Home Blog Page 3

A Strong Start: Mets Rise, Yanks Dominate

Editor, Our Time Press
-
0
A Strong Start: Mets Rise, Yanks Dominate

By Eddie Castro
The 2026 Major League Baseball season kicked off last week with many expectations once again for both the Yankees and Mets. The Mets are looking to take a few steps forward after taking a huge step back last year as the team struggled in the second half last year and missed the playoffs. The Mets began the season at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates while the Yankees were out west in the beautiful stadium of Oracle Park for a three-game set against the Giants.


If you are a Mets fan, their performance during the first three-game series is a very encouraging sign. The team was able to knock out opposing Ace pitcher Paul Skenes in the first inning of the game collecting five runs on four hits with two walks. It was the shortest outing for the 2025 National League Cy Young award winner in his career. The Mets offense showed poise and patience against Skenes. The second game of the series showed Pirates Pitcher Mitch Keller and Mets pitcher David Peterson go pitch for pitch.

With a 2-1 lead in the 11th inning, newly outfielder Luis Robert Jr. Made sure he properly introduced himself to the fans of Queens connecting on a game-winning walk-off three-run homer to seal Game 2. The Mets would drop the third game of the series by a score of 4-3. As we go to press, the Mets have already taken the first game of their new three-game set against the Cardinals. The team is currently locked in a four-way tie for first place in the National League East Division with a win-loss record of 3-1


If there were one concern the Yankees had going into the season, it was whether their starting pitching and bullpen would hold up. Because there are a few off days in the schedule, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone decided to go with a four-man pitching rotation leaving potential fifth starter Luis Gil to start the season in Triple A. The Yankees left San Francisco with a three-game sweep of the Giants highlighted by tremendous performances by Max Fried and Cam Schlittler. Both pitchers were sharper than a No.2 pencil in their first starts of the year. As we go to press, in four games, both the starting pitching and the bullpen have started strong giving up just 3 runs, two by the starters and one by the bullpen.

The bullpen is a more surprising stat considering out of the 24 returning players that came back with the Yankees, the two players that did leave were bullpen arms in Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. It is also important to point out that the rotation is subject to change with the incoming returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, both of whom are expected to return by late May or early June.

The offense has also raised some eyes brows with their timely hitting and run production that has not come by via the home run. In four games played, the Yankees have hit just three home runs, two by Aaron Judge and one by Giancarlo Stanton. Although the season is still young, it is a great sign for both the Yankees and Mets to make a statement not only to their respective divisions, but to the entire league in general. We’ll see if both teams can continue to build on their hot starts.


Sports Notes: (Baseball) The Mets head to the West Coast to begin a four-game set against the San Francisco Giants tonight. After beginning the season with a six-game road trip, the Yankees finally return to the Bronx for their home opener on Friday afternoon against the Miami Marlins.

Helped Me Find My Voice

David Mark Greaves
-
0
Helped Me Find My Voice

by Hortensia Gooding

On Dr. Norma Raybon, Spelman College

“To inspire” originally carried a literal sense of breathing life into something. Its meaning expanded later to include an external influence animating a person’s mind or spirit. It is the sentiment I apply to my resilient college music instructor, Dr. Norma Raybon, who inspired me to sing by breathing life into my voice.

I first joined my church’s choir around age 11, and from grades 6 through 12 I had an “average” voice. But my church choir was filled with loving, maternal women who were always gracious and supportive. My choir director was my mentor & protector, making sure I always had a ride to and from rehearsal to whichever random foster home the State of Massachusetts had assigned to me. 

Because of my disorganized childhood, I nearly missed my opportunity to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. I registered for classes over the phone and most of the required first-year classes were already full. The registrar asked if I had any hobbies or interests that would translate into courses. I casually mentioned the debate team, working after school at the Red Cross and singing in the choir. I never guessed how important the choir would be. The next thing I knew, I was enrolled in Music Theory and The Spelman College Glee Club (SCGC) under the direction of Dr. Raybon. 

Unlike my church choir that rehearsed once a week and learned music by ear, SCGC met Monday through Friday, and I learned music via sheet music. Prior to Music Theory class, I had no idea how to read sheet music. Dr. Raybon seemed not to care. She held us responsible for singing every song with breathtaking beauty and an exhausting amount of power. 

Dr. Raybon was different in that she focused on demanding intentional skill instead of rewarding genetic talent. Singing beautifully went from being forever impossible to presently difficult. Becoming an effective and reliable singer meant stacking certain habits until they became instinctive.  Singing requires very deep and consistent breathing; the engagement of muscles in my abs and my back; constantly accurate posture; keen listening; uninterrupted observation and a good memory. 

