Vol 1/ Issue 3 BLACK WESTCHESTER -OCT. 2017

BREAST CANCER & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

COMPLIMENTARY

Unapologetically Delivering News To Communities Of Color in Westchester & Surrounding Areas

BLACK WESTCHESTER

SUMMER OF TRUMP PAGE 9

OCTOBER 2017

THE RECALIBRATION OF BLACK POLITICS IN THE AGE OF BLACK UNION CORRECTION PRES THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION TRIES TO SILENCE BLACK

BY ROBERT BASKERVILLE PH.D PAGE 21

CORRECTION FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION PAGE 8

IS THERE RACIAL BIAS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE IS WESTCHESTER COUNTY - PAGE 7

LATIMER WINS PRIMARY BUT DEMS WILL NEED A CLEAR MESSAGE AND STRONG VOTER TURNOUT TO WIN PAGE 16

SHE NEVER MADE IT BACK HOME A story of three females from the Bronx, Mount Vernon and Chicago who went to hang out with Friends, Toxic Friends and Frienemies who never made it home by Cynthia Turnquest-Jones (Con’t on Page 4)

ABORTION CLINICS, LIQUOR STORES, PRISONS, & MUSIC: THE NEW CHESS PIECES OF EUGENICS

BY PRISCILLA ECHI PAGE 20

REGGIE LAFAYETTE’S DEMS FACE CLEAR TEST IN CE RACE

BALANCING THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT WITH WOMEN OF COURAGE

In a county where the Dem Chair touts registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1, why has the county top seat only been held by Dems twice since the 1930’s

With Chairman Reginald A. Lafayette batting 0 for 3 in the Mt. Vernon Mayoral race, and 0 for 2 countywide in the CE race, could a third strike in the County Executive race be the end of the 20-plus-year stranglehold on both County Chair and Mount Vernon City Committee Chair, for Lafayette who also holds the position of Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner.

(Continued on page 19)

BY CARMEN GOMEZ GOLDBERG PAGE 10

Page 26

THE DEATH OF RASHAD MCNULTY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

By Tasha D. Young

KINDRED THE FAMILY SOUL: A LEGACY OF LOVE

BY SAMANTHA HUNTER

An exclusive interview featuring this singing duo and their thoughts on black love, which has become a trending term and hot topic thanks to the success of OWN television’s ground breaking series, Black Love.

Kindred the Family Soul’s Aja and Fatin were just days away from celebrating their 19th anniversary together when Black Westchester spoke with them and love was definitely in the air as they shared their thoughts on... (Continued on page 22)

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O END

RSED BY

The Mount Vernon Democratic Party

O END

RSED BY

The Westchester County Independence Party

DEMOCRAT FOR city council

Row A for Duarte LEARN MORE AT JDUARTE4COUNCIL.COM

Vote Row A November 7th, 2017 @JDuarte4Council

Contact us at: janiceduarte2017@gmail.com

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4 BLACK WESTCHESTER

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

OCTOBER 2017 BLACK WESTCHESTER

EDITORIAL

SHE NEVER MADE IT BACK HOME

I WANT TO EXPOUND ON FRIENDS. TOXIC FRIENDS. FRIENEMIES

BY CYNTHIA TURNQUEST- JONES

Within the past two months, three females were in the presence of one of the three: Friends. Toxic Friends. Frienemies. Three girls who left their homes in the Bronx, Mount Vernon, and Chicago to hang out and have a good time with friends and besties. Resulting in youth standing at a casket and visits in the intensive care unit. Both are one of the most dreadful journeys to watch as a parent. Returning back home with scars from third-degree burns or on an obituary is not what any of these parents could have imagined.

Jamoneisha Merritt, simply went to enjoy a fun sleepover in the Bronx. Her family sweetly calls her Jamone. Jamone was at a friend’s home and they got into an argument. According to various articles, her friends told her if she goes to sleep, they were going to do something to her. Jamone went to sleep around three in the morning. She woke up screaming as boiling water was being poured on her. Her twelve-year-old friend poured a cup of boiling water on her. She stated it was a prank.

She underwent surgery as well as a psychiatric evaluation at Bronx Lebanon Medical Center. She returned home with her soul scared. Was she their friend?

In Mt. Vernon, New York, Shondu Young and Shelima Magett parents of Nyree Young wished their daughter fair well on August 12, 2017. What started out as a house party with friends to celebrate Nyree’s birthday ended in a pink and white balloon Memorial and an all black funeral. Parents shared that they donated Nyree’s organs. Brother Arthur Muhammed from Mosque number 7 in Harlem greeted the church, “Assalamualaikum’” and in chorus the general non-Muslim reply, “Mualaikumsalam.” Meaning ‘peace be unto you; ‘peace be also with/upon you’ in the Arabic language.

Brother Arthur Muhammad continued, “We know that foul play has been involved. No nation can rise higher than their woman. Now our sister was not perfect and that is not what matters. What type of male has the heart to mishandle a female? Listen to me and understand if a man does not know a women’s worth YOU better learn her worth. If you do not feel comfortable “you leave”. Take a picture of the people who are around you.”

Facebook was jumping the next day with facts and fiction jumbled together. What happened? Young adults making threats towards those who are silent. Names being dropped. Accusations from rape to drugs to drinking to her never making it back home to dance with dad. Was she their friend?

On Friday, September 8th Keeneka Jenkins age 19 went to a hotel in Chicago to hang out with her friends. Leaving home around 11:30 pm and heading over to the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center which was the hangout spot for the night. Small videos of them heading to the party. An associate of Keeneka with fancy reflecting glasses was live on Facebook, receiving calls and telling individuals to park and come to the room. A room where male and females were present. This was viewed more than 3 million times and share about 50,000 times.

Small conversations as the recording was live is assumed to hear Keeneka stating she was not drunk. The story gets jumbled until 1:30 am. Her sister stated that she last heard from her at in the morning. The family was alarmed and called the police to look for her because her friend could not find her. Her friend left the hotel without Keeneka. At one point she frantically went knocking on doors and searching for Keeneka. The police arrived and did a search. No Keeneka. Mom was persistent in finding Keeneka and returned to the hotel again. The police found her in a freezer. The police stated to mom that she was drunk and let herself into the freezer where she died.

Again Facebook was jumping the next day with facts and fiction jumbled together. What happened? Older teenagers making threats towards those who are silent.

Names being dropped. Accusations from rape to drugs to drinking to Keeneka never taking a selfie again. Was she their friend?

Their friend was a person who they liked and enjoyed being with. What are the responsibilities of a friend? Should a friend have empathy and regards for human life. Can a friend be a friend without sharing another person’s experiences and emotions? Is being a friend innate or taught? Are there individuals who can not be a friend?

Is there a rite of passage before becoming or calling a person a friend?

Have we taught our youth how to be a friend?

Cynthia Turnquest-Jones a co-host of People Before Politics Radio is an avid philanthropist. In October 2012 she launched Tha B.U.M.P. “Brown Urban Mother Partnership”, hosting an informational breast cancer session “Save the Women not the Boobies” inviting mothers from the community to sit and enjoy healthy foods while engaging in dialogue about breast cancer. In addition to Tha B.U.M.P, Cynthia is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated, Mocha Moms, Incorporated, MAMAiAM, the Episcopal Church Women, secretary for Mount Saint Michael Academy PTA in the Bronx, and a member of Graham Elementary School PTA.

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BLACK WESTCHESTER

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FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK Founded in 2014 by DAMON K. JONES AJ WOODSON Published by URBANSOUL MEDIA GROUP 455 Tarrytown Rd., Suite 1318 White Plains, NY 10607 www.BlackWestchester.com

As Publisher of Black Westchester Magazine (BW), I would like to thank everyone for their support of our efforts to bring information to the people of Westchester County. As we embark on a new chapter for BW, we hope to continue to empower the reader on issues in their communities.

Independent media like BW has become more than a mere institution; instead, the independent media acts as a direct participant in the traditional three-branch system of governance.

What many fail to realize is that independent media serves a fundamental role in making democracies run efficiently, even though there are frequent clashes. Independent media system thus often “reflects the political philosophy in which Democracy indeed functions”.

This being said, BW will not be disregarded as a trivial player in the responsibilities of being a check and balance system in the political process of the Black Communities of Westchester.

Email:

BW’s purpose is not only to address the political process that affects the everyday lives of communities of colour in Westchester County. BW’s mission has also been to shine a light on the brilliant culture, morals, values and elegant lifestyle of Black people. It’s time to change the narrative on how Black people are perceived in media.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

As Publisher of BW, our doors are open to the public. From the publication, the website, our radio show and now the newspaper; our doors are open to the people. We do not do this for any grander position or status; we do it for the people.

BlackWestchesterMag@gmail.com Twitter: @BlkWestchesterM Instagram: @BlackWestchester Facebook: /BlackWestchesterMagazine

Publisher DAMON K. JONES @DamonKJones

Editor-In-Chief AJ WOODSON

@BWEditorInChief

News Reporters/ Writers AJ Woodson Damon K. Jones Robert Baskerville Ph.D Cynthia Turnquest-Jones Carmen Gomez Goldberg Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr. Priscilla Echi Bob Law Tasha D. Young Carmen Bonilla Dennis Richmond, Jr.

Entertainment Feature Writer

Samantha Hunter Photographers AJ Woodson Antoine DeBrill

Maya Darasaw/Madworks Photography

Graphic Designers

A WORDS FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF October 2017 - Issue 3 of the print edition of Black Westchester. First once again let me thank all our supporters and all of our contributors; the writers, the editors, Lorraine, Cathlin G, and especially Brenda L. Crump who stayed up til 3:40am the night before we had to go to the printer, checking for gramatical errors and typos, the photographers, the distributors like Ricky Maxwell (Peekskill and several other cities) and Brooke Jones (New Rochelle) who help us get Black Westchester seen through out the county and Lorraine Lopez who has Yonkers on lock, and everyone who believes in us, thank you for your support and prayers.

SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE, SUBCRIBE, yes everyone who has been asking how can I subscribe and get BW mailed to my home or office go to www.BlackWestchester.com/Subscribe A SPECIAL THANK YOU goes ot to all our advertisers who make it possible to bring you the News With A Black Point Of View to the community for free each month. Advertising deadline for November is October 18th but dont wait until the last minute, November ads are already selling. We are looking for writers, photographers, reporters, editors and especially those of you interested in selling advertising, if you feel ths is you email us at BlackWestchester@ gmail.com also please send all news tips, leters to the editor and press relases to the same email address.

October is Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Most will write about the more popular of the two, Breast Cancer but we wanted to focus on Domestic Violence since it plagues communities of color and is really discussed or reported.

We would like to welcome Samantha Hunter our new Entertainment Feature Writer, she started in the September issue and has been a blessing and most welcomed addition to the team. Also welcome Tasha D. Young who will be covering topics like criminal justice reform, recidivism, wrongful incarcerated, mass incarceration and much more We we also blessed by the legendary talk radio show host Bob Law who penned piece this month for Black Westchester, we have alot of other surprise guest columnist who will from time to time contribute.

Thank you goes out to my daughter, my pride and joy Paula S. Woodson who is the 2.0 version of me and who I call whenever I have a question about InDesign or need some graphics done. With all the new technology coming out almost daily she teaches this old dawg a few new tricks, thank you sweetheart, I Love You! And I must thank my partner in crime, Mr. Damon K. Jones, whose idea it was to start Black Westchester and picked me to take the journey with him, WE IN PRINT bruh and despite all we have accomplished in our three plus years, they aint seen nothing yet!

Here is it, the October 2017 print edition of Black Westchester, enjoy!

AJ Woodson Paula S. Woodson

For Advertising Rates AdvertiseWithBW@gmail.com Letters To The Editor BWEditorInChief@gmail.com

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6 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BW NEWS

WESTCHESTER COUNTY BW

2017 PRIMARIES RESULTS

OCTOBER 2017

NEWS

KEY RACES IS THE 2017 WESTCHESTER COUNTY PRIMARY Port Chester, NY— A $331,250 grant to Family Services of Westchester (FSW) will

Key primary races in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, 11th included Democratic and Reform party primaries for Westchester County Exec; Democratic primaries for Mount Vernon Comptroller and City Council with write-in candidates, White Plains Mayor and Common Council, Peekskill Common Council and Yonkers City Council District 2, Spring Valley mayor and trustee, Nyack trustee, and Westchester Legislature Districts 16 and 17. Plus a few Republican primaries for Mount Pleasant Town Board, Cortlandt Town Clerk, Yonkers City Council District 6 and Clarkstown Town Council Ward 3; and several parties for Clarkstown town justice.

George Latimer won Westchester County’s Democratic Party primary for county executive, cruising to victory over Ken Jenkins. Latimer will be the Democratic candidate to face off in the Nov. 7 general election against incumbent Rob Astorino, a Republican seeking his third term in office.

“I want to thank Ken Jenkins for a hard-fought and principled campaign, and I want to thank all the people who voted today, upholding the best traditions of our democracy,” Latimer shares with BW. “The people of Westchester have spoken and I am humbled to now be the Democratic, Working Families, Women’s Equality, and Independence Party candidate for County Executive in the November 7th general election.”

The real battle is against Astorino, who had $3.2 million in the bank as of his last campaign filing compared to $354,000 on hand for Latimer. Astorino has already begun running TV spots and other ads while avoiding taking on Latimer of Jenkins directly.

In the first Democratic primary for mayor in the city in 10 years, incumbent Mayor Tom Roach and team soundly secured the Democratic line against challenger Milagros Lecuona, will have another chance against Roach in November running on the Republican and Conservative lines. As of Wednesday, September 12th unofficial tallies from the Westchester Board of Elections had Roach with 2,950 votes to Lecuona’s 1,121, with 100 percent of districts counted. In a Common Council primary, incumbent Councilmen John Martin and John Kirkpatrick, and Justin Brasch beat three challengers.

“It was a tremendous outpouring of support from the community. We’re very pleased,” Roach said. “I’m proud of our city and I look forward to the election in November.”

The biggest upset of the primary was former Mt. Vernon City Councilwoman Debra Reynolds defeating longtime Comptroller Maureen Walker who has held the position since 1993. In a Democratic primary for three open seats on the council, Janice Duarte, Delia Farquharson and incumbent Marcus Griffith led Clyde A. Isley and Hope Marable. Janice Duarte the number one vote getter, whose is running on the Democrat and Independence Party lines in the General Election in November, hopes to make history as the first Portuguese candidate to win an office in Westchester.

With three open Common Council seats in Peekskill, Democratic candidates Vannessa Agudelo, Ramon Fernandez and Colin Smith wins one of the most lopsided wins in the history of elections in Peekskill. The trio will appear on the Democratic Party line in the general election Nov. 7.

Agudelo, Fernandez, and Smith will be joined on the ballot this November with Peekskill Councilman Andre Rainey, who is hoping to unseat the incumbent, Mayor Frank Catalina. Councilman Rainey, part of a new generation of leadership emerging across the country that is less interested in partisanship and more interested in action.

“For too many years now Peekskill has been led by a mayor whose approach to governing is to threaten, intimidate and divide the City. This approach is detrimental to our city, as it is our country. It does nothing to address crime, it does nothing to address litter, it does nothing to enhance our parks and roads, and it does nothing to build community,” Rainey tells Black Westchester. “My message to Peekskill is this: I will bring a new approach to City Hall that you can be proud of. One that fosters collaboration and community, so that our City can be successful and not hamstrung by one man’s ego and temperament.”

