OUR TIME PRESS | May 10 – 16, 2018

| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |

OUR TIME PRESS THE L OCAL PAPER WITH THE G LOBAL VIEW

| VOL. 22 NO. 19

May 10 – 16, 2018 |

Since 1996

Iyanla Vanzant Responds to Community Call For Support

Education Leaders Standing together: Candice Cooper, guest, Taijah Nelson, Melissa Bedminster, Grecian Harrison-Walker (Principal of Boys and Girls High School ), Iyanla Vanzant (center in white), Lavonne Gaston, Allison Farrington (principal of Research and Service HS), civic leader Stefani Zinerman, Sandra Cummings (Community School Director, Good Shepherd Services).

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By Maitefa Angaza

yanla Vanzant was called to Brooklyn on Tuesday, May 8th. She arrived and delivered, galvanizing minds and uplifting spirits at the Boys And Girls High

building in Bedford Stuyvesant. The author, spiritual teacher, life coach and TV personality was asked by old friend Stan Kinard, community liaison for the school, because some students were having difficulty after a classmate was recently shot multiple times

Two Worlds

(off school grounds). “I need you,” is all Kinard said, and it was enough.

The school building, easily recognized by its colorful mural by the late, great Ernie Crichlow, currently houses Boys and Girls proper, the Research and Service High

Winning Participatory Budgeting Projects Across

School and the Nelson Mandela School for Social Justice. Each has its own mission and challenges, but the students tend to cooperate. So all felt the blow, though not all students were equally familiar with the young shooting victim. Continued on Page 3.

Hands in the Soil

Brooklyn Are Announced

B

rooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams announced on Tuesday the impact of his $1 million capital budget investment in Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) of participatory budgeting (PB), a democratic process in which local residents directly decide how to spend part of a public budget, which increased the number of community-driven projects funded in council districts that encompass more than 60 percent of Brooklyn.

See page 2

Continued on Page 4

Page 7

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

Traffic Jam on the Way to the Future

Two Worlds

Next week, Our Time Press will report a tree-planting dedication that occurred at P.S. 81 with a first-person by Principal Christina Ault-Barker. This week, we covered the shooting of a Brooklyn man down the block from the planting.

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Johnny Mathis, Jr. dies from gunshot; Funeral services set for Monday, May 14

F

29-year-old man was blasted in the head at a barbecue in a Brooklyn park died early Fri-

day.

Johnny Mathis, Jr. was fatally shot in the Eleanor Roosevelt Playground near DeKalb Ave. and Lewis Ave. in BedfordStuyvesant on Friday morning around 1:40am., according to the New York Police Department and newspaper reports.

He passed at Woodhull Hospital.

According to Danny Ludici of the New York Daily News, “Ms. Mathis learned of (her son’s) death when a panicked friend ran to her building in the Eleanor Roosevelt Houses at about 2 a.m.”

The News reported, “She ran down the block to find her son in an ambulance.”

“When I came over they were already working on him,” she said. “They were trying to save him, pumping his heart.”

“Mathis’ mother watched through the ambulance doors as the paramedics tried to save her son.”

“I was praying that he would make it,” she said. “’That was the only thing I could do.”

“The victim’s mother said the gunman mistakenly targeted her son.”

“I heard that a guy came looking for somebody else and they got into a fight and the shots rang out, “ she said. “He DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc. 358 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 599-6828 Web site: www.ourtimepress.com e-mail: editors@ourtimepress.com Publisher DBG MEDIA Editor-in-Chief David Mark Greaves Copy Editor Maitefa Angaza Web Editor www.ourtimepress.com Liani Greaves Contributors Victoria Horsford Abigail Rosen McGrath Fern Gillespie Akosua Albritton Margo McKenzie Priscilla Mensah Aishamanne Williams Marlon Rice Sports Eddie Castro Office Manager Joanna Williams Consultant Bernice Elizabeth Green © 2015, DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc., printed in New York City.

All rights reserved.

No part of the publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publishers.

Publishers are not responsible for any ad claims.

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VOL. 22 NO. 19

orgotten Brooklyn” — the area of the County of Kings nesting between Stuyvesant Heights and Williamsburg — is prey, as one community resident described them, “to vulture developers, greedy, heartless gentrifiers and criminal developers — just as gutless as the gunman who took Johnny Mathis’ life.

When children went to school Friday morning they encountered a scene Mr. Mathis, it is said, would have tried to steer them from. Earlier on Friday morning, at about 1:00am, it is rumored: Mr. Mathis stood in front of others as a man brandishing a weapon threatened their lives.

Johnny Mathis, Jr. was just with his friends having a barbecue. They have something going on over here all the time.”

“A pair of Nike sandals and a cell phone remained scattered beside a trail of blood about 10 feet from the playground’s jungle gym.”

As we go to press, it is reported that a weapon has been found, but no arrests have been made.

Services for Johnny Mathis, Jr. will take place on Monday, May 14 at the Lawrence Woodward Funeral Home, 1 Troy Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. The Viewing is scheduled on that date from 2:00pm-6:00pm, with a service immediately following the Viewing at 6:00pm. The Rev. Louis Mosley will preside.

Mathis’s mother, Pearla Mathis, 66, confirmed funeral service arrangements for Our Time Press yesterday morning. (BGreen)

Photo: Elizabeth. Green

Of a Life and a Death: Friday morning, NYPD detectives pore over the scene at the Eleanor Roosevelt playground on DeKalb Avenue where Johnny Mathis, 29, played as a child, broke up fights as a teenager; walked his son as a father; and was felled at 1:00 am by a fatal gunshot, at close range, to the head.

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VOL. 22 NO. 19

OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

Vanzant at Boys and Girls High School ■■

I

By Maitefa Angaza

yanla Vanzant was called to Brooklyn on Tuesday, May 8th. She arrived and delivered, galvanizing minds and uplifting spirits at the Boys And Girls High building in Bedford Stuyvesant. The author, spiritual teacher, life coach and TV personality was asked by old friend Stan Kinard, community liaison for the school, because some students were having difficulty after a classmate was recently shot multiple times (off school grounds). “I need you,” is all Kinard said, and it was enough.

The school building, easily recognized by its colorful mural by the late, great Ernie Chrichlow, currently houses Boys and Girls proper, the Research and Service High School and the Nelson Mandela School for Social Justice. Each has its own mission and challenges, but the students tend to cooperate. So all felt the blow, though not all students were equally familiar with the young shooting victim.

