What You Must Know about Diversity in Hiring

The Absolute Truth About DEI

I recently reposted a video from a friend about Diverse, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The video was slick, well-polished, and entertaining. It almost persuaded me that DEI was not good for Black people. But it ignored an important reality and exposed a false aspect of DEI that some individuals and groups want us to believe.

Diversity does not mean being less qualified or inferior. Diversity can offer better choices to accomplish assigned tasks. Diversity may present new approaches to solve difficult problems. Diversity is critical to our survival as a human species.

DEI hires have similar and in many instances, “superior” qualifications to serve in society. In many situations, these workers must overcome extreme obstacles and prejudice to prove their capabilities. It is not an embarrassment to be considered DEI; it should be viewed as a high achievement due to the extreme measures necessary to obtain a rightful position. Applicants often have to go above and beyond to prove their worthiness for years. DEI allows the applicant judged as "most qualified" to be offered the position while other applicants benefiting from outdated conventional profiles and relic loyalties are not. There is agreement that the result of the process can be devastating in the sense that one person has the position while another does not, but this outcome is deemed fair on procedural grounds.

The video I reposted to some of my social media connections presents one-sided propaganda. The presentation is convincing, but you must dig deeper to get the truth. We have to be more careful and introspective of our social media.

For centuries, Americans of African descent have always been hard workers and overcoming the nearly impossible to succeed. The irony is that this success often brings on the ire of the white establishment and severe retribution. Look what happened to Black Wall Street, Rosewood, and Lake Lanier. These were successful African-American communities filled with Black business people, farmers, teachers, craftsmen, etc. These establishments were destroyed by white people who were jealous.

For decades, African Americans and other non-whites have made great achievements in improving their lives and communities, only to be blocked and shut down by systemic racism rampant in America. Many white workers are far less qualified and have been hired due to decades of practices that excluded people of color.

Not all privileged Americans who consider themselves not a minority can be blamed. Many legislators acknowledge there is an unequal playing field. The rules are stacked against some people, and sensible government must step in and guarantee everyone a fair chance to prosper, be productive citizens, and benefit from their hard work.

It took Abraham Lincoln and a Civil War to end an evil called slavery. Recently, government and corporations have had to take measures to correct another problem: unequal employment. Otherwise, this nation would never become a great and genuine guiding light of freedom.

DEI is essential to maintain a progressive and stable society where everybody can participate fully to better our world.

Stafford Levon Battle

sbattle@sbattle.com

 cvvv

AFROFuturism is an Action Verb!

AFROFuturism, a trendy catchphrase, advocates that Black people will be important contributors to the future of humankind. They will be flamboyant superbeings rescuing citizens from burning buildings. African descendants will command spaceships to discover exotic planets and brazenly fist-fight frightening space aliens. People of color will be astonishing academic achievers and civic innovators to end poverty and disenfranchisement. Alternatively, they may become rogue, evil mad technologists and galactic authoritarians seeking to conquer the universe by utilizing fantastic scientific schemes to transform the playing field because sometimes being bad is good. 

 AFROFuturism also investigates the historic glories of Afrocentric artistic, mythological, and narratives that have influenced and improved earthly civilizations. Current entrepreneurs and multinational corporations exploit this cultural venue to promote and sell movies, music, books, art, T-shirts, and plastic coffee mugs. But despite petty product placement for profi, many aspects of AFROFuturism must be acknowledged as advantageous to the evolution of human society. 

 However, AFROFuturism is not purely affixed to one ethnic/social group. The term AFROFuturism was first popularized by Mark Dery, an author who writes significantly about cybercultural communications that damage, repair, and benefit human society. His 1994 essay “Black to the Future” helped to stimulate the AFROFuturist movement. 

 There are realistic, tangible reasons that we all – regardless of biased, economic, or social upbringing – benefit from AFROFuturism. Yes, White and Black folks can gain a lot from AFROFuturism such as: 

 1) Accurate acknowledgment of human history. AFROFuturism reveals ancient awareness advancing progress. European kings were probably terrified that the African Pantheon of Gods would motivate abducted African men and women around the globe to conduct catastrophic rebellions and endanger royal profits necessary to continue colonial conquests. Thus, native Africans and others were forbidden from openly observing traditional religious beliefs, languages, or culture. Before and after the tragic American Civil War, “Architects of AFROFuturism” promoted intellectual freedom for everyone who was feared and despised by the sadistic ruling elite. 

 2) Popular People Politics. Descendants of slavery may never get complete compensation for the hideous generational depredations of heartless cruelty that occurred in America and around the world. Yet, other ethnic groups have been rewarded generously for similar offenses. There is a demand for better capitalistic activism, allowing all cultural communities to make America truly great. AFROFuturism is a foundation for “alternative” politics to counter the fossilized aristocratic control that maltreats everyone except the reigning oligarchy. 

