Troy

Yeah if you get a chance check out the video. You don't have to watch it. I listened to it like I do the radio. If you wanna get to the meat of the debate you can skip the first 15 minutes or so. Also, these are not really debates, these are presentations on each man to explaining their relative greatness in context. The question and answer portion that followed was just as good. But that was in a 2nd video which they posted on Facebook I have to tell you I hated having to watch the video on Facebook (won't do it again). I respectfully suggested that they post their video on their own website. My comment was ignored. When even the most conscious Black folks don't get this simple thing, and why it is mandatory for Black empowerment, it tells me we really have a long way to go...

Kam just forwarded me the following: On March 14, 1975, students gathered to protest the University’s proposed budget for 1975-76, charging that President Hornig’s “White Paper” on the budget would cut financial aid and student services and also that the reduction of faculty would affect minorities. The students formed an informal “Coalition,” the purpose of which was to pressure the Corporation to adopt an alternative budget. The students’ demand for access to all budgetary material was denied, and on April 13 the Coalition presented a list of final demands. The next day 2,956 students (78 per cent of the 73 per cent of the student body which voted) elected to strike. In the following days class attendance dropped and the students picketed University Hall. The Advisory and Executive Committee passed the budget with few changes, while assuring that no student would be forced to leave because of increased costs. A student referendum on April 22 indicated that the students, while dissatisfied with the outcome, did not support further protest. On Thursday, April 24, 1975, University Hall was occupied by forty black, Latin, and Asian-American students. The occupation lasted 38 and a half hours, while picket lines in two circles, one of black students and one of white supporters, marched around University Hall, improvising dance steps and clapping to the accompaniment of conga drums and tambourines. The students were voicing concern that Brown was not living up to commitments made after the black walkout in 1968. The occupation of the building by the students, already in communication with the administration, in anticipation of their own Thursday evening deadline was seen as a method of dramatizing the expected agreement.--Kam WIlliams There is additional back story which that Kam shared with me which was very interesting.

I visit the Dr. John Henrik Clarke House from time to time. I would have attended this debate but I went to a Super Bowl Party last Sunday. I will probably make the debate tomorrow (2/8/15, Sunday, February 8th 3:P.M.) which will be on, Who is the Greater, Malcolm X or Dr. Martin Luther King, If you are in the area, 286 Convent Ave, Harlem New York, it should be very educational. Chris, the Brother that open this video, James McIntosh, was the one who compiled the data in my Bill Cosby Hoax post.

These dates and other lectures and presentations take place at the Dr. John Henrik Clarke House is located at 286 Convent Ave, Harlem New York. Admission is free Call 347-907-0629 for more information

