The Forgotten Black Fishermen in the Gulf Oil Spill

The news coverage of the Gulf oil spill might lead you to think black fishers did not exist or were not affected.  That is not true, although they are a dwindling breed.

Correspondent Brentin Mock and photographer Shawn Escoffery ferreted them out and listened to their stories.

Black Gulf Fishers Face a Murky Future

By: Brentin Mock

Endangered Living: Fisherman Rodvid Wilson, 37 said to writer Brentin Mock, “You barely see our people out here anymore. This is a dying breed.” Photo: Shawn Escoffery

The African-Americans who make their living from shrimp and oysters on the Louisiana Gulf Coast have long been an endangered breed. The oil spill may be the final blow to their way of life.
“I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not weep at the world – I am too busy sharpening my oysterknife.” – Zora Neal Hurston
As Rodvid Wilson boards close the sides of his uncle’s boat he hums Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” while preparing for a voyage through the Louisiana bayou into the bays above the Gulf of Mexico.  In the cabin behind the wheel sits Judge Williams, 67, an oystermanfor over 40 years. Behind him is a bunkbed, where he and his nephew Wilson often sleep. By the bed is a small gas stove. The smell of neckbones and hot metal mix as a pot of beans burns on one eye, and a small hatchet burns on the other.  Sitting next to the stove is half an oyster shell with cigarette ashes in it. A half-empty pack of Newports rests close by.

Judge Williams,67, is just how one would imagine a black fisherman described in a fairytale: weathered skin, soiled fishing cap, and a white beard that stretches down and across his upper jawline, connecting with his mustache. Photo: Shawn Escoffery

Riding with his good friend Ameal Wilson, Williams steers out into an open-water area near the Fucich Bayou wetlands, which sprout  around Louisiana’s southeastern coast. Just beyond this area are the Black Bay and American Bay, where oil from BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill have begun to encroach, threatening fish, birds and protective marshland. If the crude oil gets too deep, it’ll kill off the seafood from which Williams and his crew make a living.
Back in Pointe a la Hache, a town on the east bank of the Mississippi River, is where Williams docks his boat, as do dozens of other African-American oyster harvesters, shrimp trawlers and fishers. It is, in fact, the area from which much of Louisiana and the rest of the United States get their oysters and shrimp; where Antoine Dominique “Fats” Domino hung out, and his lead guitar player Jimmy Moliere was born and raised; and, it’s where black self-sufficiency has been more reality than slogan.
African Americans in lower Plaquemines Parish, where Pointe a la Hache and other black towns such as Davant and Phoenix are found, have raised their families and communities on this seafood for generations. Fishing in this area,  about 50 miles south of New Orleans, has also been a steady source of income and employment for them since the early 20th century.
At peak, hundreds of black fishers occupied this area, but their numbers have dwindled. Hurricane Katrina, which entered Louisiana through this region in 2005, retired many fishers early by destroying their boats and homes. Now, the question asked with dread is: Will the BP oil spill finish off what Katrina started: the vanishing of a proud, historic black fisher community?

Spoils of War At the end of the day, Rodvid Wilson and Ameal Wilson shovel the oysters they’ve caught into coffeebean sacks, to be hauled off by buyers and wholesalers back at the Pointe a la Hache marina. Photo: Shawn Escoffery

As oil invades deeper, it could be that soon the oyster shells won’t even be good enough to catch cigarette ashes in.
Standing in front of a trailer with BP posters taped on the door is Byron Encalade, president of the Louisiana Oystermen Association, who has called a meeting one Saturday afternoon to discuss their futures. One by one, black men and women of all ages step into the assembly area, their chief concern being how they’ll be compensated for their losses. The levees maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect them from hurricanes and floodshave been literally failing them left and right.
“We should take the Army’s name off the Corps of Engineers,” says Encalade, a vet. “They should be called the Political Corps of Engineers. They have been working for the politicians and the oil companies. They are not working for the people.”
Under BP’s claims process, for those losing revenue due to the spill, each fisher is entitled to $5,000 per month — just a fraction of the $10,000 to $40,000 many collect monthly from their catches.  As for BP’s “Vessels of Opportunity” program, where fishers can get trained to take their boats and crews out to deploy boom and skim oil, only a few of them have been called for work.  The black fisher community is so small and tight-knit – by their own estimates, only about 50 to 75 — that they all know each other, and can name the handful presently working for BP.  
The west bank of the Mississippi River holdsall the action. That is where the Venice, La. command center is, where BP, the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, EPA and other government agencies huddle to produce oil containment plans, which have been mostly failures. Venice is at the tip of the Louisiana coastal peninsula, and every day dozens if not hundreds of news reporters dart down the highway looking to find oil leaking onto shores and marsh, and for officials leaking information for their stories.
But the oil threat first headed east of the river, where it continues to infiltrate, long before winds took some of the oil west.  The state’s Fisheries and Wildlife department first closed down the fishing areas on May 1. They were opened again on May 15, for limited trawling and fishing, but the people here know that the fishing areas might not be open much longer. They’ve already had more than their fair share of struggles.
“Through the years, due to unfair policies from both the state and federal governments, we’ve lost about 90% of our oyster farms, and probably the same amount of boats,” says Encalade. “There are probably just a few black families left with oyster boats that support the rest of what’s left of the small black fisherman community here.”
The oyster farms, or oyster beds, are sea-bottom areas that can be privately leased for harvesting oyster seeds picked up from government-owned sea areas in the winter and spring. African Americans began owning their own boats in the 1960s and 70s, and soon after began owning oyster beds. However, says Encalade, these black owners were limited by government as to where they could fish and harvest.
In the late 70s, a group called The Fishermen and Concerned Citizens of Plaquemines Parish, led in part by Rev. Tyrone Edwards, helped reverse laws that prevented the use of hand dredging, or what’s called “coonin’,” used by small-time oystermen, usually black. The ban would have favored the larger industrial companies whose vessels could scoop up oysters in bulk.  
And then there was  Katrina, which made its debut in Louisiana by cresting the eastern levees surrounding these communities, demolishing virtually every home in this area. Fishers whose houses were boats lost their homes and businesses simultaneously.  Edwin “Peewee” Riley, an 84-year-old ex-fisher – one of the oldest standing — lost his $150,000 boat in the hurricane, while Encalade lost three boats.
Those still in the fishing game have few other options. Many of them have been fishing since they were teens — “Peewee” Riley since he was 14. It’s all they know how to do. Few have diplomas beyond high school and some cannot read.
Judge Williams snakes his vessel through the bayou without the use of GPS, navigation devices or even a map. Back in Magnolia, Mississippi, where he’s from, he graduated from the 8th grade to the fishing boat and hasn’t looked back. The entire water-scape is in his head, and he doesn’t “fool with no maps.”
His nephew Rodvid Wilson, an ex-convict, was sent down South by his mother from New York to learn hard work and discipline from his uncle. Wilson admits his family job corps trip is paying off, not only in money but in character. He was cited last August, though, for illegal oyster dredging in unleased water bottoms – fishers still can only collect oysters where the government tells them to. He was cited that day along with five others whose last names suggest South American descendancy.
If the oil spill shuts them down, both groups are faced with entering a society where the face of unemployment, poverty and incarceration is too often theirs. What else can they do but cast down their buckets where they are?
After a long day in the bay, Wilson lays down his hatchet, used earlier for breaking down clusters of oysters. Pulling off his rubber gloves, which have minces of oyster guts all over them — as does his face —  he goes in the cabin for a plate of blackeyed peas and rice. After eating only a portion, he stops, complaining that he hasn’t been able to eat or sleep in days. From the pack of Newports he pulls a cigarette, lights it, and takes a couple drags before ashing on the deck, not far from piles of oysters.
“You barely see our people out here anymore,” he says. “This is a dying breed.”
Brentin Mock is a reporter for the New Orleans investigative reporting news Web site The Lens.