In one of the highly publicized race, incumbent Virginia Perez won the Democratic Party primary over challenger London Reyes, for the 17th District County Legislator seat.

”I am a proud and loyal Democrat but I have established credibility and influence through my office that allows me to collaborate and negotiate with all of my colleagues on behalf of you, my constituents,” she said in a statement on Election Night.”

Yonkers Councilman Chris Johnson, won a four-way a Democratic primary in County Legislative District 16 to take over for Ken Jenkins. Johnson who should coast through the General Election had two years left on his term for councilman. Mayor Mike Spano will select his replacement to serve the remainder of his term.

help launch a new initiative, Bringing Fathers Back, that aims to reduce recidivism and reinforce ties to family and community by providing mentors for young fathers who are returning home after incarceration. Bringing Fathers Back will help these men make a successful transition home by working with them—both during their incarceration and after their release—to instill life skills for success in school, work, and family life.

An estimated 30 percent of men under age 25 in secure confinement facilities in Westchester County are young fathers whose incarceration presents risks for their children and families. The award, from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is intended to address the specific needs of incarcerated fathers and consider the needs of their children. Although incarcerated fathers struggle with a variety of issues that mirror those of other inmates, their needs are particularly important due to the potential impact on their children, both while the father is incarcerated and once the father returns home.

For more information about FSW, visit www.fsw.org.

For the first time in over 20 years we had a Democratic primary for Westchester County Executive.

“Congratulations to George Latimer in his victory in our hard-fought contest,” County Legislator Ken Jenkins, who immediately endorsed Latimer following their primary, told BW. “Together, George and I focused on issues with deep mutual respect we have for each other. George has said that it sets a new bar for campaigns that we both hope is the standard for all campaigns.

George Latimer kicks off his General Election campaign with a sharp critique of Rob Astorino’s dishonest claims, tax hikes and fiscal mismanagement over his 8 years in office. Latimer presented a number of tax bills from Westchester residents to show how much taxes have increased for Westchester families under Rob Astorino.

“COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: CRIMINAL JUSTICE, YESTERDAY AND TODAY” TO BE HELD AT SIX WESTCHESTER LIBRARIES Elmsford, NY -- Sixteen experts on a wide range of criminal justice issues will be speaking at a series of six Community Conversations: Criminal Justice, Yesterday and Today, to be held at various library locations in Westchester County.

The series will kick off on Thursday, October 5, 7-8:30 pm, at the Ossining Public Library. Panelists will be Cheryl Robert, Executive Director of the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice; Sean Pica, Executive Director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison; and Roger Panetta, Professor Emeritus Fordham University and author.

The New Rochelle Public Library will host the second program on Tuesday, October 10, 6-7:30 pm. Speakers will include Tesa Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Hour Children; a representative of the Osbourne Association that serves people affected by crime and incarceration; and Janet Donat, Child Development Specialist at the EMERGE program.

Thursday, October 12 from 6-7:30pm, the program will be held at the Yonkers Riverfront Library from 6-7:30pm and will feature Brian Fischer, former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections; Katherine Vockins, Founder and Executive Director of Rehabilitation Through the Arts; and Charles Moore, Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program and Alumni Coordinator.

Grinton I. Will Library in Yonkers will host the fourth program on Tuesday, October 17, 7-8:30 pm. Speakers will include Martin F. Horn, Distinguished Lecturer in Corrections at the John Jay College, City University of New York; and Justin D. Pruyne, Esq., Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Correction.

Thursday, October 26, 7-8:30pm, the program will be held at John C. Hart Memorial Library in Shrub Oak. Panelists will include Barbara Lambros of the Westchester County re- entry Task Force; Roger Panetta, Professor Emeritus Fordham University and author; and Edmundo Varela, Assistant Commissioner, Westchester County Probation.

The last program in the series will be held at the Mount Kisco Public Library on Saturday, October 28, from 1-2:30 pm. Speakers will be Tamaris Princi, Abusive Partner Intervention Coordinator with Urban Resource Institute; and Dr. Kimberly Collica-Cox, Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice and Security Department of Pace University.

Organized by the Westchester Library System, in collaboration with the Sing Sing Prison Museum and funded by the Westchester Community Foundation, the series will focus on the 200-year history of Sing Sing and its impact on prison reform, as well as current issues of incarceration, reform, rehabilitation and re-entry.

LECUONA AND CHAMBERLAIN CALL FOR MAYOR TO ACT ON TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN WP POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER RELEASE OF NYCLU RE PORT White Plains – Common Council Member and Democratic mayoral candidate Milagros Lecuona and police reform advocate Kenneth Chamberlian, Jr. Wednesday, Sept. 20th called for greater transparency and accountability from the current White Plains mayor and his administration. This comes after the New York Civil Liberties Union released a report calling out several New York police departments including White Plains’ for dodging the legal obligations to provide police statics to the public.

The report, Taking Cover: How New York police department’s resist transparency, concludes the White Plains police department took seven to 15 months to complete Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests regarding the use of force by police, stops and detentions, complaints about alleged misconduct, racial profiling and the use of surveillance. The law states they are required to provide an initial response within the required five-day period.

According to the report, “Under New York’s law, government agencies must respond to a request for public records within five business days. If a delay is needed, a reason must be given as well as a date by which the records will be released. Agencies must give written justification for refusing to produce requested records. When an agency denies a request — or delays for so long as to practically deny it — the requester can file an appeal, which the agency has 10 business days to resolve.”

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OCTOBER 2017

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

BLACK WESTCHESTER

7

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE- A GROWING ISSUE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY!

BY DAMON K. JONES

Our Political leaders, Law Enforcement Management and Community Leaders need to focus resources on Domestic Violence cases and prevention. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone.

Domestic violence does not discriminate. It happens to individuals, male or female, of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, educational level, or socioeconomic background. It can happen to couples who are married, living together, who are dating and it can happen to children. An intimate partner annually in the United States physically assaults approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men. A majority of studies reveal there are adult and child victims in 30 to 60 percent of families experiencing domestic violence.

While the media generally focuses on high incarceration rates, the education attainment gap, and violent crime in black communities, it is unfortunate that domestic violence has rarely been discussed in the black community, until recently.

It is a disservice to our community to only discuss the issue of domestic violence only on a certain month of the year or when an incident like Ray Rice or Chris Brown takes national attention.Domestic violence is not only as much of a problem in the black community as it is across the nation, but it’s a bigger problem, more frequent and more lethal than any other community. Continuous dialogue and prevention should be ongoing to confront this unpublicized cancer in our community.

Why are their higher rates in the black community? In part, the same old reasons: poverty (intimate partner violence is more frequent among those with lower incomes); un-and-underemployment (it’s more frequent when the male partner is unemployed/underemployed); and housing disparities (it’s more common in couples living in poor neighborhoods).

In 2005, African-Americans accounted for nearly a third of the intimate-partner homicides. There have only been few studies that have addressed the issue of domestic violence in the black community. A study published in 2000 reported that Black females experienced intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white females, and about 22 times the rate of women of other races. In 2005, black women accounted for 22% of the intimate partner homicide victims and 29% of all female victims of intimate partner homicide.

Black men are also affected. The same 2000 study found that Black males experienced intimate partner violence at a rate about 62% higher than that of white males and about 22 times the rate of men of other races. Black men are also more likely than white men to be killed by their partners, though at a lower rate than black women. In 2005, black women were 2.4 times more likely than a black male to be murdered by their partners. In 2002, the number one killer of African-American women ages 15 to 34 was homicide at the hands of a current or former intimate partner.

Surviving in an abusive relationship of ANY kind is puzzlement to people on the outside, but there are specific reasons why someone ‘allows’ this or cannot find a way out. The first step is for the person involved in an abusive relationship on any level to see the pattern and want to change it. Relationship Experts say that Low Self Esteem, Denial, Financial Dependency, the Children, and Church Values are reasons why someone in an abusive relationship will stay in the relationship. Until the victim recognizes that the cycle needs to be broken, there is only support that can be given but the ultimate change has to come from within the abused person. The person who suffers abuse must take charge and decide to break the pattern or the pattern will continue.

We all can assist victims of Domestic Violence victims no matter what color, race or economic status they are. There is no way to tell for sure if someone is experiencing domestic violence. Those who are battered, and those who abuse, come in all personality types. The victims are not always passive with low self-esteem, and batterers are not always violent or hateful to their partner in front of others. Most people experiencing relationship violence do not tell others what goes on at home.

Domestic violence often starts with threats, name-calling, and slamming doors or breaking dishes and it builds up to pushing, slapping, and other violent acts.

If you feel that you’re a victim of Domestic violence call 911 and report the incident. Write down the police report/incident number and keep with your records.

If necessary, seek medical attention. Have injuries documented and photographed. Go to a safe place such as a domestic violence shelter or a family member’s home.

Seek the support of caring people. Tell someone you trust about the abuse. They may be your friend, a family member, a neighbor, a co-worker, or staff members of support agencies. Talk to them in a private, safe place. You do not need to face abuse alone. File for a Protective Order that will tell your abuser to stay away.

When you decide to get help, find a support system that works for you. A trusted friend, family member, or professional can help you devise a safety plan and find a safe place for you to stay, if necessary.

If you are a victim of abuse, you are not alone. You have the right to be safe! You are not responsible for violent behavior! No one deserves to be beaten or threatened! Domestic violence destroys the home. The responsibility for the violence belongs to the abuser. It is not the victim’s fault!

We must all demonstrate a clear recognition that domestic violence exists on an incomprehensible level that is completely unacceptable. There must be a desire to confront this issue and enact laws that deter abusers and support victims. As a national organization of law enforcement professionals, we demand harder sentencing

IS THERE RACIAL BIAS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY?

BY AJ WOODSON

Domestic violence, once considered one of the most under-reported crimes, became more widely recognized during the 1980’s and 1990’s, but all too often still goes widely unreported. While Black Westchester generally covers issues that affect the Black Community and in 2002, the number one killer of African-American women ages 15 to 34 was homicide at the hands of a current or former intimate partner, domestic violence is a crime that doesn’t discriminate.

Domestic Violence, simply defined is violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. It’s a pattern of abusive behavior that is often used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.

DV has received more and more national headlines even in professional sports when the NFL was accused not taking it seriously enough, in recent cases like the Ray Rice incident. Not to single the New Rochelle native out, but he quickly became the poster child for DV, whether you believe it was deserved or not. DV Awareness even often gets overshadowed every October by the more popular, Breast Cancer Awareness, which shares the same month. As with many other crimes, it’s believed that black men receive stiffer sentences than their white counterparts. What makes this believable is the fact that forty percent of the nation’s prison population is black, as compared to only 12 percent of the population as a whole.

A recent study suggests that, if you are white, and you are presented with evidence that our criminal justice system disproportionately targets black people, then you are more likely to support harsh criminal justice policies than if you were unaware of this evidence, ThinkProgress.org reported. Many dismiss this when blacks are the ones making these claims. But what about when a white woman in Westchester County, who was a victim of Domestic Violence, who spend over two years in court fighting for justice, makes the claim that she witnessed black men get hit with much stiffer sentences than her white husband, for doing much less than he put her through.

Recently during an appearance, on the Lisa Wexler Show when she was on News Talk 1230 WFAS, Damon and I were invited to discuss the police officers in Yonkers who were indicted for falsifying search warrant affidavits, a story we were actively reporting, one of the regular listener of the show called up. A white women named, Debra M. Scheurich, who lives in Eastchester, called and talked about being stalked by her ex-husband who had physically abused her and even a court order of protection as part of his sentence wasn’t enough to stop him from constantly staking her. When she felt she had exhausted every avenue available legally, she reached out to us to her bring some light to her story, because she greatly fears for her life and believes he will kill her and nothing will done.

“The majority of the case where the abuser was white, like my ex-husband were adjourned,” Scheurich tells BW. “But in the cases that came before Judge Capechi [who ruled on her case] and other judges, where the abusers were men of color Black or Hispanic they received much stiffer sentences than my ex-husband did for doing far less than what my husband put me through.”

Many white people in Westchester do not believe racial bias still exist in our justice system. But we must realize that eliminating the racial disparities inherent to our nation’s criminal-justice policies and practices must be at the heart of a renewed, refocused, and re-energized movement for racial justice in America, including domestic violence cases in counties like Westchester.

Debra who has been divorced since January 2014, was verbally, emotionally and physically abused by her then husband, Michael Carlo. Carlo even once ran her over with his car and beat up her grown son, who was coming to the defense of his mother. She is in constant pain from the car incident and suffered many severe injuries.

“I received a temporary order of protection on May 12, 2014, he violated it two days later and the police didn’t even arrest him,” Debra says just barely fighting back her tears and she rehashes the tragic memories.

After finally being convicted of harassment in the first and second degree, he was sentenced to only one year probation in January of 2015 (Docket No 0-00087131). He has continually violated the terms of his probation, by stalking her, showing up at her cleaners, the local supermarket when she is there and even pulling up to her and staring her down at a stop light near her home. Despite numerous calls to the Eastchester Police, according to Scheurich, he has yet to be arrested. (con’t on page 17)

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OCTOBER 2017

8 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BLACK UNION CORRECTION PRESIDENT TRIES TO SILENCE

BLACK CORRECTION FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION REAL TALK WITH AJ WOODSON

Westchester County COBA Sends Cease & Desist Letter to Westchester Corrections Association Claiming Fraternal Orgaizations Misrepresents Themselves As Dept. Of Corrections Labor Union WCCOBA states WCA is confusing both Correction Officers and County Officials that they are representatives of the “Union.” Was this misleading letter send to silence the organization or in retailiation for pending law suit?

COBA President Alonzo West

Welcome to Real Talk With AJ Woodson. This month I will be adresssing the Cease and Desist letter from the Westchester County Correction Officers Benevent Association (COBA) to the Westchester Correction Association (WCA). The president of the WCA received a letter from the office of Cittone and Chinta an attorney representing COBA. The letter states, “.... certain recent activities of the WCA are causing confusion among Corections Officers and County Officials between WCCOBA and the WCA and are thus in violation of New York State and Federal Laws.”

I will start here. While I do not pretend to be privy to all information, I have been closely following activities that led to the formation of the WCA and they intractions with County Officials. In everything I have heard, read or seen, never once do they claim to be a labor union or thet here are representing the “Union”. In fact when yu go to the WCA website http://corrections914.blogspot.com/ they make it very clear that they are not a labor union.

Further more the letter states in paragraph four of page two that the use of “Westchester”, in their name with respect to association, falsely associates their name with the reconized Union, WCCOBA. if that is true what about the Westchester Correction

Retiree’s Association or the Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association. By your argument of the use of “Westchester” in the name with respect to association as the letter states, would not both these organizations, falsely associate them with the recognized Union, WCCOBA. So lets stop right there, either this letter was intended to in fact silence this particular organization in retaliation to claims they are making, and the $5 million dollar lawsuit from one of its members or the confusion as you stated is not among the Correction Officers or County Officials but with the Union, WCCOBA and it’s leadership.

