February 9, 2014
25¢ FREE
**Copyright © THEBROWNSVILLECOLLECTIVE 2013
Know your WE Honor
Check out Pitkin Avenue
“Culture Walk” for a view of Black history posted in the store windows! 1st Annual “Culture Walk”
A special Thanks to: Deidre Olivera, Daniel
Murphy, J. Brodick and Viviana Gordon, Jesse Gordon and Brother Tahir ,Viola Greene-Walker
Is made possible by: Deidre Olivera
Who are some of the: Authors? Political Activist? Artist? Inventors? KINGS? Scientist? Of African American Descent?
What hardships did they Overcome?
How can
YOU change history?
(If you don’t see a sign IN THE STORE WINDOW, it’s because they choose not to support celebrating black history in this community)
BE PROUD OF YOUR CULTURE AND WHO YOUR ARE The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
Community Black
Food for thought
History month YOUTH
and all of the JOBS people who Community Events have HEALTH TRAINING contributed to Opportunities life,TRUTH and to making this Food for Thought world a better FACEBOOK FAVES place Business hELP “Sankofa” The Bville Collective
CONTACT US PHONE:
(917) 681-0540
EMAIL: thebvillecollective @gmail.com
Join us on FACEBOOK: THEBVILLECOLLECTIVE
PAGE 2
Know Your COMMUNITY The Brownsville Collective 444 Thomas Boyland 2ND Floor
WHO TO CALL??? You are in
City Agency Concerns: DIAL 311
Community Board #16
Issues *Questions *Comments, “laws” * Funding * Policies or procedures* Budgeting
Viola Greene, District Manager 444 Thomas Boyland, Bklyn, NY 11212 Community Board #16 (718) 385-0323
LOCAL Local: Community Board #16 (718) 385-0323
Proof Reader Gwendolyn Johnson
FEBRUARY 25TH
Event Placement Jesse Gordon
444 Thomas Boyland
CITY Councilmember
rd
41st Council District 1757 Union Street, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11213
73 PCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING Anthony Newerls, President THURSDAY,
CITY Councilmember
FEBRUARY 20TH
Darlene Mealy (718) 953-3097
7:20 pm Brownsville Heritage House 581 Mother Gaston Blvd
Inez Barron (718) 649-9495 42st Council District 718 Pennsylvania Ave. Brooklyn, New York 11207
STATE
rd
STATE Assemblyman
William Boyland (718)-498-8681 55th Assembly District 467 Thomas S. Boyland St.,Bklyn 11212 STATE Assemblywoman
Inez Barron (718) - 257-5824
Executive Editor M. Morton Hall
GENERAL COMMUNITY BOARD MEETING 7:00 – 9:00pm
CITY
Editor in Chief/ Publisher Deidre Olivera
Legal Lives Columnist Latrice Walker, ESQ Treasurer Earlene Franklin
A Special “Thank You!” For All of our Community Collaborative Submissions Mosque #7C Paul Toomer Muhammad
73 PCT COMMUNITY CLERGY MEETING Reverend Acey Pettaway, President MONDAY,
Brownsville Multi Service center
February 24th
Brownsville Neon
7:00 pm R.D Brown Houses 1630 St. Marks / off Thomas Boyland
60th Assembly District 467 Thomas S. Boyland St.,Bklyn 11212
Jacquelin Simmons
Pitkin Avenue BID Daniel Murphy
Community Bd #16 Viola Greene-Walker
Brooklyn Borough President
Eric Adams (718) 802-3700
Evangelist Gwendolyn Moore 1470 East New York Ave, Bklyn, NY, 11212
209 Joralemon St, Bklyn NY 11225
(718) 495-5411
Commanding Officer Gulotta
STATE Senator
V. Mongomery (718) 643-6140 25TH Senate District 30 Third Avenue , Bklyn NY 11217
FEDERAL Congresswoman
Yvette Clarke (718) 287-1142 123 Linden Boulevard 4thFL, Brooklyn, NY 11226
This year’s felony assaults and the number of shootings are higher than the rest of the city
For Information/Assistance you can call: Auxiliary Coordinator , P.O. Johnson 718-495-5558 Domestic Violence , P.O. Rivera /P.O. Baez 718-495-6205 Youth Officer , P.O. Nelson 718-495-5426 Community Affairs P.O Boone/P.O. Spears 718-495-5422 Crime Prevention, P.O. French 718-498-8786
Peacekeepers Tahir, Chaplains Sharon and Douglas, Jesse
Brownsville Community Justice Center James Brodick Vivianna Gordon
District #15 Family Advocate Paige-Best- Hardy
We Honor Black History Month
The executive members of the community Board are currently restructuring and will inform the community of the new procedures for 2014
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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Food For Thought
SANKOFA It is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates
"It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten." OR
" reach back and get it" Have You seen this symbol on a fence?
