OUR TIME PRESS | July 12 – 18, 2018

| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |

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

| VOL. 22 NO. 28

Since 1996

Dr. Carlos Russell, Founder, Black Solidarity Day, Passes

July 12 – 18, 2018 |

In Thailand Children Rescued, In America Children Lost

B

rooklyn Resident and Panamanian-born activist Dr. Carlos Enrique Russell, founder of Black Solidarity Day (BSD), has passed at the age of 84 years old. The visionary activist, ambassador, historian and literary artist transitioned in his sleep on July 10th. He was born on August 6, 1934.

A statement from the family reads: “It is with great sorrow that we mourn the passing of Dr. Carlos Enrique Coordington Russell. He was a beloved son, father, brother, uncle, cousin, teacher, and best friend to us and many in our community. He is now at peace with our ancestors. His fervent desire was for us, the community, to continue the fight for social justice and equality for all.

His intelligence, passion, wit and love for all mankind will be missed.” The family will arrange a memorial to be held in New York City, the date and time to be announced once made available. See Page 3

The first pictures of the boys from a youth soccer team, who are being treated after being rescued from a cave, at a hospital in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. All 12 boys and their football coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand after being trapped for 18 days, rescuers said on Tuesday.

The 12 young footballers, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach went missing during an excursion in Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai Province since June 23.

(Credit Image: PRD/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock

P Dr. Carlos Russell

The Supreme Court Tilts

W

e thought it was a dark time in America, we had known that all the Republicans cared about about securing the judiciary. It is only now when we see the record of the man nominated to be on the Supreme Court that we begin to comprehend the pain and suffering, poverty and sickness that will last for generations if Brett Kavanaugh is placed on the court.

Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales have given us a clear-eyed look at what’s at stake. It's so important that we’ve reproduced the edited transcript.

See Page 2

art of the joy of the rescue of the 12 Thai soccer players and their coach, was seeing experts across nationalities working together and putting their lives on the line with exquisite planning, to save the boys and reunite them with their families. There is an instant sense of nostalgia in it, because It feels like the last good thing we’ll know.

The rescue comes at a time when the world, foreign and domestic, is coming to grips with what has happened in the United States. We see a regime that breaks international law by arresting asylum seekers and callously separates them from their now traumatized children without a plan

to bring them back together. A president who fights with longtime international allies in NATO and is best friends with Vladimir Putin who hacked the U.S. elections on his behalf.

The Republican party has achieved its goal of a takeover of the federal judiciary with lifetime appointments. We have seen the takeover of all of the levers of U.S. power by an autocrat, kept in place by the minority that believes the world is for their use and they have to be supreme in it.

Now this minority has been strategically amassed in gerrymandered districts that elect representatives who bow to their cult leader.

They control it all until the midterms, when the election will come which will determine the fate of the nation. Getting people registered to vote and having them actually do it has to become the mission of everyone who does not want what they have, taken away.

Local Politics: Children First Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon is firing on all cylinders and her education plan is kicking. Ms. Nixon has been presenting her vision and herself on the ground, face-to-face. And with her ➔➔ Continued on page 14

As Black Americans celebrate Family across the nation, we spotlight the Byrd Reunion See Page 8

2

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 28

Responding to a Spike in Home Foreclosures, bp Adams Invites Concerned Brooklynites to Free Mortgage Assistance Program

B

July 19th at Borough Hall

ROOKLYN, NY, July 9, 2018: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams encouraged Brooklynites concerned with their mortgage to attend a free assistance program he is hosting at Brooklyn Borough Hall in response to a recent spike in home foreclosures, according to data from real estate website PropertyShark. The number of new foreclosure auctions in the borough jumped 16 percent year-to-date in 2018 compared to the same period last year. Authorities have attributed the increase in foreclosure auctions to factors such as a more aggressive effort to reduce the backlog of court cases and a rise in property values. The free mortgage assistance program, which is being held by Borough President Adams and HOPE NOW Alliance, in partnership with the Center for NYC Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Brooklyn CDC, Inc., will be held on Thursday, July 19th from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Borough President Adams spoke about the importance of combating threats to sustainable homeownership in Brooklyn, a borough that was deeply impacted by foreclosures experienced during the Great Recession.

“Homeownership is at the heart of the American Dream, and it helps form the foundation of strong communities in our borough,” said Borough President Adams.

“For those of our neighbors who are fortunate enough to reach that dream amid rising costs and stagnating wages, they can see it slip through their fingers without the proper support. Brooklyn is stronger when we provide a helping hand to homeowners in need.”

The free mortgage assistance program will allow homeowners to meet with mortgage servicers face-to-face in order to discuss

Those interested in making an appointment for this service, or any of the others

deed-in-lieu, forbearance, loan modification and short sales, as well as other mortgage solutions. Information will be available on the New York State-Mortgage Assistance Program (NYS-MAP), which provides a zero percent interest mortgage loan up to $40,000 to eligible New York homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Additionally, the program will offer free comprehensive counseling from local housing counseling agencies approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as well as free legal services on foreclosure intervention and prevention.

Data from PropertyShark showed 275 Brooklyn homes scheduled for first-time auctions during the first three months of this year, which represented the highest quarterly figure ever recorded in the borough. The 11236 ZIP code, which covers portions of Canarsie and East Flatbush, experienced 45 such cases itself, the most out of any city ZIP code for that quarter.

Attendees to the free mortgage assistance program, who can register online at brooklyn-usa.org, are asked to bring photo identification, their two most recent pay stubs, two most recent bank statements, mortgage statements, two years of tax returns and W-2 forms, information on their home insurance and property taxes, hardship letter, documentation of all income, and most recent profit/loss statement (if self-employed).

Borough President Adams also noted that his free legal services clinic regularly provides support on foreclosure intervention and prevention matters on the second Wednesday of every month from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Brooklyn Borough Hall, in partnership with the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project.

the clinic offers, are asked to call (718) 802-3777.

Take our FREE Financial Coaching Workshop Tired of living paycheck to paycheck?

Want to increase your personal wealth?

IMPACCT Brooklyn's free financial education gives you powerful tools to change your habits. Our program is designed to produce action – no matter where you are in your economic life – low income, middle income or higher – it doesn't matter. We can help!

Don't wait! Sign up today!

One Day Class!!

Saturday July 21st 10am-5pm LL

1000 Dean Street, Suite 420, Bklyn, NY 11238 Between Classon & Franklin Space is limited! To register, go to our website Impacct Brooklyn or call Daune Harrison-Iqbal at 718-522-2613 x319. **Must Attend ALL 3 Classes**

IMPACCT BROOKLYN Strengthening communities through housing, economic opportunity and advocacy.

1000 Dean Street, Suite 420, Brooklyn, NY 11238

impacctbrooklyn.org

Media Watch...

Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez Rip Trump Supreme Court Nominee

J

Brett Kavanaugh: Trump’s Nominee for The Supreme Court

UAN GONZÁLEZ: In a move to push the Supreme Court further to the Right, President Trump has nominated Federal

Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the high court. If Kavanaugh is confirmed, it would create a bloc of five

right-wing justices, likely making it the most ➔➔ Continued on page 10

Vote Democrat

Elect Justice Evelyn J.

Laporte Kings County Surrogates Judge Democratic Primary Thursday, September 13th, 2018 Polls Open 6:00am - 9:00pm

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 Ellis Jordan Lewis Yaasantawa Mensah 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.

MBE Certified in NYC, NYS and the Port Authority of NY & NJ Member: New York State Press Association

VOL. 22 NO. 28

3

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

Cynthia Nixon Came to Bed-Stuy to Listen to Black Women ■■

By Maitefa Angaza

Exclusive to Our Time Press Tuesday, July 3, 2018

I

t’s not certain what Cynthia Nixon, candidate for Governor of New York State, expected for her first “State of NY Women” dialogue held last week in Bedford-Stuyvesant. What she got, in any event, was an audience with a multigenerational gathering of informed and discerning Black women – courteous but unafraid to speak their minds. It was a job interview in a relaxed setting and Nixon handled herself well. She revealed a refreshing knowledge of a wide range of issues on this first leg of what will be a series of visits she’ll make statewide to find out what concerns Black women wherever they live.

Nixon’s campaign slogan reads: “A Progressive Fighter: Cynthia for NY.” Supporters tout her decade-long activism around issues affecting average New Yorkers.

Education has long been chief among these.

She was an early spokesperson for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, addressing inequities in education in New York City when compared with other regions of the state.

And as a long time member of Alliance for Quality Education, she organized with other public school parents and went to jail after protesting alongside Acorn founder Bertha Hope.

“Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party,” Nixon told the audience at her appearance on the “Wendy Williams Show.” “Look what Black women did in Alabama! Look at how they supported Hillary Clinton in a way that white women didn’t at all… And do you know what?

Black women are going to stop showing up for the Democratic Party if the Democratic Party doesn’t start showing up for them.”

A daily subway rider, Nixon got off the A train at Nostrand Avenue and walked up bustling Fulton Street. (She would later reveal a thorough grasp of the issues surrounding the dismal state of the MTA.) At Basquiat’s Bottle, a spacious bar, café and gathering space with walls displaying the work of local artists, L. Joy Williams, a senior advisor to Nixon’s campaign, joined Stephanie Zinerman in presenting the candidate to those gathered.

Black women got right to it, and although not all of the questions and answers can be reported in the scope of this article, what follows is an account of some of the exchange: In response to a question about ending cash bail, Nixon addressed the injustice of the system but did not propose an alternative.

“We have a system right now,” said the

Candidate for New York State Governor Cynthia Nixon sits with Black women in Bedford Stuyvesant at Basquiat's Bottle on Fulton Street to discuss their issues. candidate, “where whether or not you’re held in jail has nothing to do with whether you’re a flight risk or a threat to the community at large, or to an individual. So in other words, if you’re dangerous, you can buy your way out. It seems to me that if you’re a threat, no amount of money should be able to have you out. What they’ve found in other states is people show up for trial because they plan to, whether there’s bail being held for them or not. It doesn’t actually make any difference.

“I think it’s also really important, also that we stop arresting people for petty crimes, particularly people of color. We have so many people in jail right now for minor offenses. And then they’re held for months and years if they can’t afford bail. It shouldn’t be the deciding factor.”

Chanel Portia, Founder of Ancient Song Doula Services, asked how the state can support women wellness practitioners already working in the community. “We need to fund community organizations that are already doing the work. My education plan is comprehensive from birth through college.

One of the things that it allows for is a great increase in home visits for new mothers and new infants. We have a government that – in a desire to cut taxes and to basically leech revenue out of our state – has defunded the most crucial human services that we have.

And we need those jobs because of the services they provide and can really be a life or death difference.”

