Troy

It is not New York City (not even close), it is not DMV, LA, ATL or any place you might expect unless you live there (check out the entire map):

Only three Black writers have won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Do you know them? (off the top of your head--without looking it up).

Thanks man; your opinions has kept these forums alive, well into the age of the corporate controlled web.

Yes, I'm definitely more inclined to give a Brother, like Jim Brown, a little more leeway that a rich privileged powerful white man who has had a life time of being given passes, from everyone. Needless to say, Trump has been given more passes than all the wide receivers in the history of football. I find it difficult to believe that Hillary did not care about Bill's numerous reckless "activities," but we can't know... I mention Obama aligning himself with a Sharpton because it told me he was not really serious about addressing the needs of Black folks. If he would have summoned Brown or better yet, maintained his relationship with West, rather than ditching him after he got elected, that would have been an indication of serious intent. Now this is not to say that Trump will do anything for us, but the meeting was interesting to note and we'll see what some of it (I don't have high hopes) Sure your definition of white supremacy is text book, the validation part is the consequence of internalized indoctrination brought on by racism and the reason we struggle. That more nuanced assessment is important to understand. Happy New Year Everyone!

Well, I appreciate the debate Cynique. Trump and his presidency are so emotionally fueled that reason, facts, and relevant information are largely absent to very difficult to isolate. Perhaps by critically examining my own ideas, will make is possible for me to see where my own biases club my judgment. So thanks. I don't think Hillary should be judged based upon Bill's policies or behavior. But if is difficult to ignore her reaction to his behavior which she obviously condoned or perhaps enabled. I think it speaks to her own motivations and what she is willing to tolerate in exchange for moe power and wealth. Obviously, I can't know her motivation but if it difficult to look at favorably. Do you think Michelle's would have reacted the same way as Hillary if some intern was caught blowing Barack in the oval office? That on top of all the other stuff we know about--God only knows what else we don't know Bill has done. I don't who called the meeting between Trump and Brown. No, it is not my hero worship of Brown that makes me more inclined to give him a pass than Trump. I don't believe I engage in hero worship in that sense. What resonated with me is the statement I quoted from him. I've seen it in action; we live for white validation and it has debilitated the Black community. White validation diminishes Black institutions, businesses, and our very culture--effortlessly. I think if Black people truly understood Jim's statement, that would go a long way to helping Black people move forward.

OK I see you can't get past Brown's issues with women from decades ago, and it appears to be impacting your impression of Brown, and maybe you are right. But why do you give Bill Clinton as pass and not Jim Brown? Why should Brown align himself with the progressives you speak of? We can have a multi-pronged approach when dealing with Trump. Besides, the progressives haven't done such a great job holding Trump's feet to the fire so far, have they? I brought up Sharpton/Obama to contrast with Brown/Trump. If Brown/Trump reaches the same level as Obama/Sharpton, I think the relationship will be very different and there will be a positive outcome for Black folks. I can't see Brown being a Trump sycophant, in the manner of Sharpton, for the next 4 to 8 years, without getting anything in return. No, Cynique I actually have complete and utter disdain for Trump's "unscrupulous disregard for truth and legality" and our media's inability to call it for what it is rather than use it to boost ratings. But at this point, it does not matter what I think about Trump--good, bad, or indifferent he is the president and he is the man we have to deal with.

Cynique, you were the one to bring up Brown's "...history of violence against all the women in his life..." Why do you bring it up if it were not a factor in making your point? Who knows if Trump will give Brown what he is looking for? What Jim is doing is trying. Trump, whether we like it or not, is the President. We can sit in the corner and sulk while things get even worse, or we can continue to try to improve things. I don't know if Obama reached out to Jim Brown; maybe I'll look that up later. However I do know Obama reached out to Al Shapton. This does give you something to think about, doesn't it?

