This Saturday, May 12, the hugely popular actor adds yet another multi-faceted character to his list of “long-running” cameos when he debuts the one-act play, Mr. Joy, as a New York-based Chinese shoe storeowner.

Mr. Joy runs through June 2 at The Riverside Theatre located at 91 Claremont Ave. (between 120th and 122nd Streets) in Harlem from May 12th through June 2nd.

Mr. Beaty took time from his daylong rehearsals on Riverside Drive in Manhattan to answer our questions. Then the actor whose plays Ruby Dee once said, “touch the human spirit,” was back up and running, preparing for the debut of Mr. Joy, this Saturday, May 12.
In the midst of all of this, he found time to answer the Our Time Press questions below:

OTP: In what ways does this play intend to touch the human spirit?

DB: My character (Mr. Joy) has been running a shoe store in NYC for 25 years. As he repairs people’s soles, he also repairs their souls. At the beginning of the play, we discover that something has happened to Mr. Joy that impacts the community in a deep way, and the central question of the play becomes: What has happened to this community’s joy and how do we reclaim it? Various members of the community (9 characters total) tell their personal stories through their shoes that Mr. Joy has repaired for them. This play intends to touch the human spirit by showing the power of our interconnectedness through something as fundamental as the shoes we wear. The characters I portray range from a Chinese man to a white woman from the Upper East side, to a black male Republican to a young black man who lives in Harlem.

OTP: Your plays are funny, uplifting and also have a social consciousness. What is the message that you are trying to convey with this play?

DB: My goal is always to use humor and multifaceted characters to explore social political themes. In the past, all of the characters I have portrayed have been black. This is the first time I am also including nonblack characters. There are so many urgent issues facing our society. For me the state of our young people in urban communities is in desperate need of attention. I believe it is an illusion that we as human beings are separate from one another. I deeply believe that internally we are reflections of each other no matter how different we may seem externally. When I as one man am able to successfully portray such a range of characters with true dimension, humor and heart, it underscores this idea.

OTP: Your plays seem to have a healing message for black people, for example, Run Black Man Run deals with a man who seeks a “bigger worldview” of himself and his life than the images about black men in the projects. Knock Knock is about a black boy whose father is suddenly incarcerated. Did you draw on personal experiences to delve into these topics? How do you know these people?

DB: My father was a heroin addict and dealer in and out of prison during my entire growing up period. My older brother was addicted to crack cocaine and has been incarcerated as well. As a child and young man, these were my primary models of my possibilities as a black man. As I became curious about my destiny, and what I could do to walk a different path, I understood that my father and brother’s pain was the product of unhealed wounds such as the legacy of slavery, disenfranchisement and the breakdown of the family. These wounds have deeply impacted black people in this country and our nation in general. I began to understand clearly if I was to heal, I would need to not only address these wounds for myself, but also be about the business of helping others to address their wounds—to heal.
OTP: In a recent interview, you said that you have three mantras that you say to yourself: (1) No attachments, (2) No fear and (3) I trust you, God. Please explain the reasons behind each one. (Also, with so busy a life on and off-stage, how do you practice your mantra?)

DB: My daily spiritual practice is the most important aspect of my life. Spending time with God keeps me connected to purpose and I believe purpose is the bridge past ego. By ego, I mean one’s insecurities or cockiness. I believe at the core of me and every human being is the spirit of God, the Divine that is all-powerful. My daily spiritual practice keeps me in touch with God, and this keeps me from being attached to results that often are out of my control—ultimately I cannot control how someone receives my messages. This connection gives me courage in the place of fear, and ultimately, this connection enables me to trust—to have faith.

OTP: Black writers whose works are presented on-screen —— from Lorraine Hansberry, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry and Steve Tyler — continue to break down doors for struggling writers of color. Our movies are gaining increased accessibility and popularity; the current Think Like a Man … success story is one example. How can theater keep up with the big screen with regards to building new audiences, sustaining them and, at the very least, compensating actor-writers like yourself – whose shoes are surely worn from all that walking around on and off Broadway?
DB: Theater artists must tell stories that are urgent and timely. We must challenge ourselves to be consistent in our excellence and determination. The budgets that many big budget films have enable them to market in ways theater artists simply cannot. However, I have faith that there is something so core to the way live theater can touch and inspire that if theater remains committed to telling vital, urgent stories, the audiences will come. Sometimes the journey is rocky and long, but the path I travel contains the footprints of giants who have walked before me – Lorraine Hansberry, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, James Baldwin, August Wilson, and the list goes on and on.

OTP: Just for the record, please briefly describe:
Your favorite pair of shoes?
DB: My favorite pair of shoes is a pair of black leather boots. They are extremely comfortable and have a weight that grounds me.
Who applies your makeup for the Mr. Joy role? How long it takes to apply it? And why it is not so far-fetched to transform an American of African descent into an Asian?
DB: I actually do not wear any makeup in my shows. I change my characters’ physicality, voice and emotional inner life, and magically the audience is able to see a new human being emerge right before their eyes.
How do you pick up accents and styles of speech?
DB: Observation is the artist’s greatest tool. I spend a great deal of time observing people, listening to how they speak, and often more importantly, why they speak. This sensitivity enables me to pick up accents and styles of speech easily.
In the upcoming season, Mr. Beaty’s ensemble musical Breath & Imagination – The Story of Roland Hayes will premiere as a co-production with Hartford Stage and Pittsburgh City Theater. He also has a new solo play on the life of Paul Robeson – The Tallest Tree in the Forest – directed by Moises Kaufman and slated to premiere next season. He is a proud member of New Dramatists and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University. His first children’s book based on his poem Knock Knock is slated to be released by Little Brown Books in 2013. Daniel has also written a Spoken World Ballet Far But Close that will premiere in the 2012/13 season for Dance Theater of Harlem.

For a schedule of Mr. Joy performances, please call The Riverside Theatre at 212-870-6784 or visit their website at www.theriversidetheatre.org. You can also visit Mr. Beaty’s Web site at www.danielbeaty.com.

And for a sampling of “the Daniel Beaty experience”, visit www.youtube.com to see clips of his plays. One in particular that you may enjoy is, Run Black Man Run.
(Our Time Press contributor trainee B. Sadlonova provided questions for this piece. The article is available at www.ourtimepress.com and at Facebook/ourtimepress.)

Poet Sonia Sanchez

Sonia Sanchez delivered last week at Medgar Evers College.

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.

Our Time Press will follow this story. – BGreen

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

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).      

By Gloria Dulan Wilson

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

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