This reporter asked, “What can be done

about the inequities where in East New York, for example, homeowners are paying higher property taxes than Mayor de Blasio is paying in Park Slope? And secondly, can there be some teeth in the guidelines so when developers erect buildings and say they have affordable housing – the housing is actually affordable for people trying to remain in their communities?”

“Property taxes are an enormous problem around the state, and they’re really killing people. One of the most important things I think we need to do is that the state needs to take a bigger share of things so that it’s not always so vehemently on homeowners.

In communities that are the hardest hit, we should have circuit breakers. We should look at people’s income and their savings and what they’re paying in their mortgage, and if it’s too onerous, we should be funding money so that it’s not impossible for them.”

A question was asked about the IDC (Independent Democratic Conference).

Nixon credits her campaign with putting a fire under Governor Andrew Cuomo on several issues and an April New York Times headline said, “Cynthia Nixon has already won by moving the governor to the Left.”

The IDC certainly looks like a case in point.

Cuomo’s momentum recently advanced dramatically in reclaiming rogue Democratic state senators voting with Republicans as part of the IDC. Cuomo claimed for years that there was just nothing to be done about it, a stance some judged to be a cynical attempt

to court Republican favor. But in April, later on the same day that Nixon mentioned State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ exclusion from budget negotiations by IDC members on the Wendy Williams Show, Cuomo magically resolved the issue which had been a major frustration for liberals. Nixon says she would not have stood for it.

One woman’s pain was felt throughout the room as she very directly asked Nixon for a concrete answer to her question.

“I have a brother who’s been incarcerated most of his adult life, and he’s in his sixties,” the woman said. “It was three strikes and you’re out; it was robbery. He’s gone before the Parole Board several times, and he’s done more time than people who have murdered someone. And so talk to me about what complete overhaul of the criminal justice system would look like, and not just say, ‘Well, legalize marijuana, our kids won’t get arrested for it.’ That’s not the solution for me.”

“So sorry to hear that about your brother!

It’s awful!" said Nixon. "It seems to me that one thing we need to do is change the nature of who sits on Parole Boards. And we need to change the point of view with which it’s determined who should be paroled. First of all, someone who’s gone to jail for that long, since that age, should never, unless they’ve committed the most heinous crime, should never be sitting in jail. ➔➔ Continued on page 14

Dr. Carlos E. Russell: Founder of Black Solidarity Day Joins the Ancestors Trailblazer While serving as the Panamanian Ambassador for the United Nations, Dr. Russell, inspired by Douglas Turner Ward’s fictional play “Day of Absence” in which a small town in the South is suddenly devoid of its Black population and is crippled by their absence, established Black Solidarity Day (BSD) in 1969. BSD is held annually on the Monday before Election Day in November, demonstrates the spirit of self-determination and collective responsibility for economic empowerment. Black people are encouraged not to attend school or work and to abstain from shopping in white establishments.

Dr. Russell was a primary organizer for the first national conference of Panamanians which was solidifying the movement of the unification of Black and Caribbean pushback on systematic oppression. He was also one of the creators of “Bahiano” which is the first Black newspaper and Panamanian

Legacy Many of our present-day activists and luminaries benefit from the legacy Dr. Russell leaves behind. During the 1960’s and 1970’s,

Dr. Russell sits with Malcolm X.

newspaper here in the USA written in both English and Spanish. [Other co-founders noted are Walter Livingston, George Priestly, Aguilla Jimenez and a few others.]

Dr. Russell was professor and Chair of Field Studies at SUNY Old Westbury and at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (BCCUNY) before becoming Dean of Contemporary Studies. He has also held the position of Acting Director of International of Urban Affairs at Medgar Evers College, CUNY in the late 1980’s- early 1990’s.

In the 1990’s he was a lead curriculum developer, educator, and trainer for the Ella Baker Academy (EBA) [later renamed Ella Baker/ Cleveland Robinson Academy, EBCRA], a program dedicated to create youth leadership using the methodology of “Kingian Nonviolent Conflict Resolution,”

as part of the New York State Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and Institute in Albany, New York, under the funding and support of Governor Mario Cuomo.

Dr. Russell worked with numerous community organizations throughout his life time. He was a guiding light for many, leading some into successful careers in social justice, finance, and politics in both the US and Panama.

Activism & Creativity Dr. Russell graduated from the National Institute in Panama and left Panama in 1955 on a student visa to De Paul University in Chicago, Illinois. He lived and worked on the South Side of Chicago and worked at the Mary McDowell Settlement House. He moved to New York in 1961 and worked ➔➔ Continued on page 15

4

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

WHAT’S GOING ON ■■

By Victoria Horsford

BLACK ECO DEV Read the good news: “The AME Church and Black Banks Launch Partnership for Black Wealth,” published in TriceEdneyWire.com. The African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) Bishop Reginald T. Jackson recently announced the initiative with 19 Black bank presidents in the USA. He said, “This initiative will strengthen Black banks across the USA and increase their capacity to lend to small businesses, to secure mortgages, to provide personal lines of credit to offer other forms of credit to Black America.” Partnership goals are to increase deposits and loans with Black banks, increase Black homeownership and to grow the number of Black businesses from 2.5 million to 4 million and to raise total gross receipts from $75,000 to $150,000. [Check the AME website] The Harlem Business Alliance’s entrepreneur initiative, the LILLIAN PROJECT,

begins its 5th session next month. The LILLIAN PROJECT is a 16-week business intensive for young NYC Black women who want to become entrepreneurs. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is the initiative’s major sponsor. Application deadline is July 27. Orientation is August 5 and 7.

[Visit thelillianproject.org or hbanyc.org]

USA/MIDTERMS The Sunday 10/25/17 NY Times Business section included a cover essay, “HOW TO GET POWER-Get Organized”

by Kate Kelly, was a fascinating piece about Black elites and laser-focused plans for greater political power. Their plan calls for the creation of three structures: 1) a super PAC, 2) a federal PAC to support candidates and 3) a 501©4 group, a social welfare nonprofit that will do a mix of the two. Black millionaires like Charles Phillips (Infor), Tony Coles (Yumanity Therapeutics), Raymond McGuire (Citigroup), Adebayo (Goldman Sachs) and Kenneth Chenault were some of the names

VOL. 22 NO. 28

dropped as prime movers of the POWER plan. The elites reached out to Sherrilyn Ifill, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black local and national elected officials like GOP US Senator Tim Scott (SC) and Congressman James Clyburn (SC).

What happened to that political POWER elite group?

ARTS/CULTURE THEATER: ON KENTUCKY AVENUE: A Celebration of Atlantic City’s famous Club Harlem, a magnet for all great Black talent in the 50s and 60s in the pre-Atlantic City casino era, is back at the CCNY Aaron Davis Hall on Convent Avenue at 135th Street in Harlem from July 12-28. “On Kentucky Avenue,” starring Ty Stephens, is a musical like no other, set in Club Harlem, which was known as the “Black Copacabana,” that titillates all of the senses. Created by Jeree Wade and directed by Lee Summer, ON KENTUCKY AVENUE is a musical tour de force. [Visit citycollegecenterforthearts.org]

Ty Stephens

Bishop Reginald Jackson

Charles Phillips

Shadidi Beatrice Kinsey, D.Ac, Diplc.Ac (NCCAOM) Lic. Ac. (NYS)

The AFRO-LATINO FESTIVAL of music, film, discussions, food and arts and crafts vendors, in association with the City Parks Foundation and SUMMERSTAGE, is a citywide event from July 13-15. The Schomburg Center hosts Afro-Latino Talks: Identity and Beyond on 7/13, 105pm which includes curated panels and workshops. The 7/15 music concert in Brooklyn at The Well, 271 Meserole Street, will include performers from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Haiti.

[Visit Afrolatinofestivalnyc.com] The Harlem Book Fair date is July 21st from 10am to 6pm on 135th Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenues. [Visit harlembookfair.com] African-American Malcolm Nances’ book, “The Plot to Destroy America: How Putin and His Spies are Undermining America and the West,” debuted at #9 on the 7/8 NY Times Books best-seller list. A former US intelligence officer, Nance describes the tools and techniques employed by the Putin posse to affect the 2016 US Presidential elections.

A Kawaida Institution servicing the Brooklyn community since 1990, P.E.A.C.E. Health Center offers comprehensive health and wellness services to treat acute and chronic pain, allergies, digestion, gynecological disorders, depression, anxiety, respiratory disorders, sports injuries and more.

Licensed Acupuncturist, Naturopathic Physician, Massage Therapist and Reiki Master on staff.

“Nowhere else in Brooklyn can you get acupuncture in an African-centered establishment, while listening to Jazz!! Great rates and great care in a holistic environment.”

Free 10 minute consultation…………………………Flexible Payment Plans

(Positive Education Always Corrects Errors) 582 Halsey St Brooklyn, NY 11233 718-789-3264

Malcolm Nance Watch ESPN writer Howard Bryant’s book, THE HERITAGE: “Black Athletes, A Divided America and the Politics of Patriotism,” climb the best-seller book list.

According to a Journal-ims article Bryant says, “The way you view sports, and it has been this way for a few years,

is white owners, white coaches, white season ticketholders, white media and Black players.” The book compares American sports icons and social engagement, from Rodney King to the present, viewing silences among Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley with today’s outspoken cagers like LeBron James, Steph Curry et al.

Attend the celebration for publication of a new book entitled, “Elombe Brath Selected Writings and Essays,” edited by Herb Boyd at the CEMOTAP CENTER on Saturday, July 14th at 135-05 Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park, Queens.

Martha’s Vineyard, The Renaissance House Retreat for Writers and Artists in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, begins its 2018 season soon. Founded by Abigail McGrath and sponsored by the Helen Johnson and Dorothy West Foundation in Oaks Bluff, The Renaissance House Retreat is a haven for writers of color and writers of social justice for a fee. The retreats are weekly with the first session beginning on Sunday, July 22 and will continue every Sunday until September 23rd. The program includes workshops, trips, classes and talks by local literary lions such as Jessica Harris and Jill Nelson. McGrath’s life was the inspiration for her aunt Dorothy West’s novel, “The Wedding,” a story about class and interracial love on the Vineyard, which was later adapted into a feature film starring Halle Berry. [Visit renaissance-house-harlem.com or call 917.747.0367]

NEWSMAKERS Dr. Sir Prince Ramsey is an Antiguan family physician who played a pivotal role in advocating for HIV patients at the height of the AIDS crisis in the 80s and who pioneered HIV services for pregnant women in the Caribbean region. He was the recipient of the 2018 UN Population Award at a ceremony held at UN Headquarters in NY last month.

Dr. Sir Prince Ramsey

SUMMER PLEASURES The UNCF “A Mind is” Hamptons Summer Benefit will be held on Saturday, August 18 at the Silberkleit Residence in East Hampton. This UNCF Hamptons Summer Benefit honorees are Dr. Johnetta B. Cole, former president of Spelman and Bennett Colleges, former Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and entrepreneur Ed Lewis, Essence magazine co-founder. The UNCF Sunday Brunch will be held on August 19 at the Bay Kitchen Bar, East Hampton. [Visit UNCF. org/NYHamptons] Founded in 1944, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization.