New York Architects Design “Soft House” for Haitians Facing Hurricane Season

Funds Sought to Build and Distribute Units to Not for Profits and Individuals in Haiti

 
HaitiSOFTHOUSE is a flexible and sustainable approach to shelter that provides immediate transitional housing, community development and reconstruction solutions.
The shelter is designed to resist tropical storms and hurricane conditions, resist earthquakes and provide a healthy, well- ventilated environment. The flexibility of the structure allows for multiple-unit combinations, addressing domestic space needs, institutional needs and community needs.
The design features a lightweight and easy-to-assemble structural steel frame that receives high-performance fabric with excellent weather capabilities. The structure can be anchored directly into the ground using high-strength earth anchors in a variety of soil conditions. Additionally, the structure can be mounted on a prefab concrete foundation tile system that is manufactured locally from recycled concrete rubble. The structure is designed to be assembled with a few people in one day or less.
The SOFTHOUSEgroup was conceived and initiated by a group of designers with unique complimentary expertise and a commitment to bringing high quality, sustainable design solutions to the current demands of the recovery and reconstruction efforts of Haiti. The SOFTHOUSEgroup is currently working in conjunction with The Rural Haiti Project to combine creative and professional expertise with local and cultural knowledge in addressing the intermediate needs of Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.
The SOFTHOUSEgroup has established a association with Fabric Images, a Chicago-based manufacturer of lightweight deployable environmental structures. Fabric Images has international manufacturing locations with expertise in mass production under highly demanding delivery schedules.
The SOFTHOUSEgroup, LLC, in conjunction with The Rural Haiti Project, have secured the use of a site in Jacmel, Haiti for the initial construction of prototypes for field testing in June of 2010. The initial deployment of HaitiSOFTHOUSE units is intended to expand and evolve into the Jacmel SOFTVILLAGE in 2010.

2010 Project Green – Arbor Day in Herbert Von King Park

Arbor Day crabapple tree planting is watered by neighborhood youth

Hip Hop dancer Lavell Franklin (see back page) – featured hundreds of stars – 650+schoolchildren from area schools – celebrating nature, “green,” the environment, ecology, spring and good health. 

The event was sponsored by Con Edison, Super Foodtown, Flowerworks, Legacy Ventures and Earth New York.  The event was co-hosted by Carl Luciano, Councilman Al Vann’s Community Liaison and included New York City Parks and Recreation commissioners Liam Kavanaugh and Tom Ching; New York State Assemblywoman Annette Robinson, keeper of Brooklyn’s historical “green” memory as a friend to and supporter of the late Hattie Carthan; representatives of the Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford Stuyvesant, founded by Mrs. Carthan; students and educators from PS 256, Bedford Village School, PS 140, Brighter Choice, Young Scholars and other schools.  And the Brooklyn Job Corps Green Team led by Kai Smith came and helped with the complex logistics and crowd control.

Youngsters line up for healthy treats donated by Super Foodtown at Restoration.

On stage with Mr. Banks, Ms. Harris and Mr. Franklin, delivering “green” messages, were: food activist

Ajamu Brown, Bed-Stuy Eco-Mapping

Ajamu Brown of the Bed-Stuy Eco-Mapping Project; Medicine Wheel Workshop founder, Talks With Wolves (Stephen Wilson); Von King Park manager Lemuel Mial and more. There were stellar green performances and presentations by every school present, and a show-stopping presentation of a speech by Michelle Obama  by orator Ebony Leah Williams of PS 256.
Inside the Cultural Arts Center in the Eubie Blake Theater,  Durett led the community’s green leaders in an information-sharing workshop, which included a PowerPoint presentation by PS 3/Bedford Village Arts Education Liaison Stephen Mohney.

Von King gardener Marechal Brown and Park Manager Lemuel Mial.

In Von King Park’s northeast section along Lafayette, new gardener Marechal Brown, led the tree planting, and the children helped.  Next year, says Ms. Brown, the planting will be a tree ceremony in the park’s largest field, and Talks With Wolves will lead a huge Circle dance.  “And there will be a blessing of the ground.”
If anyone asks where’s Bedford Stuyvesant’s “green” movment, the answer is: it’s here.  The positioning is solid;  the center is not a brownfield nor a tarnished waterfront, it’s the schools (see story by Mohney on PS 3, page  4) where the community’s leaders of tomorrow – the message on the park’s welcoming sign – are being taught, trained, empowered and developed. 
Nationally known as a “ground zero” for myriad afflictions, Bedford Stuyvesant, as revealed by Arbor Day 2010 at Von King Park, is now leading the way on the environment and ecology leadership-building front.  And the builders of that sustainable future are caring, compassionate and committed instructors talking about health, nature, sustenance and changing lightbulbs. And our children picking up on it.
Of note: one young student, inspired by the morning activities, left the snack line, and jumped on a stanchion.  “I want to make a speech,” he told us, stretching his arms to the sky.  He talked about the importance of “not littering” and  recycling to his peers as they eagerly accepted apples, raisins and water donated by Super Foodtown at Restoration.  By the way, not one school child — in the hundreds served — turned down the healthy food snack.