 3) Redefined spirituality. Judeo-Christian and Abrahamic traditions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – have extended threads into AFROFuturism, which is not an established “religion” nor a cult. AFROFuturism exposes the virtuous and immoral in dubious belief systems spawned by medieval rulers seeking to control peasants/workers/slaves. 

 4) AI Technology is the new Revolution. Via the AI digital medium, the dispersion of ideas and inspiration—art, dance, music, chat, multimedia—can occur globally, instantaneously. Cell phones, which rely profoundly on AI tech, are essential to our lives. Reserving a parking space, getting a new job, or electing trustworthy politicians requires comprehending 21st-century tools. We must know AI as well as it knows us. 

 5) AFROFuturism advances all of us. It is empowering, enlightening, entertaining, and engaging. It allows people to challenge social wrongdoings nonviolently. It improves relations with others, breaking through collective conditioning and self-imposed intellectual barriers. We grow. Expand. Free your mind, and you know what follows. 

It is important to encourage AFROCentric creators of images, books, music, dance, and commentary to pursue positive positions representing all of us regardless of falsely conceived notions of “racial” superiority. Visit museums, attend art shows, listen to new music, go to different churches or obscure restaurants offering weird food. 

AFROFuturism is not an impractical race-based doctrine. Distinguished thinkers around the globe, from assorted philosophies and religions, agree that we are all African, genetically and collectively. We all have the same desires and hopes for the future. We are human. 

 This discussion was merely a nippy sashay into AFROCyberspace – low Earth orbit. We will engage stellar “Warp Drive” to discover more about AFROFuturism advantages for people of exponential skin colors and extreme aspirations. 

 AFROFuturism is an action verb.

Open Borders for All Black/Brown People

 

Migration: A Human Right

Heartless militarism, ruthless community policing, ridiculous barricading of natural geography, and weaponizing borders have become acceptable in the 21st-century dystopian American nightmare. This is a dire result of our idiotic and cowardly political landscape.

AFROFuturism suggests that we should abandon culturally biased hate that restricts human movement and interaction. We should progress to an adequately administered humane immigration policy. This would be healthy and increase prosperity for newcomers and existing residents. Routes of free and unhindered migration should be established and protected.

There is nothing wrong with having open  (but monitored) borders with friendly countries. 

Other continental regions are embracing aspects of the free transfer of people. The African Union, the European  Union, and other leaders are easing the pathways for individuals to work, gain citizenship, and prosper in areas where they were NOT born. There is no logical nor ethical reason to stop desperate populations of people from improving their lives and enhancing neighboring nations' economies by emigrating to where willing workers are needed.

Political tyrants and their cohorts, for their own personal gains (or insanity), demand the control of people for senseless monetary profits given to the ruling class. 

This is the challenge for AFROFuturists: expose the hypocrisies and build worlds that equally embrace all people via books, music, multimedia, and art.

Consider. Why should we support open borders for black and brown people? White people already have that privilege.          

New Directions in Black Speculative Thought

 

 In AFROFuturism Dirty Words, the reader will engage with raunchy ramblings, sex-crazed speculations, dark fantasies, visually offensive offal, and radical racial rage. It is an illustrated collection of speculative stories and poems written by Stafford L Battle for over 30 years. 

His literary and illustrative exposition explores the science and sorcery of the Black experience in historical narratives and the sci-fi future of things to come. AFROFuturism is more than an academic retelling of Black tragedies in the Western world. 

Dirty Words thrust readers into realms that will appall, enlighten, and intrigue. 

A Black sheriff with dangerous abilities in the Wild West can stop bullets. A beautiful aunt can travel intergalactic space to seduce an African demon. A ferocious teenager will kill reptilian monsters just to save his grandma and get a strong drink. And what if Abraham Lincoln was the real evil villain causing the death of millions of soldiers? 

 This is AFRO speculative fiction, exploring the “What If” using mature language and adult themes and being unafraid to expose complex realities. 

The moral of the tales is that if we rely on intellectual reflection, perseverance, and luck, we can create a better future for everyone, regardless of perceived race or culture. 

We are all African. 

Note: This Nation has gone nuts! Read something fun. Advance copies will be available soon.

We must Vote this November

Don't vote for this dummy!

The Lesson of Trees

 

Years ago, I wrote a story called "The Lynching". In American history, lynchings were mostly associated with the public execution of black men, usually on a Sunday afternoon in a picnic setting. White families would gather, drink lemonade, and gleefully celebrate the killing of a human being because he may have walked on the wrong side of the street.

My story is different. One Hundred white men are hanging from a tree. An African sorceress uses her powers to get revenge and teach a lesson to a Black writer during his journey in the deep South.

How will AI Affect Medical Education In Africa?

