Our Time PressThe Local Paper with the Global View

By Mary Alice Miller

Councilman Charles Barron declared his candidacy for the Brooklyn Borough President’s office on July 22nd. Marty Markowitz, the current Brooklyn Beep, will be term-limited in 2009. By declaring his candidacy 2 years in advance, Barron has officially opened the NYC campaign season, which includes this year’s judicial elections for state supreme, surrogate and city civil courts, a council election in Mathieu Eugene’s 40th District, next year’s presidential primary and general elections, NYS senate and assembly seats, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives and the 2009 elections for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, Brooklyn District Attorney and 36 city council seats.The press conference announcing Barron’s candidacy was held on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall. At least 100 community members stood behind Barron in support. Among those who endorsed Barron were Noel Leader (100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care) and the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Noel Leader: “I am here representing a conglomeration of over 15 law-enforcement agencies throughout the state of NY, we are overwhelmed with enthusiasm to support Charles Barron’s bid to become the next borough president. Charles Barron has been a friend of law enforcement. He has been a critic, but so have we. Understand, Charles Barron believes in law enforcement. He has been critical of law-enforcement procedures. He has been critical of crime.”  Leader went on to add, “Even though it is early in the race, there is no candidate more qualified in the borough to represent the citizens of Brooklyn. We enthusiastically throw our support behind Charles Barron. We don’t care who else jumps in this race. He is the man to lead this borough.”
Rev. Al Sharpton put Barron’s announcement in perspective. “With the waterfront being developed, with gentrification in Brooklyn occurring, with development happening in certain areas, with affordable housing affordable only for landlords, it is in that context we will have an election in 2009. Sharpton went on to say, “There is no one more qualified, no one who has paid more dues, no one who has shown more vision and courage to deal with the balancing and protection of the citizens of Brooklyn than Charles Barron.” Referring to the size and diversity of Brooklyn, Sharpton said, “We need someone who can deal with all, a borough that goes from Brooklyn Heights to Brownsville, a borough that deals with squalor and waterfront development with million-dollar condos.”
Sharpton went on to describe his personal knowledge of Barron. “I have known Charles Barron for 25 years. We’ve marched together; we’ve even gone to jail together. On the Day of Outrage, we were cell mates for 30 days. We’ve had good days and bad days in the struggle. But he has always been in the struggle. He has supported me when I ran for mayor and president. There has never been a time when he considered something beyond the reach of activism. But even more important, what the press leaves out -he had a Leadership Institute. Where he taught young people who had no vision, and thought they had no future and no skills, he taught them how to be leaders. And when we were finally given work release from jail from the Day of Outrage, he would go to that Dynamics of Leadership office to teach young people, knowing he had to check back in jail that night. Teaching them, encouraging them and giving them hope.”
Expressing his commitment to Barron’s candidacy, Sharpton said, “It is for that reason I wanted to be here at the beginning as I will be here at the end. I will work churches, I will walk streets, I will do housing projects, I’ll do subway stops, I will do whatever we have to do to elect Charles Barron the borough president of the borough of Brooklyn.”
Referring to Barron’s “courage”, Sharpton said, “None was a better example when he stood on principle against the entire city council when he protected his chief of staff Viola Plummer. No public official’s staff should be chosen by anyone but that public official. We are united in that fight. You will not divide us on the issue of Ms. Plummer; you will not divide us on the issue of the borough presidency of Charles Barron.”

Sharpton closed with a historical perspective: “In 1969, the first black man to run for borough president was my pastor Rev. William Jones. We didn’t make it that time. In 1985, the second black to run was Al Vann. We didn’t make it that time. But in 2009, we are going to make it with Charles Barron.”
Charles Barron: “I want to say to all assembled, ‘Thank you’. I will not disappoint you.”
After presenting Inez, his wife of 24 years, Barron thanked her for her “years of support, your love, for you being there with me.”
Barron then outlined his issues.

