June 2021 Recovery Newsletter

3rd Street Beat

Produced by Clients of The Recovery Center 8 east 3rd Street 10003 #19 June 2021

The 3rd Street Beat Mission Statement The Third Street Beat is a newsletter written by and created for people with addiction. Our mission is to validate that experience so people know that they are not alone, and to emphasize the many unique roads that we take to recovery. This is an opportunity to share our experiences to creatively support each other. We are non-political, non-denominational, multi-racial, and gender neutral. Our mission is one of recovery and harm reduction, and all experiences are welcome. All the viewpoints herein are personal in nature and related specifically to our contributors’ recovery.

The 3rd Street Beat Editorial Team The 3rd Street Beat is produced by The Recovery Center community with assistance from the occupational therapy team.

3rd Street Beat back issues can be downloaded at: www.projectrenewal.org/rc-newsletters

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES Juneteenth, Was it Freedom

or Slavery by Another Name?

By Shams Da Baron p.8

PoeTry and Prose For a Long Time by J. Amico p. 3 Success During Hardship and A Life Well Lived

By Mike Roberts p. 5 A Juneteenth Poem p. 6 Storms May Come by Joseph Amico p. 7

The Rest Sudoku p. 2 Memes p. 4 Sudoku solution. 4 TRC Schedule p. 12

Follow TRC on Instagram! @recoverycenternyc

SUDOKU (solution p. 4) The rules of the game are simple: each of the nine blocks has to contain all the numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number can only appear once in a row, column or box.

2

For a Long Time By Joseph Amico Revealing a battle of my life within, As I take on this battle of a shadow within As I want to keep my heart and soul Hollow, hollow, hollow Will I live long or be gone tomorrow?

For a long time For a long time it’s been a battle with sin and For a long time I’ve been fighting to win For a long time See I was convicted at birth as I walked this Earth and the n Nature of sin was Soon to begin Growing up without the word of God Who do you think stepped in?

For a long time See the devil has no level he’s Consistent in lies He wants to keep me and you Paralyzed He blinds me, confines me, wants the Light of God behind me Doesn’t want me to believe That Jesus died on the Cross at Calvary where Sins are forgiven and For a long time For a long time it’s been a battle with sin and For a long time I’ve been fighting to win For a long time So lift up your hearts Let life begin Never let the word of God depart, after all It’s been a long time.

3

SUDOKU solution

Source

4

Source

I find it very amazing that I have been blessed with the mind and the ability during my hardship that I can look around me and find a sense of guidance and meaning in all the things that surround me. For example, to anyone that may be unfamiliar with my way of seeing things, which is not always correct, I started looking for guidance and to find meaning and purpose in my life by turning to nature. I then asked myself what is the meaning behind the trees, grass, stars, animals, or whatever else that comes to mind and I always get results that never cease toamaze me.

Sometimes it’s even mind blowing when I find out the roles that the many different things in nature play in our day to day life and it make me say to myself, I want to join that cycle of life and contribute in the manner I was put here to contribute in which gives me a purpose in life beside destroying my own life and for that reason I am very thankful for all things.

by Mike Roberts

A Life Well Lived

By Mike Roberts To me a life well lived is to be able to overcome hardship and to also be able to accomplish things that are meaningful to you. Also, helping others where it is needed in their lives. A life well lived is being meek, humble, kind, caring, sharing, and all those things that are good just because it is the right thing to do and not looking for anything materialistic in return. A life well lived is just being able to enjoy beauty.

Another day is the best reward you can receive.

My Name is Eddie My name is Eddie Collymore and I am trying to better myself by waking up every morning and figuring out how can I start fresh. I need to find way on how to live a better life and health.

Looking for jobs, a chance to move forward in life. I have hobbies. I like to ride my bike it is my favorite thing to do. I rode all over the city of New York. I went to places like the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Queensboro Bridge, Pulaski Bridge, George Washington Bridge. I also like to travel a lot so these things are patterns that I like to do. It is good to walk all the time, going places is good like how I went to Governors Island was fun I rode all over island to explore and learn new things. You have to find things to when you are in a big city like New York. You have to spent time doing things you like to do.

Museums are good to go to, NYC parks are also great and going to the boardwalks are also good too. You have to love what you do and do it. I also when to Central Park for bike tour and it was fun. I enjoyed every second of it.

When you find those tools to do, you begin to love what you do.

