Troy

Thanks, Del apology accepted. Pioneer I think you have a point. I've been the victim a racist on more than one occasion recently. Another white guy came by and defused the situation, by quite cleverly giving me an out. You see I felt this white woman had mistreated me, she was crying bloody murder threatening to the call the cops and her husband, and I was like, bring them. The situation was so freaking stupid (I'm ashamed to describe it) and escalated unnecessarily, but she was what was I perceived to be a piece of poor white trash and I simply could not just walk away (poor judgment on my part). You see I was right, but I could have been "dead right" or "locked up right," in any event, it was not worth it. The problem with assuming all white people are racist Pioneer is that we cut ourselves from potentially great relationships. The guy who defused the situation could not have possibly been a racist otherwise he would have taken her side. One of the reasons I left corporate America was that I simply got tired of trying to figure out who was racist. I was tired of feeling like an outsider, someone that would never really fit in. Some of my peers fit in, married white women, lived in white communities, and did culturally white things. I just can not live that lifestyle. I'd rather struggle amongst my people than be "comfortable" in their world. But I sometimes tire of struggling... ...In a couple of weeks, I'm gonna spend some quality time with white folks and goo skiing :-)

Damn Cynique, you do know how to cut out all the superficiality and get right to the meat with ease. It makes your writing very compelling. @Cynique , do you think it was better for the culture when "There was no shacking up and having babies outside of marriage was frowned upon." I'm 55 and I remember those days--it was not that long ago. I also remember all of my childhood friends came from two parent homes. In fact, in order to get an apartment in "the projects," you had to be married. But this was before "da' PJs" became associated with urban decay and blight. The rule for marriage seen anachronistic by today's standards, and almost no one is married, thought different men do cycle through. Unlike your generation Cynique I think more people struggle financially as they get older money problem increase, crazy mortgages, student loan debt, taxes, uncovered medical expenses, pillaged pension funds, expensive divorces, etc. I hear you @Pioneer I have never seen Umar speak in person. I actually I have never been able to get through any of his videos. Can you direct me to a video that you like I'll listen to him with fresh ears. I seem to remember him being really hard on homosexuals. @Mel Hopkins, marriage is often different than friendship.you're more inclined to tell you friend how you'd like to bang the waitress who just served you, but you are less likely to tell your wife with the same enthusiasm.

@Delano, what confounds me is that you have summarily rejected my opinion and Pioneer's (which are not identical despite you lumping all those who disagree with you in the same bucket) and elevated yours above all other as if it is correct. You stated that Trump is not a racist as if it was fact. You can't possibly know that any more than I--unless of course, you are suggesting some extrasensory perception is in play here (which you have not). I give you evidence that of Trump's behavior that might suggest he is racist and rather than reflecting on it giving it a microsecond of consideration you stubbornly sought ways to reject it. It reminds me of your attempts to demonstrate to Pioneer your ability to tell the future, while he rejects your evidence as quickly as you serve it up. I think Pioneer is more justified than you are in this particular instance. But again, the fact of the matter is that neither of us can know Trump's true motivations. As far as your argument about the language in Trump's ad. If it were run after the boys were convicted I could see an argument that he was seeking justice. If this case was in the south, a few years earlier, those boys would have been lynched before there was a trial--indeed they were... @Pioneer1 , I could see the guys point it is the conservative party line. I actually wrote, in a perverse way, I would like to see what a Trump presidency would look like. I regret the sentiment.

It looks like I'll need to try to incorporate the best elements of each design. I really appreciate the feedback. You all raised issues I had not considered I just placed these seal on the bestselling fiction book for the current period, Provenance: A Novel by Donna Drew Sawyer. To get a better idea of how these seals look in use. Looking at the images this way. I'm leaning to #1 because the word "Bestseller" is legible and the logo can be made out if you are familiar with it. I don't think the logo should be more prominent than bestseller, but it is still recognizable if you are familiar with it. I liked #2's but the design, while it is unique, it looks less serious (ignore the bad crop), but that could just be my 50-year-old brain. I wonder what a millennial would think about it? Shaniqka were you born between 1980 and 200 (roughly) I liked #6 when it was large but at this size, it is completely illegible. I do like the idea of putting the year in the seal Mel. I'm beginning to wonder if having the words "Africam American Literature Book Club" on the seal is necessary. What do you y'all think about that? Maybe a variation of Number 6 where the word bestseller is more prominent, but I'm thinking the printed (peel and stick) version of number #6 would be more expensive that the others which are pure circles. I'll drop further consideration of any variation on #5. No one liked it.

