Our Time PressThe Local Paper with the Global View

By Aminisha Black

Sharing Examples and Experiences
  Parents are special people and as quietly as it’s kept, they literally shape the future.  If we make choices that protect our children’s emotional, mental and physical health, they will be armed with the inner strength to make responsible and constructive choices in their own lives and live cooperatively with others. 
   Examples of special parents include NBA player Derek Fisher, The Utah Jazz point guard who requested a release from his $20.6 million contract because his one- year- old daughter, Tatum, suffers from a rare cancer of the eye that’s usually treated by removal of the eye.  Fisher chose to move to a city to get the care that might save her eye.  Also, Angie Filomeno, a single mother of four daughters, of which her youngest; Jessenia, was diagnosed with lupus at the age of eight.  Jessenia, who endures bouts of illnesses and heavy amounts of medication graduated from Pratt University’s School of Architecture.   The Filomeno family founded a Back-to-School scholarship program for students of their low-to moderate-income apartment complex in Brooklyn.  The message she says she wants to give them is “No matter where you live or how little money you have, even if you’re sick, if you set your mind you can do it”.
These parents inspire others to lead by example. When children commit crimes, fail in school or act out their emotional needs in other ways parents are often blamed. Often, to assuage our guilt we make our children wrong.   The programming that prevents us from taking responsibility, when things go awry has us place the responsibility, and consequently the power, with others.  How can we create new possibilities for ourselves, our children and our community? Perhaps by spotlighting choices like Derek Fisher’s and Angie Filomeno’s bold and charitable actions and asking parents of adult children to share lessons they learned in life’s classroom called parenting.  Here I share a few of the lessons that I’ve learned:
ú Self-discovery – In retrospect, I would have started the process of self-discovery earlier. Growing up in a household where alcohol and threatened violence was a weekend occurrence, I gave birth before I knew who I was.  I was later led to disciplines that helped me heal emotionally and experience the inner peace necessary for harmonious, supportive relationships. Fortunately, it’s never too late to take the journey to selfhood and miraculously my children not only survived the before version of their mother – they continue to evolve and thrive.
ú Forgiveness – I would have practiced forgiveness earlier.  I’ve forgiven both my parents for any wrong I thought they did.  I learned to focus on the occasions where love was shown and most importantly, I understand that they did the best they could given their own personal histories.  Forgiveness transforms complaints into creativity, bringing a freedom of expression and increased energy to implement change.
ú Balance – I would have balanced roles more. While my children learned valuable lessons from growing up in a cultural, activist community, I could have limited my activities more to those that included them or simply cut down on those that took me away.
ú Self-development – I would have taken adolescent workshops before they became teens.   No one told me that I needed to parent teens differently than when they were eight or nine.  Thanks to my independence declaring teens, I scurried to find workshops to guide me through the maze. We survived without stifling their quest for independence, and with my sanity pretty much intact.
ú Recording their creations – I can now appreciate the unique qualities of each child.  They are as distinct as their fingerprints.  On their 18th birthday, I presented each of them with: a portfolio containing photos, report cards, certificates and other items relating to their journey from birth to 18.  In retrospect, I would have also kept a book for each that recorded personal goals and results over the years.
Parenting really can be an exciting experience.  Share your experiences with us at parentsnotebook@yahoo.com. 
PN Alert!
*Aug. 2 – 27 – Lincoln Center Out of Doors – Free Music, Dance and Special Events
Visit LincolnCenter.org or call 212-LINCOLN for daily program listings.
*Aug. 18- 10AM to 3PM -From the Cradle to College Parent Empowerment Seminar, sponsored by NYS Senator Eric L. Adams at Medgar Evers College, 1650 Bedford Ave.
* Fall Session of Baby and Me (free activities from newborn to 4 years) is accepting registrations.  Call 718-574-8289 for more information.

By Jesse Muhammad
Staff Writer Final Call

JENA, La. (FinalCall.com) – Marcus Jones, the father of 16-year-old Jena High School football star Mychal Bell, pulls out a box full of letters from countless major colleges and universities in America who are trying to recruit his son. Mr. Jones, with hurt in his voice, says “He had so much going for him. My son is innocent and they have done him wrong.”

