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Sanctified Materialism

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April 2011 ● urbancny.com

When Your Church Wants More Stuff ...see page 5

Where’s the outcry

on Syracuse’s Citizen Review Board

By Charles Anderson .............Page 4

After 20+ years missing, Carlina White solves own case ........Page 2 The Hall Monitor

Tech overload: iPod, iPhone, iConfused .....Page 3

Does the mayor have authority to fire Felicia Davis?

.....Page 4

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Published monthly by: URBAN CNY Send mail c/o Eagle Media 2501 James St., Suite 100 Syracuse, NY 13206 For advertising and editorial: (315) 422-7778 (315) 434-8883 -- Fax kjackson@urbancny.com Kenneth Jackson – Editor and Publisher Doug Campbell – Designer Walt Shepperd – Senior Editor Marjory W. Wilkins – Contributing Photographer Printed by: Community Media Group LLC 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206 No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the opinions of Community Media Group LLC or Eagle Newspapers.

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Carlina White, Missing After 20+ Years, Solves Her Own Case Imagine going almost 23 years of your life thinking, feeling…believing that your family is yours, only to realize that they have NO record of your birth. How would you respond, and what kind of efDr. Dwight fect would that take Owens, MD on you? For Carlina White, this was an ordeal which took her on a journey more than 1000 miles away to find her true self.

It was August 4, 1987 when Carlina’s parents rushed her to the hospital after she’d been coming down with a fever; Carlina was less than 20 days old. The concerned parents’ worry turned into sheer panic and terror when they learned

that their baby girl was kidnapped from the Harlem Hospital’s emergency room.

According to authorities back then, the perpetrator was a woman who posed as a nurse in the hospital. Subsequently, Carlina’s parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson, won a lawsuit against the city and launched a nationwide search for their daughter, initially offering a $10,000 reward for her return, and then later invested it into a trust fund for her, just in case she surfaced.

Meanwhile, Carlina was living with another family, first in the Connecticut area and then settled in Atlanta under the “alias” Nejdra Nance. Her first suspicions about her family came when she applied for a driver’s license, but could present no birth certificate or proof of I.D. Furthermore, the difference in resemblance and other factors heightened as she began

to research more. As a result, her suspicions triggered her own “missing child” search, where Carlina eventually came across a composite sketch of an eerily similar-looking 19-year old girl who went missing on her same birth year. After calling the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, White explained that “I don’t know who I am,” and authorities connected the missing child photo with her mother’s. It was a match! Carlina was the baby who was snatched from the hospital more than 20 years ago, and was reunited with her mother and family.

Now I can’t imagine what that sort of revelation would do to your mental status. Believing your whole life that your “parents” were your biological ones, and then later wondering why they don’t have the proper birth information for you. Or, See Dr. O, p. 3

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Opinion

April 2011

Technological overload: iPod,iPhone, iConfused I’m sitting here and my ear is hurting. Why? Because I have to wear a Bluetooth hands-free device in order to speak on my phone in the car. Great idea, but aren’t there Gamma Rays or something being aimed at my head?

Just asking. After a while Jackson I think we’ll have medical cases where an earpiece has fused with the head and become part of the ear. Move that piece of hair aside and just plug the darn thing into the USB port growing out of your head.

Okay, next is the new phone: it’s smart, I’m not.

Since my iPhone handles my e-mail I have it synced with my Microsoft Outlook e –mail accounts. Now I can drive (or walk) and talk simultaneously. I have “apps” that track everything from spending to the caloric counts in every McDonald’s menu item.

Ken

The Hall Monitor

Dr. O

from p. 2

seeing the other members of your family and they all look different from you. The growing doubt in Carlina’s late-teen years must have been more than an emotional roller coaster. The unanswered questions and excuses to who you are and why your birth isn’t documented. A lesser person would have slipped into a deep depression, believing that there wasn’t a way out. I applaud Carlina for connecting the dots; it takes a lot of will and courage to first, gather the mentality that something wasn’t right, and second, open your mind to accepting whatever truth comes at the other side.

Police are pursuing the possible perpetrators, stating that they plan to speak with Carlina to “jog” her memory and recall any events leading up to present day. For now, though, I’m relieved that Joy White can find peace of mind again after reuniting with Carlina.

Reuniting with loved ones doesn’t always result in a smooth transition. Often times, there are signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety problems, anger issues, depression and other mental afflictions. If you or a loved one are experiencing any symptoms of these conditions, take back your mental health!

I turn on the car and my TomTom GPS device tells me where to go, in which direction and how long it will take to get me there. I can use the standard American woman’s voice or if I’m feeling really creative I’ll use my Snoop Dog vocal option. “You have reached your destination” in urban slang. Homer Simpson, Mr. T and other celebrity voices are also available.

