Troy

Book Reviewing, African-American Style by Wanda Coleman. This article appeared in the 9/16/02 edition of The Nation. Read this for a historical perspective on the Black book scene. You'll discover we have not come very far. If you ask me we have regressed since then. What do you think?

Kam interviewed Alice Walker last week. I think this is one of his more interesting interviews. I was rather struck by Alice's response to his question about her estrangement with her daughter. Her answer caught me, as a father of two girls as somewhat too accepting, maybe a tad bit cold. But hey if you get anything from the interview it is that Alice does and say what she wants. Of course I was with her on her opinion of Obama, not so much as an personal thing against Obama, but just the realization that, as Alice puts it, "I think I’ve actually returned to a kind of realism about how the world works. That’s helpful. Because in a way, no matter who’s in charge of the corporation that the United States is, the direction in which it is taken seems to be inexorable. So, you just get the job of being the front man for four or eight years. Now, most people realize that’s what you are."

Oh yeah if you don't want to register for a Scientific American account, or are unable to as I was, you can read or download the full article from Goolge who make a pdf of the article available here

Richard just send me troy@aalbc.com) a link to the article you want deleted troy@aalbc.com . The system is setup to allow authors to delete articles, I'm not sure why this is not working. If I had hundreds of active participants I would sort it out, but right now it is just easier for me to delete the errant posts. I have to look up email alerts. It is not a feature I really take advantage of. You caught me at a really busy time too. So I apologize for the delayed and in this case not very helpful response.

Hi Richard I ran a search using your comment The statistics say Google+ is overtaking facebook there were a bunch of articles, all saying the same thing. After skimming a few of them one referenced a source, this article: A bunch of other sites are referencing an article using this graph saying Google+ will take over Facebook by 2016. However during this search I stumbled across an article: Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality The Web is critical not merely to the digital revolution but to our continued prosperity—and even our liberty. Like democracy itself, it needs defending By Tim Berners-Lee Sir Tim Berners-Lee, invented the world wide web by in 1990 starting with a web site and a browser on the same computer. His article resonated deeply. I've been active on the web for 20 years and what is cautions is happening and is a serious problem. Tim's article is worth reading.

Publishing expert, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, presents an informative and entertaining workshop that will motivate you to start or complete your writing project! Saturday, March 22, 2014 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM Community Room at Audio, Etc. 551 Congress Park Drive Dayton, Ohio 45459 Your investment includes Continental breakfast and lunch Self-Publishing Made Easy Passionate Writing Journal Writing exercises Volumes of information about the publishing business Click here to register! Space is limited, so serious writers only. All for just $67! through March 15, then $87 thereafter. Walk-up registrations welcome; however, we do not guarantee that conference materials and meals will be available. Comments from Self-Publishing Made Easy attendees... "One of the best sessions that I attended was by Valerie J. Lewis Coleman who is an author, editor and publisher. Valerie's session, Self-Publishing Made Easy Cash Machine, was fast paced and delved into many of the aspects of self-publishing. Valerie was funny, informative and a 'trial by fire' expert in the area of self-publishing." ~ Jackie Harper of Free is My Life "I'm motivated to finish my book!" "The presenters were great, funny and lively!" "I expected a miracle and got one!" "Thank you! I now have an outline, a working title, a pen name and a publisher, editor and publicist for my second book!" "The Write On! Workshop changed my life!" "Great conference. Excellent, knowledgeable speaker, lots of content!" "Great menu and hospitality!" "The speakers provided an enormous reality check as they unwrapped the pretty package of publishing!" "The book stand was a unique and inspirational touch!" "I'm coming back for the next one!" Click here to register! The day starts with registration and continental breakfast at 8:30 AM. Promptly at 9:00 AM, we’re going to delve into the mechanics of writing. Bring your manuscript, ideas and an open mind to create, expand and modify concepts for your book. A glimpse at the sessions is noted below: Writing 101 So you have a book in you that you want to share with the world. How do you put pen to paper to develop an award-winning manuscript? You will learn how to organize your thoughts and write from an editor's perspective. Avoid the top eleven writing mistakes made by new writers. Understand techniques to engage your readers and keep them wanting more. Follow these easy steps to make your book a national treasure. What Are My Publishing Options? With polished manuscript in-hand, what's next? Self-publish? Vanity press? Print-on-Demand? Obtain clear and concise instructions on how to establish your publishing company. Get the inside scoop on the four must-have components of a quality cover. Determine the best price for your book. Master self-publishing to make money!

