Thursday, October 6, 2011

SAVE THE DATE! "Exquisite Converstation" Program to be Held December 3

The Exquisite Conversation:
An Adventure in Creating Books!
starring
Katherine Paterson
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
M. T. Anderson    +    Natalie Babbitt
Susan Cooper     +   Timothy Basil Ering
Steven Kellogg    +   Patricia MacLachlan
James Ransome

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and the Cambridge Public Library are thrilled to announce our special program “The Exquisite Conversation: An Adventure in Creating Books,” to be held Saturday, December 3 at 1:00 PM in the Kresge Auditorium at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

We invite you to join us for this lively and informative event to discuss the NCBLA's newly published book, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (Candlewick Press), as a springboard to a broader discussion about the writing and illustration processes employed by each of the program's participants in their own individual works.  

The program will feature renowned authors and illustrators for young people M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, Katherine Paterson, and James Ransome in a roundtable discussion moderated by Mary Brigid Barrett, Executive Director of The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance.

The program is free and open to the public. The suggested audience includes young people (ages 10 and above) and adults who love children’s books.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a new paperback for a child or teen to donate as a holiday gift to children and young adults in family shelters in Cambridge.

Books will be sold by Porter Square Books before and after the presentation. Autographing will follow the presentation.

Wine and Cheese Reception with the Authors and Special Guests!
We also invite you to meet each of the participating authors and illustrators at a ticketed, adults-only Wine and Cheese Reception to take place in Room 307 of the Stratton Center from 3:30 to 5:00 PM. The reception will include a Book Basket Raffle and Silent Auction.

A limited number of tickets are available for the reception. Don't miss out! Order your tickets today!

For complete information about the "Exquisite Conversation" program and reception, including ticket purchases, click here.

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game originally published on the Library of Congress' Read.gov website as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative, created by The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is now available in paperback and hardback from Candlewick Press. It is also available on audio.

To learn more about The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, click here.
To check out the NCBLA's extensive online educational resources that support The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (including supplemental articles, classroom activities, reading lists, art activities, discussion questions, and more!), click here.

And, to check out the Exquisite Prompt Redux Writing Challenge for students in grades K-12 from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org, click here!

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at a bookstore or library near you!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

ACTIVIST ALERT!

Funding for School Libraries Is in Jeopardy
Your Support Is Needed for SKILLS Act

Please call both of your U.S. senators at the capitol switchboard, 202-224-3121, and ask them to co-sponsor S. 1328 the “Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries Act,” also known as the SKILLs Act.

The SKILLs Act was introduced on July 6 by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and will amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by:
  • Ensuring that funds will serve school libraries in elementary, middle, and high schools;
  • Improving literacy and college and career readiness through effective school library programs;
  • Encouraging coordination and shared planning time among school librarians and classroom teachers;
  • Expanding professional development to include digital literacy instruction that is appropriate for all grade levels, an assessment of student literacy needs, the coordination of reading and writing instruction across content areas, and training in literacy strategies in all content areas;
  • Requiring books and materials to be appropriate for students in all grade levels and students with special learning needs, including English language learners;
  • Providing grants on a competitive basis for a period of three years;
  • Targeting funding to school districts with 20% or greater levels of students in poverty;
  • Ensuring an equitable distribution of funds among the different geographic regions of the country and among urban and rural areas; and
  • Requiring greater coordination among other literacy, technology, and professional development funds and activities.
This legislation is critical to the future of school libraries. Please call today and encourage your colleagues, neighbors, friends, family, and others to do the same.  Click here to quickly find information for your two senators.

As of October 3, the following senators have agreed to co-sponsor the bill:  

Jack Reed (D-RI)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
John Kerry (D-MA)

For more information about how you can support literacy and libraries, please visit the NCBLA's "Become an Activist" page.

Monday, October 3, 2011

In Case You Missed It!

