Troy

Whoa! Thumper lives! But he has turned to the dark side I would have never guessed that Cynique. Are his reviews on Facebook getting the same kind of attention that they got here (comments)? If so that is great for Facebook. As much as I liked reading Thumper's stuff, I can't bring myself to line Marks pockets any more than I am now. But Thumper publishing he reviews on Facebook a disheartening revelation indeed. I can only assume he would be at complete odds on my stance on the social media platform.... Oh well. By the way I heard the movie sucked. My kids saw it and does not recommend it. This film too goes into my I'll watch it when it is available on Red Box, which is will be before the end fo the year.

Man, there was a time this question would spark a lot of responses. Even lurkers would step out of the shadows and share what they were reading. Have people stopped reading, or have they simply become unwilling to share what they are reading here? Interestingly, AALBC.com's traffic has grown steadily. In stark contrast, these discussion forums have seen a steady decline in participation. I have also noticed a decline in comments on the website overall; there are fewer comments on Blog posts and on the comments section throughout the website. A page can get a thousand visitors a day and not generate a single comment. So it is not just an issue of the number of visitors; it is a change in the behavior of those visitors. The question is what is prompting this change in behavior? Yesterday I made three direct posts on my Facebook page. Two Black history month posts Toni Cade Bambara and an Ida B Wells. There was some engagement, but it was minimal. The third post was me sharing one of the racists memes that was posted on my site. That got as much engagement that anything else I posted all month. Many of the people who reacted wrote that they appreciated what I do, but most of them never comment on that stuff. Indeed some days I'll get more engagement from racist that I do from supporters. Engagement (who is moved to comment) is one of the things I traditionally use to measure how well what I'm doing resonates with people. But I'm beginning to believe that does not matter as much as I think it should. If people visit this site, stick around long enough to read something, and visit another page or two that is really a much more important measure of the success of a website. Just because people are not sharing what they are reading here does not mean folks are not reading and don't care about the site in general. As a great alternative, book clubs have been nice enough share their reading lists with me. I just published the reading list of The Nubian Circle Book Club. Book club's are always a good source of good books to read. Still, it would be nice to know what inidividuals are reading without having to go to a site owned by Amazon--who tends to focus on what is most popular or who spends the most money, rather than on what we really care about or is good.

378 Excellent Books, 77 Important Events & More: This is link to my February newsletter which I archive online. In February I changed the format of the eNewsletter a bit an focused on a few of the many lists of books I’ve compiled--which links to literally 378 book that have been selected by people very knowledgeable about books. As I continue upgrade the website I have the ability to pull together high quality literature in a way few other sites can (or will). The other cool thing is that every book is on a list, but more detail is provided about each book on an individual page--often with video, AALBC.com reviews, links to buy the book from various book sellers and more. Let me know what you think. I welcome, indeed need, your feedback.