Lorrie Ayers, Parent Coordinator, PS305/Dr. Peter Ray School. Photo: Hiroki Kobayashi

Something’s growing in Bedford Stuyvesant; something strong, sturdy and sustainable.  We’re glad to be a part of it. Photos on the cover, centerfold and this page tell the story of this Third Annual Project Green initiative.  You also can view images on Facebook.com and at www.ourtimepress.com.  Bernice Elizabeth Green

Linda R. Montas, Board Member, NHS of Bedford Stuyvesant.

Sherri Hobson-Green LivingLive (green) TM Betta Broad, Deputy Director of Earth Day NY.

Cheryl Browne, Family-Friendly Environmental Education.

Hon. Annette Robinson, NYS Assemblywoman.

Altovise Fleary, President, Jefferson Avenue, Block Assoc., (bet. Tompkins & Throop)

Liam Kavanaugh, First Deputy Commissioner of NYC Parks and Recreation.

Village Voice Exposé! The NYPD Tapes: “Inside Bed-Stuy’s 81st Precinct”

“Two years ago, a police officer in a Brooklyn precinct became gravely concerned about how the public was being served. To document his concerns, he began carrying around a digital sound recorder, secretly recording his colleagues and superiors.
He recorded precinct roll calls. He recorded his precinct commander and other supervisors. He recorded street encounters. He recorded small talk and stationhouse banter. In all, he surreptitiously collected hundreds of hours of cops talking about their jobs.
Made without the knowledge or approval of the NYPD, the tapes-made between June 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009, in the 81st Precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant and obtained exclusively by the Voice-provide an unprecedented portrait of what it’s like to work as a cop in this city.”
From the Village Voice, May 4, 2010

And so begins Graham Rayman’s “just the facts, ma’am” reporting of the chilling truth of  policing procedures in Bedford-Stuyvesant’s 81st Precinct and it would seem to require a questioning of all precinct commanders by politicians, community boards and precinct councils in their area on exactly what’s going on?  
If the capture of the Time Square Bomber withing 54 hours was police work at its finest, then what goes on at the 81 is on the other end of the spectrum.  The tapes reveal a deliberate manipulation of statistics in opposing directions that would make Goldman Sachs blush, if not liable.  The edicts coming down from the chain of command required officers to show they are working by producing stop-and-frisks and summonses.  The more  numbers of this busywork,the better.  However, actual crimes such as robbery are either downgraded or not recorded because of police harassment of complaintants, both designed to give the impression that crime is going down. 
These secret recordings tell of “bosses” “spend”-ing “more time in the roll calls haranguing the officers for ‘activity’-or ‘paying the rent,’ as it was known-than anything else. In other words, writing summonses, doing stop-and-frisks (known as ’250s’), doing community visits and making arrests.”
And again “On June 12, 2008, Lieutenant B. relayed the summons target: ‘The XO [second-in-command] was in the other day. He actually laid down a number. He wants at least three seat belts, one cell phone, and 11 others. All right, so if I was on patrol, I would be sure to get three seat belts, one cell phone and 11 others.’”
It may have been one such stop that led to attorney’s Michael and Evelyn Warren being brutalized by police after coming to the assistance of a stopped and harassed motorist.
The tapes reveal Roll Call instructions to beat officers to make their numbers and they are told they are at the bottom catching these orders from on high, the “s-” , that rolls downhill.  But in truth, these officers are many rungs from the bottom and this is a very large load.  After the officer is forced to act, because “low numbers meant criticism and demotion; high numbers meant praise and promotion”, the load lands on the citizen stopped in the street, affecting their mental and financial health.  It continues on to hit significant others who have to work on the healing, it smacks into sons and daughters, little brothers and sisters, all being taught the way things really are.  But it does not stop there, because this system of policing, with people used as things to “pay the rent”, is a holdover from slavery, interacting with and feeding the Prison Industrial Complex that Brooklyn resident John Flateau exposed in his book of the same name.  But it does not stop there.  It continues on and is used by upstate Republicans to gerrymander districts using prison populations as residents, increasing their power while robbing the prisoner home districts.
The Voice advises: If you want to avoid getting a ticket, stay away from police officers during the last few days of the month when the pressure for numbers is the highest.  From the tapes, it’s not hard to imagine an officer desperately driving to the precinct, looking for someone smoking pot on a stoop or double-parking to fill some gap in their productivity.
What happens after Schoolcraft meets with investigators is astonishing.  After calling in sick, “A dozen police supervisors came to his house and demanded that he return to work. He declined on health grounds. Eventually, Deputy Chief Michael Marino, the commander of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, which covers 10 precincts, ordered that Schoolcraft be dragged from his apartment in handcuffs and forcibly placed in a Queens mental ward for six days.”
This series will be a must-read.  If you can’t find the print edition of the Village Voice, read the whole story on the Web at www.villagevoice.com.  Also, thanks to Errol Louis for pulling our coat to this story on his morning show on WWRL 1600AM  6am-9am.   David Mark Greaves

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Radio Transmission Antennas Linked to Deadly Health Problems

Cell phones, WiFi, wireless relay towers, all of which were unknown 20 years ago, are now a part of our everyday lives, bathing us in microwave radiation that studies have associated with a variety of physical and emotional disorders that used to be called radio wave sickness when it was first seen in military radar operators.
In a report released yesterday, The BRAGT Antenna Ranking of Schools documents the density and proximity of antennas near schools in the 50 State capitals and in Washington, D.C.  The more antennas that are near schools the greater the potential exposure of students and teachers to radio frequency radiation from external antennas.
Author and researcher, Professor Magda Havas began a telephone press conference about the report with a short review of the science of the relationship of cell phones to brain tumors and cancer of the salivary glands, the danger to sperm for men using a cell 2-4 hours a day, and noting that studiies have shown that women who use cell phones while pregnant run the risk of giving birth to babies with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
According to Dr. Havas, more and more studies are beginning to document adverse biological and health effects for people who live near cell phone and broadcast antennas.  Some show an increased risk of cancers for those living within 350 to 400 meters of cell phone antennas at exposure levels well below federal guidelines in the US and Canada.  Other studies show an increase in symptoms that have been classified as “electrohypersensitivity”.  These symptoms  include difficulty sleeping, fatigue, pain, poor short-term memory, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, irritability and depression, skin problems, dizziness, nausea and ringing in the ears.  Therefore says Havas, exposure to microwave radiation may interfere with learning and may not be conducive to a  good learning environment and that younger students are more vulnerable than adults to this type of radiation.
For these reasons, the report recommends that exposure of students to microwave radiation be minimized.  This can be done by placing cell phone antennas at least 1,500 feet away (approximately 460m) from schools and by using wired rather than wireless (WiFi) connection for Internet access within schools.