Publishers Weekly Celebrates Success of
2011 National Book Festival
with Photo Essay Featuring
Children's Book Authors and Illustrators

In the piece titled "Children's Books at the 2011 National Book Festival: A Photo-Essay," John A. Sellers writes:

"With a theme of 'Celebrating the Joys of Reading Aloud,' the 11th annual National Book Festival took place this past weekend, September 24 and 25, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., marking the first time the festival was spread over two days. An estimated crowd of 200,000 turned out to attend presentations and have books signed by more than 100 authors; children’s book authors in attendance included Katherine Paterson, Brian Selznick, Kadir Nelson, Tomie dePaola, Gary Schmidt, Jack Gantos, Cassandra Clare, Shelia P. Moses, and Susan Cooper. 

Click here to view the complete photo tour of the country’s preeminent festival of books.

Photo at top right of  Sarah Dessen (What Happened to Goodbye) and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson on the National Mall. Photo by John A. Sellers.

Friday, September 30, 2011

DC Students Meet "Exquisite Corpse Adventure" Authors and Illustrators

Library Event Features
Exquisite Corpse
Contributors
Calef Brown,
Jack Gantos, Patricia McKissack, Chris Van Dusen, and National Ambassador for Young People Katherine Paterson

Students at Walker-Jones Elementary School in Washington D.C., like many students across the country, are learning about the contributors of  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, a progressive story game played by 20 of America's most celebrated authors and illustrators for young people.  But in celebration of this year's National Book Festival, five of the book's contributors demonstrated how the story came to life at a workshop hosted by the DC Public Library last Friday. 

An interactive and entertaining workshop at the Northwest One Neighborhood Library featured some of the nation’s most-popular children’s authors and illustrators, including National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson; Jack Gantos; Patricia McKissack; and illustrators Chris Van Dusen and Calef Brown.  Moderating the discussion with the young people in attendance was Mary Brigid Barrett, also a children's book author and illustrator and founder and president of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure was originally published on the Library of Congress' website Read.gov as a joint project of the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and is now available in paperback and hardback from Candlewick Press. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is also available on audio. 

All photos by George A. Williams of the DC Public Library.
From top are:
Photo 1: Mary Brigid Barrett, Jack Gantos, Patricia McKissack,  Calef Brown, Katherine Paterson, and Chris Van Dusen. Photo 2:  Katherine Paterson and Mary Brigid Barrett. Photo 3: Calef Brown. Photo 4: Jack Gantos.
 
Extensive Resources Available for Using The Exquisite Corpse Adventure in the Classroom, Library, and Home
The Exquisite Prompt Redux Writing Challenge from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org provides writing opportunities for students in grades K-12. Learn more at ReadingRockets.org
 
Extensive online educational support materials for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure are available on the NCBLA’s Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center. Overflowing with supplemental articles, classroom activities, reading lists, art activities, discussion questions, and more, the Education Resource Center is designed for all adults who live and work with young people and have a vested interest in helping kids read more, write better, and create stories and art that expand our universe.

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at a bookstore or library near you!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Just Announced! NEW "Exquisite Corpse" Writing Contest from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org!

Teachers, Librarians, Parents, and Students!
Check Out the
Exquisite Prompt Redux Contest

To celebrate the publication of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (from Candlewick Press in hardcover and paperback. Also available on audio.), Reading Rockets and AdLit.org are reviving their 2010 Exquisite Prompt writing contest in exquisite corpse fashion. This year's writing prompts are inspired by winning student entries from the 2010 contest!

This year's challenge invites you to write the ending to a cliffhanger, a review of a magical object purchased from The Fairy Tale Catalog, a poem in the voice of the Whinoceros, or the adventures of two time travelers!

How to Enter
  1. Visit ReadingRockets.org and click on the REDUX link.
  2. Find your grade level. All students in grades K-12 can enter!
  3. Review the prompt for your grade level.
  4. Jump start your imagination and START WRITING!
  5. Submit your entry by email no later than November 30. Find the complete rules and submission guidelines on ReadingRockets.org.
Prizes!
Prizes for winning entries include online publication on ReadingRockets.org and collections of books, including at least one autographed title.

