Thank you Colin Kaepernick for drawing attention to the national anthem, and especially thank you to Shaun King for writing in the New York Daily News an eye-opening column on the white supremacist history of the Star-Spangled Banner and its author, Francis Scott Key.
In explaining why he will never stand for the Star-Spangled Banner again, King writes, “Key’s full poem actually has a third stanza which few of us have ever heard. In it, he openly celebrates the murder of slaves. Yes, really.
“It goes like this:
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
“While it has always been known that the song was written during American slavery and that when those words about this nation being the “land of the free” didn’t apply to the millions who had been held in bondage, few of us had any idea that the song itself was rooted in the celebration of slavery and the murder of Africans in America, who were being hired by the British military to give them strength not only in the War of 1812, but in the Battle of Fort McHenry of 1814. These black men were called the Corps of Colonial Marines and they served valiantly for the British military. Key despised them. He was glad to see them experience terror and death in war — to the point that he wrote a poem about it. That poem is now our national anthem.”
And as for Key himself, King says, “He came from generations of plantation-owning bigots. They got wealthy off of it. Key, as District Attorney of Washington, fought for slavery and against abolitionists every chance he got”.
Let “America the Beautiful” be the anthem. I join Mr. King when he says, “I’ll never stand for that other song again”.
Bedford-Stuyvesant’s District 16 and Brownsville’s District 23 were the top two school districts in Brooklyn in the school year 2014-15 with homeless students, which contributed to lower test scores and higher dropout rates in those neighborhoods, according to a study the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness (ICPH) released last week.
Overall, the study found that one out of every eight children attending public school in SY 2014-15 experienced homelessness within the past five school years. It also gave a detailed picture of homeless students within the city’s educational system: where homeless students go to school, what kind of supports they might need, what their academic outcomes look like, what differences exist by the type of homelessness a student experiences and what the lasting impacts of homelessness are educationally—even after a student’s housing instability has ended.
In District 16, the study found one out of every five children, or 16%, were homeless and another 7% were formerly homeless, utilizing 274 shelter units and 16 family shelters. Of those living in shelters,54% had a chronic absenteeism rate as compared to 32% of their peers that were housed.
Additionally, only 11% percent of the homeless students passed the math proficiency tests for grades 3-8 and 14% percent passed the English exams. By contrast, 23% of the students in the district passed the math exams that came from homes that made enough money to not be eligible for a free lunch, and 26% passed the English exams.
District 15, covering Carroll Gardens, Park Slope and Sunset Park had the lowest amount of homeless students of the borough’s 12 school districts. They have both zero shelter units and zero family shelters. Of the four percent homeless in the district’s student population there is a 48% chronic absenteeism rate for those students living in shelters compared to an only 8% chronic absenteeism rate for those students in the district that live in homes not eligible for free lunches.
In both districts and overall, the study found the dropout rate of homeless students is about double that of their peers that come from stable housing. Similarly, the suspension rate for homeless students is about double that of students coming from a stable home.
The study comes as the de Blasio Administration has allocated $30 million in supports for students in temporary housing earlier this year to counteract the growing homeless numbers citywide. The money will pay for placement of social workers in schools along with new school-based health centers in schools with high homeless populations. The allocation will also cover the hiring of attendance teachers and literacy coaches in family shelters across the city.
“Students in temporary housing are among our most vulnerable populations, and we are dedicated to ensuring they receive the same equitable and excellent education as their permanently housed peers,” Toya Holness, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, told reporters in a statement.
The ICPH is an independent nonprofit public policy analysis and research organization based in New York City. The institute disseminates their findings to policymakers at all levels of government, colleagues in the research community, advocates and educators to promote a robust, evidenced-based dialogue and positively influence services and policy toward homeless families.
TRD Special Report: On the day before Thanksgiving, Yoel Goldman phoned one of his go-to lenders with an urgent request.
The Brooklyn developer, who heads All Year Management, wanted to score a construction loan for his Albee Square project by Monday, which gave him just one business day to make it happen.
The lender, Gary Katz of Downtown Capital Partners, reminded him of Thanksgiving. But Goldman, who is from the Satmar sect of the Hasidic branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism, countered: “So you can’t work Thanksgiving tomorrow, but you still have all of today, Friday and Sunday.”
Katz tried an analogy. Wednesday, he told Goldman, is Erev Yontiff – “evening before the holy day” in Hebrew – and Friday is Chol HaMoed – a weekday between two holy days. For most Hasidic Jews, Chol HaMoed is an occasion for family and Talmud study, not dealmaking.
Goldman got that and held off. Property records show he ultimately received a $25 million mortgage from Downtown Capital and RWN Real Estate Partners on Christmas Eve.