The Power List, the quarterly compilation of best-selling books written or read by African Americans, released its winter 2014 list today. The Power List is a joint project of AALBC.com, Cushcity.com and Mosaicbooks.com, three Web sites which have promoted African-American literature for more than fifteen years. Read the press release.

Harry you don't want to talk to any teachers. Anecdotally, most kids do not live with their biological fathers, many don't even know him. This is not to say that these kids don;t have a man in the home, the guy just does not happen to be the father. The day of the married mother and father living with the children born of that union is a thing of the past. I'm not confident it is possible to go back to those days. So many people, have lived for generations, doing something completely different the concept of the traditional family unit is an anachronism, or something squares do. It is too bad cause society is still optimized for the traditional model, so life is just a little bit harder when you don;t conform..

Funny thing about the Grammys I have less than zero interest in watching the broadcast. I used to watch it to discover new music, but now even the potential to find some new good music is not even worth the effort sitting through the broadcast. I spend the evening updating the Power List database with the new best-selling titles. There was a time the Gammys would to interest me. Sometimes, it was just the opportunity for me to see a Black artist I would rarely see on TV. I remember feeling good to see rap artist being recognized for the first time... The folks at Jet send me some publicity . Honestly, I did not know who Kendrick was, but figured since Jet is pumping him he must be someone popular. The promotional copy indicated he was up for a Grammy. I got my youngest to give me the run down on Kendrick, she played some music, I had previously hear some of it but would never have tied it to his name. My daughter said she liked his music and thought he would probably win a Grammy. She performed at her school recently, word is that is is a nice young man -- even worked out with the student in the gym. I hope the issue did well for Jet. Though an article one Kendrick does not interest me at all ether.

