, politics and the media, they are the documentarians, creative writers and artists who are providing a Black gaze and a critical lens from which to view the lives of Black people. They are debunking stereotypes, uncovering assumptions and making visible what has been invisible and silenced. They are raising the consciousness of our nation by using their pens as instruments to critique the social and political climate in our nation. This Conference will provide a way to create community conversations that will engage Black playwrights, screenwriters, literary professionals and the public in discussions on new directions and the evolving narratives in Black film and theater.” The idea to focus on Black screenwriters and playwrights was that of April R. Silver, head of the presenting partner entity AKILA WORKSONGS. She explains: “Truthfully, the Black Panther film prompted all of this. After experiencing the phenomenal impact that it had on the hearts and minds of people all over the world, I felt compelled to talk with Dr. Greene. I had envisioned CBL helping to unpack what we were experiencing from the film: a reminder of what it feels like to be free. Enslavement and oppressive realities have been put upon us for hundreds of years, but at our core we are free human beings. Our artists, those with unchained spirits, know this. Those artists who write the plays, novels, poems and scripts remind us to reclaim our birthright to be free human beings, no matter what. And to be clear, the community would not have the opportunity to highlight these playwrights and screenwriters if it was not for Dr. Greene’s understanding and appreciation of our need to write the plays and films that communicate these truths.” Each day will feature a variety of film screenings, panel discussions, author readings, workshops and more. More details, including time, location, updated participants and participant biographies, are located online at www.centerforblackliterature.org. NBWC2020 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS § African American Literature Book Club (AALBC.com) § African Voices/Reel Sisters § Amazon Literary Partnership § BK Reader § Brooklyn Literary Council § Brooklyn Public Library § Cave Canem Foundation § Community Council for Medgar Evers College § ConEdison § CUNY Office of Collaborative Programs § GR Taylor Media, Inc. § ImageNation Sōl Cinema Café § Institute for Research on the African Diaspora in the Americas & the Caribbean § Just Us Books Inc. § Medgar Evers College English Department § Medgar Evers College School of Professional and Community Development § New York City Council Brooklyn Delegation § New-York Historical Society § Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams § Office of City Council Member Inez Barron, 42nd District § Office of City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, 35th District § Personalized Skincare by Marcia § Poets & Writers § RestorationART at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp. § Samuel French, A Concord Theatrical Company § Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture § Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center AKILA WORKSONGS is the presenting partner for the 15th National Black Writers Conference. THE MISSION OF THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE The mission of the Center for Black Literature is to expand, broaden and enrich the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of Black literature. Through a series of programs that build an audience for the reading, discussion and critical analysis of contemporary Black literature and that serve as a forum for the research and study of Black literature, the Center convenes and supports various literary programs and events such as author readings and book signings, writing workshops, panel discussions, conferences and symposia. It is the only center devoted to this in the country. CONTACT US For additional information and registration details, contact CBL at (718) 804-8883 or via email: writers@mec.cuny.edu. Request for interviews are directed to April R. Silver or Lea Byrd at pr@akilaworksongs.com, or (718) 756-8501 (office), or @akilaworksongs (Twitter). # # #

Here is the simple version Sonia: over the years I've described how Amazon has exerted increasing control over Black books. In fact, I helped facilitate this by providing buy links to Amazon's site for years. In recent years, I've noticed Black indie authors increasingly giving Amazon the exclusive right to sell their books. This means as a bookseller I cannot sell these author's books unless I send them to Amazon, (something I refuse to do today). This has not been a big loss as these are always indie authors whose books are not typically in high demand. Now The Isis Papers is a 15-time AALBC Bestselling book. I can't tell you how many copies I've sold through Amazon. Now that I sell books directly. I'm unable to buy new copies to resell. If someone knows a wholeseller or distributor who has a copies I can buy; I'm all ears. I can try to figure out who is providing copies to Amazon, but I don't have time to play detective for one book. If anything, classic titles like The Isis Papers should only be available from Black booksellers. Today we have to go to the richest white man to buy this book...

I think you are right @richardmurray.

I simply can not obtain copies of Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's book, The ISIS Papers: The Keys to the Colors. The only place I can buy it is on amazon. Yes, amazon wins again. I know I sound like a broken record, but Amazon owns the Black Book ecosystem -- end of story. We have freely given it to them. Frankly, it is nauseating. We have to wrest back control of our books.

This book was hard to get but is back in stock now The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant

The Stax Museum was alright. It was interesting to see the location, sort of like the Motown museum a much smaller house than you might imagine. Memphis probably would have been a better location -- they have a large Black population, but i guess the folks in Nashville were the ones who pulled it off.

I would check it out, but I would not travel there for the sole purpose of visiting that one museum. Sure it matters where it is located, that will determine how much it is visited, how much it was costs to maintain, etc. I visited the Stax museum in Memphis but i also visted the Lauraine Motel, hung out on Beale street, stayed at the Peabody, and ate plenty of ribs (i even visted Graceland while i was there). But I would never have gone there just to visit Stax. Thanks for the info @Maurice. I was unaware of the museum and have joined their mailing list. How did you kearn about it?

@richardmurray she means this tag at the top of the post.

Right now I only have one set of a three book series of Tonya Bolden’s Powerful Series: Buy all three books get 10% off, free shipping, no sales tax*: ONLY ONE LEFT! First is her Civil War novel, Crossing Ebenezer Creek; followed by, Inventing Victoria, set during Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow; the third novel is Saving Savannah, the story of a steely young woman desperate for her past not to define her future. I posted this deal on social media before posting it here -- I'm slipping! In fact, I should have only posted it here and on the “Book Alley” discussion forum on Lip Stick Alley.

Barbara Elaine Smith, died of complications from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, on February 22, 2020, at her home on Long Island. February 22, 2020. Smith pubbed several books, mostly notably, and this moment, Before I Forget, which details her battle against Alzheimer's. She published several books I've been to her restaurants in the NYC's Theater District, DC's Union Station, and the one in Sag Harbor,LI. She would greet you with a smile and treat you warmly, like a friend. May she R.I.P.