During a building excavation in Lower Manhattan in 1991, a cemetery for free and enslaved Africans was discovered. Over 400 remains were identified, but one coffin in particular stood out. Nailed into its wooden lid were iron tacks, 51 of which formed an enigmatic, heart-shaped design that could be a Sankofa. The site is now a national monument, known as the African Burial Ground National Monument, administered by the National Park Service. A copy of the design found on the coffin lid is prominently carved onto a large black granite memorial at the center of the site
The National Museum of African American History and Culture uses the heart-shaped symbol on its website The "mouse over" for the image reads, "The Sankofa represents the importance of learning from the past."
Sankofa symbols show themselves all over Washington, DC, particularly in fence designs.
Sankofa is an event used by Saint Louis University to honor African American student graduates and students who graduate with degrees in African American studies. It symbolizes one taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. Adinkra symbols are used by the Akan people to express proverbs and other philosophical ideas. The sankofa bird also appears on carved wooden Akan stools, in Akan goldweights, on some ruler's state umbrella or parasol (ntuatire) finials and on the staff finials of some court linguists. It functions to foster mutual respect and unity in tradition
This is the Andinkra symbol for “Sankofa” It functions to foster mutual respect and unity in tradition Do you believe that it is by accidental that many people of “African American descent don’t know much about their history? If you were to ask, many don’t know where some of their ancestors are from. All too often, they have little to no knowledge past their parents’ home or their grandparents. Establishing history is an important part of belonging.. Of knowing that you are a part of something so much greater than yourself. Of being able to understanding that your connection
and contribution to the world confirms your hope that yes, you have been born from a line of kings and/or queens.
That your family was highly respected as craftsman, hunters, mathematicians, scientist, traders, priests or architects. That if you would just reach back and look at who you really are you might be begin to understand. The lies of a system made to keep you blind and unaware.
At one point in time it was punishable by death if you spoke your native tongue. You were forced to believe that you are defined by what someone else called you, and by the limitations set forth by a system meant to keep you lost. Not allowed to consider that the blood that is running through your veins is that of nobility. Perhaps not in the “western view” of noblility. but belonging to the culture of people know for strength, love, & family. Sankofa DeidreOlivera
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Youth Opportunities 11TH GRADE ONLY: Summer Science Program in Southern California & New Mexico – Application Deadline February 28th The Summer Science Program is a 39-day residential enrichment program, held on two campuses (one in Southern California, one in New Mexico). 11th graders enrolled in pre-calculus are eligible to apply. By day, students learn collegelevel astronomy, physics, calculus, and programming. By night, working in teams of three, they take telescopic images of a near-earth asteroid, then write software to calculate that asteroid's orbit around the sun. Stimulating guest speakers and field trips round out this intense, exhilarating immersion into hands-on science. This program has need-based financial aid available. For students on free/reduced lunch, the program is FREE. To apply, please visithttp://www.summerscience.org/admissions/index.php .
Columbia University Science Honors Program – Application Deadline February 27th
The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a highly selective program for high school students who have a strong interest in the sciences and mathematics. The SHP holds classes at Columbia from 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. on Saturdays throughout the academic year. Courses are primarily in the physical, chemical, biological, behavioral, and computing sciences; and instructors are scientists and mathematicians who are actively engaged in research at the University. For more information, and to apply, please visit http://www.columbia.edu/cu/shp/apply.html.
