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Tale Of Two Tapes

Eddie Castro
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By Eddie Castro

Through two weeks of the NBA season, both the Knicks and Nets have had inauspicious starts with both teams posting a record of 2-4. Both New York teams are projected to make the playoffs this year, however, they have not looked like playoff-caliber teams so far. Even though it is only a few weeks into the NBA season, the troubles that both teams are facing can go from a minor problem to a big problem in terms of seeding the way the Eastern Conference is stacked up with powerhouse teams like the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers, who are currently the NBA’s only undefeated team.

For the Brooklyn Nets, it’s pretty much a patient situation.  Although it has been said by many sources that the teams’ starting lineup of Brook Lopez, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams is indeed the best starting five in the league, these players still have to learn how to mesh with one another. No one should expect this current team to get it going right from the start. An example of that is the current results the Miami Heat went through. When LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwyane Wade three years ago, it was said by many people that that current team would never lose two straight games in  the season and they will win more games than the 1998 Chicago Bulls team did (’98 Bulls went 72-12).What happened? That team started the first sixteen games at 8-8. So right now, Brooklyn fans, be patient! Deron Williams is only going to get better as the year progresses and so will the rest of the team’s chemistry.

As far as the Knicks go, well there in a little bit of trouble after suffering the loss of Tyson Chandler to a leg injury. Chandler is a former Defensive Player of the Year and is pretty much the anchor of what the Knicks are able to do on defense. Coach Mike Woodson is still looking for a replacement for Chandler but with Amar’e Stoudemire struggling coming off another injury and Andrea Bargnani still getting comfortable in New York, you really can’t turn to a player like Kenyon Martin who is 35 years of age. For now in terms of defense, Woodson must find a way to mix and match his lineup, especially after a 31-point beatdown by the San Antonio Spurs this past Sunday. It has reported that Woodson is considering inserting Metta World Peace or J.R. Smith into the lineup. Whatever coach Woodson plans to do, it looks like they may have to react to it fast and weather the storm until Chandler arrives.

Sports Notes: (Baseball) According to sources, Curtis Granderson, Hiroki Kuroda and Robinson Cano have turned down qualifying offers by the Yankees. We can only hope during free agency this doesn’t become a sign of things to come for the ball club. It is no surprise that the Yankees’ first priority is to re-sign Cano. Cano is reportedly seeking a 10-year deal worth $300 million. Yankee management has said they will not do a decade-long deal and would offer Cano a 7- or 8-year deal worth $200 million. (Football) The Giants have won three in a row! They look to keep their playoff hopes alive when they welcome in the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Geno Smith and the Jets may get some good news fresh off their bye week as it has been reported that Santonio Holmes (missed 5 straight games with hamstring injury) and Kellen Winslow (suspension) will make their return this Sunday in Buffalo to play the Bills. (Basketball) Jeremy Lin makes his return to Madison Square Garden, along with his new friends in James Harden and Dwight Howard as the Rockets play the Knicks tonight. The Nets continue their West Coast trip as the team heads to Phoenix to play the Suns.

Bed-Stuy Food Pantries See Increasing Traffic With Food Stamp Cuts

Stephen Witt
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Feds could cut $40 billion more in SNAP assistance that affects mainly children

By Stephen Witt

It’s not even the end of the first month that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),  a.k.a. food stamps, was cut and already Bedford-Stuyvesant food pantries are seeing increases in the hungry.

But the current $5 billion cut nationwide that went into effect Nov. 1 is small potatoes considering that Congress might soon siphon as much as $40 billion more to balance the budget.

Nationwide, 47 million people receive SNAP assistance, including 22 million children.

“We’ve already seen a 37 percent increase this month and that will increase more at the end of the month when people’s SNAP benefits run out,” said Dr. Melony Samuels, Executive Director of the Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger, which runs a food pantry five days a week mainly for the working poor at 2004 Fulton Street off Ralph Avenue.

Samuels said a majority of the clients at the food pantry are children, and that 40 percent of all veterans get SNAP assistance. “Now, between Sandy and SNAP cuts, we’re in for the time of our life. People are saying they will have a lot of meals taken away,” she said.

Samuels noted the cuts will also affect the local economy as the revenues that supermarkets receive from SNAP clients will decrease, making these stores most likely to lay off workers.

