Pence’s Shot Made Me Sick To My Stomach

I just watched Mike Pence and his wife KAREN (figures) get COVID vaccine shots and it made me sick to my stomach.

I am almost 70 years old with five underlying conditions and I’m black. This man has mishandled the government’s response to COVID right from the start. Actually mishandled is too kind a word; he indeed flat out lied about it, right along with Trump.  Why should this hypocrite get a COVID vaccination before health care and other essential workers? Before me and a lot of other seniors in my position?

I have been a virtual prisoner in my own home since March 6 when the first case of COVID was discovered where I live. I have already lost six friends and two family members to COVID, one dying just yesterday.  Several more have had COVID and, thank God, have recovered although some having lingering health concerns. I have friends who are hospitalized with COVID and fighting for their lives even as I write this.

I was planning to sell my home this year and move to a smaller house or condo. COVID stopped that because I don’t dare have a bunch of strangers traipsing in and out of my house; I’m too high risk. I was scheduled to have a knee operation this year. For obvious reasons that was canceled so I’ve been hobbling around in pain for months.

Because of a COVID I missed my only granddaughter’s wedding.  Because of COVID I missed Thanksgiving with my family and I’m going to miss Christmas and New Year’s with my family as well

God willing I will be 70 years old next month. I’ve been saving for years to throw myself a major blowout birthday celebration party. I had a massive heart attack in 2017 and I didn’t think I would make it to 70, that is why this birthday celebration was so important to me. Needless to say, those birthday party plans are out the window as well.

This article is not all about me; it’s just my personal story. I know there are millions of others who have suffered as much as I have and many millions who have suffered so much more.  I’m speaking for all of us. At least I’m secure in having a roof over my head and food on my table because my main sources of income have not been affected by COVID – so far. So many people fear being homeless or indeed are now homeless due to COVID and its effect on the economy. So many people are hungry, many of them children.

All of us have suffered so much because of the weak, dishonest, and virtually non-existent “leadership” of Trump and Pence.  Pence will only be vice president for about another 30 days (hallelujah!). He is the direct cause of so many people needing vaccines right now. So why should he get his vaccine before so many more deserving people? Our healthcare workers should naturally be priority one, followed by people who work in essential jobs. After that would come my group, elderly people with underlying conditions. This man who caused so much of this misery has the gall to have a COVID shot before all of us.  And to add insult to injury, his wife got a COVID shot as well. Really?

It is said that Pence chose to have this shot televised to help build peoples’ confidence in the vaccine. Well, it sure as hell didn’t raise my confidence. I know Trump, Pence, and their cronies could give less than a damn about this old Black woman. And after Trump suggested we inject Clorox or stick sunlamps down our throats I don’t believe one damn thing from him, Pence, or anybody else in that sad, sorry, evil administration. Watching President-elect Biden take his shot helped my confidence in the vaccine. Watching Pence did not. Frankly, anything that Pence supports or endorses is suspect in my eyes because he’s already shown such gross and cold indifference to the suffering of many millions of people. And this man has the nerve to call himself a Christian.

SMH

28 Cool And Surprising Black History Month Facts | CafeMom

28 Cool & Surprising Black History Facts for Every Day of the Month

Source: 28 Cool & Surprising Black History Month Facts | CafeMom

by JANELLE HARRIS

February is our 28-day time to shine and I fully intend to make the most of it. I love Harriet Tubman, I adore Frederick Douglass, but there is so much more to Black history than them, the Emancipation Proclamation, and sports trivia. So here you go — impress your friends with this more well-rounded list of facts about Black-dom.

1. Cathay Williams was the one and only female Buffalo Soldier, posing as a man named William Cathay to enlist in the 38th infantry in 1866. She served for two years before a doctor discovered that she was a woman, leading to her discharge.

2. Both Condoleezza Rice and Martin Luther King, Jr. started college when they were just 15 years old. She studied political science at the University of Denver; he majored in sociology at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

3. Journalist Ida Wells-Barnett refused to give up her railcar seat for a white man in 1884, and bit a conductor on the hand when he tried to force her. She was dragged off the train. She sued the railroad and initially won, but the decision was overturned.