The End 5

We Rose From Africa’s heart, we rose Already a people, our faces ebon, our bodies lean, We rose Skills of art, life, beauty and family Crushed by forces we knew nothing of, we rose Survive we must, we did, We rose We rose to be you, we rose to be me, Above everything expected, we rose To become the knowledge we never knew, We rose Dream, we did Act we must Kristina Kay We Rose © 1996 Juneteenth.com

Storms May Come

By Joseph Amico Just as there is a heaven above there is a hell below As both are kingdoms of their own power So are the thoughts that flow within me I could live in joy as well as live in sorrow Its life and death for me As I reach deep within and battle a sin that wants to continuously win With God as my guider I got to try harder I cannot trust my own ways That’s what makes me drift away and I become prey to the beast that wants in The devil plays a melody to trap me along the way Or uses my family to remind me of who I used to be To make me weak so I may seek darkness to hide But there is a light that I don’t have to fight nor do I have to worry at night when I am all alone See I had a recent storm that took me by surprise, tears filled my eyes and my thoughts were paralyzed My guard was down and my life was in danger, as if I was being lead to the death chamber So I closed my eyes and prayed somehow With little I had left, and I slept I awoke feeling spiritually broke So I grabbed my bible and read for a while, slowly but surely I broke a smile I realized I was in a storm and God’s loving grace brought me home I could look at this as a test of faith or turn against his loving grace, So I may need to slow down, because I will never know when this storm may ever come around

This article was originally published in June 2020 in the 3rd Street Beat. We are re-publishing here as a response to Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday.

While I would like to stand in solidarity with my fellow Black Brothers and Sisters all over the United States in celebration of what they call “Juneteenth” to mark the “official” ending of slavery after the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln, I have to admit the inner battle I face, knowing how foolish it is for us to fall into the trap of illusions, without looking at the foundation of facts. This is such a thing that has permeated throughout the history of Black people here in America. The ability of our enslavers to bamboozle us baffles me. Look at how we have believed for centuries that it was God’s will that we who are Black were ordained to be slaves because Ham saw his drunk father Noah naked and blasé, blah… We seem to let the descendants of our enslavers continue to pump craziness into our brains without questioning anything; such as this idea of Black people being freed completely as a result of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Looking at how people are suddenly jubilant at the thought of having another holiday to honor our history in America, kind of sickens me when I realize how much we buy into this lie which perpetuates the idea that Lincoln actually gave a damn about us and did something good on our behalf.

I think about the words of Carter G Woodson, who wrote in his illuminating book, “The Mis-Education of The Negro”: “If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”

I’m also reminded of Plato’s Allegory of The Cave where it states: “How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?”

What bothers me is that to acknowledge this is to accept this false reality of having been free after the signing of this document which is a total myth. First and foremost, this document was done for the purposes of war, not because Lincoln was a friend of Black people. In his words, the 8 following quotes shall clear up some of the misleading statements made in reference to Lincoln and his so-called desire to free Black people: CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

“The War is waged by the government of the United States not in the spirit of conquest or subjugation, nor for the purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the rights or institutions of the states, but to defend and protect the Union.”

“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery.”

In a debate with Stephen Douglas, Lincoln told an assembled audience on September 18, 1858: “I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality ... I will add to this that I have never seen, to my knowledge, a man, woman, or child who was in favor of producing a perfect equality, social and political, between negroes and white men.”

President Abraham Lincoln never wanted to see Black people free of slavery. All it would have taken for Black people to remain slaves, meaning all Lincoln wanted, was to have the Confederate States return to the Union. If that were to happen Lincoln promised that he would have kept in place the system of chattel slavery. Since this wasn’t accepted, Lincoln then offered a constitutional amendment which would have promised a gradual emancipation that would have taken thirty-seven years to complete. This would have made slavery a legal institution in the twentieth century and once done, gave compensation, not to the enslaved but to the enslavers.

Included in this amendment would be a plan to make a way for Black people to be moved from the United States to places like the Caribbean, Central America and Africa.

The sad thing about the celebration of Juneteenth is that most people who will embrace this so-called holiday will not be able to quote one sentence from the Emancipation Proclamation. The companies and government agencies who are going to give Black people another holiday to calm them down so they can stop protesting and looting, will not tell the truth about Lincoln and expose his hypocrisy or educate the people they’re trying to placate on the illusion of that particular day.

Imagine if the great illusion revealed the truth of what Lincoln actually was doing when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Just think about the reaction when people learn that it was not about freeing slaves as much as it was a way for the Union to cause problems for the Confederate States by promising freedom to anyone who rebelled against their masters, left their plantations and joined the Union cause. In other words, he was offering an olive branch, a carrot on stick if you will. I’d go so far as to say a damn Trojan Horse but I’ll leave the latter for another 9 discussion. Basically, in his words, as presented in the Emancipation Proclamation, it states: CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...

"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.”

The above is basically saying that in those states that are not a part of the Union, those who are slaves, if they fight and obtain their freedom they will be recognized as freedmen by the government of the United States. Sounds good on one end, but then we have to look at another aspect of this. While this Proclamation was speaking in reference to the Confederate States, it did not speak in reference to those states that were a part of the Union. In the actual document there were a number of States that were exempt from the Proclamation therefore keeping slavery in place within their jurisdictions.

The fact is that the Emancipation Proclamation was a war time act which was presented during the Civil War to protect the Union of the United States. Furthermore, the Emancipation Proclamation did not completely end the institution of slavery in the United States. Freedom for those who were slaves in the Confederate States could only come under two conditions. One, the slaves could fight for their freedom and rebel against their masters with support from the Union. Two, and this is very important. No slave would be free if the Union did not win in those Confederate states. Freedom was predicated upon the Union obtaining victory in the Civil War which is why many Black people joined the Union cause.

