Op-Ed

Blackonomics: Longing for ‘Conversation without Abbreviation’

Published

11 years ago

January 27, 2015

By James Clingman
NNPA Columnist

The dominance of social media and our never-ending thirst for faster ways to communicate have relegated many of our people to a 140-character mentality, a nano-second way of thinking, and new ways of saying old things. Using letters instead of words to express ourselves, i.e. LMAO, OMG, SRS, SMH, has propelled us into an esoteric realm of information that in many cases has caused a communication gap between generations. The art of writing is steadily falling by the wayside and, in my opinion, it is to our detriment.

I understand trends, evolution of language, and new ways of expression. We did the same thing in my generation. Of course, we did not have instant access to one another via the Internet, but we did make up new words and phrases sometimes just to throw the adults off and keep them from knowing what we were talking about. But with all of our “jive-talk” and slang, we never lost the appreciation for language, reading, and writing. We also continued to hone our skills at expressing our thoughts through words, which resulted in many excellent and timeless books, poems, and spoken word. Just listen to Gil Scott-Heron.

I love the young brother, Richard Williams, better known as Prince EA, and his YouTube video titled, “Can we auto-correct humanity?” He speaks to issues related to our capitulation to brevity in our communication with one another. He says, “Touchscreens have made us lose touch.” He says we rely too heavily on the “Anti-social network.” He longs for, “Conversation without abbreviation,” and points out the, “Attention span of average the adult is one second lower than that of a goldfish.” This is from a young man who sees the danger of our constricted conversations and lack of time to read, write, and actually talk to one another.

Simply put, we must not discard our great writers and the vaults of information and knowledge they have left us. We must not overlook those who are writing great books, articles, and essays today. We must not turn our backs on our print media, or refuse to listen to conscious radio, both terrestrial and Internet-based. We must continue to empower ourselves with history, current events, and spoken word by young folks such as Prince EA, Janette…ikz, and others who are worth spending more than a few seconds listening to. I am sure they write down their words before performing them.

We must not allow writing to become obsolete; that would be an affront to the pantheon of Black writers who have passed on and those who continue in that tradition. With that in mind, and in light of the fact that we have allowed our Black bookstores to close all across this nation, let’s recommit to the oral tradition of our ancestors and to the written tradition of our forebears.

After all, where would we be without the cavalcade of stars that include Alain Locke, Zora Neale Hurston, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen, Maya Angelou, Ralph Ellison, Robert Maynard, and hundreds of others?

In order to teach our children and grandchildren the importance of taking the time to read and write, we must, ourselves, take the time to learn what we want them to know. While we are now able to find virtually anything on the Internet, and while we are able to “tweet” our way through life without regard to expanding our minds and our abilities, we must slow down. We must reclaim our penchant for reading a good book and writing down our thoughts that could turn into a good book.

Where is the Blackonomics application in all of this? Glad you asked. Buy a Black book from a Black bookstore, and if it’s available, have a cup of coffee or tea and stay a while to read that book. You know, the way you do at Starbucks and other places. Support Black book fairs not only by attending but also by buying the authors’ books. Subscribe to Black newspapers and periodicals, and promote them by insisting that firms with whom you do business advertise in those media.

Finally, support Rosie Milligan’s Black Writers on Tour, coming on April 18 in Carson, Calif. See Blackwritersontour.com for more information. Who knows? You may be the next great author to bless us with knowledge and inspiration.

If, 50 years from now, all you have left are Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook messages to read, you will have denied yourself the pleasure of enjoying and sharing with your progeny your own stories, your own knowledge, your own history, in your own words. Just as “Reading is fundamental,” so is writing. Support Black writers.

Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and can be reached through his Web site, Blackonomics.com.

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Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

5 days ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

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Activism

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

At the deepest and also most expansive level of reality, we are all part of the same being, our bodies made from the minerals of the earth, our spirits infused by the spiritual breath that animates the universe. Willingness to move more deeply into fear and pain is the first step toward moving into a larger consciousness. Willingness to move beyond the delusion of our separateness can show us new ways of working and living together.

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

By Dr. Lorraine Bonner, Special to California Black Media Partners

I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical Western medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an individual’s health.

