Troy

Hey Waterstar I've been to at least two different stors in ATL. Medu (in a mall I forget the name of it) and the Shrine of the Black Madona (not too far from Moorehouse). Are you saying one of them is closed. I agree about Black bookstores there are a pillar of a community. The idea that a state like NC with cities like Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte can not have a single Black owned bookstore boggles the mind....

Hey Kola, I was at the National Black Writers Conference this past weekend. The last panel on the last day was entitled. "Being Sold or Selling Ourselves: Black Writers and the marektplace". The panelists included Regina Brooks, Jlove Calderon, Linda Duggins, Lisa Moore, Johnny Temple and Cheryl Woodruff. Most of the talking was done by Johnny. While is he is clearly a nice guy, passionate and smart about what he does. I could not help but be taken by how seemingly obilvious he is to the fact that much of the ease at which has published so many Black writers is a direct consequence of his being a white man. I was going to address the issue at the panel, but like many others, I thought it wiser to hold my tongue. Perhaps even more important is the issue that Black people despite our money, despite our talents, in 2012 still can not publish our own writers; and are dependent upon the largess of sypathetic white folks. The panel will be broadcast on CSpan's BookTV in the near future -- I encourage everyone to watch it. You can judge for yourself.

This is picking on on a conversation from Facebook: http://www.facebook....206750629430735 Therone if you reply to this message I'll know to respond to your comments and pick uo the conversation here.

This is video 1 of 6, the same user uploaded so the rest are easy to find

Thanks for sharing. So tragic. Arrest for vagrancy then sold into slavery....

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Death of the Black Owned, Independent, Bookstore http://aalbc.it/deathboibs The title of my article may seem rather bleak, but if you look at the data this is exactly where we are headed -- and fast.

Waterstar I see no evidence of such guidance OK, it is too early in the morning for be to be so negative...

Waterstar my time is so limited that I rather spend doing something else that watch a documenatry of questionable validity. While professional integrity and critical thinking skills are not synonymous -- they are both sorely lacking in our media. I just Googled the film and found nothing to suggest that it was questionable. Wikipedia (our information Bible) #3 in my search result indicated nothing. I posted a link to my AALBC.com review. How did you find Kam's review?

Waterstar Spread the word! I wish I had tme for a book I'm doing everything I can to help Black books have a voice online. I just created a database of Black bookstores: http://aalbc.com/writers/bookstores.html There are 87 stores n this list and I hope to add more this is what remains after account for the closing of over 200 stores! I through websites were dying.

writergirl I hear you hence my donning of the symbolic "hoodie". Again I assert that Zimmerman too is a victim of an environment which gives raise to actions like this. Sure I Zimermman needs to be put under the jail; but unless the enviroment in this country changes Zimmerman is just a portent of the future.

Hey Water yes it is a longtime -- glad to see your name again! Unfortunately Lous Reyes Rivera, who write the above message, passed earlier this month: http://aalbc.com/authors/louis_reyes_rivera.html

Waterstar this is one of those situations when Kam's review: http://aalbc.com/reviews/the_boys_of_baraka.htm was enough for me. I had not interest is seeing the film. It is not very often he pans a film so strongly.

writegirl870 anyone who actually contributes to Wikipedia knows the deficencies you've just mentioned. Getting that point across to others is much more difficult. Now Britannica is on-line too, has been for years -- even BEFORE Wikipedia. The problem is that generating the content for Britannica take experts and that takes money. Britannica might even STILL be viable if Google served them first instead of WIkipedia for search results -- this is the ONLY reason Wikipedia has become so relevant and one of the most popular sites on the web. The only thing I not clear on is what is Google's strategy behind elevating Wikipedia at the expense of Britannica and every other better source of any given pice of information.

Cynique, people especially our people are just angry. It is a powder keg on both sides. Ignorant white folks don't know who the real enemy is -- once they figure it out then and maybe then things will change for the better. Black folks already know, but few are willing to admit, that even a Black presdient can not make things better. This will be demonstrated by our lack luster turnout at the polls in November.

