As Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza continues eviction proceedings against one of the community’s oldest grass roots organizations, a City Council member from outside the district said he is willing to mediate to resolve the issue.
Restoration Plaza was established during the height of the Civil Rights Movement with the help of Bobby Kennedy under the mandate that local grass roots activists and policymakers work together to build the community.
Among the charter members involved in Restoration’s original funding was the late Korean War Veteran and Civil Rights activist Sonny Carson, who also founded the Committee to Honor Black Heroes (CHBH), which Restoration has been trying to evict since Jan. 30 for allegedly not paying rent.
“Sonny had an arrangement (with Restoration) and this should not be in court,” said East New York City Councilman Charles Barron. “I will lend any influence, time and energy in working things out. They (CHBH) are a viable organization in our community and have done great work.”
Bedford-Stuyvesant City Councilman Al Vann, who represents the district and was active during the federal Restoration initiative in 1967, refused comment on the issue.
According to court papers, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC) is booting the nonprofit because their lease expired on Jan. 14, 2012, and they are exercising their right to not renew it.
But CHBH Chief Executive Officer Ali Lamont maintains Restoration Plaza is kicking them out because of the organization’s strong grass roots outreach to those struggling under economic hardship in the community.
“The purpose of the Restoration Development Corporation is to uplift the people of this community and they’re hurting the people,” said Lamont. “They’ve turned the plaza into a gated area for private corporations. They closed the bathroom in the entrance and the skating rink in the back.”
BSRC spokesperson Dyrnest Sinckler responded in a previous story on the issue that the current eviction proceedings are the culmination of a long-running dispute that has not been amicably resolved.
“Eviction proceedings have been commenced because CHBH has failed to pay rent and comply with basic safety and security regulations typical for an office complex like Restoration Plaza,” said Sinckler.
Last week in landlord/tenant court, Judge Wavny Toussaint issued a third continuance until April 23 to give CHBH more time to get an attorney.
Restoration Development Corporation attorney Martin Tenenbaum said even if Carson had an agreement with Restoration that doesn’t mean they can stay in their office rent-free.
“Why did they sign a lease if you don’t pay rent?” asked Tenenbaum. “I walk in when the facts are already set. If they (CHBH) are claiming they have some documentation that they shouldn’t pay rent then I’m all ears, but from what I’m hearing there’s nothing cohesive.”
Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law questioned amid allegations of a cover up
By Aimena Lipscomb Trayvon Martin
The FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have stepped in to further investigate the Trayvon Martin tragedy. Martin, a 17-year-old, 140 lb unarmed teen, was shot and killed February 26 by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, the self-appointed town watch president of the Retreat Twin Lakes gated community in Sanford, Florida.
The announcement of the grand jury inquiry and the federal investigation came after demonstrations outside the Seminole County Courthouse by college students and a growing number of complaints that the Sanford Police Department had mishandled the case.
The shooting also raised new questions about Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, approved in 2005. The law does not require a person who is threatened to retreat in order to claim self-defense, and Zimmerman has claimed he fired his weapon while defending himself.
The tragedy occured on a rainy night while Martin was walking back to his father’s home from a convenience store. According to official dispatch tapes of the incident, Zimmerman called police and 911 seven times to report a “suspicious” person walking with a hood draped over his head who looked black.
“This guy looks up to no good or on drugs or something,” he tells the dispatcher in his initial call. “It’s raining and he’s just walking around looking about.”
Despite police telling Zimmerman to stop following Martin, he allegedly continued to do so.
The next series of calls came in from anxious neighbors; faint cries for help and terrifying howls can be heard in the background. Neighbors said they had seen two men nearby in the dark. They reported hearing a gunshot. “A guy yelled: ‘Help! Oh, my God,’ “ one man told the dispatcher. “There is a black guy down and it looks like he’s been shot and he’s dead.”
When police arrived they found Martin lying facedown on a patch of grass about 70 feet from his family’s home, a pack of Skittles in one pocket and an iced tea in the other. Martin was pronounced dead at the scene, his body was taken to the morgue and tagged as “John Doe”, where it stayed for several days.
Although police had Martin’s cell phone in their possession, his parents were not contacted. His father put out a missing person report when his son did not return home. Only then did police make an effort to identify the teen.
Martin’s parents say they have no doubt that it’s their son pleading for his life in the background of the audio. They say they can imagine Trayvon reacting with fright upon seeing a burly stranger trailing him in his car, then getting out to follow him.
“I listened to the tapes and it just broke my heart again to hear him screaming out for help and pleading for his life, and he was still murdered,” said Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother.
