Volume 2/ Issue 3 BLACK WESTCHESTER - OCTOBER 2018

VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 3

COMPLIMENTARY

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

BLACK WESTCHESTER

OCTOBER 2018

ANDREA & ALESSANDRA VICTORIES RESHAPE NY DEMS

BY AJ WOODSON

PAGES 14-15

FEATURES

TISH JAMES MAKES HISTORY

BY WINNING ATTORNEY GENERAL PRIMARY IN NEW YORK

BY AJ WOODSON

PAGE 10

COLIN & CHAPELLE AWARDED BLACK CULTURE HONOR

BY HARVARD PAGE 9

BELINDA MILES AND REV. RICHARDSON MAKE LIST OF THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE HUDSON VALLEY PAGE 16

BY AJ WOODSON BLACK WESTCHESTER

REMEMBERS...

BY AJ WOODSON PAGES 15-16 WESTCHESTER RESIDENT PROMOTES DIVERSITY AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

PHOTOS BY SHANE SAMUELS & HIDEKI AONO PAGE 12

MAKE AMERICAN EDUCATION GREAT AGAIN

BY DENISE BARNES PAGE 21

RESTORE, DONT FOR CREATING BRAIN REPLACE THE CITY’S COMPUTER INTERFACE PUBLIC HOUSING

BY DR. LENORA FULANI AT SCIENCE COMPETITION PAGE 20

BY A’TIF K. COLEMAN

CESAR E. MVHS ALUM WINS TOP PRIZE

CHAVEZ SCHOOL

BY EDGAR SANTANA PAGE 18

PAGE 24

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OCTOBER 2018

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BLACK WESTCHESTER WE’VE BEEN FORGOTTEN UNTIL NOW

“

“

I HAVE TRAVELED AMERICA DEMANDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, I'VE SPOKEN TRUTH TO POWER ON THE NATIONAL STAGE ON BEHALF OF THE VOICELESS, AND NOW I WANT TO FIGHT FOR MY HOMETOWN IN ALBANY.

YONKERS: OUR PAIN IS REAL 24% OF OUR CHILDREN LIVE IN POVERTY. 76% OF OUR STUDENTS CANNOT AFFORD LUNCH. YONKERS HAS THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN WESTCHESTER

CHOOSE TRUTH. CHOOSE COURAGE. VOTE FOR JOE.

Vote Election Day: Tuesday November 6th www.JoePinion.com

Pinion4NY

Pinion4NY

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New Rochelle High School and Women’s Enterprise (WEDC) Present

“Coming soon” Queen City Lofts

An Evening with Alice Walker

178 Main Street Poughkeepsie NY 12601

In rare appearance, the remarkable Alice Walker comes to Westchester for a conversation about her upcoming bilingual collection of new poems

WE ARE OFFERING

TAKING THE ARROW OUT OF THE HEART

BEAUTIFUL NEW DESIGN

Loft Style Apartments

Translated by Manuel García Verdecia

One & Two Bedroom Loft Apartments

“Now accepting applications” 16ft Ceilings, Oversized Windows Onsite Management Gallery Space

Queen City Lofts consists of 69 Apartments. Fifty (50) of the 69 apartments have preference for those who are involved in artistic or literary activities and are/will be certified by Queen City Loft’s Artist Certification Committee.

Applications must be received by mail

by December 31, 2018 Call or email for an application 845-306-7705 ext. 107 QCLPoughkeepsie@aol.com INCOME LIMITS APPLY 1 PERSON UP TO $39,780 Income limits apply 2 PEOPLE UP TO $45,420 A Lottery will be held on 01/09/2019 3 PEOPLE UP TO $51,120 4 PEOPLE UP TO $56,760

Let’s welcome Alice Walker to Westchester!

When: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 Time: 7-9 PM Purchase Tickets:

Where: New

Rochelle High School Whitney Young Auditorium, 265 Clove Rd New Rochelle, NY 10801

Online: https://goo.gl/VnCDs7

For more information

Apartment Apartment Apartment Count size Rent 4

1

$716

30

1

$879

2

2

$851

14

2

$1047

You may also visit www.QueenCityLoftsNY.com

This event supports WEDC’s entrepreneurial training programs and services Dr. “Tea” Traci E Alexander at talexander@wedcbiz.org or 914-948-6098 ex. 11

Seats are limited! This event will sell out!

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OCTOBER 2018

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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 (914) 979-2093 www.BlackWestchester.com

Email:

BlackWestchesterMag@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter: @BlkWestchesterM Instagram: @BlackWestchester Facebook: /BlackWestchesterMagazine

Publisher DAMON K. JONES @DamonKJones

Editor-In-Chief AJ WOODSON

@BWEditorInChief

Mistress Of Information Brenda L. Crump News Reporters/ Writers AJ Woodson Rashad Bilal A’tif K. Coleman Denise Barnes Joe Pinion Edgar Santana André Wallace Jared Rice Mike Spano Yasmin Hurston Dr. Lenora Fulani Louis Molina Paul Feiner Photographers AJ Woodson Shane Samuels

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.

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.

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.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Welcome to the October 2018 issue of Black Westchester

I am very excited about this issue. We have some powerful contributors like Dr. Lenora Fulani, the first woman and first African-American in U.S. history to appear as a presidential candidate on the ballot in all 50 states who wrote an editorial on restorng not replacing the city housing projects (page 20), and Westchester County Department of Corrections 1st Deputy Commissioner Louis Molina who discusses the US incarceration rate and how it affects the economy (page 20). We also like to welcome Denise Barnes our new Educational Columnist, who discusses how the educational system is failing our communities in her piece, Make American Education Great Again (page 21).

The first of our double cover stories this month (pages 14-15) Andrea & Alessandra, re-examines the how the primary victories of Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins over challenger County Legislator Virginia Perez and the upset of Alessandra Biaggi over Senator Jeff Klein will reshape the New York State Democratic Party in the new year.

The second of our double cover stories salutes Westchester Community College President Belinda Miles and Grace Baptist Church Senior Pastor W. Franklyn Richardson for making the list to the 50 most influential people in the lower hudson valley (page 16).

Latino Empowerment guest columnist Edgar Santana, A MBA, MSM/PA TRUSTEE, YONKERS BOARD OF EDUCATION (page 18) covers the renaming of the former Cedar Place School in honor of legendary community organizer Cesar E. Chavis in Yonkers.

Rashad Bilal penned a BW Financial Piece on the 529 College Savings Plan (Page 17), Mount Vernon Councilman André Wallace, New Rochelle Councilman Jared Rice, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano all let you know what’s going on in their city and much much more.

Thank you to all our supporters, advertisers, distributors, writers, photographers, editors and everyone who had a hand in us bringing you another edition of Black Westchester. You can now pick up copies of Black Westchester at both Purchase and Mercy Colleges as well as a few new locations in the NorthEast Bronx.

Send us Letters To The Editors and your feedback and let us know what you think of this issue and let us know subjects / topics you would like to see us cover in the future by sending an email to BlackWestchesterMag@gmail.com.

Peace and Blessings AJ Woodson Editor-In-Chief

Graphic Designers AJ Woodson Paula S. Woodson For Advertising Rates AdvertiseWithBW@gmail.com Letters To The Editor BWEditorInChief@gmail.com

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OCTOBER 2018

THE MOUNT VERNON REVIEW WITH COUNCILMAN ANDRÉ WALLACE TAXPAYER MONEY IS GOING DOWN THE DRAIN, LITERALLY

If you have examined your Mount Vernon water bill lately, you will notice that over the last couple of years the amount has miraculously doubled or even tripled.

There can only be a couple of plausible reasons for the increase. One possibility is that Mount Vernon residents are simply using more water. But, the most current Water Quality Reports issued by the Board of Water Supply ac-tually show that Mount Vernon used less water in 2017 than we did in 2016.

So, that doesn’t explain such a huge increase. The second possibility is that the City Council raised the water rate, charging more per 100 cubic feet, and making the same amount of water usage more expensive, but that didn’t happen either.

The Council’s water rate has remained the same since 2015 ($3.30 per 100 cubic feet). If the City of New York raised the price for its water (which we are told it did not), that wouldn’t explain it either, by the way.

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he Board of Water Supply is just a sleepy office off of one of the many corridors in City Hall. You’ve probably walked by it many times without taking much notice. But, this small office is allegedly ground zero for the most profitable “slush fund operation” in Mount Vernon. Under the sole control of the Mayor, Mount Vernon property owners are unknowingly overpaying millions of dollars per year into this agency, and those funds are being siphoned off into discretionary accounts of his choosing.

To put this in context, tax revenue collected from city residents is placed into the city’s general fund and is overseen and controlled jointly by the Comptroller, the City Council, the Mayor, together, through the Board of Estimates and Contract.From the collected taxes, regular cost items such as employee salaries, police cars and sidewalk repairs are budgeted and deducted. For items that are not regular cost items, such as the renovation of Memorial Field or emergency projects, ordinances are passed and approved by the various committees and branches of government.

All transactions whether it is collecting taxes or paying cities bills are supposed to be transparent and available to the Mayor, City Council, Comptroller, and the general public.