An all-white jury convicted Mr. Bell of two felonies-aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery-and faces up to 22 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 31st. Five other young Black males are also awaiting their day in court for alleged attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder charges evolving from a school fight: Robert Bailey, 17; Theo Shaw, 17; Carwin Jones, 18; Bryant Purvis, 17; and Jesse Beard, 15.
Together, this group has come to be known as the “Jena 6.”
“This town has always had a history of racism towards the Black man,” said Mr. Jones to The Final Call. “I am going to continue to fight for justice for my son.”
Jena, a small town still considered segregated in rural Louisiana, is the largest in LaSalle Parish with a population of nearly 3,000. Of that number, 85 percent are White, while there are only 350 Blacks in the entire area.
The trouble surrounding this case began in September 2006. At Jena High School, Black and Whites sit separately from one another outside during their school breaks-Whites under the shaded “White tree,” and Blacks on worn-out benches. One day, Black students asked permission from a school official to sit under the “White tree,” and the official told them to sit wherever they wanted, so the Black students did. The following day, three nooses were seen hanging from the “White tree,” which upset the Black students who make up only 20 percent of the school’s population.
The school principal found the three White students responsible and advised that they were to be expelled from school permanently. The White superintendent of LaSalle Parish Schools, Roy Breithaupt, overturned the principal’s decision and instead gave the White students a three-day suspension. In statements made to the media, Superintendent Breithaupt said “Adolescents play pranks. I don’t think it was a threat against anybody.” Black parents, students and residents disagreed and became upset.
“That’s a federal hate crime when those White students hung up those nooses. I don’t care what anybody says,” Mr. Jones told The Final Call. “A three-day suspension was a slap in the face of us as Blacks in this town.”
(top) The “White tree” at Jena High School where only White students convened before a student sat under it in September 2006. (bottom) The section where Black students convened during school breaks.
Students began to voice their disgust and protest against the “slap on the wrist” the three White students received for what many are calling a hate crime. According to the parents of the Jena 6 and testimony given in Mr. Bell’s trial, White District Attorney Reed Walters then visited Jena High School to address a school assembly, making remarks directed at the Black students that if they didn’t stop making a fuss about this “innocent prank,” he could take their lives away with the stroke of his pen. As a result of a fire that burned down the main building where classes are held.  Jena High School on November 30, 2006, Whites in the community started to blame the Blacks students of the school for the cause of the fire.
But the racial tensions at the school would spill over into the community and erupt into a series of incidents that led to the charges against the Jena 6:
On the night of December 1, 2006, Robert Bailey and his friends went to a party at Jena Fair Barn. Once inside the party, Robert was approached by a White male named Justin Sloan who asked him, “Is your name Robert Bailey?” When Robert said yes, Mr. Sloan, along with his sister Jessie, began to hit Robert, and from there, he was also attacked by several other White men before his own friends came to assist him in the brawl.