Morehouse College Coca-Cola PreLeadership Program – BOYS ONLY:
Application Deadline February 24th Eligibility: • Male students completing their sophomore or junior year of high school by June 2014 • Male students completing their senior year of high school who have applied for admission to Morehouse College for fall 2014
Since 1997, the Coca-Cola Pre-College Leadership Program at the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership (formally known as the Leadership Center) at Morehouse College, the first of its kind at a historically black college and university (HCBU), has been a beacon in providing leadership training to high school students and college pre-freshmen. For seven days each summer, students from high schools across the United States are introduced to the traits, skills and behaviors necessary for effective 21st century leadership. Each day the program accentuates a leadership principle: love, integrity, courage, wisdom and hope. For more information, please visit https://www.morehouse.edu/centers/leadershipcente r/pre-college.html. To apply, visit http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1599874btvYNhUPpi
Apply Online: https://www.morehouse.edu/centers/leadershipcenter/precollege.html
Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime Give it a try—At least apply! The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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YOUTH/ paid internships
Law Internships
Bridging the Gap Program Overview
Are you 14-18? Are you currently enrolled in school or a GED Program? Do you want to learn about the law? Do you want to help other teens who have gotten into trouble?
Do you want the opportunity to get PAID? Applications are Due No Later than March 30, 2014 www.facebook.com/brownsvilleyouthcourt Apply on Online at www.brownsvillejusticecenter.blogspot.com Contact us via email to byc@courtinnovation.org or call us at 347-404-9582
Brownsville Justice Community Learn how to start and run a business Learn about new foods options and become a healthy eating advocate Complete projects to help the neighborhood Receive customer service and computer skills certifications and work with our job developer
Eligibility Criteria:
16-24 years old with Justice System involvement in the last 12 months. Strong preference for Brownsville residents (73rd Pct/CB 16)
Stop by to apply! Location:444 Thomas S. Boyland Street, klyn,11212
* GED and college assistance * Internship placement * Professional development training * Participation in community benefit projects * Paid stipends of up to $1400 over six months! To Apply: Contact Benjamin Smith at (347) 4049585 or visit the office
What Is Bridging the Gap? Bridging the Gap is a new initiative from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) that seeks to connect 10th and 11th grade high school students that have an interest in pursuing a career in conservation science, zoology, marine science, ecology, or biology, directly with professionals in those fields. In addition to receiving hands-on experience and mentoring, students will obtain information in areas including educational planning, financial aid options, effective job search methods, resume building, networking, job referral, and more! Where Will Bridging the Gap Take Place? All five WCS living institutions will participate in this new program: Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, New York Aquarium, and Bronx Zoo. What Does Bridging the Gap Offer To Students? Bridging the Gap’s programming is grouped into four phases: Phase I: School-to-Career Institute The School-to-Career Institute is an intensive learning program which seeks to introduce participants to the variety of science careers in zoos and aquariums. Students will participate in eleven (11) sessions over a five month period. At the conclusion of the School-to-Career Institute, students would have completed a total of sixty (60) contact hours with WCS staff at their respective site. Students will attend: Nine (9) weekend sessions (10AM to 4PM) Two (2) after-school sessions (4PM to 6PM)
*Students who will enter into the 10th or 11th grade in September 2014 are eligible to apply for the Fall 2014 group. Phase II: Mentoring Mentoring is an essential component of this program that will be introduced during Phase I and will continue for the length of time the student participates in the program. Each student will be paired with a WCS staff member who is currently in a career that aligns with the future goals of the student. Phase III: Career Building Clinic Students will develop a skill acquisition plan that will include high school course selection, interview coaching, college applications, and scholarships/financial aid. The Career Building Clinic will take place over the course of two (2) sessions that run from 10am to 4pm. Phase IV: Internships/Employment WCS offers a variety of internship experiences for Bridging the Gap participants. A minimum of 40 hours is required. If I Am Selected As a Bridging the Gap Student, Am I Eligible to Receive a Stipend and/or School Credit Through the NYC Department of Education? All Bridging the Gap students are eligible to receive credit toward high school graduation through the School-to-Career Institute. In addition to the stipend, all participating students will receive a MetroCard to reduce travel costs.
If you are interested in applying to Bridging the Gap, please contact Courtney R. Wiggins, Project Coordinator, at cwiggins@wcs.org or (718) 399-7339 Ext 350.
The application Deadline for the September 2014 Bridging the Gap cohort at Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo is Wednesday, March 19, 2014.
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
PAGE 6 a Black History Month
Jim Crow laws 1876 and 1965
The Jim Crow laws were racial segregation laws enacted between in the United States at the state and local level. The separation in practice led to conditions for African Americans that tended to be inferior to those provided for white Americans, systematizing a number of economic, educational and social disadvantages. While Northern segregation was generally de facto, there were patterns of o o o o
segregation in housing enforced by covenants, bank lending practices, and job discrimination, including discriminatory union practices for decades.