  On Viola Plummer: “She will be my chief of staff as long as she chooses to be my chief of staff.”
  On Operation Power: “We are going to build a new movement in Brooklyn. We are tired of complaining about ineffective leaders. It’s time to replace them. It’s about building a movement that goes beyond any personalities.”  
  On jobs: “We are looking at a borough that lost 6,587 jobs.”
  On police: “We are looking at a borough where the police in many Black and Latino communities are out of control.”
  On affordable housing: “We are trying to save affordable housing. Everyone needs affordable housing. Affordable to who? Based upon our definition of affordability. I united with the congresspeople, the senators, the local tenant associations and the local clergy around Starrett City and told a billionaire, ‘If you can’t keep Starrett City affordable, you can’t buy it.’ We organized, we won in Starrett City. And we are going to do the same thing all over this borough. Everybody needs affordable housing.”
  On schools: “In this borough, the schools need to be fixed. We need a culturally relevant curriculum, not one-size curriculum fits all. And we need to get rid of mayoral control of our schools.”
  On Area Median Income: “We want the congressional level to bring down the AMI (Area Median Income). If the AMI in the South Bronx and parts of Brooklyn is $19,000-$23,000, then don’t tell us we can only get an affordable home if we are making $50, 60, 70,000. That’s gentrification. That’s racism in policy.”
  On race: “And, by the way, for those of you who say I talk about race too much, you haven’t heard enough yet.”
  On luxury housing: “We want to send a message to Magic Johnson: When you buy the Williamsburg clock building and tell us that it is only for luxury housing, you need to bring something different. We need to stop that kind of stuff in Brooklyn. Brooklyn should be for everybody, not just the rich.”
  On eminent domain: “We are not going to allow developers to abuse the use of eminent domain to displace businesses and housing to maximize profit over people. Those days are over.”
  On health care: “We have a disparity of health care services in our communities. The primary caregiver in the Black and Latino communities is the emergency room. Other people have doctors. We need health care insurance for everybody. We should make sure in our lifetime we have a government with a single-payer health care system that is universal for everybody.”
  On being borough president: “Am I going to be borough president for all the people? Absolutely. But I am letting you know now; I am taking care of Black folks. Unapologetically. I am going to take care of all the communities in need.”
  On representing all communities: “To my white communities, you cannot vote for a better person than Charles Barron. Because when I take care of black folk that’s going to impact you. When I sit with you, I want to know what your interests are for your community. Just tell me what your interest is and you will not have a stronger, more intelligent, more courageous fighter for your interests than Charles Barron.”
  Noticeably absent from Barron’s press conference were locally elected officials.  Also absent were representatives from any of the wide variety of constituency groups residing in Brooklyn. In particular, no representatives from the large Latino, Asian, or Jewish voting blocks stood with Barron.
  In spite of the absence of diversity endorsing him, Barron exuded confidence: “When we get in Borough Hall, there are going to be some major changes in this city. Everybody is a part of that change. This is going to be a good change for the entire borough.”
  Barron’s confidence continued when he was asked this question: If 2 white males (current council members who voted against Vann’s Carson Amendment) and 3 or more black candidates entered the race, would he participate in a community assembly to pick one candidate, in order to avoid splitting the black vote? Barron’s answer: “I am encouraging all the other black candidates to join our campaign. It is time for us to unite. There is no black candidate that can honestly win with me in the race. There are Russian Jews and Pakistani’s that live in Starrett City that are ready to come out and support me. All the other black leaders considering entering the race, the only thing your entrance will do is give someone else a chance to win and take our opportunity to make history. They should join my campaign.”
  If Barron’s early announcement was a ploy to discourage other black candidates from considering the borough president seat, it didn’t work. There are several elected officials who are reported to be considering the race, including State Senators Velmanette Montgomery and Kevin Parker, as well as Assemblyman Nick Perry. Chris Owens is also reportedly interested in the borough president seat.
  The 2007 election season will host 2 interesting events. Councilman Mathieu Eugene in the 40th council district is running for a 2nd time for the seat vacated by Yvette Clarke, who is now in congress. Eugene’s campaign manager, Wayne Ragguette, states Eugene submitted his petitions by the July 9 deadline. According to Raguette, to his knowledge, no other candidates submitted petitions, which means Eugene will not have a primary in Sept. because he is unopposed. This is an odd development, considering the plethora of candidates in this past spring’s election for that seat.
  There are several candidates running for a variety of judgeships this fall. Among them are Debra Silber, Frederick Arriaga, Carolyn Wade and Robin Sheares – all running for NY Civil Court. Diana Johnson is running for a seat in Surrogate Court.
  The issue of how New York State elects judges will be national news this fall when the U.S. Supreme Court hears the case of NY Board of Elections v. Torres. This case began when Margarita Lopez Torres took exception to how former Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Chairman Clarence Norman and Vito Lopez (then her district leader) responded to her request for the county’s endorsement of her candidacy for a judicial position. Torres is essentially contesting NYS’s judicial convention system for selecting judges to run for election. The U.S. Supreme Court will reveal to voters what is a judicial convention, who are judicial delegates and how exactly they select judges prior to Election Day. Most voters take for granted the whole election process related to judges, although the judiciary is one of the 3 co-equal branches of government. Judicial decisions in both civil and criminal courts affects every area of our lives. Voters need to take every opportunity to participate in their selection. Voters also need to watch how the U.S. Supreme Court decides this case. It will affect how judges are elected in NYS.