I’ve become so dependent on this satellite-driven device that I admit TomTom could send me towards Onondaga Lake at 55 mph off the parkway and I’d do it!

Since there is no land-based local talk radio that’s not some freak hating on poor and black people, I’ve gone celestial -- that is, satellite XM radio. If I want to listen to talk I can choose talk that’s not insulting. After shuttering 106.9’s urban format I made a decision that Clear Channels can’t dictate my music or what talk I hear.

Now, if I want a “tea party” I’ll buy Celestial Seasonings brand. No more Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich or Rush in my car -- they’ve been banned. But now there’s another

satellite pointed at my head.

Like any full-grown nerd I waited two-and-a-half hours for the iPad 2, a device that resembles my phone on steroids! I have a Bible app that allows me to take my iPad to church and simply scroll and point at the verse and suddenly I’m reading an electronic Bible complete with lessons, notes, highlighting pen and bookmark for future reference. The device even comes with a complimentary copy of Winnie the Pooh with pages that turn with the sound and look of a regular printed page of paper.

Not only can I surf the web, I can take photos and video just like the phone. Gee, I can be like Oprah! The KENetwork! Isn’t it obvious that I’ve been impacted by all the devices pointed at my head?

Now I have to write a hand-written note, but I forgot how to use a pen.

Ken is the editor of Urban CNY and a weekly columnist for The Eagle. Reach him at kjackson@urbancny.com.

Bill Cosby vs. Russell Simmons: Bitter feud allegedly gets filthy Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons claims that he received some interesting up close and personal treatment from the great Bill Cosby recently when the two met back stage at a show in honor of Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to Simmons, he approached Cosby

By Boyce to apologize for an Watkins, PhD open letter he’d written criticizing Cosby’s attacks on black youth. In response, Cosby allegedly told Simmons to “Get the f**k out of ” his face. If only Cosby had used this language during those Jello Pudding Pop commercials; I would have bought a whole lot more of them.

Cosby’s allegedly bold, yet tasteless interaction with Simmons is interesting for a number of reasons. First, it signifies that Bill Cosby truly believes what he says and that he’s not into the BS of it all. Most public figures are incredibly passive-aggressive, smiling in your face and stabbing you in the back -- all at the same time. Personally, it irritates me, and is part of a game that I

never want to learn how to play. In that regard, I respect Cosby’s candor: If you don’t like someone, there’s no need in pretending that you do.

On the other hand, Cosby’s reaction to Simmons didn’t have to be so egregious and confrontational. Bill Cosby disrespects both himself and Russell Simmons with his alleged remark, and the public has come Bill Cosby and Russell Simmons to expect a degree of class from Cosby that he Cosby’s critique on the black community doesn’t seem to feel inclined to deliver. He was somewhat accurate, but ultimately ingets a pass because of his age however, for complete. The same courage with which he none of us knows what might be going on attacked single black mothers and jobless inside the mind of this elderly man as he youth for their behavior should have been hits his twilight years. We also can’t deny replicated in challenging the powers that be the impact that his son’s tragic murder has to modify their creation of the conditions had on Cosby’s tolerance for the effects of to which young black people are respondhip-hop culture. ing. As Cosby spoke heartily about kids pulling their pants up and marrying their With regard to the issue at hand, both baby’s mamas, he should have spoken just Simmons and Cosby are correct and See Cosby v. Simmons, p. 4 incorrect in their respective positions.

April 2011

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Community News Does Mayor Miner Have Authority to Fire Felicia Davis?

‘Syracuse Citizens for Justice’ Call for Action

By Ken Jackson It was a crisp bright sunny Sunday in Syracuse on March 20th and as thousands left their morning services, clipped to the windshield of hundreds of vehicles was the call for action by Syracuse Citizens for Justice. Syracuse Citizens for Justice was formed after the firing of Citizen Review Board Director Felicia Davis. Davis according to multiple reports was fired because she failed to attend a trial, a trial where a subpoena had been served.

Current and former members of the CRB have raised questions “did the Mayor have the authority to fire Ms. Davis?” Did the Mayor have the authority to deny access to the office by CRB board members?

According to many in the African-American Community Ms. Davis was doing a great job given the obstacles she faced over the years with changing Mayors and a revolving door of board members.

Community Activist and former CRB member Gladys Smith said, “When I was there we were having hearings, work was being done” Smith went on to say that she “had no problem” with how Ms. Davis handled her job.