Before she addressed the students, Vanzant sat in a room with Kinard, faculty members and community stakeholders to come up with concrete plans for assisting the students on optimal levels going forward. People volunteered to accept areas of assignment and to follow through on collaboration for the sake of their common commitment – the students.

Long-time Boys & Girls HS educator Stanley Kinard with Iyanla Vanzant at Middle Passage Memorial at the school entrance.

Once on stage, Vanzant’s message and impact transcended the solemnity to help students examine their trajectories and to claim agency now, to determine their futures.

Likely because they’ve been conditioned to appreciate straight talk, the students were mostly attentive and receptive to Vanzant, who began her presentation with clips from her show, Iyanla Fix My Life. The first showed her working with a family of young men and their absent father returned. In the second clip she interacted with a young woman to hilarious, but pointed effect.

Most of what Vanzant offered was food for thought at any age. Both students and faculty came to the mic to express confusion, betrayal and heartbreak. Each left with something to think about and to be about.

See below some of her sharing: “I usually say to people that I’m not good with kids. I had three of my own. It was a mess! But what I am good with, is mind. And I’m real good with spirit and I’m good with soul. And when I see you, I see such incredible power in your mind, your spirit and your soul. Yes, I know that once your foundation breaks down at home, it spreads out to every single thing that you do. I know a lot of you are experiencing broken foundations. Just like me. Just like my children. I was pregnant at 16, pregnant at 19, pregnant again at 21. I didn’t go to college till I was 30 years old. I graduated when I was 33 and went to law school. So you are so much further ahead than me.”

“People will reward you today for your bad behavior, but I want you to be clear: when you make a mistake today, it’s so that you can learn and grow from it. I am so glad that my mother forced to me to stay in high school! You have to have a vision.

What is your vision? The vision will move you forward. You can’t just sit around and see what’s gonna happen. How do you see yourself? What do you see for yourself?

And it doesn’t matter what it is, if you believe in it.”

“A caterpillar is an insect that has to crawl thru dirt all is life. On its belly. And then one day… it realizes, ‘I can have a change. It recognizes that. ‘I gotta change.’

It just happens. I don’t know how it happens. But when the caterpillar has been crawling through dirt and spit and poop on the ground, It gets the notion that, ‘I have to change.’ You know what it does then? It crawls up a tree. Change is an uphill battle.

So the caterpillar climbs up a tree and goes out on a limb. It hangs on a limb – a dangerous place, because it could fall. It could be eaten by a bird. And then, with one string from within itself, it wraps itself in a cocoon so that it can mature into a butterfly. What you need to change is not outside you. It’s not on social media. It’s inside.”

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Community Calls the Shots as Participatory Budgeting Wins All Nine District 36 Proposals Fully Funded by Councilman Cornegy

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he results are in! Several important and innovative community upgrades chosen by residents of District 36 will be implemented now that a tally of the Participatory Budgeting votes has been completed. Councilman Robert Cornegy’s office supervised the process of informing, gathering and dialoguing with community members – including some as young as 11 – to discern what their priorities were in creating a “wish list” of neighborhood improvements. Over 2,000 people voted and participants came through big-time for their neighbors!

So what’s in store?

The Make It Cool to Learn! proposal, funded for $450,000, will renovate a space at P.S. 23 (545 Willoughby Avenue) to serve as a beautified site for the summer meals program serving Title I and Shelter Families.

P.S. 23 will be the recipient of another grant as well. Microphone Check! 1-2! 1-2! will use $100,000 to transform the school’s auditorium into a lovely, up-to-date public performing and gathering space benefitting the community.

Upgrade Tompkins Children’s Park was funded $500,000 and will restore the deteriorating infrastructure and equipment at the 80 Tompkins Avenue playground.

Science on Wheels will provide $140,000 for two science carts so that students at P.S. 262 (500 Macon Street) can take advantage of state-of-the-art equipment and materials at an early age. Another proposal funded for the school is Light the Way to the NBA, providing $100,000 to add sufficient light to the school’s park at night for people playing basketball or simply doing layups by themselves. It will have the added benefit of improved safety for residents walking the block after dark.

Safe Streets Light the Way: Nostrand Avenue Lamps will spend $600,000 to install 12 street lamps along Nostrand from Fulton Street to Park Place in order to improve public safety. It’s About Time: Fulton Plaza Countdown Clocks received $180,000 to install countdown clocks at crosswalks and security cameras at Stuyvesant Avenue and Malcolm X Blvd. to enhance the safety and security of neighborhood residents.

Nine concrete awnings damaged by pooling water at the Louis Armstrong Houses at 375 Lexington Avenue will be replaced through the $500,000 budget allocation to the Armstrong Gets Lit! proposal. Finally, Sounds of Success received $85,000 to help the Brooklyn Academy of Global Finance at 125 Stuyvesant Avenue sound-proof its music lab, purchase computers and buy A/V equipment that will last to benefit future students.

The benefits of these enhancements will be clear, but education and agency are also hallmarks of the Participatory Budgeting process. When community residents see tangible results from their involvement in government it puts flesh on the bones of the political process. Something great happens when a mother can take her child to the newly renovated playground she requested. An elder concerned about safety at night can breathe easier when her request for street lights is honored. And a student interested in science will be better able to compete for scholarships and internships if her school is equipped for effective learning.

This is perhaps the greatest of all aspects – children get to see and join the process of government. They take part in workshops informing them about the civic and political processes impacting their communities and the larger system. They also realize that their votes were counted along with everyone else’s because the prospects for their futures are taken into account.

Stefani L. Zinerman, a strategic consultant who also serves as vice-chair of committees at the Brooklyn NAACP and Vannguard Independent Democratic Association (VIDA), is heartened by the participation of the youth.

“It’s wonderful to get the next generation involved now,” she said. “Budget delegates visit schools in their areas, but I’d love to see it expand to even more schools, maybe at school assemblies. Teachers who already have a lot on their plates and who may not be familiar with the political process themselves, would have to be supported. But it’s certainly worth it and our tax dollars pay for this.”

The next round of considerations for next year opens in August, so keep an ear and eye out for the opportunity for you or a young person you know to participate.