Responding to a question from OTP, Dr. Havas said that the effects of the radiation can be lessened by placing protective see-through films over windows and shielding roof areas, particularly for top floors directly under the rooftop antennas.  She also said that cable or fiber-optic lines are preferred over wireless technology for home and school.  And that anyone living near one of the new WiMax towers now being placed, should move.  “They will become very ill, very quickly,” says Prof. Havas.
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To find information about the microwave towers near your home, Click Here.

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Big Turnout For Protest at Brooklyn Bridge to Keep Day Care Centers Open

By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Parents, caregivers, children, union representatives and supporters rallied in Downtown Brooklyn and then marched over the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday, to protest the city’s decision to close 16 day care centers serving more than 1,000 children in New York.
Of the 16, 11 are Brooklyn-based and serve more than 750 children.
The closing are to go in effect on June 30.  The City is maintaining that the closings are related to budget challenges, and the centers targeted are located in neighborhoods which no longer need day care services.
“These working people are the life blood of the city,” said District Councilman Mathieu Eugene before the march.
“They work and pay taxes, and are a part of the economy.  We elected officals have to do everything possible to save our day care centers.”
According to the Administration for Chidlren’s Servcies, the centers slated to close include: the Court Street Day Care Center of Amico in Cobble Hill; the BBCS Duffield, Martha Udell, Alonzo Daughtry No. 3, Bedford Avenue and the Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center.
In a press release, District Council 1707 Executive Director Raglan George Jr., said “Since 2003, over 3,000 slots from day care centers were eliminated.  The day care school age after -school program, a  model for the rest of the country, was eliminated by this adminsitration.”
Parents stated that they need day care centers near their jobs. Sharman Stein, director of Communications for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services noted in February that ACS is looking into how services can be “consolidated.”  The closings, reportedly, are based on how expensive the lease is, the condition of the building and whether or not the center is used to capacity.  DC 7 has said that no decison about closing any center should be made without the completion of a Community Environmental Quality Review on each program.”

Dorothy Irene Height, passed this morning (April 20, 2010) in Washington, DC.

At 98, Dorothy Height was a highly respected, longtime civil rights leader, 2004 Congressional Award winner, and the 10th National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (1946-1957) She led the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years as its president from 1957 to 1997. She fought for equal rights for both African Americans and women, and was a confidant and adviser to The Rev. martin Luther King, Jr.  She remained active with the Council and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority until her death. In both organizations, she developed leadership training programs and education programs. A profile will be presented in the National Council of Negro Women, Thursday, April 22 issue of Our Time Press.

Dr. Dorothy I. Height
Chair and President Emerita
National Council of Negro Women

For nearly half a century, Dorothy Irene Height has given leadership to the struggle for equality and human rights for all people. Her life exemplifies her passionate commitment for a just society and her vision of a better world.
* Dorothy Height was born in Richmond, Virginia March 24, 1912, and educated in public schools in Rankin, Pa, a borough of Pittsburgh, where her family moved when she was four.
* Height established herself early as a dedicated student with exceptional oratorical skills. After winning a $1,000 scholarship in a national oratorical contest on the United States Constitution, sponsored by the Elks, and a record of scholastic excellence, she attended New York University and earned her bachelor and master’s degrees in four years. She did postgraduate work at Columbia University and the New York School of Social Work.
* In 1933, Height became a leader of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America in the New Deal era. It was during this period that Height’s career as a civil rights advocate began to unfold, as she worked to prevent lynching, desegregate the armed forces, reform the criminal justice system and for free access to public accommodations.
* Height was named to deal with the outcome of the Harlem riot of 1935.
Height was an organizer and served as Vice President of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America. In this capacity she was chosen as one of 10 American youth delegates to the World Conference on Life and Work of the Churches in Oxford England. Two years later (1939), she was a representative of the YWCA to the World Conference of Christian Youth in Amsterdam Holland.
* 1937 was the turning point in the life of Dorothy Height. She was serving as Assistant Executive Director of the Harlem YWCA when Mary McLeod Bethune, founder and president of the National Council of Negro Women, noticed young Height who was escorting Eleanor Roosevelt into the NCNW meeting. Mrs. Bethune invited Height to join NCNW in her quest for women’s rights to full and equal employment, pay and education.
* In 1938, Height was one of 10 American youth invited by Eleanor Roosevelt to spend a weekend at her Hyde Park NY home to plan and prepare for the World Youth Conference to be held at Vassar College.
* Height served in her dual role as YWCA Staff member and NCNW volunteer, integrating her training as a social worker and her commitment to rise above the limitations of race and sex. She rose quickly through the ranks of the YWCA, from the Emma Ransom House in Harlem to the Executive Director of the Phyllis Wheatley Association in Washington D.C. and to the National Staff.
* For thirty-three years – (1944 – 1977), Height served on the staff of the National Board of the YWCA of the USA and held several leadership positions in Public Affairs and Leadership Training and as Director of the National YWCA School for Professional Workers. In 1965, she was inaugurated and became Director of the Center for Racial Justice, a position she held until her retirement.
* In l952, Height served as visiting professor at the University of Delhi, India, in the Delhi School of Social Work, which was founded by the YWCAs of India, Burma and Ceylon. She became known for her internationalism and humanitarianism, and conducted international studies and travel to expand the work of the YWCA.
* Height made a study of the training of women’s organizations in five African countries: Liberia, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria under the Committee of Correspondence.
* Height was elected National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in 1947 – and served until l956. She carried the Sorority to a new level of organizational development, initiation eligibility and social action throughout her term. Her leadership training skills, social work background and knowledge of volunteerism benefited the Sorority as it moved into a new era of activism on the national and international scene.
* In l957, Height was elected fourth National President of NCNW and served until l998 when she became Chair and President Emerita.
* In 1960, Height was the woman team member leader in the United Civil Rights Leadership along with Martin Luther King, Whitney H. Young, A. Philip Randolph, James Farmer, Roy Wilkins and John Lewis.
* In 1961, while Height was participating in major Civil Rights leadership, she led NCNW to deal with unmet needs among women and their families to combat hunger, develop cooperative pig banks, provided families with community freezers and showers, etc..
* In 1964, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Height with Polly Cowan, an NCNW Board Member, organized teams of women of different races and faith as “Wednesdays In Mississippi” to assist in the freedom schools and open communication between women of difference races. The workshops which followed stressed the need for decent housing which became the basis for NCNW in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop Turnkey III Home Ownership for low income families in Gulfport Mississippi.
* In l970, Height directed the series of activities culminating in the YWCA Convention adopting as its “One Imperative” to the elimination of racism.
* In 1970, Height established the Women’s Center for Education and Career Advancement in New York City to prepare women for entry level jobs. From this experience in 1975, Height in collaboration with Pace College established a first-time Associate Degree for Professional Studies (AAPS) – now incorporated as a regular professional studies degree course at Pace University.
* In l975, Height participated in the Tribunal at the International Women’s Year Conference of the United Nations in Mexico City. As a result of this experience, NCNW was awarded a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to hold a conference within the conference for women from the United States, African countries, South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. This was followed with a site visit with 50 of the women to visit with rural women in Mississippi.
* Under the auspices of the USAID, Height lectured in South Africa after addressing the National Convention of the Black Women’s Federation of South Africa near Johannesburg (1977).
* Height led a crusade for justice for Black women and since l986 worked to strengthen the Black family. Under her leadership:

o In 1966, NCNW achieved tax-exempt status.
o In 1974, NCNW dedicated the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune in Lincoln Park, Washington D C; the first woman on public land in the Nation’s Capital and to an African American or woman of any race.
o Developed model national and community-based programs ranging from teen-age parenting to pig “banks” – which addressed hunger in rural areas – and were replicated by many other groups.
o Established the Bethune Museum and Archives for Black Women, the first institution devoted to black women’s history; and established the Bethune Council House as a national historic site.
o Height placed NCNW on a course of issue-oriented politics, sponsoring “Wednesdays in Mississippi” when interracial groups of women would help out at Freedom Schools; voter registration drives in the South; and established communications between black and white women.
o Established the Black Family Reunion Celebration in 1986 to reinforce the historic strengths and traditional values of the Black family.
Dorothy I. Height has received awards and citations including the:
* John F. Kennedy Memorial Award
* Hadassah Myrtle Wreath of Achievement
* Ministerial Interfaith Association Award
* Ladies Home Journal – Woman of the Year
* Congressional Black Caucus – Decades of Service
* President Ronald Reagan – Citizens Medal
* Franklin Roosevelt – Freedom Medal
* Essence Award
* Camille Cosby World of Children Award
* Caring Institute – Caring Award
* NAACP – Spingarn Medal
* National Women’s Hall of Fame
* President Bill Clinton – Presidential Medal of Freedom
* On Height’s 92nd birthday March 24, 2004, President George W. Bush presented her the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian and most distinguished award presented by the United States Congress.
She has received thirty-six Honorary Doctorate Degrees from universities and colleges such as:
Tuskegee University, Spelman College, Pace University, Bennett College, Lincoln University, Harvard University, Howard University, Princeton University, New York University, Morehouse College, Meharry Medical College, Columbia University

Statement from Governor David A. Paterson on the Passing of Dr. Dorothy Height
ALBANY, NY (04/20/2010)(readMedia)– “Today, I join New Yorkers and Americans in mourning the death of Dr. Dorothy Height, a civil rights pioneer who helped guide our nation through its crusade for equality. Having borne witness to discrimination, Dr. Height committed to eradicting intolerance – whether it be against a race, ethnicity, gender, or religion. She marched with those tired of violence, stood with those ready for change and served for four decades as the leader of the National Council of Negro Women. Her work, which continued well beyond her retirement, has helped make for a more just society.
“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my thoughts and prayers to Dr. Height’s family.”
NEW YORK, NY – New York City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to questions about the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height:
“We have lost a great leader, a stalwart champion for civil rights and a distinguished American.  Dr. Height led at the forefront of our nation’s long march toward justice, empowerment and freedom.  She engendered uncommon courage, grace and strength in the struggle for social justice, equal economic and educational opportunities.  Our thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time, whom we hope will find some solace and strength in the memories of Dr. Height and the assurance that her legacy continues.”

Reverend Al Sharpton on the passing of Civil Rights Leader Dr. Dorothy Height
National Urban League Reflects On The Legacy Of Dr. Dorothy Height”

The passing of Dr. Dorothy Height is the passing of a true American icon who shaped a century of American progress toward racial and gender equality.

No one served longer and stronger or with more persistence than Dorothy Height. Whether it was marching in the streets with Dr. King, helping further education with Mary McLeod Bethune, or mentoring a new generation of freedom fighters, Dr. Height was a hero in civil rights and social justice.

Just two months ago, Dr. Height gave me instructions on how to fight against black unemployment in our meeting with President Obama at the White House. I visited her bedside in the hospital just three weeks ago knowing that greatness comes rarely in a lifetime and she was truly a great woman. Dr. Height fought until the end and has earned her place in history. We will miss her dearly.”

NEW YORK (April 20, 2010) — Reflecting on the passing today of Dr. Dorothy Height, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said the League today has lost a friend, an inspiration, a mentor and a moral touchstone.

“We are following a path that was forged by Dr. Height,” Morial said. “Her legacy is a debt we can never repay. We merely hope to honor her memory and try as we can to live up to her example.”

Dr. Height’s association with the National Urban League was long and distinguished.  She collaborated with every president from Lester Granger to Morial, playing a major role in every initiative.

“She stood side-by-side with League President Whitney M. Young as they worked with Dr. Martin Luther to map a strategy for the landmark civil rights challenges of the 1960s,” Morial said.

She received the League’s “Equal Opportunity Day Award” in 1982 and its “Legend Award” in 2003. Her last public appearance was the Greater Washington Urban League’s gala on March 17.

In the foreward to the National Urban League’s The State of Black America 2008: In the Black Woman’s Voice, Dr. Height reflected on recent years that had seen the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and a highly-publicized racist slur against female college athletes. The voices of black women, she wrote, must be heeded in these times more than ever.

“Who better than us can understand the very real boundaries that all women face in navigating a cultural dynamic that still assigns roles and oftentimes limitations based upon gender?” she wrote. “Yet, it is also true, that there are special, dual challenges intricately linked to blackness and womanhood that we black women face and navigate alone. “With no apologies, the time is now, to finally focus on us,” she wrote.

“Dr. Height’s strength and courage continue to inspire the Urban League movement,” Morial said.

NAACP SADDENED BY LOSS OF CIVIL RIGHTS GIANT DR. DOROTHY HEIGHT

NAACP CHAIRMAN ROSLYN M. BROCK, NAACP PRESIDENT BENJAMIN TODD JEALOUS AND NAACP CHAIRMAN EMERITUS JULIAN BOND AND MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS REFLECT ON THE LIFE OF THE “GODMOTHER OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT”

WASHINGTON DC – The NAACP family is saddened by the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height, civil rights pioneer, social justice advocate and long time friend of the NAACP.