Some examples of Jim Crow laws are the segregation of public schools, public places, and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks. The U.S. military was also segregated. These Jim Crow Laws followed the 1800–1866 Black Codes, which had previously restricted the civil rights and civil liberties of African Americans with no pretense of equality. After reading what the “Jim Crow Laws” were, do you believe that we are no longer under those laws? Or Does it sound like something that is still familiar?
DOES “JIM CROW” STILL EXIST? If so, why do you think so? If not, Why don’t you think so? Let us know what you think at thebvillecollective @gmail.com
Or leave a message at (347) 450 -2075 The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
Events
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581 Mother Gaston Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11212
Invited Guests: Elected Officials, Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, Brownsville MultiService Center, Reverend Dr. C. Anthony, Nicole Junior esq, Civilian Complaint review Board; Dr. C. Olivera- Womens Urogynecologist;and more Information and assistance will be provided on the following topics Mental health- Bereavement *Adult survivors of child abuse* Economics Incarceration* Domestic violence* Unemployment* Affordable quality apartments Drug abuse / alcoholism*Self esteem*Teaching children etiquette*Taking marriage vows seriously*Women's urinary incontinence – options
For more info Call Community Board #16 at (718) 385-0323 WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPONSORS
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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IMPORTANT HEALTH ISSUES Dr.Joseph Francois was the former Chief Executive Officer of the Brownsville Community Development Corporation and the founding Executive Director of Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center. Mr. Francois, who passed away on July 13, 2003, was a tireless and passionate advocate for the people of Brownsville, Oceanhill and East New York. It was his leadership and vision that shaped the corporation’s mission as a social change agent. We are ever mindful that his legacy is in our every achievement. On May 11, 2006, the Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center (BMS) held a dedication ceremony during which the BMS Life & Wellness Center, one of the Health Center’s seven service sites, was renamed, BMS Life & Wellness Center: Joseph K. Francois Pavilion, in honor of Joseph K. Francois, the late founding executive director of BMS.
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY BMS is rooted in the Brownsville Community Development Corporation, which was founded by civil rights activists in 1974 as part of a citywide antipoverty initiative. In 1982, in response to a community survey which identified health as its top priority, BCDC opened a health center, Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center BMS, which was staffed by one doctor, one clerk and the founding director, Joseph Francois. The mission of BMS is to provide and promote integrative and high quality medical, dental and social services to enable every individual and family in the communities it serves to achieve total health. The signature main building, their headquarters, with its turquoise paint, stands out on the corner of Rockaway and Blake and the recently renovated lobby now includes a glass foyer and a street access pharmacy on site. From those early roots BMS has grown from one site to now ten locations throughout Brownsville and East New York and its family of employees, many of who are community residents, has increased to over 260 making BMS the second largest employer in Brownsville and serve around 20,000 people a year. BMS services run the gamut, from Primary and OB/GYN care to HIV/AIDS treatment to Dental Care to social work and counseling. BMS also works with a shelter for homeless women, runs a small halfway house for substance abusers, gives parenting and job training classes, provides specialty services like Optometry, Podiatry, Cardiology, Pulmonology and many more. In keeping with its mission in 2004, BMS partnered with the NYC Department of Education and New Visions and started a health care-focused public high school in East New York – World Academy for Total Community Health (WATCH). The health center also operated a small farmers market on the corner of rockaway and Sutter. Most recently BMS completed a capital expansion opening an oral surgery center BMS Dental@Genesis and BMS@ Ashford, both located in East New York.