4. In 2008, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt became the first man to ever set three world records in a single Olympic games.

5. The media made the Black Panthers notorious for their Afros, dark apparel, and willingness for armed self-defense, but their manifesto for change launched programs that benefited Black communities nationwide, like free dental care, breakfast for low-income children, even drama classes.

6.  Lincoln University in Pennsylvania is the first institution of higher education founded for African-Americans. It paved the way for the 104 other historically Black colleges, which have produced distinguished alums like Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, and the almighty Oprah.

7. Black ingenuity helped devise creative — and effective — plans to escape enslavement. In 1848, husband-and-wife team William and Ellen Craft made it to the North, and eventually England, when she dressed as a white man and he posed as one of her slaves. A year later, Henry “Box” Brown literally mailed himself to freedom in a shipping box during a 27-hour trip from Richmond to Philadelphia.

8. Liberia was founded and colonized by expatriates. The West African country is one of two sovereign states in the world started as a colony for ex-slaves and marginalized Black people. Sierra Leone is the other.

9. Jesse Jackson does more than make up words: he negotiated the release of Lt. Robert O. Goodman, Jr., a Black pilot who had been shot down over Syria and taken hostage in 1983.

10. Before he was a blockbuster actor, Will Smith was The Fresh Prince and, along with partner Jazzy Jeff, won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance. They boycotted the awards because the category was barred from television.

11. The hair brush, lawn mower, cellphone, refrigerator, and — thank heavens — the air conditioner were all the fruits of African-American inventors’ creative laboring.

12. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson had an older brother, Matthew Robinson, who was also a star athlete in his own right. He won a silver medal in the 200-yard dash in the 1936 Olympics — coming in second to Jesse Owens.

13. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black major-party presidential candidate survived three assassination attempts during her 1972 campaign.

14. Eatonville, Florida, the childhood home of writer and cultural anthropologist (and my all-time favorite author!) Zora Neale Hurston, is also the first town in the country to be incorporated by African-Americans.

15. in 1948, multitalented actor, singer, and civil rights activist Paul Robeson was considered for a U.S. vice presidential spot on Henry A. Wallace’s Progressive Party ticket.

16. The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, snagged several Guinness World Records, including highest annual earnings for a pop star, best-selling album of all time for his classic, Thriller, and most Grammy Awards won in a year (he took home 8). Incidentally, Beyonce holds that record for the ladies — she took home six in 2010.

17. Tice Davids, a runaway slave from Kentucky, was the inspiration for the first usage of the term “Underground Railroad.” When he swam across the Ohio River to freedom, his former owner assumed he’d drowned and told the local paper if Davids had escaped, he must have traveled on “an underground railroad.” (Davids actually made it alive and well.)

18. In 1739, the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina became the largest slave revolt in colonial America — some of the men who participated had been soldiers in Africa before being sold into slavery.

19. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a real place, so to speak. The home of Josiah Henson, whose life is generally believed to have been an inspiration for the novel, has been restored and added to the National Register of Historic Places in North Bethesda, Maryland.

20. Maya Angelou stopped celebrating her birthday for many years following the assassination of her friend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the same day. She annually sent flowers to Mrs. King to commemorate that day.

21. At age 42, Satchel Paige became the oldest rookie to play Major League Baseball and continued to play until he was 47.

22. In 1967, Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. became the first African-American to be trained as an astronaut. He unfortunately died in a plane crash during flight training before he could be sent on his first space mission. Sixteen years later, Guion “Guy” Bluford carried on Lawrence’s legacy by becoming the first Black man in space.

23. Langston Hughes’ daddy discouraged him from being a writer and only agreed to pay for his college education if he studied engineering.

24. Architect Paul Williams mastered the art of drawing upside down so that he could sit across from — not next to — white clients who didn’t want to sit side-by-side with a Black person.

25. Barack Obama is a lot of firsts, but he’s also a Grammy award winner. His audio books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, won Best Spoken Word Album in 2008.

26. Athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith made history — and headlines — when they raised their black-gloved fists on the awards stand at the 1968 Olympics. Both also wore Black socks and no shoes on the podium, representing Black poverty in America.

27. After retiring from baseball, Jackie Robinson helped establish the African-American owned and controlled Freedom Bank.

28. Being mischievous was Thurgood Marshall’s gateway to the law. For punishment, he was forced to copy the Constitution. It eventually piqued his interest.

Source: 28 Cool & Surprising Black History Month Facts | CafeMom

A Week Of Rampant Racism!

This has been a week in which racists have really showed their asses.

We all know what is happening here in the United States, so I won’t belabor that except to say I don’t see it improving very much until we get tRUMP out of office  (if then).

Word is coming out now about how the racism Meghan Markle has been subjected to is at the heart of why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “stepping back” from the British Royal Family.

 

The Romance Writers of America (RWA) is in chaos because of its treatment of authors of color.  And I’m not talking about just Black authors.  One of the authors targeted in this controversy is of Asian descent.  I have been a romance author for 23 years.  I was a member of the RWA many years ago, but I left the organization because I did not see it as being sensitive to the unique issues I faced as a Black author.

 

 

Now, to put the icing on this ugly racist cake I find  John Boyega of the Star Wars franchise trending on Twitter.  I pulled up the thread, thinking it would be about some new movie or public appearance he was making.  Nope.  Boyega is Black and he’s trending on Twitter due to his masterful response to all the racist comments and trolling he’s received because he’s Black.

Am I depressed about all this?  Nope,  again.  Because what I am seeing is people of color standing up to this racism and saying in the immortal words of Howard Beale*, “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take this anymore!”

 

 

*Howard Beale was a character in the movie NETWORK (1976).  The late Peter Finch won a Posthumous Oscar as Best Actor for his portrayal of this character. Finch died before the 1977 ceremony and was the only performer to win a posthumous Academy Award until Heath Ledger won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2009. The statuette itself was collected by Finch’s widow, Eletha Finch, who, by the way, just happened to be a Black woman.)

Black Cop: “Mr. Smollett” White Cop: “Jussie”

Like millions of  Americans, I just watched the police press conference concerning the alleged attack of Empire actor Jesse Smollett. And also like many other Americans, I am very disturbed by the fact that there is an indication Smollett used the justice system and the current divide in this country around racial and gay rights issues for personal gain.

But I noticed and was disturbed by something else concerning the press conference that none of the news sources have mentioned and frankly probably will never pay any attention to.

During the press conference Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who is Black, repeatedly referred to “Mr. Smollett” but Commander of Area Central Detectives Edward Wodnicki, who is white, repeatedly referred to “Jussie.”

Perhaps I picked up on this so quickly because decades ago I was involved in an EEO complaint that involved preferential treatment by our employer towards a white coworker. I’ll never forget that in the documents our employer filed concerning my complaint the white coworker was repeatedly referred to as “Mr. XXX” while I was repeatedly referred to as “Raynetta.”

The significance of this difference was not lost on me either then or now.  A minor point, you say? I don’t think so. I think this difference in reference is part of the problem. I’m not saying Jussie Smollett is innocent. I don’t know whether he is or not, although of course he is presumed innocent until a court finds him guilty. I will say however that if the evidence does eventually prove that he staged this attack his actions are truly despicable and I view them with the highest contempt.

But ask yourself, why would a black cop give him the basic and I might add professional courtesy of calling him “Mr. Smollett” when the white cop made the overly familiar and frankly somewhat disrespectful reference to “Jussie.” That difference reveals just how deeply this problem goes into American society.

And of course, the media didn’t even notice this difference, which unfortunately is typical of the media. These days the news goes for major soundbites and a lot of the subtleties of stories are overlooked. But I assure you, this is one that I could never overlook.

 

 

Our Present State Of Chaos – There Is Method In This Madness

Source: The Council – Chaos – Oracles and Healers

July 10, 2018

“You are being shown the worst sides of all that is happening around you. It would be well to understand the reasons for this. There are concerted efforts being made to move you into, or keep you in, a certain mindset. And stirring up emotions just before, or while, passing people information insures that they will accept it. These are advertising practices. In essence, you are sold ideas.