2014 Grammys Recap by Kam Williams A Royal Night to Remember! From Queen B’s Wardrobe Malfunction to Queen Latifah’s Mass Wedding Although the Grammys were dominated by the French robot duo Daft Punk, rapper/producer team Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and New Zealand teen singing sensation Lorde, their wins were easily upstaged by memorable appearances by two black queens, namely, Queen B and Queen Latifah. For, the night to remember’s highlights featured a wardrobe malfunction during Beyoncé’s performance of “Drunk in Love” and Reverend Latifah’s officiating the wedding of 33 couples (with the power vested in her by the State of California) following Macklemore’s spirited rendition of the gay anthem “Same Love.” Did anybody think about Nas’ pronouncement that “Hip-hop is dead!” on a night when the genre’s artists netting the most accolades were no longer black gangsta rappers but white gay rights advocates preaching tolerance of sexual preferences? Talk about jumping the shark! The only other jaw-dropper was the sight of Pharrell in that oversized, Canadian Mountie hat. Complete List of 2014 Grammy Winners Record of the Year “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers Album of the Year “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk Song of the Year Joel Little and Ella Yelich-O’Connor (“Royals,” Lorde) New Artist Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Pop Solo Performance “Royals,” Lorde Pop Performance, Duo or Group “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers Pop Instrumental Album “Steppin’ Out,” Herb Alpert Pop Vocal Album “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars Dance Recording “Clarity,” Zedd and Foxes Dance/Electronica Album “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk Traditional Pop Vocal Album “To Be Loved,” Michael Bublé Rock Performance “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons Metal Performance “God Is Dead?,” Black Sabbath Rock Song Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear (“Cut Me Some Slack,” Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear) Rock Album “Celebration Day,” Led Zeppelin Alternative Music Album “Modern Vampires of the City,” Vampire Weekend R&B Performance “Something,” Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway Traditional R&B Performance “Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr. R&B Song James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley and Justin Timberlake (“Pusher Love Girl,” Justin Timberlake) R&B Album “Girl on Fire,” Alicia Keys Rap Performance “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz Rap/Sung Collaboration “Holy Grail,” Jay Z and Justin Timberlake Rap Song Ben Haggerty and Ryan Lewis (“Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz) Rap Album “The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Urban Contemporary Album “Unapologetic,” Rihanna Country Solo Performance “Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker Country Performance, Duo or Group “From This Valley,” the Civil Wars Country Song Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne (“Merry Go ’Round,” Kacey Musgraves) Country Album “Same Trailer Different Park,” Kacey Musgraves New Age Album “Love’s River,” Laura Sullivan Improvised Jazz Solo “Orbits,” Wayne Shorter Jazz Vocal Album “Liquid Spirit,” Gregory Porter Jazz Instrumental Album “Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue,” Terri Lyne Carrington Large Jazz Ensemble Album “Night in Calisia,” Randy Brecker, Wlodek Pawlik Trio and Kalisz Philharmonic Latin Jazz Album “Song for Maura,” Paquito D’Rivera and Trio Corrente Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance “Break Every Chain (Live),” Tasha Cobbs Gospel Song Tye Tribbett (“If He Did It Before ... Same God (Live),” Tye Tribbett) Contemporary Christian Music Song David Garcia, Ben Glover and Christopher Stevens (“Overcomer,” Mandisa) Gospel Album “Greater Than (Live),” Tye Tribbett Contemporary Christian Music Album “Overcomer,” Mandisa Latin Pop Album “Vida,” Draco Rosa Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album “Treinta Días,” la Santa Cecilia Regional Mexican or Tejano Album “A Mi Manera,” Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea Tropical Latin Album “Pacific Mambo Orchestra,” Pacific Mambo Orchestra American Roots Song Edie Brickell and Steve Martin (“Love Has Come for You,” Steve Martin and Edie Brickell) Americana Album “Old Yellow Moon,” Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell Bluegrass Album “The Streets of Baltimore,” Del McCoury Band Blues Album “Get Up!,” Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite Folk Album “My Favorite Picture of You,” Guy Clark Regional Roots Music Album “Dockside Sessions,” Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience Reggae Album “Ziggy Marley in Concert,” Ziggy Marley World Music Album “Savor Flamenco,” Gipsy Kings “Live: Singing for Peace Around the World,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo (tie) Children’s Album “Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well,” Jennifer Gasoi Spoken Word Album “America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t,” Stephen Colbert Comedy Album “Calm Down Gurrl,” Kathy Griffin Musical Theater Album “Kinky Boots,” Billy Porter and Stark Sands, artists; Sammy James Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus and William Wittman, producers; Cyndi Lauper, composer/lyricist Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media “Sound City: Real to Reel,” Butch Vig, compilation producer Score Soundtrack for Visual Media “Skyfall,” Thomas Newman, composer Song Written for Visual Media Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth, “Skyfall,” from “Skyfall” (Adele) Instrumental Composition “Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra,” Clare Fischer (the Clare Fischer Orchestra) Instrumental Arrangement “On Green Dolphin Street,” Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band) Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) “Swing Low,” Gil Goldstein (Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding) Producer of the Year, Nonclassical Pharrell Williams Producer of the Year, Classical David Frost Remixed Recording, Nonclassical “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix),” Cedric Gervais, remixer Orchestral Performance “Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4,” Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra) Opera Recording “Adès: The Tempest,” Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna and Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the Metropolitan Opera Chorus) Choral Performance “Pärt: Adam’s Lament,” Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv and Rainer Vilu, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Sinfonietta Riga and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Latvian Radio Choir and Vox Clamantis) Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance “Roomful of Teeth,” Brad Wells and Roomful of Teeth Classical Instrumental Solo “Corigliano: Conjurer — Concerto for Percussionist and String Orchestra,” Evelyn Glennie Classical Vocal Solo “Winter Morning Walks,” Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough and Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra) Classical Compendium “Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik,” Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Contemporary Classical Composition “Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks,” Maria Schneider (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson and Australian Chamber Orchestra) Music Video “Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake and Jay Z Music Film “Live Kisses,” Paul McCartney Recording Package “Long Night Moon,” Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly) Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package “Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition),” Simon Earith and James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney and Wings) Album Notes “Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded),” Neil Tesser (John Coltrane) Historical Album “Charlie Is My Darling — Ireland 1965,” Teri Landi, Andrew Loog Oldham & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (the Rolling Stones) “The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums,” Leo Sacks, compilation producer; Joseph M. Palmaccio, Tom Ruff and Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bill Withers) (tie) Engineered Album, Nonclassical “Random Access Memories,” Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta and Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine Chabert and Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Daft Punk) Surround Sound Album “Live Kisses,” Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney) Best Engineered Album, Classical “Winter Morning Walks,” David Frost, Brian Losch and Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)

