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Black Authors and Publishers Consider This.......


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If any of you have taken a look at the link below my posts, I'm trying to put together a think tank of those who....like myself....desire to make the Great Lakes region a center for Black progress in the Western Hemisphere with Michigan as it's epicenter.

An active academic community is essential to any type of progress on this planet whether it's technological progress, medical progress, or overall social progress.

While I think our major focus should be on learning technological trades and agricultural skills, we also need to build and maintain a Black Intelligencia in our community and I think it's easier to do this when efforts are concentrated in a particular location.

Seeing as how the New York-Boston area as well as the Los Angeles-Frisco area are both saturated with writters who have flocked there from all over the world. What I'd like is for you to consider converging to the Great Lakes area (preferably Detroit or Grand Rapids but it could be Chicago, Minneapolis, Indiananapolis, ect...) and set up a community of Black publishers, writers, study groups, ect....

A community to inpire, promote, and distribute our own work as well as maintain certain traditions we hold dear.

What would it take to convince some of you and your colleagues to undergo a project like this?

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Weather didn't seem to matter much to the millions of Black people who left the warmer climate of the South to come up North and get good paying factory jobs.

But I suppose the factories were already built and the jobs were already there to apply for.

I really believe that success will happen whereever we choose to MAKE it happen.

There is so much Black talent but it's diluted and dispersed all over the nation; it needs to be pooled into a particulat location and concentrated like the Harlem Renaissance

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There is a book which came out recently that suggested the Black artistic out put of Chicago was superior to that of the Harlem Renaissance.

Of course the northern migration of Black was true during most of this nation;s history, but the north is losing Negros to the south today. You'll find growing population of conscious Black folks in cities like Atlanta, the DC metro area and even places like Charlotte, NC.

Michagan is a tough sell, in 2013, for people not from the region.

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Yeah, I know what you mean.

Like so many young Black from the big cities of the North, I went through the

"Maaaaayne, ah-mo go down South where isss warm an isss some jobs!" phase, too.

I spent time in Atlanta and Charlotte...both are nice cities.

Most Black people who moved down south didn't just move because of the weather.

They moved to get away from the crime, social segregation, poor public educational system, and lack of decent low skilled jobs of the major cities of the North and East Coasts.

Problem is when you go down South with a ghetto mentality, the problems you try to run away from will follow you there and now places like Atlanta and New Orleans are having to deal with the problems of crime, poor schools, and homelessness too.

I made up my mind that rather than running somwhere else looking to escape the problems of my own state, I'd stay and address them.

As AfroAmericans we can no longer run from our problems nor can our people afford to continually search here, there, and yonder for jobs.

More and more immigrants are moving to America and they feel no obligation to give Black people or anyone else jobs just to "be fair".

They're coming with an agenda to build something for themselves and are going to hire THERE PEOPLE first.

At some point we're going to have to dig in....literally dig into the land...and make build some structures and make some jobs for ourselves and our children.

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I think a lot of Black authors in the Midwest, South and West Coast need a tenacious hustler mentality like authors in the Northeast possess

You gotta create the industry in an untapped market

Unfortunately, not a lot of people have that strong hustling “ride or die” mentality

Teri Woods broke down doors with True to the Game when she hustled her books on 125th street in Harlem before the over saturation of urban fiction

By the way, weather has nothing to do with anything...if people want something, they're gonna fight everyone short of God to get it

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I think a lot of Black authors in the Midwest, South and West Coast need a tenacious hustler mentality like authors in the Northeast possess

You gotta create the industry in an untapped market

Unfortunately, not a lot of people have that strong hustling “ride or die” mentality

Teri Woods broke down doors with True to the Game when she hustled her books on 125th street in Harlem before the over saturation of urban fiction

By the way, weather has nothing to do with anything...if people want something, they're gonna fight everyone short of God to get it

I love that spirit bro!

And you're absolutely right....

Whether we're talking about the music industry, the financial industry, fashion industry, ect....

Historically speaking, most people in other parts of the nation haven't learned how to hustle and scrap to make themselves known like people on the East Coast.

Although most won't admit it, I like man have envied that attitude and wish I could find a way to capitalize on it to use towards my goals.

When some people have plenty of food, housing space, and can drive their own cars around instead of living in apartments and taking public transportation where they have to deal with other people on a daily basis it tends to make them timid and more reserved when it comes to interacting with other people. That's why when people really want inspiration they often leave thier home towns and move to the coasts where they can be around a lot of diversity and action.

One of the things I want to do is help redesign the urban areas of my state to make them far more densely populated than they currently are to bolster this competitive spirit.

The dense population and limited resources along with the heavy influx of immigrants constantly flowing in provides for the perfect mix for a strong "get rich or die trying" mentality that forces you to stay on your toes.