I appreciate and believe I can understand your perspective. You are a contemporary of Jim and a Black woman, so your perception would be different from mine, a Black man who attended the same University as Jim and was fueled on his legendary football exploits. Jim Brown from my perspective is a classic man's man. You would never see him doing the Salsa in the end zone or jumping into a Goodwill bucket after making a touchdown. Still, having recently reviewed JIm's background one has to contend with and reconcile his history of violence against women. Is it the result of a smear campaign by white men trying to keep another powerful Brother down, as it was done against the leadership of the Black Panthers. Or maybe it was the horrendous behavior of a young man who dealt badly with his physical strength, power, money, and celebrity. In any event, Jim hasn't been accused of any of these things in decades. Rather, he has been a strong activist working for us in a way that few other with his prominence do. JIm could be doing anything else. Do we ever forgive him and move on? What is better keeping a powerful advocate down because of past fuck ups or take advantage of his power advocacy?

Yeah, for the most part, I am mostly concerned about the racists who will string a Brother up, or shoot up a Church. I'm also concerned about those rabid racists that feed Black people into the prison industrial complex, by not providing adequate educations and hyper-aggressive policing. I'm not too worried about the little old lady who clutches her purse more securely as I walk by because she has been brainwashed by the media or the person who voted for Trump because they are suffering economically and fell for the lie that Mexicans immigrants have taken their jobs and believe a wall will help them get a well paying job. Jim Brown has already demonstrated his commitment, as an activist by dedicating a lifetime to helping Black people. He is not interested in simply hanging wth Trump.

I'm uncovering a treasure trove of radio interviews. Here is a radio interview with Thumper. Thumper was an integral part of the AALBC.com website for over 10 years. He moderated our Coffee Will Make You Black, online book club, reviewed over two hundred books, and was such a dominant contributor to this discussion forum, I named it in his honor; “Thumper’s Corner.” Listen to an Interview of Thumper Interviewed by Delores Thornton on “A Round 2 It” - Radio Program April 2003 Your browser does not support the audio element. Delores provided several more cassette tapes for me to convert to digital format, but despite my best intentions I never did allocate the time to convert all of her programs to archive on AALBC.com. I'm glad I was able to save Thumper's interview.

According to the comments on Youtube, the video made in in 2010. Again Cynique you seem to be fixed on Trump being a rabid racist. If this is your only world view, you'd never be able to conceive how a Black activist, like Jim Brown, might be inclined to be willing giving Donald Trump. Instead of you'd rather demean Brown by describing him as groveling when you and I both know, Jim Brown does not "grovel."

I saying that I don't believe Trump is nearly as racists as the Neonazis to whom he appeals. In fact, it is likely that this racist demographic will fare worse under a Trump presidency, because we all will. You see, racists believe that their problems are actually caused by Black people, never realizing that it is in fact people like Trump that have taken advantage of them in order to enrich themselves. Perhaps after Trumps has been in office for a couple of years these racists will see that Trump I think I have been pretty consistent about my opinion of Trump. I always understood why people voted for him. Don't confuse my understanding of (or willingness to understand) a Trump supporter's motivation with my agreement with that motivation.

Lee E. Meadows, Ph.D interviewed many authors in the late 90's on his “The Book Beat” radio program, which broadcast on Detroit’s WPON 1460 AM. Some of the interviews he did are archived in AALBC.com and include: Evelyn Coleman, J. California Cooper, Eric Jerome Dickey, Tananarive Due, Lolita Files, Linda Dominique Grosvenor, Hunter Hayes, William July II, Renee Killingsworth, Lisa Saxton, Camika C. Spencer, Roger M. Davis, Delores Thornton, and Omar Tyree. Lee used to send me audio cassettes of each interview and I would convert them into Real Audio files. Back in the 1990's Real Audio was one of the most popular ways to deliver audio content on the web, but today one can provide audio using standard HTML and mp3 files. After converting the tapes to Real Audion files, I would then upload the files to the web server, and place the code on a web page to allow visitors to listen the audio files. It was a labor-intensive process. When Real Audio, became obsolete, I never got around to converting these files to mp3 files and these interviews were unavailable for the better part of a decade. The current website's upgrade has made it much easier for me to converted these files (and many others) and they are now available. The other thing that strikes me about these interviews is much how much we things have changed. 18 years ago there was a radio station, in a major city that broadcast a program dedicated to Black books. The program's host was willing to work with a variety of others including AALBC.com to help promote and expand the reach of these broadcasts. This was just one small aspect of a landscape in which Black books are not celebrated as much. Because of Lee Meadows work a portion of our history, our stories have been chronicled and preserved. Thanks Lee! Lee actually did several interviews with me; the first almost 18 years ago. Listen to an Interview of Troy Johnson Interviewed by Lee E. Meadows on Detroit’s WPON’s “Book Beat” February 4, 1999 Your browser does not support the audio element.