Kendrick Lamar Ushers in a New Audience for JET Magazine Hip-Hop’s new super star covers annual Black History issue FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICAGO, Ill. (January 24, 2013) — Award season is in full swing. In celebration of the new direction, JET magazine breaks with tradition to feature the young, talented and critically acclaimed rap artist Kendrick Lamar — who has seven Grammy nominations for his latest album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City — on the cover for the Black History issue. “I always seen [JET magazine] every time I walked into the house,” said Lamar. “It was always there. So I already knew that it had to hold some type of weight. Being a young cat, I had to know, since this magazine is right here all the time, it must be a powerful magazine. So it’s a privilege just to be a part of it, and for Black History Month, it’s a beautiful thing.” The artist, renowned for delivering thought-provoking lyrics that center around social issues, shares the ways in which his passionate storytelling is impacting lives. In JET magazine’s exclusive interview, the hip-hop star reveals everything from his social responsibility to why the music industry needs more than good hooks and catchy tracks. “Hip-hop plays a huge part in Black history,” says Lamar. “It’s bigger than music. Entertainers are actually leading a generation today as role models, whether they want to or not.” Acknowledging that his fans are deeply influenced by what he says, Lamar also discusses being conscious of the messages he delivers in his music. “The songs aren’t for me,” he says. “They are for that person who needs to hear them. People who live their lives to this music. So I take it a little further than just coming up with a clever line.” Additionally, the rapper opens up about the array of Black men — including iconic figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and those closer to home, such as his father — who molded his character. “My earliest role model is my father, then my uncles Lil Man and Bobby,” Lamar shared. “These are the cats who I felt handled their business and took care of their family.” He also talks about how hip-hop’s business savvy moguls have chiseled his ambition. “People forget that Jay Z is from the projects – but that inspires me,” continued Lamar. “If this guy can go from the streets to the corporate world, that lets me know I’m open for anything.” Readers can read the article in its entirety and more in the February 17issue of JET magazine, on newsstands January 27. -###-

These kids, from Bed-Stuy and Brownsville, deliver a powerful protest about race relations in America. The children are introduced by Roxie Roker (Mrs. Willis from The Jefferson's. Lenny Kavitz's mom) On "Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant", Charles Hobson captured his neighborhood in black and white — local celebrities, activists, musicians, and regular residents all made appearances on the weekly show. The program ran for two years, and Hobson moved on to produce shows like "Black Journal" and "Like It Is". Described by Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant producer Charles Hobson as one of the program's "most-requested pieces", this video features the Leroi Jones Young Spirit House Movers and Players delivering a jaw-droppingly powerful spoken-word performance.

I was thinking about you yesterday Harry--missing the controversial posts. I saw this post on Twitter as soon as I saw the ALL CAPS I knew it was you. Agreed. Dennis friendship with the North Koren leader does not bother me in the least bit. All those cats hobnobbing with corporate criminals but dogging Dennis are hypocrites. They are probably jealous Kim is not hooking them up with lavish trips to North Korea. The US sent athletes to perform in front of Hitler for Christ's sake?!. Of course I could go on forever with our hypocracy. As far as I'm considered, Dennis' friendship with Kim Jong-Un is not even newsworthy. Now if Dennis gets into trouble over there he better understand he is probably ob his own... but he is a Brother in America and already accustomed to that.