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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Black History month
LANGSTON HUGHES… James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry
Alice Walker is an American author and activist She worked 11 hours a day for $17 per week to help pay for Alice to attend college. Living under Jim Crow laws, Walker's parents resisted landlords who expected the children of black sharecroppers to work the fields at a young age. A white plantation owner said to her that black people had "no need for education". Minnie Lou Walker, according to her daughter, replied "You might have some black children somewhere, but they don't live in this house. Don't you ever come around here again talking about how my children don't need to learn how to read and write." Her mother enrolled Alice in first grade when the girl was four years old. Selected awards and honors
Ingram Merrill Foundation Fellowship (1967) Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1983) for The Color Purple[3] National Book Award for Fiction (1983) for The Color Purple[2][a] O. Henry Award for "Kindred Spirits" (1985) Honorary degree from the California Institute of the Arts (1995) American Humanist Association named her as "Humanist of the Year" (1997) Lillian Smith Award from the National Endowment for the Arts Rosenthal Award from the National Institute of Arts & Letters Radcliffe Institute Fellowship, the Merrill Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship Front Page Award for Best Magazine Criticism from the Newswoman's Club of New York Induction into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame (2001) [63] Induction into the California Hall of Fame in The California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts (2006) Domestic Human Rights Award from Global Exchange (2007)
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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Black History Month a Mary Jane McLeod Bethune 1875 –1955 American educator and civil rights leader
One day she picked up a book and as she opened it a white child took it away from her saying she didn’t know how to read. It was that moment Mary decided that the only difference between white and colored folk was the ability to read and write. Mary McLeod Bethune was the only black woman present at the founding of the United Nations … representing the NAACP with W. E. B. Du Bois and Walter White
HarriettTubman Born into slavery1820 –1913 *Abolitionist *Humanitarian *Union spy during the American Civil war *Tubman escaped and subsequently made more than nineteen missions to rescue more than 300 slaves using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad *As a child in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was beaten by masters to whom she was hired out
In 1896, the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) was formed to promote the dual needs of black women. Bethune served as the Florida chapter president of the NACW from 1917 to 1925 and made it a mission to register as many black voters as possible, which prompted several visits from the Ku Klux Klan She was invited to attend the Child Welfare Conference called by President Calvin Coolidge in 1928. In 1930 Herbert Hoover appointed her to the White House Conference on Child Health. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in New York City in 1935
She worked for the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and became a member of Roosevelt's Black Cabinet, sharing the concerns of black people with the Roosevelt administration while spreading Roosevelt's message
The NYA’s final report, issued in 1943, stated that, "more than 300,000 black young men *Early in her life, she suffered a severe head wound and women were given employment and work training on NYA projects. She was the only black agent of the NYA who was releasing funds . These projects opened to these when hit by a heavy metal weight *The injury caused disabling seizures, narcoleptic youth, training opportunities and enabled the majority of them to qualify for jobs heretofore closed to them. She made sure that black colleges participated in the Civilian attacks, headaches, and powerful visionary and Pilot Training Program, which graduated some of the first black pilots
dream experiences, which occurred throughout her Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in New York City in 1935 life. *A devout Christian, Tubman ascribed the visions bringing together 28 different organizations to form a council to facilitate the improvement of quality of life for women and their communities and vivid dreams to revelations from God
FAMOUS Harriet Tubman QUOTES “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” “Twant me, 'twas the Lord. I always told him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me,' and He always did.” “I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was on of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other; for no man should take me alive.”
Mary McLeod Bethune was the only black woman present at the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945, representing the NAACP with W. E. B. Du Bois and Walter White.
Self-sufficiency was a high priority throughout her life. Bethune invested in several businesses in her life including the Pittsburgh Courier, a black newspaper, and several life insurance companies, one of which she began: When blacks were not allowed to visit the beach, she and several other business owners invested in Paradise Beach, purchasing a 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of beach and the surrounding properties, splitting it up and selling it to black families, and allowing white families to visit. Paradise Beach was later renamed to Bethune-Volusia Beach.
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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For Your Information Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little was also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist
Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita St. Hill was born in Brooklyn, New York On January 25, 1972, she became the first majorparty black candidate for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Chisholm said she ran for the office "in spite of hopeless odds... to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo."
Mark Dean American inventor and a computer engineer Dr. Mark Dean invented the microcomputer with bus control means for peripheral devices, a system that permitted the systems of IBM and IBM-compatible computers to rapidly communicate with one another. This made possible the development of fast and efficient personal computers.
Dean, holds more than 20 patents, including three of IBM's original nine PC patents.