Information-yet-no-critical-thinking-skills-Age I wish someone would write the book in the subject. The assumption is since we have more access to information that we are automatically better off -- when on every measurable level we are not. The assumption is that if we put a PC's in every classroom the students will be better off, or if everyone gets a 3D 60" flat screen TV with 1,00 channels and we'll be better entertained. It is very frustrating dealing with people who believe society is better off but can not point to a single thing that is actually better (especially for Black folks) other than to say technology has improved. Sure there have been advances for individuals as a result of technology, but I'm talking about the masses; who continue to be largley exploited -- with the aid of technology.

He is Barack Obama. Glad you got your keyboard fixed. Thought I see the caps lock is still broken :-)

I had a long drawn out conversation about this topic the other day on Facebook (we used to have those types of debates here but that is the topic of another conversation). At any rate, it makes little sense to compare an printed encyclopedia with Wikipedia. The encyclopedia was never intended to reflect current event -- that was what newspapers were for. Wikipedia is often cited as a contributing factor to Britannica's demise, so the comparisons are inevitably made. My issue has to do with the nature of the information, whether in a newspaper, Wikipedia, or an encyclopedia, and how it is created, positioned and disseminated. In today’s world real journalism has taken a back seat to amateur bloggers, reference material is cobbled together by the masses rather than credentialed individuals, and editorial and opinion is positioned as fact. All the way, celebrity and scandal taken precedence over meaningful information all in the name of more money. This causes very serious problems in the way information is gathered and broadcast. We have no real way of know what is true or a lie. Individuals have not real way of even assessing presidential candidates ‘cause all well get are sound bites and spin. Despite the ever increasing number of websites, Blogs, and social media the web has made obtaining factual information MORE difficult – not easier. It is getting worse every year. Wikipedia is not immune to this problem. Wikipedia, validation by the mob, not nearly as efficient as validation by experts, as you would find in an encyclopedia. An encyclopedia does not have contributions made by entities trying to promote their businesses (commercials), as Wikipedia. Wikipedia is also a platform for entities who have axes to grind and post slanderous if not outright lies to advance a position. I’m sure some people will assert that Britannica is culturally biased, but if they think Wikipedia is not biased they are truly ignorant.

I'm telling you Cynique we are reverting as a nation, in a rapid decline. No one seems to care very much. I guess with professional sports and reality TV we can all play the fiddle why the country goes down the crapper.

Britannica is Dead -- Good Riddance... Right? I'm as technically oriented as they get, but Britannica discontinuing the publication of their encyclopedia does not strike me as a good thing. What do you think? Here is a related Article: http://www.mediapost...britannica.html

Thanks for sharing information about your book. Here is a short link you can use: http://bit.ly/evangaline to link to your book.

Biotumelo, I hope you resolve you PC problem soon Cynique, the country is already quite stratified. In places as "diverse" as NYC segregation is quite evident within individual neighborhoods. Shortly after Obama was elected I predicted that he would not be reelected for a 2nd term. I stand by th prediction today. Before Obama annouced his candidancy I predicted that he would be the next president. The predictions are based upon the same sentiments, people are desperate for a "change" for the better. Unless there are some very fundamental changes in our system, things will only get only worse in America. Black folks, as usual are the canaries in the mine shaft leading the way in every negative category, but as Black folks go so does the rest of the country...

Boitumelo, make sure the new keyboard Caps Lock key is not broken too

Coming May 8, 2012

Welcome Melanie, and thanks for sharing your input. While folks are reading this topic I wish more would weigh in. Congrats on the small press publishing your work. I submit that the insatiable drive for ever increasing profits has contributed to the decline of publishing. Of course as Black people, we bear the brunt of the negative impact. Publishing is not the only causality, music, TV, film, is all suffering for similiar reasons. Back to books and Blacks folks: A business can operate, thrive even without persuing only profit. The reason the smaller press published yor book, I suspect, is that they were concerned with more than simply turning a dollar. They have a mission besides money. Melanie, perhas you can tell us what it is about yout work and the publisher that made them descide to publish your work? I know Kensington Publishing operates a little differently than Simon and Schuster. I know Akashic press selects authors in a different fashion than Hachette Book Group. Sure the differences cut across the board, but the differences are so much more stark for Black authors. As an excerise, I'll ask folks to find 10 Black authors published by Akashic Books, then compare them to 10 Black authors published by Hachette Book group compare the authors and let me know what you think.