While Martin had no criminal record, Zimmerman was arrested once in 2005 on felony charges of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence. Prosecutors chose not to pursue the case. Police logs show that Zimmerman has called the police 46 times in the past 14 months to report “suspicious-looking” black males, reckless drivers and other disturbances around his neighborhood.
Jasmine Rand, attorney for Trayvon’s mother says the Florida State Attorney and the Sanford police are investigating this case with the mind-set to prove Zimmerman’s self-defense claim. Citizens are pouring out in numbers holding signs that read “Justice for Trayvon” and waving packs of Skittles in the air. “Trayvon was just walking home and got caught in the rain,” says Shelton Mitchell, President of the Black Law Students Association at Florida A &M University. “In law we are taught with self-defense, you need force with force, how does a man carrying a 9mm pistol and a teen carrying a pack of Skittles constitute that?”
Trayvon was killed just four weeks after Bronx teen Ramarley Graham 18, was shot and killed by NY police officer, Richard Haste 30, after he was chased to his Grandmother’s home. Police forcefully entered the home without proper announcement or a warrant. Graham was also unarmed.
Congressman Ed TownsCongressman Edolphus Towns (D-NY), 10th CD, former chair and now ranking member, of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on mortgage servicing practices and the foreclosure crisis, obviously dismayed over the rising number of foreclosures in Brooklyn – 16,000 in the past year – convened a field Congressional hearing at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Monday on March, 19.
Towns seemed unconvinced by what turned out to be a rather lengthy infomercial by bank representatives that had been summoned to the hearing – Wells Fargo, CitiMortgage, Bank of America, Chase Bank, Capital One, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (now known as FHFA), Chairman of the Federal Reserve were represented.
Present from Congress were Congressman E. E. Cummings (D-Md.) Maryland’s 7th CD, this is his 14th year serving on the House Oversight and Reform Committee; Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif. and Todd Platt from Pennsylvania.
The standing-room-only hearing had as many protesters on the outside of the chamber doors as there were inside, and as many more on the steps outside Borough Hall. Clearly, this is a subject of great concern and frustration in Brooklyn, as in other parts of the U.S.
It was clear, from his tone and demeanor, that Congressman Issa (though a Republican) was as dissatisfied with the testimonies on the part of the bank representatives as the Democratic representatives were. He took several personal privilege opportunities to cross-examine statements made by reps from Bank of America, Wells Fargo, CitiBank and Chase. The focus was primarily on using principal reduction as a means to alleviate overly burdensome monthly payments. He also queried why it was “okay for a homeowner whose house was ‘under water’ to walk away without penalty, but not okay for a person who was trying to hold on to their home to apply for a refinance to give them a better rate and a lower monthly payment.”
Both Issa and Congressman Towns attempted to get the bank representatives to commit to distinct, people-friendly rules, amd consider those homeowners who would prefer to refinance their homes and stay in them.
Issa also stressed that they had selected these particular panelists to represent their banks because their current CEO’s lacked the wherewithal, capacity, interest or will to comply. “Some of you banks have been trailing in refinancing homes for those who want to continue paying for their homes, they just need a more reasonable monthly payment. How are you rationalizing turning them down?”
Each bank gave glowing testimony about how much they were doing to accommodate the homeowners; how much they were their top priority in getting attention and assistance, and saving their mortgages. Even Chase Bank proudly cited their cooperation with NACA in fast-forwarding assistance to homeowners in distress. Each touted programs they had designed to speed up and streamline the refinancing program. It prompted both Congressman Towns and Congressman Cummings to query, “If this is true, why are we getting so many complaints from our constituents?”
Congressman Cummings asked: “If you’re doing so much to help, why am I getting so many complaints. It appears that many of our citizens are going out of their way to comply with your requests – they’re gathering their required documents, faxing them over to you, but for some reason you don’t seem to be receiving them. They continuously ‘get lost.’” He further queried as to whether “there was some sort of hole that all of these documents are falling into?”
Cummings spoke of the time it took to reach the bank servicers, and how long it took to process all the information, get a decision; all the while the bank continued to harass the homeowner, heaping penalties and fees on them while they are trying to rectify the situation. “My constituents go to the library, fax their papers to you, and then are told they were not received. And then they come to my office, and we send them, and the company still claims they never got it. So we are saying that it is something like a big machine eating up the paper. I’m very serious about this. Have you been able to resolve this? These are hardworking people. They don’t have a lot of money. They have to take off from work. They don’t have a fax machine at home. They’re trying to get stuff done, and they are subsequently being fined. It’s like a deep hole that everything is falling into. So, what’s going on here?