FANNIE LOU HAMER *Hamer picked cotton, and by age 13 she picked 200-300 pounds on a daily basis. *Youngest of 20 children “With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful , 'cause that's what really happens” She was instrumental in organizing Mississippi Freedom Summer … and later became the Vice-Chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, attending the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in that capacity. Her plain-spoken manner and fervent belief in the Biblical righteousness of her cause gained her a reputation as an electrifying speaker and constant activist of civil rights. “...I always said if I lived to get grown and had a chance, I was going to try to get something for my mother and I was going to do something for the black man of the South if it would cost
my life; I was determined to see that things were changed”
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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Black History Month
WHAT WAS THE EMANCIATION PROCLAMATION? (African Americans were freed because help was needed to fight the civil war) An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, as a war measure during the American Civil War, to all segments of the Executive branch (including the Army and Navy) of the United States. The Proclamation did not compensate the owners, did not itself outlaw slavery, and did not make the ex-slaves (called freedmen) citizens. It made the eradication of slavery an explicit war goal, in addition to the goal of reuniting the Union. It proclaimed the freedom of slaves in the ten states that were still in rebellion, thus applying to 3.1 million of the 4 million slaves in the U.S. at the time. The Proclamation was based on the president's constitutional authority as commander in chief of the armed forces; it was not a law passed by Congress. The Proclamation also ordered that "suitable" persons among those freed could be enrolled into the paid service of United States' forces, and ordered the Union Army (and all segments of the Executive branch) to "recognize and maintain the freedom of" the ex-slaves. Slaves had been part of the "engine of war" for the Confederacy. They (fought,) produced and prepared food; sewed uniforms; repaired railways; worked on farms and in factories, shipping yards, and mines; built fortifications; and served as hospital workers and common laborers. News of the Proclamation spread rapidly by word of mouth, arousing hopes of freedom, creating general confusion, and encouraging thousands to escape to Union lines Additionally, the Proclamation provided the legal framework for the emancipation of nearly all four million slaves as the Union armies advanced, and committed the Union to ending slavery, which was a controversial decision even in the North. Hearing of the Proclamation, more slaves quickly escaped to Union lines as the Army units moved South. As the Union armies advanced through the Confederacy, thousands of slaves were freed each day until nearly all (approximately 4 million, according to the 1860 Census) were freed by July 1865 The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing�
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Black History Month
Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (26 November 1878 – 21 June 1932)
American cyclist who won the world 1 mile (1.6 km) track cycling championship in 1899 after setting numerous world records and overcoming racial discrimination. Taylor turned professional in 1896 at the age of 18 and soon emerged as the "most formidable racer in America." +Otis Boykin born August 29, One of his biggest supporters was President Theodore 1920 Roosevelt who kept track of Taylor throughout his 17-year racing career He began to invent products on his In one six-week period in 1899, Taylor established seven own, with some of his noteworthy world records inventions including a wire precision By 1898, he held seven world records at distances from resistor used in televisions and .25 miles (0.40 km) to 2 miles (3.2 km) and he placed radios and a control unit for the first in 29 of 49 races in which he competed. pacemaker. No one else came close to that record. This resistor would later be used in Taylor was entitled to recognition as national champion but formation of a new cycling league that year "clouded" his radios and televisions. claim to the title Two years later, he created a As an African-American, Taylor was banned from bicycle breakthrough device that could racing in Indiana once he started winning and made a withstand extreme changes in reputation as "The Black Cyclone." temperature and pressure. During his career he had ice water thrown at him during races, The device, which was cheaper and and nails scattered in front of his wheels, and was often boxed in by other riders, preventing the sprints to the front of the more reliable than others on the pack at which he was so successful market, came in great demand by the United States military for guided "There are positively no mental, physical or missles and IBM for computers. His most famous invention was a control unit for the pacemaker.
moral attainments too lofty for the Negro to accomplish if granted a fair and equal opportunity."—Marshall Taylor
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
PAGE 14
Grants February 25 Deadline for BizClips Video Contest to Win Great Prizes and Free Publicity for Small Business by bridgetwpollack, Contributor
Created: January 14, 2014, 9:12 am What small business challenges are you facing this year? Help transform these challenges into successful opportunities by making and uploading your small business video story by midnight, Eastern Standard Time, on February 25, 2014. You could win great prizes and free publicity to improve your small business productivity. Enter the Small Business Productivity Makeover Contest Today-You could win the grand prize, valued at $3,500, by sharing your story through “BizClips: The Small Business Productivity Makeover Video Contest” at www.bizclips.score.org. The Contest is sponsored by SCORE and Brother International, a premier provider of print and communications products and services. The Contest celebrates SCORE’s 50 years of helping more than ten million small businesses learn how to start a business, grow, and achieve their business goals through free business assistance and education.