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game originally published on the Library of Congress' Read.gov website as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative, created by The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Click here to learn more.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure contributors are:  M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen. 

Extensive Educational Resources Available!
Discover a treasure trove of online educational support materials for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure on the NCBLA’s Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center. Overflowing with supplemental articles, classroom activities, reading lists, art activities, discussion questions, and more, the Education Resource Center is designed for moms and dads, teachers and librarians, grandparents and guardians—all adults who live and work with young people and have a vested interest in helping kids read more, write better, and create stories and art that expand our universe.

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at a bookstore or library near you!

To order The Exquisite Corpse Adventure from the bookseller of your choice, click here.

A Different Shine: In the Words of Satan

A Different Shine: In the Words of Satan: The YPG in Houston performed the musical In the Words of Satan by The Arrows. Listen to these powerful lyrics..

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011 National Book Festival Another Smashing Success with Book Lovers!

Thousands Gather on National Mall to Celebrate the Love of Books at This Year's National Book Festival!

Exquisite Corpse Adventure Authors and Illustrators Mesmerize Kids in Opening Children's Event!

This past weekend marked the eleventh annual celebration of reading and books known as the National Book Festival, an event attended by Americans of all ages from across the country. Once again opening Saturday's events in the Children's Pavilion were authors and illustrators from the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative known as The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, a progressive story game originally published on the Library of Congress' Read.Gov website and published last month in paperback and hardcover by Candlewick Press.

Performing a dramatic reading of excerpts from The Exquisite Corpse Adventure were the exceptional talents of Mary Brigid Barrett, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Jack Gantos, Gregory Maguire, Patricia McKissack, Fredrick McKissack, Chris Van Dusen, and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson!

Be sure to check our blog and NCBLA facebook page regularly to find the link to the LOC's webcast of this exquisite performance, to be posted in October.

Read all about this year's festivities in the School Library Journal article "More than 200,000 Book Lovers Attend DC National Book Festival" by Rocco Staino, Contributing Editor. More information is available in the news article "An Estimated 200,000 Attend the Library of Congress' 2011 National Book Festival." 

All photos above by Rocco Staino. Pictured from top are: Photo 1: Pat and Fred McKissack, Photo 2: Susan Cooper and Gregory Maguire, Photo 3: Chris Van Dusen, Photo 4: Calef Brown and Jack Gantos. 

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at a bookstore or library near you!

Check out the NCBLA's extensive educational resources for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, which include supplemental articles, classroom activities, reading lists, art activities, discussion questions, and more, on our Education Resource Center.

To purchase a copy from the bookseller of your choice, click here.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Local Political Redistricting In The "Post-Racial", "Mission Accomplished" City Of Chicago

Whereas the bulk of the Black Political Discourse today focuses upon the national struggle against the Enemy #1 of the Black Progressive - the Tea Party Republicans.................I maintain that the reason why there is a vested interest to keep the Black Community unified in this national struggle is because a transparent appraisal of local conditions using the very same construct that is used nationally would prove depressing.

Please read all of the links very carefully as a means of understanding how RACE (and charges of RACISM[!!!!] is still abundant - even in a city like Chicago that has only one elected Republican Alderman who is countered by 49 other Democrats).

When the connection between a district being attractive because of its jobs, education and safety - THUS being able to retain its population versus those political operatives who presided over the population loss becomes totally abstracted - the present conditions that we see in the Black community come to light.  The  constituents are asked to LOOK PAST the failings because.......if they don't reelect this same official .....the Black community will be hurt.