I've noticed for years as I traveled around the nation looking for work that a lot of people from New York will move to smaller towns in the Midwest or South to take advantage of the more laid back attitude of the locals.

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"By the way, weather has nothing to do with anything..." What?! You must be joking Nah'Sun

All other things being equal people will pick environments with nicer weather.

Forget the East coast folks don't hustle harder here than anyone else under similar conditions. You wanna see some real hustling Brothers go to the streets of Lagos.

Pioneer, sure if you replicated the diverse, densely populated, environment of a place like New York you'll get something different. But I doubt it will be like New York -- it may be better. But it won't be like New York. Don't try to replicate NY. The vast majority of us are not benefiting from the environment. I'd even argue the few success are not worth the trade off overall.

I've been all over the country and people grind everywhere. Of course the grind will be will be a little different. You can't sell as many books on the streets of Raleigh, because they don't have anything like a 125th. New York has scores of streets like 125th street. We also have laws that allow people to sell books on the street.

People in Charlotte, for example, have to grind differently. Maybe they are in the car driving 100s of miles from church event to greek letter organization event to barber shop,

There are lazy folks in the heart of NY City and there real hustler in the mid-west.

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@Pioneer

I wouldn't necessarily say that NY has the best hustlers, but they are known for their no holds barred grind

Especially when they go out of town...I'll touch on that in my reply to Troy

Your post is on point

@Troy

Side A

I've seen the NuyoRican Poets Cafe PACKED to capacity during a snow storm

Not to mention people lining up to go clubbin when the weather is 15 degrees

I stand by the philosophy that people will go through rain, sleet, hail and snow to get what they want...using weather as a cause of a failed business is a lame excuse...I don't buy that at all

Heck, weather doesn't stop football stadiums from packing in the winter

Side B

I didn't say the East generally hustle harder...I meant authors SPECIFICALLY by using the rise of urban lit as a case study when you wanna create an industry

Other regions should learn from how NY authors had to grind during a time when no believed in them...point blank

Just like how Southern rappers had to grind hard to create their own industry since recording labels turned their backs and fronted on them

I've been to foreign countries, and trust me, I know how they grind...but that's apples and oranges to this particular topic

Side C

Speaking of the South...

NY drug dealers in the 80s and 90s made more money hustling down south than in their own city...even when their hometown had more traffic to push their product

Pioneer already pointed that out in his last response

I'm just running a parallel that anybody can work an area if they're saavy enough to do it

Southern rap artists sold thousands of albums in small markets like Raleigh before major labels took notice...I actually think it's a benefit to sell books in untapped markets because

1) People have nothing to do

2) It's not saturated

3) You can inflate the prices because locals are none the wiser

You can grind any and everywhere if you have what people wanna buy

The drug game, the book game, and the rap game are no different

Just difference in product

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Yes you have hustlers all over but there is a larger concentration AND a disproportionate number of them on the East Coast than down South or the Midwest or even the West Coast.

Anyone who has spent time in these regions to make the comparison will not deny this.

You can walk around the downtowns of Houston, Mobile, Charlotte, or Little Rock and chances are noone is going to run up on you and try to sell you anything.

Go to downtown Philly or Boston and walk around and chances are in 15 minutes you'll have somebody trying to draw your picture for $5.

To produce a locality with an abundance of real hard core go-getters you need 2 major ingredients:

1. High population density to foster competitiveness and promote the extrovert mentality where you're not afraid to approach people.

2. Large population of poor and working class people.

MOST people get soft and lazy when they are too comfortable.

When I say comfortable, they don't necessarily have to be rich, but if they got enough money to buy what they need and want.....they're satisfied and aren't really trying to put on any extra effort. I know some cats who think they're on top of the word if they can manage a car and bag of weed to smoke a day, lol.

Like the pressure that it takes to make diamonds out of carbon, these somewhat oppressive conditions often make the most ambitious people.

It's for this reason that some of the best music and movies came out of the depression era.

Obviously, there is only one New York and I'm not trying to build another one.

But there are certain positive traits of the city that seems to be essential for building any type of world class thriving urban community.

High population density.

Massive and effective public transportation.

Diversity among the population.

Laws, ordinances, and customs that promote creativity

Both Chicago and Atlanta learned this early on and both are densifying much of thier urban infrastructure (especially on the north sides of both cities) to hold high populations of young urban Whites with degrees.

Meanwhile they're letting the Black districts with low population densities collapse.

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Funny what Nah Sun said about Puerto Rican's slam poetry contest being so popular.

AfroAmericans are very creative, but our people don't seem to be much on endurance....staying in things for the long haul.

Whether it's break dancing, slam poetry, sweat suit hook-ups lol, our styles often change TOO much and our people don't hold on to things to really embrace them and "own" them as an identifiable part of our community.

Which makes it easy for people from other communities to slide in and take what we started and embrace it as their own while the children of those who started it are standing on the outside with thier nose pressed up against the window wishing to get in and be apart of something they think is cool and new.