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 19

Participatory Budget Winners Announced

➔➔ Continued from page 1

Tens of thousands of Brooklyn residents cast ballots at locations across the borough — including at Brooklyn Borough Hall — during the 2018-2019 participatory budgeting cycle voting period, which took place between Saturday, April 7th and Sunday, April 15th. Borough President Adams’ $1 million contribution was apportioned equally to winning projects from the votes conducted by the 10 council members in the borough who are participating in PB this year.

This year’s voting cycle expanded the reach to more Brooklynites as votes could be cast online at locations across the borough and at LinkNYC kiosks. Borough President Adams highlighted how the continued growth of PB in Brooklyn is helping to advance the causes of civic engagement, fiscal transparency and good government throughout the city.

“Participatory budgeting is bringing democracy back to our communities, empowering individuals to make decisions on what gets funded at the hyperlocal level,” said Borough President Adams. “I thank all of the council members participating in this year’s process for their continued commitment to amplifying the voices of Brooklynites so our constituents have a

direct say in where their taxpayer dollars get spent. From school technology to street safety, this year’s funded projects reflect that all Brooklynites seek safer places to raise healthy children and families. Let’s continue to advance these shared priorities and get more people involved in the PB process so that everyone has a stake in Brooklyn’s future.”

The $100,000 designated by Borough President Adams for PB in each participating council district expanded that council member’s committed PB allotment, resulting in additional projects winning funding in the upcoming fiscal year: • Laptop carts at PS/IS 157 The Benjamin Franklin Health Science Academy in Bedford-Stuyvesant, in partnership with Councilman Stephen F. Levin • Broadband system and computer upgrades at PS 299 Thomas Warren Field School in Bushwick, in partnership with Councilman Antonio Reynoso • Auditorium upgrades, including a new stage floor, lighting, sound system, paint, curtains and chairs at PS 9 Teunis G. Bergen in Prospect Heights, in partnership with Councilwoman Laurie A. Cumbo • Auditorium upgrade to a public performance and community gathering space at PS 23 Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Bedford-Stuyvesant,

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partnership with Council member Kalman Yeger • Trench restoration along 16th Avenue in Borough Park, in partnership with Council member Kalman Yeger • STEAM library upgrades at PS 193 Gil Hodges in Midwood, in partnership with Councilman Jumaane D. Williams • Auditorium upgrades and supplemental cooling system installation at IS 281 Joseph B. Cavallaro in Gravesend, in partnership with Councilman Mark Treyger.

A map of winning projects and full voting results by district can be viewed at pbnyc.org.

Hey Kanye, I’m an English Teacher, but I’ve Got a History Lesson for You

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in partnership with Councilman Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. • Security cameras at PS 94 The Henry Longfellow School in Sunset Park, in partnership with Councilman Carlos Menchaca • Replacement of damaged and hazardous turf for the soccer field at Albermarle Playground in Kensington, in partnership with Councilman Brad Lander • Library upgrade at MS 2 Parkside Preparatory Academy in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, in partnership with Councilman Mathieu Eugene • Sidewalk extensions and school safety measures near PS 134 in Kensington, in

n instructional coach for BetterLesson, Monica previously taught English III and AP English III as a teacher at Texas High School in Texarkana where she served as department chair. She has been in education for 20 years and has taught grades 7-12. She has served as adjunct professor at LeMoyne-Owen College and Texarkana College.

Welcome to my class, Kanye.

Before you arrived, I read this quote from you telling me that learning is important to you and that you are good at absorbing information.

“I was never really good at anything except for the ability to learn.”

Therefore, I’m excited to have you here.

Recently, your comments that slavery was a “choice” were met with cheers, disappointment and outrage from people all across the country. You seem to view the pushback you received as an attack on your right to free thought.

In actuality, there have been many defenses of your right to free thought. What we all would like you to know is that, yes, free thought is a right, but the

dissemination of those thoughts from a platform as elevated as yours should be handled with great responsibility.

So, while you are here in my class, I would like you to take some notes. This will only serve as a start in your learning process, but perhaps may allow you to understand some of the challenges you’ve received to your claims.

Please understand that there is a reason that it is called the institution of slavery. You said that people who would remain enslaved for hundreds of years were, in essence, choosing that fate. Please understand that there is a reason that it is called the institution of slavery. Families were separated to discourage escape. And I have no words to describe the centuries of murder and violence that were used as control tactics.

Did you know that while American history books may include a brief Harriet Tubman or Nat Turner footnote, there have been slave rebellions for as long as slavery existed?

And while huge slave revolts may inspire a book or a movie, slaves rebelled every single day.

When slaves sang, “Swing low, sweet chariot; Comin’ for you to carry me home;” within earshot of slave owners, they were communicating with each other about the next wagon that came for delivery could be used for escape.

Did you know that slaves knitted blankets and quilts that had codes and maps on them and that slave owners had no idea? Clearly, people who originally spoke different tribal languages but learned to communicate were anything but passive and accepting.

Do you know of the risks they took to learn to read so that they could use that knowledge not only to escape but to remain free once they escaped?

So, this is why. This is just a small piece of why people are upset with you.

You have simplified an institution of brutality in such a way that blames those who were victimized, those who were traumatized and those who were brave and intelligent enough to resist every day.

This is also why the white supremacists are clamoring to sit next to you in class. You’re completing their assignments for them. You just validated their arguments that your ancestors were weak human beings who deserved slavery because they failed to do enough to fight it.

Even worse, because these claims come from you, others who unfortunately will not research history will see your words as the truth, so the cycle of ignorance continues.

Your homework is to read.

Read! Then read some more. But also know that while reading can give us so much information, we will never know the full brutality of slavery and we will never know the full brilliance of slaves.

Then, for extra credit, visit the National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture.

Stay awhile. Hold firm to your “ability to learn.”

Then, think hard before you utter the next words from your platform.

Class is dismissed.

From: In Better Conversation

VOL. 22 NO. 19

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

Thinkers Notebook

Kanye West, Donald Glover and the correct way to send a message ■■

By Marlon Rice

K

anye West is crazy. Not in a “crazy like a fox” way.

No, he’s crazy in a “cut off your nose to spite your face” way. In his Gemini-centered quest to be the deepest mind in the room, Kanye has said and has done things that have created more questions and concerns than answers. Wearing a MAGA hat. Becoming a fanboy for Donald Trump. The Kanye that was once known for pushing the envelope has totally ripped the envelope open, only to reveal that there is nothing inside of it. It’s empty. His latest act of career suicide came in the form of an appearance on TMZ last week in which he said the following: “400 years of slavery? That sounds like a choice.”