St. John’s Bread & Life Pantry, at 796 Lexington Avenue, has seen an 8 percent increase of clients getting help at their pantry, which also runs five days a week.

“Hunger in America is a symptom of poverty. People are paying for their rent instead of food, particularly in Bed-Stuy where gentrification is increasing the cost of housing,” said Bread & Life Executive Director Anthony Butler.

Both Butler and Samuels said now that the elections are over they hope that Democratic lawmakers in Washington start putting more attention into restoring the current and proposed cuts.

The current cut is the result of the end of a stimulus package approved when the economy melted down. Then, in September, the Republican Party-led House passed a $40 billion cut for over ten years to a farm allocation bill that is typically passed every five years giving subsidies to both farmers and sets the SNAP budget. The Democratic Party-led Senate cut $4.1 billion from their version of the bill.

The bill must be passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget now being hammered out.

Flatbush Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has been among the most vocal that the cuts should be restored.

“Our food assistance program constitutes a promise to the families and children of America that every person would have the opportunity to eat,” said Clarke. “These reductions in SNAP violate that promise, our commitment that we will not allow children, senior citizens and people with disabilities to starve.”

Clarke said of particular concern is that the elimination of food assistance will prevent many children from obtaining adequate nutrition for their physical development and academic achievement.

“Studies have demonstrated that children who enter the classroom without a proper breakfast or lunch have difficulty concentrating on their lessons,” she said.

Central Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries called SNAP critical to combating hunger in the communities he represents and throughout America.

“We are the richest country in the world, and no one should go without food. Yet, approximately 50 million Americans confront hunger every day, and 18 million are children. I will continue to oppose cuts to food assistance in the farm bill and work with food banks and nonprofit organizations to combat hunger in our community,” said Jeffries.

Plans Underway To Build Monument Honoring Colonel Charles Young

Editor, Our Time Press
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Congratulations to The National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations (NCBVO) on completing the mission to honor African-American military hero Charles Young (1864-1922)

 

By Patricia Green

Assembling a group of African-American military brass and other dignitaries in Frederick, Maryland on a weekday was no small feat, particularly when they traveled from different parts of the country for the occasion.  Yet, distance had no boundaries for these men because the task would have a profound impact for generations to come.

They came together for a historic reason: first, a luncheon meeting at a quaint Frederick, Maryland restaurant, where they gave perspectives on Colonel Charles Young, an American hero, and how a monument in his honor offered a lasting tribute.

After lunch they traveled to sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez’s studio in the rolling hills of western Maryland.  There, they inspected a clay model that Mendez created for the bronze casting of a maquette honoring Colonel Young, the legendary Buffalo Soldier, statesman and diplomat.  The end creation will be a monument erected in Washington, DC to acknowledge Colonel Young and the historic and honorable service that millions of African-American servicemen and servicewomen gave in defense of the nation.

The inspection team read like a Military Who’s Who, themselves military heroes revered by countless African-American soldiers.  Present were Lt. General Arthur J. Gregg, USA Retired; Lt. General William E. Ward, USA Retired; Major General Errol R. Schwartz, Commanding General, District of Columbia Army National Guard; and Brigadier General Robert Cocroft, USA Retired.  Also present were Chief Methuselah Bradley IV, Honorary Consul for the Republic of Sierra Leone; Mr. Leonard Lawson, Jr., President, BlaqueIce Productions; Mr. Jack Evans, Washington, DC Representative of the Black Veterans Coalition; and Antonio Tobias Mendez.

Charles Blatcher III, Chair, National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations (NCBVO) and the event organizer, reiterated the importance of this recognition.  “Born in 1864, Colonel Charles Young’s was an extraordinary life and career.  He stands as a great symbol, not only for black servicemen and servicewomen, but for all Americans,” Blatcher offered.

“The colonel’s father was a model for the possibilities, serving in the Union Army Fifth Regiment of the Colored Artillery Volunteers during the Civil War.  He planted love of country seeds and military service in young Charles who heard the call.  Despite great odds, Charles Young became the third black graduate of West Point Academy and rose to become the highest-ranking black officer in the United States Armed Forces from World War I until his death in 1922.  Among other achievements, Colonel Young was the first black Superintendent of the National Park Service, and the first black attaché to foreign governments, Haiti and Liberia,” Blatcher concluded.

