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Lorenzo White’s “Song for My Dad”

Lorenzo White
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Lorenzo White’s “Song for My Dad”

Last month, Our Time Press featured a Q&A with Clinton Hill’s Stanley B. White, author of “Because I Said So… That’s What’s for Dinner! The Single Dad’s Guide to Mealtime.” This week, we feature White’s son, “Zo” sharing the recipes for life his father gifted him over the years.

Without the influence of my father, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.
Outside of the endless recipes I now have in my mental repertoire, he taught me what it means to be a man in every sense of the word. The first thing that comes to mind is consistency and showing up for me physically and emotionally whether there was rain, sleet, or snow; even if he was having a bad day down to the sunshine on the good ones; he made it clear to me that showing up is the first part of it all.

He was the first person to help me understand what integrity means to the relationships you build with the people around you. Your word is the only thing you’re responsible for upholding.


Compassion and understanding are universal outlets that we can use to maneuver life; regardless of the emotional toll life may have, how you maneuver your emotions is how people will think about and perceive your character. He taught me the value in being able to articulate myself and always made it a point to make sure I understood how to “tell the story” in a way that leaves no room for interpretation. He also told me to be weary of people committed to misunderstanding you.


Those are just a few things from his mentality that transferred over to how I live my life and I’m thankful he gave me such a solid foundation overall. He never made me feel like my dreams weren’t within my reach as long as I worked towards them. I still hold that sentiment with me today.


In a society where the African American household is systemically oppressed and separated from the start — disconnecting the youth from formative male influences, I am thankful to have had my dad in my life. I have many friends that never got to experience that joy and it’s easy to see how that can negatively affect the understanding of the responsibilities that comes with being a real man.

How you carry yourself is one of the most important things in life. Who you present yourself to be could either take you everywhere you’ve dream of being or nowhere at all — and that’s determined on you.


Emotional intelligence is another nuanced skill set that I was able to pick up from my father, as well as through us working through the things we’ve gone through together. In my family, it allowed me to understand and appreciate the complexities of human nature/ human experience. Sometimes how people react isn’t a reflection of you and your character; it’s more so themselves. He taught me in-spite of that fact we can’t judge people; all we can do is show grace. Another valuable thing he taught me was how to remain logical and level- headed in your thought process.


In this world it’s easy to think, as a man you have to be cold and shut off your emotions… but he always helped me remember that it’s okay to feel, and if I ever felt I needed to express myself he was there with open ears to listen or an active strategy constantly searching for outlets for me I felt comfortable with. He’s just always been there for me all in all. Every football game, every baseball game, every recital or award ceremony there was never a moment in my life he wasn’t there for.


Even when it comes to my music present day, he’s constantly giving me constructive criticism while at the same time always encouraging me to keep going and to have my business in order. It’s an amazing feeling to know that your dad believes in you and it is my belief that one day I’m gonna make him the proudest dad there ever was, achieving my dreams and making it so my family is financially free.
I’ll never be able to “pay him back” for everything he’s instilled in me because there’s no amount of money that equates to a father’s love but just like he was for me, I’ll always be there for him. To the man that made sure I never missed a meal my entire life, my guy, I love you.
Forever and always.

About Lorenzo “TheRealZo” White
TheRealZo describes himself as “an artist from NY whose sound is a blend of smooth vocal influences, including Drake, J Cole, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to name a few. Melodically approaching lyricism in a way that’s entrancing to whoever’s listening or willing to feel something new. Growing up, music was always a part of Zo’s development. He was “classically trained in the violin” and both parents were heavily involved in laying the groundwork for what hip hop is today.


TRZs father worked at “Select Records”. Gold record plaques for hits like “The Humpty Dance” lined the walls. He also heard “many different types of music which would later light the fire within (him) to start creating on his own. “Zo” now produces engineers and writes for multiple artists in NYC.