Collection of water bill revenue is the one exception that does not follow the regular tax collection and spending process. Water bill assessment and collection is done through the Board of Water Supply, a department solely and wholly overseen by the Mayor. The City Council, Comptroller and the Board of Estimate and Contracts are not involved in water bill transactions. This money is supposed to be assessed and collected to pay for the costs of getting our water from New York City’s aquifer system and to maintain the lines to get water to the city’s residents. If the process is working properly, the money collected from taxpayers should be equal to the cost of providing water to the city. Water bills paid by property owners are not intended to be a profit-making scheme. Any excess money in any given year is to be turned over to the Comptroller.

It appears the Mayor has turned the Mount Vernon Water Department into a money-making operation to generate millions of dollars hidden from the Comptroller and City Council members. By deliberately manipulating the water bills, the Mayor can create a huge “slush fund” by collecting far more money than what is needed to provide water to those residents. Because there is no transparency, oversight or checks or balances, this money can be siphoned off and given to anyone, including political cronies and elected officials’ family members. It can, in short, be used for anything, good or bad. What it’s used for, though, is irrelevant. It’s theft. It is stealing from Mount Vernon’s taxpayers to fund whatever the Mayor decides he wants to spend it on.

This scam has been going on in Chicago for ecades and, it appears, that it has found its way to Mount Vernon. Chicago’s former Mayor, Richard Daley, recognized that people tend to scrutinize property tax bills far more carefully than water bills. If questioned about the scheme, he would just say that the money was needed to fix the city’s water infrastructure. No one could prove that wasn’t the case and didn’t have the ability to monitor whether the work was being done at all. In reality, he was just using those funds for his own corrupt purposes, giving spoils to his cronies and friends. It looks like the same thing is happening here today!

The only other possibility left is that the water bills are being manipulated by the Mayor to charge you more for the same usage. For over six months, I have asked the Board of Water Supply for documents and explanations to justify this increase. To date, I’ve received no paperwork, justification, or reason for the increases in the water bills.

They have been unable (or unwilling) to provide the City Council or the Comptroller with an accounting of expenditures being made out of their department.The Mount Vernon City Charter (§30) mandates that Board of Water Supply provide this information to the City Council. Indeed, Mayor Thomas even indicated there were excess funds at the end of last year, but refused to turn those funds over to the Comptroller.

Historically, our Water Department’s revenue has exceeded its expenses.

Annually, such excess revenue was transferred to the City’s general fund so the Comptroller can balance the city’s books. Now, abusive increases and deliberate overcharging are being used to keep the Water Department and whatever pet project the Mayor wants to fund in the black, never making its way to the city. Lawless behavior

by Mayor Thomas’s administration has caused and continues to cause hardship on citizens as well as businesses in the City of Mount Vernon. If you don’t pay the inflated water bills, the Mayor places a lien on your property for failure to pay, charging interest on top of the already outrageous amounts. Liens can turn into foreclosures and eventu-ally seizures of property. This fleecing of our citizens is appalling.

What the money is ultimately being used for doesn’t matter. City-sponsored block parties, back-pack giveaways, popular entertainers for City-fest, kickbacks, legal defense funds, 50’ flat screen TV’s, family members, new cars, or funneling money to offshore bank accounts? The point is that nobody outside of the Mayor’s office knows. There’s no transparency in the system, and that is dangerous. We can let the Attorney General and the District Attorney decide whether it is also criminal.

What we do know though, is that we are not getting answers from the Mayor’s office, and it’s time we demand some answers. I am asking for an independent forensic audit of the Water Department to be performed by a qualified firm. I am also asking the State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, to investigate the finances of Mount Vernon’s Water Department. I’m asking that a plan be established to ensure that no further overbilling takes place and that existing liens associated with water bill non-payment be immediately removed from properties until this investigation is completed. Finally I am asking all Mount Vernon elected officials to stand by me, to help protect the citizens of this city.

I’m going to keep looking into this mess and will be asking other agencies to do so as well, but I encourage you to reach out to the Mayor directly and ask him yourself. It’s our money. We have a right to know where every penny of it is going.

If you have thoughts or comments about this issue or any other, reach out to me at ADWCMV@gmail.com.

CONGRESSMAN ENGEL ON TRUMP’S UN SPEECH

WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, release the following statement, Tuesday, September 25th regarding President Trump’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly: “America’s standing in the world has plummeted so far in the last 20 months, and President Trump’s blustery and bullying speech will serve only to isolate us further. As usual, the President exaggerated his accomplishments, literally drawing laughter from world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly; offered kind words for strongmen and dictators while insulting our allies and international institutions; and, despite making ‘sovereignty’ a key theme of his speech, was silent about the greatest current threat to American sovereignty: Russia’s ongoing attack on our democracy. Mr. Trump has repeated these refrains ad nauseum, but it remains deeply unsettling to see an American president stand before the United Nations—a body in which American leadership has changed the course of the world for decades—and espouse a worldview that undermines so much of what we helped build on the global stage.

“With respect to the President’s threats to cut off foreign assistance, I want to remind him and Secretary Pompeo that under the Constitution, Congress determines how much we spend on foreign policy and we will continue to assert our prerogatives.

But sadly, that’s just a small part of the damage this Administration is doing to our leadership, values, and security. Until this Administration drastically changes course, America’s standing will continue to diminish and the threats to our security will continue to grow.”

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OCTOBER 2018

AROUND WESTCHESTER

BLACK WESTCHESTER7

THE GREENBURGH REPORT FREE REFLECTORS BEING DISTRIBUTED

RAISE THE AGE COMES TO WESTCHESTER

BY PAUL FEINER

fter having the shameful distinction of being one of two states in the country to automatically charge 16 and 17 year olds as adults, New York eventually passed its Raise the Age law last April, and the changes in our criminal justice system are about to take place. Beginning October 1st, 2018, 16 year old (and 17 year olds beginning on October 1, 2019) minors charged with misdemeanor offenses – and some felonies – will no longer will be presumed to be adults when arrested.

There was good reason to Raise the Age. The scientific evidence is clear that the human adolescent brain does not fully develop until the age of 25. Saddling youngsters with criminal records before they have a chance to contribute in the real world is counterproductive and cruel. The ability to provide youngsters with second chances is what Raise the Age ultimately will do.

With these changes happening now, individual communities must be prepared to assist with the wrap around services needed by these youngsters. From mentoring, to academic assistance, to vocational training, it is the out-of-court services which will determine whether Raise the Age can be a success in Westchester.

The courts and the probation department cannot do it alone, they must rely on external partnerships.

One positive structure already in place in Westchester is My Brother’s Keeper, former President Obama’s flagship initiative to help all young people reach their potential in life, particularly boys and young men of color. With My Brother’s Keeper established in the Westchester communities of New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, White Plains, Greenburgh, Ossining, and Peekskill, frameworks are already in place to provide much needed youth programming. However, aside from increased detention spending, more resources will be needed for the 16 and 17 year olds affected by Raise the Age.

If we are serious about reforming our criminal justice system, Raise the Age is a good place to start. The usage of credible messengers to intervene in the lives of disadvantaged youngsters is crucial to improving their lives. That means that we are all the solution if want to live in a society that no longer mass incarcerates its most vulnerable residents.

IF YOU WALK IN THE EVENING, MAKE SURE CARS CAN SEE YOU! -Generator follow accessory structure setbacks for rear and side yards -Generator noise levels may not exceed 65 dBa -Generators must be a minimum of 10 feet from intake openings or if within 10 feet from an intake opening, said intake opening must be 2 feet below generator exhaust (MC 40 1.4.1) Applicants will need to provide the following information to the Building Department: •Completed Building Permit Application

•Completed electrical, plumbing, comIevening f you are walking around town in the pressed gas permit applications (as applitry not to wear dark clothing at cable) night. Many drivers can’t see people who are wearing dark outfits. A few years ago a young man was killed in a hit and run accident while walking in the middle of the night in the Parkway Gardens/Homes neighborhood of Greenburgh.

In recent years the town of Greenburgh has tried to help pedestrians be safer. My office and the Greenburgh police have been distributing the reflectors when they see pedestrians walking late at night Residents can stop by at Greenburgh Town Hall and pick up free reflectors. Some of our residents even put reflectors on their dogs when walking late at night.

The reflectors can be picked up for FREE at the lobby of Town Hall. Or you can send me your name, address and I’ll put a reflector in the mail. These reflectors can save lives. For more information please e mail me at pfeiner@ greenburghny.com

Your safety is of great importance to all of us.

INSTALL A GENERATOR IN YOUR HOUSE – AVOID HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT A POWER OUTAGE

Almost every winter there is a major storm and power outage –leaving residents powerless and FREEZING for days, sometimes as long as two weeks!

Con Ed always gets blamed for taking a long time restoring power. They promise to try to do things differently the next storm. After the power is restored days or weeks later residents forget and the next time there is a major storm and the same thing happens.

I have been encouraging residents who can’t take the cold and loss of power to install generators. I sent residents who installed generators in their homes a survey –asking for their feedback, to highlight their experiences and to provide residents with comments about the contractors and company they used. If you would like a copy of the survey results please e mail me at pfeiner@ greenburghny.com.

I would like to encourage Westchester County, NYS or Con Ed to purchase generators in bulk (to make the generators less expensive) and to sell the less expensive bulk purchased generators to residents at cost.

The following information highlights Greenburgh requirements – generator purchases.