Sponsor of the original Citizen Review Board legislation former 4th District Common Councilor Charles Anderson is upset that no one in

leadership in the African-American community has taken this on as an issue and adds, “I have been appalled by the depiction of the CRB director, attorney Felicia Davis, and the board of directors… to depict the CRB Board of Directors, who are appointed by the councilors and the mayor, as “moribund,” perpetuates a negative view of the board. Such depiction shifts any blame from the mayor, who sat on the council for eight years, and now usurps the power of the legislative branch of which she was a member.”

Syracuse Citizens for Justice, the group formed to fight the Mayor’s action has released a 6 point statement of charges where among them “the Mayor took $38,228 from the CRB’s budget” and “Ms. Davis was never physically served with the subpoena. Juanita Perez-Williams, Corporation Counsel was aware of when Ms. Davis would be on maternity leave and was present at a hearing on January 24th when city lawyer Jim McGinty admitted that they failed to notify Ms. Davis.”

The Citizen Review Board on February 7th 2011 in a dramatic press conference stated that they, “found the Administrator’s work to be exemplary”.

In the message delivered primarily to African-American congregations was Syracuse Citizens for Justice’s call for action and that “She (Ms. Davis) shall be reinstated to her job with paid administrative leave while they investigate the Mayor’s allegations.” The group is asking people to call their Common Councilor and “tell them to give Ms. Davis her due process that the Mayor and her Corporation Counsel failed to do.”

Where’s the outcry on Syracuse’s Citizen Review Board?

As Black History Month fades into twilight, the contentious debate over the firing of Felicia Davis, the director of the Citizen Review Board, shows no sign of doing likewise. As the councilor who sponsored the CRB legislation, I feel compelled to speak, and will do so in the broader context of struggles in Black History.

The Common Council does not serve at the command of the mayor. During my 12-year tenure on the Syracuse Common Council, we passed some of our city’s most contentious and controversial legislation. Most of the legislation was resisted by the mayor. We cooperated with the mayor when it was in the interest of our constituents and the city; we were in opposition when it was not.

We imposed two-term limits on the mayor and the common councilors. We created the Citizen Review Board to institute civilian oversight of the Syracuse Police Department.

We passed the Fair Practices Ordinance to prohibit discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgendered people in public accommodations. We did not give in, despite

Cosby v. Simmons as readily about mass incarceration, failed educational systems in the inner city and our nation’s lack of interest in unprecedented levels of black unemployment.

Russell Simmons is right to stand up for black youth in the face of Cosby’s inter-generational assault, for there were few powerful men willing to take a position opposite that of Bill Cosby. But Simmons must also be careful not to come off as the doting parent who excuses every ridiculous thing his child does. Keeping his bank account full by releasing hip-hop albums that promote both derogatory language

fierce opposition from the mayor and police chief. Charles Anderson Instead, our Contributing writer allegiance was to the people, and our purpose was to create a more just and equal community. We, the members of the Common Council, created the Citizen Review Board and gave the power to hire its director to the Common Council. That power was not given to the mayor and police chief.

We were able to pass this contentious and controversial legislation because we met with and listened to a citizenry who were not intimidated by the mayor or police chief. In addition, we had objective articles and insightful editorials that supported the need for oversight, accountability, and transparency of all government officials and entities.

Most importantly, we had strong Black institutions in our community that kept us informed, engaged, inspired and ennobled. Unfortunately, one by one, those institutions have disappeared from Syracuse: The Urban League of Onondaga County, the City-County Human Rights See Citizen Review Board, p. 6

from p. 3 and dysfunctional concepts is hardly the way for a black man to make an honest living. In order for Simmons to show true advocacy and love for the urban youth he represents, there is a time where he must trade in profitability for accountability. It’s one thing to rap about the terrible conditions under which you were born, and another thing to mass promote a destructive lifestyle that threatens the very existence of the entire black community.

When it’s all said and done, both Cosby and Simmons are powerful men with strong opinions. I personally favor

Russell’s decency in handling the dispute, for Cosby doesn’t need to curse anyone out. But when it comes to making our community better, we’ve all got to push ourselves to appreciate other points of view and even admit when the other guy has a good point. Neither Cosby nor Simmons has all the answers and I hope they both understand that.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the initiator of the National Conversation on Race. For more information, please visit BoyceWatkins. com.

nygearup.syr.edu

April 2011

Arel Moodie inspires Fowler

By Rebecca Saxon NY GEARUP Media Coordinator Motivational speaker Arel Moodie dazzled Fowler High School seniors on March 4 with words of wisdom and confidence. Moodie, who has been featured in USA Today and Young Money Magazine for his entrepreneurial feats, is heralded as one of the top Generation Y leaders. His charismatic energy coupled with his “more you give the more you get” attitude had students clamoring to

get a word in with him after his uplifting speech.

“I know what some of y’all are thinking; this guy is corny,” Moodie joked when he began his lecture with a series of catch phrases. The students laughed as he cracked jokes up and down the aisles, stopping to give them high fives along the way.