He didn’t qualify this statement in a way that would give it context. He didn’t explain this statement in a way that would give it depth. No, as he has been doing lately, he simply said it and moved on as if we would understand what he meant. We live in the sound-bite era, a place where you can say 99 great things and 1 horrible thing, and that 1 horrible thing will become the sword you lay upon.

All that anyone was reporting, trolling or sincerely paying attention to Kanye heard was that he thinks slavery was a choice.

And when you wear the trappings of white nationalism, and you are quoted fanning out on this villainous administration, and then you speak of slavery as some option that our ancestors could choose or refrain from without giving any depth to the statement, then you, sir, have proven you’re crazy.

2

Donald Glover In capitalism, one can always profit on the follies of another. Kanye’s statement broke the Internet. It became all that anyone discussed for the next 48 hours. The all-important think pieces began to flow from blog sites, guerilla journalists looking to pen that one piece that goes viral and gets them the looks they need to finally quit their day job and start a podcast. Every talk show on television now had their lead story. The woke community, Black twitter, they had a field day with him. The #ifslaverywasachoice memes were classic. If you haven’t seen them, stop reading this article right now and go check them out. They are hilarious. Every Black musician or creative with a mic in their face during that 48-hour cycle was asked about Kanye’s statements.

The thing about it though is that no one ever really spoke with knowledge of what Kanye meant, because Kanye never elaborated. In truth, one could have such a discussion on an intellectual level. One could point to legends like Harriet Tubman, Toussaint L’ouverture and Nat Turner and say that they chose at some point to not be burdened with the yoke of slavery. They chose freedom. But that discussion won’t be had because Kanye opened an empty envelope.

Donald Glover is crazy. Not in a “cut your nose off to spite your face” way. No, Donald Glover is “crazy like a fox.” The man wears basically every creative hat in entertainment. Musician-Actor-DirectorWriter-Comedian. His show, Atlanta, is an

amazing ride, unique and fresh even as it presents traditional paradigms.

He’s found success in the Hip-Hop realm as Childish Gambino and he’s only at the front end of what promises to be an accomplished career. And that’s what makes the recent video he released for his song, This is America, so interesting. Donald didn’t just push the envelope with this video, he ripped the envelope open and poured out hundreds of other sealed envelopes on the floor for you to sift through. The imagery in this video requires its own article, 750 words isn’t enough to touch on everything.

The senseless killings of our own, the dancing and minstrel posturing in the foreground holding our attention while chaos exists in the background; death on a pale horse, the end of religion, this video discusses all of it in a way that yields itself only to more discussion and introspection.

The think pieces for this are flowing like the river Thames. Social media has had a meaty week indeed, and one that has presented a beautiful juxtaposition. Social and political issues in interviews or in conversation without qualifying their statements or giving you the context of their thought process, they put themselves in danger of being misunderstood. When artists speak to social and political issues in their art, the art itself contextualizes the message and the conversation is left for you, the consumer, to have. Kanye needs to explain himself, he owes it to his fans and listeners to explain why he feels that slavery was a choice.

Donald Glover doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. He’s said enough. I miss the old Kanye.

A Journey to Forgiveness: Disowning 3 Generations of Violence

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his book is an endeavor of love orchestrated by the brutal murder of my mama, Dr. Vergie Rasheedah Muhammad.

It is about violence, death and rape,

love and forgiveness. Mother and daughter relationships, and institutional and womb trauma.

It’s about my grandmama, Pearl Jackson, convicted of murder in Alabama in the

1920’s, raped by the warden and gave birth to my mama. She died in prison at the age of 36.

It’s about my mama, killed by her husband at the age of 80 in 2013. My mama

A Journey To Forgiveness Disowning 3 Generations of Violence

In A Journey to Forgiveness, Muhammad raises issues worthy of

forward- moving consideration and discussion. Studies indicate 25% of women in the U.S. report being victims of intimate partner violence. A woman is raped every seven seconds. A Journey to Forgiveness is achingly topical, constructively dealing with domestic violence, rape, molestation and murder. A Journey to Forgiveness is likely to teach readers a new way to talk about the events that destabilize us; that embarrass us; events we might be more inclined to forget. With her compassionate, generous words, Muhammad reminds readers what it means to be introspective, courageous, authentic and bare.

was raped by my father and gave birth to me at the age of 15.

It’s about my best friend Faye, murdered by her husband in front of me.

It’s about mother and daughter relationships that are toxic and influenced by life circumstances that in many ways are traumatic.

It’s about being raped by a man I knew and dated. A rape that was called “a misunderstanding between consenting adults” by our community leader.

Lastly, it’s about how I found my way back to myself and the tools I used.

It’s about healing through the fire. It’s about leaning into our stories and sitting inside of our experiences. It’s about retelling our stories with the intention of reconnecting with our best selves.

It’s about connecting with the ancestral wisdom, prayer, meditation, yoga and writing. In my case, “A Journey to Forgiveness.”

Breathe Consciously

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 19

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

PS 23 - Carter G. Woodson Elementary School Celebrates Earth Day!

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Jr. Earth Stewards hold ground. (Photo: Tamika Cooper, Parent Coordinator, PS 23/Carter G. Woodson)

n April 20th, DOE Earth Day, students from PS 23’s 4th-grade classes planted a Royal Star Magnolia tree donated to the school by

the Magnolia Tree Earth Center. The tree was planted just outside of Heaven’s Gate Community Garden on Hart Street between Tompkins and Throop Avenues.

Student applies elbow grease and muscle to his work in the PS 23/Carter G. Woodson garden, as a schoolmate encourages him.

(Photo: Tamika Cooper, Parent Coordinator)

The students worked together using a stand-up garden tiller, to uproot the stump of a previously planted bush that had died.

After removing the stump, the students took turns digging an 18-inch hole with shovels, planted, then watered the tree.

At the conclusion of the planting, students posed for pictures with their classmates and expressed their excitement over the activity. “It was fun, and we were able to do something good in the community. I can’t wait to see the tree grow and visit it next year with my class,” said Janiah H.

PS 23/Carter G, Woodson students discover a new world in a speck of soil dug up from the school’s garden. (Photo: Tamika Cooper, Parent coordinator)

A Royal Star Magnolia sapling gets “Star ” treatment from a young gardener at PS23/Carter G. Woodson.