A Harlem-based management consultant, Victoria can be reached at Victoria. horsford@gmail.com.

Pew Research Poll Barack Obama Voted Most Popular President

VOL. 22 NO. 28

5

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

Thinker’s Notebook

The Fame you find in a Meme

■■

I

By Marlon Rice

went viral last week as a meme.

If this was ten years ago, the previous sentence wouldn’t make much sense at all. Presently however, its meaning is a precursor for a discussion on both the power and the frivolousness of social media.

Allow me to explain.

In the late 70’s, ethologist Richard Dawkins defined the term meme as an idea, behavior, style or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.

A more current definition is a humorous picture, text or video that is duplicated, sometimes with slight variations, and spread rapidly by Internet users.

Basically, someone captions a picture or a video, usually something they find humor in. They share it with their social media friends, and if it is indeed a funny or an interesting caption then maybe those friends share the meme with their friend list. When a meme is said to have gone viral, this means that the meme has been shared rapidly through an Internet population set. The common benchmark for going viral would be around 100,000 views of a particular meme in a day.

Back in the summer of 2014, amid the sports conversations involving free agency, the biggest talk was about LeBron James and his return from the Miami Heat back to the Cleveland Cavaliers. People were creating all kinds of memes to mock the issue. This was the first time that my meme appeared, in the summer of 2014. Someone found the picture of me in that jacket with all

of the team logos and they captioned the picture “Lebron fans be like…”. The humor of the caption stems from the idea that fans of LeBron would root for any team that he played for. Back then, when the meme hit the Internet, it gained a little traffic. I remember a couple of people tagging my name to posts of the picture, laughing at the fact that an old hiphopcloset picture had resurfaced in such a way. It was shared a bit, but it didn’t go viral back then.

Me as meme.

Last week, once again the biggest sports talk was about LeBron James becoming a free agent. After 4 years in Cleveland, LeBron was once again going to test the waters of free agency and possibly change teams. This was different than in 2014. Back then, LeBron simply announced he was returning to the Cavaliers. This time, people had no idea of where he would land. Teams were doing the most to garner the attention they thought would bring LeBron to them.

The Philadelphia 76ers even flew planes over the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Draft Day. The planes dragged banners that called for King James to consider bringing his talents to Philly. In the midst of all of this hype, and with perfect timing, someone re-released the meme, 24-year-old me in an oversized leather jacket with NBA logos all over it, the caption reading “Lebron fans be like…”.

I was in Jamaica last week for a family reunion. International phone rates are outrageous, so while my family and I trekked up Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, my phone was off. As soon as I reached my hotel room and the Wi-Fi, I began receiving dozens of texts from people, all of them sending me snapshots of this meme that had appeared again on social media. I went to Instagram and found that literally scores of my followers had tagged me to posts of the meme.

It was the same thing on Facebook. This thing was all over social media. I had gone viral.

I tried tallying up all of the shares of this meme via Facebook by going to every post that someone tagged me in to

find how many times that person’s post was shared. I stopped at 350,000. That’s only on Facebook. I figure the meme was circulated at least that many times through Instagram and again through Twitter. We’re talking a million shares easy, with views in the tens of millions. Ten million people viewed a picture of me. Such a thought automatically strokes the ego until your right mind begins to try and quantify exactly what having ten million people viewing a picture of you actually means.

It means nothing. Absolutely nothing!

Going viral as a meme has to be the most meaningless fame in existence. Yeah, everyone sees you. But no one cares. They don’t care because though you are in the picture, you are not the subject of the picture. You are but a mere object. The caption is the subject of the picture. It’s the caption that interests those who press like or choose to share it to their page. The meme is about LeBron James. It isn’t about me. I’m just the punch line.

Among the myriad things that I’ve done in my life, for the better part of two decades, I modeled clothing and outerwear for hiphopcloset.com. The online clothing retail company is owned by some childhood friends of mine, and when they began their business back in 1998, I modeled their wares for the website. One such early photoshoot involved this leather jacket that was adorned with the logos of every basketball team.

The jacket was oversized in the way that people were wearing their leather jackets in the late 90’s. The pic that was used to ➔➔ Continued on page 10

Odds of getting enough sleep?

Odds of winning Take 5?

1 in yawn.

1 in 9.

©2017 New York Lottery. You must be 18 or older to purchase a lottery ticket. PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY. For help with problem gambling, call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369). nylottery.ny.gov

6

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

■■

East New York: We Walk in a Field of Dreams

By Akosua K. Albritton

A

place called “home” or “my neighborhood” is comforting to those living there. There in the neighborhood people go to the same schools, shop in the same stores and run in the same playgrounds. However, there are institutions that can disrupt “home” and “my neighborhood.”

Due to the racial or ethnic background of neighborhood residents, home may be deemed undesirable by the power structure; therefore, property values are lower and municipal services may be minimized.

East New York is one neighborhood that has experienced the lows and highs of neighborhood change. It was once a cozy enclave for Southern and Eastern European immigrants in the eastern corner of Brooklyn.

For the Anglo-Saxon Americans, these Europeans were of a different pedigree— somehow beneath them. In fact, color-coded mapping was devised to indicate where different racial and ethnic groups concentrated.

The genesis of color-coded mapping is from One Hundred Years of Land Values in Chicago: The Relationship of the Growth of Chicago to the Rise of Its Land Values, 1830-1933. This is the title of Homer Hoyt’s dissertation published in 1934. Hoyt put different human races and places of origin “by order of desirability.” Anglo-Saxons and Northern Europeans were most desired and were assigned the color green. Next in desirability were the Northern Italians,

Czechs, Polish and Lithuanians assigned blue. Greeks, Russian Jews and Southern Italians were the third tier assigned yellow, and African-Americans and Mexicans made up the fourth tier; i.e., the least desired and were assigned the color red.

Walis Johnson, a graduate of Williams College and Hunter College IMA program, is a multidisciplinary artist/researcher. She developed a strong concern for AfricanAmericans creating multigenerational wealth. Johnson comes from a Black family with a history of homeownership in Central Brooklyn. She learned that wealth creation came from owning and maintaining property.

When she found the Brooklyn 1938 Red Line Map during one of her investigatory walks, it spurred her to do more research and actual digging to uncover household goods and memorabilia. Johnson, solo and as tour leader, has followed the map through Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, Crown Heights, Fort Greene and DUMBO. Her latest project is collaboration with visual artist Paul Sue-Pat. Sue-Pat attended Edna Manley College of Art in Jamaica and the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Johnson and Sue-Pat approached Catherine Green, the Executive Director of ARTS East New York, to discuss their project, East New York: We Walk in a Field of Dreams, as a creative and collaborative project for funding by the Mayor’s Grant for Cultural Impact.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

VOL. 22 NO. 28

VOL. 22 NO. 28

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

BE THE

THAT CHANGES THE LIVES OF AT-RISK KIDS.

Become a

Youth Development Specialist.

We need people like you who can put your experience, your talents and your belief in second chances to work.

Learn more at NYC.GOV/ YDS

7

8

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 28

Our Time AT HOME Celebrating the Ancestors with a Family Reunion ■■

E

by Fern Gillespie

very two years, Brooklyn resident Fred Price,75, takes a journey to celebrate his family’s ancestral history and recent achievements. Over the years, he’s traveled to cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Charleston to see siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins—the descendants of Lottie and Sims Bird. This July, Family Reunion Month, the Byrd family will gather at their ancestor’s homestead in Metter, Georgia.

In 1877, the official end of Reconstruction, Charlotty Hendricks and Simeon Bird married. The couple had been born in slavery, yet Lottie and Sims gave birth to 11 children and owned 100 acres of farmland in rural Georgia.

The family farmed cotton, turpentine, tobacco and pulp paper. Each child became responsible for a different part of the business. Price, a Higher Education Officer at Medgar Evers College, would recall family stories of his great-grandmother Lottie, a six-foot-tall brown-skinned woman, proudly traveling to market. “She had a big garden with strawberries and was one of the few people in town with a horse and buggy with a top on it,” said Price. “She would ride into town to sell what she grew. That story would always hit me.”

After World War I, the children of Lottie and Sims began to migrate north to Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina and South Carolina and gradually changed the last name spelling to Byrd. By the 1940s, Price’s mother moved to Pittsburgh with her uncle. Other relatives had found jobs working as laborers in steel mills and as cooks in kitchens. When he was 12, his mother had a nervous breakdown, which sent her four children into the foster system. Although he lived in five foster homes until he left for the military, Price remained connected to his younger siblings and Byrd family members. When he was 17, he met his mother’s three older children for the first time.

He became close friends with these siblings,

A

re you looking for ideas to launch a fun family reunion? Family Tree magazine has some recommendations with these five steps on getting the family together.

Create a Family Committee Coordinate family volunteers with a chairperson and committees. Create a contact listing of relatives – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – for print and e-mail mailing. Plan 12 to 18 months in advance.

Select 2 – 3 recommended dates and locations. Decide the length of the event. Is it a two-day weekend or a seven-day week?

who grew up in the south with their father.

“My family has always been central to me—no matter the difficulties and separations.

Even when we were in foster care, I would visit my younger brother and sisters. As adults, I became caregiver to two of my sisters—one was learning disabled and the other suffered from breakdown,” explained Price. “I’m close to my mother’s family and I’m still close to my third foster family. I even sometimes spend Christmas with them in Maryland.”

The descendants of Lottie and Sims are achievers. The family includes corporate executives, entrepreneurs, educators, journalists and government officials. “I have a number of successful relatives. We have three and four generations of accomplished achievers,” said Price. “It’s about striving to a higher calling.”

The family genealogist was the late Jerry Byrd, a former Bloomberg journalist and executive who published a booklet on the Byrd history. His brother, a former Mellon Bank vice president, Oliver Byrd, was the former president of the August Wilson Center for African-American Culture in Pittsburgh. The movie “Pride” starring Terrence Howard, is a biopic on Byrd family member Jim Ellis, who created a world-famous swim team with Black youth in Philadelphia. Price is a veteran executive at Medgar Evers College and has a career that’s spanned special assistant to City Council President Carol Bellamy, marketing manager at New York Newsday and a volunteer consultant to Mayor David Dinkins.

“The Byrd Family Reunion gives us a

July is Family Reunion Month and folks nationwide are gathering for special celebrations. Brooklyn's Fred L. Price, on right, is seen here with members of his large family, including Detroit's Janette Dyer, left, who provided the photos for this story.

sense of history and importance of where we came from. Also, an understanding of how we survived and continue to survive,” he said. “It’s about unity and connection. That you’re not out there by yourself. It’s a support network.”