Moving right along, secondly the letter states, “County Legislators have contacted the Union to discuss letters, meetings and public appearances you engaged in with them to discuss health and safety issues. Your fostering of a perception that you are representatives of the Union is causing harm to the Union’s efforts to negotiate and represent its member officers because County Officials are receiving what appears to be mixed messages from the union.”

If anything is making it difficult to negotiate with County Officials its the facts that members of the WCA including one former correction officer, Ricky Maxwell has addressed the County legislature because of the Union failing to properly represent him as a member for over four years. It would be hard for the County Officials to mistake him or the WCA as a representative on the Union since they appealed to the County Legislators and informed them that the Union has failed him when it came to his Pomco health benefits. Mr. Maxwell has always spoke as an individual and once or twice as a member of the WCA and made it clear he was not representing the Union and it can be seen on video since all county legislator meetings a video taped and archived on the County’s website for all to see.

Further proof of your failure to represent Mr. Maxwell, I was present when the entire Legislative body informed Mr. Maxwell this was the first they were hearing of this situation and the Union had never informed them to this situation. So I am not sure who you were dealing with since the County Legislator are the ones who can change this policy. As a reporter that has witnessed every public appearance in person or on video and has followed this case in the three plus years Black Westchester has been in existence, I personally find your letter to be both misleading and outright false. There was also some mention of the WCA filing a report with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), as someone who is OSHA certified and have the card in my wallet to prove it, any employee can make a claim even on matters that have already been reported. We have invited you to our radio show since you say we do not have all the facts. Well here is a fact we do know, you agreed to appear and then cancelled just before that show. We invite you to appear on the show so all sides can be heard and will continue to follow this case and that’s REAL TALK!

REAL

TALK

WCA RESPOND TO COBA “CEASE AND DESIST” REQUEST

WCA clearly states they are not a labor union to prevent the kind of confusion the letter speaks of

WCCOBA states WCA is causing confusion with correction officers by the use of the badge in their logo. As you can see above their is a clear difference between the two and would be hard to confuse.

The Westchester Correction Association (WCA) is a chartered chapter of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. WCA is also a chartered chapter of the Grand Council of Guardians in New York State. The emphasis is on the common experience and determination of the people of African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin to advance, support and represent the norms, values of Correctional Professionals of African/ Asian descent.

To our dismay, we have recently received a “Cease and Desist” letter from the law firm of Cittone & Chinta, who represent the Westchester County Correction Officer Benevolent Association, the labor bargaining unit for officers of the Westchester County Jail.

Mr. Cittone states WCA is causing confusion among Correction Officers and County Officials of us misrepresenting ourselves as a union. WCA does not collect monthly dues from officer’s paychecks and WCA has never posted any membership flyer or advertisement for its members within the Westchester County Department of Corrections. Officers have become members of WCA for the rich history of the NABCJ and the values of WCA. WCA membership is open to Officers, Supervisors, and Civilians. When joins, they are redirected to the NABCJ site, so there is no confusion. Our website and group page also have a disclaimer.

The truth of the matter is; President Alonzo West and the Westchester Correction Officers Benevolent Association has never used the acronym “WCCOBA” as stated in the letter. Over two decades the organization has only used the acronym “COBA”. This is evident by the use COBA on their printed letterhead, Website, promotional tools and organization logo.

Mr. Cittone further states WCA took credit for an OSHA investigation that COBA initiated first. This is a complete and misleading statement. I never filed anything with OSHA nor have I taken credit for it. However, I did file a complaint with PESH. As the WCA President and an employee of Westchester County, I have exercised my right to file a PESH complaint. To allege WCA took claim for OSHA, a complaint they never filed is misrepresenting the facts and corroding the credibility of the allegation, the claimant, President West and the law firm representing said claim. (Entire WCA response to COBA can be read on blackwestchester.com)

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OCTOBER 2017

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

BLACK WESTCHESTER 9

THE SUMMER OF TRUMP Aug. 9: FBI agents raided the home of Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arriving in the pre-dawn hours in late July and seizing documents and other materials related to the special counsel investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

J

uly 31: Donald Trump personally dictated a statement in which Trump Jr. said that he and the Russian lawyer had “primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children” when they met in June 2016. The statement, issued to the New York Times as it prepared an article, emphasized that the subject of the meeting was “not a campaign issue at the time.”

Aug. 12: Heather Heyer is killed in Charlottesville, as many as 19 are wounded.

Trump did not immediately condemn hate groups, instead saying there was violence “on many sides.”

July 2: A day after defending his use of social media as befitting a “modern day” president, Trump posted on Twitter an old video clip of him performing in a WWE professional wrestling match, but with a CNN logo superimposed on the head of his opponent.

THE OBAMACARE REPEAL:

TRUMP FAILS IN ATTEMPTS TO OVERHAUL HEALTHCARE R

epublican party efforts to deliver on President Donald Trump’s promise to “Repeal and Replace” the Affordable Care Act fell short in a furry of votes in July. The failure to pass a new health care bill, or repeal parts of the ACA means efforts to kill the ACA appears to be in limbo for now. The seven-year Republican quest to repeal the ACA has hit a dead end for now.

Millions of Americans, including our older citizens can breathe a sigh of relief that, for now, the health care coverage they rely on will not be put at risk. In one of the most dramatic endings to a debate on the Senate floor, on July 25, a Senate motion to proceed to debate a “repeal-and-replace” plan passed 51 to 50 with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote. The plan was still defeated later that day.

The next day, a partial-repeal failed 55 to 45. A final “skinny” repeal vote to end parts of the ACA failed 51 to 49.

Republican Sen. John McCain cast the deciding vote early Friday to derail an effort by Senate leaders to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the end, it was McCain of Arizona and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska who joined 46 Democrats and 2 Independents in opposing a watered-down version of repeal.

Senate leaders had hoped that measure — dubbed the “skinny” repeal bill — would have been the basis for negotiating a final bill with the House of Representatives, which passed its own measure in May.

AARP joined with other consumer advocates as well as hospitals, doctors, nurses and other health care organizations to vigorously oppose proposals that were considered over the past week. AARP will continue to fight against any measure that increases costs and weakens protections for older Americans.

“Today’s vote is a victory for Americans age 50-plus. The “skinny” bill the Senate defeated would have dramatically increased health care cost, caused millions to lose their health coverage and destabilized the insurnace market,” said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond after the vote. “We thank Senators Collins, McCain and Murkowski, as well as Senate Democrats and Independents, who heard the voices of all those who called, emailed, rallied and wrote to object to this seriously flawed bill. We reiterate our willingness to work with Congress and this administration in a bipartisan way to strengthen our health care system, lower costs and improve care.”

What comes next on the legislative front is still an open question? Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said some changes to the ACA are necessary to shore up health insurance markets and bring down health care costs.

My use of social media is not Presidential - it’s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again! (July 1, 2017 - 3:45PM)

Aug. 18: Susan Bro, Heyer’s mother, said she would not speak with Trump or forgive his comments that appeared to equate the culpability of violence between counter protesters with hate groups.

Trump further escalated his rhetorical standoff with North Korea August 11th, suggesting the US was ready to respond with military force should the rogue nation “act unwisely.”

“Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!” he tweeted.

The end of summer couldnt come quick enough for many. Sure we were happy with the children return to school and planning of fantasy football rosters. But what most wanted was for the daily intrigue and drama from the White House to slow down just a bit. The first Summer Of Trump felt as though it was the never ending, gift that just kept on giving.

Staff infighting, dramatic congressional votes, high-profile resignations, hirings and firings by President Trump have created a tense season full of time seemingly blurs flashing like strobe lights from every angles, where each day revealed a startling revelation or world-shifting moment. It’s official, Trump has killed the traditional news cycle with information overload and frequent confusion.

TEN DAYS OF THE MOOCH

THE SPECTACULAR SELF-DESTRUCTION

OF ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI

On Friday, July 21st, Sean Spicer announced he was resigning in protest following the appointment of Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director.

His reign of terror and vulgarity, marked by two outlandish interviews and the departures of two top West Wing officials ended, in just 10 days.

Following a profanity-laced tirade with a staff writer for the New Yorker, “The Mooch” got let loose of his position, Monday, July 31.

His firing came at the behest the new Chief of Staff John F. Kelly who firmly asserted his authority on his first day on the job.

Even in the administration that has set alltime records for the quickest departures—National-Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and Press Secretary Sean Spicer are all among the shortest-serving inhabitant in their respective jobs—Scaramucci’s expeditious exit was fast and phenomenal.

Scaramucci is the third White House communications director to leave the post.

THE MANY FACES OF TRUMP

June 11: Donald Trump Jr. — the president’s eldest son — seemed to confirm Comey’s version of events on Fox News as he tried to emphasize the fact that his father did not directly order Comey to stop investigating Michael Flynn after Comey said Trump told him he “hoped” he would drop the FBI’s investigation into the former national security adviser.

“When he tells you to do something, guess what? There’s no ambiguity in it, there’s no, ‘Hey, I’m hoping,’ ” he said.

June 12: Attorneys general for the District of Columbia and Maryland sued Trump alleging that he violated anti-corruption clauses in the Constitution by accepting millions in payments and benefits from foreign governments since moving into the White House. The lawsuit, the first of its kind brought by government entities, centers on the fact that Trump chose to retain ownership of his company when he became president.

June 13: Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked Congress to reverse laws protecting medical marijuana providers from prosecution of providing illicit drugs. Sessions cited a “historic drug epidemic” to justify a crackdown on medical marijuana despite the fact that opioids, not marijuana, are at the center of widespread deaths in the country.

June 14: The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election, headed by Robert S. Muller III, interviewed senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes obstruction of justice, officials said. The probe includes a look at coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin and possible financial crimes among Trump associates.

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10 BLACK WESTCHESTER

LATINO EMPOWERMENT

OCTOBER 2017

BALANCING THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT WITH WOMEN OF COURAGE

By Carmen Gomez Goldberg

Most women that want to run for political office are women of Courage, Strength and Commitment. Take Hillary Clinton for example it took a lot of courage, determination and a sense of strength in order to run for President of the United States. As history has shown us that America is not as progressive as we think. Many countries have had woman Presidents except the United States of America. We can celebrate women’s achievements all we want but in reality have we broken that glass ceiling with the Hillary Campaign? Did it set us backward? Women are not equally represented in the state senate, congress or in local politics. We lack representation and we want to find out why. Take my own example. Let’s face it woman do not support woman. That was my first situation. Even if a woman belongs to a women’s club, organization or even PTA’s when it comes to supporting one of their own they back down. You often ask yourself why? This can be many factors. A woman who is running for office must secure her own base first before she continues with the process. Even though running for office is all about the candidate one cannot do it alone. These so-called friends will not come out and support you. They can do it individually but even that does not happen easily. So, let’s explore other factors like interest groups, jealousy or even betrayal is expected as a good friend of mine calls it the “silly season”.

First of all, the political process is grueling and it can be disappointing at times. The most significant is getting party support which hardly never happens. The party bosses would like to run people in their own party. They rather recycle their own than bringing someone new that never held elected office. There is never an opportunity for them to bring new blood. If you switch parties is even worst. They will always label you as the party you were in before. The Democratic party for instance is the party of acceptance, the party where everyone is welcome but only if you have monies or you are a person of influence and can persuade the party by allowing the money bags to exchange hands. Those gates will never be open to an honest, simple dedicated community worker. Those gatekeepers keep those gates closed. Almost never do they open those gates for a woman to hold political office unless you are in a political office already. The problem of incumbency is a serious problem. This becomes one of anyone’s worst nightmare. Incumbents are a real problem especially when an opportunity does become available to allow someone new in the political arena to enter through that gate. Women have serious barriers.

Male politicians always have the advantage of incumbency. There are many of them and not enough of women in political office. These incumbent politicians are given advantage over an average woman that just want to make a difference in her community. A woman must get through those gatekeepers in order to run a successful campaign. Remember those gate keepers are the political power brokers, described as party bosses, or advocates who have serious connections to and influence over unions, and other interest groups. These gatekeepers have what people call “credibility” when it comes to influence decision on who they will support. Women often lack the monies, the influence or the power to overcome those obstacles.

As a woman myself I am in constant explaining my self-doubt week. We must admit that it comes from a disillusion that we are not being encouraged enough to run by our fellow friends, family and those people in power. Often times we go on interviews and they are being casual with the interviews because they are meant as a smoke screen in order to say that they went through the process. Women decide to run for office is often because she herself decided to do so however not because she was recruited by the party. Then there is the problem of the cost of a campaign. If you do not have those big pockets that they would like to you to have, monies that you must have and need, you must have the ability to raise the money. Personal money is important. You need it for that grueling petition process which is so antiquated. If a woman wants to run for office, she must take on the establishment, change the way women do business by taking on the electoral process and taking down those gatekeepers.

We need to go back and groom women for the purpose of running for office. We cannot be afraid to take on those obstacles in order to succeed in running for political office.

We must be represented equally.

Your platform must be heard. You might start your political process with a sense of who you are, what do you stand for and what you want your constituents to hear.

This all changes the day that you start knocking on doors, meeting people, speaking with people and actually touching on their problems and issues. For me it was simple since I have been working in the community for 35 years. I am a woman, I am of Hispanic origin, and I have invested time in my district. I ran for County Legislator in the 16 District On September 12, 2017 and I confronted all the same obstacles that I wrote about in the above paragraphs. But it was not until I met some of my constituents that some of my platforms changed. A Legislator makes decisions for many people and not just the district that you represent. You make decisions for the entire county. I made a decision that if elected there were going to be certain issues that I must look into immediately because after meeting the people that were affected by county policy and those who were badly hurt then the decision was simple. I met a young man who was hurt while doing his job however could not get his health benefits because at the time that he was hurt he was actually less than five years on the job. Sadly, enough he was hurt while protecting others from hurting other correction officers, inmates or himself. He was actually on the job. Why was this a policy? Policies are meant to be amended or have an override in the policy. Especially for those men and women who protect others and are on the front line defending others from being hurt. I called it the Maxwell experience. Very bold of me to inquire about the policy. Understanding that as a county legislator you must be fiscally responsible however it did not make sense to me that an employee gets hurt on the job yet cannot get his benefits if the injuries will not allow you to come back and work for the same institution. First responders, correction officers and those who put their lives in danger must be protected.

The second law that I was making a priority was that I hoped to work with state lawmakers and see why we cannot have domestic violence convicted of abuse to be in a registry in order to avoid other women from getting hurt. I met a young woman who was badly injured and even though those outside scars and pain are recovering she still has the inside scars that would take long years to recover from. She endured several surgeries, was in a coma and few days later her husband was out of jail. I also met a young vivacious talented young woman who is a relative of mine hurting pretty bad in the hands of her husband. To make matters worse she became homeless and shame set in. He pleaded guilty and was given 6 months’ probation and community service. Even though he had priors it did not matter he was out and she was left to heal on her own. The Mai” and DeJesus “situation left me completely in disbelief that in 2017 as a form of prevention the state has not forced these men to be in a registry.

Do not get me wrong there were many issues that I wanted to fight for. Especially affordable housing and our most vulnerable of our citizen’s children and seniors. The reason why I am mentioning some of these platforms are because the media did not allow them to be heard. News 12 only covered the other legislative districts and some of the local races. They never spoke to the 16 district county legislators race. A four-way primary seemed important enough to be covered and follow the candidates. Now remember I spoke about those gate keepers and party bosses, those in control, and incumbency, well there you have it. Those I am sure were the reasons. How come on election day news 12 decided to cover all the races except the County Legislator Seat in the 16 District. Not even a mention. Three women running against an incumbent.

