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Sonia Sanchez a Hit at MEC

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:03:45 +0000

Poet Sonia Sanchez

Sonia Sanchez delivered last week at Medgar Evers College.

“The audience was packed with college students, high school students, faculty, writers, artists and the general public as Sister Sonia Sanchez expounded on the role of the artist, the power of an interactive audience and on why we must tell our stories and celebrate our men,” reported Dr. Brenda M. Greene, Ph.D, Professor of English, Executive Director, Center for Black Literature.

The writer-scholar read from her latest work, I’m Black When I’m Singing, I’m Blue When I Ain’t, a book of seven plays and three essays which span several decades and represent her critique of the racism and sexism she encountered in the 60′s and 70′s as well as her reflections on the connections between the playwright and the poet. ”In the words of Sonia, plays are valuable because they ‘engage people in the audience. Her message for us to support artists was powerful. In her words, the artist has a special challenge for the ‘artist is always suspect.’ She reminded us that ‘People who profess love for artists also destroy artists. Artists give you life so you cannot continue to help destroy those people who give you life.’”

AT HOME Summer: From Brooklyn to Bali …Part One

Bernice Elizabeth Green — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:50:53 +0000

It was Taaeba Fattah’s account of her March trip to Bali with her mother, Nadia, and friends Sheila Szklanny and Leslie Wilks that turned us on to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love bestseller that’s enjoying a new surge of interest due to the Columbia Pictures film of the same title starring Julia Roberts and premiering Friday (13).
Images of the Fattahs and friends grace these pages, and the personal experience they told us about their visit impressed us.
Yesterday, I plodded through Gilbert’s (partially funded) year-long sojourn to three countries in search of mind, heart and body (not necessarily in that order) refreshment. She finds nourishment eating through Italy and praying through India, but she really scores in Bali, as much for finding a love-mate as for reconnecting with a soul mate, the elderly healer and reader Ketut Liyer.
Unlike the miles of women across the world who have begun to retrace Ms. Gilbert’s footsteps in hopes of finding self and an orgasmic happy ending, Taaeba, an equal opportunity employment specialist; Nadia, an arts consultant, and educators Sheila and Leslie are inveterate travelers; for them, the happy ending is the travel: they’re not getting away from something or in a state of seeking something – although they love to shop.
“I love learning about other cultures, enjoying changing landscapes,” says Nadia.   Which is exactly what they were doing when the Fattah ladies first met Sheila and Leslie several years ago on an Egypt-bound cruise ship.   It turned out that Sheila and the Fattahs live within blocks of each other in Brooklyn, the place they call comfort zone. It’s been “Have Passports, Will Travel Together” ever since. (Leslie lives in North Carolina.)
Since then, the Friends have racked up a combined hundreds of thousands of miles on train, bus and plane, traveling roundtrip to Morocco, Tunisia, Costa Rica, Rome, Florence, the Phillipines and Hong Kong. Last year, they all visited Senegal – just after Taaeba and Nadia returned from Cartagena.
Next year, Nadia is pitching for a group trip to Bahia, where she’s visited at least five times. “It’s multisensual, great people, good food, nice breezes, wonderful to wake up to.”   A graduate of Pratt Institute, Nadia reveals she has traveled since her early teens. She now visits galleries in different countries and is a collector of fabrics from different locales.
The ladies arrived in Bali, March 28,and stayed 8 glorious days, before departing for Taiwan.
When the ladies arrived, they wanted to go into the villages – away from the tourists – where the people live, the food is homecooked and the culture is active and real. Taaeba told Our Time Press that when she and the ladies are traveling with a tour group, they always separate themselves, create their own itinerary and go off on their own personal tour for a different experience. The results: they wind up seeing more places, having more exciting adventures and meeting different people, unfettered and unencumbered. In Bali, they were part of a group of more than 100 people – but not for long.
The tour guide happened to mention that Julia Roberts had just filmed Eat Pray Love days before, and there was a medicine man she met in Ubud. It dawned on the women they could obtain their own personal readings from Bali healer Ketut Liyer, central to Gilbert’s true-life story. They hired a livery and without any prearrangements or an appointment to meet with Ketut, they set out for his residence, determined to get their readings.
Once they arrived, an hospitable and gracious Ketut made himself available. Yet, at the time, no one could foresee that Ketut would receive a special reading, too. From Taaeba.
“It was meant to be – the trip to Bali and the visit to Ketut,” said Taaeba, adding,”My grandmother loved ladybugs and a very rare deep-orange colored one, positioned itself outside the rear window of the cab, passenger side,where my mother (Nadia) sat, and accompanied us all the way from the hotel to Ketut’s abode. We saw it as a lucky charm; my grandmother was with us.
“We entered Ketut’s sanctuary through an ornate brick gate, and walked past structures, statues and an altar, then through a mini-botanic garden of lush plants and trees,” recalled Nadia. “At first we did not see him. He was sitting on the porch partially obscured by the sweep of tree fronds on the porch of his villa. He sat to the left, and smiled as though he knew us.
“Since there were two or three others ahead of us, we wandered around, and saw all the spaces in his house. There were exotic birds and monkeys throughout his compound.”
After the reading, Ketut asked Taaeba, through his broken English, if she could read passages from Gilbert’s book in which his name appeared. He explained that Eat Pray Love had not been translated to Balinese, so he hadn’t read the book. So she opened it to a page that featured him prominently, and began reading to him. She says he looked shocked – pleasantly so. “I spoke slowly and noticed that he smiled broadly whenever I mentioned his name. It was quite an engaging moment.”
Taaeba asked if he would sign her paperback book. “I thought it would be fascinating to have his autograph on one of the pages that fascinated him. He signed his name on Chapter 75 in the book, which begins “So this is how it comes to pass” — where Gilbert starts her Bali journey in earnest.
“He did not have a concept of ‘giving an autograph.’ It appeared he had no idea just how immensely famous he is, although he says business has picked up since the filming.”
Just before Taaeba commenced to read passages, she beckoned to her mother to take still pictures. Nadia actually videotaped it. In a future issue, Nadia’s images of the Bali landscape and the Liyers’ home will be featured along with Taaeba’s recommendations as to where one can go in Brooklyn for a gloriously inexpensive and rich Bali experience.
Taaeba sees Gilbert’s book as having relevance to everyone.   And, like Gilbert, she assesses that home ultimately is something carried inside of us. “I saw real beauty in the people there. They fascinated us, and they were fascinated by us. They are used to seeing the stereotypes presented by television and videos. We did not fit those images.
“And there was something else. My perception of poverty has changed because of this trip. What is poor? And who is really poor? I know there are some who are suffering, although we did not see this in Bali.
“On the whole, these people are very rich – in their culture and in their values. All of the children smiled regardless of their situation. They are not a material people; there’s no real technology. Everything is natural. They go to markets for their food. They daily eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Nothing canned or frozen. They are wealthy, no one starves.
“Something happens when we tourists arrive with our ‘culture.’ We create a want for things the host country or village does not need. Sometimes . not all the time . with tourism comes greed, violence, transfer of diseases, illnesses. Sometimes, we disrupt perfectly natural cultural foundations.
“In some ways, Bali is ahead of us. Soon the world will go back to basics – which is where Bali is, right now. For the short time I was there I see Bali offers us a way of ordering our lives. We certainly can learn something from the people there, the least of which is how to make sense of where we are in the world.
“Ketut, they say, is between 90 and 100. He is ageless, and he has such a beautiful handwriting. He is not weak. He is a thinker. He has good humor. We learned so much from him, and I do believe he learned from us, too.”