Cynique, remember who I voted for; if I were that critical of Hillary and so forgiving of Trump supporters I would not have voted for Hillary. Sure, for the racists out there, Trump's win was perceived as a victory. I say perceived because you then have to believe that Trump is both a white racist and will enact legislation that elevates white people at the expense of everyone else. White racists will be disappointed with a Trump presidency, along with everyone else.

NFL Hall of Famer, Jim Brown , gives the best definition of racism I've heard. I completely agree with this definition—particularly from the perspective of a bookseller and someone who celebrates Black culture. You see, we typically do not value anything that we create unless it has the white cosign (validation). We don't value our writers unless they write for a white publication, we don't value our books unless that have been published by a white-owned publisher and have been acclaimed by the white media or some white-owned institution. Of course, in today's economy, there are those who seek white validation because that is where the money is, But this reality is the direct consequence of white racism, and our conditioning continues to make it true to this day. “White supremacy says that for you to be considered a person that I respect and like; you must accept the fact that I can validate you and that's the highest honor you can have is my validation.” Note: I engaged in a bit of hyperbole, with the click-baity subject line, as part of an ongoing experiment...

Unfortunately @Pioneer1, trying to tell people to stop reading the NY Post, is like telling people not to consume news on social media--it is largely a waste of time. I think part of the reason is that many people, are uninterested or incapable of consuming news from The Wall Street Journal or the New York Times (New York's non-tabloid mainstream newspapers); the articles are too long, use big words, and cover boring subjects. The Post and social media present news that a 5th grader can easily read and they put a sensational slant on everything. There is a market for this and it is very lucrative, so it will always be present, in one form or another--unless there is a seismic upgrade in the level of quality of education of Americans.

I guess I'm not so confident, as most black people are, that this election was mostly about race. I guess I have too much faith in American people. I simply don't believe that the majority of white folks here are overt racists. Sure there are overt racists here, and there are racist sympathizers (those happy to reap the benefits of racism but aren't going to raise a confederate battle flag or don a Klansman hood). But I think most people pulled the switch to vote for Trump because they felt Trump will improve their own lives, not because they want to reenslave Black people.

@Xeon, may simply not have read the question yet Pioneer; it has only been 6 days. I gather you don't like the term "Negro." I've used the word, Negro, many times here myself.

Good pick, it also won a Coretta Scott King Award in 1988.

True, I held my nose, choosing the status quo over going off the deep end.

Cynique that first paragraph was a poor characterization of my position and feeling. Besides, I actually cast a vote for Hillary--unlike the many people who claimed they were against Trump.

Black people always found a way to survive and even thrive under much more adverse conditions than a Trump presidency. Someone asked Dick Gregory what he thought, now that Trump is president. Dick was like what is there to say, "it's all over..."

Mzuri, I too get that, "you must be a Trump supporter." reaction if I say something critical of Hillary or attempt the explain the appeal of Trump. Too many people see the world solely through the lens of race. In reality, the world is much more complex. I also believe money and power are, sadly, much greater motivators than race. Racism is a tool of the powerful to manipulate the masses, and Trump played that tune like a virtuoso.

Pioneer STOP READING THE NEW YORK POST. Dude, I live in NY and don't read that paper (despite them having what I recall was an excellent sports section). I don't think they have a racist agenda, at least none more than and other tabloids. Their headlines are was designed to sell papers, not to inform or enlighten, but to entertain the poorly educated masses. Complaining about the NY Posts' scandalous and misleading headlines is like complaining about the fake news on social media--this is how they make money and it is not about to change.

Another fine gathering of lovely folks With Children's book author Javaka Steptoe and writer Jenn Baker of We Need Diverse Books Yahdon Israel (Literary Swag), Jason Reynolds, D. Watkins , Mitchell Jackson, and Angela Flournoy (This person's name slips my mind right now), Nicole Dennis-Benn, Kamilah Aisha Moon, and Rachel Eliza Griffiths The evening was dedicated to writer Brook Stephenson. A toast to a young brother, a friend, who passed away too young, too soon.