By Kimberly Agomou and Melanie Castell

Tompkins Avenue has a new place to hang and its name is the ‘Common Grounds’.  The Common Grounds is a new caf‚/coffee shop that celebrated its grand opening July 16, 2007. The owner, Tremaine Wright, was all smiles as she cut the ribbon, welcoming the public to the opening of the caf‚. The grand opening turned out a large crowd who, after the ribbon cutting ceremony, hustled into the caf‚ looking to sample the menu.
Common Grounds is more than your typical coffeehouse, the caf‚ has a definite modern twist. It is decorated with plush couches, wooden table sets and a flat- screen television.

Its scenery is vibrant while maintaining an at- ease vibe.        
    Eating alfresco is also an option at Common Grounds. An outdoor area located in the back of the caf‚ is great for dining during spring/ summer days. This outback area is designed with marble stone pathways that lead to the eating tables. It’s a great way to relax while dining.
The menu is focused on coffees, smoothies and light food such as sandwiches, soups and salads but the menu doesn’t just stop there. The menu branches out to desserts ranging from ice cream to pastries. The caf‚ also serves fresh hot waffles that are delivered fresh and hot from the griddle to your plate.
The Common Grounds is a fantastic place to eat and relax, but places like this don’t happen overnight. And people don’t say they want to own a coffee shop out of the blue. So what inspired Tremaine to create the Common Grounds?
Tremaine noted that there weren’t a lot of gathering places in her community and she decided that she wanted that to change. And what better place to sit and relax than at a coffee shop? A lot of work went into opening the caf‚. It took Tremaine about five years to open up her own business. A large portion of that time went to finding the location of the future caf‚, but once she found her location it took about a year to pull things together. With the help of her architect and consultant, Tremaine turned the space into a beautiful caf‚ with a tranquil atmosphere and a yard for outdoor relaxation.
Tremaine also had help from the Bridge Street Development Corporation. BSDC’s primary goal is to assist in bettering the Bedford- Stuyvesant community. They help people obtain homes and start businesses. They helped Tremaine situate herself and they also assisted her with her grand opening. In attendance for the opening was Collette Gilpierre from the Bridge Street Development Corporation. Gilpierre saw firsthand how Common Grounds developed. Gilpierre spoke on what influenced her in helping with the coffee

shop project.
“Tremaine had a vision for a long time. She was interested in purchasing a building and opening a caf‚ on the ground floor. She came to Bridge Street in need of assistance for her business plan and we assisted her on that. Bridge Street helped her with her business plan, with her opening and even getting the Borough President, Marty Markowitz here.” Celebrating Common Grounds is definitely commemorating advancement in the community. Common Grounds is a fresh and terrific new business that you definitely ought to visit.
Launching a business really keeps a person on her toes. The list of things to do to get a business up and running can make a person flinch. “It’s really tiring,” commented Tremaine.  “Sometimes you feel on top of the world and sometimes you feel low, but it feels good and it’s exciting. You really learn a lot.”
Between BSDC and Tremaine, the grand opening was a success. The coffee shop has really come together, the space looks incredible and the food is phenomenal. But you won’t truly be convinced just reading about the Common Grounds. You’ve got to visit it. Its address is 376 Tompkins Avenue. They also have web site at http://www.commongroundsny.com/ for updates and events.