Creative Force P.J. Fleury Remembered

Bernice Elizabeth Green
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By Enoch Naklen


Pojanee “P.J.” Fleury, remembered across creative, entrepreneurial, and community circles for her generosity, invention, and collaborative spirit, died on Thanksgiving Day in a house fire in Orange, New Jersey, along with her sister, Frantzia Fleury. Authorities said the two sisters lost their lives while helping their disabled father escape the burning home. He survived.

Pojanee Fleury


According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the fire broke out shortly after 5 p.m., and the sisters were pronounced dead a little before 7 p.m. A CBS New York report described the tragedy as an act of devotion, noting that the sisters “had big hearts” and were “deeply devoted to their families.” Their father and six others made it out safely, though the home was left uninhabitable. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
For many who worked with her, P.J.’s passing represents not only a personal loss but the loss of a quietly powerful creative mind who uplifted others through media, design, and innovation.
To Dewey Dockery, owner of Meet Me on TV Now and an electrician by trade, she was more than a collaborator; she was a partner in ideas and a rare spirit who believed in building alongside others rather than alone.


Dockery first met P.J. through a mutual acquaintance, Dr. Kim Best, who predicted the two would “get along great” and form an “instant collaboration.” She was right. Their first meeting stretched into hours of exchanging ideas. “I told her one idea; she told me another. Then I told her three ideas, and she told me four,” Dockery said. “Before we knew it, a couple hours had passed.”


P.J. ran Brown Eyes Publishing, producing several magazine editions and designing media for businesses, restaurants, health advocates, and vendors across the region. She frequently attended community events, parades, and expos. Dockery described her as “a natural” interviewer who set up her own equipment, coached guests, and created a calm atmosphere for people nervous about being on camera.
Her creativity stretched beyond media.

She hosted a podcast called Invent That, spotlighting inventors, and the process of bringing innovative ideas to market. She held several patents of her own, including an emergency lighting concept inspired by her father. P.J. often pushed others to refine their ideas. “Whenever she saw another inventor’s idea, she would say, I think they could add this to make it a little better,” Dockery said.


She also assisted Dockery in building Meet Me on TV Now, his digital channel hub and media truck project. She made logos, created designs, developed concepts, and helped envision billboard campaigns. She supported his electrician education program and co-developed an initiative they called Smart University, helping structure courses and produce materials.


“She helped me out so much,” Dockery said. “I could give her something and she would call me back in a couple of hours with a full design. We inspired one another.”
Much of that collaboration took place inside a second-floor workspace at Julie’s Management on 257 Nostrand Avenue, a multifunctional creative hub P.J. used to support Our Time Press’s multimedia projects, film interviews for Invent That, and work alongside Dockery as he developed Meet Me on TV Now in the studio downstairs. It was in that same space that Dockery sat for this interview, surrounded by cameras, lights, and the remnants of the ideas he and P.J. had been building.


P.J. split her time between that Nostrand Avenue space, her home, and a studio once used by her husband in New Jersey. Dockery met her husband and son there and often checked in about her father, who, like her, was an inventor.
Dockery learned of her passing on the morning P.J. was scheduled to meet with him at 257 Nostrand to finalize designs for upcoming billboard work. The news, he said, “took the floor out from under me.”


“When you lose someone who was part of your vision, who helped you build, it is a big hit,” he said. “Some people cannot be replaced.”
In reflecting on her death, Dockery emphasized the importance of fire safety education, especially around smoke, electrical hazards, and the urgent decision-making required during a home fire, circumstances that became tragically relevant to the Fleury family.
Still, he returns to the work they planned together and the lasting imprint she left. “We had dreams together,” he said. “She was a pleasure to be around. She wanted to help people, teach, inform, and build. She will be greatly missed.”

Pojanee “PJ” Fleury, Our Time Press Podcast Producer and Field Reporter, Passes

Bernice Elizabeth Green
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Pojanee “PJ” Fleury, Our Time Press Podcast Producer and Field Reporter, Passes

With profound sorrow Our Time Press newspaper announces the tragic deaths of our podcast producer and contributing editorial content writer Pojanee Fleury, 42, and her sister, Marine Corps veteran and x-ray technician Frantzia Fleury, 47, on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27, in a fire at their family home in Orange, N.J.