•Three (3) copies of site plan or survey showing the location of the proposed generator, the dimensions of the proposed generator, setbacks from the rear and side property lines, dimension to the nearest combustible wall (if any), dimension to the nearest operable window and the building setback from each of the side property line. Also show the location of the proposed propane tank.

If natural gas is proposed, show location of proposed gas line •Cut sheets/technical data for the proposed generator including sound data Please feel free to contact me or any Building Department staff 914-989-1561or building@greenburghny.com should you have any questions or concerns.

A

BY JARED RICE

JARED RICE IS A NEW ROCHELLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ATTORNEY

A WORD FROM YONKERS MAYOR MIKE SPANO

SOLAR POWER SURVEYS Many residents of Greenburgh have been installing solar panels on their roofs. Some residents would like information about the experiences residents have had with solar, how much they have saved, the companies they used to install the solar panels. I conducted a survey of Greenburgh residents who installed solar panels on their home roofs and would be happy to share the survey results with readers of Black Westchester.

A SLICE OF HISTORY Two interns working at Greenburgh Town Hall this fall have started an interesting initiative called A SLICE OF GREENBURGH HISTORY. Riley Wentzler and Felicia Barber post historical bytes on the town website: www.greenburghny.com. Greenburgh is rich in history – a community that once was the home of Gordon Parks, Cab Calloway and many others. Please check our website for these interesting stories.

PUSHING FOR A SIDEWALK ON HILLSIDE AVE

Hillside Ave in Greenburgh is located off of Route 119. Greenburgh Town Hall, the Bailey School are on Route 119. The road continues to Virginia Road, and is used by residents who live in Parkway Gardens, Parkway Homes and other sections of town.

The town recently applied for a grant with NYS to build a sidewalk on Hillside –we want to make the town more pedestrian friendly. NYS plans to repave Hillside Ave – work will be done this October and November in the evening and the road repaving The installation of an automatic standby project should be completed by the end of generator in both residential and com- November. mercial applications requires building, electrical, plumbing and compressed FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS gas permit (as applicable).

-Generators must be a minimum of five You can always reach me with any govern(5) feet from any combustible wall (NFPA ment problems. My cell phone is 438 1343 and my e mail is pfeiner@greenburghny.

37), 18” from a 1- hour rated wall com. I enjoy helping people and promise to -Generators must be a minimum of five get back to everyone who reaches out to me (5) feet from openings in walls (NFPA 37) quickly.

Fall is a wonderful time of year to explore new destinations, and in the City Yonkers, we have some of best hidden gems in Westchester County! There is truly no better place to take in the foliage and sights of autumn than Yonkers’ Waterfront. Take a walk along the downtown esplanade or launch your kayak from JFK Marina to view the colorful leaves of the majestic Palisades up close.

Whether you’re having a picnic, attending a ball game, or stopping by for a quick visit with family and friends at one of our 76 City Parks & Playgrounds, including the majestic Untermyer Gardens Conservancy along the Hudson River, the possibilities in Yonkers are truly endless.

October is a big month of us, especially if you’re an avid runner! The Yonkers Marathon is a fall tradition for athletes and spectators alike and this year the marathon turns 93 years old! The 2nd oldest marathon in the country behind the Boston Marathon, is on Sunday, October 21, including a Half-Marathon, 5K and fun family festival downtown for all who attend. It’s not too late to register at www.YonkersNY.gov. It should be another great marathon weekend and we hope to see you there!

If you ever have a question or concern, please don’t hesitate to call my 24hour helpline at 914-377-HELP (4357) or email me at mayor@yonkersny.gov. If you’re on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, join us in Hashtagging all your fall photos with #FallinYonkers.

Sincerely, MIKE SPANO Mayor

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OCTOBER 2018

BW GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

5 RULES FOR DISCUSSING POLITICS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

BY YASMIN HURSTON

H ere in the United States and in countries around the globe, political divisiveness has the power to end friendships and divide families. A 2017 poll from the American Psychological Association reported that 57% of Americans felt at least some stress over the political divide in the country. This is a reality for many….EVERYONE just doesn’t agree with our personal point of view.

In these tough political times, even the closest friends and family members can find themselves in deep disagreement over issues big and small. Through active listening, courteous disagreement, respectful dialogue, and by knowing where to draw the line in your arguments, you can avoid, de-fuse, and mitigate the negative consequences of political disagreement.

Personally, I travel in many circles and quite often confronted with conversations around current events. I must say, the very people I enjoy socially become complete strangers when they share their point of view.

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his has resulted to heated debates, the holding of my tongue eventually leading to resentment and ultimately the death of the relationship. My mantra is to always “Be Better!” Here are five simple, straightforward strategies to mitigate the stress of today’s political life: 1. ACTIVELY LISTEN, EVEN WHEN IT’S DIFFICULT Active listening is the process by which a listener attempts to hear another person’s speech without consciously formulating a response to it. In other words, active listening is about focusing your concentration on another person’s ideas, beliefs, and information instead of mentally preparing to deliver your own ideas, beliefs, and information in response. This is a very difficult thing to accomplish. After all, human beings are social animals. Most of us talk, call, write, text, and post information to social media for one another’s consumption every single day. We love interaction.

Active listening requires us to take a back seat for a moment so that we might consciously and thoughtfully imagine the perspective of another person. This is particularly difficult when the ideas being expressed run contrary to our own beliefs, values, interests, and political views.

It’s important to remember, however, that active listening is not about appropriating another person’s ideas, nor is it meant to help you find compromise. The mere act of listening to another person will make them feel valued, respected, and heard, regardless of whether you agree with the speaker or not.

Think of it this way: when you have something important to express, isn’t it a relief to have someone truly and closely listen to you? By giving each other that mere courtesy, we can leave room for disagreement even while maintaining our friendships and relationships with family members.

2. COURTEOUSLY DISAGREE In school, I do remember that pre-socratic Greek philosopher Protagoras was one of the world’s first thinkers to believe that arguing both sides of an issue could draw a person closer to truth. It was a controversial idea even in his day, but his position has practical applications today.

If you work to understand the arguments of those with whom you disagree, it’s likely that you’ll come to a firmer understanding of the world as other people see it.

This form of research and political deference doesn’t assume that you must appropriate an opponent’s viewpoint.

Instead, by better understanding an opposing opinion, you are made more capable of formulating counter-arguments even as you might come to empathize with another person’s way of thinking.

In other words: you can and should attempt to understand other people’s points of view but you are not obligated to agree with them. When you disagree, the right course of action is to disagree courteously. Instead of resorting to personal criticisms of your political opponent, simply tell them that you disagree. Instead of demanding that others read particular papers, articles, or books that support your points, simply tell your opponent that, based on your knowledge, research, and information, you disagree with them.

Don’t raise your voice, maintain your composure, and employ the phrase “I respectfully disagree with you, but that’s okay.”

3. BE OPEN TO CHANGE, BUT DON’T SIMPLY BACK DOWN Courteous disagreement doesn’t require that you change or modify your point of view. Most of us have very strong convictions that are informed by our educations, our religious beliefs, our economic statuses, and our lived experiences. While it’s important for each of us to remain flexible

and open to new ideas as we age, it’s just as important to maintain our core values.

In the course of disagreeing with friends, family members, partners, coworkers, and loved ones, it’s important to courteously disagree and make yourself clear when you’re in disagreement. Still, it’s also critically important that we stand firm on the values we hold dear. In order to maintain respect for oneself and to project confidence, reliability, consistency, and integrity to our friends and family, it’s critical that we maintain and defend our value systems even as we remain open to new ways of viewing the world and each other.

This is a tricky balancing act, but most of us are capable of walking the line between flexibility and stubbornness, and most of us respect and admire those who sincerely attempt to engage others with whom they disagree.

4. STAY FOCUSED ON THE ARGUMENT, NOT ON THE PERSON Most of us are kinder and easier on strangers than we are on our loved ones. It’s an irony born of our knowledge of our friends and family, and of the assumptions that we make about one another. In talking politics with a complete stranger, we’re more likely to be deferential and kind than we are when talking to our own parents, siblings, cousins, or friends.

On the one hand, this makes sense. After all, who knows you better than your family and friends? They know your faults and virtues better than any stranger would, and you know their faults and virtues, too. This familiarity makes it all too easy to take one another for granted, and when we do that, we do each other a disservice. When we assume that we know another person’s thoughts and ideas, we tend to tune them out or interrupt them.

On the other hand, who deserves your respect, patience, and understanding more than your own friends and family? It might be easy to be courteous to a complete stranger because the stakes of an interaction with a stranger are lower than the stakes of arguing with a loved one, but your friends and loved ones are often owed at least as much respect (and probably more) than you’d offer a stranger.

FYI….The National Domestic Abuse Hotline can be called 24 hours a day, and their website has excellent and up-to-date tips for creating safety plans and for safely leaving relationships. They can be reached at 1-800-799-7233. thehotline.org.

Even if your political disagreements don’t rise to the level of physical abuse, it may be time to cease contact or otherwise leave a relationship. One important question to ask yourself prior to cutting contact is this: will my life and my state of mind significantly improve if I no longer have contact with this person/these people? If the answer is yes, then perhaps it’s time to leave the relationship or to take a break.

No one should suffer physically or emotionally because of political disagreement. Keeping yourself healthy and safe should always take priority over attempting to win a political argument.