Moodie grew up in the projects of Brooklyn with virtually nothing. He was clear that his Cinderella story was neither about his business nor his

book, but more about the journey and how he got to where he is now. His high school was one of the top five worst high schools in the United States in terms of crime. Before he’d even gotten to high school, he’d watched someone get shot.

He struggled from an early age not only with his surroundings, but also with his racial identity, having been born to a white Jewish woman and a Jamaican/ Cuban man.

“I got made fun of and I didn’t want to go outside,” Moodie said. This was

the darkest point in Moodie’s life, and he began contemplating suicide rather than facing another day in the projects.

Something inside of him stirred at age 16, however, and he made a decision that he wasn’t going to stay there forever. He worked hard throughout his high school years and got accepted to college.

The seniors remained enraptured by his story as he told them that all it takes

Please see Moodie, NY GEARUP page 2

/ NY GEARUP, APRil 011

STAFF Marissa Joy Mims Director

Caitlin Donnelly

Eagle Newspapers Editor

Rebecca Saxon

NY GEARUP Media Coordinator

Carolyn Clark Tedi Doychinova Reporters

Malea Perkins

NY GEARUP Office Coordinator

Luz Encarnacion

Outreach Coordinator

The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is the state agency that has been designated by the Governor’s office to administer the NY GEARUP Program. Funding for NY GEARUP is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

NY GEARUP at Syracuse University receives $567,000 in funding that is matched 100 percent by in-kind services for a total funding of $1,340,000.

HESC helps people pay for college by providing a comprehensive range of financial aid services, including the Tuition Assistance Program, guaranteeing student loans, and administering the nationally recognized New York’s College Savings Plan.

New York State is a leader in the national financial aid community, providing more grant money to college students than any other state.

Moodie

From NY GEARUP page 1

is one opportunity to achieve success.

Like many seniors, he dreaded filling out college applications. However, all it takes it one application to get the opportunity of a lifetime.

“If you go to college and get a degree, so many doors open for you,” he said.

“If you get your foot in the door and combine that with your own hustle, you will succeed.”

Moodie went on to explain his keys to success, one of which is his “why’s”.

He urged students to think from the standpoint of “Why NOT me?” in terms of their goals. These principles are laid out in his best-selling book, “Your Starting Points for Student Success,” which every student received a copy of after the lecture.

Fowler students listened intently as Moodie explained that if you want success, you are solely responsible. With a few months left of the school year, it was just the kick that the students needed to motivate themselves.

Moodie went on to explain his “average of five” theory, which seemed to ring true with a lot of the audience members. He said that you become the average of the five people you most hang out with. Therefore, if the majority of your friends have low GPA’s, chances are you will too.

“If you want to take off, you have to let certain people go,” Moodie said. He also advised students to make a list of the people they hang out with the most, and put a check or minus next to their name depending on whether or not they help you towards success.

Moodie attended college at Binghamton University, where he learned that

PHOTOS bY REbECCA SAxON

Chantelle Jenkins (left) and Petra Harris (right) attended Moodie’s lecture and both said they learned a lot from the experience. in college, school is finally considered “cool.” This culture shock was followed by a sincere drive to excel in all his classes. While some students giggled at the idea, most commented that if you’re paying for it, you really should take college seriously.

After going through ice-breaking exercises, telling his personal story and getting the students up and out of their seas for various activities, Moodie stuck around for an additional two hours to sign books and chat with students about their concerns and hopes for the future.

Most touching of all was the overwhelming feedback on Facebook from Fowler students thanking him for inspiring them to be their best.

Justin Williams of Fowler wrote, “You are the best speaker that has ever been to Fowler” on Moodie’s Facebook page after his speech. Darrius Hayes wrote, “Out of all the speeches I’ve

What is NY GEARUP? NY GEARUP is based out of Syracuse University’s School of Education. NY GEARUP works in the Syracuse City School District with the class of 2011 at Corcoran, Fowler, Henninger, ITC and Nottingham high schools.

GEARUP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. It’s a national initiative to create innovative programs with the goal of increasing college awareness for students and their families. GEARUP also helps students develop the skills necessary to pursue education after high school.

To achieve its mission, NY GEARUP organizes college visits, tutoring and mentoring, college awareness and exploration activites, and educational planning and workshops.

heard yours inspired me the most… The goals you’ve achieved made me realize that I can do it, too.”

After the show, I caught up with a few students in the audience. Both were beaming from Moodie’s impressive selfconfidence.

Senior Chantelle Jenkins, 17, said that the lecture was great and that it showed her that she could do whatever she put her mind to. After high school, Jenkins is joining the Navy and will go to boot camp in November of this year.