From The Article
The City Council’s Black Caucus on Monday unveiled a proposed new ward map that includes 19 majority black wards — forfeiting only the 2nd Ward already represented by a white alderman — despite a 182,000-person drop in Chicago’s black population.
Chicago currently has 20 black wards, 13 white wards, 11 Hispanic wards and six wards with a “majority minority” mix of Hispanics, blacks and Asians.
The Hispanic Caucus is demanding as many as six more wards to reward Latinos for their 25,000-person population gain over the last decade.
The Black Caucus map includes just two more Hispanic wards ­— the 10th and 23rd. Both are currently represented by veteran white aldermen: John Pope (10th) and Mike Zalewski (23rd).
“The numbers merit more,” said Ald. Danny Solis (25th), chairman of the Hispanic Caucus.
“I don’t think it’s an insult. It’s a first draft on their part. We don’t think it’s their final offer.”

One In Four Philadelphians Living In Poverty


With all due respect - my first hand experience in understanding my birth city of Philadelphia is that the neighborhoods have a "we are just hanging on, trying to survive" consciousness about them.Unfortunately there is no "organic revolution" going on among the people that are going to change their fortunes anytime in the future. 

 I am forced to give credit to:
  • Black American Muslim converts
  • Dominicans
  • Koreans
  • Chinese
All of these groups have a noticeable foothold in the Black community as merchants.  They are creating jobs for their own interest groups while meeting the consumer demands within the community.






 (Lifted from "Black Political Thought" blog)

(Amazing) Black Progressive-Fundamentalist @ CBC Show Asks Wests To Tell GOP To Support Obama On Black Education - Has Nothing To Say About The Democrats That Run Our Black Public School Systems

Do any of you understand that TODAY the Black Community is living within the "Mission Accomplished Interval Of Time" that Black Progressive Bayard Ruskin had voiced as a strategy the Black Community to follow for our future prosperity about 45 years ago?

At what point does your conscious compel you to stop SELLING to Black people and instead begin to enforce the INTEGRITY that is needed to defend our community institutions?

Do you see, per my reports, that when the "Embedded Confidence Men" compel you to believe that "The Black Struggle" is a struggle against REPUBLICANS - that they are able to build POWER over our institutions and yet, when they fail to deliver per what they had promised us - they only need to keep SELLING to you about how we will be imperiled IF "the enemy" is allowed to gain more power.

I am not sure if some of you know who the ENEMY is.

The enemy of Black people is as it always has been:

  • Ignorance
  • Hatred
  • The People who sit by and allow the two points above to transpire without stopping it
Increasingly the "Black Rank & File" is exhibiting the third bullet point because it hates the enemy that has been stood up by the Embedded Confidence Men (and his joint venture partner) more than it has self confidence that we have the competencies to run our own institutions.


 

Do you understand that with the protection racket that is being enacted NOT ONE BLACK DEMOCRAT at the "CBC Weekend" that is going on is going to be asked to GO BACK TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY and tell them to actually provide a return on investment for our "Equal Black Ballots" and our fused "Community Development Consciousness" to their political success.

In truth - there is no need to "go back to" the Democratic Party to tell them anything.  The Democratic Party IS fully represented at the CBC Legislative Weekend and at every NAACP convention.

AJC Special Coverage - African-American middle class gains reversed

AJC Print-Only Special Coverage: African-American middle class gains reversed

Unfortunately I am on the road and don't have access to the full report that will appear in Friday's printed AJC.  I have asked my wife to pick up a copy for me and I will review the report when I get home.

From the AJC Article:

Persistent joblessness among African Americans, and its effect on home ownership and wealth building, is raising concerns about about the future of a black middle class that had grown to be a potent economic force in cities like Atlanta.
Unemployment in metro Atlanta, which the state Labor Department said Thursday ticked up a tenth of a point to 10.4 percent in August, cuts across all demographic groups. But the jobless rate in metro Atlanta, in Georgia, and across the U.S. is far worse for African-Americans.
Unemployment among black teens aged 16-19 in metro Atlanta was a staggering 56 percent last year. For black men it was 20 percent. Those figures roughly doubled the rates for white youths and men.
Last month, the national unemployment rate for blacks was 16.7 percent. That compared to 8 percent for whites, 11.3 percent for Hispanics and Latinos and 7.1 percent for Asians.