In closing, as we enter Election Season, let’s keep in mind these tips, because there will be many moments of challenging dialogue. Just always remember to “Be Better!”

Yasmin ‘Yas’ Hurston is the Exec Producer of OnPoint! Experience Radio Show and President of SAY YAS Productions.

In addition, she is a football mom!

Check out Yas Hurston’s blog Single Mom Chronicle at http://onpointradioshow.com/blog/

NADER SAYEGH VICTORIOUS ON SIX PARTY LINES GOING INTO NOVEMBER ELECTION

The best way to offer that respect is to discuss only the issues at hand. The best way to do that is to avoid doing any of the following: • Don’t let political disagreements draw you into personal attacks.

• Don’t respond to personal attacks. If they don’t stop, end the argument by saying something like “This has gotten too personal. I need to respectfully walk away now.”

• Don’t bring up baggage from the past. Instead, stay focused on the topic you’re arguing.

• Don’t raise your voice, throw anything, or engage physically with anyone. This last one’s important and is directly related to point #5, below.

5. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER HARM AND YOU SHOULD END A RELATIONSHIP IF YOU’RE UNSAFE, UNCOMFORTABLE OR DE-VALUED Political topics such as race, politics and religion often lead to arguments and can become emotionally heated. It’s a sad fact that political arguments sometimes get ugly and even physical. Over time, what may have at first seemed like reasonable disagreement can evolve into a pattern of abusive behavior. Do not ever strike someone with whom you disagree, and do not ever accept physical violence on the part of your opponent, even if that opponent is a friend or loved one.

If a friend, family member, coworker, acquaintance, or partner are verbally or physically abusive, you must withdraw and end the relationship. This is not always easy, of course, particularly if there are financial or domestic issues that constrain your freedom of movement or communication.

Unfortunately, it does get this serious!

YONKERS, NY – Nader Sayegh, candidate for the 90th New York State Assembly District, emerged from the September 13th primary elections victorious on not one, but six party lines. Sayegh is speeding toward the November election with the support of not one, but six parties.

Nader Sayegh will be on the ballot on November 6th with the Working Families, Green, Reform, Women’s Equality, Independence, and Democratic Party lines.

“This victory means a great deal to me and my family,” Sayegh tells BW. “To have the support of not one, but six parties in this race is a major boost to our campaign. It is my honor to represent such a collection of ideas.

Yonkers is a diverse place, and our campaign is just another reflection of that. I’d like to thank everyone that got out and voted in the primary on September 13th and supporters who have stood by our side since the beginning. Our campaign has worked tirelessly through the primary, and we are just getting started. As we head into the November Election, I look forward to continuing to build the support of my community.”

Sayegh faces Joe Pinion who has the Republican line in the General Electon in November.

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OCTOBER 2018

POLITICAL, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

BLACK WESTCHESTER 9

NEWS WITH A BLACK POINT OF VIEW

COLIN & CHAPPELLE

AWARDED W.E.B. DU BOIS BLACK CULTURE MEDAL BY HARVARD

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBER ON KAEPPERNICK, NIKE & THE NFL

BY AJ WOODSON

One of America’s most prestigious Ivy League universities honors Colin Kaepernick, Dave Chappelle and six other African Americans for their contributions to black history and culture.

According to the Associated Press, Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Studies announced the names of the eight recipients of this year’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal. Named after the scholar, pan-Africanist, NAACP founder and first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard, William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois, the medal honors individuals from around the world in recognition of their contributions to “African American culture and the life of the mind.”

“The medal honors those who have made significant contributions to African and African American history and culture, and more broadly, individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world,” Harvard says.

This year’s honorees included Colin Kaepernick, you all know the former NFL quarterbackturned activist, whose protests against racial injustice and inequality caused a national discussion about respectability, police brutality and the importance of hydration. The sheer number

of white tears caused widespread, temporary insanity, resulting in reports of Nike-based acts of arson around the country.

Another honoree was David Khari Webber Chappelle. Chappelle’s ability to combine racial insight, reason and comedy makes him one of America’s most celebrated living comedians. He has become America’s unfiltered griot and teller of uncomfortable truths.

“The medal honors those who have made significant contributions to African and African American history and culture, and more broadly, individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world,” Harvard says.

The other six award recipients are businessman Kenneth Chenault, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson, philanthropist Pamela Joyner, psychologist and author Florence Ladd, social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and artist Kehinde Wiley.

“In the year of the 150th anniversary of his birth, W. E. B. Du Bois would be proud of the eight individuals being recognized at this year’s Hutchins Center Honors,” center director Henry Louis Gates Jr. said in a statement.

The 2018 Hutchins Center Honors takes place Turs, Oct. 11th at 4PM.

Retired NBA champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who is known about as well for his political activism as for his trademark hook shot, praised Nike for supporting Colin Kaepernick, who he says has taken too much criticism for his decision to kneel during the national anthem.

He says he is glad to see corporate America using its voice in this way. “Kaepernick will be like Muhammad Ali in earning peoples’ respect,” Abdul-Jabbar says.

The 7-foot-2-inch athlete who became the NBA’s all-time top scorer when he retired from the Los Angeles Lakers in 1989 says there is nothing unpatriotic about Colin’s peaceful protest.

“Colin is not unpatriotic. Colin is complaining about the fact that black Americans are treated differently in our criminal justice system, and he peacefully brought that to the attention of people who went to football games.

And he’s taken too much criticism for it,” AbdulJabbar said on CNBC’s Power Lunch, Thursday, Sept. 27th, where he appeared with Ken Goldin, Goldin Auctions, to show off some of the memorabilia items going up for auction to support his Skyhook Foundation, which provides educational opportunities for underpriviledged.

Kareem has been a vocal supporter of NFL protests, that he says peacefully and powerfully draw attention to a long-neglected issue of race. Kareem wrote an open letter to NFL owners in July that stated; “To deny professional athletes the right to express dissent in a peaceful manner is a disgrace to the Constitution, the opposite of patriotism and shameful moral weakness.”

On CNBC’s Power Lunch, Kareem went on to say; “Colin’s message is extremely important, and people are trying to change the subject by attacking him. They’re trying to say that he’s not patriotic and it’s an attack against the flag. Colin is very patriotic; he’s trying to make the United States live up to its ideals that are enumerated in our Constitution. I think we should commend Colin,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

Kareem who kicked off his career as a student athlete at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he boycotted the Olympics to protest against racial inequality in 1968, also gives props to Nike.

“I would like to give Nike all the kudos I possibly can for stepping up to the plate and supporting Colin,” Abdul-Jabbar added.

In early September, Nike revealed a new ad campaign for the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” slogan, featuring Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. The football player was widely criticized after he chose not to stand for the national anthem during the 2016 season to protest racial injustice.

The Nike campaign divided American consumers, with some promising on social media to boycott the brand, initially pushing Nike shares down. The stock has since rebounde to hover near an all-time high, adding nearly $6 billion to the company’s market value.

“I have a lot of respect for Colin; he sacrificed a lot to make a point,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “What makes an act truly patriotic and not just lip-service is when it involves personal risk or sacrifice. Failure to fix the problem of racial inequities is what’s really un-American.”

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10 BLACK WESTCHESTER

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

OCTOBER 2018

THE OPTICS OF OUTRAGE WHEN POWER AND STATUS COLLIDE, THE PERSONHOOD AND PHYSICAL SAFETY OF WOMEN IS FAR FROM SECURE

BY CNN & HLN GUEST POLITICAL COMMENTATOR JOE PINION

W

hen AJ asked me to write an article for Black Westchester, I envisioned I would write a piece about the decline of civility in our politics, and what that means for communities of color. But as I placed my finger on the Keyboard, all that came to mind were those timeless words for that eternally damning phrase:

“The Things We Do to Women.”

I tried to stick to my original topic. My conscience would not allow it.

For those who demur, we should not be surprised.

And for those who trip over themselves to condemn him, we most certainly should not feel gratified.

There is no easier task in politics than condemning the condemnable acts of your opposition or playing “duck & cover” when your allies fall short. A moral crisis creates a political imperative, and too many of our leaders are more than willing to sign statements they have barely read prepared by staffers with whom they rarely speak if it will gain them even ONE additional vote.

When it comes to the unrelenting tide of violence against women, year after year, politician after politician, the outpouring of outrage is immense, but the dignity and protections that women across this nation deserve never seem to materialize.

For those who don’t know me, I am a guest political commentator on CNN & HLN and I am currently a candidate for New York State Assembly in Yonkers’ 90th district. Like many millennials running for office in 2018, I chose to run in spite of the obvious toxicity in our politics because I could no longer abide a political class willing to pay lip service to the suffering of the very citizens they are entrusted to protect. I am also a Republican. And so it pains me that 27 years after Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas, I sit in my home reading statement after statement from candidates & sworn public servants alike who seem more interested in the optics of outrage

By now practically every politician who plans to appear on a New York ballot this fall (or ever) has commented on the allegations that have been leveled against President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

than the politics of meaningful change.

Women are under attack. This is an undeniable reality that has gone unaddressed for far too long. It does not matter whether you are an undocumented waitress working in the Mount Vernon, a casual acquaintance of “America’s Dad” (as was the case with Bill Cosby) or a romantic acquaintance of the highest-ranking law-enforcement officer in the State of New York, as was the case with now former New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

When power and status collide, the personhood and physical safety of women is far from secure.