By Mary Alice Miller
NBUF held its 28th Annual Convention July 12th- 15th at the S.H.A.P.E. Community Center in Houston, Texas. This year’s theme, Resurrecting the Black Family: Revolutionary Tools to Build the African Family, Community and Nation, attracted an energized crowd from chapters across the country.
Save our Youth, Inc., a group of young brothers, the youngest being about 6, opened this year’s convention with a spirit-filled drumming that prompted audience members to shower them with dollars, followed by a proud, disciplined female honor guard.
Sister Tabilah Worrill, Conrad’s wife, poured libation to the ancestors in meditation.
Brother Kofi Tahaka, chair of Houston’s NBUF, gave a masterful introduction of Conrad Worill, national chair of NBUF. Worrill led a shout out to all chapters in attendance:  New York, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Seattle, Detroit, Mississippi, Florida, S. Carolina, Bay area and Oakland, and host city Houston. Worill introduced Brother Minister Robert Muhammad from Mosque #45 and Southwest Regional representative of the Honorable Louis Farrakhan. Min. Muhammad explained why the Nation of Islam has a close relationship with NBUF.        
The Thursday opening session sizzled with a community forum on the Value of Black Male and Female Relationships. Featuring Dr. Denise Lovett, Pres., Houston Black Psychologists Assoc., the forum presented three African-American marriages representing the spectrum of family longevity. Imhotep Hunter and Akua Fayette moderated the forum. (Sister Fayette hosts and Brother Hunter co-hosts and produces a radio program on Houston’s KPFT 90.1-FM called Self Determination on Sunday night at 9pm. Podcasts of the show can be obtained at www.kpft.org.)   Clarence and Jean Dember represented an African marriage of more than 57 years. JaMaymon and Teidra Bandele, (married 3 years) and their 5 1/2-month-old son represented a beginning marriage.
The audience listened with rapt attention as each couple gave their remarks on the condition and promise of African-American marriage.
On Friday morning, National Chairman Worrill gave a history of the National Black United Front since its inception, both domestic and international. Explaining why the focus on Black families, Worrill said, “If we do not have strong families, our people will be wiped out.” Worrill also confronted the contradictions among us and how we too often use guns against one another. Worrill explained the Black family is not just our immediate family, but also the international African family. With that knowledge, we would not treat each other the way we sometimes do.
Several presentations were given under the theme: African Family Tools For Success. Min. Robert Muhammad (S. W. Regional Rep., Nation of Islam) spoke about Spirituality and Religion. Min. Muhammad challenged the hopelessness of the survival of Black families illustrated by common statistics of fatherlessness and crime. He went on to explain that religion is the instrument, spirituality is our nature. According to Muhammad, we focus so much on religion we forget the spirituality in looking for a spiritual mate.
Muhammad continued, “We have not taken care of business sometimes at home. Muhammad said it was Farrakhan who told him, ‘First God, then family, then Nation’. A strong family is a strong nation. There is nothing wrong with loyalty and fidelity to family. Courtship is the process gathering evidence; we must be patient with one another.” Muhammad concluded with imploring us to go back to the ways of our ancestors who built pyramids and civilization. Muhammad said, “There is nothing more revolutionary than going to the movies with your woman- no cell phones, no distractions. Stand by your man, stand by your woman. The children will benefit.”
Saturday afternoon’s session focused on Critical Issues Facing the Black Family. Presentations included Single Parent/ Kinship Care Homes, the Criminal Injustice System and Drug Abuse and Distribution. All testimony was reminiscent of situations in New York. Change the names, the situations were the same. Police brutality, drugs and body-snatching child ‘protective’ services are all common in Houston. Grandmother Virginia Howard is a kinship care provider for her grandson, Franklin. Howard gave a riveting account of a white lawyer who decided he wanted to own/ adopt young Franklin. Howard engaged in a successful protracted effort to gain custody of her grandson, who is now a thriving teen in her home.
Special concurrent workshops were held focusing on Technology/ Media in Your Home, Starting a Rites of Passage Program, Operation: We Are Family, Electoral Politics and International Affairs.
Friday’s event concluded with presentations on Youth and Political Prisoners from Dhoruba Bin Wahad (former Black Panther and political prisoner), Min. Quanell X (New Black Panther Nation) and a youth spoken-word speak-out.
On Saturday morning, convention attendees were treated to a tour of Freedmen’s Town, Houston’s oldest Black community located in what is now downtown Houston. Black people began to settle the area in the 1840’s and established Trinity United Methodist Episcopal Church in the 1850’s. Historic sites in Freedmen’s Town included “The Hanging Tree” (through oral tradition of the elders, it is believed this tree was used to hang African [Black] people) and The Crossroads (an intersection of Andrews and Wilson Sts. with bricks laid in symbolic designs and motifs believed to contain submerged messages and information about the Underground Railroad which went south into Mexico as well as north).
 Freedmen’s Town has experienced varying forms of gentrification since its establishment. Black businesses, homes and churches became displaced to make way for Houston’s City Hall, the Albert Thomas Convention Center, the Music Hall and Coliseum, and the Gulf Freeway, which cuts nearly through Freedmen’s Town. Housing discrimination, municipal neglect and waves of construction led Black Houston to form the Freedmen’s Town Association (est. in 1981), which led efforts to preserve, restore and develop the historical area. As a result of these efforts, Freedmen’s Town is the largest historic district in the U.S. and is registered with the U.S. Dept. of the Interior and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Saturday’s luncheon featured a powerful program: Understanding the Demand for Reparations. Chairman Worrill, Attorney Chokwe Lumunba (New African People’s Organization) and Helene Reese (N’COBRA Secretary) spoke about the Reparations Movement and its relationship to African families. Lumumba announced the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to be held in New Orleans August 29th – Sept. 2nd. This tribunal charges the U.S. with Katrina- Rita- related violations of international law.