I completely agree with everything written in the two posts I thought I was gonna have to go to crawling Facebook to find people who agreed with me without reservation, who did not disrupt my tender sensibilities, validated my world view No, Trump is not a Hitler or Charlie Manson magnitude racist, but he would have probably enjoyed abusing and raping any slaves were he alive 150 years ago Sure we all lie somewhere on the bigot and prejudice spectrums. These characteristics in some small degree are necessary for survival. Too much however and your world is a less happy place.

Thanks for sharing information about this book. I have to admit, I was completely unaware of such a severe flooding and destruction in Lousiana less than a year ago. I dunno but this could not have gotten much national media attention. Trump must not have tweeted about it, that seems to be all that gets there attention... It looks like an important book. I know Clarence Nero can relate to these stories. I know what he has gone through with violence and floods. Glad to see him continuing to help young people.

Time is just our way of experiencing the universe, that does not mean that is the nature of the universe, that is just how we are able to experience it. Time is relative; for electromagnetic radiation time, as we perceive it, does not exist. Pioneer what you are calling the future has already occurred in a manner of speaking. You are willing to accept, without proof, the existence of an omnipotent being, why are you so steadfast in rejecting the existence of extrasensory perceptions?

Yes, Trump absolutely uses racism as a tool and I assume must, therefore, behave in a racist manner in order to do so. Does it really matter to the victim if the victimizer is an actual racist or simply using racism as a tool? If there is a difference, I would say the person using racism as a tool is worse, because they can not claim ignorance or stupidity as an excuse for behaving in a racist manner. Mel, Del (anyone) even given the Central Park Five example I gave, do you really believe that race did not play a role in Trump's reaction? I can give more examples but if this one does not sway you in any way I'm sure there is nothing I can say will get you to consider the possibility that Trump is racist. Perhaps that is why so many Black people voted for Trump, they do not see him as a racist.

Del you are over analyzing what is a very simple question. Turn off your spidey sense and stop trying to divine what you think I mean. Let me demonstrate the principle by answering your simple question directly: I got my first sense of Trump's racism when he took a full page advertisement the NY Times calling for the death of the Central Park Five. These were children from my neighborhood, who I identifed with and saw myself is potentially being in the shoes. Trump exercised no compassion all. He did not wait for a trail. The boys were presumed guilty and he used his financial resources to call for their execution for a crime that did not involve a murder. This was a time when several Black men were being murdered several times a day in the same city. I'd grant you it is possible that Donald is not racist (as you believe), did not behave in a racist manner, and was only seeking justice for a young white woman. Again I'll willing to accept it is possible, but I think it is not very likely. But I'm not as enlightened as you are

@Mel Hopkins I guess I should have written "positive role model." I'd image most of have models but are they ones worth replicating. Still even if they were would they hold today in a world that is so very different. For example, my Mother says her father treated his wife like she was one of the other children. This, however, was not unusual behavior for the time in the south. However, my mom would never allow a man to treat her in the same manner in the midst of the women's lib era, even by a man who was raised with the same model--it would never work. I've demonstrated far more skill at maintaining a marriage than Umar, but I would never go around telling people how to do it. Obviously, all of his training has not helped him very much. How could he possibly help someone else? @Pioneer1 , maybe you are right. I don't know enough about him. Although I did also see some indications that he was ripping people off with the money he was raising for some school (I did not read the articles, as I was looking for his marriage status). I suggest that you assess Dr. Umar with the same critical lens that you use to assess Del's psychic ability

Pioneer, I gave you a personal example of my ability to know what my mom was cooking for dinner, because I sensed it in a manner that was extrasensory. For me, that is sufficient proof, but it is obviously insufficient proof for you. It would be insufficient proof for a scientist too because I doubt I could reproduce the results under controlled conditions. They would simply say that it was a coincidence or my imagination--even if it happened many times; brains are complex things. I'm sure the experiences claimed by some people are bogus--especially the charlatans who go around ripping people off. The same goes for charismatic people capable of brainwashing people to believe in comets coming for them. Of course, these bad people make it harder to the rest of us to believe in extra sensory perception. Cynqiue, I experience synchronicity as well, but I usually chalk it up to my ability to see something more easily because I've been exposed to it. Have you ever meet someone new and then you start to see them everywhere? Maybe it is like being exposed to racism and seeing it everywhere, even in photos of Viola Davis I also believe as with any human characteristic some people are "better" at ESP than others.