Towns was particularly perplexed about why it was that banks seemed now more than willing to do principal reduction to help the homeowners, yet FHFA refused to do so. He queried: “ Even the chairman of the former special inspector general have all called for a principal reduction as the best way to help homeowners and save taxpayers money. But with FHFA, any loan guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, is ineligible for principal reduction modification. When Mr. DeMarco appeared before this committee last fall he said he lacked authority for principal reductions.” In 2008, Congress passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. “We directed FHFA to maximize systems for owners, and we explicitly authorized the use of principal reduction as the chief method for FHFA. And are you now abandoning the legal obligation of principal reduction as a method for helping constituents on the part of FHFA?
Issa backed Towns by stating, “You are hearing the question again and again because we’re not getting the answer we want, which is do you have the authority to provide principal reductions? And if the answer is yes, why aren’t you doing it? And it looks as if we have to raise it again.”
At the end of the panel Issa declared, “The chair will stipulate that it is within congressional authority, and permission is granted for FHFA to provide the principal reduction method as a way of saving homes from foreclosure to those who have FHFA loans. We are stipulating at this point!”
While the question was never answered, the partial reason FHFA is not providing principal reduction may be because they are still trying to make the HAMP and MAP programs work. The guise of saving taxpayer dollars was shot through when they were asked which was more damaging: providing $100 million dollars in subsidies to save homes, or allowing all the homes to go into foreclosure with no assistance, and losing $600 million dollars in housing stock, not to mention traumatizing millions of families and demoralizing whole communities. The juggling act that it takes to formulate a 31% ratio in terms of debt to income to determine whether or not a family is eligible for subsidy could be mitigated by just doing a simple principal reduction from the outset – particularly on those homes that were sold for overinflated prices to begin with. The mental, social and emotional deterioration, moral and spiritual fiber of thousands of American families for having to endure such a traumatic situation. So the cost in human and spiritual coin is monumental. They also claimed it would not be fair to the taxpayers.
Congressman Towns countered by asking, “If your agency could be saving Maryland taxpayers $500 million today by doing principal reductions, why are you refusing to do so?” Still no intelligible answer from FHFA. Chairman Issa stated, “We want to hold you accountable for not being cognizant of the harm you cause to the American family. We want to make sure that people don’t come here and make nice statements, and then leave and go back to doing the same old thing. We want you to be able to inflict suffering with no accountability.”
The FHFA panelist stated, “We will make an announcement of our quarterly foreclosures for the first time on a state-by-state basis. We will announce the numbers, amounts, frequencies, foreclosure prevention activities; properties and refinances; key states Calif., NY, Florida, Illinois; servers’ reports, etc.” To which Issa offered to hold open the congressional report to include it. Concluding, “We don’t want just words, we want results.” Congressman Towns has called this hearing to Brooklyn just to make sure that it is clear to all of us that this problem is happening coast to coast. “We have to all be aware of the cost in human coin.”
The field panel cited increased assistance for veterans and those who are on the war front protecting the nation, stating it was unconscionable to evict soldiers and their families from their homes while they are away trying to protect their country. Forensic measures to review any homes that have been foreclosed upon while the soldier was on active duty and restore the home to them will be enacted, or they will be financially compensated. Those guilty of such acts may well find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
The second panel consisted of New York State Supreme Court Judge Meaghan Faux, of the South Brooklyn Legal Services, and a marketing specialist.
Faux cited the dire situation in Brooklyn: “One in three families are going to lose their long-time homes, and long time communities will lose longtime members. Homeowners who are trying to make ends meet, to homeowners who are barely coping. The problems with many of our homeowners is financial hardship. We are not alone – the fundamental problems with mortgages now is the need of a reduction. In Brooklyn alone ,27,000 mortgages were in default in 2011. And a possible 14,000 in Queens. That means 1 in 3 homes is at the risk of being vacant and deteriorating in Canarsie, Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Flatbush. Every day I see the stress, the terror these foreclosure threats have on the families. We employ 45 attorneys and paralegals, and we have assisted more than 6000 homeowners in the past years. Our Bedford-Stuyvesant office alone has assisted 300 homeowners since Congress enacted this legislation. Yet and still with all our efforts people in Brooklyn are struggling more now than ever before.”
