Troy

@Pioneer1, I would be careful when trying to tie genetics to culture, particularly for African Americans. You can't look at a person and tell what their genotype is. Even if you had complete knowledge of one's genetic coding, science simply does not know enough say that these genes are associated with sexual prowess. PLUS American Black and white share people share so many genes it is virtually impossible to use these to distinguish between them based upon genetically determined behavioral characteristics on a "racial" basis. Seriously, it is wrong to think of it this way. Besides, many of the things were associate with culture have nothing to do with the color of one's skin. Culture is man made often arbitrary. I know many Black people, for example, who are culturally white (based upon they way they speak, their dress, the music they listen to, who they associate with, etc), and I've met white people who are culturally Black. This example is probably just a function of where and when these people were born. I wish they would get rid of the word "race," because it confuses people about the nature of humanity, creating unnecessary barriers between us.

I read the page for casting the spell and all due respect to the folks here it sounds a bit silly to me,.. Unflattering photo of Trump (small); see below for one you can print Tower tarot card (from any deck) Tiny stub of an orange candle (cheap via Amazon) Pin or small nail (to inscribe candle)... BUT while I may not buy into the specifics in this case, I'm not so quick to dismiss the power of massive numbers of people using their brains to impact the physical world. Some call it the power of prayer. Some people believe can modify the weather through rituals, of course there are many other examples or mind over matter practices. Imagine if everyone who is against Trump decided to concentrate, at the same time, on him leaving office. Image; 100 million people focusing their mental energy on a single thing. Are you certain there would be no impact? As far as I know this has never been tried. But back to the specifics of the Trump spell. I dunno, while it may sound silly to me, going through the process suing all the items may help people focus their mental energy maybe it is not so silly, if it works for some. But again that sort of thing is not for me.

D. Amari Jackson, who has participated here in the past (In fact, Cynique reviewed his novel the Savion Sequence) wrote a well written, accurate, and inspiring about Paul Coates, "How an Ex-Black Panther Waged a Successful, Four-Decade Revolution In Publishing Without Planning To" check it out Paul Coates, who is Ta-Nehisi's father has always been supportive of AALBC.com. It is elders like him who provide the inspiration and support (including financial) which allows independent Black-owned business to grow. People like Paul are usually overlooked, by the press, who rather expend valuable resources on degenerates like Milo. The Atlantic Black Star website is an increasingly rare exception.

Mel I agree with this 100%. Jim Brown said this in a video a few years back. He did not invent the idea, but he articulated it very well. All people are subject to this. It is just in the Black community we cannot validate each other. We seek validation outside our community. For example, writing for a Black platform is less prestigious than writing for a Black one, winning an award from a white entity is more desirable than a Blak one. The main reason for this I believe is that white validation leads to more money. This does not have to be the case, but we make it so. @Delano I know you can ride a fix. Recall we rode 100 miles together one day. You were definitely in better riding shape :-) now i know why ;-) Cynique there is indeed a gene(s) for ambition. I think in most cases something in the environment must trigger it for the gene to be expressed. Maybe it is a discovery of a passion for a particular skill or a dire situation in which extraordinary effort and drive are needed suddenly. It could also be the right combination of ambition, greed, and egotism. Which explains why mediocre people like Trump can become President. I never really got really motivated and passionate about something until I stumbled on the world of books. I just wish I had more time to read...

OK you know more than I Mel. Master teachers like Dr. Ben, who knew a thing or two about African history, live and die in relative obscurity. Meanwhile, people like Beyonce are being thrust into the role of religious icon, spiritual leader, and the vessel for sacred African knowledge. I don't like it when corporations choose our leaders--this has never served us. Corporation made Steve Harvey our relationship expert despite the fact that Steve has littered the landscape upset ex-wives. I have demonstrated far more skill at relationships than Steve Harvey has, but I do not have the temerity to promote myself as a relationship expert. But corporations have no problem doing this because it is about entertainment which means money. Again, entertainment has replaced education, because entertainment is more profitable. This is just another example or converting spiritual enlightenment into entertainment in order to profit from it. This is a perversion of spirituality and can not serve us. I don't believe in the "AND" proposition in the case. I don't think you can teach spiritual enlightenment when your primary or only motive is profit. None of our great spiritual leaders were wealthy. Indeed many eschew material wealth in exchange for a spiritual wealth. While Beyonce and her team are great business people, I don't think they can do a good job conveying spirituality and uplifting people in a meaningful sense. Once that revenue stream starts to wane, it will be jettisoned like any other failed business.