According to news reports, the Fleury women were killed after guiding their children to safety from the burning house, then reentering to rescue their wheelchair-bound father who suffers from dementia. Firefighters were able to save Mr. Fleury.
“P.J.”, wife, mother, and well on her way to building her own media company, produced Our Time Press’ Thursday “Sports with Eddie Castro” podcast, and oversaw production on podcasts for other independents.


Her Our Time Press credits also included exemplary work on publisher David Greaves’ “2025 Summer Block Party” series for which she multi-tasked as lead field reporter, writer and photographer. Those weekly summer stories brought Our Time Press closer to Central Brooklyn’s on-the-ground, long-time resident stakeholders, as a precursor to this fall’s Bed-Stuy Villager series launched on Thanksgiving Day.


As a tribute to P.J.’s work on assignment, DBG Media has grouped her stories in a special section of the www.ourtimepress.com website for all to enjoy and reflect, through the end of the year.


Dr. Kim Best, the Central Brooklyn-based internationally known faith leader and youth mentor, knew PJ as a humbled, talented woman who loved her community. “I recall she was into wellness and health. I got to know her during her support of the community’s National Night Out initiative during the past three years.”

Dr. Best reveals that she was instrumental in bringing PJ to the attention of Julie’s Management media chief Dewey Dockery, thus setting the ball rolling for P.J.’s introduction to Our Time Press for production work on the weekly “Sports with Eddie Castro” Mr. Castro commented, “I’ve had the pleasure of working side-by-side with PJ for the past 5 months after Our Time Press presented me with the opportunity to bring a dream project to life as host-anchor of my own podcast.

PJ was kind, informative and very supportive of me and my visions for the show. She would give me feedback every week, post-show, which made me want to step my game up every time in the best way I could. She was what you call in baseball, a ‘five-tool player’.


“There was simply nothing PJ couldn’t conquer. I’m forever grateful for the time and dedication she put forth towards the show, and the belief she had in me.


“It will be a very weird feeling stepping into the studio without her this week, but the best thing I can do is pay tribute to her the only way I know how to. I miss her dearly and I extend my prayers to the family’s loss of two exceptional women.”


“PJ had an entrepreneur’s spirit and boundless optimism,” said Greaves, CEO, DBG Media, and co-founder with Bernice Elizabeth Green, Legacy Ventures, of the local publication. Greaves noted that “In addition to her technical, producing, and writing abilities, she was ‘Such a nice lady,’ as remembered by staff member Lauren LeBrun. As Our Time Press approaches its 30th anniversary, I am watching out for potential ‘heirs’ who can carry the Our Time Press legacy forward. PJ was in sight.”


When Greaves gave PJ the baton with a simple directive, “Get the Block Party stories,” she took a team into the field to find real people in real places parallelling the OTP co-founders’ strategies of 30 years earlier with the birth of this newspaper in 1996 and, what some 30 years prior in the 1960’s, Bed-Stuy’s Roxie Roker and Emmy Award-winning producer Charles Hobson, first accomplished with their ground-breaking ‘Inside Bed-Stuy’ local news series: She told the story of Bedford-Stuyvesant from the grassroots perspective. Because of her diligence there is an unfiltered historical print and, in some cases, video record of sections of Bed-Stuy in 2025 with people talking about how they live and what concerns them.


Our Time Press will pay special homage to P.J. tonight on “Sports with Eddie Castro” at 5-6 pm. Readers and viewers are invited to reflect on PJ’s legacy via editors@ourtimepress.com. Or tune in tonight at ourtimepress.com and call 917-319-5481
Details on services, memorials and tributes to Pojanee and Frantzia, unavailable now, will be announced as we receive them. Check ourtimepress.com for updates.


The Our Time Press family extends our deepest condolences to her husband Joshua, and the Fleury family, friends and neighbors.