Sitting Supreme Court Justice testified as to the kinds and numbers of cases as well as the inequities: currently 16,000 foreclosures being heard in the Supreme Court. In 2007, the foreclosures went from 3500 per year in Kings County to about 7500. Problems include shoddy paperwork submitted by lenders for foreclosures, disproportionate number of foreclosures for (the same) properties. “For a client to receive a debt from a foreclosure he must demonstrate three things in court: existence of mortgage note, the plaintiff’s ownership of the mortgage and note, and the default of the defendant (the homeowner). It might sound relatively simple, but in this age of mortgage securities, and numerous assignments of mortgages and notes, it’s not easy to demonstrate at this time who has the ownership of the mortgage and note. Such techniques as robo signers, or people disguising themselves as different representatives, have been a major problem. Another problem is when the issue has been adjudicated, but the bank’s lawyer won’t accept it without the approval of the investor (who is usually unknown to the buyer in the first place).
Towns called for mortgage servers to be prosecuted for any wrongdoing in the case of homeowners where undue pressure, continued loss of documentation and other egregious acts against homeowners who were earnestly trying to rectify their problems. Servers should not be above the law in these instances. He called for a means by which documented evidence of any wrongdoing can be brought to the attention of Congress as well as other federal entities that have jurisdiction over these issues.
The panel is open to additional commentaries via e-mail for the next five days, and will take time to deliberate over their findings and report back to Congress.
Does anybody read the NYS Constitution anymore? Last week in the dead of night, the NYS Legislature addressed a number of bills on Assembly and Senate redistricting, a DNA database, casino gambling, performance evaluations for educators, the establishment of the independent redistricting commission, and pension reform. All but one was passed with a simple majority of 36 votes. There is, however, a problem the governor, Senate Republicans and New York’s media insists upon ignoring: there was no quorum for the Tier VI pension vote. Governor Andrew Cuomo
No matter how you slice it, pensions (and reform of pension formula) are state appropriations. Article 3, Section 23 of the New York State Constitution requires a 3/5 quorum for “any act which imposes, continues or revives a tax, or creates a debt or charge, or makes, continues or revives any appropriation of public or trust money or property.” Last week’s pension vote garnered 32 “ayes” and 5 “nays.” The governor and Senate Republicans are pretending that all they needed was a simple majority of the 62-member Senate. Wrong. They needed 38 votes.
It’s not that Senate Republicans didn’t know. State Sen. Daniel Squadron addressed the issue of lack of quorum. He was overruled.
State Sen. John Sampson has been pilloried relentlessly in local media for engineering his caucus walkout that denied the quorum. But Sampson was protecting the interests of New York State taxpayers. Gov. Cuomo orchestrated the late-night votes under the constitutional “message of necessity.” Under that process, the normal three-calendar legislative days necessary for legislative and public scrutiny was waived. Therefore, no one knew the details of the more than 40-page pension reform bill until after the fact.
The stated purpose of the pension reform bill is to rein in burdensome retirement benefits for New York State government workers by saving New York State taxpayers approximately $80 billion over the next 30 years. The governor has been touting his pension reform as “his latest step in restoring fiscal discipline to New York and ensuring our state remains on sound financial footing for years to come.” There are elements embedded in the legislation, however, which would strengthen the executive powers of Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg. Both executives would have the power to unilaterally approve full early retirement benefits starting at age 57 for nonuniformed workers with 30 years’ experience. The impacted unions must agree that their membership must bear the cost. The legislature, which is normally charged with approving changes to the pension system, would have no say at all. History has shown that state pension fund managers don’t usually meet the average rate of return of 7.5%. As usual, taxpayers will fund the difference.
With the governor and the mayor having the ability to unilaterally grant pension enhancements, there would be no point to unions and other concerned citizens to lobbying their legislators. All allegiance would go to the executive branch.
The entire middle-of-the-night process did not sit well with the NYS Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA). CSEA President Danny Donohue declared, “CSEA will immediately suspend all state political endorsements and contributions,” while accusing the governor, Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats of “trading the future retirement security of working New Yorkers for legislative redistricting lines.” Calling out the “disrespect and disenfranchisement of working people by our state’s elected officials,” Donohue stated “New Yorkers should understand that lawmakers’ actions did not result from meaningful debate and good judgment – it resulted from political expediency – and it will have harmful consequences to people and communities now and for a long time to come.”
In addition to the pension debacle, there is serious concern about the backroom deal establishing seven casinos in New York State, which in addition to the racetrack in Queens and upstate Indian casinos, would as a spokesman for Sen. Sampson put it, “would make New York State the gambling capital of the East and open the floodgates for organized crime.”