We all share in that tragedy, and we must all begin to accept that haunting reality.

I’m 34 years old and every single black woman in my life that I love both young and old has at one point in time been the victim of sexual abuse, sexual assault, or some other unconscionable act of unwanted sexual aggression.

Every…Single…One

And they are not alone. Approximately 60% of Black girls experience sexual abuse by age 18. That is not an aberration. That is not a generational trend. It is a sick reality endemic to society and especially in communities of color that our collective silence has helped create. And if we do not begin to align our political priorities with our societal realities, these atrocities against

women will continue to erode our very nature.

I believe that politics should bring our communities closer together, not drive us apart. I believe that our politicians must finally begin to give a REAL voice to the voiceless. That will require new leaders committed to JUSTICE over political advancement. It will also require voters to end our crippling addiction to blind party loyalty in the name of candidates who refuse to demonstrate political courage

We need leaders who would sooner resign than allow colleagues to provide the legal justification to cover up the sexual assault of women in desperate need of a champion, which is what has happened in the New York State Legislature for decades. We need leaders who will demand that back room impediments to justice for women be aired in the full light of day. And we need leaders who will be unflinching in their demand that the suffering of victims be respected, and that women with the courage to speak their truth be believed.

The time for political platitudes is over.

Change is blowing in the wind. But progress demands that we establish new norms and push for REAL protections so that the women we love can feel safe in their own skin. That starts with holding our friends and colleagues accountable TODAY. But it continues in a voting booth this November when we should all ask ourselves the question, “Which candidates have demonstrated a willingness and a commitment to speak truth to power?”

TISH JAMES COULD MAKE HISTORY AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO HOLD A STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICE IN NY

NYS AG Candidate Tish James with People Before Politics Radio Host AJ Woodson after the show, Sept. 9, 2018 [Black Westchester]

Letitia “Tish” James could make history by becoming the first Black Woman to hold a statewide elected office in New York, if she prevails in the general election, where she will be heavily favored.

The longtime New York City politician beat three other candidates in a Democratic primary for Attorney General on Thursday, September 13th. The 59-year-old former public defender would First Woman elected Attorney General as well.

Yes, the First Woman ELECTED Attorney General, though not the first woman to hold the job. The current attorney general, Barbara Dale Underwood, was appointed in May, after Trump nemesis Eric Schneiderman,resigned amid allegations he physically abused women he dated.

Underwood declined to run for election.

The current New York City Public Advocate also made history September 13th by becoming the First Woman, and the First Woman of Color, in New York State history to get the Democratic Party nod for state Attorney General.

A class act in victory, Tish praised her Democratic primary opponents U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Fordham law professor Zephyr Teachout and former Hillary Clinton adviser Leecia Eve;

“I want to thank my opponents who were all well qualified,” said James in her victory speech before several hundred raucous supporters at the Milk River Restuarant on Atlantic Avenue in her home district on the Prospect Heights/Clinton Hill border.

“They were all well-qualified candidates. Our fundamental values were the same, but the difference was in our approach.” She said she wouldn’t let campaign rivalries get in the way of their friendships.

James said the race was never about her, but about the people and most importantly about “that man in the White House,” who can’t go a day without putting down immigrants and other marginalized people.

“We’re all part of one human family and we as a country can do better than that,” she said on PBP Radio.

“He’s got a problem with individuals who are different.”

Despite being endorsed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who also won his primary, Tish has publicly criticized Cuomo’s decision to close the anti-corruption Moreland investigation and said she wouldn’t take orders from the governor because her personality is stronger than his.

BY AJ WOODSON

“We should have continued with the Moreland Commission,” James told PBS public affairs program “New York Now,” reporter Karen DeWitt, who covers the state Capitol for New York’s public radio stations. “But, at this point in time, there is no Moreland Commission and in order to engage in a Moreland Commission, we would need to get the approval of the governor of the state of NY.”

She added that she would press the Legislature and Cuomo to expand the AG’s powers to investigate corruption after several scandals recently led to prison sentences for top Cuomo aides and two former top state lawmakers.

“The Office of Attorney General should be independent and the Office of Attorney General should have the power to investigate without the approval of the governor of the state of New York,” James said. “It’s absolutely critically important.”

With the currently divide of party lines and blind loyalty of a party nationwide, we asked would she have a ivestigating and prosecuting fellow Democrats.

“As long as there are children in Buffalo in public housing with lead poisoning, I’m going to sue the govenor,” she said on PBP Radio, “as long as there are children in NYCHA suffering from lead poisoning due to the conditions in public housing, I’m going to sue the mayor. As long as there is environmental degradation, environmental racism, I’m going to sue any company that dumps upon people of color, as long as you got homelessness all across the state and as long as you got a problem with discrimination against Muslims, Black People, Latinos... I’m going to sue.

Tish James who faces New York City lawyer Keith Wofford - who ran unopposed in the Republican primary - in the general election, would also be in charge of the current corruption case against Mount Vernon Mayor Richard W. Thomas if she prevails in November.

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OCTOBER 2018

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

BLACK WESTCHESTER11

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BW FASHION NEWS & TRENDS

OCTOBER 2018

WESTCHESTER RESIDENT PROMOTES DIVERSITY AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK M

PHOTOS BY SHANE SAMUELS & HIDEKI AONO

aarkah which means “brand” in numerous languages and represents the talented brands showcased on its platform, produced by Runway Prestige welcomed over 700 guests from the fashion, sports, and entertainment industry and the diplomatic world during two nights of high-fashion, celebrating their 2nd edition at the scenic Museum of the City of New York on September 9th and 10th, during New York Fashion Week 2018 (NYFW).

CEO and Executive Producer, Rabab Abdalla, a resident of New Rochelle, New York hosted both evenings, which highlighted an elite selection of established and emerging designers from across the globe in addition to debuting the very first New York Fashion Week, all modest fashion platform, “New York Modest Fashion Show,” on September 10, 2018, presented by Maarkah & Runway Prestige.

Although in its second season, Maarkah, and it’s first season, New York Modest Fashion Show, have both been added to the official Fashion Week Online Calendar, the #1 source, top influencer and organizers of global fashion weeks.

This year, Abdalla curated an array of diverse international designers representing eleven countries. Highlighted presentations included Saudi Arabia’s designer and winner of the international TV show Fashion Star Arabia and Ambassador of the Arab Fashion Council, Arwa Al Ammari, opening the shows on September 9 with “Ink”, her latest stunning and sculptural collection, inspired by abstract art. Diversity and beauty included other presenting designers, from Somalia, Morocco, India, Australia, Canada, Russia, USA, and Italy. “My aim is to provide an inclusive and diverse platform focusing on important international actions,” said Rabab Abdalla.

On September 10, Abdalla debuted New York Modest Fashion Show, the first all modest fashion presentation during fashion week. The modest segment was headlined by the fashion brand Louellaby U.S. Olympic Medalist, Entrepreneur and Activist Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American Muslim hijab-wearing fencer to win an Olympic Metal. The evening concluded with the celebration of diversity, inclusivity and women empowerment in an all-female powerful panel discussion, “Modesty in Fashion”.

Panel influencers included British model, Mariah Idrissi, the face of Fenty Beauty, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of MuslimGirl, Saudi fashion designer, Arwa Al Ammari, moderated by journalist Jasmine Bager. The modest fashion industry is currently estimated at $44 billion (Reuters). “It is growing faster than any other sector with high-end brands catering to this population of fashion dressers. “Modesty is not exclusive to a particular religion or cultural identity, it is a personal choice that can be enjoyed by everyone. It is important to portray and dispel preconceived notion of the modest dress and instead recognize and celebrate its achievements,” said Rabab.

With a unique multicultural, inclusive platform and the successful launch of its modest segment, Maarkahand New York Modest Fashion Show are established as indispensable platforms at New York Fashion Week.

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OCTOBER 2018

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

BLACK WESTCHESTER13

Y-COP 2018 DINNER DANCE GALA FULFULLING THE PURPOSE: UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS!

BY A’TIF K. COLEMAN

SAVE THE DATE

THE YOUTH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM

INVITES YOU TO

***3RD ANNUAL DINNER DANCE GALA*** “FULFILLING THE DREAM”

WHEN

DINNER DANCE GALA HONORING: •

• • •

September 27, 2018 6:30 - 11:30 p.m.

• •

DOROTHY AYERS CHARLES COWAN FDMV-LOCAL 107 GREG L. HARRIS THOMAS MORAN DIONNA WATSON

TICKETS

WHERE

Lake Isle @ Mulino’s 660 White Plains Road Eastchester, NY FEATURING • Cocktail Hour • Dinner • Live Entertainment • Open Bar • Raffle Drawing • ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT Y-COP YOUTH PROGRAMS After School, Out-of-School, Summer Camp, Girls Empowerment Group, Youth Development Basketball,

$125.00 pp Or @ Eventbrite https:// www.eventbrite.com/y-copdinner-dance

OR CALL:

DONNA BROWN 914.308.6261 BETSEY DORRELIAND 914.643.9220 HENRY WILSON 914.215.3063

Eastchester, N.Y - (YCOP) Youth Community Outreach Program held its Third Annual Dinner Dance Gala at Mulino’s at Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester New York, with proceeds to benefit their Summer Day Camp, After School, Out of School, Youth Development Basketball, Girl Empowerment Group, and Counselors-in-Training programs.

