| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |
OUR TIME PRESS THE L OCAL PAPER WITH THE G LOBAL VIEW
| VOL. 21 NO. 48
Since 1996
November 30 – December 6, 2017 |
Antidote for these Times:
Lessons on the Power of Grace Under Pressure and Standing Ground
A lovely seventeen-year-old Harlem Renaissance poet rejected the illicit propositions of a Vanity Fair editor (“Harvey Weinstein and Martha’s Vineyard” by Abigail Rosen McGrath, P. 6; a prominent minister bypassed his colleagues in favor of advice from a wise “outsider” (“Watchful Eye,” P. 6); and, this week, a humanitarian has dared to speak up for P.S. 25, the elementary school that inspires his mission (below and P. 2). What links them? Connections to the ancestral calling and a sense of determination to confront fear with steadfastness. Also inside (“Navajo Codebreakers,” P. 12).
Humanitarian speaking up for alma mater P.S. 25 -- “a rare community gift”
G
eorge Johnson, the humanitarian – philanthropist, is calling for graduates of Public School 25 to
take a stand and pledge allegiance to his elementary school, currently The Eubie Blake School located on Lafayette, be-
tween Throop and Marcus Garvey Blvd. In response to a recent NY Daily News article announcing that a local group is calling for
the closing of his alma mater, Johnson says it won’t be closed without a fight. He noted to this writer, for transparency, also an alumnus of P.S. 25 and a current volunteer, that Frank Mickens, principal, Boys & Girls H.S.; education activists The Baker Twins – Geraldine and Audrey; the late Congressional Record and Bowker Company editor Evelyn A. Russell; and a host of other community leaders and game-changing achievers owe their successes to the school. The Daily News reported that a community group has called for the closing of the school due to low attendance. “If the school is getting the highest scores in District 16, that’s the story the media should report and that is a school that should stay in the community! If it is achieving against the odds then the community needs to know about it in order to make informed recommendations! ➔➔ Continued on page 2