Here are Kam WIlliam's annual list of the 100 Best Films of 2013 While 2013 may be remembered for black-themed films like 42, The Butler, Fruitvale Station and early Oscar favorite 12 Years a Slave, there were plenty of other excellent offerings released over the course of the year. The summer season alone featured a trio of outstanding horror flicks in The Conjuring, You’re Next and The Purge. And fright fans were even treated to a fascinating documentary deconstructing the making of Night of the Living Dead entitled Birth of the Living Dead. The profusion of cinematic treats once again made it impossible to limit my favorites to just the 10 best. So, as per usual, this critic’s annual list features 100 entries in order to honor as many deserving films as possible. 10 Best Big Budget Films 1. The Butler 2. Prisoners 3. 42 4. You’re Next 5. Gravity 6. The Purge 7. 12 Years a Slave 8. This Is the End 9. Inside Llewyn Davis 10. American Hustle Big Budgets Honorable Mention 11. The Heat 12. The Best Man Holiday 13. Philomena 14. Gangster Squad 15. Black Nativity 16. Fast & Furious 6 17. Jack the Giant Slayer 18. August: Osage County 19. Rush 20. The Great Gatsby 21. Olympus Has Fallen 22. Bullet to the Head 23. Saving Mr. Banks 24. Dead Man Down 25. The Conjuring 10 Best Foreign Films 1. The Hunt (Denmark) 2. Hannah Arendt (Germany) 3. Paradise: Love (Kenya) 4. Kon-Tiki (Norway) 5. Aliyah (Israel) 6. 2+2 (Argentina) 7. The Price of Sex (Bulgaria) 8. S#x Acts (Israel) 9. A Hijacking (Denmark) 10. The Broken Circle Breakdown (Germany) Foreign Films Honorable Mention 11. Three Worlds (France) 12. Sweet Dreams (Rwanda) 13. Hava Nagila (Israel) 14. Paradise: Faith (Austria) 15. The Grandmaster (China) 16. The Iran Job (Iran) 17. Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey (Nepal) 18. War Witch (Congo) 19. Paradise: Hope (Austria) 20. Rising from Ashes (Rwanda) 21. The Act of Killing (Indonesia) 22. Reality (Italy) 23. The Pirogue (Senegal) 24. Garifuna in Peril (Honduras) 25. Israel: A Home Movie (Israel) 10 Best Independent Films 1. Fruitvale Station 2. The Kings of Summer 3. Nebraska 4. Mud 5. Drinking Buddies 6. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 7. The Sapphires 8. I Used to Be Darker 9. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete 10. Enough Said Independent Films Honorable Mention 11. In a World… 12. Short Term 12 13. All Is Lost 14. Go for Sisters 15. Touchy Feely 16. Shadow Dancer 17. Lucky Bastard 18. Big Words 19. King’s Faith 20. Four 21. A Teacher 22. The Happy Sad 23. Mother of George 24. I’m in Love with a Church Girl 25. Finding Happiness 10 Best Documentaries 1. Stories We Tell 2. Dear Mr. Watterson 3. Best Kept Secret 4. A Place at the Table 5. Muscle Shoals 6. Unmade in China 7. 20 Feet from Stardom 8. Schooled: The Price of College Sports 9. Evocateur: The Morton Downey, Jr. Movie 10.Linsanity Documentaries Honorable Mention 11.The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia 12.When Comedy Went to School 13.Venus & Serena 14. Liv & Ingmar 15.Call Me Kuchu 16.No Place on Earth 17.Red Obsession 18.Cutie & the Boxer 19.Inequality for All 20.Spark: A Burning Man Story 21.Bidder 70 22.Men at Lunch 23.Aroused 24.When I Walk 25.Herman’s House