In the 1930s, the original family homestead burned down. It had been home to Sims, who died in 1920, and Lottie, who died in her eighties in 1931. The current family estate has a main house with a swimming pool and courtyard and the older former main house

that replaced the one that had burned down.

Today, several senior family members have retired on the 100-acre property by building small homes and installing home trailers. The family church, Sams Creek Baptist Church, is a separate property on 10 acres and holds a community center and cemetery.

Over 200 relatives are expected for the 2018 Byrd Family Reunion titled “Nothing Like Being a Byrd. Family is Forever.”

Highlights include: Family Western Night, meet & greet, annual banquet honoring elders, worship service at Sams Creek Baptist Church, family meeting and annual picnic.

There will also be horseback riding and a talent show. Price is a poet and at last year’s family reunion the younger relatives helped him with a performance of his rap poem, “I Wear My Pants Up,” from his book “Journeys of Life.”

“I’m very proud that we come together and that we reach out to each other. That we stay connected to each other,” Price pointed out. “Our younger people need to know where we came from. What the history was. How we got to where we are. They need to see the land and to see the history.”

Five Steps to a Fun Family Reunion Send questionnaires asking family members to rank the options.

offset start-up costs. Family Tree magazine has some fun fund-raising ideas.

Create a Paper Trail

Get the Word Out

A reunion generates paperwork. The reunion chairperson needs copies of pertinent information, such as contracts with food vendors, updated registration information and lodging details.

Send invitations as early as possible. You might opt for a simple flyer, an elaborate newsletter or a postcard. Use mailings to relay information and incite interest. Include family trivia in your communications.

Encourage relatives to send stories, ideas and updates for the mailings. This involvement often leads to better attendance.

Get a Budget To keep the costs down or try to give the families 12 to 18 months lead time to budget.

In mailings, asking each family to pitch in a set amount of seed money is a good way to

Create Fab Family Activities Offer a range of interesting activities.

Coordinate a banquet, picnic, meet & greet, and church program. Black families might want to add some extra African-American culture into the reunion. Check out optional outings to local African-American institutions like going to theatre, touring historical sites and attending museums. Have a family theme with T-shirts and banners. Create a blank family tree and have each member fill in his information. Have a family genealogist do a presentation about history of the family.

Use the opportunity to make a family photo album (everyone brings pictures and create a page), a book of family stories, a video of reunion footage or a family recipe book.

VOL. 22 NO. 28

9

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

GRADUATING FROM SPECIAL ED??

If you need a job Call us 718-778-0009

Supported Employment Services for Individuals With Disabilities Supported employment is a work force participation model that partners students and young adults who received special education services with a job coach to help them get and keep a job.!

The job coach assists the individual with the process of self-assessment and guides them through a discovery process to determine which type of job or career path might be a good Þt.

We expect the individual to commit to achieving one of three possible outcomes: 1. Employment " Unsubsidized employment " Full or part-time supported employment " On-the-job training 2. Post secondary education " GED prep " Literacy assistant/tutoring " Trade school " College 3. Employment skills development " Internship/externship " Community based non–work " Volunteering " Entrepreneurship

On Education

The Effective Education Parents Summer Recommended Reading List ■■

By Michael A. Johnson

A

ll good K-12 school educators I know create a “summer books to read list.” And this list will usually include some education-related books.

Parents are just as important teachers as any professional educator working in a school.

In fact, a child’s success in school is very much connected to the quality and quantity of learning they receive outside of school, and particularly at home. Young people should see their parents reading books as a way to model: “How to get smarter, parents should read books that will make them ‘smarter teachers’ at helping their children to become better students.”

First, I tried to include titles that did not contain a great deal of “educational jargon.” Also, most of these books should be available at your local public library. I have read all of the books mentioned here, but space will not allow me to provide a detailed “literary review” of their content.

My suggestion is that these books should be only the beginning of building a home-based school parents education book case/library: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass: Because it establishes the important role of reading, learning and school as primary tools of liberation, freedom and self-reliance. Not being able to read effectively, not having access and/or interest in reading and books is a lifelong limiting condition.

Radical Equations: Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project by Moses & Cobb: Along with the life-determining power to read, is that great Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) “gatekeeper,” Algebra. The proper (K- 7 or 8) preparation to take, and the mastery of Algebra after taking the course, is a major factor in the student’s future career options.

These 4 books demonstrate as one title states that “Nothing’s Impossible” when a child has a determined and committed advocate, both in school and at home: Nothing’s Impossible: Leadership Lessons from Inside and Outside the Classroom--Lorraine Monroe The Bridge to Brilliance: How One Principal in a Tough Community is Inspiring the World--Nadia Lopez Soar: How Boys Learn, Succeed and Develop Character-- David Banks Reflections of an Urban High School Principal--Bernard Gassaway Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind--Costa & Kallick: The greatest tools any K-12 student can acquire and practice are the habits of productive thinking, a positive attitude and approach to the school environment, and a knowledge of effective work-study habits. The good news is that these “habits” practiced by successful students can be taught and coached to effectiveness in any child.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens--Sean Covey: This is a great “joint” parent and child read for every parent of a middle-high school student. It is not by accident that students do well (or not so well) in school; rather, it is their access to the information that governs and determines the “rules” of good student-hood!

How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method--G. Polya: Perhaps one of the most often voiced concerns I heard as a superintendent was the middle school parent’s “anxiety” (phobia?) about helping their child with mathematics. This book offers a very systematic and easy-tofollow approach to mathematical problem-solving for both parents and students.

Smart Parenting for African-Americans-Jeffrey Gardere, PH.D. The price of parenthood: The “home” educator (parent) must study, work and think about their work as hard as the school educator studies; works and thinks about their work!

“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly D. Tatum, PH.D. Parents of color must understand that “race” is always on the table, and it is always part of any educational conversation in our public schools.

The general rule #1 in public schools is: We generally (with a few exceptions) get from children what we expect. General rule #2: No public school system in this nation has a comprehensive and sound plan as to what to do with Gifted & Talented Black

and Latino students, as well as Black and Latino students who are on and/or above grade academic performance levels.

Full Disclosure: I am the author of this last book: Report to the Principal’s Office: Tools for Building Successful High School Administrative Leadership. One of the reasons I wrote the book was to help parents to better understand how our public high school system works. In the book are two (relevant to this article) chapters on (1) “Real and meaningful Parent Engagement and Empowerment” and (2) the “Practices of a Successful High School Student.”

These chapters in particular seek to explain the “best practices” of the best and most successful high school parents and students. The book also seeks to demystify the public school system in general, and specifically how high schools operate and function. How to define and recognize a “good school,” a “good school leader” and a “good teaching/learning” school environment. This book will provide the “right questions” for the parents of presently attending high school students or those who will soon be facing the high school selection process.

Michael A. Johnson has served as a public schoolteacher, Science Skills Center director, principal and a school district superintendent. He also served as an adjunct professor of Science Education in the School of Education at St. John’s University.

10

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 28

Democracy Now! July 10, 2018 ➔➔ Continued from page 2 conservative court since the 1930s. Critics warn this could lead to a major rollback of civil rights, environmental regulations, gun control measures, voting rights and reproductive rights, including possibly overturning Roe v. Wade.

While running for president, Trump openly vowed to only nominate justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade. Last year, Kavanaugh ruled against an undocumented teenager who sought to have an abortion while in federal detention. He said allowing the abortion would make the government, quote, “complicit” in something that is morally objectionable.

Shielding the President

AMY GOODMAN: Brett Kavanaugh has also argued that sitting presidents should be shielded from criminal or civil investigations. In a 2009 article for the Minnesota Law Review, Kavanaugh wrote, “I believe that the President should be excused from some of the burdens of ordinary citizenship while serving in office,” unquote.

He went on to write, “The indictment and trial of a sitting President, moreover, would cripple the federal government.”

On Monday night, President Trump urged the Senate to quickly approve Kavanaugh’s nomination.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The rule of law is our nation’s proud heritage. It is the cornerstone of our freedom. It is what guarantees equal justice. And the Senate now has the chance to protect this glorious heritage by sending Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court.

Republican Operative

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Brett Kavanaugh has deep ties to the Republican Party. Before becoming a federal judge, he served as a senior aide under President George W. Bush in the White House Counsel’s Office. While at the White House, he met his wife, who was Bush’s personal secretary. Kavanaugh also worked for Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel who investigated President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Kavanaugh, like Justice Neil Gorsuch, clerked for Anthony Kennedy.

And like Gorsuch before him, Kavanaugh is backed by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, both of which drew up a list for Trump in 2016 of suitable rightwing judges to consider for the Supreme Court. On Monday night, Kavanaugh said he was honored to be considered for Kennedy’s seat.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Ton ight, it is my honor and privilege to announce

that I will nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court.

IAN MILLHISER: Sure, this guy looks like he was grown in a vat by the Republican establishment. He literally went to the same elite prep school with Neil Gorsuch. I think they might have even been in the exact same class. You know, he graduated from Yale twice, clerked for Justice Kennedy. He worked for Ken Starr, the Clinton inquisitor.

He worked at an elite law firm, was a very senior aide to President Bush. And then, for these last—this last decade, he’s been on the D.C. Circuit, the second-most powerful court in the country, where he was a consistent antagonist of environmental regulations, where he said that he would have struck down—he didn’t just say he would strike down net neutrality, he said that net neutrality violates the First Amendment, where he was a big proponent of gun rights and moved to strike down D.C. gun laws. So, on issue after issue—abortion, birth control—he’s got a really thick record and he’s very consistently voted with the Right on issue after issue.

AMY GOODMAN: But if you can tell us the positions also that he has occupied over time, specifically, working with President George W. Bush— IAN MILLHISER: Right. I believe he may have even worked on the Bush v.

Gore case. He went on to become what’s called “staff secretary” in the White House, which is a very important job. The staff secretary handles every piece of paper that crosses the president’s desk. And I think that’s significant, because the thing about Judge Kavanaugh isn’t just that he’s very rightwing, and isn’t just that he wants to dismantle much of the federal government. It’s that he’s extraordinarily smart. And through that experience, handling literally every piece of paper that crossed President Bush’s desk, he has a very sophisticated understanding of how the government works, where the leverage points are, where if he strikes down this regulation here, it leads to a lot of the EPA unraveling.

And so, he is going to be very, very effective in his mission of dismantling a great deal of the administrative state.

Weaponizing The First Amendment

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Ian, you’ve written also about his role in what you call “weaponizing” the First Amendment, some of the cases that he’s decided really extending First Amendment rights to groups that normally we wouldn’t consider the First Amendment applying to. Specifically, you talked about United States Telecom v. FCC— his impact on net neutrality, as well as other cases that seem to bend over backwards to

give First Amendment rights to corporations.