Thirteenth National Black Writers Conference “Writing Race, Embracing Difference” March 31, 2016 – April 3, 2016 Sponsored by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York Honorary Chair Rita Dove Honorees: Edwidge Danticat Michael Eric Dyson Charles Johnson Woodie King Jr. Thirteenth National Black Writers Conference Pre-conference Activities The year 2016 marks the centennial of the birth of John Oliver Killens, and to honor this literary champion, The Center for Black Literature, The Harlem Writers Guild, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture celebrated Killens’s legacy on Thursday, March 17, 2016. “Provocateurs: The Symbiotic Relationship between Photographers and Writers” will open in the Charles Evans Inniss Memorial Library at Medgar Evers College on Monday, March 28, 2016. The photography exhibition of 30 images features works by photographers Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Marcia E. Wilson, and Ruddy Roye. This exhibit will be on display through April 29, 2016. The Conference begins on March 31, 2016, with pre-conference activities on scholarly papers presented on the works of Conference honorees. A Poetry Café featuring well-known and up-and-coming poets will be held on Thursday evening. On Friday, April 1, Conference activities continue with the African Voices / Reel Sisters Film Series, which includes a selection of films with literary themes. Thirteenth NBWC Conference Program The formal opening of the Conference is held on Friday evening and will feature a conversation with award-winning poets on the state of poetry produced by Black writers. There will be a special presentation by Honorary Chair, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove. Over the next two days of the Conference, attendees may participate in a workshop with an established writer, attend a panel discussion where they hear writers discuss the most recent trends in literary texts or the impact of self-publishing on the publishing industry; attend a workshop where they work on an element of fiction or poetry or obtain tips for writing a book proposal; attend a reading with an author who will read from his or her latest work; or spend several hours in the Conference bookstore shopping for books. The participating writers of the Conference are very accessible, and as the poet Sonia Sanchez noted at one Conference, “This is a Conference where writers check their egos at the door.” Our Conference attendees thus have an opportunity to speak individually with writers and to have copies of their favorite books signed. More than 60 writers, poets, and speakers will participate on panels and workshops and give readings throughout the Conference. An Awards Ceremony and Program with featured honorees Rita Dove, Edwidge Danticat, Woodie King Jr., Michael Eric Dyson, and Charles Johnson will be held on Saturday evening. This will be followed by a jazz benefit program in partnership with the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium and with featured artists Tai Allen and Dasan Ahanu. Conference panels continue on Sunday and workshops on the craft of writing will be held in the morning and early afternoon. Thirteenth National Black Writers Conference Schedule Planned Programming (As of March 23, 2016. Subject to modification.) Day One, Thursday, March 31, 2016 Presentation of Conference Papers 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Academic Building 1 Edison O. Jackson Auditorium 1638 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Coordinated by Victoria Chevalier, Linda Jackson, and Joanna Sit Panels: Decoded: Hip-Hop 11 a.m.– 11:35 a.m. Hannah Silva (“Live Writing: Black British Poets in Performance”) Creating Dangerously 11:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. Shante Cozier (“The Art of Noir & Contemporary Caribbean Short Stories”) Renee M. Kingan (“Pushing Back: Jayne Cortez and Unesco’s War on War”) Ciara Miller (“How [THEY] Got Ovah: Aesthetics of Three Chicago Black Women Poets”) Althea Tait (“Rita Dove: Movement Between the Aesthetics of Discomfort and the Next”) Politics of Race and Gender 12:45 p.m.– 2:10 p.m. Hilda Davis ("The Political and Psychological Implications of Movement in Harlem/New Negro Renaissance Literature”) Ilinca Diaconu-Stillo (“From Trauma to Community: War, Racism, and African-American Masculinities in Toni Morrison’s Sula and Home”) Janelle Jemmott (“Michael Eric Dyson: Writing Race, Embracing Difference”) Janelle Morris (“Service to All Mankind: Utilizing Writings by Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha in Africana Centered Bibliography”) John Scrimgeour (“The Steps from the Hill: Race and Class in Langston Hughes’s ‘Theme for English B’ ”) Afrofuturism 2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m. Kermit Rodriguez (“Toni Morrison: Shattering the Glass Ceiling with the Fist of the African Female Trickster”) Helen K. Thomas (“Resisting the Silence: Exploring the Radical Act of Remembering through Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds Young Adult Novels”) Youth Literacy Program 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Founders Auditorium 1650 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Coordinated by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson of Just Us Books Presentations with authors Cheryl Willis Hudson Wade Hudson, Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Denise Lewis Patrick, and author/illustrator Jerry Craft. A book giveaway and group wrap-up closes the program. Program 9:30 a.m. –9:45 a.m. Welcome: Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, authors and founders of Just Us Books Inc. All student groups convene. 