On The Road …with a Long-Distance Biker

Bernice Elizabeth Green — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:54:47 +0000

Malik Rahim’s Journey for Bike for Peace

Rahim is en route to the capital to confront legislators to take action in the Gulf oil spill and to bring awareness to the masses of such simple efforts as biking as a way to decrease the carbon footprint, and bring peace to the world. We caught up with him yesterday – on the 13

“My message is not one of finding a message,” he told us. “In part, I want people to think about how we can preserve life as we know it. My grandmother did not give us sodas for dinner; we had lemonade from rainwater. My children and grandchildren will never taste the sweetness of it. When she first heard about the toxins in streams during the early 1950’s, she purchased Ozone water.

“I come from Algiers, Louisiana. At one time among our people the emphasis was on acquiring land and property before purchasing a vehicle. Our mode of transportation was the cheapest: walking and biking.

“You might not have afforded to purchase a car or maintain it if you could, but you could pump a bike and patch a tire. And for gas, there was strictly your leg motion. You had you.”

During Rahim’s 25-year involvement in environmental justice movements, he ran for City Councilman and then for Congress as a Green Party candidate. Today, he is running for something else: in solidarity with political activist Cynthia McKinney, who is biking from California to Washington with other Bikers for Peace.

Rahim decided to start his course from the Gulf area when the BP disaster erupted. During rest stops in various towns, villages and cities, he conducted media interviews and meetings with environmental organizations. If all goes on schedule today (29

As part of its Greenprint for Change continuing series, Our Time Press is following Malik Rahim’s Journey with periodic updates and a full story and profile to appear in our upcoming issues covering the 5

“Everything becomes mute, if we do not care for the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat and how we live,” Rahim told us. “If we lose life as we know it because of our inability or refusal to save it, I want one thing to be said: ‘He was a crazy old man with dreds and a bike who tried to save the world,” More on www.ourtimepress.com.

th day of his journey which ends in the capital September 22nd — as he stood on the balcony of the Meg Perry Center for Environmental Peace and Justice in New Orleans enjoying the sounds of birds. th), he is meeting with Sea Grant, Mobile Bay and the Mississippi/Alabama Estuary Project. His goal: to bring awareness of the full impact of the latest disaster in the Gulf; the U.S. is losing not only its soul, but also its wetlands. “Since 1932, we’ve lost enough wetlands to fill the state of Delaware.”the Anniversary of the Katrina hurricane tragedy. Of the 1.1 billion bikers in the world, Malik Rahim, 62, co-founder of Common Ground, is the only one pedaling a “regular old seven-speeder” through the Deep South heading east on a 1500-mile trek to Washington, D.C. while carrying a 20-lb tent with a singular mission: to save the world from itself and its excesses.

Parks Commish Jack Linn Halts Soil Dump In Charlie’s Place Court as Area Residents Play Hardball Against Unsanctioned “Green” Effort

Bernice Elizabeth Green — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:44:38 +0000