A special tribute was given to Houston’s Black community for welcoming Katrina survivors. All Katina survivors with job skills and a willingness to work have been absorbed into Houston society. There are opportunities all over Houston. Everywhere you look there is construction of homes, businesses and shopping areas. Houston is growing and has the 4th -largest Black community in the nation. Although there are ongoing challenges, Katrina survivors are part of the economic growth of Houston.
For those who question the longevity of the quest for reparations, Worrill read a letter from former slave Jourdon Anderson to former slave owner Colonel P. H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tenn. This letter was originally published in The Freedmen’s Book by abolitionist Lydia Maria Child in 1865, and republished in Should America Pay? by Dr. Ray Winbush. In this letter, Jourdon responds to his former master who asked him to return to work after the Civil War. Jourdon requests payment for 32 years of his unpaid labor and 20 years of his wife Mandy’s work minus clothing and 3 doctor visits at a total cost of $11,680 plus interest before he would consider returning to work for the colonel. Jourdon states in his letter, “If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future.” Incidentally, Jourdon also asks “if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane”, Jourdon’s daughters. He goes on: “You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve and die, if it came to that, than to have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters.”
Saturday afternoon’s session focused on World African-Centered Education. Several presenters expounded on the value of raising our children with an African-Centered Education Curriculum, After-School Programs, Independent Schools, etc.
Operation: We Are Family is a new national NBUF initiative focusing on grassroots organizing, block by block. Stay tuned for more information.
 NYC’s Dr. Leonard Jeffries gave the keynote address at the Saturday night banquet. His topic was “The African World Family: Where Do We Stand?” Jeffries began with a critical analysis of the current Black leadership in Bush’s White House and Supreme Court and how they are being used against the interests of African people. Jeffries then went on to declare, “We are in the middle of the Great Awakening of African people.” Jeffries defines the years between 1945 and 1995 as a 50-year period of the development of Pan-Africanism, a great revolutionary period for our people. Jeffries said the 3 elements of a system necessary for African family empowerment, not entertainment, are economics, politics and culture. He continued, “The African tradition is first to describe, next analyze, then prescribe solutions. Survival got us this far, but only analysis and development will take us further. All of us have to find our role in the development of African society.”
Jeffries’ presentation was so powerful attendees got up from their seats and began to gather around the podium while he was talking, as if drawn to a magnet. His conclusion generated a long standing ovation.
Houston has a vibrant black community, illustrated by their attitudes, cultural institutions and independent media.
Houston’s NBUF has its own building, and hosts weekly community meetings and the headquarters has many amenities available for chapter members.  Even with its large meeting space, the headquarters was not large enough to host this year’s national convention. That is where S.H.A.P.E. (Self-Help for African People through Education) stepped in.