One of the most harmful ideas that is being promoted and taken advantage of is that side A is great and true and side B is atrocious and will cause you no end of grief. It is fairly obvious that there will be greater and lesser advantages to any question. However, when it is presented in the manner discussed above, several things happen.

First, it will cause all critical thinking about the topic to cease for most people. In essence, they have been frightened. Second, it causes deep rifts to develop in a society, thereby rendering it much easier to control. If ‘they’ can move people left or right, then ‘they’ don’t need to be in fear themselves. ‘They’ are secure in their position because the far larger numbers of the populace are distracted. Also, if the focus can be placed on what the left hand is doing, the right hand may do whatever it wants. So ‘they’ don’t really care if you choose A or B. (Emphasis mine.)

If we call this a game, then we can say that it has been played against most of you for a very long time. We will offer a small example. VIOLENCE IS RAMPANT! Nice headline. As you went about your business today, did you observe any violence? Did any hordes of people attack you or your neighbors? And, in the instance that you may have seen on your television, how far away from you was it geographically? Were the cameras placed in the middle of it? That would make it seem far larger, would it not? Was the wording in the report implying that it was an isolated incident? No? Why not?

Some of you are old enough to remember when politicians had discussions and arguments. Some are young enough to only remember politics as attacks. No one asks why that is. Could it possibly be that there are those unseen that control the show?

Some of your countries are only being shown a very limited view of what is happening, but we will say that, to some degree, the upheaval you are sensing is happening in many places. There are many millions who are now seeing beyond the smoke and mirrors. It is becoming increasingly obvious to many that strings are being pulled.

All of this is the effect of mankind having to face, finally, what is true about yourselves, and what you have allowed to happen in front of you. It is not necessary for you to become involved in any of it. If you choose to be, then be aware that you have made a choice. Your lives should be a series of conscious choices. This will become more and more the norm as you move into higher states of awareness. This is happening and will continue to happen.

Some of you may choose to keep yourselves apprised of these happenings as your world ‘falls apart’, and some may choose not to. Do not judge another for their choice. The lessons they have come to learn are quite certain to be different from your own. And of necessity, this will change as it becomes more and more the case that rebuilding must occur. Agreement regarding desired outcomes will become necessary, valuable, and expected. Many lessons will have been learned.

Actually, this has already begun. The most important lesson will be what can we achieve? What can I achieve? Are there any limits to what we can do? There are not, you know. But that which has limited you for so long, that which has taught you to doubt yourselves, must be eliminated first.

Humans, earth humans, still suffer from what you call Stockholm syndrome. Too many of you defend your captors. Many will actually miss the comfort of their captivity when it ends. When there are no walls, no bars, no fences, real or imagined, it will seem to be chaos for many. But, as chaos always is, it will be unrestricted opportunity. What will you choose to make of that?”

Source: The Council – Chaos – Oracles and Healers

Raynetta Manees Books Now In The Google Play Store!

All of my books are now available in the Google Play Store! And on SALE!

For a limited time, Google is sponsoring a SALE on six of my books for almost $1.00 off list price!  Don’t miss out!  This link will take you to my Google Play Store Book page. http://bit.ly/2njbIrr

Additionally, all my books are now available in PRINT and as well as digital (Kindle, Nook) format on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (BN.com).

Black Consumers Are An Underestimated Force In The American Economy, But Not For Long

Nielsen reports black consumers in 2015 have reached a “tipping point” in their impact, especially online.

JANIE BOSCHMA   FEB 2, 2016

This article is from the archive of our partner National Journal

Black consumers are an underestimated force in the American economy, but not for long.

A new Nielsen report on “the untold story” of black consumers, especially affluent ones, shows that as the black population grows, so will its economic influence and buying power.