“You’re telling me, someone came to our community, took a pile of dirt, didn’t bother to come to us, and just dumped it on a playground’s handball court?” that was the question local architect Michael McCaw raised at a meeting called by CB3 chair Henry Butler, yesterday at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration community room. “Are they crazy?”
The site is the handball court at Charlie’s Place playground on Hopkins Avenue, between Tompkins and Throop. The player is a wealthy funding organization that has a long history of good works in and intentions for the area, the Parks Department and the Department of Education.
There’s CB3 and very vocal residents of the North Brooklyn neighborhood, occupants of houses and apartments near and around the park. The CBO and the enclave were left out of the picture. One day, the handball court was there, as it always has been since the playground’s naming, in 1957, after Charles Lubin, founder of Sara Lee company. The next day the handball court was under ground, beneath a generous attempt to create a small farm or garden in the space.
This green initiative elicited big groans that increased in intensity yesterday when the residents – mostly strong, focused and able young men – and CB3 officers met with Parks Assistant Commissioner/Senior Counselor Jack T. Linn and a Mr. Hunte, representing the greening agency “to design a plan relative to the community’s needs.”
“Not enough,” said a community member buoyed by CB3 member Beatrice P. Jones’ remarks. She said, to applause: “We’re not opposed to gardens. We love gardens. We love fruit, vegetables and flowers.
“But the community will not allow a garden to be established in that handball court. So I think we need to take our shovels and remove it. I need manure for my garden, anyway. Somebody in your agency . maybe not you, but someone, made a big mistake. Our young people are here trying to resolve this. Give them back their handball court. If you don’t have the manpower, we will get it.”
Butler, staunch community advocate, stated that the Community Board should have been approached about the project or plans for potential projects before they even come into the neighborhood. “Not informed of what already has been done.”
And although a few residents were willing to compromise on a half court; half garden arrangement, most everyone came to the conclusion – with Butler and Linn in agreement -the process had to start all over and done the correct way.
So, Next steps: The community has called for a tour of Charlie’s Place, Wednesday, July 7 at 6pm to find a more appropriate site for the garden, other than on the 50-plus year old handball court.
Meanwhile, Linn stated that in the interests of the community, “Mr. Hunte will stop work; a decision will be made on where he should move the work; and on how it will be moved.” With the involvement of the Board and the community at every decision-making level.
CB3′s Parks, Arts & culture chair Marion Little assured residents the park is being is placed at the top of the Board’s priority list, and he will be working with Mr. Butler to have some Board meetings in the North Bedford Stuyvesant area. He said, “That the handball court, used daily, is shut down at the start of summer.. now that’s a big problem.”
Manager Charlene Phillips, CB3 District Manager, closed with a reminder to everyone in the room: “Anyone who pays taxes should be kept informed of what’s going on where they pay taxes, and they should have a say in where those taxes go. You have rights, you need to exercise them.”
Ultimately, “it’s about respect,” said both Nilo Jordan and Rafael Dominguez who frequent the park, and exercise there.
Jordan, Dominguez and Anthony Mercado strongly urge the public to come out and see community empowerment in action and to wrap their thoughts around, yet, another Charlie’s Place pressing situation they’re tackling: the parking lot and people who should not be parking there- mostly teachers and hospital personnel. Stay tuned.

Our Time Press will follow this story. – BGreen

EMBRACING TREASURES: THE ART OF SURVIVING

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:29:26 +0000

Ten years ago, Our Time Press christened three blocks on Malcolm X Blvd., between Halsey Street and Decatur Street, “Antiques Row.”

Our Time’s effort and intention was to help MXB antiquarians pick up business from the October 1999 “Come On Home to Bedford-Stuyvesant” Brownstone Tour. It did.

Within two years, the corridor had extended from Anthony Smith’s Odd Things’ Collectibles at Decatur and MXB to Morton’s Antique Memories at the northwest corner of Putnam Avenue. Clarence Barber, veteran of them all, and Paul Tyner and Greta Niles, who rented a space inside Tyner’s place, across from Barber’s, enjoyed steady traffic.

Dalton Taylor’s The Victorian on Tompkins Avenue South, Ken William’s high-end Mercantile on the corner of Fulton Street and Irving, and Eddie Hibbert’s cave of a treasure chest on Myrtle, attracted collectors from all over the city.

All of the furniture dealers had a common goal: to keep business going, and to prosper.

Now only Mr. “C” survives on the original Antiques Row. Greta may be in Florida, site of her dream Antiques emporium. Tyner and Morton have not been heard from, although Morton may be residing nearby. Mr. Smith is retired to stately Savannah, GA, his Odd Things replaced by the high-scale Thompson’s Interiors – hardly a place, now, for stuff.

Taylor and Hibbert are still around, plying trade amidst salvaged architectural gems, from pier mirrors, painted wood mantles and victor-victrolas to brass hinges, old Ebony and National Geographic magazines, spinster’s diaries and framed photos of high school class pictures of the 50′s, and tons of other bits and pieces.

Business is slow. “All small businesses are suffering because of the economy,” Taylor told us. “Nearly 40 antique shops along Atlantic Avenue (site of 1999′s real Antiques Row) have closed their doors for good. If you can keep the doors from closing, you’re doing OK.”

Plus a lot of folks are accessing their shopping via the Internet and selling their secondhand things for first-class prices on Craig’s List. But these stalwarts are hanging in there. Not because they love the business.

The answer to why Taylor, Hibbert and Mr. C are still around walked into The Victorian last week. She asked to see Taylor’s doors. Turned out the doors he showed her were too small to fashion a 6-ft dining table out of one of them. Taylor advised that she visit Eddie Hibbert, where she would find exactly what she wanted. After all, Eddie is the door king. Particularly antique and old one’s.

“Eddie sends three to four people a day over to my shop,” says Dalton.

Small businesses are being forced to create commercial alliances to stay afloat. It commands integrity and respect and an understanding that sharing customers is the only way to go. “It’s a buyers’ market, and people are not buying.”

It doesn’t hurt, either, that Taylor strips furniture, makes repairs, refinishes and executes a range of other artisan skills, including wainscoting and crafting moldings. He knows that in today’s economy, it pays to be multifaceted.

Mr. C’s been a fixture on the avenue for close to 40 years, and admits that real estate investment and stock market tinkering has a lot more to do with it than the occasional sale of a rare, vintage mahogany mantle or a junked lamp.