THANK YOU ALL! -- ACTIVISM IS THRIVING


The times they ARE a'changing

I want to say thanks to each and every one of you.

"House on Fire" has grown faster than I ever expected. It now has 100 followers and has reached 40,000 pageviews. This is really encouraging for a small blog that started without any fanfare or a ready-made support base. The "hits" are growing exponentially. Thank you so much for the support!


This is an Ad-Free Zone

Apparently Google is well aware of this success and has been hitting me up to run ads. I won't do this. I am essentially against all commercial advertising. I would not be against non-persuasive information about worthwhile products and services available to us but it just isn't like that. I won't be a part of the con. "House on Fire" will remain completely independent and I will write it for all the right reasons, not for payment.

That said, I WILL consider running "ads" for non-profits and worthwhile causes if people want to contact me. No, I won't run political ads for the elitist nimrods running for president. However, I will run ads for Norman Solomon's run for Congress if he wants me to because I know him personally and I know he is going to get to Capitol Hill and raise some hell. Solomon is a lifelong activist and one of the finest people I know.

Of course, being the "techodumbo" I am, I will have to work out how to put such ads on my page. I can barely operate this blog as it is! :-) (I'm like the guy in the classic Christopher Guest parody movie "For Your Consideration" who says: "The Internet. That's the one with email, right?")


The Better Angels of Our Nature

Above all, I want to thank you all for your compassion. For caring. The feedback I get -- apart from the folks on the far right who want to get their hands around my throat and call me all kinds of nasty names that I guess are supposed to make me blush or tremble or something -- is so encouraging: not just for me personally but for our bid to make the world a better place. There are so many great people out there and we are going to win!


The Future of "House on Fire"

As I've said before, this blog is going to be rolled into a very special activism site that I've been planning for years. That day is getting closer. If I can raise the necessary funds, it may be born in six months. It has already been endorsed by Noam Chomsky, Medea Benjamin, Father Dan Berrigan, and the late Howard Zinn. I'm expecting more such endorsements from prominent activists. If my projections are even close to the mark, in years to come this site will scare the crap out of the Establishment.


Upcoming Posts

Finally, I have several things I'm planning to blog about: Palestine's bid for statehood, the Wall Street Protests, the importance of small actions, another tragic instance of gay bullying, the dangerous decay of our First Amendment rights, and much more. I am behind on these subject because, as you'll have noticed, I've been devoting "House on Fire" to Troy Davis' cause recently. His execution is one of the most disgusting domestic examples of the violence our governments and courts are capable of that I've witnessed in a long time. This was state-sanctioned murder. To euphemize what happened with more palatable words is to join with the spirit of the crime against Troy. Troy Davis wanted us to continue the fight against capital punishment: We must honor his memory by doing just that until this abomination is eradicated not only from the United States but from the entire world. (GO HERE to sign the ACLU's Pledge to End the Death Penalty.)

But again, I thank you. I was moved by the hits that my blogs about Troy received. Again, not for me, but because it was further evidence of the collective care that exists. It inspires me and I know that good will always triumph over evil, even if we have to fight like hell to get there.

So thank you, 40,000 times. I am committed to finishing what I started with this blog and doing my small part to, yep, change the world. And you are all a part of that. You rock!

Have a great weekend (but keep the activism going),
Adrian

IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might also like to take a look at THE REVOLUTION IS KNOCKING -- PT. 2.

Melissa Harris-Perry And Chris Matthews - "You Are A Racist If Your Support For Obama Weakens But You Can Reform Yourself If You Vote For Obama"

If someone can tell me that their basic arguments are materially more substantive than this - please prove it.

The only advantage that Perry and Matthews have is that they are highly literate individuals who know how to place the appropriate embellishments around their words to mask the scheme that is being represented.