American Library Association announces 2015 youth media award winners For Immediate Release Fri, 02/06/2015 Contact: Macey Morales Media Relations Manager American Library Association 312-280-4393 mmorales@ala.org CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. A list of all the 2015 award winners follows: John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature: “The Crossover,” written by Kwame Alexander, is the 2015 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: “El Deafo” by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. “Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” illustrated by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Dan Santat and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Six Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Nana in the City,” illustrated by Lauren Castillo, written by Lauren Castillo and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. “The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art,” illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. “Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett and published by Candlewick Press. “Viva Frida,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book. “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. “This One Summer,” illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki and published by First Second. Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Three King Author Honor Books were selected: Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover,” published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing. Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,” illustrated by Hadley Hooper and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Books (USA) LLC. Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down,” published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC. Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award: “Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Misty Copeland and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Two King Illustrator Honor Book were selected: Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” by Patricia Hruby Powell, published by Chronicle Books LLC. Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone,” by Katheryn Russell-Brown, published by Lee and Low Books, Inc. Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: “When I Was the Greatest,” written by Jason Reynolds, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Deborah D. Taylor is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. Taylor’s career in public service began more than 40 years ago with the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, where she is currently coordinator of School and Student Services. Her career has been spent as mentor, educator and literacy advocate for young adults. As an inspiring young adult librarian, leader in national associations and university instructor, she has been distinctly effective in introducing young people and her professional colleagues to the outstanding work of African American authors. Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: “I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, is the 2015 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company. Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “And We Stay,” by Jenny Hubbard, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., a Penguin Random House Company. “The Carnival at Bray,” by Jessie Ann Foley, and published by Elephant Rock Books. “Grasshopper Jungle,” by Andrew Smith, and published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company. “This One Summer,” by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, and published by First Second. Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: “A BOY AND A JAGUAR” written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10. “RAIN REIGN” written by Ann M. Martin and published by A FEIWEL AND FRIENDS BOOK, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13). The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Girls Like Us,” written by Gail Giles and published by Candlewick Press. Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences: “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr, published by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. “Bellweather Rhapsody,” by Kate Racculia, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. “Bingo’s Run,” by James A. Levine, published by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. “Confessions,” by Kanae Minato, translated by Stephen Snyder, published by Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. “Everything I Never Told You,” by Celeste Ng, published by The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. “Lock In,” by John Scalzi, a Tor Book published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. “The Martian,” by Andy Weir, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. “The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice,” by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles, published by TED Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” by Michael Koryta, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. “Wolf in White Van,” by John Darnielle, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video: Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard, Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Me…Jane,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. This transcendent adaptation of Patrick McDonnell’s 2012 Caldecott Honor draws viewers into the childhood of a young Jane Goodall who, with beloved stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, is transformed by what she observes in her own backyard, a “magical world full of joy and wonder.” Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The 2015 winner is Donald Crews, whose award-winning works include “Freight Train,” which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1979, and “Truck,” a Caldecott Honor Book in 1981. He has been consistently excellent with a wide range of titles, such as “Harbor,” “Parade,” “Shortcut” and “Bigmama’s,” all published by Greenwillow Books. Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: The 2015 winner is Sharon M. Draper, author of more than 20 books, including: “Tears of a Tiger” (1994), “Forged by Fire” (1997), “Darkness Before Dawn” (2001), “Battle of Jericho” (2004), “Copper Sun” (2006), and “November Blues” (2007), all published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. 2016 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. The 2016 Arbuthnot Lecture will be delivered by Pat Mora. Pioneering author and literacy advocate Pat Mora has written more than three dozen books for young people that represent the Mexican American experience. Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States: “Mikis and the Donkey” is the 2015 Batchelder Award winner. The book was written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust,” published by First Second an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership, written by Loic Dauvillier, illustrated by Marc Lizano, color by Greg Salsedo, translated by Alexis Siegel. “Nine Open Arms,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen. Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States: “H. O. R. S. E. A Game of Basketball and Imagination,” produced by Live Oak Media, is the 2015 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Christopher Myers and narrated by Dion Graham and Christopher Myers. Three Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: “Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” produced by AUDIOWORKS (Children’s) an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc., written by Tim Federle, and narrated by Tim Federle; “The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Julie Berry, and narrated by Jayne Entwistle; “A Snicker of Magic,” produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Natalie Lloyd, and narrated by Cassandra Morris. Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: “Viva Frida,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book. Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named: “Little Roja Riding Hood,” illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya, and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. “Green Is a Chile Pepper,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, and published by Chronicle Books LLC. “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring Latino authors whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience: "I Lived on Butterfly Hill" is the 2015 Pura Belpré (Author) Award winner. The book is written by Marjorie Agosín, illustrated by Lee White and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. One Belpré Author Honor Book was named: "Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes," written by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raúl Colón and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children: “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Five Sibert Honor Books were named: “Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. “The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia,” written by Candace Fleming, and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” written by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson and published by Chronicle Books LLC. “Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands,” written and illustrated by Katherine Roy, and published by David Macaulay Studio, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press. “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience: “This Day in June,” written by Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D., illustrated by Kristyna Litten and published by Magination Press, an imprint of the American Psychological Association, is the winner of the 2015 Stonewall Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award. Three Honor Books were selected: “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” by Susan Kuklin, photographed by Susan Kuklin and published by Candlewick Press. “I’ll give you the sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” written by Christine Baldacchino, pictures by Isabelle Malenfant, published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press. Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book: “You Are (Not) Small,” written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant, is the Seuss Award winner. The book is published by Two Lions, New York. Two Geisel Honor Books were named: “Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page,” written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard, and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. “Waiting Is Not Easy!” written by Mo Willems, illustrated by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group. William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens: “Gabi, a Girl in Pieces,” written by Isabel Quintero, is the 2015 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Cinco Puntos Press. Four other books were finalists for the award: “The Carnival at Bray” written by Jessie Ann Foley and published by Elephant Rock Books. “The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim” written by E.K. Johnston and published by Carolrhoda Lab™, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group. “The Scar Boys” written by Len Vlahos and published by Egmont Publishing. “The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” written by Leslye Walton and published by Candlewick Press. YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: “Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek,” written by Maya Van Wagenen, is the 2015 Excellence winner. The book is published by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Four other books were finalists for the award: “Laughing at My Nightmare” written by Shane Burcaw, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group. “The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia” written by Candace Fleming, and published by Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. “Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won!” written by Emily Arnold McCully, and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. “The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” written by Steve Sheinkin, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma . Contact: Macey Morales Media Relations Manager 312-280-4393 mmorales@ala.org Heather Cho Media Relations Specialist 312-280-4020 hcho@ala.org