Hibbert’s super-rare finds are stored in and sold from an open, easy-access warehouse situation at Greene & Gates, the heart of Clinton Hill’s brownstoner neighborhood. He oversees the work of a Class A wood-stripping team, and he is known for his almost-uncanny ability to “attract” great pieces of furniture and unusual finds – the kind you see oil-polished in House & Garden. Or that you used to see in the now-defunct H&G.

In 2001, Mr. Hibbert introduced us to Jomo Oliya, a cabinetmaker who said that antique dealers, “have a soul connection with nature, and with the builders and carpenters of the past. They hold a piece of wood. They understand it. They respect it. They know it was shaped from the heart. They have a special knowledge.”

Mr. Taylor shared “knowledge” about brownstones, the final havens for much of Hibbert, Mr. C’s and Taylor’s objets d’art: “They are extraordinary treasures. Like living within a work of art. And sometimes people fail to see that the beauty of them also is in the fact that they are always being fixed up, repaired, nurtured; they are living things. They were made when craftsmanship was king. They can never be replaced or built ever again.”
(Note: Please see Our Time Press Business Directory for location and contact information for The Victorian and Eddie’s Treasures.)
- Bernice Elizabeth Green

The Phenomenal Event

Gloria Dulan-Wilson — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:48:34 +0000

Back in the day,The Impressions with Curtis Mayfield sang a song entitled “Too Much Love” which said in part, “never in this world can there be too much love.” And I certainly felt that sentiment was expressed over and over again at the PHENOMENAL WOMEN IN MEDIA Awards ceremony held at the Eubie Blake Auditorium in Brooklyn’s, Von King Park. Wow! From the moment you stepped through the door, you were treated like royalty. Adults and youth alike were all there to make sure you had the best experience and most enjoyable time ever.
And so I did, and so we did!!

Phenomenal Women of Our Time: Stars in the world of media and community service were honored at the Third Annual March Women’s History Month Awards and Brunch, Monday, March 29 at the Herbert Von King Park Cultural Arts Center in Bedford Stuyvesant. Seated center, Civil Rights pioneer and Freedomways editor Esther Cooper Jackson, 92, and Prospect Park Administrator Tupper W. Thomas were the 2010 Hattie Carthan Award honorees. The work and milestone achievements of 25 phenomenal women, including journalists, writers, authors, reporters, news publicists, broadcasters, out-reachers, media information specialists that, as Von King Park manager Lemuel Mial said, “connects us with the stories that matter to all of us,” were celebrated and applauded. Borough President Marty Markowitz issued a Proclamation declaring the day, Von King Park Phenomenal Women’s History Month Day. These queens of New York City media include, standing, left to right: Susan McHenry, founding editor, Black Issues Book Review; Claud Leandro, Program Director, One Caribbean Radio; Carolyn Butts, President, African Voices Communications, Inc; Sarah Frazier, Communications and Media Relations, NYC Parks & Recreation; Maitefa Angaza, Editor, African Voices Magazine; Victoria Horsford, journalist and PR management consultant; Gayle DeWees, journalist, NY Daily News; Janel Gross, Managing Editor, Afro Times; Petra Symister, Founder, Bed-Stuy Blog; Dr. Teresa Taylor-Williams, Publisher, NY Trend newspaper; Monique Greenwood, former Essence editor-in-chief; Stacy-Ann Gooden, weather anchor, News 12 Brooklyn; Lupe Todd, Vice President, Goerge Arzt Communications; Rosalind McLymont, editor-in-chief, The Network Journal; Margot Jordan, global photo journalist; and Faybiene Miranda, co-host, Global Medicine Review, WBAI; and seated, from left to right: Nayaba Arinde, editor-in-chief, NY Amsterdam News; Dr. Brenda Greene, Host, Writers on Writing, WNYE; Aminisha Black, The Parents’ Notebook columnist, Our Time Press; Esther Cooper Jackson, Managing Editor, Freedomways and Civil Rights pioneer; Prospect Park Administrator and spokesperson, Tupper W. Thomas; Gloria Dulan-Wilson, feature writer and reporter; Joanne Cheatham, publisher of Pure Jazz Magazine and Fern Gillespie, journalist and national media consultant. “We honor you,” said event co-host Graham Weatherspoon,” because you honor us. You are the heartbeat of the community, the rhythm, the pulse.”

You see, I, along with 24 other Phenomenal Women (I really like the sound of that – PHENOMENAL) were honored by Our Time Press and Herbert Von King Park Cultural Arts Center for our various roles in the realm of the media and its impact and influence we’ve had in keeping our base – the Black community, i.e., YOU, informed on issues of impact and importance to you – in such a way that it doesn’t insult you, but (hopefully) inspires you to action, give you an alternative to the propaganda being spewed out at you via the mainstream market tabloids.
Each of the recipients was a diva in her own right. Each had a mark of distinction in the Black community. And, I daresay, we take the time to read each other because we respect each other’s work. You see, we don’t see each other as competitors because Black news venues can’t afford to compete against each other, and at the same time try to deal with the onslaught of distortions, lies and disrespect routinely found in the mainstream media. We have to be collaborative in our approach, or you’ll never get the truth. We are not here to be a miniature image of the same paper that’s been insulting you all these years. We take issue with the kinds of information, the tone of the article, the content. But we are likewise not here to criticize the mainstream press (that is unless they are so blatantly racist that something has to be said).
We are here to give you the NEWS about us as a people regardless of where we are and who we are. We don’t just cover the rich and famous, the gifted and talented, the superstar artist, athlete, politician, we also write about issues that affect everyday African-American men, women, children, workers, educators, ministers, homemakers, families.
So far, none of us have won a Pulitzer – doesn’t mean we can’t or that we don’t want to. There were also plenty of award winners amongst us, already recognized for their prodigious body of work.
I, however, must confess that this is the first time that I was so honored, by being feted by peers and people in the community. It was the first time that I was the subject of the award, instead of covering someone who was. It was the first time that I had to stand still for the paparazzi instead of being part of those who were taking the endless photos of everything I did, every move I made. Wow!!! So that’s what it feels like.
So, before I go any further, please allow me to say to Bernice Green, David Greaves, Graham Weatherspoon, Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel and Charlotte Renee Mial; Our Time Press, Von King Park THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! With all the heartfelt sincerity and love I can muster. You yourselves are such a blessing in this world, what an honor! And I know that this appreciation is expressed, not just for myself, but for the women who were also so honored and revered on that Monday, March 29, 2010.