VIEWS FROM LATINO AMERICA: NEW POLL MEASURES EXPERIENCES, AND ILLUMINATES DIFFERENCES, OF SIX LATINO GROUPS NPR News Series Begins Today, Based on Poll from NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health Poll Identifies Diabetes as Top Health Concern January 21, 2014; Washington, D.C. – By 2040, Latinos are predicted to be the largest ethnic population in the United States. A new poll of the views and experiences of Latino Americans, released today from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health, shows that this community is actually several communities based on heritage and home country – and with viewpoints as varied as the group’s diversity. The poll parsed responses from six separate Latino groups, and also compared the experiences of Latinos born in the U.S. with immigrants. NPR News explores the findings of this poll in a series, Views from Latino America, beginning today. Pieces are being reported by Code Switch, the NPR team covering race, ethnicity and culture, along with reporters from the Science and National desks. Coverage will air all week on both Morning Edition and All Things Considered, with additional perspective at NPR’s Code Switch blog. Follow the conversations @nprcodeswitch and #LatinoViews. The poll surveyed the life and experiences of nearly 1500 Latino Americans. Results are focused on the entire group, as well as six distinct subgroups: those of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American or South American heritage. The poll also examined the views of Latinos born in the United States and those born in other countries. NPR’s series will cover some of the most revealing aspects of the poll. All reports will be at NPR.org, where there are full poll results in both English and Spanish. Among the findings and reports: Personal Lives Self-identification: Karen Grigsby Bates, of Code Switch, unearths information about how Latinos self-identify – from political perspective to country of origin to racially. Respondents indicated a preference for Hispanic over Latino, although the vast majority (52%) indicated no preference. Language: The poll found that Puerto Ricans on the mainland are less likely to speak Spanish in the home (only 20%), compared to other subgroups. On the island, Spanish prevails. 78% of Puerto Ricans participated in the poll in English, more than all the other groups by a significant amount. Shereen Marisol Meraji reports on how this impacts they way they view themselves culturally. Economics: Cuban-Americans, who for decades have outpaced other subgroups economically, report greater concerns about their finances and unemployment in this poll. One reason appears to be their concentration in South Florida, which was especially hard-hit in the recession and collapse of the housing market, as Greg Allen reports. Sexuality: Jasmine Garsd, host of NPR Music’s Alt.Latino, explores differences in attitudes about sexuality between U.S.-born Latinos and their immigrant parents. In this poll, some 15% of immigrants declined to reveal their sexual orientation, compared with just one percent of U.S.-born Latinos. Healthcare Nearly one in five (19%) Latinos said diabetes is the biggest health problem facing their families. NPR’s Patti Neighmond looks at dietary changes once people immigrate – and how the overall diet of Latinos is less healthy in the U.S. that it is in their countries of origin. Quality of Life When asked to rate aspects of their communities, significant numbers of total Latinos give low ratings in several areas. Four in ten Latinos (40%) report that the quality of available housing in the area where they live is fair or poor. Over a third of all Latinos rate the public transportation system (36%), availability of recreational facilities for exercise and sports (36%), and safety from crime (34%) in their communities as fair or poor. Three in ten rate the cleanliness of the streets and maintenance of public areas as fair or poor (30%), and about one in four rate the availability of preventive services (27%) and the quality of emergency services, such as police, fire, and ambulance (23%), as fair or poor. The poll is part of an ongoing series of surveys conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health. -NPR-

Cynique there remains the very distinct possibility that the Black films were simply the best products this year. Now I would not put The Bulter out front, but I certainly enjoyed it more than I did Gravity, sure Gravity should win some technical awards but as an enjoyable film, 12 Years, Mandela, and 42 knocks Gravity out the park. Shoot I enjoyed the 2nd installment of the Star Trek reboot MUCH more than I did Gravity. I wouldn't even strongly recommend Gravity. I'm not sure recognizing Idris performance in the Mandela film, would require special treatment, to be nominated he deserves the recognition. But you are right there are only a handful of slots and many fine performances will not be recognized. And of course if our efforts are to be recognized we will have to do the recognizing. I'm sure the NAACP will not overlook the Mandela, Fruitvale, Mister & Pete and all the other terrific films, featuring Black characters, that came out this year. Maybe with a little recognition these film can generate additional revenue via DVD and on-demand viewers.

Facebook will continue to grow beyond the US and exert its control over the internet. Sure kids may flock over to sites like Snap Chat where there is a perception that your activity can't come back to bite you, while at the same time being too silly for any self-respecting adult to join. Meanwhile marketers are dreaming up ways to sell shit to shatchatters or whatever they are called.

http://aalbc.com/events/

Pose any questions you have for for Alice Walker below. We will be interviewing her this week. I can't guarantee we can ask every question, but we'll try.