Accolades like these are worthy of merit.   However, Colonel Young lived during a time when obstacles owed to his skin color were insurmountable.   The NCBVO is seeking to correct the history through working with other supporters to give Colonel Young the rightful receipt of an honorary promotion to Brigadier General. Others in the room agreed recognition of the highest order is long overdue.  Following are tributes from the gathering.

Betty Staton, 79 Years Young, Wins 2013 Annual Stars of New York Dance Competition

Editor, Our Time Press
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2013 Dance Champion Betty Staton with Jude Evans of Balance Dance Theatre

On Thursday, November 7 at 7:00PM at the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts in Downtown Brooklyn, the 2013 Stars of New York Dance brought together more than 300 members of the community to watch six Brooklyn leaders, partnered with professional dancers, dared to dance to raise dance scholarship funds for underserved children in Brooklyn. The event honored artist, author and philanthropist Danny Simmons, founder and vice president of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, for his longstanding commitment to uplifting the lives of children and youth through the arts. The Honorable Betty Staton, Executive Director of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services, 79 years young, was crowned the 2013 Stars of New York Dance Champion! United Way of New York City, MetroPlus Health Plan, WABC-TV, Anheuser-Busch Stella Artois, Examiner.com, Our Time Press newspaper and Profiles 88 magazine sponsored the 2013 Stars of New York Dance.

2013 Dance Champion Betty Staton said, “God is awesome! I asked Him to put David dancing in my feet and He came through BIG TIME! Everyone knows how much I love ‘Stars (of New York Dance)’. It was love at first sight from the time I attended the first performance in 2010. Many of my relatives and friends came for the first time last night and are ready to reserve a ticket for next year. I am so proud to have been amongst the talented ‘Stars.’ They were all wonderful. God gave Cheryl Todmann a wonderful vision and she has done a masterful job in fulfilling that vision. God’s favor is in on this mission as it grows bigger and better each year.”

2010 Dance Champion Colvin W. Grannum, President & CEO of Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation said, “This was a truly competitive event. The performances were creative and well-executed. I was on the edge of my seat the entire evening. Great job”!

2013 Stellar Humanitarian Award -winner Danny Simmons said, “The award ceremony for The Stars of New York Dance brought tears to my eyes…on the real…a young woman wrote and recited a poem about me that broke me down. I get a few awards but no ceremony has been this powerful. I truly felt royal; awesomeness personified. They celebrated me with dance, testimony and poetry. As I hold the (Crystal) Star Award and tell the young people that it’s their award, you should have heard the poetry and seen the dance; from wee little ones to teens, they moved like one and filled me up. I can only say in my humblest voice, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Event Host Errol Louis (of NY 1 News) introduced words of tribute by Brooklyn Academy of Music President Karen Brooks Hopkins and Brooklyn Arts Council President Ella J. Weiss. Special presentations also came in the form of dance performances by the Restoration Dance Theatre, Asase Yaa School of the Arts and Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church Living Sacrifice Dance immediately following a powerful spoken word tribute by Jennifer Falu.

The dance competition judges were: Troy Blackwell-Cook of Dancing With The Stars Las Vegas Live, Cynthia King of Cynthia King Dance Studio; Walter Greene, Fashion Director of Profiles 88 Magazine; and Melissa Vaughan of Professional Center for the Arts had their work cut out for them. This fierce competition resulted in a two-way tie between couples: the Honorable Betty Staton, Executive Director of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services, partnered with Jude M. Perry-Evans of Balance Dance Theater; and Elwanda Young, SVP and COO of United Way of New York City, partnered with Victor Reddick of Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn.

The audience broke the tie with cheers for their favorite couple, Ms. Betty (79 years young) and Jude Evans, who emerged as the 2013 Stars of New York Dance Champions. The winners won $5,000 in dance scholarship funds for the Balance Dance Theater to provide free or subsidized dance education and training to children of low-income communities; and each of the other participating dance companies will receive $1,000 toward a dance scholarship.

The Stars of New York Dance is a charitable, thrilling and judged dance competition—similar to “Dancing with the Stars”—for New York City leaders that raise dance scholarship funds for children from low-income communities to help them develop discipline, confidence and self-esteem to succeed in school and in life.

2013 dance competitors included:

Carlo A. Scissura, President & CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

Elwanda Young, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, United Way of New York City

L. Joy Williams, President, Brooklyn NAACP

The Honorable Betty Staton, Executive Director, Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services

Robert L. Henry, Executive Director, Frank R. Bell Funeral Home, Inc.