Mrs. Esther Cooper-Jackson with Gloria Dulan-Wilson at the honoree reception before the awards. Photo: Barry L. Mason

To cap off this wonderful day, we had the honor of meeting and being photographed with the grande dame of media and publiations, Mrs. Esther Cooper-Jackson, who served as editor of FREEDOMWAYS for 25 years from 1961 through 1986. The Alabama native, who is a delight to talk with, has a knowledge, understanding and love of Black history that goes far beyond just the publication of the quarterly publication into the very soul of what makes us who we are. I had the distinct honor to have an all-too-brief conversation with this esteemed, teeny little lady who, at 92, continues to hold her own in the world of contemporary knowledge. She brought her best friend, who just celebrated her 95th birthday, as her special guest for the PHENOMENAL WOMEN IN MEDIA AWARDS CEREMONY. Inspirational to those who realize that if we do it right, we might just make it to that age, and look that good, as well.
The women pictured on page 5 are the PHENOMENAL MEDIA WOMEN I had the honor of sharing the stage with. These are the women who have accomplished so much in their lives individually and collectively.

The Phenomenal Woman statuette, one of the gift bag surprises for the awardees, was formed in the kilns of the Herbert Von King Cultural Arts Center, under the guidance of John Llanos. Photo: Ammar Chughtai

Each of us received a statuette of a Black woman who depicted both our African and African-American Roots (Routes), as well as a hand-cast “envelope” with each of our names on it; as well as some wonderful beauty products produced by Jahbulant (347-834-0266 /you gotta try their stuff, it’s fantastic); and corporate products donated by Pepperidge Farms (thanks for their support).

A presentation by Ollie McLean’s Sankofa School, whose three little Phenomenal Women in the making displayed their place in the future of Black history by totally knowing all the countries of Africa and the African pledge, was an example of what can happen when you design a program around respect for one’s culture, coupled with educational excellence (one of the little ladies made an error on an African country, and her younger 6-year- old counterpart took her to task – too cute!)
Likewise, the significance of the double-duo husband-and-wife teams of Bernice Green and David Greaves and Charlotte and Lemuel Mial was not lost on the recipients either (as noted by MC Graham Weatherspoon, whose wife Irza, sat in the audience cheering him on).
However, while each has played roles in the enlistment of the Black community in their own right, who knew that Lemuel Mial had such a wonderful voice? He sings with a group called U4RIA, and nearly knocked the audience out of their seats as he serenaded us with a song he had written in honor of the occasion entitled “Nothing Like a Woman”, which he co-authored with Larry Banks, musician and artist extraordinaire (available at www.U4RIA or 718-622-7638). In fact, from the response of the women in the audience, he compared favorably to Smokey Robinson, Teddy Pendergrass and others. (Wow!)
Circling back to my opening statement, there can never be too much love for each other in the Black community. In fact, an overabundance of love is exactly what is needed to offset what we’ve endured over the past 400 years and the most recent 40 coming out of the Civil Rights Era. We need more events such as these where we unabashedly celebrate the good we bring to each other in the community. Where, like the Japanese, we take the time to really celebrate each little victory, instead of waiting ’til the person has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel before we give them the accolades they deserve.
I would personally like to thank each and every individual who had anything to do with the ceremonies held at VON KING PARK, including the Culinary Center, for all you did to make that rainy day one of the sunniest and brightest days ever. And thank you for a gift bag so heavy it needed an extra set of wheels to get it home! We are truly loving you for loving us so much.

By Gloria Dulan Wilson

Women’s Herstory Month

Bernice Elizabeth Green — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:47:49 +0000

Thursday March 19 through Sunday, March 21: The Women’s Project: NOT A FAIRY TALE workshop production to be presented at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church by Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, Senior Pastor. The production runs three performances only – Friday, March 19 at 7pm; Saturday, March 20 at 3pm, Sunday, March 21 at 3pm. in Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church Spann-Jones Fellowship Hall, 760 DeKalb Avenue at the corner of Tompkins Ave. Brooklyn.. Suggested donation: $20. For tickets and more information: 718.388.3900, ext. 20, www.womenproject.com. Directed by Jesse Wooden Jr., the production is based on the true stories of three women coming to terms with the scars of their past and triumphantly facing the future. The script combines the adapted words and experiences of the women with spoken word by Nuyorican Slam poet and project ensemble member Jennifer Falu; and contemporary and gospel music. Three young women, who were also lifelong friends, approached Rev. Youngblood and revealed that they were survivors of some form of abuse; sexual or physical and they wanted to share their stories. The pastor suggested that they go beyond testifying in front of the congregation and allow themselves to be vehicles of healing in a bigger way. He decided that the bigger vehicle was the theater. The three women, along with several other women who are actors, poets or dancers by profession and had also experienced some form of abuse, came together to form an ensemble. The ensemble and the creative team participated in an intense four-day workshop with Shawnee Benton-Gibson, a psychodrama therapist, to develop the framework for their stories and to begin their healing.
The ensemble members are Brigette Barfield, Maya Bishop, Naeemah Brown, Soyini Crenshaw, Jennifer Falu, Demitrachs Hawkins, Jasmine Mejias, Katrina Pegues and Deirdre Simmons. The production’s creative team includes Temishia Johnson (lighting design), Patrice Davidson (set design), Hopie Lyn Burrows (Costume design), Rev. Ina Alisa Anderson (musical director), Naeemah Brown (choreographer), Nykolla Sweeney (production stage manager), Mary Brooks (assistant to the director) and Denise S. Gray (associate producer and CEO/SeasonWalk Productions).
A question and answer session will follow each performance. Members of the Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church healing ministry will be present to offer support to anyone affected by the production.