IAN MILLHISER: Right, this is something we’ve seen. It’s a major project of the Roberts Court. You know, just recently, they nuked a lot of the funding that public sector unions are going to be able to receive. And they did that under the theory that when unions bargain, that is a First Amendment matter, and so, therefore, there can be strict restrictions on the unions. The same or very similar logic is what Judge Kavanaugh used when he argued that net neutrality is unconstitutional. His claim was that if you regulate the Internet service provider’s ability to not slow down certain content, then that is regulating their ability to determine which speech you get through their pipelines, and so that’s a violation of the First Amendment.

I suspect we’re going to see this reasoning.

Again, this is a major project of the Roberts Court, to transform the First Amendment, which is supposed to be about free speech, into a vehicle for deregulating business. And what he has shown in that net neutrality case is he is eager to jump onto this project, and probably has some new ideas for other places they can go.

AMY GOODMAN: Let’s go to Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh speaking last night at the White House.

JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH: My judicial philosophy is straightforward: A judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law. A judge must interpret statutes as written. And a judge must interpret the Constitution as written, informed by history and tradition and precedent. For the past 11 years, I’ve taught hundreds of students, primarily at Harvard Law School. I teach that the Constitution’s separation of powers protects individual liberty.

Partisan Federalist Society is Advising and Consenting

AMY GOODMAN: Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, speaking last night after President Trump announced his nomination. Ian Millhiser, he was chosen by the Federalist Society. That’s the list that President Trump was using to make his choice. Explain what the Federalist Society is.

IAN MILLHISER: The Federalist Society is an organization of conservative lawyers. It’s been around for a really long time. And what’s interesting about the Federalist Society is it sort of benefits from this cycle where everyone knows if you want a judgeship from a Republican president or if you want a job in a Republican administration, the way to do that is get involved in the Federalist Society when you’re a law student, you ingratiate yourself to them, and then they dole out favors.

And so, because everyone knows that they’re the ones that can dole out those goodies, it’s this self-perpetuating cycle where people get involved with the organization because they know it’s the place to go and that means that the best conservative lawyers are getting involved with it.

Reshaping the Judiciary The mechanism this has provided is that the Federalist Society has moved very, very far to the Right in recent years. You know, they were one of the incubators for this idea that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Recently, they’ve grown obsessed with dismantling federal agencies like the EPA or the Department of Labor. And those were all ideas that just weren’t on the table 10 years ago. So, what’s happened is the Federalist Society has become the place where if you’re ambitious and you want to get a good job in a Republican administration and you’re a lawyer, you have to go through them. And they take more and more right-wing positions, which doesn’t just mean that they’re taking those positions. It means that every ambitious Republican lawyer in the country feels like they have to take these extreme positions or they’re just not going to advance their career.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: So, Ian, can you talk about Leonard Leo (President of the Federalist Society) and specifically his role, the reports that he’s a member of the Knights of Malta, a secret right-wing organization within the Catholic Church, and his role specifically in the vetting of these nominees of the Republican presidents, and now especially President Trump, to the Court?

IAN MILLHISER: Leonard Leo is a very, very conservative guy who sits very close to the apex of this Federalist Society network that I was just describing. And he just knows who everyone is. I mean, that’s his value to Republican presidents, that when you become president, you have to fill literally thousands of jobs, and over the course of your presidency, potentially hundreds of judgeships, and most presidents just aren’t going to know (like) who’s the person who will make a good trial lawyer in Idaho, for example. Leonard Leo is the guy who knows who all those people are. He spent his entire career, getting Scotch with these people and having breakfast with these people and getting to know who the reliable, consistently very conservative judges or lawyers are that he can then advise presidents to put on the bench. And so that’s why they use him.

I also want to push back against a few things that he has said. First of all, of course, Kavanaugh is going to overrule Roe v. Wade. They’ve got four votes already who are willing to uphold a Texas law that was just a sham law intended to shut down abortion clinics. Kavanaugh is going to be the fifth. He has criticized Roe v. Wade. He said that it was a freewheeling decision. He wrote an opinion just last year that used a very—took a very aggressive posture, said that the Trump Administration could literally imprison women to delay their ability to have an abortion. So, this is not a guy who’s going to stay his hand when it comes to Roe v. Wade. I think that Mr. Leo doesn’t—you know, wants to muddy the waters a bit, because there’s two Republican senators— Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski—who claim to be pro-choice. And at the very least, they want to have deniability if they vote for Kavanaugh. But there’s no deniability here.

This guy is the fifth vote to overrule Roe v.

Wade, period.

The Fame you find in a Meme ➔➔ Continued from page 5 market the coat has me using my best gangster face, a natty black skullcap covering my head, the collar popped, my unshaven beard giving you hipster chic with a twist of thug life. In other words, I looked a complete mess.

The pic simply became one of dozens that I took for the website, nothing at all special about it. I don’t even know if they ever sold any of those jackets.

Marilyn Monroe said, “Fame is like caviar, you know? It’s good to have caviar, but not when you have it at every meal.”

I’ve had my taste of fame. I prefer the taste of a rib-eye steak.

VOL. 22 NO. 28

N

Celebrating Brooklyn’s Friendships: Grassroots to Global

ext month, the observance of International Friendships here in Brooklyn, New York, beginning Sunday, August 5, could be considered an extension of July Family Reunion Month in a way no other city can claim.

The borough arguably is home to more diverse cultures than any other place except the United Nations.

L

11

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

The Unity Parade of Flags starting August 5 at 11:00AM with young people carrying flags of all 195 countries in the world kicks off International Day of Friendship Celebration. Marchers will walk from the Brooklyn Bridge to Borough Hall where Delegates from each country will be holding hands, forming a human chain around Borough Hall. As marchers

meet their country’s Delegate there will be a ceremonial handing off of the flag to show the significance of bridging the gap in generations and throughout the world’s people.

“Culture is a cornerstone of national identity and pride,” says Brooklyn BP Eric Adams. So, Friendship Day will feature an array of performances specific to continental

regions to expose Brooklynites to the rich diversity found in their backyard.

“We will be giving organizations the opportunity to highlight countries’ culture through reading, dances, music and unique world cuisines.” The performances will start at 1:00pm and end at 5:00pm. Below, Brooklyn-born author Dr. Laurie Nadel writes about friendship.

Special for Our Time Press The Roots of Friendship Start Here ■■

Laurie Nadel, Ph.D.

ike the proverbial tree that grows Brooklyn friendships run deep and oh so helps people recover from traumatic Her new book, “The Five Gifts: Discovering in Brooklyn, the roots of my most real. events. She ran a program for teen- Hope, Healing and Strength When Disaster important friendships began in the Brooklyn native Laurie Nadel is agers whose fathers were killed in the Strikes,” celebrates the gift of empathy and middle of East 27th Street between Avenues a psychotherapist and author who 9/11/01 World Trade Center attacks. friendship in recovering from trauma.

L and M. We were a tribe of about 40 girls and boys with no more than four years difference in our ages. On any given afternoon, our moms could hear us roller skating, biking and playing stickball in the middle of the street. The manhole covers marked home plate.

Life was simpler in the B.I. (Before Internet) era. Not only was it safe to play in the street without supervision, but starting in first grade, we walked to school by ourselves. After homework, we could go to our friends’ homes until it was time for dinner.

With 20-20 hindsight, it seems idyllic but we grew up under a shadow of danger that frightened us and drew us closer together. Now, more than 50 years later, my oldest friendships were forged by the alliances we formed back then.

I started prepping in first grade. It was 1954, and if you are among the 76 million baby boomers, you remember how we lived in fear of the Russians dropping an atom TH bomb on New York City. At PS 193, Mrs. Bardy had us kneel under our scarred wooden desks.

Since we expected to be killed, my best friend from East 27th Street, Abby Ferrante, baptized me with our family’s green rubber garden hose so that she and I could be together in heaven. I wouldn’t have to go to Limbo with the other Jewish kids. We shared an uneasy laugh about it just the other day. Who thought we would be worrying about nuclear bombs more than 60 years later?

My friendship with a colleague started in the mid-1960s.

She and five other students travTRANSPORTATION eled an hour to Midwood High 2 R School from Bedford-Stuyvesant.

We went on to college together BUSES: B25, B26, B38, B41, B52, and B103 and our combined years give us Brooklyn Borough Hall is ADA-accessible and breastfeeding-friendly a century of interracial friendship that bonded us through divorce and raising daughters on our own. Our personal history weaves through decades of social change in the borough we love.

A wise man told me, “A (718) 802-3798 OR PROGRAMS@BROOKLYNBP.NYC.GOV friend helps you move. A real friend helps you move the body.”

Through sunshine and storms, FUNDED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE NYC & COMPANY FOUNDATION trauma and tears, the roots of

1:00 PM

KICKOFF OF UNITY PARADE OF FLAGS (FULTON MALL)

2:00 PM

CULTURAL PERFORMANCES (COLUMBUS PARK MAIN STAGE)

PLUS

A TASTE OF ETHNIC CUISINE THE GLOBAL VILLAGE A GLOBAL DANCE PARTY

5 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DAY OF

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2018 A Cultural Festival Celebrating Brooklyn’s Diversity

12

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS Basenji Capital, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on June 27, 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 Basenji Capital, LLC., c/o Mathew McGovern, 1 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11243 Purpose: To engage in any and all business activities.

BLACK MAGIC STUDIO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on May 24, 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 BLACK MAGIC STUDIO LLC., c/o Bergstein Flynn & Knowlton PLLC, 142 W 57th Street, Suite 4A, New York, NY 10019.

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Kings M&T Bank, Plaintiff AGAINST Sherri E. Hailstalk, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 2/18/2016 and entered on 2/22/2016, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on August 09, 2018 at 02:30 PM premises known as 604 Halsey Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 1666, LOT: 34. Approximate amount of judgment is $691,616.97 plus interests and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 15167/09. James M. Caffrey, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF KINGS SUPLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICE Index No. 515963/2017 Date Filed: 7/2/2018 JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Plaintiff, -against-Pierre Senea a/k/a Pierre R. Senea a/k/a Pierre Richard Senea, if he be living or dead, his spouse, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; Kymberli Talton; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Navy Federal Credit Union; Execu-Ride Inc. T/A Thrifty Car Rental; City of New York Environmental Control Board; City of New York Parking Violations Bureau; City of New York Transit Adjudication Bureau; State of New York; and “JOHN DOE”, said name being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, and any parties, corporations or entities, if any, having or claiming an interest or lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants.