The incumbency effect I call it. This incumbent won the seat. The woman that came in second was the party nominee, then I came in 3rd and a vivacious smart young woman came in last. No mention of this race at all by any of the media.

I wanted to write this column to assure women that running for office, it is not as simple as it seems. However, it’s our right to be part of the political process. It is our right to be able to say I want to be a candidate no matter what the obstacles are because we must be represented. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. During this silly season as my friend Lorraine calls it, you will find out who your true friends are. You will find out that your candidacy is only important to you and no one else unless there are interest groups by your side that will protect you. You will know hypocrisy in the worst way. Hillary Clinton is an example and not that I am comparing my election to her’s but wanted to tell you that the local election process is not kind to women. We must rise above that. Be confident, be strong, be inspirational to others. Run for office if that is your desire. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. I am proud of the campaign I ran. I am proud of my campaign staff and most of all I am proud of the sacrifices that my family made in order to support me. You can do it too. You can open the doors to those women who are in self-doubt about running for office. I want to give hope to those women who want to run for office and give them the strength they need to do so. Women’s voices are needed in order to change the face of government. Government does not look like our community. Often there is only one of us especially if you are a woman of color. Run for office. Make a difference in someone’s life. Run for office like a woman does full of passion, full of strength and courage. It is my belief that we have not broken that glass ceiling and we must continue to Fight and Win in order to Balance the Power of Government.

COLUMBUS DAY, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY AND THE PROBLEM WITH ‘DISCOVERY’

By Carmen Bonilla

It’s October again and I thought I would discuss the elephant in the room - Columbus Day, which is a Federal holiday (government agencies closed), observed on the second Monday in October each year, a time for parades, good food and fairs.

In recent weeks, Columbus statues have been vandalized in Central Park, NYC, Columbus Triangle on 32nd St. in Astoria, Queens, Baltimore earlier in August, as were monuments to the Italian explorer in Houston and Buffalo, and don’t forget the Columbus bust in Yonkers that was knocked off its pedestal and decapitated.

Monuments to Columbus have been a hot topic of debate since white supremacists and neo-Nazis violently protested plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 4-5. Get Black Westchester Delivered To Your Home For $25 a year - www.BlackWestchester.com/subscribe

The vandalism is due partly because of what people now know about the true history of Columbus and his crimes against humanity particularly the Indigenous people of the Caribbean and South America. I have seen people argue that “we” wouldn’t be here if not for Columbus. This is false and inaccurate history. Columbus did not set foot in North America. Also how could he discover something that already had people, leaders, empires?

I find it disconcerting that in this age of information most people have zero clue of what is factual vs not.

I am in favor of doing what Fargo ND did, no longer celebrating Columbus Day and changing the name to Indigenous Peoples Day. It is only right to correct this wrong done to the Native Americans. These statues of murderers, slave owners, pedophiles, rapists and thieves are a constant reminder and a slap in the face to a large population..to the Brown and Black citizens whose blood, sweat, tears and suffering built this great country only to be treated as a second class citizen.

While Columbus and others are part of history why not put their statues/memorials in local museums and erect statues of positive role models, community leaders, defenders of injustices in their place. This would be a good way to start an open and honest discussion. A way towards a national healing. Happy Autumn everyone!

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OCTOBER 2017

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BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

BLACK WESTCHESTER11

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12 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

OCTOBER 2017

CHANGE IS COMING-A “NEW VISION” FOR MOUNT VERNON ON CHANGE DAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2017 Welcome to the NEW VISION PARTY. Walidah Aime for Comptroller, Robin Myers, Angela Neil and Steven Facendo as candidates for the City Council. We are citizens, NOT POLITICIANS, willing to challenge and change a system that has been broken and has not worked for us - the citizens, the tax payers, the parents, the children, the students and the workers. We have a “New Vision”, an idea that Mount Vernon can be successful, that our diversity is an asset, and that we need strong and capable leadership to move us forward when many seek to use our city for their financial gain. We need a new direction as we are at a crossroad and critical decisions are being made that will negatively affect our future.

We are independent thinkers. We welcome all who believe that Mount Vernon matters and that she has the potential to once again be a safe city of family values, flourishing businesses and sustainable development. IT IS NOT TOO LATE. We have been working hard as a grassroots movement. We have been winning many battles. From turning around our school district to holding the line on school tax increases and while sounding the alarm on tax breaks in the form of PILOT’s for wealthy developers that donate to the campaigns of the Democratic Party candidates. We seek to deal a blow to the “Pay for Play” and the “Business as Usual” that has been going on in this city for decades and has caused its decline. We only need to win your Vote of confidence this November 7th, and we will win back our city, for the people and by the people! This is not the time to be cynical. We represent you. We have stayed too quiet, for too long, but now we have to find our voice. Our voice is your voice. We must hold everyone to a higher standard and cast away the mediocrity that has continued to weigh us down.

The current City Council and Comptroller continues to approve residential development with 30 to 40 year tax breaks. They have passed new laws that circumvent the land use boards with their “Form Based Zoning” initiative. They are directly responsible for seniors losing their homes from the resulting tax increases that burden them and us as well. In addition, these huge tax breaks have caused school tax increases of over 300% since the year 2000. Why? Because developers are not held accountable for the many children who move into these tax free residential buildings. When the developers are not paying their fair share of the school taxes, who do you think pays it? WE DO! Property owners, including the seniors who are on fixed incomes have to foot the bill. Whether we rent or own our homes, we are all sharing this cost. Some of us struggle with the choice of school for our children because our public schools are challenged to maintain basic standards because they are overburdened with less and less resources for more special needs and homeless children than any other district in Westchester County. There needs to be a thoughtful and practical balance for development. We cannot continue to give away our city and provide a good quality of life for our residents that live here now….while our current leaders plan for tens of thousands of new people that will move here with the new developments and take away the resources that we need while causing taxes to skyrocket!

As countless new residential developments are approved, the density of our city increases beyond its resources. School resources are stretched, traffic becomes unbearable, parking is hard to find, fewer police officers to fight crime, outdated equipment for firemen to fight fires, and few ambulances to answer life threatening emergency calls. Basic businesses are disappearing daily such as supermarkets, hardware stores, car dealerships, fine restaurants, and places for family entertainment. We are on the brink of becoming a city of dollar stores and fast food joints, while our home values decline and we take our spending money to other towns. Walking through neighborhoods all over this city, it is apparent that many homeowners are faced with the difficult choice of staying current with their taxes, or maintaining their homes. Crumbling driveways, walkways, dilapidated siding and cracking roof tiles are a painful reality most of us face every day when we come home…not to mention the high cost of utilities and food for our tables!

We are anxious about the poor quality of life and crime that comes with each passing day as a result of irresponsible and incapable leadership that lacks vision and an understanding of the ways to build and market our city that will attract new homeowners and commerce. As with all successful communities, frequent and consistent planning and marketing initiatives along with capable leadership, are necessary to change the downward trajectory and forge a new and brighter path forward.

This will be difficult for those who have become comfortable with ‘this is the way we do things in Mount Vernon’ attitude.

Change is uncomfortable, and getting out of the box that we have created will take hard work. We can do all of this by voting for “COMPETENT” people rather than the “POPULAR” people that we are used to. This November 7th, when we elect for competence, experience, and integrity, the renaissance of our city can begin! Mount Vernon, it is time to Look further, strive higher, and move towards a bolder future and embrace a bold NEW VISION. Find out more at www.newvisionmv.org

CHANGE IS COMING ON NOVEMBER 7TH….VOTE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE AND VOTE FOR THE “NEW VISON PARTY”

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OUR “NEW VISION” WILL BE ACHIEVED BY: 1- Enacting the comprehensive plan- The comprehensive plan must be revised, completed and then enacted – this will involve acknowledging our historical sites, providing for strategic gateway development planning, transportation initiatives and beautification of our community. Our comprehensive plan will outline residential and commercial development. It will plan for various densities in different parts of the city.

2- Using incentives to attract and retain commercial businesses which will bring increased tax revenues and much needed employment and new job training for our unemployed citizens and our youth.

3- Utilizing beautification as a quality of life tool. Simple fixes of small problems will create a sense of order - cleaning garbage on streets and sidewalks, removing broken and rusty chain link fences, greening and lighting our business corridors – South 4th Avenue business district, 3rd street improvement district, and the industrial zone. When there is order, there is a feeling of care which reduces crime and promotes business. We all feel this in surrounding towns and when we travel to great destinations. It is the broken windows theory in action.

Beautification and restoration will lead to order, which will lead to decreased fear and crime and eventually we will see more participation from residents which will increase levels of informal social control.

4- Supporting the schools to improve vocational and academic standards. Along with increasing the variety of sports and student activities, residents will once again be encouraged to send their children to our public schools, freeing up money for them to maintain their properties and to save for their children’s college education. Many children previously educated in our schools were not properly prepared for college or careers when they left. The past 3 years began a new 20/20 vision of the schools where children have been actively engaged in their own education and the mission to prepare them for vocation or college was undertaken. Better schools and well maintained neighborhoods will encourage new homeownership, which will reduce the number of empty and foreclosed homes, and strengthen home values.

5- Marketing Mount Vernon to the business community as the next business destination. When there is an economically diverse population, we can better support local businesses and other businesses will see Mount Vernon as a desirable location. These enterprises will create jobs and we can educate our labor force for vocational and career training. Right now, the current city leadership justifies the approval of residentially subsidized buildings by saying that they are bringing jobs. Not true. These construction jobs are not economically empowering because they are short term. Instead we can empower our Chamber of Commerce to seek businesses and lobby our IDA to use P.I.L.O.T.s for businesses that will support jobs and tax revenue. We can model our Business Improvement Districts (B.I.D.s ) after the NYC BID Partnerships on 34th street, 42nd, and 125th streets which provide street cleaning, beautification and security, while also being self-sustaining through Public/Private Partnerships( PPP’s).

6- Increasing revenue through business sales taxes and code enforcement. The rule of law in Mount Vernon has been so diluted. Cars run stop signs and traffic lights all day. Litter lives indefinitely on and in front of private and commercial properties. These are all infractions that need to be enforced and fined to promote a safer city and better quality of life, while earning revenue from the offenders. Also, all commercial and multi-family residential development should pay impact fees to cover the cost of upgrading our infrastructure and assets.

7- Providing for our seniors and our youth- We need safe environments and activities for our seniors and our youth. Landscaped and well equipped parks to stave off social isolation, libraries and media centers to stimulate their brain functions, better functioning transportation and organized city services for our aging population and our young. We need to bring back a strong Boys and Girls club, the “Y”, and other institutions that have historically strengthened the character of our youth and provided for a rich social environment for our seniors.

8- Building more capacity to our life and safety services. Our police, fire and medical emergency services must be upgraded to handle our current population and any anticipated growth. Continuing education and training will challenge officers and build confidence amongst the rank and file. Community engagement with law enforcement will ensure a high level of communication and trust with the citizens.

9- Rebuilding our infrastructure must be a priority. We have broken sewers that are flowing into resident’s basements and the Hutchinson River.

The federal government has fined the city for this infraction. The roads are akin to driving through Bagdad. Parking is becoming difficult to find. Traffic on the major roads such as route 22, Lincoln Avenue, and the parkway ramps during rush hour are nearly impossible. Many of the MTA bridges have remained closed for years, Memorial Field has been used as a dumping ground for toxic waste – these issues and much more have not been solved under the watch of the current and past leadership. And still more new buildings are pending, with the promise of nearly 24,000 new residents. Our sewers, bridges, roads, police and firemen are unable to sustain the additional load. Our technology is archaic. We do not have an updated intelligent traffic light system, city wide security cameras, license plate readers, speed detectors, Free Wi-Fi hot spots in public spaces, and much more. We have to make an investment in our city, the same way we do in our homes.

10- Attracting future residents. In order to compete for young, bright Millennials as our current population ages, there needs to be more parks with pedestrian friendly paths for walking, exercising and biking through the city along with access to the Bronx River and Eastchester Creek waterways for water type recreation. There must also be desirable transit oriented development with shopping plazas, zip car rentals, intracity shuttle system, and other conveniences near the train stations, and not just housing projects stacked next to each other, street after street. Also, our business and shopping districts also need to be safe and look desirable. The storefronts on 4th Avenue need to be improved with much needed signage and security gate reform. Old steel roll down gates must come down and better, less obtrusive open mesh types installed in the interior of the window will make a much more pleasant shopping corridor.

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BW COVER STORY COVER STORIES

SENATOR GEORGE LATIMER WINS PRIMARY AND FOCUSES ON FACING ASTORINO IN GENERAL ELECTION

George Latimer, a State Senator from Rye won Westchester County’s Democratic Party primary for county executive, cruising to victory on Tuesday, September 12th with 64 percent of the vote over County Legislator Ken Jenkins, according to unofficial tallies from the Board of Elections just after midnight on Wednesday. Now the real work begins for the Democratic, Working Families, Women’s Equality, and Independence Party candidate for County Executive, vying to unseat Robert P. Astorino, who is running for a third term, in the November 7th general election.

“I want to thank Ken Jenkins for a hard-fought and principled campaign, and I want to thank all the people who voted today, upholding the best traditions of our democracy,” Latimer shares with BW primary night. “The people of Westchester have spoken and I am humbled to now be the Democratic, Working Families, Women’s Equality, and Independence Party candidate for County Executive in the November 7th general election.”

When all of all districts were counted, Latimer won over Jenkins with 63% of the vote (23,673-13,803). That amount accounted for 37,476 adn while the margin which Latimer won was high, those numbers are the results a very low turnout.

There are 290,000 active registered Democrats in Westchester, and party members outnumber Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin. Low turnout races locally could favor Republicans, who’ve held onto the county executive seat and made gains on the Legislature in this decade despite the disadvantage.

“We have a tough race ahead of us, but an important race,” says Latimer shortly after midnight Wednesday morning. “Westchester needs change, and our taxpayers deserve a government that tells the truth, cuts patronage and waste, and puts people over political ideology. For eight long years, Rob Astorino has worried more about his future political career, his allies and his campaign contributors while taxpayers get left holding the bill.”

When Latimer was on the People Before Politics Radio Show, he explained it would probably be better and make more sense if local primaries took place in June, like the federal primaries. He said the timing after summer and just as school is getting underway may dampen voters from coming out. He stills feels optimistic.

“Today, we start the campaign to take our County back from a politician who stands with Donald Trump and who is willing to risk our future and our children’s future for his own short-term political gain,” Latimer tells BW. “We will offer an honest vision for our future; where we respect the rights of all Westchester residents, defend our values of inclusion and fairness, protect our environment, and root out waste and corruption.”

George Latimer kicked off his General Election campaign, Wednesday, September 13th 10:30 AM at 36 Tuckahoe Road in Eastchester with a sharp critique of what he states are Rob Astorino’s dishonest claims, tax hikes and fiscal mismanagement over his 8 years in office. Latimer presented a number of tax bills from Westchester residents to show how much taxes have increased for Westchester families under Rob Astorino.