Mel you obviously know more about the music industry than I do. I'm sorry to hear about the casting couch and the murder of your friend. No, I don't any other singer doing what you describe. I assume Beyonce stands alone in her wealth particularly when you combine it with Jay-Z. Great wealth allows you to do a wide variety of things that other entertainers can not do. I doubt she has a peer. Mel I'm not sure you can attribute all of the things you described to Beyonce herself. But again you know more about her than I. I assumed Beyonce is the public face of a very sophisticated organization. I doubt she is sitting back calling the shots. Also, I thought Sony owned Parkwood (I saw that on Wikipedia, so it is possible that it is complete fiction ). But that does not change my points, who said that Black folks don't behave like corporate entities? BET was a perfect case in point. You don't become fantastically wealthy in the United States without getting grimy on some level. I doubt the Beyonce machine, owned by Sony, is any different. Am I the only one who thinks that Bey (her team) has coopted the African imagery for monetary gain? Exploiting these images to reach her followers on a deeper level--to get deeper into their pockets? Del called Beyonce a "religious ico.," This may be true, and if it is, it is very dangerous. I see this no differently than the charismatic religious leader who convinces their followers to give them their money in return for salvation. This is not about spiritually or uplifting people, it is about commerce. We should confuse the two things.

One's beliefs are a reflection of who they are not reality. My conclusions, however, have nothing to do with Beyonce or Jay-Z; I know little about them and do not consume their products. My reaction to her Grammy performance was taken from Cynique's opinion I did not watch it. My opinion on this matter is driven (I believe) by what I know about how corporations operate. How they manipulate and brainwash people to into behaviors that only serve to enrich the owners. Beyonce is a tool to generate revenue. She is no different than any other entertainer--other than the fact she makes more money that most. Which is the most important thing in our culture. Rich people are worshipped. Will anyone argue that Beyonce is the most talented vocalist singing today? Enslave people for a few centuries to get cheap good--no problem. Sell cancer sticks and shorten the life spans of millions--you bet. Sell the raving of a rabid, racist troll--but of course. Needless to say, I could go on and on, but you get the point. This is what corporation do. Beyonce serves this master. Of course, some could make a convincing argument that corporations are, net-net, all things considered a plus for society. I used to feel that way too, but not anymore. The biggest corporations are like the drugs dealers. They sell products that no one needs or are outright harmful, they make the owners fantastically wealthy attracting attention and envy from others, and mitigate their evil and confuse people by doling out a few dollars in charity and employing a few folks with mediocre wages. Their critics are simply failures who are jealous of their success. @Cynique was right there is a gene (likely a great many genes), which make people more susceptible to viewing Beyonce as a religious icon. I ain't hatin' on Bey. I just haven't drunk that Kool-aid (the reference to the People's Temple cult was deliberate).

OK maybe I'm being overly cynical, but it will take a lot for me to be convinced that a multination corporation like SONY is interested in doing anything but making more money than they did the year before. If they can monetize any of the ancient African religious traditions in Beyonce's imagery; the result will be a perversion of those traditions.

Sheryl platforms like Facebook, Goolge+, and Twitter are simply incapable of producing this content; (1) the platform are not designed to hold long form content, and most importantly; (2) These platforms do not create content. They don’t employ journalist, writers, editors, researchers, artists, photographers, or fact checkers--you have to twist their arms to remove fake news. Celebrities and their troll's get the lion's share of the coverage because they generate the most traffic. The combination of the two the Celebrity and troll into a single individual the "trollebrity," like the current president, are a gold mine for these sites. Trump has been a boon for Twitter.

Del I think as you immerse yourself into different worlds you gain a perspective that is necessarily more open. I too shared many of the experiences you have. Speaking of being a bike messenger, have you ever heard of Kurt Boone? He writes about delivering packages riding a fixed wheel bike. I worked as a foot messenger for a couple of years--delivering packages to offices wowed me with their grandness, and the I would be working in a few years later. Experiencing other locations is also why I balk at the idea that places like NYC are so cosmopolitan, urbane and sophisticated. In reality, NYC often is very provincial, racist, crude and segregated as any place in the country. Many communities I've visited in the south are FAR more integrated than NYC. Though mainstream media and NYC itself likes to tout itself has been better that other places...