“He really told me a lot, he made me want to really go out and do the things I want to do,” said Petra Harris, 18. “The things he said about the people you are friends with is definitely true. I’ve had experience that proves it.” Harris is planning on becoming a massage therapist and will be attending the Onondaga School of Massage Therapy.

For more on Arel Moodie, visit arelmoodie.com.

Contact us: NYGEARUP@syr.edu Phone 443.7848 Twitter: NYGEARUP Facebook: NYGEARUP@ Syracuse University Radio: StepIt UP! on Power620 AM, Hot 107.9

Interested in Writing?

For those students in the NY GEARUP program that are graduating in 2011 and are interested in writing for Eagle Newspaper’s NY GEARUP edition, please contact Caitlin Donnelly at cdonnelly@eaglenewsonline.com.

NY GEARUP, APRil 2011 /

Nottingham Career Fair

By Reba Saxon NY GEARUP Media Coordinator NY GEARUP’s Alternative Roads Career Fairs went well this month at Nottingham and Henninger high schools. Over thirty businesses were in attendance total. Each business had a representative and literature at their tables to provide information for the seniors about career paths after high school. Students walked around to each of the tables, asking insightful questions about how to get involved in different organizations.

John Butler, of the New York State Funeral Directors Association, said that the career fair was a great opportunity for students.

“It’s important to give kids another view, especially for the ones who aren’t on a college career path,” he said. “Without events like this they probably wouldn’t ever know about some of these organizations.”

Shevaugn Jefferson from the US Navy’s table was frequented by a lot of seniors. A Syracuse native and Nottingham graduate, Jefferson thought that the fair provided “open, full access to everyone.”

“The students were really interested in getting information, which is always good,” he said.

Students were optimistic after gaining more information through the career fair. Desiree Rivera, 17, a senior at Nottingham, said she found it useful to learn about different job opportunities she’d never heard of before. After graduation, she plans to start two-year college and then move on to a fouryear university.

Jamar Brown, 17, thought the career fair was “awesome,” and he especially liked the pull-up bar the Marines brought in to test personal fitness. Brown plans to attend two-year college after graduation.

Linda Burns, Career Center coordinator at Nottingham, said the event was a great success for both students and participating businesses.

“I had very good feedback from the participants. They said they were very pleased with the students and thought they asked questions and were engaged,” said Burns. She also had students tell her they plan on following up with certain businesses in the future.

As a follow-up to the fair, Burns said she plans on having a class in May, “for seniors that are interested in improving their skills in resume writing and interviewing.”

Look out for more NY GEARUP career fair and alternative paths programs in the future.

/ NY GEARUP, APRil 2011

True Life: Darrius Marson

By Rebecca Saxon NY GEARUP Media Coordinator Darrius Marson, 17, from Henniger High School is no stranger to adversity. As he comes to the end of his senior year, he reflects on his experience as an openly gay student in the Syracuse City School District.

Marson was “outed” accidentally in the eighth grade, when he left his journal behind in class.

When he realized what had happened, Marson recalls feeling like his heart had stopped. Since then, Marson has embraced his identity and speaks candidly about his experiences.

“When I first got to high school, I was really nervous, but I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable as time has gone on,” Marson said.

“People are always talking, but usually they don’t say anything to my face.” He said that being the only openly gay African American male he knows at Henninger isn’t easy, but he finds it empowering.

Outside of school, Marson has experienced instances of homophobia. While wearing a rainbow belt on South State Street, Marson was attacked by an intoxicated peer.

The young man ran up to Marson and punched him in the face after calling him derogatory names. In this and similar situations, Marson said it’s easiest to “laugh off ” other people’s prejudice and try to not take it too seriously.

One of the situations where he’s had to employ that same motto is at home. Marson said his family members aren’t totally supportive of his sexuality, which has been a struggle. Marson isn’t angry at their ignorance, but said he is instead grateful that they have

taken such good care of him. Some members of Henninger’s faculty have picked up the emotional slack for Marson and he has become close with a few teachers who have taught him to rise above intolerance.

Henninger also has a gaystraight alliance, but Marson said he would like to see it get more support.

“They do programs, they had an open house and they provide information—Their main message has been that you don’t have to be gay to be involved,” Marson explained.

When recently working at a table for a program put on by the gay-straight alliance, Marson was reminded that not everyone is supportive at Henninger.

“People would walk up and realize what it was, and make faces and turn away,” he said. Marson has found the most solace through the LGBT community at The Q Center run by Dr. Elizabeth Payne, a Syracuse University professor.

‘They are very supportive and Dr. Payne is on kids’ backs about staying in school and developing healthy relationships,” Marson said.