(Photo: Tamika Cooper, Parent Coordinator)

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

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VOL. 22 NO. 19

Coalition of 8 AGs called on EPA Administrator Pruitt to Halt Proposed Science “Transparency” Rule which would limit use of Scientific Evidence in Protecting Health and Environment

coalition of eight Attorneys General called on the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt a proposed rule that would limit the body of scientific evidence that the EPA could consider when adopting regulatory standards for protecting public and environmental health.

The Attorneys General called on the EPA to consult with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and other independent scientists and science organizations before moving forward with proposed changes to how the EPA uses science in its decision-making.

“It’s absurd that the Environmental Protection Agency would consider limiting the scientific evidence used in its decision-making, although it’s certainly not surprising as the Trump Administration continues to put special interests before New Yorkers’ health and environment,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Leading independent scientific organizations have strongly objected to the Trump EPA’s proposal. The administration should immediately halt this proposal and consult with truly independent scientists and organizations

before moving forward. Attorneys General haven’t hesitated to take the Trump Administration to court, and we’ll continue to use the full power of our offices to protect those we serve.”

In today’s letter, the coalition expresses deep concern about the “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” rule proposed on April 30, 2018. This concern “arises both from the truncated timeline under which the EPA seeks to change fundamental agency policy and from the vagueness of the proposal.” The coalition argues that a review of the proposal by the NAS and other independent scientists and organizations is necessary “[i]n light of the far-reaching impacts the proposal could have on the EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.”

A number of major independent scientific organizations has

■■

By Eddie Castro

expressed concern about the Trump EPA proposal. For example, editors of leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Science and Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, published a joint response to the proposal cautioning that “[e]xcluding relevant studies simply because they do not meet rigid transparency standards will adversely affect decision-making processes.” The American Association for the Advancement of Science issued a statement that “[t]his proposal appears to be an attempt to remove valid and relevant scientific evidence from the rule-making process.”

If Administrator Pruitt refuses to withdraw the proposal, the coalition calls for the current 30-day comment period for “this tremendously consequential proposal” to be extended by at least 150

days. The extension would provide for appropriate consultation with the NAS and other independent scientists and science organizations on the proposed changes, and to allow the public and other stakeholders sufficient time “to evaluate the proposal and its implications for the agency’s ability to meet its obligation to protect public health and the environment under federal environmental laws.” The letter argues that a much more deliberate pace than the current 30-day comment period is necessary “given the profound potential impacts on the regulatory processes for all, or nearly all, of the statutes the EPA implements and enforces.”

Joining Attorney General Schneiderman in today’s letter are the Attorneys General of California, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

The FIZ-ard of Oz

W

e are now just about 2 rounds complete in the NBA Playoffs, an intense platform where next month we will crown an NBA Champion. Unfortunately, for the New York Knicks, they have not made a playoff appearance since the 2012-13 campaign. Since then, they have had two other head coaches who were unable to get them to the postseason, let alone build a winning culture for the franchise. On Tuesday afternoon, the Knicks believe they have found their guy who can help build that winning culture the team has been longing for.

As team President Steve Mills and General Manager Scott Perry stood for photos during a press conference, everyone had eyes on the man who stood in the middle with them as former assistant coach/head coach David Fizdale. Fizdale will have some huge shoes to fill as he got his first taste of the New York spotlight. It has been said that although many sources were quite fond of the Brooklyn-born kid and former Knick Mark Jackson taking the job; however, with Jackson and nine other coaches whom had interviewed for the vacancy, the Knicks had zeroed in on Fizdale. With such demands and expectations that comes with being head coach of the

David Fizdale at Knicks press conference.

Photo: Mary Altaffler

Knicks, Fizdale was asked why he decided to take the Knicks job and he answered: “I just felt a real connection to them. How many chances do you get to coach in the Garden? (Madison Square Garden) It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal and I love challenges.”

Fizdale has a great reputation of being a superb communicator to players he has coached in the past.

Although he had a run-in with Grizzlies’ center Marc Gasol while he was the coach in Memphis, he (Fizdale) has developed great relationships with many star players around the NBA including (dare I say) LeBron James.

Fizdale comes from the Pat Riley tree and was an assistant coach on those Miami Heat teams that won back-to-back NBA Championships a few years back. With Fizdale in play as the team’s coach, the team will now look to build around star player Kristaps Porzingis, who will miss more than half of the upcoming season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. The Knicks own all of their future first-round draft picks and are projected to have around $30 million in cap space for the summer of 2019. The At last! Affordable coverage1 for the important health services2 question is, can Fizdale be the “wizard” the that Medicare does not cover.

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AW18-1012 Tell me your thoughts and E-mail me at Castroeddie714@gmail.com.

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NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS Notice of Formation of A’COURT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/12/18. Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Levine Plotkin & Menin, LLP, 888 Seventh Ave., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10106. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of MC BERNSTEIN LLC Articles of Organization. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/10/2018.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC c/o Legal Inc. Corporate Service Inc. 1967 Wehrle Drive, Suite 1 # 086, Buffalo NY 14221 Notice of Formation of Jalifola LLC Articles of Organization. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/06/2018. .

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, Plaintiff, Against Index No.: 502082/2015 KOWSILLIAH BEHARRY, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 4/4/2018, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, on 6/7/2018 at 2:30 pm, premises known as 5321 Avenue L, Brooklyn, NY 11234, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, and designated on the tax maps of the Kings County Treasurer as Block 7833 Lot 2 The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $463,042.35 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 502082/2015. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid.

The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney. James Caffrey, Esq., Referee. Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, Armonk, NY 10504 Dated: 5/1/2018 GNS SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS GMAT LEGAL TITLE TRUST 2014-1, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE, Plaintiff -against- DELYS HALLEY, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 23, 2017 and entered on July 17, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Courthouse 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY on June 14, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the westerly side of East 53rd Street, distant 376 feet southerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the westerly side of East 53rd Street, with the southerly side of Clarendon Road; being a plot 100 feet by 24 feet by 100 feet by 24 feet. Block: 4773 Lot: 25.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC c/o Lumumba Ansah 520 Eastern Parkway, Apt. 2R, Brooklyn, NY 11225 Notice of Formation of DLK ENTERTAIMENT, LLC Articles of Organization. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/13/2018. . SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Notice of Formation of Bridge Hudson, LLC. Articles of Organization. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/18/2018.

Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC c/o Sandeep Puri 50 Bridge Street Unit 515, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Said premises known as 654 EAST 53RD STREET, BROOKLYN, NY Approximate amount of lien $811,056.00 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 8699/2013.

JOHN M. BRICKMAN, ESQ., Referee Jeffrey A. Kosterich, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 68 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Tuckahoe, NY 10707 S TAT E OF NEW YO R K SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF KINGS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WACHOVIA MORTGAGE, FSB, FORMERLY KNOWN AS WORLD SAVINGS BANK, FSB, Plaintiff, vs.

LEONARD A BOWE, et al., Defendants NOTICE OF LEGAL POSTPONEMENT OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the office of the County Clerk of Kings County on August 10, 2017, I, Zvi Aryeh Storch, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on May 17, 2018 at Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, County of Kings, State of New York, at 2:30 P.M., the premises described as follows: 515 Crescent Street Brooklyn, NY 11208 SBL No.: 4235-15 ALL THAT TRACT OF PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 18085/12 in the amount of $603,421.25 plus interest and costs. This sale was originally scheduled for April 19, 2018, at 2:30 P.M., and has been postponed to May 17, 2018, at 2:30 P.M. Brittany J Maxon, Esq. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Plaintiff’s Attorney 700 Crossroads Building, 2 State St. Rochester, New York 14614 Tel.: 855-227-5072 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC AUCTION Supreme Court of New York, Kings County.

SRMOF II 2012-1 TRUST, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, -against- CLEO CHARLESPHILLIPS; ROBERT PHILLIPS; CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; CITY OF NEW YORK TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION & FINANCE; SOPHIA JOHNSON, Index No. 2713/2013. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated, February

Notice of Qualification of LIFE BY ME JAY STREET, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/23/18. Office location: Kings County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/01/18.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 1700 Neptune Avenue LLC. Articles of Organization. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on March 19, 1999. Office location: Kings County.

Princ. office of LLC: 1700 NEPTUNE AVE LLC, 439 S. Governor Printz Blvd, Essington, PA 19029. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

21, 2017 and entered with the Kings County Clerk on April 6, 2017, Gregory Laspina, Esq., the Appointed Referee, will sell the premises known as 553 Lenox Road, Brooklyn, New York 11203 at public auction at Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, New York 11201, on June 7, 2018 at 2:30 P.M. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York known as Block: 4845; Lot: 28 will be sold subject to the provisions of filed Judgment, Index No. 2713/2013.

The approximate amount of judgment is $1,047,226.32 plus interest and costs.

FRIEDMAN VARTOLO LLP 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff.

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR LEHMAN XS TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-4N, Plaintiff – against – HATIM M. HANIF, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on October 17, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction, in Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on the 31st Day of May, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Premises known as 148 Hendrix Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207. (Block: 3933 and Lot: 44) Approximate amount of lien $754,383.26 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 511988/2015. Sol Needle, Esq., Referee. Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 28 East Main Street, Suite 1700 Rochester, NY 14614-1990 Tel. 585/760-8218 Dated: March 5, 2018 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST Shenicole Tanner; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated July 26, 2017 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on June 7 2018 at 2:30PM, premises known as 56 Martense Street, Brooklyn, NY 11226. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn,

VOL. 22 NO. 19 Notice of Qualification of 4DX VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/12/18. Office location: Kings County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/30/17. Princ. office of LLC: 178 N. 5th St., Apt. 3N, Brooklyn, NY 11211. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808-1674. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

THE SPINNING TOP LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/20/2018.

Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o LEGALINC Corporate Services Inc. 1967 Wehrle Drive, Suite 1 #086, Buffalo, NY 14221 Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

County of Kings, City and State of NY, Block 5089 Lot 28. Approximate amount of judgment $906,808.14 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 511854/2014.

Jeanne M. Hammock, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 759-1835 Dated: April 16, 2018 SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET MORTGAGE PRODUCTS, INC., MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-NC2, Plaintiff against BEVERLY FIELDS A/K/A BEVERLEY FIELDS, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on April 3, 2018. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 31st day of May, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 1520 East 55th Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234 (Block: 7879, Lot: 82). Approximate amount of lien $ 576,178.74 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 508035-15. Shmuel D. Taub, Esq., Referee. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 145 Huguenot Street – Suite 210 New Rochelle, New York 10801 (914) 636-8900 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS WELLS FARGO BANK, NA, Plaintiff AGAINST EUCHARIA K. NJOKU AS ADMINISTRATOR TO THE ESTATE OF SALIFOU OUEDRAOGO, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated January 18, 2018 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, on May 24, 2018 at 2:30PM, premises known as 132 EAST 95TH STREET, BROOKLYN, NY 11212. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, ➔➔ Continued on page 11

VOL. 22 NO. 19

11

OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

Racial Wealth Inequality is Rampant in the U.S. ■■ Niall McCarthy, Forbes CONTRIBUTOR

ven though the United States is on course to become “majority minority” by 2044, the country still has a huge and growing racial wealth gap. A new study by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies has found that white households in the middle-income quintile own nearly eight times as much wealth as middle-income black earners and ten times as much as middle-income latino earners.

Last year, the same research claimed that if current trends continue, it will take 228 years for the average black family to reach the same level of wealth white families have

today. For latino families, it would take 84 years.

The following infographic shows the scale of America’s racial wealth divide.

Since 1983, black and latino families have seen their wealth fall considerably from $6,800 and $4,000 to just $1,700 and $2,000 respectively in 2013. Even though white households took a hit during the financial crisis, they still boasted a median wealth of $116,800 in 2013. The research projects that the gap will widen even further in the years ahead with black household wealth declining 30 percent from today by 2024. The median latino household will see their wealth fall 20 percent while white households will experience a five percent increase by that point.

LEGAL NOTICES

View From Here

E

➔➔ Continued from page 10 City and State of New York, BLOCK 4613, LOT 26. Approximate amount of judgment $843,944.28 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment for Index# 3344/2013.