According to Robert’s mother, Caseptla Bailey, the police who came on the scene told the Black youth that they need to get back to their side of town. The next day, on December 2nd, Robert and two of his friends were at the local Gotta-Go convenience store. They spotted Matt Windham, one of the White males who attacked Robert the previous night. An altercation started and Mr. Windham ran to his truck and pulled out a sawed-off shotgun, which Robert was able to wrestle away from him. The fight ensued and eventually all involved left the scene running.
Two days later, on December 4th at Jena High School, a White male student by the name of Justin Barker had been allegedly making racial taunts at the Blacks, which included calling them “n–s” and expressing support for the noose hanging, as well as the attack made on Robert Bailey at Fair Barn. Right outside the school auditorium, Mr. Barker was suddenly knocked down, punched, beaten and kicked by Black students. According to interviews with The Final Call, parents of the Jena 6 stated that school officials randomly pointed out White students to write statements describing what they saw, as well as identify what Black students were involved in the fight or were just standing around during the fight. Moments later, after several statements were collected, six Black males were taken out of their classes, arrested and charged.
Many of the Jena 6 remained in jail for several months due to the high bails set between $70,000-$140,000 on them. All are talented athletes with what their families called “bright futures.”
“We had to put up property to bail out my son,” stated Ms. Bailey. “My son is innocent. This is a disgrace and it only manifested the racism that has always existed in this town and this country. They are attacking our young Black males so we have to fight.”
Tina Jones, the mother of Bryant Purvis, agreed. “My son was not involved in this fight. This is pure racism.”
 Bell’s family was unable to bail him out and his father believed that is the reason his son’s case went to trial so quickly. A Black court-appointed attorney, Blaine Williams, represented Mr. Bell, pressuring him to plead guilty, but Mr. Bell refused. His attorney then gathered a list of proposed witnesses which included his father and mother, Michelle Bell. The judge put a gag order on all witnesses in the case and refused to allow his parents to be present in the courtroom during the trial because they were potential witnesses although the victim, who was a witness, was allowed to stay inside the entire time.
When Mr. Bell’s father asked the defense lawyer to appeal the gag order so they can be inside the courtroom with their son, the lawyer replied, “The best thing for you to do is to get the hell out of my face.”
“At that point, I smelled a rat and I knew my son was being set up,” stated Mr. Jones to The Final Call. He also shared that the jury was all White, and that members of the jury were friends with the district attorney as well as family members with the victim. The prosecution brought forth 17 witnesses of whom many stated that they did not see Mr. Bell hit Mr. Barker. The victim himself even testified that he did not know if Mr. Bell hit him or not. The defense lawyer did not call any witnesses and rested his case. After three hours of deliberation, Mr. Bell was convicted and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Members of the Houston Millions More Movement Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Muhammad’s Mosque No. 45 Fruit of Islam visited the families of the Jena 6 on July 14th to conduct a fact-finding mission, along with The Final Call.
“Our mission to Jena made clear to me that the “Old South” is not so old that it is not without a pulse and heartbeat,” stated Deric Muhammad, Houston MOJ spokesman. “The U.S. Congress and Black America doesn’t have to strain its eyes toward Darfur or South Africa to see apartheid and/or genocide. We need look no further than Jena, Louisiana.”
The Black residents have been mobilizing the last few months with protests, organizing meetings, developed a NAACP branch headed by Secretary Catrina Wallace and created the Jena 6 Defense Fund Committee. They are planning a major protest on the steps of the Jena courthouse on the day of Mr. Bell’s sentencing and are calling on everyone to support.
(For more information on the Mychal Bell’s case call Marcus Jones at (318) 316-1486. People interested in supporting the Jena 6 Defense Fund: Jena 6 Defense Committee can write to P.O. Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342, or e-mail jena6defense@gmail.com. MMM LOCs interested in supporting the July 31st protest please e-mail ministryofjustice@mmmhouston.net.)
c Copyright 2007 FCN Publishing, FinalCall.com (Permission granted to reprint)

Dwayne Erskine was arrested on Sat., June 23 for the murders of Michael Robinson, 21, Delroy Gumbs, 19 and Brandon Graves, 16.
An alleged encounter with Erskine left all three dead, shot with a .45. Two were DOA at Brookdale Hospital, one died in the after arrival at the hospital.
The killings took place on the stoop of 40 Lott Ave. on June 5 at 11:55pm.
Erskine, 18, was charged with three counts of murder and criminal possession of a weapon, a .45 automatic.
Erskine’s intentions were unknown; however the NYPD characterizes the killings as “senseless.”
The entire community was outraged. The three young men all lived within a block and a half of each other.
Despite the “don’t snitch” strategy of a few, outraged community residents cooperated with the police by providing information.
A source reports Erskine “turned himself in.” The presence of a Crime Stopper van and pressure from the community apparently led Erskine to turn himself in.
Karen Dial, mother of Brandon Graves, wants to have NYPD cameras installed on that block, “so it won’t happen to any other kid.”
Councilman Charles Barron is working with the families, community groups, block associations and churches to organize a meeting in early July in response to the shooting. The purpose of that meeting is twofold: 1) prepare a request to Deputy Inspector Jeffrey Maddrey, Commanding Officer of the 73rd Precinct, for the installation of an NYPD surveillance camera to be placed on the block of the killings, and 2) to organize community patrols.
These efforts and others are to stop the violence in that Brownsville area, something we all support.
For information regarding the date and time of the upcoming community meeting, contact Kevin McCall, Asst. Deputy Chief of Staff, at Councilman Barron’s district office,718-649-9495.
               Mary AliceMiller