PROPERTY ADDRESS: 1546 East 96th street, Brooklyn, NY 11236 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Noach Dear, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Kings County, entered June 28, 2018 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Kings County Clerk’s Office. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Consolidation and/or Modified Mortgage (hereinafter “the Mortgage”) to secure $307,617.92 and

interest, recorded in the Kings County Office of the City Register on April 19, 2013, in CRFN: 2013000156169 covering premises known as 1546 East 96th street, Brooklyn, NY 11236 a/k/a Block 8279, Lot 74. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates Kings County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WIT THE COURT. Dated: February 8, 2018 Frank M. Cassara, Esq. Senior Associate Attorney SHAPIRO, DICARO & BARAK, LLC Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (585) 247-9000 Fax: (585) 247-7380 Our File No. 17-064793 #95237 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Successor by Merger to Wachovia Mortgage, F.S. B. F/K/A/ World Savings Bank, FSB, Plaintiff AGAINST Carmen Maria Valdez; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated September 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 August 2, 2018 at 2:30PM, premises known as 3039 Brighton 4th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235-6446. 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, City and State of NY, Block 8674 Lot 86. Approximate amount of judgment $735,255.07 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 11853/2011. Leonard C. Aloi, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 759-1835 Dated: June 18, 2018 55262 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS Index No.: 45556/2007 GOSHEN MORTGAGE

VOL. 22 NO. 28 - P.O. Box 186 Elenville, New York 12428.

Purpose: To engage in any and all business activities.

Purpose: To engage in any and all business activities.

22 ROUTE 6 LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 5/29/2018. 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 22 ROUTE 6 LLC., 47 N. Main Street LLC, AS SEPARATE TRUSTEE FOR GDBT I TRUST 2011-1, Plaintiff, Against CARLTON EXILE A/K/A C. EXILE, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 5/9/2014, 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 8/2/2018 at 2:30 pm, premises known as 123 Montauk Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11208, 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; Block 3,992 and Lot 5. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $966,297.14 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 45556/2007. Nancy Schacher, Esq., Referee. SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Dated: 06/14/2018 File Number: 25672 AA NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Kings Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Trustee, on behalf of SASCO 2007-MLN1 Trust Fund, Plaintiff AGAINST Neville Romain a/k/a Neville Roman, David Cohan, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 5/7/2018 and entered on 5/24/2018, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on July 26, 2018 at 02:30 PM premises known as 2049 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 1565, LOT: 44. Approximate amount of judgment is $817,845.11 plus interests and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 506073/2014. Doron A. Leiby, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Kings Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for HASCO 2007-WF1, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-WF1, Plaintiff AGAINST Corine McLean, Paulette McLean, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 10/8/2014 and entered on 10/14/2014, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on July 26, 2018 at 02:30 PM premises known as 3110 Snyder Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11226. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 4902, LOT: 4. Approximate amount of judgment is $771,210.52 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 8391/2008. Domenick Napoletano, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP

Three Dog Design & Build, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/07/2018.

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 Eric Ruggieron, 23 Marconi Place Brooklyn, NY 11233 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS Santander Bank, N.A. f/k/a Sovereign Bank, N.A. f/k/a Sovereign Bank, Plaintiff -against- Paulette Wellington a/k/a Paula Wellington a/k/a Paula R. Wellington, First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Rochester, City of New York Department of Transportation Parking Violations Bureau Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale entered on November 29, 2017 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at ROOM 224 F/K/A ROOM 274 OF KINGS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 360 ADAMS STREET, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201 on July 19, 2018 at 2:30 PM premises known as 930 East 101st, Brooklyn, NY 11236 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.

Block: 8208 Lot: 51 Approximate amount of lien $608,011.60 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment Index # 502496/2015 Helene Blank, Esq., REFEREE STEIN, WIENER AND ROTH, L.L.P., ATTORNEYS FOR THE PLAINTIFF ONE OLD COUNTRY ROAD, SUITE 113 CARLE PLACE, NY 11514 DATED June 14, 2018 FILE #: SANTANDER 67255 NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court Kings County BH EMMENS LLC (Plaintiff) v. IRINA SHELIKHOVA et. al. (Defendants) Index No.: 7491/2013.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 2, 2017, as amended, I will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Courthouse located at 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on July 19, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., the Units known as 3149 Emmons Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11235, in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York (Block 8804, and Lot 1301, 1302, 1303).

Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Building sold as one unit. Joel Abramson, Esq., Referee.

Roberts & Fidler, P.C, attorney for Plaintiff, 26 Court Street, 11th Floor, Brooklyn, New York. 347-721-9022.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS VALLEY NATIONAL BANK, Plaintiff -against- IZIBO IZYAGUYEV, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated May 7, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Courthouse 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY on July 26, 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, known as Unit No. 101 in the building known as “Tara Condominium” together with an undivided 10.2752% interest as to Unit 101 in the common elements. Block: 5853 Lot: 1001.

Said premises known as 231 68TH STREET, UNIT 101, BROOKLYN, NY Approximate amount of lien $229,373.43 plus interest & ➔➔ Continued on page 14

VOL. 22 NO. 28

Classifieds

DONATE YOUR CAR

Attorney/ Legal

Miscellaneous

Lung Cancer? And Age 60+? You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. Call 866951-9073 for Information. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket.

A PLACE FOR MOM has helped over a million families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. Call: 1-800-404-8852

Attorney/ Legal

Miscellaneous

REAL ESTATE Attorney.

Problems.

13

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

Buy/Sell/Mortgage

Attorney & Real Estate Bkr, PROBATE/CRIMINAL/BUSINESS- Richard H. Lovell, P.C., 10748 Cross Bay, Ozone Park, NY 11417 718 8359300 LovellLawnewyork@gmail.com Auto Donations Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call (917) 336-1254 Business Opportunity Have an idea for an invention/new product? We help everyday inventors try to patent and submit their ideas to companies! Call InventHelp®, FREE INFORMATION! 888-487-7074 Business Services Funding. For businesses or personal. Get business or personal loan 24-48 hours. Or get cash advance by selling your invoices. Get paid tomorrow. www.lucidafundingcorp.com.

Health VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150 FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed!

REVERSE MORTGAGE: Homeowners age 62+ turn your home equity into tax-free cash! Speak with an expert today and receive a free booklet. 1-877-580-3720

Wheels For Wishes Benefiting

Make-A-Wish® Metro New York

WheelsForWishes.org Call: (917) 336-1254 * Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or financial information, visit www.wheelsforwishes.org.

Royal Spa Session June 2018

Miscellaneous DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply.

Call 1-800-943-0838

Free Gift and Beauty tips on Dry and Acne and Oily and Age-Fighting Skin Contact:

Miscellaneous DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply.

Call 1-877-229-5789 Services Guaranteed Life Insurance! (Ages 50 to 80). No medical exam. Affordable premiums never increase.

Benefits never decrease. Policy will only be cancelled for non-payment. 855-686-5879.

*Free Vehicle/Boat Pickup ANYWHERE *We Accept All Vehicles Running or Not *Fully Tax Deductible

Cynthia Chandler

Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant Book Appointment Call 917-648-0253 Email cec3500@yahoo.com Website: wwwmary/kay/com/cec3500

Donate A Boat or Car Today!

“2-Night Free Vacation!”

Your Business Card Here!

Call 718-599-6828

800 - 700 - BOAT (2628)

w w w.boatangel.com

sponsored by boat angel outreach centers

STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN

Call Today: 800-404-0244 Help Wanted AIRLINE CAREERS Start Here –Get trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician.

Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866-296-7094 Home Improvement BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Grab bars, no slip flooring & seated showers. Call for a free in-home consultation: 888-657-9488.

Medical Supplies Attention Viagra users: Generic 100 mg blue pills or Generic 20 mg yellow pills. Get 45 plus 5 free $99 + S/H. Guaranteed, no prescription necessary. Call 877-845-8068.

Medical Supplies OXYGEN- Anytime. Anywhere. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved!

FREE info kit: 866-971-2603 Medical Supplies Attention Viagra users: Generic 100 mg blue pills or Generic 20 mg yellow pills. Get 45 plus 5 free $99 +S/H. Guaranteed, no prescription necessary. Call 877-845-8068.

Follow us on

Saving a Life EVERY 11 MINUTES

alone I’m never

Life Alert® is always here for me.

One touch of a button sends help fast, 24/7. with

GPS !

Help at Home Help On-the-Go ®

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

and at www.ourtimepress.com

Batteries Never Need Charging.

For a FREE brochure call:

1-800-404-9776

14

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

VOL. 22 NO. 28

A Conversation with Cynthia Nixon in Bed Stuy

➔➔ Continued from page 3

Next Summer’s Frenzy ■■

By Eddie Castro

A

s the calendar shifts to the month of July, the NBA’s free agent period came and made quite the splash. The biggest question of the free agent class is where LeBron James will call home next year. We did not have to wait too long as we went to press, James made a huge decision and announced he’s taking his talents to L.A. and will be joining the Lakers.

It’s a 4-year deal worth $153 million dollars. As we know all too well, there are many teams who are trying to get better in attempts to dethrone the 2-time defending Champion Golden State Warriors. With James now in the Western Conference, the Warriors felt the need to retaliate and did they ever by coming to terms with AllStar big man DeMarcus Cousins. Those, along with Paul George re-signing with Oklahoma City were a few of the big moves made this past week. With all that said, yes, unfortunately, our beloved Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks were not active in free agency or trade talks due to lack of attributes, draft picks and salary cap.

Next year, for both local teams, that may very well change.

For the Brooklyn Nets, it has been well-documented that back in 2012, the team’s then-general manager rolled the dice of the future of the franchise when he decided to trade several future draft picks to the Boston Celtics in hopes the team would be championship contenders upon their arrival to Brooklyn. Few years later, the Nets lack of draft picks have not only brought a few losing seasons for Brooklyn fans but has put the team’s rebuilding structure on hold. Next year, the team’s draft drought will finally come to an end and with the current roster expecting to go through another long season, which will ultimately mean that the Nets could land a lottery draft pick and perhaps land one of the top players in next year’s draft.

The same could perhaps be said for the cross-river rival New York Knicks when it comes to finances. Since taking over last year, Knicks team President Steve Mills and General Manager Scott Perry have made it quite clear about creating a window in clearing cap space. It will start with the team coming to terms with big man Joakim Noah and finding a taker for Courtney Lee, who’s owed around $25 million over the next 2 years. The Knicks also have to observe the status of their star player Kristaps Porzingis. The “Unicorn” is coming off a torn ACL and appears to be the guy the franchise will build around. To set the record straight, both the Knicks and Nets could very well have enough cap space to sign 2 max-contract players. Players such as Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler could potentially become free agents next year. We shall see what the status for both teams will be as they prepare for what could be an “active” free agent period for both teams.

Sports Notes: (Baseball) The Major League Home Run Derby and All-Star game will take place next week in Washington, DC. See your favorite Yankees and Mets All-Stars compete against the very best players in the world.

What does the Our Time Press universe think about LeBron James deciding to join the L.A. Lakers? With the Oklahoma City Thunder coming to terms or releasing Red Hook native and former Knick Carmelo Anthony, where will Melo play next year? Miami, Houston?

E-mail me at Castroeddie714@gmail.com and tell me your thoughts.