MAKE a Video about Your Small Business The Contest is easy to enter, but the entry deadline is approaching quickly. Make your 30-60 second video, describing your need for a business makeover and how SCORE could help address your challenges. Or you can also tell how SCORE previously helped your small business. The video can be simple or fancy, as long as it meets the minimum requirements. Here are some great tips on how to make a video: http://bizclips.score.org/additionalinfo. UPLOAD your video to the BizClips Contest website before midnight, February 25, 2014. VOTE online for your video and ask others to help you get to the final round. Voting is easy, too. All videos that meet the minimum requirements will be eligible for online voting beginning April 1, 2014. Spread the word of your video and ask your friends, family, customers and supporters to vote for you, too. They can also help you win by spreading the word. Public voting makes up 40 percent of the judging criteria. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on April 30, 2014.
Love Your BlockYOUR BLOCK Applications now available!
Love Your Block is a special partnership betweenCitizens Committee for New York City and NYC Service that provides a unique opportunity for city residents to transform and beautify their neighborhoods.
Love Your Block grantees will receive: A grant of $1,000 Access to city services from the
Departments of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, and Sanitation Assistance with press for their neighborhood event Previous Love Your Block grantees have included block associations, tenant associations, and neighborhood-based volunteer groups. With funding and city services, they have been able to clean graffiti and vacant lots, construct wooden tree guards, plant flowers in tree beds, remove litter, and much more. Love Your Block grants pay for materials for one-day neighborhood clean-up events during the spring or summer.
WIN great prizes and free publicity for your business. The top 25 vote-getters will become finalists, gain significant free national media exposure, and win aBrother P-Touch prize. The Grand Prize winner will be selected by a panel of small business expertsto receive a business makeover with up to $2,500 of products and services from Brother. The Grand Prize winner and a companion will be flown to Washington, D.C. in September 2014 for a special national announcement and awards ceremony at the 2014 SCORE Awards Gala. The grand prize winner will have a professional business makeover video created to be shown at the Gala and promoted by SCORE. The winner can also use the video for its own promotion. The total value of the grand prize is $3,500. “This is a unique opportunity for your small business to be in the limelight in front of a national audience. We’ll be thrilled to help make the winning small business better, stronger and more productive to meet its challenges,” said Ken Yancey, SCORE CEO.
Join us for a grant application information session to learn about the grant and application process onFebruary 4 at 6:30 PM. Applications are due February 20, 2014. Contact Tehmina with questions or to RSVP for the information session at tbrohi@citizensnyc.org or 212-822-9563.
Apply online here: http://www.citizensnyc.org/grants/love-your-block
Complete details are at www.bizclips.score.org. The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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The Bville Collective
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ON-CITY CAPITAL APPLICATION Below is the link for the FY 14 Non-City Capital Application. Please follow the link to the application and follow the instructions completely. Applications to the Council or DCA are Due by April 9, 2013. After April 9, 2013 applications will NOT be accepted. This is an online application, do NOT mail a hard copy. If you are applying to the Borough President, please be advised their application deadline is February 28. If you are applying to both the Borough President and DCA or the Council the deadline is February 28, 2013. If you have any questions please contact Scott Crowley at scrowley@council.nyc.gov. FY 14 Capital Application Cultural Application, click http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/html/funding/capital.shtml. FY 14 All Other Project Application (use for all non-cultural projects), clickhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/capgrants/capgrants.html.
The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”
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Thank YOU The Pitkin avenue BID recognizes African Businessman Aliko Dangote for BLACK HISTORY MONTH Estimated net worth of $20.8 billion USD as of November 2013 Aliko Dangote earned his net worth by founding The Dangote Group which now controls much of Nigeria's commodities trade. As a child, Aliko showed signs of his innate entrepreneurial spirit when he launched a business buying candy in bulk to sell to his elementary school classmates for a hefty profit. Dangote attended Al-Azhar University in Egypt where he earned a degree in business Upon his return, a powerful uncle secured him a highly lucrative government contract to manufacture cement plus a $5000 loan to launch a small business Dangote plans to change this by building a state of the art multi-billion dollar refining industry around Nigeria's most valuable sources of oil. If successful, Aliko predicts that within five years he will be one of the wealthiest
people on the planet, perhaps even #1
HONORS BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND HERITAGE! The BROWNSVILLE COLLECTIVE SAYS “SANKOFA” The Brownsville Collective Volume 2 - “Be blessed to be a blessing”