“If you’re black and gay, you have to have a tough skin.” Marson said that a lot of gay teens develop a stereotypically “bitchy” attitude, but that it’s usually just a defense against prejudice.

Marson said he is excited for what post-grad life has to offer. He’s been accepted to St. John’s University in Queens for their Physician’s Assistant program. Eventually, he wants to go on to medical school.

Marson is the first collegebound member of his family and he’s happy about changing that history, and challenging both racial

Darrius Marson

and sexual stereotypes.

On a recent hospital visit, Marson said he was startled to see that all of the doctors where white and almost every janitor was African American.

“I’m going to change that,” he said. “You don’t see a lot of black doctors, much less black gay doctors.”

To other students who are struggling with their sexuality or having trouble in general, Marson of-

fers some advice: “Don’t be scared to be yourself. Your real friends will accept and the ones who don’t aren’t healthy to be around.”

Marson also encourages students to be the best they can possibly be in their field of choice, especially those experiencing problems because of their homosexuality.

“Gay men are so oppressed, you have to try to be successful in everything you do. Aim high,” he said.

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Sanctified Materialism: When Your Church Wants More Stuff sharefaithblog.com Sharefaith blog is to edify, challenge, inform, and improve churches around the world through the use of informational articles and resources.

Your church wants stuff. All kinds of stuff. Maybe you want a new building.

Better carpet. Plush, padded, interlocking chairs. New microphones. A faster computer for your media. Remodeled bathrooms.

A covered driveway for the front. Maybe you even think you need these things. But maybe, just maybe, the church is acting a bit too much like the world in the area of materialism.

Hi Church, I’m the World. Please Follow Me. Have you ever wondered if the church tends to follow the world in some respects?

According to the Bible, the “world” is a mindset—a mental disposition that can draw the Christian’s affections, attitudes, and actions away from God (see 1 John 2:15-17). Worldliness is not defined according to current dress standards, music styles, and watching dirty shows on TV. There are many things of the “world” that are wonderful and lawful for Christians— indications of God’s common grace. At the same time, Christians must recognize that the world system is subversive and dangerous.

At times, it is evident that subversive elements of the world can creep into the church. Whatever prevailing heresy or trend is at large in the world’s culture can all too easily find its ways into the lives of Christians and into the functioning of local churches. Take, for example, the philosophy of postmodernism. There seems to be some legitimacy to a few of the theories of postmodernism, but postmodernism’s denial of absolute truth or the knowability of absolutes is antithetical to the Bible, and undermines its every claim! This isn’t just a 2011 phenomenon. We see throughout the New Testament how the early church had to battle against the allure of the current culture, including gnosticism and stoicism.

The world is always doing its best to worm into the church and corrupt it.

The Un-Sin of Materialism Now, let’s get to that word in the title of this article: materialism. Materialism is one of the most poisonous sins that our culture manifests. Perhaps materialism is so dangerous because it’s so easy for Christians to engage in it without censure, approbation, or even much notice. When

it comes to other awful sins like abortion, adultery, or murder, the offense is so egregious and obvious that it’s almost easy to steer clear. Materialism, on the other hand, is something that is so intertwined with the warp and woof of our cultural fabric that we hardly know how to identify it in our own lives, much less root it out.

It becomes an un-sin—hardly noticeable, hardly problematic, and hardly confessable.

Yet materialism infects everything from the things we spend our time on, to the things that we love, to the things we think about, to the things that we pursue, to the things, things, things… And before we know it, worldliness–that mindset that draws the Christian’s affections, attitudes, and actions away from God–has settled deep in our hearts in the form of materialism.

Now, let’s go back to talking about the church. The sins that church members and church leadership tolerates are the sins that begin to destroy the church itself.

Materialism appears when you think that “the church just needs more funds” to overcome problems and challenges. Materialism may be lurking when the physical plant of the church seems more important, more time-consuming, and more important than the lives of those who attend the church. Materialism is ruining a church when a lengthy or expensive building project becomes the distinguishing factor of the church’s existence. Materialism is a preoccupation with offerings, budget items, expenditures, salaries, funds, investments, bank balances, and the next cool gadget that you’re going to buy for the church office. Materialism may be present when the church considers a big wad of cash in savings to be an indication of their security.

Materialism is present when you think you have a “church” when you’ve obtained a building. Materialism may be exerting its influence when the church is more committed to putting on a good show than feeding the sheep. Materialism is an obsession with church “programs.” Materialism is relying on the beauty of the media, the power of the music, or the skill of the performers to drive a church service.

Materialism destroys a church, turning it inward upon itself, rather than outward to reach the world. Randy Alcorn wrote, ”Christ’s disciples love people and use things. Materialists love things and use people.” Are you making true disciples, or cultivating materialism?