Jeffrey Leon Saltiel Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 53385 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: KINGS COUNTY FREEDOM M O RT G AG E C O R P O R AT I O N ; Plaintiff(s) vs. ROSITA TORO; et al; Defendant(s) Attorney (s) for Plaintiff (s): ROSICKI, ROSICKI & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 2 Summit Court, Suite 301, Fishkill, New York, 12524, 845.897.1600 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on or about September 29, 2015, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201. On May 24, 2018 at 2:30 pm. Premises known as 176 NICHOLS AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NY 11208 Block: 4121 Lot: 58 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale. Sold subject to all of the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment $519,666.58 plus interest and costs. INDEX NO. 10276/10 Michael F. King, Esq., Referee NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT KINGS COUNTY JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Plaintiff against Maxime Fleurimont, et al Defendants Attorney (s) for Plaintiff (s) Fein, Such & Crane, LLP 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614 Attorney (s) for Plaintiff (s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale Entered August 17th, 2017 I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder at the Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on May 24th, 2018 at 2:30p.m. Premises known as 1260 East 84th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11236. Sec N/A Block 8062 Lot 67.

All that certain Plot, Piece or Parcel of Land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York Approximate Amount of Judgment is $507,700.22 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 501689/2014. Jeffrey L. Saltiel, Esq., Referee

■■

By David Mark Greaves

H

ow long oh Lord, how long?” This lament heard through the ages cries out anew from the Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama and echoes back from the food pantries, the shelters, the walls of prison cells and from the masses is the moan of always living on the edge.

228 years to go. That’s the conclusion of a report from the Institute for Policy Studies & Prosperity Now titled, The Road To Zero Wealth “The Ever-Growing Gap: Without Change, African-American and Latino Families Won’t Match White Wealth for Centuries.” The report notes, “We showed that if current trends continue, it will take 228 years for the average Black family to reach the level of wealth White families own today. For the average Latino family, matching the wealth of White families will take 84 years.”

The neighborhoods of Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant are the facts and figures in the report made solid and brought to life. With housing prices doubling, most African-Americans are unable to buy or even rent in the neighborhood they grew up in. The economic divide can be seen at a café where a large chai tea with a shot of expresso, essentially a cup of coffee, is $6.10. And an active food pantry is a block away from a fine foods eatery where a cashier confides: “You’d be surprised what people buy for their dogs.” Two worlds, centuries in the making, refined and honed by government policy, and only coming together to sit or stand when on public transportation or at community board meetings.

The report, “speaks of redlining, the FHA and the systemic racism permeating all levels, and that acts as a gravity-like constant, holding back Black wealth and advancement. And all of that is true. What must also be acknowledged is that in addition to all of that, was the national response to the Black Power Movement with armed assaults, killings and imprisonment during the COINTELPRO years, and the chemical warfare waged with the hundreds of tons of cocaine that the CIA brought into Black neighborhoods, as documented by Gary Webb in his book, Dark Alliance. All of it together helped rob generations of wealth that took generations to achieve, destroyed families and changed lives and character at the DNA level for generations.

As a race of people, this is a crisis unlike any other. It has been centuries in the making, but we cannot allow centuries more to be an acceptable timeline.

There needs to be new thinking. In New York City, the comptroller’s website

shows us that so far this fiscal year, the breakdown of the M/WBE spending is this: Asian-Americans $460.75M, Women $389.14M, Hispanics 111.85M and Blacks $50.74M. What this disparity cries out for is an addition to the M/WBE (Minority/ Women Business Enterprises), (EBEs) Emerging Business Enterprises, DBEs (Disabled Business Enterprise) and (LBEs) Locally Based Enterprises; there needs to be a BLBE, that is, a Black and Latino Business Enterprise program.

Enough with this “Minority” labeling as though others of color and blessed with knowledge of their millennia-old heritage have equal standing with the victims of stolen histories and obfuscates America’s seminal crime. The BLBE will be composed of the descendants of the Africans and indigenous people who endured the centuries of genocidal terror and theft of their labor and land that this nation was built on. The BLBE’s now have a combined share of 1% of the city’s prime spending. Increasing that number needs to be the goal with task forces assigned to all aspects of the pipeline from womb to adulthood.

African-Americans and Latinos are the people the Policy Institute says will have zero wealth by 2053. And in our collective poverty, we are told to be happy that we no longer have to “jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton” to create the products for the owners to bring to market as back in slavery times. Today, we have become the market, being told to celebrate our $1.2 trillion in “Black Buying,” Power” as though passing money through our hands and having it leave without a trace is something to be proud of.

We look at and cheer the shining youth who have broken through, and despair for those young men and women who have had their lives preordained by forces beyond their control and beyond any of our understanding. And then there is Kanye West. A man who is profoundly and sadly, ignorant of history and the role his megaphone has in it. By saying that after 400 years, slavery sounds more like a choice, he gave such an obvious display of simple ignorance that perhaps he can be saved by being tutored regarding slavery in the Americas, and then issue a heartfelt apology to all and atoning by making contributions in the community commensurate with his sin.

And yet, 400 years of torture and total immersion in a universe of hate, pain, rape and degradation does work to twist the human spirit in profound and intergenerational ways. None of this is new. In his 1933 masterpiece, The Mis-Education of the Negro, Dr. Carter G. Woodson famously

said, “When you control a man’s thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions.

You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”

We have to recognize that these digital times makes that education even more dangerous and far more insidious. This basic miseducation has provided the foundation for the explosion of 24-hour marketing of products and ideas directly to eyes and ears, constantly influencing and unseen by others. Bots and ads with complex algorithms designed specifically to implant impulses and seize attention, taking ownership of as much brain time and storage as possible. What’s to be done?

Stay on the ground and fight because only the cosmetics have changed. The words of the great Frederick Douglass remain in effect: “Organize, organize, organize!”

Join together around issues, strategies and tactics. “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will.”

Make constant demands on leadership.

“It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.” To that end, work to strengthen the schools and homes of young people. Attend committee meetings of the community board, precinct councils, union political offices. Organize and share information. Save.

LAURA FRANCIS

RAMDYHAN 10/18/1930 - 10/6/2016 “WE MISS YOUR SMILE” “YOU ARE STILL WITH US IN SPIRIT”

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OUR TIME PRESS May 10 – 16, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 19

Community Calendar weeksvillesociety.org) to schedule your appointment. Space is very limited.

Weeksville Weekend: Hella Fit

Noon – 6:00 PM Wellness is the name of the game for May’s Weeksville Weekend.

Work your body from the inside out as our friends The Z Twins and Grillz & Granola return for free workout classes. Looking for ways to clean your diet? Hightops & Heels will be helping us all transition our kitchens.