YCOP, founded, by former Mount Vernon Police Department Detective Allen D. Ayers Jr. in 1990 was designed to build positive relationships between youth and the police department. In 1992 it was incorporated as a municipal non profit agency.

The First United Methodist Church is home for YCOP, and provides year-round childcare and volunteer service programs for more than 300 youths, from ages 6 to 12-year-old. YCOP will not directly charge the cost of the programs to the parent. They raise funds through grants, individual donations, collaborate with agencies, and receives support from local businesses to help with funding. The gift that keeps on giving. They also accept state aid for those parents that qualify.

YCOP accepts all young children and young adults regardless of their race and culture in Mount Vernon and surrounding communities. The program provides today’s youth and young adults with programs and opportunities that emphasize, enhance and enrich their educational, recreational, community and cultural awareness.

YCOP offers year-round youth programs such as job skill workshops, college preparation, basketball tutorials, peer-to-peer mediation, academic enrichment and recreational activities.

Those that have participated in YCOPS programs have graduated from college, and currently have careers in education, government, law enforcement and education.

In 2011, Ayers, who had been the executive director, decided to step down and let long-time Mount Vernon resident and youth advocate Henry Wilson take over. Brother Henry’s mission is to offer positive, high quality programs, led by highly qualified, experienced and caring individuals at an affordable rate for working middle class parents. Brother Henry comes with a plethora amount of experience in youth advocacy and education. He has dedicated himself to the youth in Mount Vernon and is well respected in the community.

This year’s third annual dinner dance gala was held Thursday, September 27th, 2018 at Lake Isle Country Club. It was a thrilling evening attended by over 200 guest and politicians such as Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, Legislator Lyndon Williams, and Council members André Wallace, Delia Farquharson, Janice Duarte. Black Westchester was also invited to celebrate and honor those community leaders who positively impact today’s youth. By all measures it was a tremendous success.

Inside Mulinos, we kicked off the night with a well attended jazz cocktail hour that had a litney of raffle drawings, silent auctions, live entertainment and delicious finger food.

Moving next door to the social hall, there was welcoming remarks and other commentary from Board member Kevin Bunch, awards were given, followed by a scrumptious dinner then coffee and red velvet cake.

The gala was hosted by John Witherspoon of Mount Vernon and Kesha Monique Chisholm of Bronxville and featuring contemporary jazz artist Vanessa Daley and DJ I-Slam provided the entertainment.

However, the “Fulfilling the Purpose” gala was not only a chance to celebrate their successes, but to look to the future. As Zinobi Docoumbe, the President, pointed out, there are so many more young kids, men and woman out there who need us. She feel it’s their obligation to serve more youth and continue to invest in generational impact and change.

The 2018 honorees were Dorothy Ayers, Charles “Mr. C” Cowan, Gregory L. Harris, Thomas Moran, Dionna Watson and The Mount Vernon Fire Department.

The Allen D. Ayers Jr. legacy award was created in honor

of the examples set by the beloved founder Allen Ayers Jr. The Allen D. Ayers Jr. legacy award was set up to recognize volunteers who have achieved a lasting impact on their community, and who demonstrated support to young men and women. This year’s award was presented to Mrs. Dorothy “Dottie” Ayers, for her achievements.

Ms. Dionna Watson took home this year’s youth of the year award. Dionna’s father, David Watson attended the gala and said he is very proud of his daughter’s accomplishments and the way she is growing up. During her acceptance speech, she thanked YCOP for there continued support.

Coach Charles Cowan received the Educator of The Year.

Effectionally known as Mr. C, coach Cowan has been a long time resident and educator in the Mount Vernon community. He coaches basketball and enjoys working with the youth.

Gregory Harris, Thomas Moran and FDMV Union Pres. Kevin Holt was also honored and all gave memorable remarks.

“It was wonderful to look around our festive social hall and see people from all sectors of the Mount Vernon community,” said one guest in attendence. “You really could feel the energy.”

Each year, proceeds from the gala goes directly to YCOP to make it possible to provide partial scholarships for low-income families, fund programs and feed hundreds of hard-working students who demonstrate their courage and commitment to education in the face of many obstacles. The Dinner Dance is Y-COP’s largest annual fundraiser.

YCOP has been growing at a rapid pace these past couple of years, thanks to their children’s programming, and they are pleased to see that it was reflected in this successful event.

Some feel it reflects both the great diversity and the great unity of the Mount Vernon community, as well as people’s support for their really impressive honorees this year.

Because of their support, thousands of Mount Vernon City children are on the path to success, like Dionna. On behalf of Black Westchester, we would like to thank this years honorees for reiterating the importance of giving back your community and leading by example. Black Westchester salutes YCOP! For more information on YCOP contact Allen Ayers or Henry Wilson at YCOP2012@gmail.com or call 914-215-3063.

To learn more about Y-COP, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @YCOPMVNY.

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14 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BW COVER STORY

OCTOBER 2018

COVER STORIES BW COVER STORY

SEN. ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS ONE STEP CLOSER TO HISTORY

WORDS BY AJ WOODSON

BW Editor-In-Chief AJ Woodson with Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins at her Victory Party at The Riverview located at 1 Warburton Ave, Hastings-On-Hudson, Primary night, Thursday Sept. 13, 2018 [Black Westchester]

WITH THE IDC OUT OF THE WAY, THE STATE SENATE MAY FINALLY BE HERS

PHOTOS BY SHANE SAMUELS

THE VICTORY PARTY

The New York State Senate Democrats were united going into the election, hoping to finally break years of Republican rule. The Democrats’ leader, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, “stands one step closer to making history as the First Woman and Black Woman to penatrate the famous ‘three (and sometimes four) men in a room’ that runs New York State politics. She needs just one more Red seat to turn Blue in the November elections before taking her place in her place in history.

She faced one more speed bump in her quest, she had to fight for to retain has her seat that she held for twelve years. On Thursday, September 13th in the New York State Democratic Primary, the Senator triumphed over challenger, Westchester County Legislator Virginia Perez in Thursday’s state Senate District 35 contest. Perez campaigned saying it was time for new blood in Albany, the voters said otherwise as 83% of the district voted for the incumbant.

The 2018 Primary was a massacre of moderate New York City Dems who caucused with Republicans to help give them a majority in the State Senate, the chamber will definitely tilt more to the left next year. With the Independent Democratic Conference obliterated, Senate Democrats only have to pick up one Republican seat in the November elections before Stewart-Cousines can take her place in history and control of the chamber. It’s increasingly likely that person could come from Long Island, Newsday reported the day after the primary.

Long Island Democrats are now trying to figure out how a State Senate filled with younger, progressive members (it’s unlikely any city candidates will lose in the fall) — all of whom made big promises to their constituents — will shake up the dynamics.

LI Dems feel that if Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Democratic leader, wants to take the gavel and keep it for a long time, she may understand the needs of Nassau and Suffolk counties. As a representative from Westchester, she knows suburban needs don’t always align with those of New York City. The Democrats last had majority control of the 63-member state Senate during the 2009-2010 session.

While she has been very patient,she hasn’t spend her past four years as minority leader sitting around and waiting. Stewart-Cousins has been engaged in a deliberate, yearslong effort to legitimize and professionalize the Democratic caucus, which had its reputation tarnished when it had its brief taste of power nearly a decade ago.

Unlike other Senate Democrats, she has never attempted to seize power, has never made a power-sharing deal with Republicans. And she’s cautiously optimistic that she will finally get her chance to lead in 2019, City & State New York reported.

“I think we’re in certainly the best position we’ve been in, for a number of reasons, to actually achieve a working and functional majority,” she told City & State in a recent interview. “I do see the potential light at the end of a very, very long journey.”

Sen. Cousins since the beginning of her political career, faced two strikes against her: Being black in a predominantly white male dominant political system and being a woman in a historical system of oppression. The IDC was founded in 2011, a year before Sen. Cousins was voted in to be the first Black Legislative Leader. Was the creation of the IDC a preemptive strike to weaken her position? Was the establishment of the IDC a political attempt to keep a black woman from the seat of power?

Through it all Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins has remained unbroken and continue to chip away from the glass ceiling of the New York State Legislature, even though it seems they have stacked the chips against her. She has remained strong throughout the adversity while remaining regal throughout – she is the embodiment of beauty in the struggle.

With her landslide win in the primary and facing no opposition in the general election, she is officially one step closer to cracking the ultimate New York political glass ceiling. One more Red seat turns Blue and they will have to rename the infamous Three Men In A Room, cause there will now be a fierce Black Woman present!

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GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

BLACK WESTCHESTER 15

BW COVER STORY

ALESSANDRA BIAGGA THE KLEIN SLAYER SHE CUT THE HEAD OFF THE IDC SNAKE

BY AJ WOODSON

Alessendra Biaggi, 32, of Pelham, declaring victory at the Bronx Ale House, Primary night, Sept 13, 2018 “Our campaign from the beginning was about mobilizing and depending on the energy and enthusiasm of the people of Westchester and the Bronx, not depending on special interest money,” Alessandra shared with Black Westchester. “The campaign was about fighting for what the people of District 34 really need: strong tenant protection laws so they can stay in their homes; access to affordable health care; protection for women’s right to control their bodies; full funding so every child in every school gets an excellent education; criminal justice and bail reform, so people don’t go to jail when they have not been convicted; voting and campaign finance reform so everyone votes to ensure they get elected officials who really represent them. That’s why 100s of volunteers and dozens of grassroots organizations worked to bring us a victory in the primary. And that’s why we need your support so we can keep working hard until we win in November. And then we can go to Albany and start making these things a reality.”