Latimer laid out a new vision for County leadership based on honesty and fiscal accountability. Astorino has said he’ll run on his record of not raising the property tax levy since he’s been in office. But Latimer said his plan is to show that the county budget is on shaky financial ground. How that will translate as a debate message remains to be seen.

Sen. Latimer after winning the primary

GEORGE LATIMER WON THE PRIMARY BUT THE REAL FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN. RACE FOR CE HEATING UP! The real battle is Astorino, who had $3.2 million in the bank as of his last campaign filing compared to $354,000 on hand for Latimer. Astorino had already begun running TV spots and other ads before the primary, while avoiding taking on Latimer or Jenkins directly. Not wasting anytime, just a day after his big Democratic primary win, State Sen. George Latimer kicked off his race for county executive by immediately slamming the fiscal policies of his incumbent opponent Republican Rob Astorino in Eastchester.

He says Astorino’s claim that he’s held the line on county taxes since he took office in 2010 is false. “Compare 2011 to 2017. Don’t take anybody’s word for it…look at it yourself. If you are paying more in the aggregate in county, sewer and refuse, then you’ve been robbed,” says Latimer.

The incumbent quickly fired back at Latimer with a statement that reads in part, “County Executive Rob Astorino has never once raised the county tax levy -- for seven, going on eight years now. Indeed, he cut the tax levy 2 percent, and the county tax levy is less today than it was in 2010 when Mr. Astorino was elected, thanks to his strong fiscal discipline.”

Latimer picked up another major endorsement five days after the primary from the Transport Workers Union Local 100. The union represents approximately 41,000 workers in the Metropolitan area transportation system. John Samuelsen, International President of the Transport Workers Union said, “We are proud to endorse George Latimer for County Executive because of his pragmatism and track record as a public servant. The current administration has underfunded investments in transportation and transportation infrastructure causing concern for the future of Westchester County’s economy. We know George will work with us to come up with solutions to better serve the people of Westchester County”.

WHO IS GEORGE LATIMER? Latimer is looking to become the third Democratic CE since the 1930’s in Westchester County, by derailing Astorino’s train from riding into a third consecutive term, before making a second bid at the Governor’s mansion.

George Latimer tells Black Westchester, he is running because he loves Westchester. Ok so that’s an answer you would expect from any politician running for this position, but somehow it has a ring of truth to it when it comes out of the mouth of Latimer. Born and raised in Mount Vernon’s southside and raised his family in Rye. He believes the current CE is ‘lying to the people about his tax record and his “moderate” approach to governing.’

“While taxes have gone up social services have been cut and infrastructure has suffered just like Memorial Field,” George also believes having watched Astorino for last eight years that he is a solidly Trump like Republican. “He has failed us on protecting immigrants, taxpayers, creating jobs and its time for an end to the Astorino Administration.”

PLENTY OF DEMS IN WESTCHESTER, SO WHY CAN’T REGGIE’S DEMS CANT WIN CE SEAT, CAN LATIMER CHANGE THAT TREND?

With all the perturbation of Washigton and the direction of the Republicans be enough to galvanize Dems. We’ve often heard County Chariman Reginald Lafayette tout registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1. But thats ony the part of the story what he doesn’t tell you is there has only been two Democratic County Executives since the 1930’s.

Nassau County shares a similar storyline where Dems slighty outnumber Republicans, where Democratic hopeful Laura Curran is seeking to become only the third Democratic to hold the post in 80 years as well.

Dems hope to capitalize on the growing antagonism to the 45th president with election day, just over a month away and both County Exec seats are up for grabs. Can Latimer be the saving grace for Reggie’s Dems in Westchester? If not there may be seat open as Chairman of the party.

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Dear Mount Vernon Residents, I would like to thank everyone who supported my run for City Council.

Although I did not win, it has been a pleasure meeting and greeting each of you over the past few months.

I want to assure each one of you, I will continue to be involved in Mount Vernon’s future.

Please support the “Democratic” ticket in the upcoming election, November 7th, 2017 Warm Regards,

Clyde A. Isley Paid for by friends of Clyde A. Isley

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André LeRoy Davis (A.L.Dre) displaying artwork at MVPL

New Rochelle’s DJ Supreme at Rapacon/ DJ Con

7 1 0 2 R E M M U S F O S E N BW SCE DJ Jazzy Joyce at 808 Social in Scarsdale

CupCake Cutie Boutique at CityFest in Mt Vernon

Thanks to strong showing from community MVPL keeps Central Library status

Astorino Vetoes Immigration Bill

THE STREETS

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OF PUERTO RIC

Deajah Steve ns at IAAF W orld Athletics Championsh ips London, August 2017

Rashi found Not Guilty

#ImWithKap Milagros For Mayor Of White Plains

He took a k nee for my father so I will sta nd with him #Justice4K ennethCham !!!! berlainSr #IStandWith Kap #Boyco ttNFL

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OCTOBER 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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COUNCILMAN ANDRÉ WALLACE RESPONDS TO MAYOR THOMAS’ PROPOSED 2018 BUDGET As many of you may know by now, the Mayor has proposed the city’s operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. As usual, he has also created propaganda to go along with it. The Mayor continues to try to use the public to support what is not true.

The Mayors Usual Shenanigans.

Last week, the Mayor’s administration unveiled a proposal of appropriations he claims will “prioritize public safety”. However, the Mayor has refused hired a new police commissioner for our city. The first step to prioritizing public safety would be to select a new police commissioner with the education, skills, and experience to formulate public safety initiatives and to lead the department. This responsibility cannot be assigned to a novice/garbage man, neither can the Mayor micromanage the department. His repeated statements accusing the Comptroller and City Council of refusing to fund the position of police commissioner are fictitious and greatly miscued. Over the past year, I have written several letters and made over a dozen statements requesting that the Mayor executes his duties as the chief executive officer of the city and fill the position. The Mayor, Comptroller, and City Council agreed to fund the position at an annual salary of up to $175,000. The REAL question to ask is why hasn’t the Mayor selected a police commissioner? If “public safety is essential to enhancing our quality of life and raising property values”, the process to select a police commissioner should have been expedited. Although I agree with the Mayor that we should replace the police officers who have retired or who have transferred to other communities, I do not believe it is prudent to add dozens of new police officers without competent and experienced leadership. Taking that approach will not solve our problem; furthermore, it is a poor executive decision.

The Mayor stated, “No other community in Westchester County would be foolish enough to remove a Police Commissioner from their Police Department”. However, 3 qualified police commissioners were either fired or resigned within the first 12 months of the Mayor’s administration. The public should know that neither the City Council nor the Comptroller can hire or fire commissioners. The public should ask the Mayor why he would make statements accusing the City Council of selfishness when he makes the appointment.

The Mayor also states his 2018 budget is “one that continues his commitment to transparency and public access television”. This statement is not true. What is true is that the Mayor did forward the cable franchise renewal agreement to the City Council, but only after trying to execute it without City Council approval or proper vetting. It is also true that Councilman Griffith was the Council President at the time but he did not delay the contract or cause seniors to pay hundreds of dollars extra on their monthly bills. In fact, Councilman Griffith agreed along with me that we should not vote on the legislation before the Cable Advisory Committee had time to vet the contract to be absolutely certain that the city would get the best deal.

Moreover, the blame should not be focused on Councilman Griffith when I was the one who would not bring it to vote. It was a good deal for the Mayor, but it was a bad deal for the City of Mount Vernon’s residents. The City of Mount Vernon is still owed hundreds of thousands of dollars from cable companies and it is taking time for our Cable Advisory Committee to review the franchise agreement in order to negotiate the best deal. The City Council is confident with the work the committee is doing and we look forward to a very successful franchise renewal agreement that truly benefits the people of Mount Vernon, not just the cable companies.

My Position o2018 Budget Proposal.

I’ve been called a bad politician because I tell the truth and speak out about issues most politicians refuse to address. That is why I will be honest to say that I will not be voting on the Mayor’s budget in its current form. There are some people who believe I am just against the Mayor. That is false. A great idea is great no matter who thought of it and whenever those great ideas benefit the people, I vote on them. I would love to agree with the Mayor on his 2018 budget, but we would both be wrong. I may not be a great politician but I am a pretty good businessman who has been working with major budgets for more than 25 years. I know when numbers don’t make sense. Let’s break this budget down using a simple fan and hammer to clear the smoke and break the mirrors.

The Mayor states his “net budget request is virtually the same as last year”. While his statement is accurate, the budget proposal he submitted last year was incorrect and it’s incorrect again this year. Last year the Council worked diligently with the Comptroller to save the taxpayers by creating a balanced budget with real expenditures, practical revenue projections, and reasonable salary increases. Mount Vernon taxpayers, know that we are prepared to do it again. The City Council and the Comptroller are eager to work on the budget and we will encourage the Mayor to work with us. The adopted budget for 2017 was $106 million, $11.7 million less than the Mayor’s 2018 budget of $118 million. The Mayor stated that “taxes will be raised only 4.87%” and he’s right, however, he’s not explaining how the taxpayer will be charged an additional 11.83% on the back end of his failing budget. Add those two figures and taxpayers will have 16.70% property tax increase.

In order to present the public with a proposed property tax increase of 4.87%, the Mayor is projecting an unreal $7 million-dollar revenue increase. If you may recall, when the Mayor projected an additional $5.5 million in revenue for 2017, I questioned him at his town hall meeting and explained that it is impossible for the city to generate an additional $5.5 million in sales tax bringing our total revenue up from $18.5 million dollars to $24 Million dollars without adding additional retail outlets and superstores.

The City of Mount Vernon has generated about $18.5 million dollars in 2015, 2016 and looks like we may fall a little short in 2017. If the 2017 budget had been adopted with those revenue projections by the Mayor, the tax increase would be more than 16.7% this year to cover the shortfall. Mr. Mayor, if you couldn’t come close to generating $5.5 million dollars in sales tax and other additional revenue in 2017, how are you going to generate $7 million dollars in 2018?

The Mayor also states that there is $19 million dollars in the city reserves. First, the exact amount is not known because the 2016 audit has not been completed.

The Mayor has ignored letters from the city’s auditors requesting that the books in the Urban Renewal Agency and the Industrial Development Agency are closed in order to complete the financial audit for the city. Instead, the Mayor has tried to fire the auditors for constantly requesting documentation to complete our 2016 books. The city’s fiscal year ends on December 31, to be without an audit nine (9) months later is unacceptable. Further, most of the money in the city’s reserves have already been earmarked for State mandates like pension, healthcare, and workers compensation. The Mayor always fails to disclose those details. Moreover, how can one spend money without knowing how much there is to spend? I am in favor of salary increases and new positions but I am not in favor of those increases and new positions being placed on the backs of the taxpayers and homeowners. Raises should be based on performance. The administration has not performed satisfactorily, neither have they generated monies to justify the proposed salary increases.

There are those that don’t believe the city can be operated like a business but I disagree. While serving on the City Council, I’ve had many conversations and meetings with Comptroller Walker and what I have learned from her is, whether it’s government or private industry, the financial and fiscal responsibilities of that industry are both the same. As a corporation can become bankrupt, so can our city. This is a lesson I learned from a professor. Many of us can benefit if we sat in her class.

The City Council and Comptroller will be holding a town hall meeting (Date TBD) to address and answers all your questions regarding the Mayor’s 2018 budget.

Sincerely, Councilman André Wallace

REGGIE LAFAYETTE’S DEMS FACE CLEAR TEST IN CE RACE

DESPITE OUTNUMBERING REPUBLICANS 2-TO-1 LAFAYETTE’S DEMS ARE O FOR 2 IN COUNTY EXEC.

Continued from page 1

BY AJ WOODSON The Democratic Party faces a real challenge this year and needs to get their message to the grass roots to energize the voters in November. This is a clear test for WC Democratic Party Chairman, Reginald A. Lafayette who despite the fact that his Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one, County Executive Robert P. Astorino has won back-toback elections, convincingly. The lower the voter turnout the better Astorino’s chances are to being re-elected for a third term.

With the double in numbers Dems have over Republicans, this doesn’t happen without the support and endorsement of key Democrats and Black pastors, who cross party lines. Black leaders selling out their people for a check or political favors. Grace Baptist’s Pastor Rev. Richardson is one of the most prominent Black Pastors to disregard Mr. Lafayette’s endorsement and publicly endorsed Astorino.

There used to be a time when a party chair endorsed you, it went a long way with the party members of that region. Those days seem to be a thing of the past for Westchester Dems under Reggie’s leadership. Mr. Lafayette is not only batting 0-for-2 Countywide in the CE race but also as Mount Vernon City Committee Chairman, he has lost the last three Mayoral races. Strike Three, the year with a candidate that has the best chance of competing with and possibly beating Astorino and it may be time for new leadership. It might be time for someone who can re-energize the Dems to take over for the sake of the party if the Dems under Lafayette cannot reverse this trend.

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REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

OCTOBER 2017

ABORTION CLINICS, LIQUOR STORES, PRISONS, & MUSIC:

THE NEW CHESS PIECES OF EUGENICS

By Priscilla Echi

Eugenics (/juːˈdʒɛnɪks/; from Greek εὐγενής eugenes “well-born” from εὖ eu, “good, well” and γένος genos, “race, stock, kin”) is the belief and practice which aims at improving the genetic quality of the human population. It is a social philosophy advocating the improvement of human genetic traits through the promotion of higher reproduction of people with desired traits (positive eugenics), or reduced reproduction and or sterilization of people with less-desired or undesired traits (negative eugenics), or both.

Through my eyes and the eyes of my ancestors there have been many methods used to put minorities in check. Many of which should’ve been check mate, although we have a way to go, how far we’ve come, speaks to the tenacity of our spirit regardless of the vicissitude life has thrown our way.eugenics), or both.

Music, is King on this chess board. When you repeat something you memorize the words right? These lyrics are now stuck in your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is a second, hidden mind that exists inside your brain. It interprets and then acts on the predominating thoughts that live within your conscious mind.

Its sole purpose is to attract circumstances and situations to match the images you have inside your mind.

“The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state, A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.” James Allen” As a Man Thinketh “. Unfortunately, the industry funnels the most money and attention behind music that causes the degradation of our people and pushes the most negative imagery which alters our psychological state. We sing whatever’s popular not understanding that association breeds assimilation. Do you believe your being systematically programmed to destroy yourself and others via what your listening to? What I do know is if we do not change some of the lyrics and imagery we feed our youth, you and I, are in fact responsible for their demise.

The queen on this chess board is the abortion clinics. Abortion remains the leading cause of death among African-Americans, higher than all others combined!

New research released by Protecting Black Life (outreach of Life Issues Institute) revealed that 79% of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are located within walking distance of African-American, Hispanic, Latino communities.

Planned Parenthood generates income from an increased number of abortions in our urban communities. This has been an ongoing battle and debate between pro-choice and pro-life activist. The message of genocide-by-abortion and racism has long been used by pro-life leaders, who say the eugenics activism of Margaret Sanger (Founder of Planned Parenthood) is alive and well in today’s abortion practices. Pro-choice organizations push back, saying to accuse abortion providers of racism and genocide is just “a bizarre conspiracy theory,” says the Georgia-based group Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. I grew up seeing many minority women (not just African-American) suffer due to numerous issues and use abortion as birth control. The heightened misogyny and lack of commitment in our community only adds fuel to the flame. The nuclear family is a thing of the past, the entire structure has been chipped away to where it’s unrecognizable. Even major advertising companies market pictures of single minority mothers. in 1959 only 2% of African-American children were reared in household where the mother never married. As of 2013, single family homes in the minority community has raised to 70% according to data from the American Community Survey. Many women discouraged with these odds and not willing to endure single parenthood alone, feel they have no option other than to turn to abortion as the solution. No matter where you stand on this issue, there should be a stronger emphasis on the use of contraceptives, and stand up to corporations that target urban areas to cyphen money out of an already economically challenged region.