“Dr. Dorothy I. Height was the beloved matriarch of the civil rights movement,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock.  “The nation has lost a stalwart champion for civil rights and gender equality. With perseverance and strong determination Dr. Height broke through the proverbial glass ceiling as the only woman working side by side with the “Big Six” to secure civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 60s.  Today we have lost a strong voice and champion for women and children.  Her lasting contributions will live on through the lives of those she touched and mentored,” added Brock.

“I was introduced to the legacy of Dr. Dorothy Height through my 93 year-old grandmother, who considered Dr. Height one of her heroes. Our first meeting was at the 1993 March on Washington, where I was an organizer for the event. Dr. Height was a tireless and committed fighter for civil rights. Despite being in poor health, she joined the NAACP late last year in our health care war room to advocate for health care reform. The defining legacy of Dr. Height will be the countless individuals she inspired and mentored into positions of great leadership,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “She will be most remembered for what she did to encourage women to reach greater levels of achievement, but the truth is that she also guided and mentored the ambition to service and contributions of thousands of men.  Her passion for a just society and her vision for a better world inspires us all.”

“Dr. Height never saw a mountain she could not climb, from being denied entry to Barnard College to achieving a master’s degree in psychology at NYU and lobbying President Kennedy to sign the Equal Pay Act in 1963.  She was the matriarch of the civil rights movement, and will be greatly missed,” added NAACP Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond.

NAACP Chairman Emeritus Myrlie Evers-Williams reflected: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dr. Dorothy Height.  I recall her formidable presence when she spoke during the funeral of my husband Medgar.  She spoke earnestly about the civil rights struggle and how the conditions affected young people, especially about their treatment at the hands of law enforcement.  Although childless, she was Mother to all of us-she was family.  Hers was a steady, loving influence on all of us involved in the struggle for justice and equality.  She was a woman of great drive who never lost sight of the goal of equal rights and human rights for all Americans, particularly women.  Her program, “Wednesday’s in Mississippi” brought together hundreds of young women to register to vote and make sure their voices were heard in elections and in our democracy.  America has lost an icon today-an illustrious beacon shining on the human spirit.  We shared a remarkable time together in the civil rights movement, and now I share with the rest of the world in mourning the loss of such a wonderfully caring and spiritual woman.”

Rep. Towns Statement on the Passing of Civil Rights Leader Dr. Dorothy I. Height
 
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10) released the following statement today in memory of the passing of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, former president of the National Council of Negro Women and legendary female leader of the civil rights movement:
 
“Today, we mourn the passing of a legendary hero of the civil rights movement, Dr. Dorothy I. Height.
 
“Dr. Height devoted her life to breaking down barriers and fighting for a brighter future for an entire nation. She fought tirelessly for equality for African Americans, women and the disabled, and fought for school desegregation, voting rights and gender equality. From marching in the New York City streets as a teenager to marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to becoming the sole woman who served at the highest level of leadership in the civil rights movement, Dr. Height was a powerful activist whose crusade of more than six decades laid a strong foundation that forever changed the United States.
 
“For more than four decades, Dr. Height served as president of the National Council of Negro Women where she advised American leaders on civil rights. Dr. Height was also an esteemed member and former national president of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In all of her leadership positions, Dr. Height advocated for access to education, particularly for African American women.  
 
“In honor of Dr. Height’s work as a New York City welfare caseworker, I introduced and dedicated social work legislation in her name. H.R. 795, the ‘Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act’ addresses the challenges to the social work profession and supports social work as a means to enhance societal well-being. As a professional social worker, I have always found inspiration in Dr. Height’s lifelong dedication to our shared occupation.  Throughout her life, Dr. Height carried out the mission and services of a social work – pushing for social change and improving the quality of life for all Americans.
 
“I am deeply saddened about the passing of a true hero and my friend, Dr. Dorothy I. Height. I extend my condolences to Dr. Height’s family and friends.”

Statement by Wade Henderson on the Death of Civil Rights Legend, Dr. Dorothy I. Height
 ”It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the passing of our chairperson, Dr. Dorothy I. Height.  For the past seven decades, her work and her wisdom have enriched and ennobled the civil rights movement and our nation.
Dr. Height has been an extraordinary leader, a gifted organizer, a trusted adviser, and a shrewd strategist from the days of the New Deal to these times of the Raw Deal for so many Americans.  She was at every important meeting, participated in every historic struggle, and advised major national leaders from Eleanor Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama.  
Indeed, her biography is intertwined with the most significant moments of the modern civil rights movement. If Rosa Parks is the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, then Dr. Height is its Queen.
 On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Height for more than 20 years. Her wise counsel, political acumen, and pragmatic idealism were, quite simply, invaluable.  She was active in the work of The Leadership Conference right up until it was just physically impossible for her to do so, most recently, serving as honorary co-chair of our campaign to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
 If, as the saying goes, service is the rent we pay for living, then Dr. Height is paid in full, many times over – and she has paid the tab for many of us as well.  It is an honor and a blessing to have known her.”
BP MARKOWITZ STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER DOROTHY HEIGHT
 ”It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of another of our trailblazing civil rights champions, Dorothy Height, a great gift to all of us and now of blessed memory. I was honored to have personally known this tireless advocate for equality, who may have been born in Virginia and raised in Pennsylvania, but was an honorary Brooklynite for all her good work here. While a student at New York University, Dorothy Height was sent on a field assignment to the old Brownsville Community Center in Brooklyn, established by the Brooklyn Church and Mission Federation. It was there during the Great Depression that she cared for thousands of Brooklynites in need, empowering her with the compassion and skills that served her so well as the future president of the National Council of Negro Women and helped earn her a place in history as one of our nation’s great civil rights leaders. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dorothy Height’s family, friends and colleagues.”
STATEMENT OF ANNA BURGER ON THE PASSING OF DOROTHY HEIGHT
Washington, DC-Today, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) released the statement of Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger on the passing of civil rights activist Dorothy Height:
 