“It’s very important that we just stop throwing people in jail for petty offenses.

We need to not have people sitting in jail just awaiting trial who are legally innocent.

We have to also make sure that parole is not booby-trapped, we have to maximize their chances, give them the support they need to find a place to live and find a job and deal with the trauma. It’s like you’ve come back from a war and you need to make sure a person has the support to deal with the PTSD that they’re overwhelmed with when they try to reenter society. And we don’t want to keep tripping people up on these minor, little, technical infractions that are just yanking them back into the system.”

Paulette Tabb Jeppe, a BedfordStuyvesant homeowner and retired educator said, “You touched on corruption in government, in relation to real estate development.

I want to know, what do you propose to do about New York’s homeless problem? And also prices for NYCHA?”

“So, some of the homelessness crisis is, of course, due to mental illness, and I think we have to do a much better job with mental health services. But the vast majority of it is due to a lack of affordability. We have to get rid of this idea we have that if we really help people that are homeless into housing, that this is going to cause an explosion of homelessness from people who are expecting to be given housing. I think nothing could be farther from the truth, and that actually if we spend the money to solve the problem, it would also end up costing the city and the state a lot less in the long run.”

“NYCHA has been underfunded by everybody: by the city, by the state, by the feds – for so long. I think it’s good that the city has agreed to put in a billion dollars, that’s a start. The governor has agreed to put in $250 million; that’s too little, too late, and we’ll see if he really comes up with it. One of the things that has been so wrong is when he actually gives a chunk of money, he doles it out in tiny little parcels so that it can’t be used for overarching needs like replacing

roofs, fixing leaks, getting the mold out, getting the asbestos out and lead paint.

“We need a wholesale investment and I think it’s important that we have a federal monitor there. My hope is that this person, that committee – will be somewhat objective and will put both the city and the state’s feet to the fire about what is needed. Cutting corners is what happens when you have such a massive institution and you do not fund it and do not prioritize the lives of the tenants.”

Political consultant Stefani Zinerman, a co-founder of Woman-Up Brooklyn, curates State of NY Women. She’ll be doing the same for others going forward – organizing “intimate conversations” between candidates and the constituents they aim to serve.

“Over the past election cycle, Black women have emerged as a crucial demographic for candidates seeking elected office,” says Zinerman. “My role in communities across New York State is to ensure that we get in the room and help set an agenda that meets our needs.” This candidate was game.

In Thailand Children Rescued, in America Children Lost ➔➔ Continued from page 1 Educate New York plan, she puts educating and caring for children as the first duty of the state, as it is for any family. This orientation toward the environment and health care, what’s best for family, has produced a visceral campaign that a winner runs. A campaign not driven by politicians trying to get ahead in the party, or tied to entrenched profitable relationships with lobbyists, corporate interests and whatever dark systems they have.

Nixon is taking a womb-to-college approach to education that combines best practices for maternal health, child health

LEGAL NOTICES ➔➔ Continued from page 12 costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 519769/2016.

SHMUEL TAUB, ESQ., Referee KRISS & FEUERSTEIN LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 360 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10017 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR NAAC MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1, Plaintiff AGAINST SANDRA M. NEILS, DOREEN R. RIVERA, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated May 08, 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 July 19, 2018 at 2:30PM, premises known as 533 CHESTER 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, City and State of New York, BLOCK 3614, LOT 19. Approximate

and education enrichment and opportunity.

As a start to fighting back against the economic/class warfare waged by major corporations and the rich against everyone else, Nixon proposes paying for the 7.367 billion Educate NY plan, by restoring Andrew Cuomo’s corporate tax cuts, corporate tax reforms and a millionaire’s tax.

New York is spending more on education than other states, but it is how that money is distributed that is the problem.

Nixon says, “New York’s schools are now the second most inequitably funded in the nation, with a difference of $9,923 per pupil between rich and poor school districts. The inequity has grown by 24

percent since Andrew Cuomo took office.

The result is overcrowded classrooms, libraries without librarians, a shortage of teachers for English language learners, and school counselors serving 400, 500 or even 700 students apiece. For many students of color, the consequence is that schools that should be putting them on the track to college and careers, instead criminalize them and push them into the school-to-prison pipeline.”

Put the children first wherever they’re found. At the southern border of the United States, in NYCHA housing, or in the caves of Thailand. David Mark Greaves

amount of judgment $541,680.61 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment for Index# 510518/2014. Philip Kamaras, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 55022

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., d/b/a America’s Servicing Company, Plaintiff -againstGiselle Solomon, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Credit Suisse Financial Corporation, City of New York, Environmental Control Board, Andrea Faraday, Dashawn Cummings Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale entered on February 2, 2018 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at ROOM 224 F/K/A ROOM 274 OF KINGS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 360 ADAMS STREET, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201 on July 19, 2018 at 2:30 PM premises known as 1518 Ryder Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234. 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. Block:7700 Lot: 49 Approximate amount of lien $931,744.88 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment Index # 6319/2013 Jageshwar Sharma, Esq., REFEREE STEIN, WIENER AND ROTH, L.L.P., ATTORNEYS FOR THE PLAINTIFF ONE OLD COUNTRY ROAD, SUITE 113 CARLE PLACE, NY 11514 DATED: June 14, 2018 FILE #: FWELLS 60927

SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff against JYH WANG A/K/A JYH S. WANG A/K/A JS WONG, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on February 5, 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 26th day of July, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: 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. Said premises known as 385 Legion Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11212.

(Block: 3595, Lot: 18).

Approximate amount of lien $ 576,084.01 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 502407-15. Helene E. Blank, Esq., Referee.

McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 145 Huguenot Street – Suite 210 New Rochelle, New York 10801 (914) 636-8900

VOL. 22 NO. 28

15

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

Malcolm Nance on Trump: We’re “on the cusp” of “losing the American constitutional republic forever” Former intelligence officer turned author says Putin is Trump’s “handler” and we’re in a “Benedict Arnold moment”

■■ CHAUNCEY DEVEGA https://www.salon.com

T

JULY 9, 2018 11:00AM (UTC) he crisis that has befallen America under Donald Trump’s presidency is not ripped from the pages of a John le Carré or Jason Matthews spy novel.

It is all too real.

Malcolm Nance The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has unanimously endorsed the intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 presidential election, with the goal of electing Donald Trump and undermining American democracy.

Former CIA director John Brennan agrees that Vladimir Putin commanded his spies and other agents to assist Donald Trump so that he would defeat Hillary Clinton.

Brennan also believes that Putin may be blackmailing Trump as a means of forcing the president to do his bidding.

Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted numerous people in connection with Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election and related criminal behavior.

Trump openly encouraged Putin and his agents to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Trump continues to publicly praise Putin and make excuses for his apparent efforts to subvert American democracy.

Trump now plans to meet privately with Putin later this month. It has been reported that no American advisers or other observers will attend these meetings.

If what now seems apparent is indeed true, Putin has successfully conducted one of the greatest covert operations in modern history.

He and his agents have undermined the United States’ standing in the world and apparently now control a president, the Republican Party, and tens of millions of Americans who have embraced authoritarianism and betrayed their own country’s democratic values and institutions.

How was Russia able to accomplish this? Is Donald Trump actively working for Vladimir Putin and Russia or is he just a “useful idiot”? What social cleavages did Russia exploit in order to do so much damage to the United States? How does Russia’s support of Trump and American fascism fit into a much larger global plan?

In an effort to answer these questions I recently spoke with Malcolm Nance, a career intelligence and counterterrorism officer for the United States government. In his more than three decades working in that capacity, Nance served with U.S. Special Operations forces, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. He has worked in the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. A frequent guest contributor on MSNBC, Nance has authored several books, including the bestselling “The Plot to Hack America: How Putin’s Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election.”

Nance’s new book is “The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin and His Spies Are Undermining America and Dismantling the West.”

It has been about a year since we last spoke about President Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election. At this point are matters better, worse or about what you expected in terms of how Trump is behaving and his impact on the country?

Things are happening as expected. But who would have thought that Donald Trump would be feeling so much pressure about being caught working with the Russians that he would feel the need to start paying them off so greatly? Trump is now warning that he may eliminate or downgrade NATO. It’s just insane. We created NATO. It was a United States invention for the collective security of Europe. It has been a Russian desire since 1947 to break up NATO. Trump also wants to remove the United States from the World Trade Organization. He is doing this all before his summit meeting with Putin.

But in some ways Donald Trump is way worse than I thought he would be at this point.

He is acting like a guy who has to rob a bank to pay off the Colombian drug lord. Every day that he wakes up alive is like a blessing.

This is the level of debt and peril that I think Donald Trump is in -- that he would literally take a sledgehammer to everything the United States has built in an effort to save himself.

Donald Trump is acting like Putin’s vassal. The public evidence that Trump and his inner circle colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 presidential election is overwhelming. Yet Trump’s voters, the Republican Party and the right-wing news media keeps denying the facts.

Putin is his handler. There are too many people who keep saying that they are “sick of hearing about Russia.” These people refuse to acknowledge the evidence. There is a national counterintelligence investigation targeting the White House. The president and all of his staff are implicated.

We have Michael Flynn, the [former] national security adviser to the president, pleading guilty to lying to the FBI because he covered up secret contacts with a foreign government and lied about it when confronted

with the facts. The evidence is now in the realm of the Justice Department, and they’re not going to just come out and give it to you.

This is what all these Republican congressmen are trying to do. For example, Devin Nunes and Trey Gowdy. They’re trying to get the evidence so that they can use it to try to exonerate Donald Trump.

This is obstruction of justice on a grand scale. I suspect that when it’s all said and done and the sum total of the evidence comes out, it’ll be overwhelming and undeniable. As I told you last year, we’re entering a Benedict Arnold moment in American history. Robert Mueller is not playing games here. He cannot accelerate things because Donald Trump is taking a sledgehammer to government, although I’m certain he will accelerate things in order to make sure that justice is served.

There will be more indictments, some of them very high profile. For example, Jared Kushner lied when he was asked about using Russian secret communications in an effort to hide his communications with Russia from the NSA and CIA. Where is the mass protest and outrage among the American people? There should be massive protests and marches that disrupt day-to-day life. Is this passivity and perhaps exhaustion also part of Russia and Putin’s psy-op against the American people?

I think they chose their asset well. Donald Trump knows how to play this game. He understands that his only salvation is to manipulate the public. He doesn’t care if he destroys the fundamental infrastructure of the FBI. He has Rudy Giuliani telling him the good guys are the average field officers and the leadership needs to be completely redone because Trump wants to control the Justice Department. This is Trump’s way of obstructing justice and expanding his power.

Republicans are so taken by and loyal to Trump that they will believe and do anything he says. A good example of that is the Harley-Davidson factory and the nail factory that were shut down or may go away due to his tariffs. There have been interviews with people who said, “Well, we know it’s going to affect us firstly, but if Donald Trump says it’s for the best, then OK.” That’s cultism. Lo and behold, they actually say, “Well, Donald Trump didn’t do that. That’s the Europeans or that’s the liberals or that’s the Democrats that made me lose my job.”