State Senator Jeff Klein spent more than $3 million in his stunning loss to a 32-year-old first-time candidate from Pelham.

The Klein Slayer - as she has been dubbed by the New York Post - is Alessandra Biaggi, granddaughter of the late Bronx Rep. Mario Biaggi and a former lawyer in Gov. Cuomo’s office.

Klein’s lost to Alessandra Biaggi - a lawyer and former operations director on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign - has implications well beyond Klein’s former district, District 34, which includes parts of the Bronx and some of southern Westchester County. Democrats are trying to retake control of the Senate for the first time since 2010 and Klein is the deputy leader of the party in the Senate – the win by Biaggi signals a seismic shift in Albany influence.

Biaggi ran a campaign similar to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s winning race against Rep. Joseph Crowley, going door-to-door in her district and not accepting corporate donations.

“If this does not prove that the political currency of this time is people over money, I don’t know what does,” Biaggi said at her watch party at the Bronx Ale House. “Alexandria’s June 26 amazing victory provided an example of what can be done by relying on the energy of the people, rather than special interests,” Biaggi said.

The IDC, a group of breakaway renegade Democrats reunified with the party earlier this year in a deal that saw Klein become the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, who accepted the IDC members back in her conference as part of a July peace deal, told Black Westchester at her victory party, voters made it clear “this is a new day and politics, as usual, are no longer acceptable.”

Klein formed the IDC in 2011, claiming to be unhappy with the Democratic leadership. In 2012, the IDC senators shifted the majority from Democrats to Republicans, and Klein shared the title of majority leader with Sen. Dean Skelos, the then-leader of the Republicans and once one of the most powerful figures in New York State politics, who was found guilty of bribery, extortion, and conspiracy in July.

New York City voters on Thursday punished a group of incumbent Democratic legislators they perceived as too friendly to Republicans. NY1 reported

Three of the other five ex-IDC incumbents who lost – state Sens.

Tony Avella, Jeff Klein and Jesse Hamilton – have apparently remained silent in the wake of their defeats. Their campaigns have not sent out press releases conceding the races or congratulating the winners, and their Twitter feeds have remained inactive since before polls closed, City & State New York reported.

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16 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

OCTOBER 2018

DR. BELINDA MILES & REV. RICHARDSON

MAKE WEST CHEST ER POWE R 50 LIST WCC PRESIDENT AND GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH SENIRO PASTOR MAKE CITY & STATE'S LIST OF THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

BY AJ WOODSON

WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENT DR. BELINDA MILES

IState, n a special issue of City & they take a close look

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH SENIOR PASTOR REVEREND DR. W. FRANKLYN RICHARDSON

their ties to powerful politicians and the constituencies they represent. It’s worth noting that the people on it are predominantly white and male, which simply reflects our best attempt at identifying the power structure as it is but that said two prominent African-American makes the City & State Westchester Power 50 List.

President of Westchester Community College, Belinda Miles makes the Top 10 in this list of the most influential people in Westchester. She comes on at number nine. Dr. Belinda S. Miles was installed as the 3rd president of Westchester Community College. The first African-American to be appointed to this prestigious assignment. Her inauguration was on Friday, Oct 2, 2015.

City & State wrote, Miles is deeply committed to student success and completion, having worked with faculty and staff to achieve a 42 percent increase in the community college’s three-year graduation rate and has overseen the largest graduating classes in its 72-year history. Since taking the reins of the SUNY school in 2015, her leadership has contributed to WCC being selected as a member of the Achieving the Dream network of community colleges committed to improved student outcomes and as one of two institutions selected nationally for a $1 million award in support of accelerated associate degree programs.

Dr. Miles is deeply involved in the community as well, serving on many boards, including The Business Council of Westchester and the WestchesterPutnam Workforce Development Board. Miles has been described as a great motivator who gets results. She is a highly regarded regional and national presenter on a range of topics, including community colleges as a disruptive innovation in academia that fosters an equitable and inclusive democracy.

Dr. Miles was appointed to the position of President of Westchester Community College in November. The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted to make the appointment official during their meeting in New York City, approving the Westchester Community College’s Board of Trustees proposed selection of the new president. Miles is currently provost and executive vice president of Access, Learning, and Success at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). This nationally known academic leader will start in her new position as the leader of Westchester Community College in January. Miles has nearly three decades of experience in higher education, primarily at the community college level.

The other prominent African-American to make the list of 50 most influential individuals in the Hudson Valley is Rev Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson.

A longtime community builder and organizer, Dr. Richardson has played a pivotal role in the grass root efforts of reestablishing a cultural bridge between community and education. He is singularly responsible for leveling the ground by fighting for equitable opportunities in public education in the Mt. Vernon community and he has manned the front lines in the battle for

at the most influential people in the Hudson Valley and compiled a list of movers and shakers of Westchester County.

City & State is the premier multimedia news organization dedicated to covering New York and Pennsylvania’s local and state politics and policy.

They partnered on this project with Suzanne Colucci, an award-winning television journalist based in Westchester and reached out to insiders and experts to compile this list, ranking each person based on their accomplishments, their sway in political and policy matters, their economic clout, their philanthropic efforts,

just an affordable housing development. His steadfast efforts have resulted in two Grace Church related Community Development Corporations which have constructed more than 100 million dollars in affordable housing to date.

Dr. Richardson served as General Secretary for twelve years of the eight-million-member National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., which thrust him into the international arena of the World Council of Churches where he served on its prestigious Central Committee. The World Council represents more than 400 million Christians in 150 nations. He also served on the boards of the Congress of the National Black Churches, the National Urban League, and the Constituency for Africa. A life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Dr. Richardson is also a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.

This distinguished theologian is an internationally sought-after preacher, lecturer, and facilitator, having preached on several continents.

For the past thirty years, he has been heard throughout the tri-state area on WVOX radio and is viewed on national television every Sunday morning.

He is the author of the widely acclaimed, Power of the Pew, and has written extensively on faith-based community developments. Of note: “Mission to Mandate,” in the National Urban League’s State of Black America. In addition to such articles, Dr. Richardson’s most powerful sermons can be found in publications including, Keep the Faith (Welcome Rain Publishers) and Joy to the World (Simon & Schuster).

City & State wrote: One of Westchester’s most dynamic leaders, the Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson is the longtime senior pastor of the historic Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, preaching to a congregation that has grown to more than 4,000 members. Since taking the helm in 1975, Richardson has fought for equitable public education and affordable housing in Mount Vernon. He’s also known nationally, serving as chairman of the National Action Network and the Conference of National Black Churches, and is a radio host on WVOX.

The list of most influential people in the Hudson Valley also includes Barry McGoey – President of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 628 in Yonkers (#32), Louis Picani – President of Elmsford-based Teamsters Local 456 (#18), Tim Rooney Sr. – President of Yonkers Racing Corp. – Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino (#27), Bill O’Shaughnessy – President and CEO of Whitney Global Media, WVOX, a Westchester institution, for nearly 60 years (#45), Shannon Powell – Co-founder of Indivisible Westchester (#50), Alisa Kesten – Executive Director of Volunteer New York (#42), Nick Spano – President of Empire Strategic Planning & former state senator (#8), Rob Astorino – CNN contributor and former Westchester County Executive (#20), Maggie Timoney – the first female CEO of White Plains-based Heineken USA (#30) & Janet Langsam – CEO 0f ArtsWestchester (#49).

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BW FINANCIAL TIMES

BLACK WESTCHESTER 17

529 INVESTMENT

STRATEGIES: A PRIMER

BY FINANCIAL ADVISOR RASHAD BILAL The 529 college savings plan is widely regarded as one of the most tax friendly tools available for funding a child’s future tuition, but how one invests within those plans can make a big difference in the potential return and level of risk.

While 529 plans differ depending on the state that sponsors them, most offer a selection of funds. Investors can typically choose which type of investment strategy they wish to deploy — either static, in which they select an asset allocation which is up to them to adjust, or “age based,” in which the account automatically becomes more conservative as their child approaches their college years.

Neither is the better option, but 529 plan account owners should understand the difference between both investment strategies, the potential impact on their future account balance, and the risks involved.

529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN DEFINITION A 529 saving plan is an investment account that enables families to save for future college costs on a tax-favored basis. While contributions are not deductible, any earnings in the account can be withdrawn tax free if used to pay for qualified education costs — including tuition, fees, books and room and board.1

Earnings not used for qualified expenses will not only be subject to income tax, but also generally hit with an extra 10 percent penalty. (The penalty is typically waived in the case of a death or disability, or if a child receives a scholarship.)

If a child chooses not to attend college, the beneficiary can generally be changed, passing any unused money in the 529 account along to siblings – or other qualifying family members - penalty-free. Of course that money must be used for qualified education expenses.