Black Doctors and AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds significant promise for transforming healthcare and has the potential to revolutionize medical education in Africa. Let’s delve into the impact of AI on medical education in the African context:

1. Global Situation and Effects:

   • A systematic review highlights that AI can be applied at different stages of medical education:
     • Teaching Implementation: AI can enhance teaching methods by providing real-time feedback and personalized learning experiences.
     • Teaching Evaluation: AI can accurately assess student performance, aiding in objective evaluations.
     • Teaching Feedback: AI-driven feedback can guide improvements in teaching quality.
   • Challenges include improving AI performance, verifying effectiveness, and addressing data sample limitations
     
     

2. Why AI Matters for African Medical Education:

   • Complex Healthcare Needs: Africa faces unique healthcare challenges due to epidemiologic and demographic transitions. Well-trained doctors are essential to address these needs.
   • Soft Skills Development: Traditional pedagogies often focus on hard skills (knowledge and clinical acumen). AI can complement this by fostering soft skills like communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and lifelong learning
     
     

3. Team-Based Learning (TBL):

   • TBL offers a robust alternative for holistic medical education in Africa.
   • Advantages of TBL include increased learner enthusiasm, creativity, accountability, peer mentorship, deep learning, and better knowledge retention.
   • Challenges during initial implementation need to be addressed
     
     

4. Financial Constraints and Resource Challenges:

   • Limited educational infrastructure and chronic resource constraints affect medical education in Africa.
   • Increased student enrollments and faculty shortages pose barriers to active-learning strategies.
   • TBL, being cost-effective, can mitigate some of these challenges
     
     

5. Balancing AI and Teacher-Led Teaching:

   • Medical educators should strike a balance between AI-driven approaches and traditional teaching methods.
   • Students need to think independently and critically, even as AI assists their learning journey.
   • Interdisciplinary research teams can ensure AI’s applicability in medical education.

In summary, AI has the potential to bridge gaps in medical education, enhance learning outcomes, and prepare Africa’s fit-for-purpose doctors. By embracing AI strategically, medical schools can better equip future healthcare professionals to meet the continent’s evolving needs.

Ask ChatGPT About Black Sci-Fi

ChatGPT is an incredible artificial intelligence program that answers your questions. The software is free to use. Go to:  https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt

I asked ChatGPT to provide me with keywords and concepts that best describe African-American Science Fiction. Within seconds, I received a response. The AI spoke in a soft female voice, saying the following:

__________________

African American science fiction can be described with several keywords that capture its unique themes, perspectives, and cultural influences. Some of these keywords include:

1. Afrofuturism: A cultural aesthetic that combines elements of African diaspora history, science fiction, fantasy, and technology to explore themes of race, identity, and social justice in futuristic or alternate realities.

2. Identity: Exploration of racial identity, cultural heritage, and the intersectionality of various identities within the context of speculative fiction settings.

3. Social commentary: Critique and examination of contemporary societal issues, including racism, systemic oppression, colonialism, and cultural resilience, through the lens of speculative fiction.

4. History and mythology: Incorporation of African and African American history, folklore, and mythology into science fiction narratives to create rich and diverse storytelling landscapes.

5. Speculative futures: Imagining alternative futures for African diaspora communities, envisioning utopian or dystopian societies, and exploring the impact of technology and science on marginalized groups.

6. Resistance and empowerment: Themes of resistance, resilience, and empowerment in the face of oppression and adversity, often featuring protagonists who challenge existing power structures and forge paths of liberation.

7. Diasporic connections: Exploration of connections between African diaspora communities across the globe, highlighting shared experiences, cultural exchanges, and collective struggles.

8. Hybridity: Embracing hybridity and cultural fusion, blending elements of science fiction with various cultural traditions, languages, and artistic expressions to create innovative storytelling forms.

9. Intersectionality: Representation of diverse experiences and perspectives within African American communities, including gender, sexuality, class, and ability, and their intersection with issues of race and identity.

10. Futuristic aesthetics: Visual and stylistic elements that reflect an Afrocentric vision of the future, incorporating vibrant colors, futuristic fashion, and innovative design inspired by African and African American cultures.

These keywords provide a glimpse into the rich and multifaceted world of African American science fiction, which continues to evolve and expand with each new generation of writers and artists.

Using AI to get Hip with the Tech

 AI or Artificial Intelligence is not new; although AI's latest applications/uses are almost magical. The genie is out of the bottle. Black folks need to be aware and willing to take advantage of AI as well as know its dangers to our freedoms. 

The image above was created using an AI drawing program called Wonder AI. It is very easy to use and assists us in expressing our thoughts in new, educational, and entertaining ways. It is important to remember that humans will always be superior to AI. AI is merely a tool that we master. Using AI, anyone can create impressive images, music, videos, books, and research. 

AI also has its drawbacks. For instance, artists and writers have complained that AI steals their work and represents it without compensation to the human creator. Also, there are privacy issues. No one wants to be tracked by computer. Law enforcement has erroneously used AI to arrest the wrong people. 

So, get with the program. Many AI applications are free to use and require no knowledge of computer programming. Only your creativity and imagination are required.

The Architects of AFROFuturism

 

Black Santa's Helpers?

Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UFOs/flying saucers) could impact Africa as the world acknowledges the existence of other celestial intelligence visiting Earth during the 2023 holiday season.

We may need more parking spaces where we shop.