Hey Richard post a link to supporting information. I'm active on both and find that hard to believe.

Here are Kam's comments of this years Oscars: 2013 was widely lauded as the “Year of the Black Film,” but you would never know it, judging by the recently-announced list of Oscar nominations. It looks like the Academy settled on 12 Years a Slave as a sort of token black representative, with Steve McQueen (Director), John Ridley (Adapted Screenplay), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Lead Actor) and Lupita Nyong’o (Supporting Actress) landing nominations. Otherwise, the only other black nominee in a major category was Barkhad “I’m the Captain now!” Abdi, the Somalia-born cab driver who made his acting debut as the pirate who took Tom Hanks hostage in Captain Phillips. Perhaps the most noteworthy snub was that of Fruitvale Station which had won coveted awards at both the Sundance and Cannes Festivals. Or maybe it was that of The Butler, which was my favorite film of the year. Upon that picture’s release back in August, colleague Roger Friedman was not alone in unabashedly declaring Oprah Winfrey already a lock to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. But, in the end, Oprah wasn’t even nominated, nor was her co-star Forest Whitaker, despite his having delivered a nonpareil performance. The list of overlooked thespians arguably extends to a couple other critically-acclaimed productions featuring black principal cast members, namely, the brilliant biopics 42 and Mandela. What happens to Oscar buzz deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it dream of an NAACP Image Award?

Yeah, the The Wolf of Wall Street was only been out 3 weeks before it was nominated for an award. Kam rated The Butler as the #1 Black films for 2013 I thought it paled in comparison to Mandela or even 12 Years. Of course I know these awards are biased and political, but they seem to carry so much weight. Meryl Streep I heard somewhere has relieved 18 best actress nominations--18! Many terrific actors have not had that many leading roles. "Maybe black film makers should concentrate more on telling white stories that will earn them enough money to produce positive black dramas in the future." Now there is an idea, taken directly from Steven McQueen's playbook. I watched his film McQueen's film Hunger, about Bobby Sands who led a hunger strike for the Irish Republican Army, it was really quite good. Clearly the experience has not hurt him. Maybe I should do the same thing...

Here is an alternative list to consider I'm not sure I understand why Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is being overlooked by critics (did it come out too late in the year). It was the best film I've seen in years and Idris Elba absolutely deserved to be nominated for any award dealing with film. Naomie Harris was great as well, superbly depicting Winnie over the course of her life.