Mass incarceration is a huge issue, the prison industry (some call it new age plantations) is BIG business. I’m talking 74 billion dollars annually BIG! It can cost up to $60,000 a year to keep a citizen in prison, and you, the wonderful tax payer has the pleasure of footing the bill. The prison system is the bullying bishop on this board.

Instead of outsourcing to companies overseas corporations have now come back to the U.S. using prisoners for cheap or free labor. Is it legalized slavery? Statistics reveal the United States holds 25% of the world’s prison population, but only 5% of the world’s people. We went from less than 300,000 inmates in 1972, to 1 million in 1990, to an unfathomable 2 million by the year 2000. Ten years ago, there were only five private prisons in America, now, there are 100, with 62,000 inmates. It is expected that number will hit over 350,000 by the coming decade. Private prisons bring in $7.4 billion dollars annually.

“The system feeds itself “, says a study by the Progressive Labor Party, accusing the prison industry of being modern-day slavery or Nazi Germany with respects to forced slave labor. It fuels the incentive to lock people away. Sadly, many nonviolent minority offenders will continue to be rolled through the system to turn a profit with a 30% harsher penalty than other offenders. The longer your kept, the more money is made.

Your “Knight” in shining armor, found around every other corner in every impoverished minority neighborhood in America: The neighborhood liquor store(s). I don’t have to tell you what it does to our communities, you see it daily. In my old community, I can count 6 within a 1 mile radius. All I have to say on this particular chess piece is look around and study the board.

Last but not least, school closings are definitely the rooks and you and I beloved, are the pawns. Even though the pawns are the soul of the game, we will continue to be used as sacrificial pieces until we take control of the board. Americas has had a long love affair with eugenics, it manifest itself in movies, in fact some say the latest addition “The Purge” is reenacted daily in the lives of minorities. We must pool our resources together, clean up our neighborhoods and our act, register to vote, if your unable to vote, join a movement that is not afraid to speak truth to power to bring forth positive change. Make sure your voice is accounted for, and stay in the know. Most importantly monitor what your children are doing watching and listening to. In life, as in chess, forethought always wins.

THE THREAT OF BEING BLACK IN AMERICA To Be Young and Black in America Is To Be Always Considered a Threat!

by Kenneth Chamberlain Junior

My 29-year-old son has never been in trouble with the law a day in his life. Last year my son was on his way home from work. He was professionally dressed in slacks, a button-down shirt, and a tie. He just so happened to be eating fruit snacks when undercover detectives pulled over, approached him and smacked the fruit snacks out of his hand. They proceeded to throw him against the squad car, while telling him that he looked like a drug dealer. They also accused him of carrying drugs inside of the fruit snack bag. Fortunately for me, after they searched him and realized they had the wrong person, they let him go; I thank God he is alive today.

It was inevitable that we were going to have a conversation about his experience. When I asked my son how he felt, he responded, “Dad… I’m afraid of the police.”

At that moment I didn’t know how to respond. For all intents and purposes, his fear is justified. I have always maintained the concept that all individuals in law enforcement are not bad, but that does not excuse the fact that there is an implicit bias in our society from education, housing, employment, and of course in law enforcement.

Even if a black man exhibits all that is deemed to be socially accepted such as their attire, communication, education, social behavior etc., he is still 2.5 times more likely to be shot by law enforcement because he is still perceived as an imminent threat. My son embodies these social attributes, and was misjudged to be iniquitous.

Therefore, it is important for me to advise my son what to do if he is stopped by law enforcement: do not reach for anything; do as they say; remain silent; and in short, please do not give them a reason to kill you.

What’s frightening is that, if my hands are up I am a threat. If my hands are down, I am a threat. That must change. The media has recently allowed us to witness two more shootings, in Tulsa and Charlotte, within a few days of each other. Though we do not know all the facts surrounding these cases, people are angry and afraid. It seems that even when there is enough evidence to produce indictments on law enforcement, it is always accompanied by some type of technicality that allows the case to be thrown out all together or if it is an indictment there will more than likely be an acquittal.

I do not condone violence on any level but the youth in particular believe they have no other recourse. This is partly due to the fact that our systemic society does not place value on the lives of Black people. Our youth are upset and many of them have responded by using tactics that some may perceive as counterproductive. My message to the youth is to organize, execute action plans and understand that the ends do not justify the means.

One thing about our youth is they can spot a fraud a mile away. The hard truth is that they do not respect the current leadership because many of them have been paid for their allegiance to those who continue to oppress and kill our people. These leaders couldn’t care less about the communities they claim to serve, instead they are more concerned about the next community development block grant or other government funding for their own personal agendas.

I cannot speak for other leadership out here, I can only speak for myself and my promise to you is simple, I will live by a single moral conviction. That is to want for my brother and sister what I want for myself and to never be driven by self-interest or greed. I will walk what I talk and I will always strive to become the person others will stand by and want to follow.

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OCTOBER 2017 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - A GROWING ISSUE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

BY DAMON K. JONES (con’t from page 7)

We must all demonstrate a clear recognition that domestic violence exists on an incomprehensible level that is completely unacceptable. There must be a desire to confront this issue and enact laws that deter abusers and support victims. As a national organization of law enforcement professionals, we demand harder sentencing and laws against these abusers. Unless and until we all make this commitment— we will continue to read and hear about the tragedies of domestic violence in the communities of Westchester.

Police Commissioner William J. Bratton presided over the 13th annual Domestic Violence Training Conference Tuesday in the auditorium at One Police Plaza. The conference brought together members of the Department as well we outside collaborators to review new statutes related to domestic violence; discuss ways to investigate domestic violence related crimes such as stalking, aggravated harassment and orders of protection; and it provided an opportunity for police personnel to network with each other and those agencies and organizations dedicated to combating domestic violence.

We need to have this in Westchester County and every urban neighborhood nationwide. We need to call our elected officials to ensure they implement training in our police departments and then stay on our police commissioners to make sure this isn’t just another formality or something to do to say they did it but truly becomes part of police policy.

IS THERE RACIAL BIAS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY? BY AJ WOODSON

Continued from page 7 The most egregious part of her story is the advise she says she received from Michelle James and other domestic violence counselors, that her only recourse she had left was to leave the state, and change her name, and not contact her family like if she was in witness protection. She was abused and she should leave everything she knows to be safe because the justice system has failed her? Something is wrong with that picture. She felt the justice system has failed her and now the police won’t properly protect her. She even explained she fears it will come down to a “his life or hers” situation one day soon.

He has tormented her every way imaginable including getting into and taking money out of her bank account online and hacking her email accounts and changing her passwords so she could gain access to them. I met Ms. Scheurich for lunch to hear her story and to get a better idea of what she has been dealing with. While doing some research, and following up on her allegations, attempting to contact all involved, the judge, the DV counselors, the Eastchester Police Dept. and even foiling for information on the disparity or racial bias in Westchester County in cases of domestic violence, we received several calls from Ms. Scheurich who strongly believes her life is in danger. We heard the voice of a woman, who greatly fears for her life and is almost ready to give up on life, because she believes there is nothing else she can do and she has nothing left in her to continuing fighting. For that reason I am sharing portions of her story to shed some light on her situation, despite the facts that I haven’t yet been able to substantiate all of her claims.

“The police refuse to arrest him despite the fact that he is stalking me and continually violating the order of protection which is a term of his probation,” Scheurich shares with BW.

Another reason for shining a light on DV was a young lady who works for BW, who is black, and has also suffered from domestic violence at the hand of her white husband, had a similar experience. As we were reviewing Debra’s story the young lady identified Capechi as the judge who gave her husband a slap on the wrist as well. She then shared how she too witnessed the racial bias in how the Westchester DA’s office and the courts handle domestic violence cases.

Is there a problem in Westchester County of racial bias in the handling of DV cases? It’s something that many don’t want to talk about and feel doesn’t exist here.

Anyone who has shared a similar experience, contact us at BlackWestchester@gmail.com. We are still looking into the racial bias angle. We invite any other women who’ve had same experience to contact us. The last phone call I got from Debra was should couldn’t take it anymore and she was moving where no one knew her because she feared she would be dead soon is she stayed. That’s the last we heard of her.

We thought it was important to share her story despite the fact we werent able to do much for her. She was at her wits end when we met. There are many Debra’s out there, prayerfully this enlighten some and let someone else know they are not alone.

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

BLACK WESTCHESTER

21

THE RECALIBRATION OF BLACK POLITICS IN THE AGE OF THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION

SOME OBSERVATIONS FROM BLACK WESTCHESTER.

BY ROBERT C. BASKERVILLE, PH.D.

Never in history has there been more truth to the age-old axiom “knowledge is power.” Little more than fifty years after the invention of the first silicon chip, the United States finds itself in the midst of an information revolution which is rapidly transforming the institutional workings of every sphere of society. Beginning with the revolution in military affairs and the rise of the new economy in the 1990s, and continuing down to the present with the appearance of big data analytics, cloud-based computing, and open source projects, the way we work is being remade by an endless wave of non-stop innovation. Nothing illustrates the transformative potential of these technologies more clearly than the restructuring of relations of power wherever they’re fully embraced. In one industry after another, connected social actors, linked together in powerful, synergistic networks of digital knowledge, are rewriting established methods of operation.

In spite of our national self-image as the world’s leading democracy, the technological innovations seen elsewhere have yet to make much of an inroad into our nation’s anemic civic sector. Whether looking at the small number of thinks tanks who produce most of the country’s policy proposals, or the countless number of advocacy groups across the country, few are making use of the information technologies currently available to strengthen the capacity hands of local civic actors. Fewer still make them available to grassroots leaders in central cities across America, who struggle daily to find ways to solve the monumental problems that afflict communities of color today.

Like so many black communities across the U.S. today, lack of accurate strategic knowledge regarding local affairs and conditions is a defining feature of civic life for residents in the city of Mount Vernon, as well as other cities here in Westchester where African-Americans are concentrated. If anyone should doubt the cost this imposes on our communities, consider the definition of knowledge put forth by the sociologist Nico Stehr: “knowledge is the capacity for social action.”

Without it, the formulation of public policy, geared to the needs and wishes of the local community, has been turned into a bit of a crap shoot. Unable to pull together the resources needed to put together a wellthought out policy agenda of their own, civic leaders across the county are frequently left with no option but to choose, on a trial and error basis, from a limited menu of choices offered by politicians.

Unfortunately though, the policy-making apparatus with which the old guard of Westchester’s AfricanAmerican leadership has sought to address local concerns is just as weak. A candid admission of this fact is tucked away in the pages of a little-known report that was issued in 1990 by the African-American Advisory Board (AAAB) of Westchester County—a group of Westchester’s most distinguished Black notables, assembled under the direction of Ernie Davis and Ruth Hassell-Thompson, for the purpose of offering the county an assessment of what was ailing the Black community. Written against the backdrop of the social ravages that the crack epidemic unloosed across the county, the report concluded the county government was afflicted by a deepseated institutional racism that not only depleted the good will needed to institute a robust policy response. Such racism had also deterred the county from collecting the kind of empirical data about local black life that, it went on to note, sound policy-making ultimately depends on. “The absence of data specific to the African American in Westchester…mitigates against effective social and economic planning for and with the African-American citizen of Westchester,” it warned.

From the perspective offered by the passage of time, two questions can now be raised in relation to the group of leaders who engineered the release of the AAAB report just as the information revolution was set to take off.

Unfortunately, the policy-making apparatus with which the old guard of Westchester’s African-American leadership has sought to address local concerns is, in all reality, every bit as weak. A candid admission of this is tucked away in the pages of a little-known report that was issued, in 1990, by the African-American Advisory Board (AAAB) of Westchester County—a group of distinguished Black notables from the area who were assembled under the direction of Ernie Davis and Ruth Hassell-Thompson for the purpose of offering the county an assessment of what was ailing the Black community. Written against the backdrop of the social ravages that the crack epidemic unloosed on poverty-ridden hoods and middle-class havens that form the antipodes of Black Westchester s, the report concluded the county government was afflicted by a deep-seated institutional racism that not only depleted leaders of the good will needed to institute a robust policy response. The report also concluded, furthermore, that such racism had deterred the county from the collection of the kind of empirical data about local black life that sound policy-making ultimately depends on. “The absence of data specific to the African American in Westchester…mitigates against effective social and economic planning for and with the African-American citizen of Westchester,” it warned.

From the perspective offered by the passage of time, two revealing questions are raised in relation to the group of leaders who engineered the release of the AAAB report just as the information revolution was set to take off.

First: since they openly admitted to having an inadequate grasp of the facts needed to formulate public policy, are the locals who supported these figures for the past 30 years just dupes in a political game of the blind are leading the blind?

Second: since they recognized, way back then, that there was dearth of quality information about black life in Westchester, why didn’t they redirect some of the political resources they acquired, while in office, to build an independent center capable of producing it?

Given what lies in wait, a confrontation with these questions is inevitable.

More than a half a century has passed since the Civil Rights Revolution of the 1960s peaked. Now, a process of generational succession is well underway within Black America, and slowly but surely, the reins of leadership are passing over to the activists, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and organizers of the post-civil rights generation.

Indeed, of the 29.4 million African-American adults today in the U.S., more than two-thirds were born sometime after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Despite the fact that record numbers of African-Americans have entered America’s middle classes since then, a raft of social problems is being left behind, for which few solutions are presently in sight, as the civil rights generation takes it final march from the stage of history. For every person who’s managed to “move on up to the Eastside,” or out to the suburbs, many more remain trapped in inner-city neighborhoods that look like they’ve been hit by Biblical plagues: unemployment is approaching depression levels; violence is spiraling out of control; AIDS is now a pandemic; poverty is permanently entrenched; incarceration rates are sky-rocketing; affordable housing is non-existent; and police brutality continues unchecked.

Though few dare openly say it, the intractability of these problems points to one unavoidable conclusion: the program championed by the civil rights establishment has run its course.

At the very time Black America is going through this process of generational succession, ominous storm fronts are gathering around the nation’s leading centers of power and wealth. Fueled by a feverish rise of nativism among non-college educated whites who’ve seethed, for decades now, as good-paying, blue-collar jobs and cheap immigrant labor passed in opposite directions along the border, the pent-up fury felt toward businesses and politicians threatens to unleash a wave of turbulence and strife powerful enough to test the nation’s unity. work in U.S. society. A sharp jump in white supremacist activities, since then, is already evident. Recent months have seen a wave of random attacks on unsuspecting blacks in cities across the U.S., often resulting in murder.