One of the funniest yet saddest things is to go into an inner city community center and see a young White man teaching a class on Break-Dancing.

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Pioneer. I lived in NY City most of my live but I've lived other places and spend a lot of time in the south now.

I've been running my own business for the last 5 years but sent a ton of years work relatively cushy jobs in corporate america, the Big House is you will.

  1. Population density is over rated -- the conditions under which most people live under in NYC is really quite bad. Many don't truly appreciate how bad the conditions they live under are, because they have nothing better to compare it to. I know many pole you are 3, 4 generations now living in a public housing project. They are quite happy.

    When you have large populations you have all the problems that come with it -- housing as mentioned, but even more importantly schools. The people responsible for running the schools in NYC should be in jail.


  2. New York City's public transportation is decent (I don't use it I'll drive, walk ride, my bike or simply won't go somewhere that requires me to get on the subway or bus), but I hear over crowing, price increases and declining service is straining the system and the people who ride it. Not to mention a passenger is run over by a train on average once a week.


  3. New York is diverse which brings positives and negatives. But New York City is one of the most stratified cities I've ever seen. Racial groups tend to self segregate, and most people just stay in the lanes. New York City as a bastion of diversity loving hand holders is mostly hype.


  4. Laws and ordinances that promote creativity -- hell to the no! Small business that are viable are usually that way because they remain off the grid -- engaging in a cash economy. The are so many rules, regulations and taxes any business on "the books" has a tremendous amount of over head.

    Do you think any of those cats on 125th street are collecting or paying sales tax, income tax? If they did they most would not have a business. Things a working stiff takes for grated like paid vacation, sick leave, health care, etc most "hustlers" don't have it Many cats my age don't even have all their teeth for this reason.

I'm not trying to discourage you Pioneer I just want to you get NY City out your head as a model, 'cause NY only works for people with serious paper.

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I'm not trying to discourage you Pioneer I just want to you get NY City out your head as a model, 'cause NY only works for people with serious paper.

I'll get back to this topic when I have a chance to sit down and dissect the posts after mine...

...but this one from Troy is on point

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Pioneer. I lived in NY City most of my live but I've lived other places and spend a lot of time in the south now.

I've been running my own business for the last 5 years but sent a ton of years work relatively cushy jobs in corporate america, the Big House is you will.

  • Population density is over rated -- the conditions under which most people live under in NYC is really quite bad. Many don't truly appreciate how bad the conditions they live under are, because they have nothing better to compare it to. I know many pole you are 3, 4 generations now living in a public housing project. They are quite happy.

    When you have large populations you have all the problems that come with it -- housing as mentioned, but even more importantly schools. The people responsible for running the schools in NYC should be in jail.

  • New York City's public transportation is decent (I don't use it I'll drive, walk ride, my bike or simply won't go somewhere that requires me to get on the subway or bus), but I hear over crowing, price increases and declining service is straining the system and the people who ride it. Not to mention a passenger is run over by a train on average once a week.
  • New York is diverse which brings positives and negatives. But New York City is one of the most stratified cities I've ever seen. Racial groups tend to self segregate, and most people just stay in the lanes. New York City as a bastion of diversity loving hand holders is mostly hype.
  • Laws and ordinances that promote creativity -- hell to the no! Small business that are viable are usually that way because they remain off the grid -- engaging in a cash economy. The are so many rules, regulations and taxes any business on "the books" has a tremendous amount of over head.

    Do you think any of those cats on 125th street are collecting or paying sales tax, income tax? If they did they most would not have a business. Things a working stiff takes for grated like paid vacation, sick leave, health care, etc most "hustlers" don't have it Many cats my age don't even have all their teeth for this reason.

I'm not trying to discourage you Pioneer I just want to you get NY City out your head as a model, 'cause NY only works for people with serious paper.

 

 

Well hell, what place doesn't...lol

Show me the place where poor people do better than rich.....

No matter where you go in this world people with money tend to do better.

If you've been living in NYC for most of your life and are not only still there but now have a business then I'll take that as a sign that the place can't be all that bad for those willing to get something going for themselves.

You make some good points, but they seem to be the most valid when discussing New York within a vacuum .  But if you compare the problems you speak of in context to what many if not most other major cities are going through then those problems are moderate to mild by comparison.

New York public schools have school uniforms and art, music, and other programs that most other major public school systems have long abandoned because they didn't have the finances/tax base to maintain.

You can complain about NYC's public transit system, but atleast you HAVE one.

Most cities don't have much of a public transit system, especially subways as extensive .

in most places in America you NEED a car to get around and get to work, if you don't you're hit.  Atleast in a major densely populated area like that you have public transportation to fall back on in emergencies like if your car breaks down or your wife/kid has to borrow it.  It may not be that convenient but you can atleast go to work.