The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t immediately free a single enslaved person, as the only places it applied were places where the federal government had no control—the Southern states currently fighting against the Union. Exempted states included Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, all of which were loyal to the Union. Lincoln also exempted selected areas of the Confederacy that had already come under Union control in hopes of gaining the loyalty of white people in those states.

Why is this important? Why? I believe we must keep perspective and not allow ourselves to be bamboozled in this day and time with this false narrative designed to paint a good picture of a time when there was not a good picture to paint. The problems we see today are a direct result of our history as slaves in America. To date, nothing significant has been done to rectify the damage that has been done as a result of our experience as slaves in America. This peculiar institution of chattel slavery is the cause for so much of our struggles today and while the United States has come close to publicly apologizing for the institution of slavery as it has affected Black people, they have yet to repair the damage in the form of reparations. Let’s be clear, however, the United States has yet to actually apologize. What they did in 2008 is recognize their role in slavery. A formal apology has never come, let alone any form of reparations.

The idea of addressing systemic poverty, oppression and racism, cannot be seriously dealt with until we accept the reality of our experience coming Up From Slavery. After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Black people who went through reconstruction experienced Slavery By Another Name. The predecessor to Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, ensured that southern whites would be able to continue their rule over Black people, by taking away what was given to the freed slaves in the form of land and giving it all back to their former slave masters, those who wanted to maintain slavery. His reconstruction plans reversed previously made promises to empower Black people in those former confederate states that were re-entering the Union after losing the Civil War. President Johnson gave those States the ability to decide for themselves how they would like to govern themselves within the Union. What they did with this authority is enact what is known as the Black Codes, a series of laws …

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designed to restrict the freedom of Black people to ensure that they would remain a cheap labor force.

Under black codes, many states required Black people to sign yearly labor contracts; if they refused, they risked being arrested, fined and forced into unpaid labor. It was Slavery By Another Name.

Anyone jubilant about the Emancipation Proclamation and considering a celebration for Juneteenth, should make this a time for them to study what came after the signing of that document. They should assemble at the cookout, the rally, the march, the parade, the protest, the office party or whatever they got going on, and review all of the Black Codes. When people discuss the issue of Justice Reform, they should take into consideration that all the ills of our justice system are rooted in those Black Codes. The inequalities we see in economics, in land ownership, in civil rights, in education, in healthcare, in our justice system are rooted in those Black Codes. Mass Incarceration and the Prison Industrial Complex in America and the disparities in the prison population are rooted in those Black Codes. Any conversation discussing systemic poverty, oppression and racism as they relate to Black people in America can find its roots in those Black Codes. The Black Codes are the foundation of what continues to be Slavery By Another Name.

I can on and on and on. We’re talking about 400 plus years of generational trauma inflicted upon Black people in America. I want to celebrate any and all victories we may achieve as we overcome our Black Holocaust. However, if I’m going to celebrate, I will celebrate the legacies of our freedom fighters, those who risked their lives to make impactful changes. Many have died in the struggle but their legacies have left me with lessons that can be learned about how to fight the good fight and work to overcome the continued onslaught of systemic poverty, oppression and racism.

My freedom and the freedom of my people did not come on the day Lincoln signed that Emancipation Proclamation, nor did it come when my Brothers and Sisters in Texas became aware of that document. I will not be bamboozled into thinking that things have really changed for us. Not when following this time, we had 100 years of lynching, the Tulsa Riots which destroyed what is known as Black Wall Street, the New Orleans Riots/Massacre of 1886, the New York Riots/Massacre, the killing of Emmitt Till, the destruction of the Marcus Garvey Movement, the murder of Fred Hampton, of Martin Luther King, of Malcom X and so many others. Along with the brutal murders of Elenore Bumpers, Michael Stewart, Sean Bell, Sandra Bland, Korryn Gaines and so many others. I will not be bamboozled because the fact is, we got a long way to go before we can truly celebrate our freedom in America.

In closing, I want to highlight my continued support for all who are taking the time to fight in this day and time the evils of systemic poverty, oppression and racism. While I find it hard to celebrate a false victory, I do acknowledge the power of turning what may seem to be a negative into a positive. Thus, I have to give total support to those who are coming together in name of Juneteenth to draw attention to the current ills that afflict Black people in this country. We are in difficult times. This is a transitional period and I believe that in the end, righteousness will prevail over evil. The time is now and if we have to use these occasions to come together then so be it. Just stay on point and don’t be lulled to sleep by any temporary or illusionary victory. If we want to really make a significant change and level the playing field for Black people in America then intelligent discussions must be made in the area of reparations. Damage was done and repair is necessary. I could care less about a holiday, a public apology, a political speech, a few law changes, and some photo-ops. To repair the damage done to Black people and eradicate systemic poverty, oppression and racism, we have to talk about reparations. ~The End

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