Wind down at the end of the day with a family-style yoga session. We’re getting hella fit!

SCHEDULE: 1:00PM Trap Aerobics 2:15PM Zumba 3:15PM Soul Line Dancing 4:00PM DanceAfrica at Weeksville in collaboration with BAM 5:00PM Family Yoga on the lawn Tours of Historic Hunterfly Houses every hour on the hour 2pm - 4pm

Ahmed Abdullah's Diaspora band will play at Sista's Place, Sat. May 12, celebrating Ahmed's 71st birthday.

Sat, May 12th

“ I LOVE ???”

Bailey’s Café 2 PM to 5 PM 324 Malcolm X BLVD. BK Adm FREE

The Fulton Art Fair presents a show of art work centered around the theme “I LOVE ???” Featuring Brooklyn artists we know and love with some lovely surprises! th

Sat, May 12

Ahmed Abdullah’s Diaspora

Two sets 9 & 10:30 PM $20 w reservation Sistas’ Place 456 Nostrand Avenue, BK (corner of Jefferson) Two sets 9 & 10:30 pm, $20 with advance reservation – Sistas’ Place, where Jazz: A Music of the Spirit Lives and Culture is our Weapon, continues its 22nd season with the music of Resistance, Resilience, and Resurgence. Our Music Director and extraordinary trumpeter, Ahmed Abdullah, performs a very special

show with his phenomenal band, Diaspora, featuring saxophonist Don Chapman, pianist/vocalist Donald Smith, bassist Radu Ben Judah, drummer Ronnie Burrage and vocalist/poet Monique Ngozi Nri. Call 718398-1766 for reservations.

Saturday May 12th

StoryCorps Recording Day: Motherhood Sat, May 12, 2018 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Weeksville Heritage Center 158 Buffalo Avenue, BK

Come share and record memories in honor of Mother’s Day! StoryCorps, a national oral history organization, is partnering with Weeksville Heritage Center to preserve community stories. Converse with your parents, siblings, children (18+) or friends. You’ll have 40 minutes of uninterrupted talk time.

StoryCorps will record your conversation, and with your permission, archive it at the Library of Congress for future generations.

You and your interview partner will both be provided with a copy of the conversation. Contact Obden Mondesir (Obden@

Women of Weeksville Gather Wed., May 16th, 7-9 PM Weeksville Heritage Center 158 Buffalo Avenue, BK

Snowstorms twice caused the cancellation of this special event, but the third time is the charm! We welcome you to an intergenerational community conversation in honor of the women that have come before us, who we are today, and the ones yet to be born. Moderated by Monica Montgomery Nyathi, Strategic Director of Museum Hue, join us for an evening of celebrating our wins, calling upon our ancestral mothers, healing, and good ol’ fashioned girl talk. Special guests also include Amber Finney and Jeannell Anthony of Brown Girl Alchemy, Kristen McCallum of Safeword Society, and Chanel L. Porchia- Albert of Ancient Song Doula Services. Adm is FREE RSVP @ h t t p s : / / w w w. e v e n t b r i t e . c o m / e / w o m e n - o f - w e e k s v i l l e - g a t h e r- t i c k ets-45048468181?aff=erelexpmlt th th

May 13 – May 28

The 25th Annual New York African Film Festival

Featuring more than 70 film titles from 25 countries at Film Society of Lincoln Center, Maysles Cinema, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Beyond screenings, the program includes conversations with filmmakers and artists, panel discussions, an art exhibit, and additional events around the city. http://www.africanfilmny.org/aff2018/ schedule/ th

May 14

Art and Activism: Personal Journey, 4 PM

Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, Amphitheater 144 W 65th St New York, NY 10023 United States This year’s NYAFF Town Hall is, “Art & Activism: Personal Journeys.” A panel discussion features artists Oroma Elewa, Shayna Mchale, aka Junglepussy and Onyedika Chuke, moderated by Shirine Saad th

May 19

When the Children of Osun Speak

The 2018 Women of Weeksville Gather luncheon will bring the generations together.

The Inkwell 1165 Bedford Avenue BK Doors open at 7. Showtime at 8 PM Donation $10 The People of The Sun Tribute to the

Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, will be honored at the 49th Malcolm X Black Unity Awards Ancestors of the Middle Passage Community Organization, will be holding a fundraiser to benefit the 29th annual Tribute to the Ancestors which takes place on the second Saturday in June on the 16th St. Coney Island Boardwalk. The fundraiser will be held at The Inkwell in Brooklyn, 1165 Bedford Avenue, and we would love it very much if everyone would come out and support.

We have an awesome showcase of talented poets, singers, dancers and drummers coming through to uplift and inspire you. For information call 347-403-8897. th

May 20

Malcolm X Unity Awards

The New York Chapter of Kawaida Organizations (NAKO) in conjunction with the International African Arts Festival (IAAFestival) hosts the 49th Malcolm X Black Unity Awards Program on Sunday, May 20th. One of this year’s awardees is Dr. Julius Garvey, cardiothoracic/ vascular surgeon and Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He’s been on several medical missions to places such as Haiti, Senegal, South Sudan and Jamaica, to name a few. He is the son of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, founder of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

Also being honored is Sister Maisha Ongoza, MSW, M.ED, chair of the Philadelphia Chapter of NAKO, Social Activist, Social Worker and an accomplished wood artisan who is an artistic developer of a Kinara (Candle Holder) Workshop.

The program, running from 3-5pm, will open with a film on Malcolm’s life and awardees will speak to his message for our time and how he has influenced their lives.

It will be held at Bed-Stuy Restoration Plaza in The IAAF office, suite 401. Suggested minimum donation is $10.00 For info call (718) 789-3264 or (718) 638-6700. Or contact nakoinfogroup@yahoo.com, www. festival.org or info@festival.org th

Friday, May 25 7-10 PM “Shoulders” short film screening and Q&A

Pratt institute Writing Center and Community Space 424 Classon Avenue, BK Join us for a private soft-premiere screening of “Shoulders”. Written and directed

by Chanel Dupree, this short is a story of sisterhood created through love and shared trauma, exhibiting the urgency of Black girl friendship today. “Shoulders” was, fittingly, created by a full Black Woman cast and crew.

This screening includes a Q/A with creator Chanel Dupree as well as other Cast & Crew members. Doors open at 7pm. Refreshments will be served. MUST RSVP to attend as seating is limited.