I can keep going. Harping on a sin like materialism is an easy rant. Eventually, you’ll make people feel worthless until

they start kicking themselves, or rush off to make a huge donation to Samaritan’s Purse.

The Church is Not Material When Jesus was called upon to settle an inheritance dispute, he took the opportunity to give a bit of counsel against materialism. He said: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” The same is true of the church. In the Bible, the church is never described in terms of its material existence, yet the Western church is so characterized by materialism–buildings, giving records, attendance statistics, offerings, fund raisers, building projects, and new and better stuff.

Can you have church without all the stuff? If your church was suddenly without a building, a bank account, a bus, or printed Sunday School materials, could you carry on? What if your church was suddenly left with no resources except a decrepit mud hut, like some churches I’ve seen in Africa?

What if you had no place to meet, except to occasionally gather in small groups in church member’s living rooms, much like the underground church in China? What if your church had no Yamaha keyboards, no Fender amps, and no Pearl drumset?

Can you rethink “church,” and extricate your church from the web of materialism?

The church doesn’t consist of buildings and bank accounts. The church loses its influence in the world whenever it is anything but “the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

You may not be able to purchase the upgraded church van. You may have to settle for the coffee stains in the carpet of the church lobby. You may have to endure the tinny quality of your cheap sound system.

You may not be able to buy a new bulb to replace the burnt-out one in your data projector.

But you can still have a thriving and effective church.

Perhaps this all sounds funny, especially coming from an organization that promotes good church media. We think it’s important. We think that the Bible is important, and we want to warn against what we see as harmful influences in the world today. Materialism is one of them.

Additional biblical consideration: Matthew 16:24-27; 1 Timothy 6:5-12; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Colossians 3:5-6, 1 John 2:15-17.

urbanCNY

Review Board

April 2011

from p. 4

Commission, The Syracuse Black Leadership Conference, The Rainbow Coalition, The Coalition for Quality Education, The Taskforce on Police-Community Relations, just to name a few.

Now, a nearly century-old Dunbar Association, a 17-year-old Citizen Review Board, and a 29-year-old Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center are teetering on the precipice. We no longer have a Westcott Youth Organization, a Decathlon Society or a Soul Generation to inspire our youth. Our television shows — the NAACP’s “Karamu,” Dennis Dowdell’s “New & Views: A Black Perspective,” WCNY’s “Black-on-Black,” Human Rights Commission’s “Straight to the Source,” and WIXT’s “Insight” — are no longer here to give hope and vision to our dreams and aspirations.

Also absent are Dr. Richard Pritchard’s “Impartial Citizen,” Chris Powell’s “Hometown News,” Laymon Herring’s “The Syracuse Banner,” the “Syracuse Constitution” from Stanley Dean and Kenneth Jackson, and Wil Morgan’s “Syracuse Gazette.” The Black press kept our community informed, engaged, and focused, and our community and political leaders accountable.

The disappearance of all those institutions has created a vacuum, a lost historical memory from whence we’ve come and the battles we have fought. As a result, we allow the director of the CRB, and its board members, to be “tried and convicted” with little outcry. Our community has lost its voice and a sense of the history we celebrated this month.

A personnel matter that should have been discussed in executive session by the CRB board and the Common Council has played out publicly without due process, rules of decency, or fair play.

I have been appalled by the depiction of the CRB director, attorney Felicia Davis, and the board of directors, in the press.

Here is an intelligent, educated public servant, a graduate of Howard University, a member of the New York State Bar Association, a wife and mother of three, a church-going, God-fearing woman, escorted from her office by a police officer, as though she were a common criminal convicted of some heinous crime!

Then to depict the CRB Board of Directors, who are appointed by the councilors and the mayor, as “moribund,” perpetuates a negative view of the board. Such depiction shifts any blame from the mayor, who sat on the council for eight years, and now usurps the power of the legislative branch See Review Board, p. 6

April 2011

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What’s up

Syracuse Links, Community Folk Art Center present 2011 Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition

Vanessa Williams to receive SU Icon of Style Award at New York gala

The Syracuse Chapter of the Links, Inc. in cooperation with Community Folk Art Center, Inc. and local school districts announced their 39th Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition. The ongoing intent is to provide an opportunity to recognize teenagers (ages 13-19) of African American, Hispanic American, Native American and Asian American heritage as well as those from other underrepresented groups who demonstrate talent in the fine arts.

Participation continues to grow each year, and the Center expect that this year’s program will continue in the fine tradition that has been established. With your cooperation and continued encouragement of student participation, the CFAC will be able to exhibit the wide range of talent among local teenagers.