S.H.A.P.E. is an African-American private, nonprofit organization that was founded in 1969. Its first public service in 1971 was a free breakfast program for schoolchildren (before public schools offered free morning meals). It went on to offer education, employment, economic development and crime/ juvenile delinquency prevention programs for the entire community. S.H.A.P.E. is partially funded through payroll deductions.
S.H.A.P.E. has 2 locations. Location #1 is the Family Center where most of S.H.A.P.E.’s programs take place. The Family Center houses after-school and summer-enrichment programs, parent support group programs and parenting workshops, a fruit and vegetable cooperative (there is a large vegetarian community in Houston), and a legal assistance clinic.  Location #2 houses the administrative offices and community center events such as the Wholistic Health Day Conference and a monthly community mentoring group called the Council of Elders. The annual Pan-African Cultural Festival and Kwanzaa are celebrated at both locations. S.H.A.P.E. also conducts an annual Freedom Tour, taking 50 children to the Edmund Petus Bridge in Selma, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; Dexter Ave. Baptist Church in Atlanta; Tuskeegee Inst.; the Lorraine Motel and Fannie Lou Hamer’s birth place in Mississippi 2007 is the 20th year of the Freedom Tour.
It was not easy for S.H.A.P.E. to build all of this. Brother Deloyd Parker has been S.H.A.P.E.’s executive director for over 30 years.  According to Parker, securing their space meant confronting 2 forces. The 1st challenge was the police and local politics. The 2nd challenge was internal contradictions. The neighborhood was overrun with pimps, prostitutes, junkies and drug dealers. S.H.A.P.E. “liberated the land by placing red, black and green flags at either corner and planted flowers” declaring the area a safe haven. They put a video camera on the building and took license plate pictures of the drug and sex sales. They then called the wives of the purchasers, who Parker says were usually whites. Once the calls were made, they did not come back. Parker says control of the politics of your community is just as important as control of property. Ownership is wasted if you don’t control your community politics.
Houston easily has a dozen independent black newspapers. The oldest are The Informer and Texas Freeman (‘Serving since 1893’), and The Houston Sun (‘Serving Without Fear or Favor Since 1983’). The KPFT Voice is the official publication of 90.1-FM KPFT, a Pacifica affiliate. Although they offer subscriptions, most of the local papers are complimentary; several boast their fee as “$PRICELESS”. All of Houston’s independent press is supported by local individuals, businesses and organizations- large and small – that readily place advertisements. What the businesses and community at large get are a loyal readership, conscious consumers and news stories tailored to the interests of the Black community.
The Shrine of the Black Madonna Book Store is a strong cultural institution in Houston, located on the grounds of the Shrine of the Black Madonna Pan-African Orthodox Christian Church.  It was founded by Pastor Jaramoei Abbe Ageyman, who had close ties to Malcolm X in Detroit. The bookstore is a community center that houses 3 galleries: the African Holocaust Museum Exhibit, an extensive Black Inventors display, and a general Art Gallery. The African Holocaust Museum is particularly compelling, with exhibits that include actual slave era hand irons, a reproduction of a lynched Black man, and a bloody African crouched in a 4-sq.-ft. wooden crate. The bookstore has approximately 600 art pieces in its collection and hosts book club meetings and book-signings, as well as other community events.
Houston has it going on. It was the perfect city to host NBUF’s 28th National Convention.