Man in simply researching the articles I've been publishing lately it is just simply astonishing how much we don't know. I just finished reading an article about Rev. James Bevel from the December 20, 2008 Washington Post. (Harry Brown, you better sit down for this one) Bevel is the character who portrayed by Common in the film Selma. Bevel was a key Lieutenant for Dr. King, and prominent civil rights activist his entire adult life--even help The Nation of Islam organize the Million Man March. He was married 4 times, and fathered 16 children with 7 different women. He was also convicted of incest with one of his teenage daughters! Apparently several of his other children complained about sexual abuse as well... James Bevel, Photo Credit: By Rich Lipski -- The Washington Post

..well maybe not the whole University. Back in 1975, while a grad-student at Brown University, Kam Williams was part of a student rebellion and took over Brown University's University Hall. The protest was chronicled in the film, from the period, Here to Stay: The Takeover of University Hall Kam is guy playing the playing the tambourine in the clip below: Interestingly, Kam was also a classmate of Gayl Jones, who he says was a brilliant writer back then, getting a book deal right out of grad school.

Well that is good to hear about the Stax neighborhood. If I could, I would come to Memphis, 'cuase I really can't afford the Big Apple and run AALBC.com at the same time. Cynique it seems it is becoming increasingly difficult to "make it" here in America and fulfill ones racial obligations. The two activities run counter to each other. Perhaps this is the crux of the problem. One of the differences I've noticed, Cynique between my generation and yours (based upon my admittedly limited perspective from reading old magazines). Is that your generation did not solely focus on celebrities and athletes as role models. I could find articles on writers, physicians, successful people of all types. When your generation talked about celebrities it was often because they were going something great for our people. Today virtually all the people we talk about are celebrities and athletes and when we talk about them it is usually because they are doing something scandalous; something dumb Cosby did, something stupid Kanye said, or even goofing on the tragic situation of Bobby Brown's daughter. We rarely talk about successful business owners. Indeed, few of us can probably name one (who is not an athlete or celebrity. Other than Obama, there really are not very many role models that are in the media, who are not athletes or celebrities. We also don't live with each other, did we way did 50 years ago. Middle Class Black people (those who can lose their jobs and make it at least 6 months without their lifestyles changing) tend to live in white enclaves. The less wealthy (most of us) live in poorer communities with bad schools, and no real life examples of Black professionals or business owners in our communities. The idea of a middle class life style is completely alien to us. I could go on, but the days in when we could leave our doors unlocked were days in which those communities were truly communities. Most of us, I suspect, don't even know who our neighbors are today. Instead we opt to experience the world, behind double-locked doors, through the artificially constructed world of social media. We are much more transient, not invested in our communities. We don't know the owners of the local business, and prefer to travel to a distant malls, or transact online. Meanwhile while local businesses on main street dry up, along with the money that would have circulated in the community. The American dream is just that a dream. The reality, for the majority of us, is a nightmare. But as long as we have sports, entertainment, and social media to keep us placated and distracted this nightmare called the American Dream is tolerable.

....just in time for Black History Month Seriously, I can see the appeal for both books. Like most literate Americans I read To Kill a Mockingbird. I saw the film as well, and enjoyed both. Until now Lee never published another book. This book was written before Mockingbird, but was originally rejected by publishers. Wilder wrote Little House on the Prairie, which was also a popular TV series. I did not read her book, or enjoy the TV series, but millions of other people did. Today Amazon sells about 75% of the new books sold online. All indications are this trend will continue in their favor. If anyone believes this is a good thing, they are woefully naive. If you follow the link to the bestselling books in Amazon, you won't find any books by African American novelist. There is a saying, "if you can't beat 'em join 'em." Maybe I'll start promoting books like these. To subsidize the books written by Black folks.

Last night, Thursday, February 5, 2015, The 46th NAACP Image Awards announced the winners for the 45 non-televised categories at gala dinner at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium hosted by Affion Crockett and Chris Spencer. The Winners From Last Night Are Highlighted Above

Salena, don't mind Chris he is a cool brother. He is honest and direct and that is often mistaken for being insulting in the online world. Still, you did not post the link to your website (a Blog is a website).