GREAT VIBES: Last Sunday, The Internationally-Acclaimed Spelman College Jazz Ensemble jammed, for the fourth year, at Brooklyn’s famed Jazz 966 as part of the Friday night jazz spot’s Women’s Herstory Month concerts. The Ensemble’s 14 gifted vocalists and instrumentalists wowed the packed house. Organized in 1983 under the direction of Professor Joe Jennings, the Ensemble has toured throughout the nation. Jazz lovers can look for more Sunday Jazz Specials and regular Friday night live concerts as Jazz 966 approaches 20 swinging years of showcasing great live performances in an atmosphere that’s warm, fine and mellow. Hosts are Harold “Keeper of the Secrets” Valle and Sam Pinn. Visit: www.jazz966.com, Telephone: 718.638.6910, or Email: spinn@fortgreenecouncil.org. Location: 966 Fulton Street, nr. Grand. Photo: Watermark Management, Inc.

Thursday, March 19: 8:00a-10:00a, “Herstory” Induction Ceremony and Celebration at Borough Hall Courtroom and Rotunda hosted by Borough President Marty Markowitz honors contributions of Brooklyn women to the arts, sciences and business and public service. 209 Joralemon St., Downtown Brooklyn. This year’s honorees include: Barbara Winslow, Ph.D, associate professor, Brooklyn College School of Education and Women’s Studies programs, and founder and director of the Shirley Chisholm Project of Brooklyn Women’s Activism: 1945 to the Present. (Lucy Burns Activist Award); Elwanda Young, CEO, United Way of NYC (Shirley Chisholm Award); Betty Kahn, board member, Brooklyn Public Library and Reel Works (Emily Roebling Stewardship Award; Brenda M. Greene, Ph.D., English Professor at Medgar Evers College and executive director of the college’s Center for Black Literature (Betty Smith Arts Award); Elizabeth Streb, founder, Streb S.L.A.M. 9Lab for the Mechanics (Lady Deborah Moody Founders Award); Iris Jimenez-Hernandez, svp, North Brooklyn Healthcare Network (Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Humanitarian Award; and Tracie Williams, President, Junior League of Brooklyn (Jr. League of Brooklyn Centennial Award).

Saturday, March 20, 1p-4p: 2nd Women of Distinction Scholarship Luncheon at Boys & Girls H.S. The luncheon salutes distinguished women for their unwavering support of and service to the community and Boys & Girls High School and supports a great scholarship- creation opportunity for some of New York’s best and brightest graduating students. Money raised through ticket sales, a Silent Auction and donations at the event go to the scholarships. As we see it, the Women of Distinction Awards refers to both the students and the distinguished honorees, who include Pamela Green, Weeksville Heritage Center; Crystal Bobb-Semple, ounder and owner, Brownstone Books; educator Dr. Renee Young; guidance counselor Dorothy Harper (celebrating 43 years in the education field); Miss Kelly Roberts, school safety agent; Dr. Sheila Evans-Tranumn, retired associate commissioner for the NYS Education Department; and Ms. Nebert Jackson, retired educator who taught for some 30 years at Boys & Girls H.S. The Boys & Girls H.S. graduating seniors who worked hard throughout the school year to raise funds for college needs include: Alicia Rogers, Areya Cortes, Shatiqua Watson, Brittany George, Adana David, Melissa DeVore, Amandla McMillan, Shardei Lewis and Deborah Akinbowale. The event is the culminating activity of the year-long campaign and anyone wanting to support the effort can donate items or services for the silent auction; food for the March 20 luncheon;and/or contributions to the students’ scholarship fund. Contact: Miss Andrea Toussaint of The Sisterhood.Tickets: $25. 718-467-1700. (See Centerfold photo.)

Saturday, March 21, 3:00p-7p: BOOK FAIR hosted by the Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority: Theme: Reading is Chicken Soup for the Mind. At Boys & Girls H.S., 1700 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. For everyone.

Friday, March 26: Tribute to “The Creative Power of Women” sponsored by NYS Sen. Bill Perkins and the Caribbean Cultural Center of the African Diaspora Institute will honor such women as Wilhelmina Obatola Grant for their work in the arts and the cultural community. Adam Clayton Power Jr. State Office Building, 163 West 125th St., 8th Fl. A reception will follow the program. RSVP 212-222-7315
Friday, March 26-31: Opening of MUSLIM VOICES: THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE at BAM. Seven feature films that explore women’s lives in Muslim countries including Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran and Lebanon. For details visit: www.BAM.org or call 718-636-4100.

Sunday, March 28: HARRIET’S PLACE: Underground Railroad and Beyond. New exhibition of photographs capturing the essence of Harriet Tubman, the woman, by educator/artist/historian/preservationist Dr. Olivia Cousins, opens today at Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Admission Free. Details to be announced. Contact: Andrea Brathwaite at 718-387-2116.