Gov. Cuomo also approved the state Senate and Assembly district lines. The governor had assured New York citizens that he would veto any redistricting plan that did not come from an independent commission. Yet, he went along with the lines drawn by Senate Republicans including a questionable 63rd Senate District in the Albany region. The Senate Minority Conference is challenging that 63rd seat in court.
Instead of having state district lines drawn by an independent redistricting commission, what New York State citizens received is a proposed Senate Republican constitutional amendment that would bring back prison-based gerrymandering and population formulas that could easily give one region more than its fair share of districts while leaving another region underrepresented. Requiring votes in two successive legislative sessions and a public referendum, there is no guarantee that by the next census in New York State would have a truly independent redistricting commission.
NYS voters should also know: As per Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos’ instructions, 311 bills due for debate and vote within their respective committees were pulled and placed in the Senate Rules Committee, where it is unlikely they will see the light of day before the legislative session ends in June. Dean Skelos chairs the Rules committee. Under the two years of Democratic control, Sen. Sampson enacted a rule allowing any senator to introduce a bill in committee, with the proviso that the bill would be debated within committee during a 45-day period. Those 311 bills yanked from consideration include the Reproductive Health Act, the Dream Act, and a gun “microstamp” bill. Senate Democrats see the Republican ploy as a means to stifle debate.
Lastly, Skelos has decided to retain the state primary date in September, rather than June when the congressional primary will be held, costing taxpayers $200 million and possibly suppressing the vote.
Cast of "A Streetcar Named Desire"Catch this Bus! Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Emily Mann (center) and starring, from left, Wood Harris (Mitch), Nicole Ari Parker (Blanche), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Stella) and Blair Underwood (Stanley). Previews start Tuesday, April 3 for a 16-week run on Broadway.
A Streetcar Named Desire: A Conversation with Cast and Artistic Team. On March 19th at The Greene Space in Manhattan, the audience was treated to a beautiful ride as the stars of the upcoming Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ award-winning play explored the playwright’s work, shared their experiences working with each other and offered generous insights into the characters they will portray. “Conversation” participants included Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, in his Broadway debut as Stanley, Nicole Ari Parker/Blanche, Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent)/Stella Dubois, and Wood Harris (The Wire)/Mitch. The astute Terrence McKnight was “Conversation” host, director Emily Mann (Artistic Director of Princeton’s esteemed McCarter Theatre), who met Mr. Williams, provided juicy history; and the show’s executive producers Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones offered the background on how they closed on an option for both Streetcar and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, at the same time — three days before the death of the owner to the rights. Minireview of “Conversation”: If thought-driven acting plays any part in how dramatic roles are honored, then “Tony” is already in the driver’s seat of this star-studded production, and the passengers are Mr. Underwood, Ms. Parker, Ms. Rubin-Vega and Mr. Harris. Catch this bus! Previews begin April 3. For more information: http://streetcaronbroadway.com (Bo)
Ongoing through April 1:
BLACK WOMEN’S ARMY CORPS. Opening night for Court-Martial at Fort Devens by Jeffrey Sweet at the Castillo Theatre (543 West 42nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues), 7:30p. Performances run through April 1. Based on a true story, drama presented by Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre, documents the strike of black WACs (Women’s Army Corps) stationed in Massachusetts during World War II. The women joined the Army to be trained as nurses, only to be relegated to cleaning toilets, mopping floors and doing laundry. When they are court-martialed for refusing to follow orders during wartime, they fight a pioneering battle for racial equality in the segregated U.S. military. The WAC’s court struggle was covered extensively in the African-American newspapers during the 1940’s. Mary Beth Easley directs a cast that features Alia Shakira Chapman, Evander Duck, Gillian Glasco, Nambi E. Kelley, Frank Mayers, Emma O’Donnell, Bill Tatum, Keona Welch and Eboni Witcher. Minireview: Stellar cast comprises stars of tomorrow. Superb Acting! www.castillo.org/current-season
Fri., March 23 – April 15 – Opening: 8:oopm: Journalist/Playwright Betty Dopson’s SHARED SECRETS of ELDER SISTERS, a play about the gripping confessions of seven sisters born in the early 1900’s who fought battles against racism, disrespect, sexism and poverty and won because of the choices they made. Stars: Dr. Adelaide Sanford; Nana Camille Yarbrough; Nana Betty Dopson. Runs on weekends: Fridays and Saturday eves, 8:00pm and Sunday matinees, 4:00pm. Black Spectrum Theater, 177th St. & Baisley Blvd. (Inside Roy Wilkins Park), Jamaica, NY. Tickets, Info: 718-723-1800.