Chris I hear you Chris but the problems I'm talking about are national, and are true in virtually any place where there are large concentrations of Black folks. So New York and Memphis are in the same boat--for the same reasons. I used to visit Raleigh, NC as a kid. No one locked anything. Kids could leave their bikes on the lawn, get up the next morning, and their bikes would still be there! Coming from New York City I could not believe it, but I loved the stress free living. Today the same houses have multiple locks and still get broken into. It is so very sad... OK so Memphis is the land of opportunity. Indeed you make me wanna move there. Memphis is a much easier place to get by, but yet, problems persist. Crime was nonexistent 40 years ago. You tell me then, what changed and why? Did the people should become criminals and stop going to school for no reason in the last 40 years? Chris you assert that people just need do what they need to do. So why are they not doing it Chris? ------- Across the street from the Stax Museum, in Memphis is (or was) a supermarket. The first thing you see is a huge lottery booth, The mean section had chicken feet and a few other low grade cuts of meat, scrabble, Bologna and the like--nothing was appealing. There was a rows of jugs of plastic juice of every color imaginable; red, blue, purple, green. I just went in there to grab a quick snack. But I was so surprised by what I saw, I went back out and told the wife and kids, you gotta check this super market out. It was like a ghetto bodega on steroids. I'd never seen anything like it. It was run by what appeared to be Chinese people all the customers were Black. --------- Man I hate when I lose a long post! The same thing can happen in virtually any ap. When I find that I writing something long and I don't want to risk losing it, or I've started writing something and I have to come back to it. I save it in a separate file like my email program. Sometimes I'll just go head and save the comment I have not complete finished. Unfortunately you can save a draft of a comment. The same used to happen to me on Facebook, but I no longer write anything long enough to care about loosing when my browser crashes

I guess the main difference between what I see as the "root problem" and what Chris and Harry see as the root problem is this; I see the root problem as racism, the primary tool of those in control. You all see the problem as Black people not doing what is necessary to make it. What you two fail to realize is that our dysfunctional behavior is a direct result of racism. Do you think Black people choose not be be educated, live in the worst conditions and fill up the prisons? Sure Chris, I sent two kids to college; in fact, I paid for their education from nursery school. My wife and I paid dearly for this, sacrificing a great deal. Sure I have a business, but I no longer earn enough make it in the big city without having to teach on the side. I'm sacrificing a great deal for something I believe is important to our community. If we did not live in a racist society I would not be running AALBC.com. I would be doing something far more lucrative. If we lived in a society that cared about educating Black children, I would not have had to pay, through the nose, to have my kids educated. Obviously I (we) could all go on, and on, about how hard living in a racist society is for Black people. The idea that all we have to do is, is do the right thing is fatally flawed. Of course we have to do the right thing, but ignoring the hostile environment we live in, expecting our good behavior to make a difference is naive. Besides we can observe the results of this belief. We all know smart Black people who failed, or are even in jail. We all know mediocre white folks achieving great things, like becoming President of the US, Governor of Alaska, etc. It does no matter very much what we do, until we do something about the folks in control. Otherwise we will not see anything beyond token benefits for a few (celebrities, athletes, or those working directly for those in control), while the majority of us are largely shut out, blaming ourselves and each other.

Del, here are my numbers 8 - 6 - 9. My question is, when will I achieve some of my goals. Cynique, you don't have to pay to run a website. This website that I use with my students: http://cis3630.byethost14.com/ is completely free to run. If anything you'd want to register a domain name, but that should cost less that 10 bucks a year. If you are interested in starting the process, visit: http://domainsforauthors.com/ and sign up for "free hosting." I can give you the rest of the steps once you setup the free website. I could do it for you, but it will be better if you go through the process.

Independent Lens Premieres Two New Documentaries in February for Black History Month National Guardsman escorting man around the time of a race riot in East St. Louis, June 6, 1917 (Credit: Bettman/CORBIS) This February, Independent Lens presents two provocative new documentaries that take a fresh look at not only the African American experience but the ongoing question of the meaning of race in America. The first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present, Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People premieres on Monday, February 16, 2015, 10:00-11:30 p.m. ET (check local listings). Directed by Thomas Allen Harris, the film probes the recesses of American history through images that have been suppressed, forgotten and lost. Bringing to light the hidden and unknown photos shot by both professional and vernacular African American photographers, the film opens a window into the lives of black families, whose experiences and perspectives are often missing from the traditional historical canon. These images show a much more complex and nuanced view of American culture and society and its founding ideals. Inspired by Reflections in Black by author Deborah Willis, the film features the works of Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas, Coco Fusco, Clarissa Sligh, and many others. How do we explain the disconnect between what we believe and what we practice in what some have called a "post-racial" America? American Denial explores this question through the prism of a landmark 1944 inquiry into Jim Crow segregation conducted by Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal for the Carnegie Commission. His question: How could a people who cherish freedom and fairness also create such a racially oppressive society? Seventy years later, American Denial juxtaposes Myrdal's investigation with current stories of racial injustice that are often overlooked in our national insistence on the preeminence of the ideals of liberty, justice, and equality. Directed by Llewellyn Smith and produced by Christine Herbes-Sommers, Smith, and Kelly Thomson, American Denial premieres Monday, February 23, 2015, 10:00-11:00 pm. ET (check local listings). About Independent Lens Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 10:00 p.m. The acclaimed series features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by Independent Television Service, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens. Reenactment photo of young man getting frisked by cops (Credit: Zachary Stuart / Vital Pictures, Inc.)