9:50 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. First and second graders convene in Edison O. Jackson Auditorium Presentation by Cheryl Willis Hudson, author of My Friend Maya Loves to Dance and Songs I Love to Sing 10:25 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Presentation by Wade Hudson, author of Its Church Going Time and Feelings I Love to Share 9:50 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Third, fourth and fifth graders remain in Founders Auditorium Presentation with Calvin Alexander Ramsey, author of Ruth and the Green Book and Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend 10:25 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Presentation with Denise Lewis Patrick, author of Finding Someplace and No Ordinary Sound 11:15 a.m.– noon First and second graders rejoin third, fourth, and fifth graders in Founders Auditorium Presentation with Jerry Craft, author/illustrator of Mama’s Boyz; and The Offenders: Saving the World While Serving Detention! 12:05 p.m. Book giveaway and wrap-up High School Program 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Founders Auditorium 1650 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Coordinated by Nina Angela Mercer Poets Jennifer Cendaña Armas, Mo Beasley, and Monique “Orisha Love” Letamendi will perform their poetry for students before facilitating writing and performance workshops. The workshops will explore such themes as place, identity, and social justice. Workshop participants will write their own poems. They will be encouraged to perform their poems in a closing cypher. Program Noon –12:20 p.m. Students assemble into auditorium and break into groups. 12:20 p.m. – 1 p.m. Performances by Jennifer Cendaña Armas, Mo Beasley, and Monique “Orisha Love” Letamendi 1:10 p.m. –2:30 p.m. Writing and performance, break-out workshops 2:40 p.m. –3:15 p.m. Closing cypher (student-centered performances) Elders Writing Workshop / “Tales of Our Times” “Black Women Writing Memory, Writing Fate” 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Edison O. Jackson Auditorium 1638 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Coordinated by Eisa Nefertari Ulen Memoirists of the Elders Writing Workshop at Siloam Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, New York, will share their wisdom, rooted in history. Their writing explores questions such as: What does the future hold for African-Americans? Can greater knowledge of the past help us create our own destiny? Members include Gloria Bynoe, Shirley Hugguppwhite Cooper, Joan Corbett, Ernie Jackson, Lurline Martineau, Teresa Snyder, Sylvia Suescun, and Cynthia Goodison Tompkins. Town Hall Forum — Free and open to the public “Legacy and Succession: The Role and Responsibility of the Black Writer and Black Institutions” 5:30 p.m. –7:00 p.m. Academic Building 1, Edison O. Jackson Auditorium 1638 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Author, poet, and publisher Dr. Haki Madhubuti, whose latest book is titled Taking Bullets: Terrorism and Black Life in Twenty-First Century America, a Poet’s Representation and Challenge, will lead a town hall discussion on the subject of legacy and succession. Journalist and reporter Ashley Johnson will join this intergenerational conversation moderated by Wallace Ford. 13th National Black Writers Conference Poetry Café 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Brooklyn Public Library 10 Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11238 Coordinated by Wendy Robinson and Tai Allen Ashley August will host the 7th Annual Poetry Café with featured poets Liza Jessie Peterson and Nkosi Nkululeko, the 2016 NYC Youth Poet Laureate. Emerging poets include Angel S. Aviles, Chanel Dupree, Khadijah Johnson, and Shye Sales. Day Two, Friday, April 1, 2016 13th National Black Writers Conference and African Voices/Reel Sisters Present the Souls of Black Folk: Films Celebrating Heritage 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Medgar Evers College, Founders Auditorium 1650 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Sponsored by the National Black Writers Conference and African Voices/Reel Sisters. Conference attendees will view films and film shorts that celebrate the rich history, heritage, and faith of Blacks in America. The featured films will be followed by a panel discussion and talkback. Featured Films “The Long Night” by Woodie King Jr. (1976, 90 minutes) 11 a.m.– 12:30 p.m.; panel, 12:30–1:15 p.m. “August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand” by Sam Pollard (2015, 90 minutes; 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.; panel, 3-3:45 p.m.) BREAK: 3:45 p.m.