By James C. McIntosh, M.D.

The building at 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard is now a bar called “Shrine.”ÿ This same building that was once the stylish landmark headquarters of Harlem’s largest Black charity, Black United Fund,ÿÿ is now the haunt of thoroughlyÿgentrified Blacks and bored young whites out for a good time or a night of adventure…ÿ The sign on the front of the building that used to read “Black United Fund Plaza-God Gets The Glory,” now reads “Black United Fun Plaza. God Gets The Glory.” (A picture of the sign is the tongue-in- cheek centerpiece of Shrine’s website and can be seen atÿhttp://www.shrinenyc.com/directions.html.) The sign, the name and location of the bar all seems to mock the events which have led to this shrine to Black Dis-empowerment. How didÿall this happen, when in 2003, Eliot Spitzerÿthe man who was the New York State Attorney General and ÿnow sits as governor, promised that he was appointing aÿnew board of directors ÿfor Black United Fund toÿ “breath new life into BUFNY and help shepherd its finances?”ÿ
This is how!ÿÿReal estate records reveal thatÿin October of 2005, a little more than two years afterÿSpitzer ripped the charity from the control of its founder Kermit Eady andÿ made his pledge of breathing “new life into BUFNY,”ÿ the BUFNY HQ buildingÿÿwasÿ soldÿ right under the noses of a sleeping Black electorate for $3,435,854.00ÿby an entity called BUFNY Houses Associates. The property was transferred via a grant deedÿto an entity called 2273 Realty LLC.ÿ The mailing address of the owner was listed as 1987 7th Avenue.ÿRecordsÿshow that addressÿis owned by Neighborhood Partnership Housing Development Fund Company with a mailing address of 80 5th Avenue. Recordsÿalso show thatÿthe Neighborhood Partnership Housing Development Fund Companyÿÿhas over the last few years been involved in over three hundredÿlandlord-tenant cases-most of them eviction cases. Breathe new life? Partnership? Housing Development?ÿConfused?ÿ Don’t be. The answer lies in the wisdom of our ancestors.
The late Black psychologist, Amos Wilson, taught that in a system of white supremacy,ÿÿ in order to find outÿan entity’sÿpurpose and meaning, simply reverse the name of the entity. The system responsible for mis-educating Black childrenÿis called the Education System, the system responsible for inflicting injustice on Black peopleÿis called theÿJustice System, etc . Likewise, under Governor Spitzer’s reorganization of Black United Fund of New York (BUFNY), William E. (Bill) Davis, a former Commissioner of Landmark Preservation, was appointed toÿBUFNY’s Board of Directors.ÿÿÿArmed with this wisdom of Amos Wilson, it should have been easy to figureÿout what LandmarkÿPreservation would mean for Black United Fund.ÿÿÿIf politicians and community residents were confused at the time, things should be clear in 2007 when the following facts are reviewed…
1. In 2003, Black United Fund was the largest charity in Harlem and was chaired by its founder Kermit Eady. It was involved in 40 million dollars of development, operated 400 units of affordable housing for Black folks as well as a radio station, two ATM machines and two technical centers with services similar to Kinko’s.
2. In 2007, both Black United Fund Technical Centers are closed.
3. In 2007, the radioÿbroadcasting station purchased by BUFNY is now dismantled and silent.
4.ÿ In 2007, the two ATM machines operated by BUFNY are gone.
5. In 2007, the stylish landmark headquarters building of Black United Fundÿthat was on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard is now a bar.
6. As of the time of the publication of this article, there has been no mention by Spitzer or any of the Harlem Politicians to the public of what happened to that 3.4 million dollars that exchanged hands in the sale of the 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard Building.
7. Kermit Eady, the man who founded the Black United Fund of New York,ÿ is out in the cold discharged without a dime of severance pay, never charged or convicted of anything yet never even permitted to return to the headquarters to retrieve priceless possessions saved over 25 years of his stewardship.
All this makes sense only if one applies Wilson’s principle to theÿentire original statement of Eliot Spitzer’s announcement of his takeover of Black United Fund.ÿÿSaid Spitzer, “Our goal here is to help BUFNY flourish. The interim board – comprising talented individuals with proven records of service – will breathe new life into BUFNY and help shepherd its finances and programs.” Applying Wilson’s principle, it is clear to see that Spitzer’s wordÿ[life] means death, [flourish] means perish and [shepherd] means fleece or rip off.
To learn more about Eady Associates and the work of Kermit Eady please visit: www.kermiteady.comÿÿÿ or call 1-888-538-9803.