“For those of us who consider ourselves partners in the struggle for equal and civil rights, the passing of Dorothy Height is both cause for mourning and an important reminder of the lengths we still have to go. When Dorothy began marching in protests in the 1930s, women had barely been granted the right to vote, and the civil rights movement wasn’t yet a glimmer in our nation’s eyes. Today, because of Dr. Height’s tireless efforts, women have unprecedented opportunities to build better communities and lead in their workplaces.
“Yet Dorothy’s passing on Equal Pay Day-the day each year when women’s salaries for equal work finally catch up to men’s salaries from the year before-seems painfully fitting, as though, even in death, she continues to remind us that our work is not yet done. Dorothy stood by President Kennedy’s side at the original signing of the Act in 1963, and was a fierce advocate for working women. This year, for the first time, women constitute the greatest portion of the labor force working inside and outside the home, yet the 23 cent price differential between male and female salaries has remained unchanged for more than a decade.  To put it in perspective, the average woman will earn from $700,000 to $2 million less than the average man during her working lifetime.  The numbers are even more stark for women of color, including immigrant women. As Dorothy would agree, that’s unacceptable.
“So this Equal Pay Day, SEIU mourns and salutes Dorothy Height, a pioneer, a rabble-rouser, an inspiration, and- like so many members of SEIU–  a social worker, who proved when individual working people stand up, they truly can change the world.” 
NASW Mourns the Loss of Social Work Pioneer and Civil Rights Icon Dr. Dorothy I. Height.
Pending National Social Work Reinvestment Bill is Named in Her Honor
 
WASHINGTON-Today,  the nation lost one of the foremost leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and the social work profession.  Dr. Dorothy I. Height was a renowned civil rights leader and a vital force in the struggle for human rights and equality in the United States for more than half a century.  She most recently presided as chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, a position she held for more than 40 years.
A proud social worker, Dr. Height earned her graduate degree at the New York University School of Social Work and began her career as a caseworker in the New York Welfare Department.  Dr. Height went on to hold several leadership positions with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), where she led a national campaign to integrate all YWCA facilities.
Her tireless efforts on behalf of others exemplified the social work commitment to social justice and advocacy.  In 2009, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act was introduced into the 111th Congress by U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD) and U.S. Representative Edolphus Towns (NY). The bill would create a national commission to study the impact of social work interventions and fund social work training and research grants. 
When the Social Work Reinvestment bill was introduced in Congress, Dr. Height said, “We take social work and social workers for granted. Social workers know firsthand what the issues are.  We are prepared, but we also need support to keep contributing. What we need are more people with skill and commitment to help us deal with the nation’s problems and to help us move forward.  The proposed Social Work Commission provides a way for us to do just that-move forward.”
 ”Words cannot express our sorrow in learning about Dr. Height’s death this morning, says Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers.  “She, like pioneer social workers Jane Addams and Frances Perkins, made lasting change in the lives of thousands, while shaping some of the most important social shifts in American history.” 
Dr. Height was mentored by some of the most accomplished women of the Progressive Era, including Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt.  And she mentored many of the nation’s most recognizable female leaders today, including Former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, media mogul Oprah Winfrey and poet laureate and author Dr. Maya Angelou.  Dr. Height also remains the longest serving president (1947-1957) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, an international public service organization.
The vast scope of Dr. Height’s many accomplishments has earned her repeated national recognition. In 1989, President Ronald Reagan presented her with the Citizens’ Medal Award and in 1997 President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded her with the Congressional Gold Medal and she was inducted into the Democracy Hall of Fame.  Most recently, Dr. Height served as an advisor to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Dr. Height’s legacy will be celebrated  by the social work profession later this week at the 2010 Social Work Congress (April 22-23). She is the recipient of NASW’s 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.  

STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF DOROTHY HEIGHT FROM BILL LYNCH, FORMER NYC DEPUTY MAYOR AND FOUNDER OF BILL LYNCH ASSOCIATES
     “Dorothy Height was the ultimate trailblazer, not just for women and people of color but for all Americans. Her work with the YWCA starting in 1944 and as president of the National Council of Negro Women was an essential part of the Civil Rights movement and has benefited many generations.
    “Dorothy Height brought out the best in everyone. As she often said, ‘Our work is not just about ourselves and our children, but about everyone and their children.’
    “I am deeply saddened to learn of her passing, but I will always be inspired by her groundbreaking work and her personal kindness.”

ON DAY CARE CENTERS AND TREES … If Trees Grow In Brooklyn, Why Can’t Children?

                        
Who will be the leaders of tomorrow if the day care centers are closed today?, came the cry to us from Bedford-Stuyvesant’s  Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center #3  about the push to close 15 day care centers (11 in Brooklyn including Alonzo) by the end of June.   
“If Mayor Bloomberg knew what actually occurs in our child care centers he would reconsider this hasty decision,” one teacher told us.

The parents, teachers and administrators of the highly praised Duffield Children’s Center -- one of 15 day care schools in the City reportedly slated for closure in a few months -- see buildings going up just a few feet from their Fleet Place school in Downtown Brooklyn. Center Director Betty Stromberg says, “Our children should be given a chance to grow up and stand tall in this city.” Like Kaylah, at left, whose mom Saundra Washington enrolled her on Monday.

We wondered if America’s Sustainability Mayor had visited any of the centers he plans to close, and if he talked to the parents, the teachers and observed the students.   We wondered if visits to each of the centers on the chopping block would inspire a reprieve strategy, one as effective as his brilliant master plan for increasing the number of trees in New York City, one whose marketing outreach revs full blast this April Earth Month and most likely will compete with the roar of people like the Daughtry lady who tearfully told us on the steps of Borough Hall last Monday afternoon, “These day care centers can’t be closed.  They grow leaders!”
Earlier in the day, we visited the Duffield Children’s Center located where Fleet Place and Fair Place form a cul-de-sac, one block north of the old, sturdy Department of Health building. 