I'm planning to follow up on this article. Book Issues Book Review published this article 10 years before the NY Times article referenced above, which essentially failed to recognize Black folks. As far as I know nothing like this has been published since. There is no reason to believe that a related article will be published anytime soon--we simply no longer have the platforms. The names mentioned in the article are shown below. I plan to do a "where are they now" follow up to this article. If I had the resources, I would introduce the professionals who have come to the forefront since this article was published 10 years ago. (If anyone has an update on any of the professionals below email me or reply to this post) Malaika Adero – Senior Editor, Atria Books/Simon & Schuster Kwame Alexander – Blackwords, Inc. Publisher, Poet, Playwright, Author and commentator T. B. Boyd, III – President and CEO of the R. H. Boyd Publishing Corporation Marie Brown – Literary Agent Curtis Bunn – Founder National Book Club Conference Jessica Care Moore-Poole – Publisher of Moore Black Press Kassahun Checole – Publisher and Book Distributor, Africa World Press Faith Childs – Literary Agent Faye Childs – Founder Blackboard African American Bestsellers Paul Coates – Publisher of Black Classics Press Wil and Niani Colom – Wil publisher Genesis Press, Niani formed the African American Pavilion at BookExpo of America Dawn Davis – VP and Editorial Director of Amistad/HarperCollins Marlyn Ducksworth – Sr VP and Executive Director of PR at Penguin Putnam Linda Gill – General Manager of African American Literature at Harlequin Enterprises Marita Golden – Founder of the Hurston-Wright Foundation and Awards Rockelle Henderson – Associate Publisher Amistad HarperCollins L. Peggy Hicks – Founder and owner of TriCom Publicity Inc Janet Hill – VP and Executive Editor at Doubleday Cheryl and Wade Hudson – Publishers of Just Us Books Andrew Jackson – President Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Troy Johnson – Web master and Founder of African American Literature Book Club (AALBC.com) Hoke S. Glover III aka Bro Yao and Simba Sana – Owners Karibu Books Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati – Founder of The Literary Carol Mackey – Editor for Black Expressions Book Club Naomi Long Madgett – Founder Lotus Press Haki Madhubuti – Founder and owner of Third World Press (TWP) Erroll McDonald – VP Executive Editor at Pantheon/Random House Nrichelieu Dennis and Nyema Tubman – Owners Nubian Heritage Linda M. Peavy – Acting Publisher Judson Press Brenda Piper and Carol Rogers – Owners of C&B Books Gwen and Willie Richardson – Founders CushCity.com Emma Rodgers – Co-owner Black Images Book Bazaar Max Rodriguez – Founder QBR: The Black Book Review Tony and Yvonne Rose – Founders and Owners Amber Communications Group Vivan Stephens – Founder of Romance Writers of America and Women Writers of Color Denise Stinson – Publisher and Founder of Walk Worthy Press Vickie M. Stringer – Founder and Publisher of Triple Crown Publications (TCP) Hargis Thomas – Director of Sales and Marketing at Oxford University Press Religious Publishing Clara Villarosa – Coordinator African American Booksellers Conference programs at BookExpo Kelvin Watson – Associate Director of Corporate and Educational Sales at Borders Sybil Wilkes – News Anchor of The Tom Joyner Morning Show Oprah Winfrey – Television Talk Show Host Zane – Author and Publisher Strebor Books Janell Walden Agyeman – Agent Marie Brown Associates Audra Barrett – Literary Agent Manie Barron – Agent The Menza-Barron Agency (R.I.P.) Regina Brooks – Agent Serendipity Marlene Connor – Literary Agent Sha-Shana N.L. Crichton – President of Crichton and Associates Inc Mondella S. Jones – Agent Mondella Jones Literary Agency Lawrence Jordan – Literary Agent John McGregor – Literary Agent Tanya McKinnon – Agent Mary Evans Inc Tracy Sherrod – Literary Agent Mavis Allen – Associate Sr Editor Harlequin Stacey Barney – Editor Kensington Rakia Clark – Assistant Editor Viking/Penguin Cherise Davis – Sr Editor Touchstone/Fireside/Simon & Schuster Anita Diggs – Sr Editor Thunder's Mouth Press Clarence Haynes – Associate Editor Harlem Moon/Doubleday/Random House Glenda Howard – Sr Editor Arabesque/Harlequin Jennifer Hunt – Sr Editor Little Brown and Co/Warner Young Readers Chris Jackson – Sr Editor Crown/Random House Selena James – Editor Pocketbooks/Simon & Schuster Demetria Lucas – Acquiring Associate Editor Kimani Press/Harlequin Kelli Martin – Sr Editor Jump at the Sun/Hyperion/Disney Young Readers Melanie Okadigwe – Book Club Manager for TrollCarnival, Scholastic Inc Jaira Placide – Editor Jump at the Sun/Hyperion/Disney Young Readers Monique Patterson – Editor Harlequin/Arabesque Evette Porter – Editor Harlequin/Arabesque Stacey Powell – Sr Editor Hatherleigh Bridgette Smith – Editor Pocketbooks/Simon & Schuster Karen Thomas – Editorial Director Dafina/Kensington Tynisha Thompson – Editorial Assistant BookSpan Carl Weber – Publisher Urban Books Teri Woods – Publisher Teri Woods Publishing Earl Cox – Owner Earl Cox and Associates / Publisher WritersandPoets.com and Books That Click Tanisha Christie – Publicist Warner Books Linda Duggins – Sr Publicist Warner Books Christine Saunders – Public Relations Manager Harlequin Sanyu Dillon – Director of Marketing Random House Cheryl Rozier – Advertising Director Warner Brigitte Smith – Publishing Manager Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster Learie Cunnngham – CEO Culture Plus Distributors Eric Gift – President A&B Distributors Rosie Milligan – CEO Milligan Books Bro Nati Kamau-Nattaki – Owner African World Books David Reeves – Owner Sellers Books Bob Romanow – Owner Inner City Book Distributions Luther Warner – Manager Lushena Book Distributors Patrik Henry Bass – Book Editor Essence Magazine Calvin Reid – Sr News Editor Publishers Weekly Again, the lack of platforms is why the names of these professionals are not more widely known or celebrated. Even the platforms that remain are seemingly more focused on celebrity than they are wth anything concerning Black books. Recall this article, "Negro in Literature Today," by John A. Williams which appeared in Ebony magazine in 1963. If there is any hope of articles like the ones in Ebony or Black Issues Book Review ever being written again it will have to come from platform interested feeding a people and not solely interested in making money.