Heather Heyer’s recent death in Charlottesville... (Con’t. on Page 21)

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22 BLACK WESTCHESTER

ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 2017

KINDRED THE FAMILY SOUL: A LEGACY OF LOVE WORDS BY SAMANTHA HUNTER

PHOTO BY MAYA DARASAW OF MADWORKS PHOTOGRAPHY

I caught up with one of my favorite musical couples, Kindred the Family Soul, recently at New York City’s B.B. King Blues Club & Grill and asked them to wax poetic on the term “black love” – which has become a trending term and hot topic thanks to the success of OWN television’s groundbreaking series, Black Love.

Kindred the Family Soul’s Aja and Fatin were just days away from celebrating their 19th anniversary together when I spoke with them, and love was definitely in the air as they shared their thoughts on how they knew they were in love with each other, what makes their love special, as well as advise for when a love turns toxic.

What does the term black love mean to you and what makes black love so darn special?

Aja: At this point in my life, it means to me basically like this thing that we realized is kinda impermeable thing that we can kind of wrap ourselves in to protect us from so much of what’s coming at us, and what’s always been coming at us. And not just that we didn’t always know this was something that would endure, it’s just that now we’re starting to talk about it a lot more than we were before. When Fatin and I started out, we were actually urged against it, so we are kind of like tickled now that this has actually become a thing, and people are actually talking about it in a way that they are proud of and happy about, because when we first started out, not only did they not have somebody to compare us to who had been out records within the past 20 years from the time that we had started making records other than people who were completely out of our league like an Ashford & Simpson, , but they encouraged us not to really even talk about it. We would say words like “family” and “relationship” and they were bing words that in interviews we were told to not say. But our music just continued to speak for itself – we couldn’t erase it from the music, it was in it. Last was our first album.

If you fast-forward to our latest album, which is our sixth recorded album, it begins with the words, “Love is radical.” And I think that has to do with the fact that now, people are starting to understand that you love one another really is a revolutionary act, and that is says that whatever’s going on, that the strength is between those that love one another.

And so black love has kinda come out the forefront in this fight, this fight for our souls, this fight for our sanity, this fight for our joy. This thing that we have to maintain because that’s what makes us human. Black love is at the forefront and front lines of preserving our humanity.

Fatin: In a nutshell black love just means the love of black people, I guess. But it’s just funny because I think about how our grandparents used to stay together for long periods of time, and we came from a generation where our grandparents was together for 50 years and 40 years. And then our parents, they didn’t stay together. A lot of the children that are 40 and up, or 35 and up, a lot of their parents were either single parents or their parents were together for awhile and didn’t make it through, so we didn’t have a lot of examples out there in our parents… So many people today don’t stay together very long – they get together and it’s over in 15-20 minutes, so me and Aja it’s been a journey but at the same time we recognize so much strength and dedication within stating that we’ve loved each other, and going through this journey together has just been a magnificent ride and just seeing what it’s come from. Two people loving each other. The strength of a family that you build. The strength of a legacy that we’ve been able to build through doing our music and people embracing it and accepting it, and rooting for us and cheering us on and being inspired by it and trying it for themselves. People who come to our shows and were there 15 years ago and got with somebody, or people who started a first date and 10 years later they come to a concert. In all those different things, you recognize the strength of just loving someone, and other people seeing that, and how that inspires them. It helps the community and it encourages the community. It’s way bigger than ourselves and it ‘s something that we didn’t realize when we first got into it, and it was never an intentional scenario to be looked at as some kind of poster children for something specific. We were just going with our hearts and thankfully it has come through, I suppose.

What do you love most about your spouse?

Fatin: I love her tenacity. I love the way that she loves me. I love the way that she loves our children. I love the way that she loves the world. I love her happiness. I love her smile. I love her generosity. I love the way that she loves her friends. She’s just a great woman – a great woman for me.

Aja: I love that he’s the kind of person that you can talk about something you need casually and he will get it. I love that he is a visionary, that he is able to kind of dream still, no matter what. And then he’s not just a dreamer – he’s like a dreamer and a doer, so that’s kinda dope. I love that he’s spontaneous. I love that he’s silly and I love that he’s fearless – he really is not scared of anything or anybody, except for God, which makes him a bit of a rebel, which I don’t like so much, but…

Fatin: She didn’t ask you what you don’t like! [laughter]

How did you guys know, or what was that moment, when you knew you wanted to be in love with each other and be together?

Aja: I like to tell a story which has actually turned into a “story” but it’s true to an extent, like all 20-year-old stories are… I don’t know if this was “the” moment, but it was definitely part of the defining moments that would pull together the decision that I wanted to be his wife. So, he had candy. It was like, chocolate candy I want to say, it was a Twix or something of that nature, and he had eaten half of it, or some of it, or a bite of it, or something… and he went to give me either the rest or the other one or something I don’t remember… I know it was chocolate, I know it was candy. And I said to him, like, “I’m good. You can enjoy that.” I was like I’m a little hungry but it’s ok, you don’t have much there, and he said, “Well if it’s enough for one, it’s enough for two.” And I just remember thinking it was one of the more mature things I had ever heard a man say to me, that wasn’t meant to sound mature… He didn’t really say it in a way to try to impress me. He just said it and I was like hmmm, that’s different. And I was like wow, he really cares about whether or not I have something, and he’s willing to give me his last. So that was a major turning point for me. But I think I mostly knew I wanted to marry him when he asked! I was like, “Sure! Sounds like a plan.”

Fatin: [Sings] I put that thing on her! Heeeeyyyyyyyyyyy. [laughter] I can’t tell you that. I mean I can, but I mean, it’s not that simple. But I’ll say that when I know Aja was the person for me was, you know, we were relatively young people when we decided to get married, but of course we had had experiences with others before we came together, and Aja was the first person who I felt I just communicated with on a level that anything goes or anything went. I could talk to her about everything and I never felt ashamed or embarrassed—I just felt open and completely free to be myself and discuss whatever came to mind, whatever was on my heart, whatever I was confused about. I just opened up completely to her, and she seemingly did the same. And that was different than anything that I had ever experienced with the opposite sex, and that was eye opening. It just drew me much closer to her.

Aja: So when I put the thang on ‘em! [laughter]…

Fatin: It wasn’t the thang thang! But it was a part of it! [laughter]

Do you have any advise for someone who might find themself in an abusive or unhealthy relationship?

Fatin: I think they made a movie, what was it, last year? It was called Get Out. I’d say get out! Don’t be in a relationship that is detrimental to your health, your wealth, or your well being. That’s not a good place for you to be. You can’t thrive there, and individuals need to thrive. You need to feel good about yourself and you need to feel good about the relationship that you are in. If that’s not where you find yourself at then – and I know it’s not easy – do your best to create an exit plan because it’s not for you and that’s not the space for you to be in.

Aja: That’s a tough one because a lot of times people are just trying to stay alive, and sometimes the leaving and getting out is kind of like, if you stay you might die, and if you leave you might die. Sometimes it’s that deep. But I think there’s a death of the spirit too. So I think people really have got to remember that that is just as important as the physical hurt and pain. There is a perception that abuse – obviously when it’s physical and you are worried that you may actually lose your life – that that is something that people immediately tell you, “Oh, you have to leave.” But I would say it takes a toll on the emotions and the mental health of the person who has been abused also. So remember, that’s not what love looks like, and you’re not a fault, and you’ve not done anything to deserve this treatment.

For more on Kindred the Family Soul and their latest release, Legacy of Love, as well as their weekly music series “Kindred Presents…” visit www.kindredthefamilysoul.com.

Samantha Hunter is a multimedia journalist whose experience covering music, lifestyle and entertainment spans over 15 years. Samantha’s work has appeared in Inner City Magazine, Essence.com, Hype Hair/Today’s Black Woman, Ms. Magazine, RnBmagazine.com, RollingOutTV.com and VH1.com, featuring interviews with the late Gerald Levert, Chaka Khan, Jeffrey Osborne, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Faith Evans, Donell Jones, Nile Rodgers, Brian McKnight, Tyrese, Chrisette Michele, Tamar Braxton, Mack Wilds, MC Lyte, Brian McKnight, EVE, Erica Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Anthony Hamilton and many more. She presently resides in Pelham, New York.

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OCTOBER 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

BLACK WESTCHESTER

23

MAN CRUSH OF THE MONTH: SEKOU LAIDLOW

BY ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE WRITER SAMANTHA HUNTER - PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEKOU LAIDLOW

I was supposed to meet actor Sekou Laidlow in person over drinks and food as part of an intimate gathering that was arranged to promote him and his work, but I just couldn’t make it out of the house on the particular evening in question because my endometriosis had me coiled up in a ball and confined to my bed. So on the morning that I was able to speak with Laidlow by way of phone, perched up on pillows in my bed, I started off by apologizing for my absence from his event. I quickly found out that he is caring because when I told Laidlow that I had been ailing he asked if I had the flu. I also found out he’s vegan, because when I told him I had endometriosis but was addressing it with diet he said, “so are we, my wife and I,” which let me also know that he’s not single! I learned quite a bit about Laidlow, a Juilliard-trained actor, in those first few minutes of our talk, and over the course of the next 15 minutes I gained a greater appreciation of not only Sekou Laidlow the actor, but Sekou Laidlow the man who is passionate about giving back and supporting community, is in love with basketball and hip-hop, and dreams of leaving behind a powerful legacy. For all of these reasons, Sekou Laidlow is my “Man Crush of the Month,” for this months issue of Back Westchester. Check out my interview with the thoughtful thespian…

Can you tell me about your name, Sekou Laidlow. What’s the story behind it?

The story behind it is, it’s Guinea, West African. It means learned warrior. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. My parents were involved in the Black Panther movement back then a little bit, and they were giving their children proud black names and I was blessed to get one myself. So that’s how the first name came about. The last name, Laidlow, my father is from Trinidad, which is a relatively common name there, but Christopher Laidlow, who is a famous musician in Trinidad kind of made that Laidlow name famous.

Do you characterize yourself as an “actor” or as a “black actor” and what is the distinction for you?

That’s a good question! I characterize myself as an actor. My acting skills speak for themselves, so that’s why. But I honor and I own my blackness, of course, and I think that there is value in acknowledging that and putting that forward, because of the difficult times that black actors have had in the world. But also, in the industry, to say that we are a people of color that can be successful and make it in this business – you can’t deny it by seeing me anyway – but I do characterize myself as an actor.

You are a stage as well as TV and film actor, yes?

Absolutely. I love the stage. I was in “Airline Highway” last year, which is a story about some folks in New Orleans who are living at this hotel that has various degrees of issues and addictions and struggles, and how no matter what area of life you come from, how you can find community and commonality with people.

Do you prefer the stage or TV and film, and how are those experiences different for you and bring out different aspects of your creativity in acting?

I like vacillating between the mediums. I probably in the breadth of my career have done more stage than TV and film, and I consider myself – to add an adjective to the actor part – to be a physical actor. On stage, you are able to ninety-five to ninety-six percent of the time fully express yourself physically. There’s some storytelling in that and I’m a very emotional person, so you’re able to fully emote, and kind of fully let go on stage in a way that on camera you’re not necessarily able to do although there are some instances where you are given that liberty and more often than not, you have to convey those emotions in a smaller way. And so, the skillset to be able to do that is a little bit different because oftentimes in film or TV you might not necessarily be talking to a physical person. You might be talking to a dot that’s right by the camera because your co-star is gone and have to be able to have the skills and draw up all of this reality and truth without somebody being there. So that’s a skill in and of itself, whereas onstage you are constantly interacting and are able to get your energy and your emotional work from the other actor as you are kind of conversing.

What do you want people to know about you the person that they may not know as yet?

That I am a person that ties my work and the kind of work I do to the type of person that I am, and that is, I care deeply about people – the disenfranchised and those that are on the margins that don’t necessarily have access to what the privileged have, and I’m always fighting for them to see themselves in a way and the value that they have, and that they are able to participate in some of the opportunities that they might not normally be able to participate in. And that fight for justice for the disenfranchised, for my young brothers and sisters in particular who don’t have that opportunity – I am always trying to use my platform and just do the work of moving them closer to the center.

How do you personally define success?

I personally define success as having peace of mind, maintaining peace of mind, having valuable relationships with people I can share my life with and also receive the same.

Being able to be comfortable in life and have agency in my life to the extent that I’m able to do some of the work that I want to do and to travel, but also the ability to serve and gift people in ways that I want to because I have resources to do so. To be able to consistently serve and give is a part of that success as well, which takes very often, money. So money and wealth are a part of that, but to add to that is to know that I am consistently leaving a legacy for people to draw from when I’m not here.

It’s official – hip-hop is huge. How was it working on VH1’s The Breaks, a scripted show about the birth of hip-hop?

The experience has been great. One reason is because I grew up on hip-hop. I was breakdancing like nobody’s business. We had breakdancing competitions all the time. I wrote my own raps and I was really, really into it. And Crush Groove and some of these shows that came out just really opened my eyes to the world of hip-hop, and so I was able to kind of have like a throwback with that experience because The Breaks had been really good with being as authentic as possible about depicting the world, and so just the script and the world that we were in was really telling to like how it all kind of authentically came about so that’s a joy… And I’m playing a journalist in this, so it’s good because they were so responsible for creating a narrative for the hip-hop world, and what they did had a lot to do with how the world saw hip-hop at the time. As a visionary myself, to be able to do the homework on that and how they were able to draw pictures and give visuals to others about what was happening inside the world of hip-hop – it really spoke to me in that way.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby?

I would say basketball. That’s what I wanted to do first. I wanted to be in the NBA (laughter). I actually played in high school, played in college, got recruited to go out to California to play, and I didn’t play and that’s when I ended up acting, while I was in college and kind of changed directions back then. But basketball would be it – that’s still my love.

What do you find most attractive in a woman?

Depth of soul, like a gravitas and a capacity to handle the weight of the world is attractive. And being beautiful is as well, and intelligence – intelligence and wit. But depth of soul is first.

Sekou Laidlow in A Doll's House

Do you think the success and heightened visibility of actors like Kofi Siriboe, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali and Sterling K. Brown has helped you as an actor to be considered and accepted by the mainstream?

Absolutely. And I think it’s time for that. I think that people are hungry to hear our stories after being denied them for so long, and I think it’s opening doors. People are kind of writing for us more now because we do have the attraction and the draw, a demand for it in the industry. So I think it’s definitely a plus and opening doors and of benefit to me.

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24BLACK WESTCHESTER

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

THE RECALIBRATION OF BLACK POLITICS...

DID YOU KNOW OCTOBER IS ALSO BLACK HISTORY MONTH?

BY ROBERT BASKERVILLE PH.D Continued from page 17

BLACK HISTORY IS NOT JUST AN AMERICAN CELEBRATION

Everyone knows in the US the 28 days of February is Black History Month. But it also branches into the United Kingdom. In the U.K., and particularly in London, Black History Month is celebrated during the month of October.

According to the official website of http://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/ the UK first recognized October as Black History Month in 1987, about a decade after it stretched from a week to a monthlong celebration in the States.

“We learn everything about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King,” Warner said. “But we don’t learn anything about the exact same struggle that took place in England,” says Tony Warner, a native Londoner who spent some time living in New York, is the founder of Black History Walks.

You probably know that Maya Angelou was the 1st African-American woman to write a non-fiction best seller but did you know that Phillis Wheatley was the first published African-American female author. She was a servant who published her first poem at the age of 12 in the mid 1700s.