...otherwise our stories would be completely overlooked by the "Academy." Nominees for the 86th Oscars® Actor in a Leading Role Christian Bale in “American Hustle” Bruce Dern in “Nebraska” Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street” Chiwetel Ejiofor in “12 Years a Slave” Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club” Actor in a Supporting Role Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips” Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle” Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave” Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street” Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club” Actress in a Leading Role Amy Adams in “American Hustle” Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine” Sandra Bullock in “Gravity” Judi Dench in “Philomena” Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County” Actress in a Supporting Role Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine” Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle” Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave” Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County” June Squibb in “Nebraska” Animated Feature Film “The Croods” Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco and Kristine Belson “Despicable Me 2” Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin and Chris Meledandri “Ernest & Celestine” Benjamin Renner and Didier Brunner “Frozen” Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee and Peter Del Vecho “The Wind Rises” Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki Cinematography “The Grandmaster” Philippe Le Sourd “Gravity” Emmanuel Lubezki “Inside Llewyn Davis” Bruno Delbonnel “Nebraska” Phedon Papamichael “Prisoners” Roger A. Deakins Costume Design “American Hustle” Michael Wilkinson “The Grandmaster” William Chang Suk Ping “The Great Gatsby” Catherine Martin “The Invisible Woman” Michael O’Connor “12 Years a Slave” Patricia Norris Directing “American Hustle” David O. Russell “Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón “Nebraska” Alexander Payne “12 Years a Slave” Steve McQueen “The Wolf of Wall Street” Martin Scorsese Documentary Feature “The Act of Killing”Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen “Cutie and the Boxer” Zachary Heinzerling and Lydia Dean Pilcher “Dirty Wars” Richard Rowley and Jeremy Scahill “The Square” Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer “20 Feet from Stardom” Nominees to be determined Documentary Short Subject “CaveDigger” Jeffrey Karoff “Facing Fear” Jason Cohen “Karama Has No Walls” Sara Ishaq “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life” Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” Edgar Barens Film Editing “American Hustle” Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten “Captain Phillips” Christopher Rouse “Dallas Buyers Club” John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa “Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger “12 Years a Slave” Joe Walker Foreign Language Film “The Broken Circle Breakdown” Belgium “The Great Beauty” Italy “The Hunt” Denmark “The Missing Picture” Cambodia “Omar” Palestine Makeup and Hairstyling “Dallas Buyers Club” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” Stephen Prouty “The Lone Ranger” Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny Music (Original Score) “The Book Thief” John Williams “Gravity” Steven Price “Her” William Butler and Owen Pallett “Philomena” Alexandre Desplat “Saving Mr. Banks” Thomas Newman Music (Original Song) “Alone Yet Not Alone” from “Alone Yet Not Alone” Music by Bruce Broughton; Lyric by Dennis Spiegel “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2” Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams “Let It Go” from “Frozen” Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez “The Moon Song” from “Her” Music by Karen O; Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; Lyric by Paul Hewson Best Picture “American Hustle” Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison and Jonathan Gordon, Producers “Captain Phillips” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, Producers “Dallas Buyers Club” Robbie Brenner and Rachel Winter, Producers “Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman, Producers “Her” Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze and Vincent Landay, Producers “Nebraska” Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, Producers “Philomena” Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan and Tracey Seaward, Producers “12 Years a Slave” Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen and Anthony Katagas, Producers “The Wolf of Wall Street” Nominees to be determined Production Design “American Hustle” Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Heather Loeffler “Gravity” Production Design: Andy Nicholson; Set Decoration: Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard “The Great Gatsby” Production Design: Catherine Martin; Set Decoration: Beverley Dunn “Her” Production Design: K.K. Barrett; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena “12 Years a Slave” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Alice Baker Short Film (Animated) “Feral” Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden “Get a Horse!” Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim “Mr. Hublot” Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares “Possessions” Shuhei Morita “Room on the Broom” Max Lang and Jan Lachauer Short Film (Live Action) “Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)” Esteban Crespo “Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything)” Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras “Helium” Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson “Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)” Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari “The Voorman Problem” Mark Gill and Baldwin Li Sound Editing “All Is Lost” Steve Boeddeker and Richard Hymns “Captain Phillips” Oliver Tarney “Gravity” Glenn Freemantle “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Brent Burge “Lone Survivor” Wylie Stateman Sound Mixing “Captain Phillips” Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith and Chris Munro “Gravity” Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick and Tony Johnson “Inside Llewyn Davis” Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland “Lone Survivor” Andy Koyama, Beau Borders and David Brownlow Visual Effects “Gravity” Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds “Iron Man 3” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick “The Lone Ranger” Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier “Star Trek Into Darkness” Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann and Burt Dalton Writing (Adapted Screenplay) “Before Midnight” Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke “Captain Phillips” Screenplay by Billy Ray “Philomena” Screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope “12 Years a Slave” Screenplay by John Ridley “The Wolf of Wall Street” Screenplay by Terence Winter Writing (Original Screenplay) “American Hustle” Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell “Blue Jasmine” Written by Woody Allen “Dallas Buyers Club” Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack “Her” Written by Spike Jonze “Nebraska” Written by Bob Nelson

While I was compiling this list I noticed another book coming out later this year with the same models. The imagine about was shared via social media. In order to avoid redundancy I could not use both covers. This repetitive use of stock images on Black book covers is pretty common. I guess there are not very many images to choose from and once we hit on a style of book cover it tends to get over used. God only know how many times this image below has been used on a book cover. It will of course look familiar to any avid reading of Black books. Just an observation... BTW anyone who can provide me with the title (or post the image) of a book using the image above will win a free book or DVD from me.