Fri., March 23, 12n-3p/Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C./ Rayburn House Office Building, The Institute of the Black World 21st Century Presents “It’s Nation Time: A National Symposium Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana.” Screening of It’s Nation Time, the official documentary film of the Gary Convention and presentation of a panel discussion on the impact of the Gary Convention and its relevanceto Black Politics today. Also, IBW will pay tribute to Congressman Donald Payne and present the IBW Legacy Award to Hon. Richard G. Hatcher. Verna Avery Brown, Pacifica Radio-Washington, D.C., to moderate. John Conyers, honorary host; Dr. Ron Daniels, convener and president, IBW; Jesse Jackson, Special Invited Guest. Panelists: Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Bill Lucy, Catalina Byrd, George Curry, Dr. E. Faye Williams, Rev.Lennox Yearwood. Email: info@ibw21.org or Call: 888.774.2921. To Register/Access Web Cast/Live Stream: visit www.ibw21.org.
Sat., March 24: 5p-7p. The National Black Writers Conference and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp will host a panel discussion examining how popular culture shapes representations of Black women in the media and literature in Restoration’s Skylight Gallery, 1368 Fulton St., Bklyn. Panelists include: journalist Asha Bandele and journalism professor Pamela Newkirk. Booksigning follows.
Mon., March 26: 7:00p-9:00p. Celebrate Bernice Johnson Reagon’s Songbook at the Schomburg’s Annual Women’s Jazz Festival. Tonight, $20 Members; $25 Nonmembers – For ticket charge, call 1-888-718-4253 or 212-491-2206; visit ShowClix.com.
Tues., March 27: 3:30-5:30p. Brooklyn Theatre Arts H.S. Students bring August Wilson to life in a monologue competition sponsored by the Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LEAP). Today’s event marks the start of citywide and national August Wilson Monologue Competitions involving seven major cities. In the New York competition, three winning schools from six will advance to the NYC competition on April 19th to compete for cash prizes and the chance to advance to the National Competition on May 7th at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway. The Brooklyn Theatre Arts H.S. is located at 6565 Flatlands Ave. in the Flatlands/Canarsie area.
Wed., March 28: 7:30pm – Premiere of Nia Productions’ Marry Me!, which tells the story of a young attractive female Haitian immigrant who is having an affair with a married older man, and then she is about to be deported. Nia theme line: Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution? Roy Arias Theatre, 300 W. 43 St., NYC, nr. 8th. Runs through Sunday, April 8. L. Earl Ford is the director. Tickets: $30. Students and seniors, $20, all shows. Information, reservations: 718-346-6591.
Thursday, March 29 to Sunday, April 1 – The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College (CUNY) will host the Eleventh National Black Writers Conference (NBWC) on the college campus at 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn. Centered around the theme “The Impact of Migration, Popular Culture, and the Natural Environment in the Literature of Black Writers,” the 2012 Conference will honor literary and cultural icons Kenyan-born writer Ngig wa Thiong’o; poet, novelist, essayist, publisher Ishmael Reed; poet Nikki Giovanni; and scholar Dr. Howard Dodson, the new Director of the Howard University Libraries and its Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. Hailed by best-selling author Walter Mosley as the most significant gathering of Black writers in the country,” the NBWC is the only gathering of its kind in North America. “Black writers and artists are natural cultural explorers and investigators,” said Dr. Brenda M. Greene, Director of the National Black Writers Conference and Executive Director of the Center for Black Literature. Dr. Myrlie Evers-Williams, Honorary Chair of the Conference, reminds us that “Perhaps one of the most powerful things that we have as human beings is not only the spoken word, but the written word that lasts forever.”
This year’s conference highlights: a poetry presentation by South African Poet Laureate Keorapetse Kgositsile; a conversation with author and broadcaster Tavis Smiley; and a roundtable discussion and critical response to Manning Marable’s Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention with Haki Madhubuti, Herb Boyd, Ron Daniels and Michael Simanga. Also, one day will be devoted to film screenings by Black filmmakers. For information, details: call 718-804-8883 or visit www.nationalblackwritersconference.org.