Just a few feet from Duffield’s doors, backhoe loaders and bulldozer excavation machines were hard at work preparing for yet even more tall skyscrapers – and an esplanade – to join the family of steel and glass residential towers near and around Flatbush Avenue and Myrtle. 
Though the sound of engines splitting and trucks pushing dirt drowns out humanity, inside Duffield there’s something  – probably and hopefully multiplied by 15 throughout the city – that New York can be proud of.  It’s an oasis of great educational programs, creative arts, excellent science and earth programs.  Betty Stromberg, center director, took us on a tour of the site and introduced us to its students and teachers.
It’s bright, “green” and student-friendly, something so in need of being sustained, it’s hard to understand why the concept would be on the cutting board in the first place.  The school’s happy faces tell a story of why the city should take another look at how it cares for its children.  And the message it sends to families and children.
Says Norma H. Martin, Assistant Executive Director, Brooklyn Bureau of Community Services, the nonprofit that administers the center, “Duffield Children’s Center provides quality early childhood education services.
“It serves 140 children every day, not only in ACS-funded preschool but also in Head Start and After-School programs.  We use the nationally recognized, evidence-based Creative Curriculum to be sure our children are prepared for success in school.  Parents support our program and they are here with us today to say so!
Closing Duffield would mean returning half a millions dollars to the federal government every year in direct Federal funding for the Head Start program. “And it would mean turning back to private donors about $30,000 in funding every year for our literacy initiative,” she adds.
“The city may think that there is little to no need for publicly funded child care in the Fort Greene area.  But about a third of the families and children served at Duffield live there, within walking distance of the center.  They are all income-eligible for publicly funded child care.  It won’t be easy for those parents to find alternate child care services, since the City plans to close five centers in the neighborhood.  And we provide after-school services to about 40 children every day.  There is no Out of School Time program in any of the public schools in our end of Fort Greene.  There’s no other option for our children.”
She also noted that other parents choose Duffield not only because of its high-quality program, but also because it’s convenient to their employment in downtown Brooklyn. 
Douglas Brooks, BBSC Director of Children & Family Services, spoke compassionately on behalf of Duffield.  “It dispels every myth or stereotype that poor children and children with disabilities can not learn and are destined to an unhappy life.  We have the data showing our children are well-prepared.  Children do so much better in a literacy-rich environment where creative curriculum is utilized. Our mission is to strengthen families and help all children-poor, rich – reach their full potential.”
On the Borough Hall steps, Monday (12), the Daughtry and Duffield Center parents, teachers, administrators and teachers rallied for their children and all of the sites and spoke to news crews and print reporters. 
Brooks said, “We understand the city is in crisis, and some centers may need to close down.  But why close the ones that work?”   Maybe it’s a case of  not seeing the trees for the forest.

Clergy Poised to Helm Economic Empowerment Effort in the Community

By Jessica Medina (Lyric Marie)
Tax return, Census Return and Financial future were the key points of discussion at the press conference held yesterday on the steps of Antioch Baptist Church of Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood.
The soul purpose of the conference was to announce Empowerment Sunday, a  movement put together by CIBS – The Coalition for the Improvement of Bedford-Stuyvesant which comprises 25 local nonprofits working together to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.
CIBS strives towards the maintenance of a healthy and sustainable community by focusing on preserving neighborhood wealth and providing individuals and families with information and services that include foreclosure prevention, tax assistance, financial education and more.
 Empowerment Sunday will be this Sunday, April 18 at 41 churches in Central Brooklyn.  The list of churches includes:  Antioch Baptist church,826 Greene Avenue, Bridge Street Development Corporation, 277 Stuyvesant Avenue, Cornerstone Baptist Church, 576 Madison Avenue; and First AME Zion Church, 54 MacDonough Street.

For more church locations,contact the Bridge Street Development Corporation (BSDC) at 718-399-0146.  BSDC will have counselors on hand during and after service providing information on foreclosures, mortgages, loans, and affordable housing.
They also can explain President Obama’s new plan to aid homeowners in foreclosure.
“In these economic times it is essential that people take control of their financial future,” said Rev. Doctor Robert M. Waterman, Senior Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church. “Through participation in Empowerment Sunday we will encourage the members of our congregation to take advantage of the services offered by BSDC and CIBS to assist them with their financial literacy.”
While speaking with him,  I  began to understand and feel the importance of knowledge and power in numbers.
It’s the simple things that we take for granted or don’t understand that paralyzes our communities.  The Census count is an example. A lot of us don’t see the importance in it. Consequently, Central Brooklyn is currently at the lowest count in the state.
Another point brought up at the conference:  how are these organizations going to continue to get funding if no one knows how many of us are in need. We need to step up and help them help us.
Rev. Waterman also believes that standing behind the pulpit isn’t enough and visits the “streets” to get the word out and about. He believes in getting to know his neighbors in the community starting with young adults to the elderly.  He is aware that many community members will not attend church and seek out the help they need because most people are unaware that the help is even available to them. So be a part of the movement, get information and share information. Get empowered to empower.

“AFRICAN RENAISSANCE MONUMENT” UNVEILED IN SENEGAL

AFRICA EMERGING BY ITS OWN DESIGN: Students perform below the “African Renaissance Monument” to mark Senegal’s 50 years of independence during its inauguration ceremony in Dakar, Senegal April 3, 2010. Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, called for the creation of a United States of Africa, unveiling the bronze masterpiece which at 50 metres (164 feet) stands four metres taller than the Statue of Liberty and depicts a couple and child rising from the top of a mountain. (Credit Image: © EPA/ZUMApress.com)

Designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby, it overlooks the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb.  Construction began in April 2006, and was completed earlier this year. The payment, reportedly, was made in kind, with 30-40 hectares of land that will be sponsored by a Senegalese businessman.

Under the auspices of President Abdoulaye Wade, the events focused on the future of Africa and place particular emphasis on how all African states can work together to foster and support the economic, cultural, social and political well-being of the entire continent.? At the heart of this vision is the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which offer a platform for progress in ending poverty and hunger, reaching universal education and gender equality, improving child and maternal health, ensuring environmental sustainability, and creating a global partnership for development -all by 2015.
“I am sure that the historic visit by this prestigious American delegation will strengthen ties between the United States and Africa, and reinforce African efforts for sustainable human development, bearing in mind the efforts of UNAIDS and its partners in working to reverse the AIDS epidemic,” said Dr. Djibril Diallo, Chair of the U.S. Leadership Committee for the World Festival of Black Arts (FESMAN) 2010, which organized the U.S. delegation, and Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS).
The commemoration began for the American delegation on April 2nd with a visit to Gor?e Island.  On Saturday, April 3 a colloquium of African writers and intellectuals examined and debated the enormous promise of the African Renaissance.? The event was organized by Professor Iba Der Thiam, one of the authors of the UNESCO History of Africa project, and highlighted the role of art and cultural in promoting human development.
Later in the day, the African Renaissance Monument was inaugurated in an event focusing upon the theme of a United States of Africa, an objective supported by President Wade and endorsed by the African Union for realization in 2017.
Sunday, April 4 was devoted to commemorations of Senegal’s 50th year of independence, and highlighted by the appearance of heads of state, prime ministers and guests from around the worldattending parades, cultural events, and festive public ceremonies.
The ideals expressed in the independence celebrations will also be reflected in the World Festival of Black Arts 2010 (FESMAN 2010) scheduled for December in Senegal.
The arts are a vibrant manifestation of Africa’s enormous potential, and musicians, performers, artists, historians will come from Africa and all corners of the world to take part.

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