All students who take part in the exhibition will be recognized with a certificate of participation, and monetary prizes will be given in the categories of drawing, painting, mixed media (including photography, collage, prints etc.), and three-dimensional work (including sculpture, fiber and ceramics).

The 2011 Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition is scheduled for May 7th through May 21st. The reception and awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 7th, 2011 from

African-Americans in the news

Frank Bisignano to be presented with Dean’s Award of Distinction Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has announced that it will honor renowned actress and recording artist Vanessa Williams ’85 with its 2011 Icon of Style Award. Williams, an alumna of the college’s Department of Drama, will receive the award at VPA’s New York City gala on Thursday, May 19, at 6 p.m. at JPMorgan Chase, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, 60th floor.

The event will also honor JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Administrative Officer Frank Bisignano, who will receive the college’s Dean’s Award of Distinction.

The gala includes a reception and fashion show at One Chase Manhattan Plaza featuring the top collections from fashion design seniors in VPA’s Department of Design, followed by a benefit dinner for the college at the Vault at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, 25 Broad St. Williams and Bisignano will receive their awards at the fashion show and be honored guests at the benefit dinner.

The Icon of Style Award honors those individuals who are bold, innovative and visionary in the world of fashion.

Williams, who exhibits impeccable style both on and off stage and screen, will join a prestigious group of past recipients, including Stephanie Solomon, operating vice president for fashion direction for women’s ready-to-wear at Bloomingdale’s; designer Henry Grethel; and Emme, a prominent model, author, lecturer, clothing designer and women’s advocate. All three past recipients are also SU alumni.

The Dean’s Award of Distinction is presented to individuals who, in their careers and service to the college and community, exhibit the values expressed in the mission and vision of

VPA. “Both Va n e s s a and Frank have demonstrated an exemplary level of commitment to our college and the arts,” Vanessa Williams says VPA Dean Ann Clarke. “We’re delighted to honor and thank them at an event that also showcases the talents and achievements of our students, who are the next generation of cultural leaders.”

For ticket and sponsorship information for the gala, contact Jeffry Comanici at (315) 443-9727 or jjcomani@ syr.edu.

About Vanessa Williams Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, and she has achieved critical acclaim as an actress on stage, in film and on television.

Williams’ albums “The Right Stuff,” “The Comfort Zone” and “The Sweetest Days” earned multiple Grammy Award nominations and have yielded such classic hits as “Save the Best For Last,” “Dreamin,” “Work To Do,” “Love Is” and the Academy Award-winning single “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s “Pocahontas,” among many others. She took Broadway by storm in 1994 when she replaced Chita Rivera in “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” winning the hearts of critics and becoming a box office sensation. She garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award for the 2002 revival of “Into the Woods.”

She recently starred to rave reviews in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s new Broadway musical “Sondheim on Sondheim.”

Review Board of which she was a member. The CRB director appeared before the Council for 17 years for approval of the budget for the Citizen Review Board. That was ample time to deal with all the things now being criticized.

Looking back over the long and dusty road we have traveled, I do not despair. From the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s to the massive protests in Tahrir Square in Egypt in 2011, the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., still resound in the spirit of people in Libya, Tunisia, Iran and Yemen: “There is something in the soul that cries out for freedom.”

So my fellow councilors: we birthed it, but its very survival now rests with you.

On Dec. 22, 1992, on the steps of Syracuse City Hall, at a Citizen Review Board rally, this councilor recalled some of the heroes and

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Community Folk Art Center, 805 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, New York 13210. The deadline for artwork to be dropped off for the exhibition is April 21st, 2011.

They are also available to make a brief classroom presentation for students. Please call the CFAC if you would be interested in a classroom visit.

CFAC are also seeking images of student artwork to use for promotional materials for this year’s exhibition. For consideration, please submit a high-resolution digital image of the work, along with the student’s name, grade, school, title of the work, dimensions, and teacher’s name to cpbattag@syr.edu by April If you have any questions, please contact Christopher Battaglia, curator at Community Folk Art Center, at 442-2371, or via e-mail at cpbattag@syr.edu.

from p. 5 heroines on whose shoulders we stand today: Frederick Douglass, the great orator and abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, the great underground railroad conductor, Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hammer of Mississippi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X, and Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

“As we stand here,” I said, “Let the fire of their words ignite our consciousness and our resolve. Let the urgency of their words propel us to action. Let the forcefulness of their lives, give life to us, imbue us with daring and boldness, strength and perseverance. Let us remember that down through the generations, their lives and their struggles have given inspiration and nobility to each of us, and that propels us onward to the work that THIS TIME AND THIS PLACE demands of us.”

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Visit us online at urbancny.com!

April 2011

The path to your first home.

The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) offers first-time homebuyers:

For more information, call

1-800-382-HOME (4663) or visit www.nyshcr.org

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