Fri.,March 30 – Sharon Ahnee Freeman Trio, JAZZ966, 966 Fulton St. @ Grand Ave., 8-10pm, $15, 718.638.8910, www.jazz966.com
Fri., March 30 – Salute to Gil Scott-Heron (Abiodun Oyewole, Bilal Sunni Ali, others) presented by National Black Writers Conference & Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, For My Sweet, 1103 Fulton St. @ Classon Ave., 9:30pm, $20 advance/$25 door, tix-1.800.838.3006, ext.1, www.brownpapertickets.com
Fri., March 30 – The New Cookers – Hip/Hard Bop Jazz, BAMcafe, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Pl., 10-11pm, No Charge, 718.636.4100, www.bam.org
Fri., March 30 – Rome Neal to host PHENOMENAL WOMEN in ENTERTAINMENT Awards and Brunch event at Von King Park Cultural Arts Center, 670 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY. Mari Toussaint, Tulivu Cumberbatch, Kim Brockington, Michelle White and Ellen Holly are among the honorees. Event is invitation-only.
Fri., March 30 – PHYLLIS YVONNE STICKNEY: Back to Brooklyn with Phyllis Yvonne Stickney’s comedy kick-off at Brown Sugar Supper Club, 433 Marcus Garvey Blvd. Two Shows at 7:30p and 10p. Ticket information: Victoria-347-658-8459. A presentation of Lauren P. Raysor and Victoria. Visit: www.phyllisyvonnestickney.com.
Mon., April 2 – Sankofa Soulz feat. King Tut, For My Sweet, 1103 Fulton St. @ Classon Ave., 2 shows – 7:15 & 9:15pm, $10, 718.857.1427, jazzymondays@gmail.com
Tues., April 3 – A Streetcar Named Desire begins previews. http://streetcaronbroadway.com
Wed., April 4 – 1:30pm FREE Movie Screening and Artist’s Talk. ALL ME: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert at Von King Cultural Arts Center. The documentary focusing on the segregated South relives Mr. Rembert’s “turbulent life, abundantly visualized by his extensive paintings and, in a series of intimate reminiscences, shows us how even the most painful memories can be transformed into something meaningful and beautiful.” It is a glowing portrait of how an artist – and his art – is made. 670 Lafayette Ave. (btw. Marcy/Tompkins), Q&A to follow film, which was produced by Mark Urman (Monster’s Ball and the documentaries Murderball and War Dance). Mr. Rembert, in person, will introduce the film.
Wed., April 4 – Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers, Dweck Center Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, 7pm, FREE, 718.230.2100
Fri., April 6 – Houston Person Quartet, JAZZ966, 966 Fulton St. @ Grand Ave., 8-10pm, $20, 718.638.8910, www.jazz966.com
Mon. April 9 – Bilal Sunni Ali & “The Singing Chef” Ras Chemash Lamed with Song of Life Ensemble, For My Sweet, 1103 Fulton St. @ Classon Ave., 2 shows – 7:15 & 9:15pm, $10, 718.857.1427, jazzymondays@gmail.com
Fri. April 13 – Bob Cunningham Quartet, JAZZ966, 966 Fulton St. @ Grand Ave., 8-10pm, $15, 718.638.8910, www.jazz966.com
Mon., April 16 – The Last Poets Originators of Revolutionary Poetry, For My Sweet, 1103 Fulton St. @ Classon Ave., 2 shows – 7:15 & 9:15pm, $10, 718.857.1427, jazzymondays@gmail.com
Community
Cinema
Wed., April 11 – Tues. April 17: The Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) have again joined forces to present The 19th New York African Film Festival (NYAFF). Presented under the theme “21st Century: The Homecoming,” this year’s festival will explore the modern notion of home and homeland from the legacy of music legend Miriam Makeba—subject of the Opening Night Film Mama Africa—to Diasporic visions like the New York-set Restless City. The NYAFF will also mark the 100th Anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) and the 50th Anniversary of Independence for Algeria, Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Uganda, as well as give a unique look into the life of President Obama through a film on his half-sister, The Education of Auma Obama. The NYAFF will run from April 11 through 17 at Film Society of Lincoln Center, and throughout April and May at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, Columbia University’s Institute of African Studies, Maysles Cinema Institute and the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s cinematek. “This is a continuation of the discussion about the shape of Africa that has taken place since independence and that is now not being embraced by the younger generation,” said African Film Festival, Inc. Executive Director and Founder Mahen Bonetti. “Though these young people have not in many ways been thrown a lifeline as post-Independent conflict emerged, they have somehow managed, through technology, to craft their own narrative, unconsciously drawing on the past and creating something new and very modern without having disavowed the past.” Tickets: $13 General Public, $9 Students & Seniors, $8 Film Society Members. Visit www.africanfilmny.org for info.
Fund-raisers
Thurs. April 26, 8:00pm – Firefighter Leon W. Smith Foundation. Billy Holiday Theater located in Restoration Plaza, Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets: $20.00 per person. According to Foundation rep, the organization has raised more than $75,000 and assisted ten students; three have graduated. Details: http://ffleonwsmithfoundation.com
Green Events
Listings Submissions Sponsor: Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Inc.