Therefore, when I began to practice medicine, I also pursued training in hypnosis, relaxation techniques, meditation, and guided imagery, to bring a mind-body focus to my work in medical care and prevention.

The people I saw in my practice had a mix of problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and a variety of pain issues. I taught almost everyone relaxation breathing and made some general relaxation tapes. To anyone willing, I offered guided imagery.

“My work embraced an approach to wellness I call “Liberatory Health” — one that not only addresses the treatment and management of disease symptoms but also seeks to dismantle the conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

From my perspective, illness is only the outermost manifestation of our efforts to cope, often fueled by addictions such as sugar, tobacco, or alcohol, shackled by an individualistic cult belief that we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering.

To put these ideas into practical form, I would quote the immortal Mr. Rogers: “Find the helpers.” There are already people in every community working for liberation. Some of them are running for office, others are giving food to those who need it. Some are volunteering in schools, libraries or hospitals. Some are studying liberation movements, or are working in urban or community gardens, or learning to practice restorative and transformative justice, or creating liberation art, music, dance, theater or writing. Some are mentoring high schoolers or apprenticing young people in a trade. There are many places where compassionate humans are finding other humans and working together for a better world.

A more compassionate world is possible, one in which we will all enjoy better health. Creating it will make us healthier, too.

In community, we are strong. Recognizing denial and overcoming the fragmenting effects of spiritual disorder offer us a path to liberation and true health.

Good health and well-being are the collective rights of all people!

About the Author

Dr. Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

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Activism

Opinion: Can Donald Trump Pole Dance?

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

The news cycle has been buzzing the last few weeks. Xi, with Putin and Kim, the sweethearts of Trump carousing alone without him? The victims of the pedophile Epstein speaking out publicly in DC.

Then, there’s the release of that salacious letter Donald Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the letter didn’t exist. But it does.

Timing is everything.

Additionally, there are further concerns, such as the Supreme Court removing restrictions on ICE interactions. ICE Agents can stop anyone now. For any reason. And there’s the threat of the U.S. sending the military to fight crime in Chicago. Trump even posted a meme of himself as a character in “Apocalypse Now.”

All that with bad polls and bad economic numbers, and these topics are dominating the news cycle — Trump era chaos.

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

The reality is the opposite. He keeps going strong like nothing’s happened. Inexplicably, Trump always seems to defy gravity.

That’s why to reassure myself with reality, I just think of Trump on a pole. Dancing. He was born on Flag Day, after all.

I’ve got pole dancing on my mind because I’m in Canada at the Vancouver Fringe Festival doing my show, “Emil Amok 69, Everything’s Flipped,” about how the current political situation gets very personal.

Get tickets here if you’re near:

I’ve performed at 16 fringe festivals, and I always look for unique performers. This year, in my same venue (the Revue Stage) I found her in a show, “The Pole Shebang.”

Andrea James Lui may look like a typical Asian American at first.

But she’s Asian Canadian, married to an Australian, who now lives down under.

At the Vancouver Fringe, she highlights her special identity.

Pole Dancer

Yes, pole dancing has come to the fringe. Leave your dollar bills at home, this is not that kind of pole dancing.

This is more Cirque Du Soleil-ish- acrobatic stuff, yet it’s hard to deny the sexiness when a woman flawlessly swings from a pole with her legs apart.

The show is more intriguing than it is titillating.

Lui has created a behind-the-scenes look at the “polar” experience.

“She could have been a physicist,” says her big sister Christina, who despite saying that, supports her sister 100 percent.

Lui touches on some of the emotional depth in the poled subculture. But there’s plenty more to mine in the future. “Polar Bare,” the Musical? I’d see it.

Trump on a Pole

So that’s how I’ve come to the polar metaphor.

As Trump flails in the news, I picture him on a pole.

The letter to Epstein is further proof of the character of the man.

Will he stay afloat?

Not if the presidency were more like pole dancing.

You can’t lie on the pole.

That’s one way all of us in the Trump era can get to the truth.

About the Author

Emil Amok is a veteran journalist, commentator, and stage monologist. He has written a weekly column on Asian Americans for more than 30 years.

Contact: www.amok.com