 On July 8th a public program is being presented as part of Onnie Millar: Making Art With Communities, at Long Island University’s Kumble Theatre, from 2-4. Also joining Ms. Millar for the reading are artist Deborah Singletary and activist Khari Russell. At 87, Onnie Millar belongs to a generation of Black Brooklyn artists who came of age during a time of virulent racism and sexism. Using her creativity and commitment to community, Onaway Millar, like many Black artists and people, “found a way out of nowhere”, and in the process became a formidable artist.
Ms. Millar’s sculptural Rock People, pendants and wall hangings are powerful, lyrical, sometimes whimsical, and all pay homage to the challenges faced by Black people and tribute to their triumphant spirit, especially Black women and children. Millar’s works include pen-and-ink drawings, paintings, hand-painted jewelry, sculpture made from natural, recycled and reused materials, as well as textiles. Ms.Millar is also a writer of prose and poetry. Millar’s creativity and commitment has earned her a loyal following of Black women who purchased her work. One educator whose collection is featured in the exhibition, purchased the first “rock baby”, and a piece each year for nearly two decades.
For more than sixty years, Onnie Millar was in the forefront of the Black Arts Movement in Brooklyn. She has shared her thoughtful and creative use of the earth’s resources with legions of arts educators and our children through her work with the Weeksville Heritage Center, the Brooklyn Museum Education Departments, the Muse Community Museum and the Restoration Youth Arts Department Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, Millar worked with, Where We’re At: Black Women Artists and other women’s collectives.
Onnie Millar: Making Art With Communities and the July 8th Public Program, 2-4 at LIU, were made possible with the generous support of the Independence Community Foundation, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and Long Island University. The July 8th program is free and open to the public and will also feature: a performance by members of the legendary Great Day Chorale, under Louvinia Pointer, iconographic workshop demonstration where Ms.Millar will be assisted by artists Damali Miller and Mary Chang, and an interview and taping of Ms. Millar by the Weeksville Heritage Center for their educational archives. Claudine K. Brown, arts administrator and Jacqui D. Woods, cultural arts activist, organized the exhibition and public program with the “Friends & Family of Onnie Millar.”

Elizabeth Rankin-Fulcher

Excitement and great tributes were in abundance at the First Annual Joan Maynard Memorial Luncheon on May 19, 2007 at the Senior Citizens Center in the Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn, New York. More than 100 enthusiastic friends and family members came to honor and reminisce about this remarkable woman who so loved her community, especially Weeksville.
In appreciation of their community involvement and in the spirit and tradition of Joan Maynard, four fantabulous ladies were presented the Weeksville Lady Award – Educator Dr. Marguerite Thompson; Community Activist Ms. Elsie Richardson; founder and director of the Great Day Chorale Ms. Louvinia Pointer and artist Ms. Onnie Millar. With the exception of Onnie Millar, whose award was accepted by artist Jackie Woods, all of the honorees were present, each of whom in their brief acceptance speech highlighted their link with Weeksville while giving honor to Joan.
Before and during lunchthe guests were treated to the sweet and glorious voices of The Youth Choir from IS 218. Under the direction of Racquel Effinger, the choir sang “America the Beautiful” like you’ve never heard it before and received a standing ovation. Penny Fujiko Willgerodt, President of the Board of Weeksville Heritage Center introduced Claudine Brown, who served as Mistress of Ceremonies. Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham brought greetings from the Office of Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery presented each honoree with a proclamation and Executive Director of Weeksville Pamela Greene received a proclamation from Councilman Al Vann. The dynamic Rev. Emma Jordan Simpson, Associate Pastor of Concord Baptist Church, was the keynote speaker at the beautiful event which was coordinated by Ramona Candy of the Weeksville Heritage Center.