Wow Del you say I have a blind spot, but clearly, you are not understanding what I've written; which was clear. I've understood that you do not think Trump is racist. What I'm asking for the 3rd time is, do you think Trump, at least sometimes, behaves in a racist manner? While you do not think he is a racist, I'm trying to discern if you think any of his behavior could be confused with someone who is actually a racist. I find it interesting that you could so easily call me a sexist, but find it impossible to call Trump a racist. @Pioneer1, they simply believe; Institutionalized white male dominated racism is not part of the mix The photo is not unattractive The photo no less natural that of the other photos shown Any perception of undying racism is part our imaginations and can't possibly be real (not even a little) This whole thing is not open for debate, as they are objectively right and we are wrong We are simply less enlightened (at least on this issue) It is a religious argument man, and probably time to let it go... I'm not even sure if it is worth collecting the data on the photo. Perhaps a more fundamental question like; does the white racism adversely impact Black people today?

There is nothing about him that you probably don't already know. You probably know more about him than I do Pioneer. After looking just now I do see the stuff about him and what you call an "exotic dancer" we used to just call them whores. But at any rate, he has children by different women he is not married to. While this is not unusual behavior today, most of the folks that do this stuff don't go around presenting themselves as someone who can help others. Again, Pioneer do you think he is the right person to be talking about maintaining healthy marriages? I know he is a dynamic and popular speaker, so I understand the appeal. But I think we should be a bit more discriminating when we start throwing around accolades like "greatest Black leader," to men based on charisma.

Pioneer do you think Dr Umar should be telling people how to run the lives given his behavior? Mel, my parent's marriage lasted from 1960 until 1977 when my father died. Even if their marriage was ideal, the world is so different today than it was back then their experiences would almost be irrelevant today. The culture is a problem is more ways than I can get into in right now, but pioneer touched a many of them. Do you remember the dance we used to call "the freak?" Nevermind, I would have to tell you things about ghetto culture and how men relate to women that I don't honestly feel like talking about it... Del grew up in Hunts Point he can probably relate a little bit about what I'm talking about. The model's many Black men are exposed to do NOTHING to facilitate a long term relationship with women. But this ghetto mentality has spilled over into the larger culture. Have you listened to rap music lyrics the generation after us was exposed to? Have you considered the consumer mentality, have you considered the transition from books to screens and the information these screen relate... I don't know Mel if you don't see (or perceive) how the culture we live in adversely impact long-term relationship before they get started I'm not sure what I can tell you... Surely you understand how hyper-incarceration, shitty schools, predatory lending, etc have disproportionately destroyed Black families right?

True, but I think the biggest problem we have is the culture. The world was a very different place 50 years ago when Black marriages were far more likely to succeed. Today there are so many things that work against a successful marriage it is amazing anyone can make one last at all. Perhaps that is why a substantial majority of marriage don't make it. I think it is wrong to lay this problem down solely at the feet of the individual. There is no relationship role model because the culture changes so rapidly as soon a relationship model emerges it is obsolete. It was not that long ago when finding a mate online was impossible, then it was considered weird, now it is one of the top ways people find their mates. I prefer the old fashioned way because it is much easier to assess someone in person than it is online. I don't like algorithms used for this purpose I think humans are losing valuable skills by relying on some corporate algorithm to find a mate. Given the steady decline in the rates of marriage and increasing divorce rates, these algorithms are obviously not doing a very good job and may be making thing worse I don't have the answer. I actually don't think there is an answer in the context of our current culture. The writing has been on the wall for some time now: the days of monogamous, to-death-do-us-part days or marriage are over. The end of children being raised in a household with to opposite-sex biological parents is natural consequence Of course, there will never be a shortage of people who will profit off telling people how to achieve a successful marriage. What surprises me is that the individuals making the most money doing this, including Dr. Umar, have failed to demonstrate the ability in their own lives. I speak as someone who has been married to the same woman since 1990.

Mel I think we are talking about two different things. Of course, if something is imperceptible it is not subject to one's will. It is like saying someone has an unwillingness to see a Muon (an unstable subatomic particle). I'm talking abut people who have the ability to perceive something but chose to ignore it or create a story to explain it away. I think most of the Black men who voted for Trump did so for financial reasons mostly. What do you think? I'm sure most of the Black men who chose not to vote were bombarded by the media Hillary is crook message and chose to opt out, that and the fact you have to get up and stand in a line was enough to stop great numbers of people from voting--not just Black men. I almost opted out until Cynique, without realizing it, talked some sense into me. But I've talked to a lot of Black people who chose not to vote...