100 FREE TREES GIVEN AWAY IN BED-STUY, APRIL 14
Sat., April 14th: 11:00a-3:00p -PACC and Magnolia Tree Earth Center Tree Giveaway. 100 Free Trees will be given away to the public. PACC’s Affordable Housing Building- Magnolia Plaza, 686 Lafayette Avenue (Btw. Marcy & Tompkins), Reserve your Crape Myrtle, Magnolia or a Pear Tree in advance! Go to www.nyrp.org/brooklyntrees. Trees will be available to individuals, families and community groups for planting on private property only and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis until supplies run out. Simple tree planting and care instructions come with your free tree. All you need is a place to plant your tree and access to water. It is recommended that you bring a folding shopping cart to transport your tree. This event is hosted by PACC and Magnolia Tree Earth Center and is sponsored by: Toyota, plaNYC, NYC Parks Department, NYRP and the Million Trees Project. Rain or Shine.* First-come, first-served .* Arrive early as trees will run out quickly!
Health Fairs
Sat., March 31, 10a-3p – PS 138, Crown Heights Beacon Program in collaboration with NYS Assembly member Karim Camara and NYC Council member Albert Vann invite the community to the SECOND ANNUAL HEALTH FAIR, P.S. 138, 760 Prospect Place, btw. Nostrand/Rogers, FREE: Health Screenings, Mammograms, Blood Pressure Testing, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Health & Nutrition information, Child ID, Library Card registration and Giveaways!! 718-771-3105.
Health Talk
Wednesday, March 28 – 7:00pm-8:30pm: Talks at the Schomburg: The Intersection of Health Care, History and Justie. Join Columbia Sociology Professor Alondra Nelson, who holds an appointment at Columbia’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender,;Jonathan Metzl, MD/Ph.D. (director of Vanderbilt University’s Center for Medicine, Health and Society); and medical ethicist Harriet Washington (author, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present) for a conversation on race and health in America. These three noted experts on health care and distinguished authors will discuss how access to quality health care—or in far too many cases, any health care at all—often falls along racial lines and is an issue that activists, beginning with the Black Panthers, have been fighting for decades. $15 for nonmembers; $10 for members, friends and students – For ticket charge, call 1-888-71-Tickets or visit ShowClix.com.
Heritage Learning Events
2012 Dance Africa, led by Baba Chuck Davis, journeys to BAM, May 25-28 for 35th-Year performances. Special anniversary celebration will be on May 20, 2012 at 3pm. www.bam.org
Housing
Foreclosure Help and Information
Saturday, March 24, 10:00a – NACA brings its “Save The Dream Workshop” to Brooklyn, borough with largest number of pre-foreclosure notices and highest number of foreclosures. Bedford-Stuyvesant Multi-Services Calendar, 1958 Fulton Ave. A train to Ralph Ave. #25 bus to Ralph Ave; #47 bus to Ralph Ave./Fulton St. Register on line at www.naca.com
Legal
Fri. April 6 & Sat. April 7, 9a –3p, each day: SAFE SURRENDER. Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, 212 Tompkins Avenue @ DeKalb Ave. The Court and Defense Attorneys will be available to resolve any outstanding summons warrants including: ? Unlawful Possession of Marijuana ? Unlawful Possession of Alcohol under the age of 21 ? Consumption of Alcohol in Public ? Unlawful Possession of Handcuffs ? Littering ? Riding a Bicycle on the Sidewalk ? Making Unreasonable Noise ? Animal Nuisance ? Failure to have a Dog License ? Unleashed Dog ? Spitting ? Trespass ? Disorderly Conduct ? Loitering ? In the Park after Closing ? Failure to Comply with a Posted Sign in Park . For More Info Call: 718-250-3888. www.projectsafesurrender2011.org
Short Takes
Journey: Works in Progress: Our Time Press’ Bernice Elizabeth Green, Arts and Calendar Editor, and David Mark Greaves, Publisher, debuted March 10 their respective works in progress, “Ancestral Calling,” narrative-excerpt and “New Horizons” full-staged production, in readings at The Paul Robeson Theater as a tribute to the late Dr. Josephine English, the theatre’s founder. Plans are for enhanced productions to return late spring.
True Role Model: Queens Council member Leroy Comrie honored Brooklyn favorite Dr. Lindamichelle Barron, Publisher and President, Harlin Jacque Publications, at his Women’s History Month “Unsung Heroines” Awards event last week.