Sunday, March 28: 12:00p-4:00p, One-Day Only! CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN WOMEN ARTISTS Exhibition. St. Francis College, 182 Remsen St. Reception: 2:30pm. Admission Free.
Monday, March 29: At the YMCA today Congressman Ed Towns salutes community activists Vivian Bright and Sharonnie Perry; Dr. Emma Jordan Simpson, Executive Director, Childrens Defense Fund-New York; Jeannette Turner, Retired Health Care Professional; Kim William Clark, Dean, Institutional Advancement and Student Affairs, LIU; Entrepreneur Tremaine Wright; Deborah Clark-Johnson, Principal of P.S. 56; Lena Gates, Principal of P.S. 5; Sharlene Brown and Kay Wilson-Stallings of the Bedford Stuyvesant YMCA staff.

Monday, March 29: Herbert Von King Park’s Third Phenomenal Women Awards Brunch: Culinary and Drama Teens at the Park, and Parks Administrator Lemuel Mial with volunteer instructor-wife Charlotte Mial, and community friends will honor community media women.
-Bernice Elizabeth Green

MacDonough Street Update,Department of Buildings: “Stay Granted Through March 3″

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:35:01 +0000

Markowitz: Lauds Partnerships that Preserve Neighborhoods

Late yesterday afternoon, the Department of Buildings officially reported that “The stay on demolition has been extended to Wednesday, March 3. DOB has reviewed and approved plans to shore 329 and 331 McDonough Street to further stabilize them. Work to carry out these plans has commenced. The buildings are being closely monitored, and there are no signs of movement at this time.”
Meanwhile, the community and Borough President Marty Markowitz are buoyed by ongoing community-agency partnerships to preserve the historic buildings that three weeks ago were slated for demolition.
Early yesterday, Markowitz told us he saw this new development as “a great example of how communities and government can work together for the benefit of all.”
He continued, “The residents, including 327 MacDonough Street, showed New York City how Brooklyn reacts when a crisis hits and I’m thrilled that the City’s Department of Buildings has approved plans to repair the buildings at 329 and 331. Through good old-fashioned neighborhood solidarity and assistance from the Landmarks Conservancy and the Historic Districts Council, the residents saved these buildings from being demolished. The neighbors of the Macon/MacDonough/Stuyvesant/Lewis Block Association and the Bedford-Stuyvesant community held their ground and would not budge from their mission to save these beautiful brownstones. Bravo!”
(To Be Continued)

In the Giving Season, Some Step Forward

Bernice Elizabeth Green — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:32:50 +0000

Local “givers” in this photo took five minutes away from their work for this beautiful pre-Thanksgiving Day portrait, but as Michael Siekiem Kortom McKinney, 36 (left), said — and all here agree, “True giving is not about photo ops.”

Ironically there is no photo record of what each person accomplished over the last few days in tribute to this season of giving. But memories for the hundreds they are impacting, this season, will be fresh for many years to come.

From left, McKinney, a community-youth empowerment advocate who grew up on Lexington Avenue, gave away a hundred turkeys and bags of produce on November 18; Herbert Von King Park’s Neversee Davis, special events coordinator, and Charlotte Mial, volunteer culinary instructor, coordinated Von King’s annual afternoon dinner event for the homeless, working poor and neighborhood residents, complete with the Brooklyn Repertory Ensemble, a 16-piece orchestra directed by Wade Barnes and featuring star vocalist Tulivu and the presence of royalty, the elder Mama Amy Olatunji; Lisa Everett, director, Human Services & Community Development, NEBHDC, hosted and cooked- with the aid of Golden Harvest Food Pantry coordinator Frances Wright (unpictured)- Thanksgiving “wish-dish” dinners for area residents.

Volunteer Tara Talib (far right) is the face of countless volunteers, who show up, grab aprons and support feeding efforts in schools like CS21-Crispus Attucks School; soup kitchens like Bread and Life on Lexington Avenue; churches like First Corinthian Baptist, across the street from Von King (see photo, above right); and centers throughout New York City, then return to do the same in the fall of the next year.

But the story does not stop there. The folks in this photo met each other last Saturday (21), and have moved quickly to set up future working partnerships. After all, that is how community advocates thrive: they constantly think about what more they can do to support the community, and hurdle lack-of-fund challenges and cutbacks (as Von King has experienced for the first Thanksgiving in many years).

McKinney arrived early Saturday, before heading to work, to donate bags of potatoes and cabbage – left over from his Wednesday turkey giveaway — to Everett’s pantry and Von King’s kitchen. Those meetings quickly turned into discussions about future joint initiatives and partnerships, including McKinney’s offer of children’s books for Davis’ Von King Christmas toy giveaway. (So on December 13, Davis’ efforts to “push” knowledge first, play second for school-age children later will be reinforced by McKinney’s donations and keynote to parents).

Among other planned projects activated that day, McKinney and Magnolia Tree Earth Center Project Director Andrea Brathwaite will develop a motivational program for youth empowerment spearheaded by McKinney.

Generosity of heart and spirit, as martial arts instructor Master Sabu of the Humble Arts School of Martial Arts says on page 6, does not take a rest; it is ongoing, day-to-day, an art form.

Our Time Press applauds all who facilitated the success of these grassroots initiatives, including, among so many, the tireless Ms. Rachel Smith and family, Bruce Guarino of Guarino Sons, Restoration Corp., the Lafayette Avenue Builders’ Block Association, NEBHDCo.’s Golden Harvest Food Pantry volunteers Julia Whidbee and Betty Baxter, Miss Tammy, Mr. Lemuel Mial …

And that 16-piece orchestra truly worked the moment at Von King, evoking the meaning of the day with their controlled, moving version — and vocalist Tulivu’s poignant rendition — of Thom Bell/Linda Creed’s “People Make the World Go Round.” Also, Happy Thanksgiving Birthday to euphoniumist Kiane Zawadi!