For years I've been trying to petition the city so-called leaders in Detroit to consider an extensive train (elevated or subway) system to bolster economic success.  Mass transit is essential for any world class city.

Also it's a good way to keep poor and working class people (people necessary to supply the service industry) active and productive in your city. If people are too broke to afford a car and they have no other way to get around how will they be able to work?

They'll either be unproductive and living off a system that they aren't contributing to or leave to find a place where there IS decent public transportation.

BTW thank you for the information, I greatly appreciate it.

Actually when I started this thread this was the type of information I was looking to get.

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The other thing I like about New York is that it's "self contained".
It doesn't need the suburbs or the rest of the state to manage, it can do fine by itself.
It has a large tax base and plenty of corporate (professional class) and service (poor/working class) jobs to keep the city humming and productive.

Problem is, there is only ONE New York in the United States.

In China and India, both of these countries have several New York Cities and are planning on building more and more.



((the room grows dark and a spot light shines down on brother Pioneer))



Too many politicians are "satisfied" and are just trying to capitalize on the wealth that already exists and the infrastructure that has already been built instead of trying to expand and build more of both through out the rest of America.

That's why....why poor people from other countries are coming TO America to take advantage of opportunities and services here; many of those with money are looking to bail OUT of America and expand into other countries. They're looking for places where the leaders are foreward thinking and believe in expansion; not fighting over scraps that already exist.

Think about what I said, let is soak in and the more you observe what's going on in society today the more sense it will make.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I really think some of you need to consider moving to the state of Michigan to establish a concentration of AfroAmerican writers.

Instead of hanging around White publishers and movie studios in New York and Los Angeles begging them to recognize your work and often having to write stereotypical degrading material just to make money.....why not build a literary center of OUR OWN?

The Black community is in desparate need of a contemporary INTELLIGENCIA.

Where are the Black philosophers?

Where are the Black publishing houses?

Do we really need more pimp/playa ghetto garbage novels aimed at twisting the minds of our young girls to make them see every Black male as an adversary they shouldn't trust?

Do we really need more movie scripts that portray Black men as dope dealing criminals, childish buffoons, moral degenerates, and now flamboyant effeminates?

We need those who are gifted in the art of imagination to help us draw the blueprints for a New America.

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Pioneer.  I'm NYC because my wife works in the city -- otherwise I would not be here.  

 

I prefer the climate of the southern US.

 

New York is not self contained.  Most of the low wage workers live in the surrounding ghettos and significant portions of the middle class lives in the surrounding suburbs.  both groups traveling an 2 hour or more round trip  just to get work.

 

Only the very wealthy can afford to live, in a nice place that is actually IN NYC.

 

Your statements about NYC Public school are inaccurate.  At the end of the day anyone who can afford to pay for private schools does so.  The public schools especially for Black folks are criminal (NYC teachers don't shoot -- I'm not blaming you).

 

I fundamentally agree with your idea.  I'm attempting to do something very similar with the online community.  It has not been easy.

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Like most New Yorkers, you seem to only be calling Manhattan itself NYC and not including the other boroughs which have large middleclass neighborhoods.


But you're right about the cost of living there.  From what I see New York does't have the "comfortable working class" that the upper Midwest has where a person can work at a Home Depot or be a city bus driver and if their partner works too they can work on buying a house. The service industry there gets paid peanuts comparably if you factor in the cost of living.  
But again, that "struggle" seems to bring out the best and highest quality of service in many people.


I'm not sure about the public vrs private schools in New York, but in the Detroit area the vast majority of the private schools (really parochial schools)....academically speaking.....are no better than the public schools.
When you send you children to these private Catholic based parochial schools, the only thing you're really paying for is safety and a smaller class size.  They cost anywhere between $5,000 - $20,000 a year and will take just about anybody who can pay.  You give them the money and they'll slap a uniform on your kid and shuffle them into the next class available.
 
But the REAL private schools where you get the most excellent education generally aren't found in any urban area but are tucked away in the woods and they cost over $50,000 a year (unless it's a boarding school) and are very discriminating in who they accept.



 

 


I fundamentally agree with your idea. I'm attempting to do something very similar with the online community. It has not been easy.

 

It would be much easier if people of like-minds got together and concentrated thier efforts instead of doing everything individually.
But then again, that would be a matter of trust.

Black people who share similar values should live near eachother and pool their resources to manifest what they desire for themselves and their children.  Living around people who don't want to do anything...and even worse don't want YOU to do anything, is very stressful.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

Louis Farrkhan Wants to Rebuild Detroit

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2013/05/louis_farrakhan_to_meet_detroi.html

Well.....I'm glad I'm not the only one, lol.

Whether one agrees with his views or not, we can certainly use the young men in suits standing guard in some of the neighborhoods since there aren't enough police to keep the city safe.

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