ANALYSIS

I was mistaken.
I had believed that the primary threat to the Black Community's interests was when a "shooting war"  between the "Black Progressive" and the "White Conservative" was the most detrimental to Black community interests.

It turns out that the joint venture between the "White Progressive" and the "Black Progressive" is the scheme that imperils the Black community the most.

When the Embedded Black Fox Confidence Men "take one for the team" and beings a shooting war against the "White Conservative Wolf"  (see the CBC recent antics) ...................it is the White Progressive Cheshire Fox that smiles most widely for it is HIS AGENDA that are advanced as his prime enemy and most loyal partner who doesn't ask for much are engaged in battle.

The Shooting War Between The Black Progressive Fundamentalist And The White Conservative
When the Embedded Black Fox Confidence Men and the White Progressive Cheshire Fox team up to keep their Progressive Flock in line with the program -   the Black Community is the loser for it is compelled to place its PERMANENT INTERESTS into forbearance. 
The Complicit Operations Between The White Progressive And The Black Progressive-Fundamentalist 

The important issue for everyone to understand is that Chris Matthews is not going to look at the Black Community support for Obama which is in the low to mid 80% range and then cross index this - not only against the 16.7% Black Unemployment rate but the "Mission Accomplished" local political districts that have:

  • Failed to create a job market sufficient to produce "Consumers Of Labor" for Blacks to sell our labor skills to
  • Failed to create institutions of academic attainment after the Progressive take over
Instead both Matthews and Prof Perry are exceedingly happy that the Black voter is going to invest his 'Equal Black Ballot" in a manner that is favorable to the both of them.

Oh How You White Progressives Have Little Faith, Now You Are Showing Your RACISM!

When Tavis Smiley and Prof Cornel West were stripped of their credentials and beaten upside of the head by the progressive coalition - I stated that I had no sympathies for them.  They were prime operatives over the years in participating in these "Progressive-Fundamentalist Flash Mobs".
I stated that I hoped that they learned how it felt to be on the receiving side and that in the future they'd try to inculcate a bit more respect for diverse opinions among Progressives.

I would now like to extend this same model to the White Progressives who are being sanctioned by Prof Melissa Harris-Perry for "disloyalty to Obama".   (Oh yeah - because his is BLACK.  I forgot that one.

I am convinced that Prof Perry is an intolerant person based upon my observations of her message. 
Despite being a vocal advocate for diversity, in truth she merely seeks conformity around the positions that have been sanctioned as "Progressive Approved".   Thus the explanation of the term "Progressive-Fundamentalist".  Many have asked about this perceived oxymoron.  The fact is that a person who believes that "Progressivism" is the cure for everything that ails us and is not able to accept the damage in the Mission Accomplished Zones as being a residue of the forces that now dominate these areas - indeed is a candidate for "progressive-fundamentalism".   I believe Prof Perry fits this bill.

To the White Progressives - as you listened to Janeane Garofalo and Bill Maher make attacks upon Black people who dared to not support Obama, concluding that they had self-hatred or some type of psychological disorder - you should ask yourself how it feels to have these toxins thrown upon you as you commit the sin of asking questions about Obama?

The truth is that the reality that engulfs the claim that Obama is being subjected to a massive racist attack because of his color is the scheme that is trying to dismiss the flurry of criticism that any president would receive in a failing economy and instead attribute it to RACISM.

We can only conclude that you (the White Progressive) were RACISTS all along or that the progressive bigots who are not calling you out will say anything to compel you to remain silent about the conditions in America because you don't want to be called a RACIST by them.  The second portion points again to your RACISM because - as you note how other Whites have been attacked as "racist" you fear the same fate will be cast upon you.

Why not simplify matters and prevent your progressive-fundamentalist friends from running to the Racial Invective as their first weapon?   This weapon that was reserved for conservative opponents can be used on you too, you know.  All you need to do is be disloyal to the message.