I also learned under Dr. Raybon that “singing beautifully” also requires: Punctuality. Organization. Practice. Rehearsal. Articulation. Volume. Precision. 

I was so busy absorbing these new skills and alien concepts that I had no idea I was finally learning to create art with my own body. All I knew was that Dr. Raybon was always asking for more and I was always willing to give it. 

What Dr Raybon did not tell me was as important as what she knew and perhaps intentionally did not share.  Dr. Raybon never warned me that singing could take over my identity. She did not promise free travel, billboards, hotels & beautiful clothes. She made no mention of applause, awards or financial gain. 

Yet she gave me what she knew I already had inside: tools for life.

In the fall of 2000, I was on tour as a professional gospel vocalist singing both lead & background vocals in a whirlwind tour of Australia, New Zealand, Hungary & Italy. Since then, I’ve added many cities in France, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico and here in the US. 

In New York City, I’ve had the honor to perform multiple times at Carnegie Hall, Radio City, The Apollo, City Center, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, and Aaron Davis Hall and innumerable sacred spaces and performance venues.

Dr. Norma Raybon gave me tools, and directives and standards. Because of her consistent reminders, I have permanent mental, physical and spiritual habits. Because of her expectations I am always seeking to learn music and to improve how I learn music. Because of her groundedness, being a professional vocalist is a fact instead of a compliment.

Because of her artistic generosity, I can honestly say that I sing to live and I live to sing and to inspire others coming after me. For that, I am eternally grateful.

View From Here

David Mark Greaves
-
0

By David Mark Greaves

It is widely acknowledged, and has been for some time, that our president is a sociopath.
We looked to the midterms as being a chance at salvation, aware that the Trump regime, like the Iranian regime, will use all its levers to retain power, and law be damned.


But while the war of the midterms will intensify into November, the war with Iran is now and this president is acting as though he intends to put our soldiers’ lives at risk because of his delusions and complete absence of empathy.


Already 13 soldiers have been killed and hundreds more wounded. And a wound can be a piece of shrapnel and a dressing, or a lifetime with a concussive brain injury. And these may only be the beginning, because there are reports of airborne paratrooper units and marines, deploying to the area.


On the one hand, no, they can’t possibly be really thinking of putting “boots on the ground,” on Iranian territory. If so, then the thirteen men and women already lost, could be joined by 130 or 1,300 more, and the Republicans in the Senate, not having voted to stop this man, will be complicit in their deaths.


There is no one in his orbit who will tell him “No”, that’s why they’re called “Yes” people. However, he will hear “No” and hear it loudly this weekend at the “No Kings” rallies across the nation. They refuse to be complicit in the deaths of soldiers or institutions.


The rallies will be an expression of the deep frustration and even fear of what is happening to the country and the quickening pace of an AI future that we don’t feel ready for.
This is a dangerous time in the nation. There are scenes of tear gas in the air, protestors being shot, and armored masked men acting with no restraint regarding individual rights or dignity. Americans should know that this is not the first time that scenes of noise and tumult against authoritarianism have played out.


In October, 1997 we published Police Control of the Slave in South Carolina written in 1914 by Howell M. Henry, and we can see that what is happening now is not new. Henry wrote, “The precautions against insurrections, however, were rigid, one section prohibiting beating drums, blowing horns or the like which might on occasion be used to arouse slaves to insurrectionary activity.”


And Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE agents, are part of a long tradition that includes the abolitionists, that was so strong that Howell writes, “Some fear apparently had come to be had of unprincipled and irresponsible whites who for any reason might aid in insurrectionary movements.

The act of 1805 made it treason punishable with death for “any person” in any way to aid in an insurrection.”
These challenges to the idea of America come and go, but they don’t leave on their own accord. Only constant vigilance keeps the worst among us at bay. This is our time to fight.

Kristen Clarke Named General Counsel of the NAACP

Editor, Our Time Press
-
0
Kristen Clarke Named General Counsel of the NAACP

The NAACP today announced that Kristen Clarke, one of the nation’s most respected civil rights attorneys and legal advocates, has been appointed General Counsel of the Association. The move comes as the Trump Administration works to erode democratic institutions and dismantle civil rights protections.

To meet the moment, the NAACP is expanding its own capabilities and ramping up its investment in its legal advocacy efforts by hiring the former senior Justice Department official to fight back.

Clarke’s appointment marks a pivotal moment for the NAACP as it mobilizes its legal firepower to protect the right to vote and doubles down on its mission to secure the civil and human rights of Black Americans and all people across the country.


“Kristen Clarke is exactly the legal mind this moment demands,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Her record of fearless advocacy, leadership, and deep commitment to justice makes her the ideal General Counsel to help chart our path forward.