– 4:45 pm Film Shorts 4 pm-4:45 p.m. (panel, 4:45-5:45 p.m.) “Outta My Name” by Director/Writer Cathleen Campbell (Length: 4 min. Category: Narrative) A woman who’s ridiculed for her unusual name unexpectedly discovers the power of truly connecting with another person. “Bird” byDirector Booker T. Mattison (Length: 10 min.) A college track star who is training for the Olympics is accused of a crime. “My Home” by Director/Producer Denise Khumalo (Length: 14:40 min.; Category: Documentary) A story about an African woman’s struggle to keep her traditions and customs alive while living in an increasingly Western world. “Across the Tracks” by Director, Cowriter, Cinematographer/DP, Editor Michael Cooke Coproducers: Don Battee, Errol Sadler, Isabella Way, Monica Hines Cowriter/Producer: Kimberly Y James Coproducer, Assistant Director Monica Hines and Shaniqua Henry-Davis (Length: 15 min. Category: Narrative) Two African-American sisters grow up in 1960s Georgia. One is born with fair skin and when schools integrate, she decides to change her destiny—by passing for white. The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series is supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts. Reel Sisters is founded by African Voices and LIU Brooklyn. BREAK: 5 p.m.–6 p.m. Thirteenth National Black Writers Conference Opening Night Program Poets Reflect on the State of Contemporary Poetry 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Founders Auditorium 1650 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Hosted by Cheryl Wills Anchor and senior reporter for New York One News. Rita Dove, Honorary Chair of the 13th National Black Writers Conference, A conversation and readings on the state of poetry in today’s society. Featured poets include Rita Dove, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, and Afaa Michael Weaver among others. Day Three, Saturday, April 2, 2016 Medgar Evers College, Founders Auditorium 1650 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Panels and Roundtable conversations Dr. Lindamichelle Baron, Emcee “Afrofuturism: Reimagining the Past, Present and Future”: A Panel Discussion 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. The genre Afrofuturism emerged in the past two decades and is related to the term coined in 1992 by cultural critic Mark Dery. In his essay “Black to the Future,” Dery describes it as an African diasporic cultural and literary movement whose thinkers and artists see science, technology, and science fiction as a means of exploring the Black experience.” Author Walter Mosley, who wrote an essay titled “Black to the Future,” notes that this genre speaks clearly to the dissatisfied through its power to imagine the first step in changing the world. Panelists will discuss how these genres are represented in the literature produced by Black writers. Moderator: Kiini Ibura Salaam Panelists: Nnedi Okorafor, Sheree Renée Thomas, and Kiese Laymon “Decoded: Hip-Hop and Youth Culture”: A Panel Discussion 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Elements of poetry and creative wordplay figure prominently in the language of hip-hop and in the various ways today’s youth express themselves. Panels will explore questions such as: In what ways is hip-hop culture connected to literature and the works of pioneering Black writers? In what ways can hip-hop raise awareness of the African-American literary canon? What are some of the components that would comprise a hip-hop literary movement? Moderator: Joan Morgan Panelists: MK Asante, Marcyliena Morgan, David Kirkland, and James Peterson Lunch 1:15 p.m. – 2 p.m. “Creating Dangerously: Courage and Resistance in the Literature of Black Writers”: A Conversation 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. In Edwidge Danticat’s acclaimed book Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work, the author explores the passions and the tribulations that writers and artists face in their roles as chroniclers of cultural and political events and as the voices of opposition that strive to be heard under oppressive circumstances. In this discussion, the panelists will talk about the ways literature sheds light on the risks writers take when working under challenging cultural and political situations. They will also discuss the manner in which individual and collective truths are presented in those works for readers to interpret. Moderator: Victoria Chevalier Panelists: Edwidge Danticat and Charles Johnson “The Politics of Race and Gender in the Literature of Black Writers”: A Conversation 3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m. In the age of President Obama, one prevailing question that comes to mind is this: Is the country more racially divided or less racially divided than it was 15 or 20 years ago? Have women honestly made significant strides in traditionally male-dominated fields? Narratives written and published today that focus on racial and gender challenges are emerging heavily in the fiction and creative nonfiction works by Black writers. How do the works of these writers impact the conversations about race in America? In this conversation, the writers will discuss some of the key components in literary as well as academic writings that address issues of race and gender and examine whether the works impact the way people view race and gender. Moderator: Wallace Ford Panelists: Paul Beatty and Cora Daniels Videotape Presentation “Between the World and Me” and Ta-Nehisi Coates interview with Dr. Brenda Greene 5:15 p.m. Talkback moderated by Todd Craig Thirteenth National Black Writers Conference Awards Ceremony 6:45 p.m. – 8 p.m. Hosted by Indira Etwaroo, PhD Executive Director, Center for Arts and Culture, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation Jazz Program and Benefit Reception 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Skylight Café Academic Building 1 1638 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 With performance by Dasan Ahanu and Tai Allen, accompanied by Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, performing the works of Gil Scott-Heron and Oscar Brown Jr. Day Four, Sunday, April 3, 2016 Conference Talkshop, Panels, and Roundtables Medgar Evers College, Founders Auditorium 1650 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Book Proposals, Regina Brooks Writing an Undeniable Nonfiction Book Proposal 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Room TBA If you’ve ever been told “you should really write a book” and you’ve decided to give it a try, this workshop is for you! From memoirs to cookbooks, if you want to be published in nonfiction you’ll need a book proposal. In this session, Brooks will teach both the art and science of crafting an irresistible book proposal. She will walk you through the key elements of a book proposal—section by section. Poetry, Keisha-Gaye Anderson 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Room TBA This talkshop will explore how memory—actual, imagined, and re-imagined—is used in African American poetics to witness, communicate and construct collective realities, while also serving as a call to activism and social change. Through close examination of language, structure, form and other devices used within selected poems from the African-American literary tradition, workshop participants will become familiar with approaches to this craft that focus on powerfully commemorating, documenting, and witnessing subjective and collective struggle endemic to the Black experience. Participants will employ this understanding in creating their own poems for sharing with other workshop participants. Fiction, Victor LaValle Building a Better Novel 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Room TBA You want to write a novel, but as you’ve learned easier said than done. While inspiration and enthusiasm are great they don’t help you figure out how to organize all those pages you’ve written. We'll discuss basic questions about how novels are structured, how to map out the motivations of your characters, how to identify (or create) a good antagonist, how to create a dramatically interesting narrative for the reader to follow and more. This is going to be a talk about the mechanics of a novel, nuts-and-bolts stuff. AALBC Publishing Workshop Noon – 2:30 p.m. Room TBA A workshop on fundamentals dealing with various aspects of the publishing process, focusing on practical elements such as editing, promotion, book production, and distribution presented by AABLC (African American Literature Book Club) with Troy Johnson, Carol Taylor, and Earl Cox. Panels and Roundtable Conversations Patrick Oliver, Emcee “Creative Writing Programs and Writers of Color: Current and Future Trends” Noon – 1:15 p.m. This discussion on creative writing programs and workshops is an outgrowth of the essays, conversations, and concerns of writers of color in MFA programs and writing workshops. Very few writing workshops focus on writers of color and both Junot Diaz and Honoree Fannone Jeffers have recently written essays on the lack of diversity in these programs and workshops. Students and workshops participants in creative writing programs make up a part of our audience. The discussion will focus on topics such as: Do MFA programs and writing workshops offer safe spaces for writers of color and are writers of color marginalized in these programs and workshops? How can we address these concerns in MFA programs and writing workshops? Moderator: Donna Hill Panelists: Meena Alexander, Victor LaValle, and Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie “Black Writers in the Digital Age” 1:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m. African-American writers have faced many hurdles in getting their works published. While the Digital Age, or New Media Age, have presented new outlets to submit works, what rewards and risks do the Digital Age offer Black writers? Has the Digital Age broadened the readership of works by Black writers? What are some challenges Black writers face in the new information age? Panelists will explore and examine these questions. Moderator: Akiba Solomon Panelists: Paul Miller, Farai Chideya, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, and Johnny Temple “Shaping Memories: The Odyssey to Adulthood” 3 p.m.–4:15 p.m. This panel will address the various themes and moral values captured at historical moments of time in the journey from youth to adulthood. The novels and memoirs by these authors cross several genres and attract a cross-generation of readers. Moderator: Cathie Wright-Lewis Panelists: Coe Booth, Breena Clarke, D. Watkins, and Michael Datcher A Conversation with Michael Eric Dyson and Khalil Gibran Muhammad “Writing Race, Embracing Difference” 4:30 p.m.–6 p.m. In an essay titled “Writing Race in America,” which appeared in the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” on March 10, 2014, David Wright, a Black writer and associate professor of creative writing at the University of Illinois, Urbana, argues that creative writing teachers should not allow their students to avoid the difficult subject of race. Wright’s argument is based on the premise that race is socially constructed, is very much present in America, and that contrary to what people may assert about living in a postracial society, we live in a fully racial one. This premise guides the conversation that will be held between Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad.