I absolutely would use my extrasensory perception for financial gain. From time to time I feel like I have extra sensory experiences. For example, when I was a kid, if I was in the lobby of my apartment building I knew what my mother was preparing for dinner --especially if it was something I liked. I could "smell" the meal. Years later I realized it was physically impossible for me to smell a meal that was being prepared in an apartment 3 stories away, but if happened so frequently it could not be chalked up to coincidence. I even experienced this in within the last few years. Now I can't do it on demand it just comes to me. I've also had the persistent thought that the Earth as we know it will not persist. Interestingly, it is not a negative feeling, more of a feeling of pending transition. It is not a situation that only I experience, like my own death, but one many people will experience or transition that many people will experience simultaneously. Again I'd know what it means or even if I could understand it, but it feels like something that will occur in my natural life time.

@Mel Hopkins, sure there can be an "unwillingness' to see racism. People are in denial about a great many things. It makes it easier to get through life--especially when the thing you choose to ignore in something you can't do anything about. Yes, I often wonder about the 6% of Black women who voted for Trump. If would be really interesting to pick their brains about their reasoning. I suspect most a just very conservative and voted the party line, some are probably so firmly entrenched in the white culture that a Trump vote just made sense, still others voted for him simply because they felt they would benefit financially. I suspect Omarosa is one of these ladies. Does anyone personally know a Black woman that voted for Trump? @Delano , based upon your reasoning everything is in one's mind, which makes a discussion or debate about anything futile doesn't it? Still your response did not answer my question, apparently, the boldfacing alone was not enough to grab your attention: Del, do you think Trump, at least sometimes, behaves in a racist manner?

Mel, I don't expect you to be "up in arms," I'm not even up in arms. Had Pioneer not posted the photos I probably would never have seen it. I have not cracked the pages of Time in more years than I can remember. I also want to remind you this is not about "beauty" for me. I never used the word, all I've done is refute beauty being part of my argument. No need to be confused, I'm not writing Time magazine, I'm not calling for a boycott of them, I'll just go back to continuing to ignore them Again I just find it fascinating that some people see racism where other do not. Even the unwillingness of some to recognize it when it is staring them in the face is remarkable to me. I would never have guessed this to be the case. I've learned a lot in the discussion. Actually, I've been reading a lot on this subject lately but I should have been more precise. Old people watch TV for news. The majority of young America consume news online and the majority of those through social media. The trend strongly favors a rapid growth of news consumption in this manner, and if Facebook continues to grow in dominance, they could be the number platform for the consumption of news for Americans. What makes Facebook's dominance so troubling is that fake news still proliferates on Facebook and their algorithm creates filter bubbles. The end result is a population which is at best less informed and at worse, misinformed... Now if you want to apply the "phrase up in arms" to me. Use it in conjunction with Facebook. I've been boycotting the platform since early March. But I also recognize virtually no one will boycott Facebook despite tons of great reasons to do so. People just don't care enough about anything to change any aspect of their behavior for more than a few minutes. Think about it, (this is probably worth a separate conversation), the planet is rapidly heading to a point where it will be inhospitable to sustain humanity; and collectively we are doing NOTHING about it. We are an interesting species... The failure of the media to recognize Trump for the racist (or at least behaves like one, courting and earning the support KKK) con man he is, in fact, the reason he in the white house. They failed to call a spade a spade but instead treated him as if he was a legitimate candidate, covering him extensively--just to make more money. The failure to recognize racism is dangerous to us as Black people and virtually ensures its continuation. Now, of course, I know racism (as Del implied) is a tool of the capitalist. I also know that any educated person knows there is only one race and humans are far more alike than we are different. But these facts mean very little to actual racist operating in a racist society. @Cynique, OK I understand your response to my question. I also feel some kinda way about Leslie's skits on SNL too, particularly when they pair her with that puny white boy. But SNL is starting to bore me anyway. I'm tired of seeing Trump administration skits, They are becoming less and less funny to me. Still SNL is a show written by mostly white men for white people. How many years did it take for them to get Black women on the show? And when they finally got some we see how they are used... @Delano , I just wanted to know what you thought about Trump. I can't know what is in the man's heart, but his behavior is indistinguishable from a racist's. So it does not really matter what you or I think about his underlying motives. His behavior speaks for itself. Del, do you think Trump, at least sometimes, behaves in a racist manner? Bold faced so that you don't forget it this time? Del, my comment about being the only person who believes Trump is a racist was not meant to be taken literally. It was a just a playful dig at you and Mel