- Bernice Elizabeth Green

Holding on to The Best Part of Bedford Stuyvesant — Its History, Humanity and “Hands”

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:59:43 +0000

Brenda & Wilbert Fryson of Chauncey Street -

We bought our house on Chauncey Street in 1974. A relative of a close friend lived on the block, and he made it possible for us to meet the owners, who were moving away. We wanted our daughter, Kenya, to grow up in a caring and nurturing environment, and we chose Bedford-Stuyvesant for that reason. Despite the relentless negative press, we knew that there were thoughtful neighbors, strong block associations, good schools, historic churches, active civic associations, and some of the most beautiful homes and apartment buildings to be found anywhere.

The house was a three family dwelling, and much of the detail was already gone. It was a perfect palate for us to experiment with contemporary interior design. With guidance from architect, David Danois, we set about the first major renovation, which involved opening the second floor to the roof; moving a staircase; building a raised platform, constructing a loft bed, and creating a ground-floor rental unit. The house is relatively small, and we had to find ways to take advantage of every inch. Wilbert (“Fry”) did much of the work after the large projects were finished. Perhaps the most compelling part of this phase in our lives was the help that we received from friends like Bernard Cooley, who helped with the dirty work of demolition and clean-out. George Glee, Jr., Bernard McDonald, Clarence Jones, and Reginald Shell were among that group, and the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, a volunteer civic association, was literally birthed in our backyard after one of those work sessions. During that time, we would work on each other’s houses, and then break for meetings that were held in the midst of busy toddlers, plaster dust and peeling paint. You see, it was about making a contribution to this wonderful community, even more than it was about renovating a house. We were fortunate to have great activist role models to follow… Dr. Vernal Cave, Lucille Rose, Montier Eason, Alma Carroll, Hattie Carthan, Joan Maynard, and Ruby Brent Ford (who was a guiding light in helping us organize the Brownstoners). Bed-Stuy Restoration Corp. was in its infancy, and was a visible and vital force in community development – rebuilding neighborhood pride at every level. Those lessons of “giving back” still remain the bedrock of the work of the Brownstoners – thirty-two years later! It was just the best time to live and grow with Bedford-Stuyvesant. The best part … the great friendships that grew out of this love of community, and which remain until this day.

Since those early days, we have done two more fairly large projects on our home…each one reflecting another stage in our lives. After Kenya left for graduate school, we opened her room to the adjoining bathroom and dressing room to create a comfortable suite. The loft bed, with its own set of stairs, was replaced with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that now encloses a cozy bedroom. On the parlor floor, a new breakfast room is now our favorite spot for morning coffee, Fry’s crossword puzzles, and quiet dinners. Custom cherry cabinets, silestone counters, and stainless steel appliances were part of a kitchen makeover. Now, in our retirement years, we have updated the ground floor bathroom in Fry’s “man cave”, with a chair-height toilet and a walk-in shower, complete with grab bars. This entire floor can be converted into living space for the two of us when those flights of stairs become too much.

Needless to say, just about every room on the public floors in our home has played host to one meeting or another. Many times, in the hurried pace of my community work, Fry will cook a great meal, or give up his den for a “skull session” with this group or that. We are blessed to have both of our mothers still alive, and in their 90′s. As caregivers, we are learning that the love and support that we received throughout our lives, must be just as lovingly returned. We have so many friends who are experiencing the same situations, and we share resources and strategies. . We gloat over our three year old grandchild; we travel, and we try to take care of our health. We have our favorite eateries right here in the nabe…Sugarhill, Royal Rib House, and the new Mix-up Restaurant. We try to make time to catch the excitement at Jazz 966 as much as we can. This is Bed-Stuy, and we love it!

The house is here, but so is Chauncey Street. We enjoy “stoop-sitting”, and watching over the children as they come and go, just as our neighbors did for Kenya. We can smile about Kenya and Donine Carrington, who grew up on this block, and who are still good buddies to this day…one in Maryland…one in Georgia. They are just two of the many stories of our children, public school products all, who have gone on to make good lives for themselves.

Sometimes we look at the huge article from the New York Times, dated 1988, which hangs on one of our walls, and I chuckle. There are pictures of our families and homes and, of course, the expected tale of gentrification. Yes, we were “discovered”; we were declared “safe”, and folks moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant. Two decades later, we have been “discovered”, once again. I am hopeful that the strands of this community’s history; its struggles and triumphs, and the tenaciousness of its people in renewal and revival will not be lost in these cycles of “discovery”.

When Fry and I moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, shops were owned by folks who lived in the neighborhood; property was obtained and passed down to the children; there was an unmistakable pride in who we were as an African-American community, and our churches, tenants’ groups in our public housing developments, block associations, and civic groups were all tuned into the needs of every resident. Undergirding those precepts was an understanding that forces of destruction (infiltration of guns and drugs, unemployment, ineffective schools, health disparities, decaying housing, and unscrupulous developers) had to be dealt with in the most aggressive ways, and people took the time and energy to fight for Bedford-Stuyvesant. Those times have come again, and the advantages and pitfalls should not be surprising. However, I fear that the extraordinarily high level of energy and commitment to continued revitalization – block association by block association, and neighbor by neighbor - that has been the cornerstone of our survival, is being lost in a new paradigm which subtly diminishes our values and rich culture; dismisses our institutions (public schools, community-based organizations, and civic groups), and marginalizes those residents who are determined to remain, amid rising housing costs. We need all of the new ideas, new drive, and hard work if we are to continue as one of the brightest jewels in this city’s crown of great, historic communities.

We helped to build NYC, and these next generations of hands are needed to sustain and enrich Bedford-Stuyvesant. We must heed the simple and powerful message left by the many awesome men and women who guided Bedford-Stuyvesant’s renascence … everybody can and must contribute something.

By Brenda Fryson