Now that is an interesting point--at least the image of Jesus were were taught to image here in America. He does look like a member of ISIL and probably would not have made it past the first round of U.S. drone attacks.

54th Day of ‪#‎BlackHistoryMonth‬: Writer, Activist, Feminist, Toni Cade Bambara born March 25, 1939 I know this is the second Black History Month update today, but I could easily do 5 a day (smile). If you are not familiar with Bambara's work you are missing out--seriously

Cynique actually I do take this seriously. A lot of effort and time is involved in what these folks are doing. Besides taking the time with the creation of customized graphics. They are spoofing ip address from all over the world, spoofing email address including ones from my own domain. In fact, they may be the ones responsible for making my site unavailable last saturday. It is virtually impossible to tie these folks down to a single individual or group. The web is still a lot like the wild west, there is no rule of law. No one is going to protect you but yourself, and your ability to protect yourself is a function of your resources, time money and energy--and I have no money. Again I've been doing this over 18 years it has never been easy. Remember, I had to abandon the last discussion forum several years ago because the software developers could not keep up with the spammers. While humor may soften the emotional blow, it is not very useful as a form of protection.

It seems my Blog was bombarded by attempts to log into my admin account. The this barrage of attempts caused to to exceed the allocation of resources allocated to me by my web host. Which essentially brought down anything that uses a database, my Blog, large sections of my website site and this discussion forum. It took me 12 hours to resolve all of these issues--the long outage by website has suffered in 18 years. It really never ends. A bunch of IP address were blocked and I installed a plugin on my wordpress blog called Wordfence. Basically it will block any IP address that attempts multiple failed login's. This should prevent this problem from reoccurring. If you use the Wordpress CMS I encourage you to install Wordfence too. These are a few of the login attempts stopped today and it is not yet noon. Notice that my domain name and and "Admin" are popular login name. I would advise you to change your login name if you are using these. A user with IP address 149.156.172.1 has been locked out from the signing in or using the password recovery form for the following reason: Exceeded the maximum number of login failures which is: 20. The last username they tried to sign in with was: 'aalbc.com' User IP: 149.156.172.1 User hostname: zeus.wzks.uj.edu.pl User location: Krakow, Poland A user with IP address 186.202.141.67 has been locked out from the signing in or using the password recovery form for the following reason: Exceeded the maximum number of login failures which is: 20. The last username they tried to sign in with was: 'aalbc.com' User IP: 186.202.141.67 User hostname: cprohostinglin0839.publiccloud.com.br User location: Brazil A user with IP address 188.165.217.39 has been locked out from the signing in or using the password recovery form for the following reason: Exceeded the maximum number of login failures which is: 20. The last username they tried to sign in with was: 'admin' User IP: 188.165.217.39 User hostname: ns372224.ip-188-165-217.eu User location: France

Over the years I've received all kinds of racist hate mail and spam. I've accepted this as part of the territory of advocating for Black people. Generally I just ignore, but over the past few months I've been the target of a particular inspired group of spammers. This photo was posted on my site. Again I know better than to "feed the trolls," but these guys put some much effort into mocking me I did not want this to got to waste. I have say this make me laugh when I first saw it--it was posted on one my pages. I know I should be outraged but I guess over the years I've become desensitized to this stuff. The original image was from sheet music published in 1883. Music that I'm sure is being performed somewhere today...

54th Day of ‪#‎BlackHistoryMonth‬: Ida B. Wells, newspaper editor and in the Civil Rights Movement passed March 25, 1931

53rd Day of ‪#‎BlackHistoryMonth‬: Writer, Educator, Filmmaker, Activist, Poet, Kalamu ya Salaam Born March 24, 1947 Kalamu was one the the first supporters of AALBC.com and he taught me a lot.

That is interesting. I do know that not all women, who are sexually molested, become lesbian and not all lesbian women were sexually molested. So it is difficult to draw any conclusion from the statement; "...they were shocked to find that every single Lesbian they spoke with reported being raped as a child." That is an alarmingly high percentage of sexually molested people. I would be interested in how many people were sampled and where did they pull that sample from. It is hard to get 100% from any sample of random people, so that result is questionable on it's face.

52nd Day of ‪#‎BlackHistoryMonth‬: Walter Anthony Rodney was born in Georgetown, Guyana on March 23, 1942, Rodney's "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" should be required reading for all Americans.

The likelihood of a Trump presidency seems to be increasing every day. I doubt there will be a civil war, by the time it happens people will probably be happy with the decision--especially if there is another terrorist attract on American soil.

Pioneer's Square that is always a possibility :-) Of the named discussion forums Cynique is the only one who still actively participates. I named the forum for Cynique to honor her contributions. It was not something that she asked me to do. This will be the name of the forum as long as I'm running this site. The Poetree was named for Sister Sheree Sarana, because she volunteered to moderate the forum. Unfortunately she did not hang around very long. I'm open to renaming it for another moderator, but I haven't mentioned this to anyone. When I'm finished the upgrade I'll invest more in actively promoting all the forums. The Literature forum is named for a prolific poster whose pseudonym was "Thumper." He was such a big participant that he essentially became the brand of the forum, so I named it for him. But Thumper left abruptly. I just checked when he made has last post; it was made in January of 2011 when he wrote "I'm back." I doubt I'll rename this forum, but if someone actually volunteered to actively run it I would do it, albeit with a heavy heart.