As we face unprecedented attacks on voting and civil rights, having Kristen Clarke at the helm of our legal operations brings strategic vision, disciplined leadership, and innovative advocacy. It’s a new day at the NAACP’s Office of General Counsel.”

“Our communities are under relentless attack — from the ballot box to their wallets — and this moment demands that we use the full weight of the law to promote justice and accountability.”


As General Counsel, Clarke will oversee the NAACP’s legal strategy and operations, leading litigation efforts and the Association’s team of legal scholars, advising senior leadership and the Board of Directors on legal matters, and representing the Association in key legal proceedings addressing the most pressing civil rights and social justice issues of our time.

She will work closely with NAACP program teams to ensure the Association’s advocacy, policy, and legal work remain coordinated and impactful, and rooted in the lived experiences of the communities across the country that are the lifeblood of the Association’s efforts.


“The NAACP has stood on the front lines of justice for over a century, and I’m deeply honored to join this historic organization at this critical moment in our democracy,” said Kristen Clarke, NAACP General Counsel. “Our communities are under relentless attack — from the ballot box to their wallets — and this moment demands that we use the full weight of the law to promote justice and accountability.

Together, we will protect the right to vote, challenge discrimination in all its forms, and ensure that Black America’s voice is heard loud and clear.”

Glyne’s Fulton St. Barber Truck

Editor, Our Time Press
-
0
Glyne’s Fulton St. Barber Truck

Interviewed by Kazembe Batts
IG: @kazbatts

Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Glyne Maccup. I am a native of Barbados grew up until high school and then came to Brooklyn from the late Eighties up until now. I’ve weaved myself into the culture of Brooklyn. I know a lot about the streets and places to go, I’m very familiar with the neighborhood and the people in it and a lot of the people know me.
How and when did you start cutting hair?


I did know how to cut hair with a scissors back in Barbados, but my first professional cut was at a place in the Bronx located at 225th St and Gunhill Road in 1992. My cousin told me that it is a profession where you can make a living and meet a lot of people. He said that “you will always have work if your good at it and people will come to you.” With everything it is your personality, a people person personality, people always gravitate to people like that. I think I have a good “people” personality.


How did you go from the Bronx to Bed-Stuy.
The first time I cut in Brooklyn was on the corner of Kingston & Fulton. I met a guy everyone knew named D White the beltman and he said that you belong on the main street, on Fulton St. He took me to a burned-out barber shop called Thomas. The spot was refurbished and a Trinidadian guy named Lucky took me under his wings and I learned a lot from him. My skills improved and I moved to another shop that, me, Tony and Kevin, started a new barbershop further down on Fulton near McDonalds called Stylistics Barbershop. The owner of the property did not want the lease in three different people’s names, so we moved again to Marcus Garvey Blvd, near Fulton.


What can a customer expect while waiting in the truck for their turn to be serviced?
The truck is always full of people. We have good conversations, politics, and often listen to WBAI or Caribbean music. Chess players visit all the time, and we set up tables out in front of the barber truck. You can expect a good, clean environment. We talk about politics so you can gain some knowledge while waiting.
How did you come to set up on Fulton St., near Albany Ave?


Covid happened years later and I moved into my own mobile truck. The first truck was stolen so I purchased a next one and retrofitted it so people would be comfortable in it. Now I’m actually moving into another space, around the corner, you know, so I’m trying to always keep improving so my customer base will grow, and people will see that I’m trying to improve my skill and the comfortability of the people.


Who are your customers?
I do have a broad base of customers. I can say now that many customers are the younger Gen-Z, because they always want to look sharp all the time. I also have three sons aged from 16 – 24 so they help keep me trendy with the cuts. So, I would say the young men but also, I have a broad female base of customers.
Who are your key business partners, helpers and do you have any relationships with other businesses in the neighborhood?


I am a little independent right now and don’t have any business partners. I’m not subscribing to any business partners now but if anyone wants to come and we can do an alliance because it’s always good to reach out and incorporate more. I am working on some other things now and would love if people want to come together.
How are you able to maintain your truck on the street? Considering parking regulations?


Well, I do get tickets, not as frequently, where I’m parked you can only get two tickets a week. So when I do the math it is cheaper than renting a brick-and-mortar store for $4,000 a month when you pay two tickets a week or eight a month at $90 a ticket.

So that is how I do my math and it makes better economic sense to me.
Glyne Barber Truck is located on Fulton St., near Albany Ave. Service is provided daily from Noon till 8:00pm. Call 917 482-4560 for more information.

1234...1,292Page 3 of 1,292