NEW YORK: September 13th is the next and third 2016 NY Primary, which is for state and local candidates. The Board of Elections booklet re: polling place and instructions were mailed to registered voters last week. What the NYS Legislature needs is a clear Senate majority, no longer manipulated by Senate Democrats like Jeff Klein and others, aka the Independent Democratic Conference, or just plain old rogue politicos who caucus with the Republicans, allowing the GOP a majority. The IDC group ultimately blocks progressive Democratic agendas. New Yorkers’ interest should be poised on the Upper Manhattan Senate race, its four Democratic contenders, including term-limited NYC Councilman Robert Jackson, who should be supported by donations. Incumbent Senator Espaillat leaves for Congress in January. That senatorial district weaves from Upper Manhattan south to the Upper West Side. Invisible hands, far outside of the district, are working to influence who really runs the NYS Senate.
David Duke
LOUISIANA: American media is obsessed with the 2016 presidential race while it ignores the undercard races like the US Senate and Congress, whose outcomes could spell a Democratic majority in both houses. For example, David Duke, 66, former KKK grand wizard, avowed white supremacist and “Trump for President” supporter, will run for the US Senate from Louisiana, to succeed David Vitter. On 11/8, he faces about 24 US Senate contenders, none with his name recognition. Failure to capture 50% of votes cast will result in a December runoff. Scary! Duke is a lifelong advocate for respect of the rights and heritage of European-Americans. He fights for white civil rights. A New Orleans Agenda op-ed, “The Browning of America”, by Louisiana-born businessman Harold Doley, Jr. and Sandra Starks McCollum, challenges Duke to submit to an accredited DNA test group like ancestry.com to evaluate his unmixed European genetic makeup. Opinion piece begins: “At least 12% of European-Americans in Louisiana have African ancestors.”
CULTURE/EDUCATION
The Harlem Business Alliance launches the Lillian Project, a business opportunity aimed at low- to middle-income US-born African-American women who live in Harlem and who are interested in entrepreneurship. The project hosts 25 women who will attend master classes for twelve weeks from 9/19 to 12/5. Classes run the gamut from business plan, financing to business launch. The Lillian Project is funded by a $300,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Application deadline is August 23rd. Call 212.665.7010 and visit thelillianproject.org for an application.
BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE is the first documentary film to explore the history, realities and future possibilities of African-American women physicians. The narrative covers three generations of doctors. Directed by quadriplegic Crystal Emery, who along with former US Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders, herself a BWIM subject, and an assortment of physicians are part of a national initiative, “Changing The Face of Medicine”, which aims to increase Black doctors in America from 4% to 7% by 2030. Film opens in NY at Cinema Village 8/26 to 9/1, and in Los Angeles 9/2 to 9/8 to qualify for Academy Award consideration.
Congratulations to the 20 NYC high school grads, recipients of the Pelham Fritz Basketball League Scholarship Fund, each of whom gets $500. See the Class of 2016 scholar and college destination below. Nicole Hill, Mt. St. Mary’s College; Djeneba Ballo, Hobart & William Smith College; Yahayra Pallo Colon, SUNY/Albany; Aneila Barran, SUNY, Albany; Yanitzin Diaz, CUNY/John Jay; Edward Serrano, CUNY/ Lehman; Husene Camera, SUNY/Maritime; Daryle Henry, SUNY/Albany; Tyra Henry, SUNY/Albany; Yaritza Suarez, Johnson & Wales University; Fatou Thiam, CUNY/Staten Island; Penda Smith, University of Wisconsin/Madison; Kori Hambric, CUNY/CCNY; Kennedy Kerr, Brown University; Jordan Simmons, Morehouse; Joan & Bertha Martin, Howard; Ahmad Simmons, Columbia/Chicago; Aliyah Johnson, Utica College; and Kervon Brooks, Seton Hall.
PEOPLE
L.A. Lakers alum Kobe Bryant is a venture capitalist. He partnered with tech entrepreneur Jeff Stibel to launch BRYANT STIBEL, a $100 million venture capital fund which they co-financed. BRYANT STIBEL will be a conduit for investments in technology, media and data companies. Since 2014, Bryant and Stibel investments portfolio includes software firm RingDNA, Juicero, video game designer Scopely and The Players Tribune.
Linda Walker
RIP: Brooklynite Linda Bailey Walker, 63, died on August 13th. Married to her soul mate Doug Walker for 34 years, Linda Bailey was born in NJ on August 25, 1952. She worked as an educator, trainer, consultant, journalist before starting her own business. A graduate of Morgan State College, she attended the University of Ohio, Oxford University in England and completed her doctoral studies in education at Columbia University as an all-but-the-dissertation scholar. She traveled to and lived in Africa for a short time. A UN press correspondent, she worked out of its NY, London and Denmark offices. Ms. Walker worked for major American corporations like Goldman Sachs and Viacom, which required overseas travel to their offices in Paris, London, Tokyo, Puerto Rico as well as the Continental United States. NY was her base. In the 90s, Walker was ready to cut her entrepreneurial teeth. She founded Walker International, an umbrella for subsidiaries like Custom Beverages, which tapped into her diverse professional background and rolodex names. Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 12-2 pm at St. Luke’s Baptist Church, located at 139 A.M. Tyler Place(Carroll Street), Paterson, NJ 07501.