— Bernice@ourtimepress.com

Anti-Black Words from Trump as ICE & TPS Cancelations Impact the African Community

Kazembe Batts
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Anti-Black Words from Trump as ICE & TPS Cancelations Impact the African Community

By Kazembe Batts


Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was created in 1990 by Congress and is renewable every 18 months at the discretion of the executive branch of government. It allows migrants from countries torn by disasters or political violence to remain in the U.S., protected from deportation, until the country’s environment improves. Somalia has now joined Haiti for specific for cancellation of TPS which will lead to arrests and deportations.


The Trump administration has doubled down on its overt anti-Black policies both in rhetoric and action. If you missed the video, continuing his consistent description of Black nations as “shithole” places while talking in the recent gold renovated Oval Office, Trump recently suggested about Somalians “They contribute nothing, I don’t want them in this country, I’ll be honest with you…their country is no good for a reason, the country stinks…our country is at a tipping point, we could go bad…were gonna go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.

Ian Omar is garbage, her friends are garbage…when they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from.” In response Rep. Ilhan Omar expressed “His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he needs.”


Trump has pledged to end Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Somali refugees and ICE agents have already started to snatch people off the streets in the area. People of Somali ancestry number approximately 80,000 and are mostly concentrated in the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota. Attorney General Keith Ellison said Trump didn’t have the authority to terminate the program for people in one state.

“The Trump administration claims that Somalia is too dangerous for anyone to visit, but perfectly safe to return TPS holders to return to this is obviously absurd, obviously political, obviously wrong, my office is looking at every option on the table to push back against this threat.”
Seemingly unaware of the facts on the ground in Haiti, the Department of Homeland Security posted the following message the day before Thanksgiving:


After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS. This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests. The termination of the Haiti Temporary Protected Status designation is effective February 3, 2026.

If you are an alien who is currently a beneficiary of TPS for Haiti, you should prepare to depart if you have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States. You can use the CBP Home mobile application to report your departure from the United States. This secure and convenient self-deportation process includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and potential future opportunities for legal immigration to the United States.


The notice affects 500,000 Haitians in the U.S. Is now a good time to deport refugees to Haiti? TPS for Haitians was conferred in the wake of Haiti’s catastrophic 2010 earthquake, which killed over 200,000 people. It has been consistently renewed and expanded since due to Haiti’s collapsed public security. Gang violence last year resulted in more than 5,600 people murdered and displaced hundreds of thousands increasing homelessness. Almost half of Haiti’s population is food insecure. Has the situation on the ground in nearby Haiti improved enough to end TPS?


Not only cancelling TPS for people already in the country, but the Trump administration is also making it more difficult by upping the costs to enter the USA. The United States recently introduced new entry fee structures that disproportionately affect citizens of African and other non-Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries. This includes 1. The “Visa Integrity Fee” – A new, mandatory $250 visa integrity fee was enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which became law in July 2025 2. Visa Bond Pilot Program – A separate pilot program, announced by the State Department, requires citizens from specific African countries to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 when obtaining a visitor visa. The exact amount is determined by a consular officer at the time of the interview.


Evidence may lead one to conclude that Trumps “anti-immigration America First” agenda is also an anti-Black and pro-white agenda. In real time living in America is deliberately being made more difficult for Somalians, Haitians, Venezuelans, and other groups in America’s diverse society, while at the same time overtly prioritizing recruiting white Afrikaners to move into the United States has become official American policy.

The 46th president of the United States is openly and arrogantly promoting white interests in 2025. What does this mean about Black people’s future in America? What are the 45 million Black or African people living inside America going to do to support the African diaspora who are being targeted both at home and abroad?