@Delano, no, not in this case. I'm I being overly cynical? What do you think the motivation was for Beyonce's "yawner" of a performance?

@Pioneer1, based upon your opening salvo and subsequent comments I'm not surprised you did not see the film. By admitting it, you've saved me some valuable time.

Pioneer, Mel makes a good point, which I think you may have overlooked. There are people in dire situations who are at peace and others in the same situation having panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, or lashing out at others. The more spiritually developed people actually need less--especially in America where our entire economy is based upon consumption. Much of our desire to accumulate things is a consequence of programming by corporations driving us to consume, so that we increase their profits. The problem is we can never get enough of things we don't need, so we are never really satisfied. This is why, for example, people of modest means, buy more clothing than they can ever wear. Their closets full of clothing with the price tags still on them and they are still not happy and they don't know why. Don't think of it as first we eat, then we exercise, and then work on spiritual development once everything else is done. Spiritual development should run throughout your entire experience, while you eat, while you exercise, while you fight racism.

Pioneer of course if someone is beating you upside the head with a club, you have to address the immediate threat before you can worry about anything else. In fact, this is a good metaphor for the situation the Black community finds itself in today. Dude, many folks don't even have the spare brain cells to read a book let alone think abut enlightenment. In many ways, everyone actively participating in this forum has the luxury of time to participate here and contemplate things outside of satisfying our immediate needs--like where our next meal is coming from. That might sound hyperbolic, but it really is the reality for many. Pioneer in your last statement you make it sound as if it is about doing what is best for yourself OR doing what is best for others. Consider the following: “The best for the group comes when everyone in the group does what's best for himself AND the group.” The quote of from John Nash, who you might remember as the Mathematician portrayed in the film The Beautiful Mind. In fact, the game theory concept was described in the film. I think American culture focuses on doing what is best for yourself, treating life as a zero sum game where one gains only at the expense of someone else. This is not true and Professor Nash proved it earning a Nobel Prize in the process.