Virginia—the violent end to a series of rolling clashes between white nationalists and anti-fascists in cities across the nation—is feared by many to be the opening salvo of even deadlier conflicts to come.

The nation has a long way to go, no doubt, before we see an open shooting war break out in the streets. Tensions are certainly building, though, as the tide of events pushes the issue of race to the center of the national media spotlight, where they often are supercharged from the harsh glare. Of late, legions of young people from the post-civil rights generation have been galvanized by revelations of police brutality that were captured in horrifying viral video footage, spawning a myriad of collective actions.

Demonstrations; symbolic protests; boycotts. Along with numerous other opposition groups which are also springing up to resist President Trump’s more draconian proposals, they are part of an upsurge of nation-wide protest the likes of which haven’t been seen in our society since the 1960s.

In the course of these events, a new corps of young African-American leaders has emerged from out of the shadow of their elders to take on the immense challenge of corralling these elements into a unified force. Operating under the banner of the Black Lives Matters movement, the reappearance of mass resistance is sure to be welcomed by anyone who was concerned that the post-civil rights generation would remain on the sidelines of history. However, failure is a real possibility if, in their zeal to make history, these leaders repeat history, by repeating the tactics, strategies and goals that were pioneered our predecessors.

Two familiar patterns, discernable in the dynamic of recent events, do give cause for concern. One the one hand, the pace and direction of much of the political activity staged by the post-civil rights generation usually appear to be in reaction to outside forces and events. On the other, because these activity also usually seek to draw media attention to their cause by staging large public demonstration, less thought tends to be given to doing the work of devising and advocating policy solutions outside the eye of the camera. To push the needle of the political struggle further into the future, we cannot get stuck in the familiar grooves laid down in the past. For this generation to measure up to the difficult challenges loom ahead, it will require nothing less than the construction of an entirely new paradigm suited to the emergent politics of the information age.

Just as was done in the area of hip hop music, it’s time for the struggles celebrated in their lyrics to go digital.

Unfortunately, as things now stand, the postcivil rights generation is totally unprepared to take on this urgent task—precisely because it lacks an intellectual infrastructure capable of nourishing bold, innovative ideas, and translating them into sophisticated, well-developed policies.

What is sorely needed, at this watershed moment of generational transition, is an organization dedicated to rethinking the agenda of the civil rights establishment. A challenge of this scale is a daunting, to be sure. But hope can be taken from the fact that the tools of the information revolution are within easy reach of most citizens today, where there’s a computer on every desktop, and a smartphone in every pocket.

We have all the tools—the only question is: how do we harness their full potential?

OCTOBER 2017

INTRODUCING GRACE

A NEW EFFORT TO GRANT BLACK

YOUNGSTERS A QUALITY EDUCATION

By Bob Law

Calling for a paradigm shift in the on going struggle to acquire quality education for Black’s the National Black Leadership Alliance has created an independent education fund to provide financial support for independent black schools.

It is our position that we should expand the current education movement to include placing a greater emphasis on supporting and sustaining the existing networks of the many excellent black independent schools that exists nationwide.

Our concern is that our ongoing battles to reform, revamp, and take control of the inner cities public schools has resulted in generations of undereducated, non competitive Black young people most of whom remain trapped in the public school to prison pipeline.In 1990 I filed a class action lawsuit against the New York City board of education pointing to the damage being done to black students on the level of curriculum and instruction. That lawsuit was resisted

by New York’s black and white political establishment, the City’s black mayor instructed New York’s corporate counsel to file a brief to prevent the suit from going before a judge, denying the 9 African American children who were the plaintiffs to even have their day in court.

The social cost of these battles are extremely high. It is each generation of black children who ultimately pay the price. The National Black Leadership Alliance feels that the emerging generations are better served if we begin to take up the public schools are not simply failing as we often surmise, most public schools are actually fulfilling their mission to destroy the minds and limit the potential of the African-American students in their care.

We believe that a failure to provide an alternative to the dysfunctional public schools through out the country is to betray the new and emerging generations. There already exists Black independent schools nationally that do an excellent job on the critical levels of curriculum and instruction, teaching Math, Science, Technology, Black Studies, Media Arts, Film Making, Global History, Music, Engineering and more, they serve the communities where they exist far better than the public schools in those same communities.

Therefore NBLA has established GRACE (Granting Resources And Cultivating Excellence) the Independent School Education Fund. We fully intend to begin extending funds to independent schools by September of this year 2017. GRACE has no corporate or foundation strings attached, the schools that receive money from GRACE are free to continue to operate on their own terms. The funds are coming from the black communities that are served by the many excellent independent schools.

We are asking everyone whether you have children in school at this moment or not, to become a part of this movement to provide a quality and empowering education for the emerging generations of black youngsters. We do not mean to abandon the public schools, but to expand the struggle in order to increase the possibilities for successfully granting black children an empowering education.

We are asking everyone to help give our children a future. Please send a small donation of $5.00 (We will take more if you insist) to donate Click below: https://www.gofundme.com/GRACEEDUFUND

THE BLACK COLLEGE EXPERIENCE:

WHEN PICKING A COLLEGE HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A HBCU? BY DENNIS RICHMOND, JR.

It is never too early to chase your goals. During this time of year, k-12 students are getting settled in their classrooms, first year college students are finding their way on campus, and faculty and staff are continuing to encourage students at all grade levels. As this takes place, we must make sure that our students get what’s best for them. As many of us know, this doesn’t always happen for our black and brown students.

I have noticed that across New York, as the college conversation happens, students are rarely pointed towards Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Students should know all of their college options,not just some. Students should know all of their college options,not just some.

My name is Dennis Richmond, Jr. and I am the Founder and Director of the New York-New Jersey HBCU Initiative (The NYNJ HBCU Initiative). Since December 2014, I have been speaking to students across New York about the black college experience. It is important for the sake of our young men and women, and for the culture, that out students not only get in to college, but that our students also graduate from college. The Urban League State of Black America Report has stated that approximately 70% of Students who attended HBCUs graduate and 70% who attend other colleges and universities - do not graduate.

Getting students into college is no easy task. An old African proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child.” I feel the same about getting a student into college. It takes the school guidance counselor and/or college advisor, the caregiver, and the admissions department at the institution to ensure the best for that student. I have such a strong desire for students to know their college options, that I have tried my hardest to search for star power to assist me with this Initiative- and it worked. During the Summer of 2016, I ran into rapper Jadakiss and after speaking with him, he decided to sponsor the initiative! I also met up with “Bodak Yellow” rapper Cardi B and she supports the initiative as well. After it was all said and done she said, “I got you.” The sponsorship of Jadakiss and the support of Cardi B, is beautiful and I am humbled. I have used this to encourage even more students to go to college. My biggest sponsors to date, have been Rev. Dr. Jim Bostic of the Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers, and New York State Assembly Members J. Gary Pretlow and Shelley Mayer.

Students need to know about their college options. That’s the long and short of it. It is important for people to build where they are. I am not against students going to college in their community if they so choose. What I am against however, is limiting a student by not allowing them to travel to a different institution. You do this by never telling them about the institution and by throwing dirt on the names of certain institutions. Remember, there was a time when most blacks could only attend and HBCU. Dennis Richmond Jr., pictured with “Bodak Yellow” rapper Cardi B is a Claflin University School of Humanities graduate. The Yonkers resident is also the Founder and Director of The New York - New Jersey Historically Black College and University Initiative (The NYNJ HBCU Initiative). Dennis received his Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies and plans to earn a master of arts degree in Public Policy and a PhD in Africology.

Dennis is currently a member of the National Action Network, Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society, the New York Urban League, the NAACP and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. He also served as a Peer Educator and Tutor in the Claflin University School of Humanities.

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OCTOBER 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

BLACK WESTCHESTER 25

STEVIE WONDER AND ANDRA DAY INSPIRE AND UPLIFT AT THE GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL

BY ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE WRITER SAMANTHA HUNTER

PHOTOS BY ANTOINE DEBRILL

O ver known

60,000 people, also as Global Citizens, came out to Central Park‘s Great Lawn on Saturday, September 23 to celebrate their participation in this year’s Global Citizen campaign.

Concert attendees earned tickets to this year’s live event by agreeing to take actions addressing the global issues of economic empowerment, HIV/AIDS, famine, and Yazidi justice. This year marks the sixth year for the Central Park event, which was livestreamed on MSNBC, YouTube and Twitter and garners the support each year from entertainment’s biggest and brightest who share Global Citizen’s goal to end extreme poverty worldwide by 2030.

Two of this year’s musical headliners were Stevie Wonder and Andra Day. Wonder began his set by first taking one knee for America, then the other in prayer for the planet and the leaders of the world before serving the crowd what he called a “musical meal.” The prolific musician, visionary and activist performed his classics “Master Blaster” and “Higher Ground” during his set, ending out the almost five-hour concert on a high note and memorable celebration of life, music, and love.

Also performing at the Global Citizen Festival this year was singer Andra Day, who graced the stage in a gorgeous red ensemble accented by a pair of statement-making handcuffs that donned her wrists. The singer performed her Grammy-nominated song “Rise Up” as well as a stirring rendition of “Strange Fruit.” Day shared with the crowd that the poignant song was written over 80 years ago and memorably performed by Billie Holiday. Day challenged Global Citizens to consider the relevancy of the song today and whether slavery has indeed ended or merely evolved.

Also in attendance for this year’s Global Citizen Festival were Whoopi Goldberg, Big Sean, Wendy Williams and Alessia Cara, who opened up the evening. The event also featured a tribute to Nelson Mandela, who would have been 100 years old next year. Attendees were reminded throughout the evening of what they all share in common – a mission to “make poverty history” and make 2018 the year of love. For more on Global Citizen and how to join the movement, visit www.globalcitizen.org.

Samantha Hunter, a multimedia journalist whose experience covering music, lifestyle and entertainment spans over 15 yrs. Her work has appeared in Inner City Magazine, Essence.com, Hype Hair/Today’s Black Woman, Ms. Magazine, RnBmagazine.com, RollingOutTV.com & VH1.com, featuring interviews with Gerald Levert, Chaka Khan, Jeffrey Osborne, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Faith Evans, Donell Jones, Nile Rodgers, Brian McKnight, Tyrese, Chrisette Michele, Tamar Braxton, MC Lyte, Brian McKnight, EVE, Erica Campbell, and many more. She presently resides in Pelham, NY

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26 BLACK WESTCHESTER

OCTOBER 2017

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

ADVERTISING Vote for Democrat George Latimer

THE DEATH OF RASHAD MCNULTY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

By Tasha d. young

for County Executive on Nov. 7th

LORAM ISPUM DOLOR SIT AMET, CONDECT ADIPISCING Tasha D. Young standing with Lydia McNulty (mother of Rashad) as she speaks on need for Crinimal Justice Reform, Saturday, Sept. 16th at Theodore D. Young Community Center in White Plains [Black Westchester]

Why should we care about Rashad McNulty? We should care because a man lost his life at the Westchester County Jail and it could have been prevented. We should care because pursuant to a 2008 Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) Investigation of the Westchester County Jail, the U.S. Department of Justice in November 2009 issued a scathing letter to the county admonishing the Westchester County Jail for violating the constitutional rights of its inmates in denying them the right to receive adequate medical care. We should care because upon taking office as County Executive in 2010, instead of heeding the warnings from the CRIPA investigation, Rob Astorino worsened the medical care at the Westchester County Jail by substituting the locally based care provided by Westchester Medical Center, with the Tennessee based, prison-industrial-complex company, Correct Care Solutions (CCS). Despite CCS being the subject of hundreds of health care based federal lawsuits nationwide at the time, its selection was made by County Executive Astorino after vetoing legislation by the Westchester County Board of Legislators directing the county to solicit proposals for a jail health care vendor through a Request for Proposals process. We should care because the McNulty family is grieving Rashad’s loss of life and will never get him back. We should care because people who are incarcerated have rights and those rights should be upheld by people in government.

Why should we, Westchester residents care about who Rashad is and why he died?

Because Westchester County is renewed a contract with a Tennesee-based company that has been sued by inmates dozens of times since starting work at the jail five years ago, including a pending suit by the family of an inmate who died in 2013, that man was Rashad McNulty.

At around 2:00am on Jan. 29, 2013, Rashod McNulty complained of chest pains. The New York state inmate was acting anxious, couldn’t sit still, and at one point told a nurse, “I don’t want to die.” He was diagnosed with indigestion and given Mylanta and Zantac. At around 4:00 a.m., he was sent back to his cell.

At around 4:25am McNulty, 36, collapsed in the hallway of his cell block. The jail’s medical staff, including nurse Paulette Smith, responded and McNulty was put into a wheelchair — the plan was to take him to the jail’s clinic.

But then the nurse changed her mind. “That’s the oldest trick in corrections,” Smith said to McNulty after he got into the wheelchair. She told him that he was not going to the clinic for more treatment. He was going back to his cell.

Smith’s accusations that McNulty was trying to trick the staff into believing that he was sick were corroborated by official statements, acquired by BuzzFeed News, made by her fellow jail nurse, Josh Boggi, and correction officers Kevin Grant and Capt. Francis Delgrosso, who witnessed the incident.

When he was brought back to his cell, Grant claims he heard McNulty say, “I’ve never felt like this before.” A short time later, at 5:00 a.m., Grant found McNulty lying in his cell unresponsive.

At 5:15 a.m., an ambulance was called, but the paramedics didn’t arrive for more than 20 minutes — because they were dispatched from Yonkers, 11 miles away, even though Westchester Medical Center is a half mile away from the Valhalla jail.

At 6:16 a.m., McNulty was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest at the hospital.

The cause was “stenosing coronary arteriosclerosis.”

Why do I care? I care because when I spoke with Lydia McNulty, Rashad’s mother all I could do was relate to a mother who lost her child and is heartbroken. As a mother all I could do was cry with her and pray. As a black woman and social activist I can do much more and I will.

To begin with I sit on the board of Directors with the Lower Hudson Valley Progressive Action Network LHVPAN and we are a regional division of the New York Progressive Action Network, NYPAN. We hold criminal justice reform as one of our platform issues. We are active in educating, advocacy and activism. We have sponsored a petition to end the CCS contract. With community organizing Rashad’s legacy will live on and we will end the contract with the Correct Care Solutions Medical Services and replace it with a contract with a medical provider that provides competent medical services.

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With Trump in the White House and Conservative Republicans controlling Congress, we need good Democrats here in Westchester.

We need someone who will represent everyone in Westchester We need someone who will keep our streets safe and promote affordable housing We need someone who will deliver sensible County budgets, create good-paying jobs, George and quality services for all

LATIMER

WeForneed someone who will reject Trump and County Executive his allies in Westchester

Democrat

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For County Executive

On Tuesday Nov. 7 Vote for

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OCTOBER 2017

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Graffiti & Gang Specialist, Private Investigator Ken Davis Yonkers, NY

914.966.9655 cell/text

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Researching and Investigating graffiti writers, graffiti crews, and street gangs since the early 1990s

National Gang Crime Research Center Planning Committee and Presenter Loram ispum dolor sit ispum dolor Chicago, IL sit 25 Loram 25 Loram ispum ispum 24 Loram 24 Retired Detective - Yonkers Police Department Loram ispum dolor sit 2 Loram ispum dolor sit 2 Yonkers, NY

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GandGSpecialist@gmail.com

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