Minister Joel Youngblood, Chief Operating Officer, Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church

Since its inception in 2010, the Stars of New York Dance has provided nearly 40 children with free and subsidized dance education and training with the local, community-based dance organizations. The Stars of New York Dance is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit arts service organization.

To make a donation and for more information contact Cheryl Todmann at 917-623-7299, cheryltod@verizon.net or visit www.thestarsofnewyorkdance.com. Facebook: The Stars of New York Dance. Twitter: StarsofNYDance.

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Harvest For The Mind: A Souvenir From The Black Urban Growers Conference

Editor, Our Time Press
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Almost 300 celebrated national success
stories in reforming our food system

Representatives of BUGs Planning Committee, Gilliard Farms of Georgia, the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (center), United Nations, the Social Justice Learning Institute of Los Angeles, the National Family Farm Coalition with Our Time Press beneath top row.

By: Morgan Powell

Boys and Girls High School recently made history by hosting the third Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference.  Marquee food justice groups and growers from California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Mississippi, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and beyond related their stories of successful struggle and love, community productivity and personal growth.  Networking from beginning to end, these experts and beginners,  dedicated to nutrition, community development, business and public policy, hosted and attended workshops along with other gatherings.  Last weekend (Nov. 9 and 10) was anchored by power-packed panel discussions and keynote speeches.  This festival of ideas even improved the school’s small garden (near Utica Avenue on Fulton Street) by planting garlic cloves and introducing a blanket of short plants to improve the soil, also known as cover crops.  Soon, fall will turn to winter and their Web site will bring all that happened to you.  Please see www.blackurbangrowers.org.  You will be able to watch videos, see photos and even read research generated at the conference with a view to the future!

How many people of the African Diaspora would it take to make our food system work better for Black America?  Perhaps, 1,000 would be a good start.  That’s about how many people who have attended this conference since it began at Brooklyn College in 2010.  Diversity was in evidence as a group of Afro-Canadians from Toronto made their mark on the closing sessions re-envisioning BUGs membership.  Well-wishes came, too, from continental Africa.  Latinos who identify with their African heritage were present alongside Asian-American and European-American allies.  In fact, one of the many standout workshops was partly designed to create a safe space for people of all backgrounds to come together as equals.  “Radical Women of Color in the Local and Good Food Movement” discussed antiracist approaches to doing this work within prevailing institutional structures where power is often gendered and racialized.  Bed–Stuy Restoration’s own Dara Cooper co-presented that session with Tanya Fields of the Blk Projek.

Music and meals transformed the school into a moveable modern Timbuktu – an ancient university in the country of Mali.  Brooklyn-based performing artists animated the gathering with song (Beatrice Anderson Ensemble), drumming (Sekou Alajae) and dance (Adaku Utah and Samara Gaev-Truthworker).  Lunch was partly catered by Bread Love of 375 Stuyvesant Avenue, the reborn Bread-Stuy, formerly at Lewis Avenue.

Local leaders, like Rev. Robert Jackson and Rev. DeVanie Jackson, showcased their work at the Brooklyn Rescue Mission to peers from different parts of North America.  “The Business of Sustainable Food: Organizing a Food Hub” laid out what might be called a trinity of pantry, garden and market.  Mrs. Jackson remains inspired by the conference.  She remarked in a subsequent interview that keynote speaker Monica White, Ph.D. of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, spoke to the core of her values.  “She put the hope back in the work.  I feel reenergized…just seeing the history, how people came together [during Jim Crow] to create something.”  Dr. White gave a richly illustrated Powerpoint talk, even honoring central Brooklyn by discussing historic Weeksville, about cooperative economics in Black communities from the 1800s to Fannie Lou Hamer’s and the Nation of Islam’s farms of the mid-20th century.  She challenged us to reckon with the glorious economic legacy of Tuskegee University and available writings about the power of old and sustained cooperative institutions.  These enterprises have addressed universal needs for food, land, education, employment, safety, security, transportation, housing and health care.  “I got some really good insights; you kinda came away feeling good,” reminisced Rev. Jackson.

Morgan Powell is a horticulturist and landscape designer with over a decade in the trade.  He is also a blogger for Outdoor Afro.

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