I forgot about this author collage: https://aalbc.com/authors/bestselling-authors-mosaic.php I use this collage on all of my social media.The collage is constantly updated based upon sales. The author images appear in the order of the number of times that author appeared on my bestseller list. Zane is number 1. Even though Zane no longer dominates my bestsellers list, it is unlikely anyone will ever unseat her. Zane has made my bestseller list 213 times the number 2 author, Jawanza Kunjufu has made the list 83 times. It is unlikely anyone will unseat him in the next decade.

Perhaps Del, you've been consuming copious amounts of pork and fried foods washing it down with Trader Joes cheapest wines?

I agree with the article save one point; we ARE normal. I've written many times on these forums that our dysfunction is a normal reaction to our environment. What is NOT normal is the inhumanity we have been subjected to for centuries in this country. Until we change our mindset to understand that we are perfectly normal. What is not normal are the people who created the conditions were are in This distinction is important.

Sure the Beyonce's team have coopted these images various belief systems...but surely you know this is for purely for the purpose of generating revenue, right?

It is not often that someone says that about something I wrote--thanks, Me! :-)

Pioneer, I see I did not answer your question. I too was aware of the book before the film. I actually know the production designer , but he did not reveal which movie he was working on until the project was essentially completed. I don't recall being aware of the women prior to the book. But I could be wrong as I've forgotten much more than I know at this point in my life :-) But again how much did you actually learn from the film? I'd be willing to bet that you don't even know the names of the three mathematicians the movie was about. Without doing a search can you? Can you also describe in any meaningful level of detail what all three women did?

Cool @Mel Hopkins I'm sure you see things that I can't see, so I'm really looking forward to speaking with you.

Pioneer the "prosperity ministry" where you give some charismatic "minister" your money to have it come back to your tenfold is all a hoax to take advantage of vulnerable people, sort of like Trump's campaign. This is the thing that would turn any reasonable person off. This is a perversion of religious practice, spiritual practice, or the raising one's level of consciousness. Along the same vein, I'm not a fan of these mega-churches. They provide great entertainment, music and moving services, but at the end of the day, the church leadership is greatly enriched while the congregants are fleeced. Many give 10% of their gross income, or more, to these "preachers" who own jet planes and lavish homes. These marks believe they will literally be damned if they do not live up to this financial commitment. At the same time "institutions" don't even pay taxes like the rest of us... Still, we spend so much time and energy trying to make more and more money--even resorting to praying for more of it, while missing out on what is most important. Working on your mental, spiritual and physical development will bring you the money you need. You will know who you are, understand your motivation and purpose, and engage in activities that will bring you exactly what you need. In a world where people focus on spiritual development, rather on the acquisition of money, there would be more compassion for others. We would not be trying to keep others in the dark (or out of the light), so that we can take what they have for ourselves.

No problem Del--thank you! Pop culture vulture, at the risk of alienating readers of my eNewsletter who are Beyonce fans AND unable to hold an opposing view in the heads, I'm going to quote you in my next eNewsletter. I think your observations were on point. I'm not convinced Beyonce dreamt this Gammy performance up on her own. I think she just does whatever she is told to do. Well Mel, I guess Milo overestimated America's tolerance of degenerate sociopaths--understandable given our pick for President. I did not watch or even look for the video of Milo, advocating sex with underage boys. Do y'all think the pedophilla revation was what motivated Simon and Schuster to cancel the book (I wonder if they took Milo's 1/4 mil)? In other words woud the book have been cancelled were it not for the pedopilla revelaton? Lets see if some other publisher with even lower standards than Threshold Editions steps up to the plate and publishes Milo's book..

Hi Chanique you are missing a lot of details, location, date, etc. Do you have a website? Post the link. Actually, the copy posted needs to be edited (which is more important for promotional information shared here than posts in a conversation). When you get a chance repost an edited version with all the details and I'll delete this one. Thanks.