This infographic is perfectly consistent with my data. I recently examined which entities published the most popular books read by African Americans. The top 5 corporations publish 80% of the book we read. 50% of what we are aren't even published by American owned corporations. Is it any wonder that African American novelists, get very little coverage in the media?

Thanks Chris. No internal struggle over social media. Maybe she can score a gig with them and flip that switch that will increase my engagement.

This is my youngest kid, who finishes at Williams and Mary this semester. I ask my kids about what's hot in the social media world. They are up on my world view regarding social media. Maybe this one will come work for me one day. Actually I'll probably end up working for her, the old guy in the corner responsible for maintaining the handful of legacy websites that have not been migrated to Facebook.

I know this is gonna come off like I'm just moving the target , but I did mean Black films. The Color Purple would definitely be an example of what I'm talking about, original music for a Black film (this is an excellent sound track too). When was the last time we did something like this for a film? Has there been anything in the last 5, 10 or even 15 years?

Sorry man I meant music created specifically for a film. I did watch Night Catches Us saturday evening. The film had a lot of good music in it, but most of it was from the period. The main tune the Roots created for the film was good, but can't be compared to the work Mayfield or Hayes created for their respective films. Again, my main point is that I'm not sure there has been any Black musician was has created original music for a film since the Blaxpoiltation era. Of course I could be wrong, but I'm sure the film, as with many of our indies, did nothing at the box office. I watched Red Hook Summer for the first time after watching Night Catches Us. I enjoyed Night us much more. I think Red Hook Summer had potential, but the story felt incomplete, the acting was uneven and humor fell flat. Spike showed up in the film still delivering pizzas as Mookie the character from Do the Right Thing, almost 25 years prior. Now one would think, that would be a nostalgic addition to the film, but I could not help but think, "Oh Brother." It was an unnecessary distraction. Overall the film did not have the feel of an major motion picture release. Kam and I are in agreement on this film's ranking.

Harry over time I've come to see this attitude as blaming the victim. Sure all those Blacks do to each other are reprehensible. Did you hear the part about how drugs were brought into the Black community? You can't treat people with utter contempt, for centuries, and not expect some dysfunction. If we don't appreciate the true cause of our problems things will never change--because we continue to treat the symptoms rather than dealing with the problem. In places like NYC the problems are obvious--it is too damn expensive for many Black people to live here. People are suffering, stressed out, and without hope for making things better. We need better schools, better housing, better food, and employment opportunities, before we can hope for any of this to change. NYC City used to build affordable housing for large numbers of people. Today most of the new housing stock goes to rich folks, many of whom don't even live in the City.

In the case of Shaft and Superfly, those sound tracks were scored for the film. But the Love Jones soundtrack was a bunch of songs that already existed and used in the film. The poetry was original (maybe) but most of the album was from various artists. The He Got Game sound track does not really count either, and actually reflects one of the things I dislike most about Rap; simply taking music and changing the lyrics. Night Catches Us, was a film that very few people saw in the theaters. I noticed it is on Netflix and Amazon prime so it can be watched for free. I actually have not seen the film and will check it out the first chance I get. I looks pretty good and has an original score, that sounds good in the trailer.

Hey Maxx welcome to the boards. Yes the book changed my impression of the genre. Maybe 50 years from now I'll look back at commercial rap music with rose colored glasses, Also I noticed your site has a few issues. The site http://www.ybandg.com/maxxkbooks/ is framed in such a way the the link to order your books don't work. It should work but it is not, probably has to do with the originating website. Also I can see the underlying URL's (you should read this article and note point #3 about affiliate Amazon affiliate codes). Cynique, several of my favorite Black films are from that era, Cooley High, Cotton Comes to Harlem, Claudine, Uptown Saturday Night, the sound track for Shaft and Superfly were simply great (do Black film even have original sound tracks anymore?). I could go on.