We’re entering a very dangerous period in American history. It is terrifying. I was rereading my book last weekend and I really had no idea that putting all of this together in one solid package would lead to the conclusion that there is, in fact, a plot. The Russians have a plan and a strategy. They have been executing the strategy for 15 years, by finding Donald Trump and building him up as a character and fostering his betrayal of the United States of America. They clearly set out

to destroy American democracy and Donald Trump is the man to do it. We are, as of this November, on the cusp of possibly losing the American constitutional republic forever.

Matters are very dire. I think this “blue wave” in the midterms is much exaggerated. Trump will win in 2020 -- if he runs again -- for a variety of reasons. What will America look like if Trump continues to get his way in terms of serving Putin’s and Russia’s interests, rather than those of the United States and the American people?

You will not recognize the United States.

The country will vote itself into an autocracy.

Trump and the Republican Party will suspend parts of America’s representative democracy.

They will amend the Constitution. And America will see 65 percent of its people living under subjugation. Now, I don’t say that lightly. That’s an intelligence analysis based on the empirical data. I say that with experience honed with humility. Donald Trump makes no secret of his desires in that regard.

His biggest problem has been democracy. I disagree with you, however, on one point. I do believe there will be a “blue wave.”

The problem with the progressives and liberals right now is that they are still treating this situation like we are in a state of normalcy.

Vladimir Putin actually warned that if Trump wins, he has to be careful of an American backlash like the one that swept the pro-Moscow government out of power in the Ukraine. He’s terrified of democracy. He’s terrified of people power. That’s my message.

We have got to mobilize.

It has to be made clear that American democracy may go away this November because if the Democrats don’t win the House of Representatives, it’s done. Trump will get whatever he wants. I don’t think he will win in 2020, because at that point I hope a hero will emerge.

What would you tell people who are terrified or afraid of Trump and what he is doing to America? What advice would you give them?

You have to understand that we are not up against one man. We are up against 40 percent of the American public who don’t understand what’s going on because they only believe Donald Trump.

If we turn out this year like it was a presidential election year, then we will win in a phenomenal landslide. You must vote like your life depends on it, because it could, if you’re a woman that might need an abortion.

It could, if you’re a Latino. It could, if you’re a young black man where shootings can now essentially be written off with a rubber stamp.

When this nation was built out of my city, Philadelphia, the odds were simple. They win or they hang. And now it’s simple again. We win or we lose American democracy. We lose it forever, and I don’t think we’ll come back from autocracy.

Dr. Carlos E. Russell: Founder of Black Solidarity Day Joins the Ancestors ➔➔ Continued from page 3

Dr. Carlos E. Russell

at the Albany Community Center in Albany Projects as a youth worker and directly working with gang members. He eventually moved on to the Fort Greene Community Progress Center.

As a creative individual, he published “Miss Anna’s Son Remembers,” which is known as the first book of Panamanian-West Indian poems outside of Panama. Around this time with Anesta Samuel and other cadres, he helped to

establish the Panamanian-West Indian Heritage Association inspired by one of the first oral history conferences held in New York City. He also spent many years as a playwright and a producer of community theater, namely “Ode to Panama,” performed on stage at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

“It has been my honor and privilege to have known Dr. Carlos E. Russell as a personal friend for over 30 years. Dr. Russell is a brilliant, noble and brave scholar committed to the love of Black people and expresses this love in every

aspect of his life. He is bold, dynamic and inspiring. His creation of Black Solidarity Day represents a source of pride for the vast number of Black people. We love you Dr. Russell and thank God for all you have done to enrich our lives as people of African Ancestry.”

-Cliff Frazier, President, International Communications Association, Dwyer Center; Executive Director, NY Metropolitan Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolence; and Co-Founder of the Harriett Tubman Charter School

16

OUR TIME PRESS July 12 – 18, 2018

Community Calendar Friday, July 13th ELOMBE BRATH SELECTED WRITINGS AND ESSAYS BY HERB BOYD, Sistas’ Place, 456 Nostrand Ave., 6PM Free. The December 12th Movement and The Elombe Brath Foundation present an evening with Elombe. Be among the first people to get the 468-page book, and at a reduced rate before its official release on July 27th. Editor Herb Boyd will discuss the book with Elombe’s son Cinque and other members of the Elombe Brath Foundation at the first unveiling of the book, with a foreword by Bernard White, exploring Africa, The Caribbean, The United States, Pan Africanism and Marcus Garvey. Call 718-398-1766 for more information.

VOL. 22 NO. 28

Celebrating the Life of

REPRESENT! BEGINNER’S EMBROIDER at Calabar Imports, Bed Stuy. 351 Tompkins Ave, 2-5:30PM Join Sahara Briscoe for an engaging afternoon on your path to Embroidery, a meditative and powerful craft for expression. You’ll learn a group of easy, essential stitches that will enable you to make personally cultural art for a perfect gift or an everyday boost. We’ll also discuss the creative possibilities for further expression. Max 8 participants.

Price includes a custom-designed kit, containing: Pre-printed artwork on high quality linen fabric, hoop, thread, 2 needles, a cheat sheet of embroidery stitches and helpful links. Wine and light snacks will be served. Register at Eventbrite or call 718-928-3970.

Monday, July 16th FREE LUNCH FOR KIDS & TEENS, NEW LOTS LIBRARY, 665 New Lots Ave. at Barbey St., 1:152:00 Mon-Fri, - Aug 31st. Youth18 years and under at can enjoy sandwiches, fresh fruit and cold milk.

Tuesday, July 17

th

Brother William Jones On

Saturday, July 14, 2018 Viewing: 10:00am to 11:00am Service: 11:00am to 1:00pm At

Janes United Methodist 660 Monroe Street Brooklyn, New York

FREE TENNIS INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHILDREN

Saturday, July 14th “FROM AFRICA TO WEEKSVILLE: THE ERIC EDWARDS COLLECTION” at Weeksville Heritage Center, 158 Buffalo Ave, (Bergen & St. Marks). Tues-Fri and some weekends, thru Sept 28th. Come view a portion (61 artifacts) of one of the largest collections of rare African artifacts in the United States amassed by an African American. The exhibition highlights the history and background on artifacts from 17 countries on the African continent and draws connections between the cultural practices of those countries and the people who built the community of historic Weeksville. For more information, including hours, call 718-756-5250.

twice weekly in city parks across Brooklyn through the end of Aug, including: Fort Greene Park - DeKalb Ave. & S. Portland Ave. - Mon/Wed 9am-12pm; Jackie Robinson Playground - Malcolm X. Blvd. & Chauncey St. - Tue/Thurs 9am-12pm; - Lincoln Terrace - Buffalo Ave. & E. New York Ave. - Mon/Wed 1pm - 4pm; Prospect Park - Parkside Ave. at the Parade Ground - Tue/Thurs 1pm-4pm.

Tennis pros transfer their love of the game, using fun exercises and drills to help teach kids the basics of tennis and discover a sport for life. There are classes for all skill levels, weekly competitions, and special events for intermediate-level players. Registration is onsite during program hours, based on availability. Beginner classes are in three one-hour sessions, depending on number of participants and available courts. Arrive on the first day based on your child’s age: 6-8 years in the first hour, then 9-12 and 13-17. Advanced instruction for interme-

Repast

​At Restoration Plaza 1368 Fulton Street (Under the Tent) Brooklyn, New York 11216​ 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm Wednesday, July 18th MANDELA DAY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE Boys and Girls High School campus 12-4PM Free Students will spend the day honoring International Mandela Day with community service. Last year students planted a tree in memory of the former South African leader. They also painted the fence outside their school, cleaned up the park across the street and joined representatives from the South African Consulate to paint a mural of Mandela on the side of the school.

Saturday, July 21st 8TH ANNUAL TAMA SUMMERFEST

Sunday, July 15th CULTURAL CARAVAN LIVE INSTUDIO TAPING at CEMOTAP Center, 135-05 Rockaway Blvd. So. Ozone Park, Queens. 3-7PM. An interview show with Prof. James Blake (BMCC), Barbara Glover (Lehman College), and Basir Mchawi (WBAI / York College). Performances by the Eagle Academy Band/Chorus. FREE Admission.

Call 347-804-5810,

diate-level players is available at select sites.

STRESS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT GROUP Economic Solutions Center, Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton St., 2-4PM FREE. Topics: “What Causes Stress?” “Negative Impact of Stress;” “Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress”; “Peer-to-Peer Support” and, “A Safe Place to Talk About Issues.” For Information call 718-636-6994.

Ave. btw Gates Ave., and Halsey, St. Music, food and fun for all ages! Come out and witness the magic that is Tompkins Avenue, offering an eclectic mix of boutiques, eateries, wellness services and more. Afrobeat Fitness class, Rock-climbing wall, STEM Tent, Children’s play corner, Love in the Streets dance party, Live Entertainment, Wine-tasting, Fashion show and more. Register on Eventbrite to receive free giveaways (must check in at the TAMA Table. For information call Oma Halloway at 718-636-7596 ext. 218

ARTIST TALK: “MY LIFE IN THE ARTS BY JIMMY JAMES GREENE” Calabar Imports Harlem 2504 Frederick Douglass Blvd. 4-6PM Join the artist as he speaks about his journey and this exhibition, “Sisters, Mothers and Queens.

Greene is an accomplished collagist, painter, draftsman and designer who also works with stained glass, print making

and mosaic tile. For the past 25 years his work has explored the communal expressions of the African diaspora in general and the African-American experience in particular. Register to attend on Eventbrite or call 646-964-5062

CLOSING CELEBRATION: RADICAL WOMEN: LATIN AMERICAN ART, 1960-1985.

Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy, 1-3PM $16 (includes museum admission). Celebrate the last weekend of this groundbreaking exhibition with artist-led tours of the exhibition and a conversation about curatorial practice. Maria Evelia Marmolejo and Sandra Llano-Mejia kick off the celebrations discussing their work on view and unique approaches to performance. Also presentations by C. Ondine Chavoya, David Evans Frantz, Catherine Morris. For accommodations, assistive listening devices, ASL interpretation: access@brooklynmuseum.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS July 31st MOBILE LEGAL HELP CENTER 1222 East 96th St., (Senator Persaud’s District Office) Appts every 45 mins starting at 10AM Free. Legal assistance on civil issues related to: Housing (tenant only); Foreclosure; Public Benefits; Disability Benefits; Healthcare Benefits; Identity Theft; Debt Management; Consumer Credit; Immigration;Domestic Violence; Divorce; Custody and Visitation; Child support; Employment; Superstorm Sandy; Advance Planning; Appointments can be made through the District Office at 718-649-7653.