The indictment of RACIAL MOTIVATIONS that formulate one's negative opinions of Obama is a more powerful club than is the evidence that the BLACK COMMUNITY'S PERMANENT INTERESTS has been molested as the Black Racial Services Machine is compelled to look past them in defense of Obama.  

The audio report from Rep Cleaver (D-MO) says it all.   The Embedded Confidence men have developed a new strategy to place Black people in a racial defensive - "Protect Obama while Stopping Speaking Truth To Power".

It is mind numbing to hear Progressives - Black and White to hold up (the Superior) WHITE opinion as the index of racism in political discourse.  The Black numbers are "defensive" only.   Just as I stated previously "Progressivism Is Inorganic".  It does not produce ORIGINAL hatred/bigotry/bias (in their view).  It only exhibits secondary negatives when the offending conservative compels it to act out as such.

I have stated many times I RESPECT THE ACUMEN OF THE 'EMBEDDED CONFIDENCE MEN'.  They know how the body that they suborn influence over thinks.   Their job is to erect the necessary narrative that is required for them to achieve the desired outcome.

It is the job of the rank & file to establish the necessary protections to defend against these antics.

The Congressional Black Caucus - Helping Black People To Remain Disproportionately "The Help"


Some things you need to hear with your own ears - after being edified with a framework (provided by me) to improve your understanding.

I have net positive sentiments for NPR's Michele Martin.  She promotes her journalistic professionalism over her own ideological sentiments (more often than not).  The new crop of Black journalists should take note.

Still - I find that absent the possession of the proper framework for appraisal of an interview subject before the interview starts - certain critical statements which expose the individual's agenda will fly over the interviewers head.

In the case of the "Tell Me More" show's interview with Rep Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Mr Cleaver threw out some curve balls that blew right past Mrs Martin.  What was at stake was a CHOICE for Black America.   Continue along with the "protection racket" that has been hoisted up in the name of "Black (Progressive) Defense" of the voices of representation for the community sentiments versus the need to see that these elected representatives and their policies are merely a METHODOLOGY (and thus an option) that must be transparently appraised for its EFFECTIVENESS at delivering the standard of living that we are seeking as a community.

The Framework For Appraisal

I maintain that the "Time Line" is the enemy of those who have achieved "establishment authority" over a people.  As they seek to retain their power they seek to focus the masses on the future while having them avoid inspection of the past and the measure of the promises that were delivered upon.

In my opinion the interview with Rep Emanuel Cleaver was done from a perspective of the CBC being advocates FOR the interests of the Black Community.   When we apply the dynamic of 'Time' to the appraisal of this supposition - a different type of interview would have transpired.

During the interview the subject of transportation policy was discussed.  Rep Cleaver stated that working class Black people who live within the core city need transportation resources to get to work......in the suburbs.  (Note Rev Jesse Jackson argued that the Obama Justice Department should investigate Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) for a 'civil rights violation' for refusing federal funds meant to be applied toward high speed rail because the absence of rail prevents Blacks from accessing JOBS).

The obvious miss by Mrs Martin was that she failed to note that the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the larger Democratic/Progressive coalition in the federal/state and local governments grew their base of power out of these same cities.   Why aren't these core cities prospering enough so that the residents WITHIN could sell their skills and labor within the cities that they live - thus providing evidence of the effectiveness of the forces that govern these place?

This important construct of thought would have nipped the "perpetual struggle" in the bud.  It would have demanded - from Mrs Martin's part - that the forces that asked Black people to invest their "Equal Black Ballots" and fuse their "Community Development Hopes" into their cause - should now be made to show a "return on investment".  Instead Rep Cleaver was allowed to "expand the domain of indictment" - outward to where the enemy has moved.  This is the line of thinking that those who believe in the concept of "benign neglect" to describe the conditions of Black people being left all alone by ourselves with nothing more than the buildings and land that we were once disallowed to enter.  Just as I noted about the once segregated elementary school in Philadelphia - it clearly was not the "building" that was contested but the occupants that used to be WITHIN the building that is of interest.