Mets and Yankees Seek Major Upgrades as MLB Winter Meetings Begin

Eddie Castro
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Mets and Yankees Seek Major Upgrades as MLB Winter Meetings Begin

By Eddie Castro


If you are still a big kid at heart such as me, you can’t help yourselves but get excited we are a few weeks away from Christmas. If you are a baseball fan, you’re even more excited knowing the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings kick off this Sunday in Orlando, Florida. These meetings usually provide baseball fans with some of the most exciting moments in free agency as teams convene for what should be a very busy period of signings of free agents, trades, rule 5 draft discussions and other business.

These meetings usually define what your favorite baseball team will probably look like for the upcoming season and perhaps beyond. For both the Yankees and Mets, they’re hoping to get more than just some fun in the Orlando sun. They will look to create some magic.


For the New York Mets, they will look to improve their team from a disastrous 2025 campaign that resulted in the team missing the playoffs even with the championship aspirations. The team needs include starting pitching, bullpen help and out field help as well. The Mets have made a few moves ahead of the Winter Meetings trading outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for shortstop Marcus Semien.

Although offensively Semien’s numbers have dropped in recent years, a change of scenery could benefit the 35-year-old veteran who is expected to play second base, creating a strong infield alongside shortstop Francisco Lindor. On Monday night, the team was able to lure closer Devin Williams away from the Yankees, signing him to a 3-year/$51 million contract.

The signing doesn’t necessarily mean the end for fellow closer Edwin Diaz. Reports indicate that Williams is “open” to a setup role with the team. Diaz (who has been with the Mets since 2019) opted out of his current deal with the team making him a free agent and is reportedly seeking a contract similar to the one he previously signed with the team back in 2019 which was a 5-year/$102 million deal.

Negotiations are currently at a stalemate as the Mets are hoping for a shorter contract such as a three-year deal. As far as starting pitching, the team hopes to strike a deal for a top-tier arm but knows it will ideally have to include some of their top-tier players out of their farm system. The Mets are also one of many teams interested in signing Cody Bellinger.


For the New York Yankees, in the past during these meetings, they have provided Yankees fans with a wonderful gift under the Christmas tree with pass deals including signing Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, trading for Juan Soto two Years ago and of course signing Ace pitcher Max Fried last year. The flipside of that for Yankees fans is, it’s not what you have done back then, but what you have done for me lately.

There have been many rumors floating around as far as who the Yankees have inquired about, but nothing has come to fruition at this time. The Yankees are looking to take the next step in returning to the World Series after a disappointing postseason exit in the divisional round against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Yankees priority appears to be trying to re-sign Cody Bellinger. Reports indicate there is a “gap” in negotiations. It should be noted that Bellinger’s agent is Scott Boras who with many of his clients seeks the longest deals. The Yankees want Bellinger back badly. He had a great first year with the team last year and his left-handed bat in the lineup is an advantage for him with the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

Free agent Kyle Tucker has also been linked to the Yankees, but the way the Yankees have been trying to seal a deal with Bellinger, a Tucker signing almost seems like a backup plan for a player that could be considered at least a top 20 player in all of baseball. The team will also look to upgrade the bullpen, especially now losing Williams to the Mets.

Yankee fans can also look for the team to take a deep dive in the starting pitching market. The team has shown interest in Japanese pitching star Tatsuya Imai. Reports are that the Yankees are “very interested” in Imai and intend to pursue the top international pitcher on the market “aggressively”. As of last week, the Yankees and Miami Marlins have had discussions regarding a trade that will send 2022 Cy-Young award winner Sandy Alcantara to the Yankees.


They’re many scenarios for the Mets and Yankees that could fold during the four days of the Winter Meetings. New York baseball is on the cusp of being really really good this year. The question is who will they be able to sign and perhaps acquire in any sort of trades? Hopefully for both teams, they will be able to sign a game-changing player and add more smiles to both Yankee and Met fans.


Sports Notes: On Thanksgiving Day, the Our Time Press family lost one of our own. As publisher/media star and producer of Sports Talk With Eddie Pojanee Fleury or as we knew her “PJ” along with her sister Frantzia tragically lost their lives. We at Sports Talk and Our Time Press offer our condolences to her family and friends.

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