Here is a list of all the AALBC.com bestselling authors from the past 20 years--over 600 hundred names: https://aalbc.com/authors/bestselling-authors-all.php

Actually, I had noticed Mel, and I even wrote about the fact on is a forum. If General Managers, News director, exec producers, and reporters are racist. Their product will be racist. But we'll just have to agree to disagree on this point. Mel I simply do not consume news on TV and have not for decades. So I have less than zero motivation to write them. Besides the majority of Americans now consume news on social media, and you already know how I feel about social media. I consume my news from newspapers, magazines, and websites. I do comment on websites. I never write a newspaper or magazine; I just stop subscribing. My weapon of choice, as you might image, is the book. Of course in the infinite scheme of things this one photo of Viola is inconsequential. However, the photo is reflective of a country whose culture has been hostile to Black people since it's inception. The racism here is so entrenched many white people fail to comprehend how they benefit and sadly many Blacks fail to understand how they have been harmed. Indeed many of us buy wholeheartedly into the institutions and structures that are doing us harm. Billy Dee can sell us malt liquor to drink, NWA can sell us the gangsta mentality, books written for Black children attempt to completely whitewash the horrors of slavery, our most successful athletes can be depicted in ways the perpetuate the Black brute stereotype, and even the talented Viola Davis can be displayed in a manner that invokes black sambo imagery. But this will never change because in a white racist culture you 'll never go broke being racist, it may even land you in the white house. Oh, my bad, I'm apparently the only one who believes Trump is indeed racist...

@Mel Hopkins, I'm surprised you would use this approach to answer the question I posed. I believe you understood my question. I also believe you know I know what the word means. My use of the word in this context was appropriate given a broader and perhaps more colloquial use of the term As in the results of an action taken by a person who is a racist is "racist." A broader description of #2 of the definition you provided would include in my view the media's representation of our people; which is part of our "social system." Here is a new question for you (anyone). Do you believe that the media (news, entertainment, etc) is capable of being racist?

The film I Origins is on Amazon Fire, I will watch it this weekend.

@Delano, Thumper used to say "every closed eye ain't sleep." I saw many of your bread crumbs but chose not to run with them. In much the same was you avoided my question asking you if you thought Trump was racist. God forbid someone around here provides a simple yes or no response to a direct question Del, do you think Trump is a racist? I chose, for example, not to pick up some of your breadcrumbs; like the comment of me sounding like Pioneer--that one cut deep Bruh (sorry Pioneer ). It is a tactic you like, as you used it in your last post--again I chose not to run with it. All barbs aside I have no problem agreeing with Pioneer from time to time. On this particular issue though we agree for slightly different reasons. Of course our perceptions on these photos are purely subjective. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer here. I never wrote or suggested the anyone else here is "wrong" or that I'm right. Obviously, I think I'm right, but I also recognize that I can be wrong which is the only reason I'm even entertaining alternative opinions. For example, Cynique mentioned challenging religious people on their views. I never do this because people who follow a religion, by definition, are not open to alternative perspectives. I assume all of you open to alternative opinions, otherwise, why bother reading the opinions of people whose opinions differ, often strongly, from own? So @Mel Hopkins I can only assume that you see no racism in the way that LeBron is portrayed (assuming because you did not respond to my question). I don't view Lebron as my protector. If anything I see him as my kid, a big rich one, but someone junior to me as a son is to a father. So when I see the photo I see my kid being ridiculed in a very slick racist manner. In fact, LeBron could have used some protection himself, but on a different level. When I see that photo of Dijomon Hinsou (sp?) I'm just reminded of the story, from where the image was taken, of how a handful of white boys defeated a massive army of Black Africans... (the Hinsou character was thrown down a hole, and he was an emissary, whose role was not respected) But again this is from the perspective of a Black man raised in a white racist society and feed to countless stories a Black people being defeated by white on every level. Look, I know almost no one looks at the images we are fed this deeply and how it adversely impacts us. This is why @Pioneer1pointing out Viola resonated with me I knew exactly where he was coming from--even though we may disagree on some of the particulars. Our perspective might sound alien, but that is because Black male perspectives are ignored suppressed even. We can choose to ignore racism, or explain it away, and suffer the consequences. I'd prefer that we recognize it for what it is and deal with it.

Cynique, I'm glad you did not delete the post too. I truly enjoyed reading it. It was riveting, poignant, profound, and revealing. Thank you.