Long story short - the CBC and the "Black Racial Services Machine" that it is a component of represent a strategy that purports to drive the development of our community.  The job of the Black Press NEEDS TO BE that of the agent which transparently inspects the veracity of this strategy.  Thus they must disconnect themselves from the machine and inspect the operation of it to spec.  My goal is to inspect "the spec", making sure that it is not skewed toward a predetermined end.

The Agreement To Not Attack Obama - A Smokescreen For The Protection Rack - A Measure Of The Weight Of The Water That The Black Community Is Forced To Carry

The part of the conversation in which Rep Cleaver was made to logically justify his organizations unwillingness to criticize Obama publicly because it would provide impetus for Obama's "RACIST" enemies to pile on was particularly disingenuous.   The Black community must accept that the gap between our willingness to criticize any authority figure that is in power versus how far we will go to voice concerns against a favorable politician because we fear that he will be weakened is the measure of the weight of the water that the Black community is willing to carry for that politician.

Of course it is easily proven that this protection racket is not racial as Cleaver says but instead ideological and partisan.  The will of a Progressive Black Democrat to engage in such protection is 100% based on the perceived connection that person has in advancing their ideological viewpoint.  Even as our community's interests erode this silence is suborned among the masses seeking to remain in good standing with the masses.

Cleaver goes on to say that the press has never covered a Black president before and thus we see their inability for them to address the RACISM that he faces.   With Cleaver as a progressive Democrat he has nothing to lose by claiming that the opposition to Obama's policies are due to his race.  This is a "so when did you stop beating your wife"-type indictment.   This allows Cleaver and other Progressive to take the witness stand and substantiate the effectiveness of their grand theories.

I have argued from the beginning that the best way to appraise Obama and Cleaver's theories is to go back closer to home and note the results when these progressive theories are implemented as the "last public policy standing".   Why should they be installed nationally without strident challenge from those who want to resist these same results on a national scale?

The Best Thing That President Obama Can Do For Black People And Jobs Is To Make Empty Promises That Will Trigger Them To Fight Against The Republicans - The Goal Of The Black Leadership

Rep Fredrica Wilson of South Florida has given President Obama the appropriate framework regarding how to engage with a roomful of angry and unemployed Black Progressives.  Just as they see their decline in savings accounts and their "no confidence vote" starts to rise - one only needs to reclaim their favor by placing a piece of "Republican red meat" in front of their hungry eyes and they will begin to salivate.

The offensiveness of such a simplistic assessment of some people's disposition is buttressed by their real world evidence.  The prevailing Black political discourse is as the "Special Teams" in the "Malcolm X Political Football Game", having lost ago lost its direct connection to the conditions of our community and the will to punish those who received our confidence but have come up woefully short.

There is no agent within our community that transparently accesses our interests - separate and distinct from the preferred METHODOLOGY chosen to accomplish the goal.

We are lead to believe that our present jobs situation is a political challenge rather than a market based distortion.  With this in mind it is also logical to accept that you are due to the actions of your political enemies.  This is the critical link that is shown in the propensity to allow elected leaders who should be held accountable for failures to instead levitate off stage and lead the protest rally against the common political enemies of the rank & file and the elected official.   When they are all alone by themselves they merely expand their domain of indictment against the closest external enemy.

At this weekend's Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend - there will be a lot of things talked about regarding the condition of Black America.  The prevailing sentiment will be on how the Black community can more effectively achieve its desired end THROUGH the existing Democratic and Progressive Channels. There will not be any discussions which inspects the basic efficacy of this distribution channel in the first place.

There is no amount of evidence received about the condition of the Black community which will provoke such a discussion.
In hearing Black people have such discussions internally, after all, might cause the Tea Party Republicans to move in for the kill.    :'(  :'(  :'(

African American Middle Class Gains Reversed