By Feona Sharhran Huff

I expected to watch a two-minute music video of R&B artist Ciara on www.YouTube.com. Instead, a little girl – no more than 12, I would say – was gyrating, grinding, popping and winding to the songbird’s single in her bedroom.
Performing these moves in front of a mirror is one thing (though I really don’t feel that’s appropriate for a kid), but to videotape a striptease-like performance and post it for the world to see is clearly asking for trouble, inclusive of predators somehow tracking the person down. Don’t get me wrong, www.YouTube.com is viewed by thousands (including myself) as a vital and time-sensitive vehicle in which to share special and funny moments caught on the good ‘ol camcorder, but when kids can so easily get stuff posted, that’s truly scary. My concern is whether parents know what their kids are doing once they log onto the Internet – oftentimes doing so with a locked bedroom door.
“If you are not aware of what they do, you don’t have the opportunity to teach your kids about behavior to avoid,” explains Steve Roddel of www.familywatchdog.us, a free-service site that provides information and photos of convicted sex offenders nationwide. “If you don’t watch your kids, someone else will and you may not like the results.”
According to Roddel, whose 14-year-old daughter is among the thousands of teens to regularly engage in social networking on www.myspace.com, there is a one in five chance of young people communicating with a sexual predator online. Just recently, it was reported that there are 29,000 registered sex offenders on the popular site. However, what makes it highly unlikely for Andrea to fall prey to such interaction, says Roddel, is that he and his wife are watchdogs when it comes to her safety.
This, he offers – along with having open communication about the potential dangers of surfing, playing and socializing on the Internet as well as establishing rules and boundaries – is what other parents must also do. “My wife and I have her password,” Roddel says. “My wife of approves her friends and views all communication.” He adds: “We have age-appropriate discussions about what sexual predators are and what they do.”

Roddel has even empowered Andrea to know when sexual predators move into their community in Carmel, IN, by having e-mail alerts from his Website sent directly to her. “It allows her to elevate herself whereas she knows that we trust her by providing her with the information she needs,” he says. “Nobody’s going to walk up to you and tell you that they are a sex offender.”
The one thing Roddel cautions parent from doing, though they may think it’s in their best interest, is forbidding their children from going online. “The quickest way to get a teenager to do something is to tell them they can’t,” he explains. “Use that spite as a tool to allow them to learn the bad things that happen.”
Online safety Websites such as www.safekids.com and www.netsmartz411.org offer parents insightful tips to help keep their Web-using children protected such as keeping the computer in a neutral area. The rationale is that if the computer is in a heavily trafficked area in the house there is less of a chance for things to go wrong. The sites also encourage parents to familiarize themselves with sites that their children surf or have accounts with. Online safety experts Larry Magid and Anne Collier even wrote a book to show parents how to help their children socialize safely online with MySpace Unraveled: A Parent’s Guide to Teen Social Networking from the Directors of BlogSafety.com (www.myspaceunraveled.com).
Parents can go a step further in covering their safety basis by purchasing parent control software, which range in price and works by recording Web sites visited, blocking unwanted Web sites and recording instant messages.
“In the final analysis, it’s about being involved and engaged,” Roddel concludes. “Within about two minutes of talking with kids online, you can find out their number, where they live, their parents, names, etc. Parents have to be there to counter this.”
Want to make a pact with your children to help keep them safe while surfing the Internet? Simply sign and post the following parent pledge offered by www.Safekids.com near your computer. (FYI: There’s even a Kids Pledge). You can also download the pledges at http://safekids.com/family-contract-for-online-safety.

Parents’ Pledge
1. I will get to know the services and Web sites my child uses. If I don’t know how to use them, I’ll get my child to show me how.
2. I will set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by my children and will discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder. I’ll remember to monitor their compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time they spend on the computer.
3. I will not overreact if my child tells me about a problem he or she is having on the Internet. Instead, we’ll work together to try to solve the problem and prevent it from happening again.
4. I promise not to use a PC or the Internet as an electronic baby-sitter.
5. I will help make the Internet a family activity and ask my child to help plan family events using the Internet.
6. I will try to get to know my child’s “online friends” just as I try to get to know his or her other friends.
I agree to the above
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Parent(s)
I understand that my parent(s) has agreed to these rules and agree to help my parent(s) explore the Internet with me.
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Child sign here