The report highlights 2015 as a “tipping point” for black Americans in their “unprecedented impact” across a number of areas, especially television, music, social media and on social issues. Demographic trends combined with the power of social media have collided to empower an increasingly educated, affluent, and tech-savvy black consumer base. As a result, it’s a key time for companies to “build and sustain deeper, more meaningful connections” with black consumers, according to the findings.

“We’re going to see a change in the face of America, as multicultural communities and populations grow more. Companies who aren’t addressing that issue now are going to find themselves a bit out of sorts when the minority become the majority,” says Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, coauthor of the report and Nielsen’s senior vice president for strategic community alliances and consumer engagement. “Marketers have got to keep pace in understanding what’s important to diverse communities.”

Black buying power is projected to reach $1.2 trillion this year and $1.4 trillion by 2020, according to a report from the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth. That’s 275 percent growth since 1990, when black buying power was $320 billion. Already black consumers represent the largest consumers of color group in the marketplace, the report shows. That trend will continue as the country becomes more diverse, driven in part by growth in immigration from the Caribbean and Africa.

Because they’re younger on average, black consumers are trendsetters and tastemakers for young consumers of all races, according to the Selig Center. They define mainstream culture and wield immense influence over how Americans choose to spend their money. Any marketing campaign targeting millennials “must include messages to reach African-American youth,” notes Nielsen.

Savvy marketing experts have picked up on this and tailor their campaigns to win over the hearts and wallets of black consumers. But understanding black Americans and how to appeal to them is still a work in progress for many companies. Pearson-McNeil says many need a strategy—and soon. “I think some companies are still figuring it out, honestly,” she says, “which is why we spend a lot of time ensuring that our clients are aware of the changing demographics, and making them feel comfortable with this information so they know how to figure it out.”

As the infographic shows, a number of factors have converged to elevate black consumer power. Black high school graduates are now more likely than their white peers to enroll in college. They’re not only younger and educated, they’re tech-savvy and have seen a major uptick in income over the past decade. Growth among each income category above $100,000 has surged, especially for African Americans making $200,000 or more annually.

Meet Them Where They Are—Online

Nielsen’s report highlights the opportunity to reach those affluent black consumers online. They’re more plugged in and more receptive to mobile advertising. They are also more likely than their white peers to shop online and interact with brands on social media. African Americans earning more than $100,000 annually are more likely to shop online for movie tickets, groceries, and wine than are whites making similar incomes, Nielsen reports.

Major brands have already connected with top bloggers for advertising on their posts, and Pearson-McNeil says developing those kinds of online relationships with consumers early is key.

“What social media does is it actually levels the playing field. It gives African Americans more voice in sharing how they react to brands and products and services,” she says. “Taking as much advantage as you can of reaching people where it is convenient for them to engage and interact with your brand is a really smart business move.”

High-income African-American consumers are also much more receptive to mobile advertising than high-income whites. Nielsen reports that black households making more than $100,000 are significantly more likely than white households with similar incomes to think mobile advertising provides useful information about both new products and bargains. They’re also much more likely than their high-earning white peers to use social networks to support companies and brands (44 percent more likely) and to find out about products and services (29 percent more likely).

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, Nielsen’s senior vice president for strategic community alliances and consumer engagement

That equates to major opportunities for eyeballs and sales in the short term and for building brand loyalty over the long term. “You get that loyalty when you have a younger base to begin with, and if that’s where they’re going, that’s where you need to be,” says Pearson-McNeil. “Mobile, and mobile ads seems to be one of the key places to reach that segment.”

But those ads have to be culturally relevant and nuanced. Hiring a black model for the sake of diversity isn’t going to cut it without also incorporating smart messaging through a broader engagement strategy, says Pearson-McNeil, who is African-American.

“An important part of that is to not talk to or at consumers from these particular segments but rather to connect with them,” she says. “I can see a black model in one ad and appreciate the fact that there’s a black model there, but I can respond better to an ad that not only showcases the black model but also showcases something that is going to connect with me from a cultural perspective, that lets me know that that black model gets my black experience, and therefore the company gets the black experience and has tried to connect with me on that.”