Sara, to your point, Cynique did have epic battles with one known as Kola Boof. Indeed your interaction with Cynique would sound like conversation during afternoon tea with the pastors' wives club by comparison. But Cynique did not run her off, she (and others for that matter) ran off on their own. Cynique I changed my mind on this issue for another reason too. As long as folks are not trying to really abuse this forum (a constant threat), I'm inclined to let folks to what they want. Me trying to moderate what is happening in an effort to control or moderate it is not optimal. Some of the best things that have happened here were things I could never have planned or imagined. My attempts to meddle only make the best things less likely to happen. I have no idea how this forum will evolve over time, in this social media era. Maybe it will spring back and become much more active, maybe it will die completely. Time will tell.

@Sara, @Cynique She has never engaged with @Mel Hopkins in this manner. I could of course name many others, but you only asked for one.

51st Day of #BlackHistoryMonth Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart) Passed March 21, 2013 Actually my website originally showed that Achebe passed on March 22nd, but I noticed other sources that showed he actually passed on the 21, so the daily post of does not match the date today.

Just in case someone is wondering, where the heck is this site's moderator? I taking a hand-off approach here. When I previously deleted an exchange between you two my sense was that it was completely unconstructive and there was serious malintent. This exchange, while no more productive, and despite the very cutting barbs, seems to be between to people who actually enjoy going at each other and are dare I say it... having fun. I also have to admit one line had me laughing out loud, but I will not admit who wrote it I also don't think Alice Walker would approve, but she is not hear to express her views.

What a nice review. If I read your take I would have made an effort to see the flick. Now maybe I will--thanks for sharing!

I just started The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution by C.L.R. James. This book was written in 1938. The 2nd edition was published in 1962 with updates that James described as "...never more than to the extent of a few lines." The copy I'm reading was published in 1989. The first chapter "The Property" is just hard to read. I mean I've read account of the middle passage and the torture slave put Black folks through, but James account is graphic account is hard to read. I have never been able to wrap my brain around how people can be so cruel to each other. The fact that so many people could be so cruel i unfathomable to me. I decided to pick this book up because I recently read about another book (I can;t recall the name now), that described Nat Turners rebellion so my interested was piqued in this book as the L'Ouverture's rebellion was the only successful slave revolt in history.

"Nothing stays the same." Well on that universal truth we are in complete agreement. And as far as knowing what will happen, I'll be the first to say I have no clue, and determining what to do about this nebulous future....well I'm just as clueless. But I do know what the current state is, and there is room for improvement. I also know doing the same thing will typically result in the same results. Don't get me started on our dependence upon technology. Once the suits took over the whole thing became perverted-- but that is fodder for another conversation. Who knows maybe Hillary will usher in a new age of enlightened government. Maybe what we need is feminine energy leading this country. Maybe the change I'm looking for is right there all along...

50th Day of ‪#‎BlackHistoryMonth‬: March 21, 1981, in Mobile, Alabama, 19-year-old Michael Donald was Lynched Ravi Howard wrote an award winning book about this horrific event.

Cynique I drew the conclusion simply because I think a Clinton presidency represents more of the same, a continuation of what we have, the status quo. Do you think Hillary Clinton represents something different? As far as the economic differences of your generation and subsequent ones there are plenty of data. There is no speculation here, as the record speaks for itself: http://www.crainswealth.com/article/20150610/WEALTH/150619999/gen-x-worse-off-than-millennials The Atlantic did a piece on unemployment rate of millennials and despite higher rates of education (and much more debt from students loans) unemplyment is worse than with was for Gen-X or Baby Boomers: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/indisputable-evidence-that-millennials-have-it-worse-than-any-generation-in-50-years/283752/ Of course there are poor Baby Boomers, the problem is that there will be more poor Gen Xer's. This poor Millennials will probably have to work until 80 before they can collect social security and retire, assuming they live that long. Again, steady as we go is not working for American's in general, and Black people in particular. But while I thought Obama represented change (at least that is what he said), I think it is more likely that Bernie represents a more likely potential for change than Hillary. But as you said we are not on the same wavelength on this issue

It interesting Cynique how you interpreted my last statement on blaming Hillary. You believe Hillary will make a difference, I obviously do not. You clearly have faith in the current political system's ability to work for the people. I do not. Baby Boomers were the last generation to witness and benefit from constant economic growth for the bulk of their adult years. My generation and everyone after me has seen steady losses. I'm also sure you are also aware that this generation of kids will be economically worse off than the previous generation. But I understand why you might be nice and comfortable and happy with the status quo; you lucked out by virtue of your birth date. Our children may not be so lucky...