AUG/SEPT CALENDAR
Aliko Dangote
The Africa-America Institute(AAI) 2016 Annual Awards Gala will be held on September 20th at Cipriani, 25 Broadway in lower Manhattan, NY. The Awards Gala honorees are: Aliko Dangote, President/CEO of the Dangote Group, headquartered in Nigeria; Stephen Hayes, President/CEO of the Corporate Council of Africa; and Sunil Benimadhu, Stock Exchange of Mauritius Executive Director. Event theme is “Education: The Key to Africa’s Economic Growth”. The 63-year Africa-America Institute is a USA-based organization which promotes engagement between Africa and the United States through education, training and dialogue. Held annually to coincide with the opening session of the UN General Assembly, the AAI Annual Gala is attended by more than 500 patrons, many of whom are past and former African heads of state and diplomats, American and African business elites and myriad internationalists. [Visit aaionline.org]
SUMMER CALENDAR
The Jamaica Progressive League hosts a Dinner Dance Awards Ceremony to celebrate its 80th Anniversary on August 27th at 6 pm at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel, 104-04 Ditmas Boulevard, Queens, NY. Event honorees include June O’Connor, NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie; Patricia Chin, VP Records; Michael Duncan, Community Activist; Attorney Michele Rodney, Monroe College Dean; Catherine Tomlinson, JPL member; and Jacqueline Graham. Ambassador Curtis A. Ward is guest speaker and Karl Rodney, NY Carib News Publisher, is JPL honorary chair.
The Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference hosts its 46th Annual Legislative Conference(ALC) on September 14-18 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The ALC is the ultimate destination for issues impacting the African-American and the global Black community. More than 70 public policy forums, featuring entrepreneurs, business leaders, legislators, community activists and thought leaders are scheduled to appear including the AFRICAN BRAIN TRUST: US-Africa Policy in The Next Administration on 9/16. Conference menu also includes an employment fair, an author’s pavilion, an exhibition pavilion, a National Town Hall and much more. [Visit cbcfinc.org/ALC16]
A Harlem-based businesswoman,Victoria Horsford can be reached at victoria.horsford@gmail.com.
Seniors took uptown’s center stage this week for an event that honored the neighborhood’s sages as part of HARLEM WEEK.
Hundreds of seniors braved the sweltering temperatures to attend the annual HARLEM WEEK New York City Senior Citizens Day at the Adam C. Powell Jr. State Office Building on W. 125th St.
Hospitals, universities, city agencies and other health and wellness organizations pitched up tables in the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. state office building’s plaza for a health fair, offering blood pressure screenings, smoothies, and information on everything from free classes to adults to protection from the Zika virus.
Harlem Hospital brought its mobile health care van out to offer on the spot screenings, while exercise instructors put the seniors through their paces with exercise classes on the main stage.
“I’m here because I believe good health starts in the community,” Claudia Boykins, the engagement and policy director for the Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership told the Harlem News as she took seniors’ blood pressure. “They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a village to keep the village healthy.”
Inside the Adam Clayton Powell Jr state office building, seniors who have made a difference in their community were honored at the “Elder’s Jubilee” luncheon. Utilizing the theme of “Our Past, Future and Present Inspirations,” the event honorees included Robert (“Bob”) Tate, the founder and president of marketing firm Unlimited Contacts. Tate received the 2016 Joseph Roberts Community Service Award. Also honored was Charlotte Sutton, the daughter-in-law of Harlem legend Percy Sutton, and part of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
Reps from insurance company United Healthcare spoke to the seniors about their insurance options, and the city’s Department of Health handed out pamplets on wellness issues like safe pest control and preventing heat exhaustion. And over at the Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center, marketing coordinator Yveline Legagneur handed out information on the free high school eqivelency classes and career training the school – part of the state University of New York – offers.
“We’re right here in the building,” Legagneur said. “We are a resource for the community, and we’re really pushing people to go back to school.”
It was an event that Harlem native Linda Pierce, 68, said she wouldn’t miss, even though she now resides in the Bronx.
“We did exercise upstairs,” Pierce said proudly as she got her blood pressure checked at the Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership’s table. “I was born in Harlem, in Harlem Hospital. It’s in the blood baby. It’s in the blood.”
HARLEM WEEK, which is presented by The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and sponsored in part by the MTA and Apple Bank, celebrates all things uptown through a series of music, cultural and community events all summer.