The Shonda Rhimes Effect

Television producer and writer Shonda Rhimes famously said (accepting the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign) that she isn’t diversifying TV, but “normalizing it”—making TV more accurately reflect the country. Rhimes has engaged black viewers more than any television producer ever simply by including them—creating complex narratives starring more multidimensional characters of color.

Her intentional inclusion has also had the indirect effect of creating a space for advertisers to reach those viewers. Viewers tuning in for a Rhimes show are also there—voluntarily or not—to watch the ads that fund her shows.

While ad placement is an obvious strategy, Nielsen’s report also notes the wealth of data companies can mine from Twitter. Viewers increasingly tweet during programs and interact with writers and actors. Later, they might also tweet about a new pair of shoes. The result? A marketer’s goldmine for targeting.

The four shows with the most engaged Twitter followers are Power, Black-ish, Empire, and How to Get Away With Murder. Cross-referencing tweets about those shows and users’ other tweets, Nielsen has pinpointed how each show’s followers are likely to shop and interact with brands. For example:

• Empire’s Twitter base is 24 percent more likely to also tweet about wireless providers than any other product or service;
• How to Get Away With Murder’s Twitter fans are most likely to tweet about cosmetics (32 percent);
• Power’s tweeters are most likely to tweet about footwear (49 percent); and
• Black-ish fans are most likely to tweet about travel services (38 percent).

“That’s the really cool thing about the direction we’re going in, from a combination of social-media platforms and TV and the integrated nature of both,” says Pearson-McNeil. “When you can pick what’s going on on television by just following your Twitter posts, if you see what’s really lighting up the posts, businesses can’t stick their heads in the sand and ignore that.”

Call it synergy, chemistry, or social media, the fact is that black consumers remain the cultural trendsetters they have always been. The difference is that now companies can find them, aggregate their behavior data, and use it to shape how they reach these in-the-know and influential consumers.

Source: Black Consumers Still Set Trends and Dictate Popular Culture – The Atlantic

I Died One Year Ago Today

On this date one year ago I had a massive heart attack. My heart stopped beating twice. I was in ICU for a week and in another hospital a second week.

Today I am up and about and back to fully living my life. I think about all the wonderful things I have experienced in the past 365 days that I came so close to missing and I thank God for his goodness and mercy in bringing me back to the people, places, and things that I love.

So many friends, family, and readers stood by me during this experience, more than I can individually name, but I have to send out a special thank you to my daughter, Tiffani, and my granddaughter, Zayna for their love and care. Also special thanks to my sister, Starr and my best friend, Helen, for the many times they came to visit me in the hospital and all their love and support. 

During this past year, I have said to myself, “This may be my last Halloween,” and “This may be my last Thanksgiving,” and “This may be my last Christmas.”  On just about every special occasion I told myself that it might be my last and I tried my best to fully experience, appreciate, and enjoy the occasion.

But one day I realized nothing had really changed about that.  Every Halloween of my life could have been my last.  Every Christmas of my life could have been my last.  And realized that is not only true for me but true for every one of us.  None of us know which day on this earth will be our last.  Tomorrow is promised to no one.

So the circumstance had not changed at all.  What changed was my realization of this fact.  Intellectually, we all know one day we are going to die. But for me, it took my walk through the valley of the shadow of death to make me truly appreciate just how precious every day, every hour of life is, and to try to live it to the fullest.

So as well as returning me to life God also gave me another gift.  The full appreciation of every minute of the life He returned to me.

Podcast Interview Tomorrow, March 19: Author Raynetta Manees

This is an invitation to my radio Podcast interview that will be tomorrow March 19 at 1 o’clock.  PODCAST ADDRESS:   https://worshipradiodetroit.com/glamour-shoppe-talk/

MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  amazon.com/author/raynettamanees

Hope you can join us!

In Homage to “Black Panther”- The PantherPuff Girls!

The Pantherpuff Girls are here for #InternationalWomensDay! We must see, respect & honor the different kinds of strength that women possess. Give a voice to women around the world and take the pledge for @DanaiGurira’s #LoveOurGirls: http://logpledge.org  Art: @PrimePremne