Most states sponsor their own 529 plans, and some offer a state income tax deduction or credit to residents who participate in their plan. Investors, however, are not restricted to their own state’s 529 – they can participate in any 529 plan they choose. And, the money they accumulate in their plan can be used to cover costs at any qualifying college or university in the country.

By contrast, a 529 prepaid tuition plan is not an investment. Rather, it enables individuals to purchase credits based on today’s in-state tuition costs for use by their child in the future – effectively locking in the current cost of tuition. Kids who select a private or out-of-state school generally get back the equivalent of current in-state public college tuition, and pay the difference on their own. Prepaid 529 college savings plans do not generate a return based on market performance, but they are also devoid of market risk.

THE AGE-BASED 529 MODEL

scholarships and low interest loans exist for tuition assistance. Borrowing from an IRA or permanent life insurance policy might compromise one’s retirement goals or life insurance death benefit for heirs.

A trusted financial professional can help you find a plan that fits your needs.

1

Internal Revenue Service, “529 Plans: Questions and Answers,” 2016.

Provided by Rashad Bilal, a financial representative with The Bilal Group LLC, courtesy of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

“I will fight for our Hudson Valley values, not Trump’s values.”

For many parents, especially those who seek to generate modest returns while also managing risk, the age-based 529 investment model is an appropriate fit. The age-based strategy is a “set it and forget it” solution in which the portfolio is heavily weighted to stocks until the beneficiary (college-bound child) reaches about middle school, at which point the asset allocation gradually shifts to include a higher percentage of cash and bonds – securities that traditionally generate lower returns in exchange for lower risk. (Past performance is, of course, no guarantee of future returns.)

Because age-based plans automatically adjust over time, they also may be ideal for families who do not have the time or tools to monitor their 529 portfolio. The 529 plan age-based strategy helps to minimize the risk of having to potentially liquidate an equity-heavy portfolio in a down market when the first tuition payments come due but it may not generate the kind of returns needed to meet the rising cost of higher education.

For those who have sufficient resources outside their 529 plan, or cash value in a life insurance policy that they may borrow from for college tuition expenses, an investing approach based on age might be too conservative.

STATIC 529 PLANS

More experienced investors who are willing to assume greater risk in exchange for the potential to attain higher returns, may instead wish to select a static (or build-your-own) 529 investment plan.

Static accounts enable investors to target a specific risk level or create an individual portfolio that tracks underlying mutual funds, exchangetraded funds or other investments. The asset allocation in such plans does not change over time, unless the account holder requests it.

Static plans are also the tool of choice for the highly risk averse; those who merely wish to put money into a relatively “safe haven” bond portfolio that is designed primarily to preserve principal (or their contributions) and not generate higher returns.

COMPARE 529 PLANS

Families who are considering opening a 529 account should be sure the investment strategy they select matches their tolerance for risk and need for returns. For some families, the best solution is to diversify. Of course families can change their 529 plan investment options over the years.

Most financial planners note individuals should avoid borrowing from their retirement account to pay for their child’s college education, since

PETE HARCKHAM DEMOCRAT for NY SENATE PeteForNY.com Democratic, Working Families, and Women’s Equality Parties 40th State Senate District Paid for by Pete Harckham for Senate

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18 BLACK WESTCHESTER

NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

OCTOBER 2018

LORRAINE LOPEZ’ latino empowerment

CEASAR E. CHAVIS SCHOOL

YONKERS BOARD OF ED WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF MAYOR MIKE SPANO RENAMED THE FORMER CEDAR PLACE SCHOOL IN HONOR OF LEGENDARY COMMUNITY ORGANIZER CEASAR E. CHAVIS Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, la comunidad latina de Westchester celebra

BY EDGAR SANTANA

F rom September 15 to October 15, the Latino Community throughout Westchester celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. Many of us who come from this commu-

el “Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana”. Muchos de los que pertenecemos a esta comunidad celebramos nuestras culturas, tradiciones y costumbres en todas las ciudades de este Condado.

Nuestra comunidad ahora representa el 22% de la población en el Condado de Westchester y somos vistos como el grupo demográfico dominante del futuro. Somos conciderados una fuerza política y económica en este país. Líderes como el Ejecutivo del Condado George Latimer y el Alcalde de Yonkers Mike Spano han apoyado a nuestra comunidad al designar Lideres Latinos en puestos claves en sus administraciones.

El 14 de septiembre de 2018, el Consejo de Educación de Yonkers y el Alcalde de Yonkers, Mike Spano, renombró la antigua Escuela “Cedar Place” con el nombre de “ Escuela Cesar E. Chavez”, en honor al legendario lider sindicalista que lucho por mejores condiciones laborales de los jornaleros en su mayoria de origen hispano. Es la primera escuela en el estado de Nueva York nombrada en honor a Cesar Chávez.

Este ha sido un dia historico en el Condado de Westchester y en el estado de New York.

La resolucion fue aprobada por la Junta de Educacion representada por su Presidente Rev. Steve Lopez y por el Dr. Edwin Quezada Superintende de las escuelas publicas de Yonkers.

La vida, el trabajo y la pasión de César Chávez por los derechos humanos y la igualdad crearon un modelo a seguir que los estudiantes y las familias podrían adoptar.

Yonkers tuvo el privilegio de dar la bienvenida al hijo de Chávez, Paul F. Chavez, presidente de la Fundación César Chávez, como orador en el corte de cinta de la escuela. La asistencia de Paul fue posible gracias a los amigos de la comunidad latina y laborista a nivel nacional, como el Consejo Laboral para el Avance de América Latina (LCLAA). Paul compartió historias de un padre amoroso, apasionado por la familia y apasionado por defender la igualdad de derechos y la educación. Sus palabras inspiraron a los estudiantes, las familias y a los miembros de la comunidad presentes en tan importante evento.. Hoy, la misión de la Fundación César Chávez es “enriquecer y mejorar las vidas de las familias latinas, cubriendo sus necesidades humanas, culturales y ensenciales para la comunidad”, una continuación actual del trabajo de César Chávez “.

¿Por qué un latino? Como líderes de la comunidad, los miembros de la Junta de Educación son responsables de guiar los distritos escolares a los cuales les sirven.

Yonkers es el cuarto distrito escolar más grande en el estado de Nueva York, y tenemos una responsabilida ciudadana y moral en la cual debemos motivar a nuestros jovenes y a miembros de nuestra comunidad a salvaguardar la educacion publica y mantenerla en la mas alta calidad posible. La población latina / hispana de la ciudad de Yonkers ha crecido en un 35%. Dentro de nuestras escuelas, el 59% de los estudiantes son latinos / hispanos. La demografía de Yonkers influyó significativamente en esta decisión.

¿Por qué Cesar E. Chavez? Para cambiar el nombre, La junta de Educacion tomo en concideracion , la vida y el trabajo del indiviuo que han contribuido a cambios significatios de largo alcance. César E. Chávez fue un verdadero héroe estadounidense: un defensor de los derechos civiles que lucho por el cambio social no violento defendiendo los derechos de los latinos y los trabajadores agrícolas. El compromiso de Chávez con el cambio social se basó en la desobediencia civil no violenta de Mahatma Gandhi y Martin Luther King, Jr. A medida que su causa y celebridad crecieron, también lo hizo el trabajo de Chávez. Se convirtió en un organizador comunitario y emprendedor social, y fue un defensor del medio ambiente y los derechos del consumidor.

Cesar Chavez una figura genuinamente religiosa y espiritual que inspiró a quienes lo rodeaban a abrazar la bondad y la igualdad para todos. En 1994, Chávez fue presentado póstumamente con la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad.

El cambio de nombre de la escuela Cesar E. Chavez es algo de lo que toda la ciudad de Yonkers y el condado de Westchester pueden estar orgullosos. Fue un día hermoso en la historia de nuestra Ciudad que muchos nunca olvidarán. Me siento honrado y agradecido de haber jugado un pequeño papel en este día tan especial.

nity celebrate our cultures, traditions and sub-communities together in our cities, towns and villages.

Our community now represents 22% of the population in Westchester County and are seen as the future’s dominant demographic. We are powerful political and economic forces in this country today. Leaders like County Executive George Latimer and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano have supported and embraced our community by bringing us into their administrations and appointing us to key posts. Our future is very bright within the County.

On September 14, 2018, the Yonkers Board of Education with the endorsement of Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, renamed the former Cedar Place School to Cesar E. Chavez School, after the legendary community organizer. It is the first school in New York State named in Chavez’s honor. It was a historic day that began as a Yonkers Board of Education resolution to rename an elementary school after a Latino who made outstanding contributions to society. The resolution passed in June by Yonkers Board of Education President Rev. Steve Lopez, with the support of the Trustees, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin M. Quezada.

Cesar Chavez’s life, work and passion for human rights and equality personified a role model that students and families could embrace.

Yonkers had the privilege of welcoming Chavez’s son, Paul F. Chavez, Chairman and President of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, as keynote speaker at the school’s ribbon-cutting. Paul’s attendance was possible because of friends in the Latino and Labor community at the national level, like Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). Paul shared stories of a loving father, who was passionate about family and just as passionate to stand up for equal rights and education. His words inspired the students, families and community members in the audience. Today, the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s mission is to “enrich and improve the lives of Latino families, meeting their essential human, cultural and community needs”, a present-day continuation Cesar Chavez’s work”.

Why a Latino? As community leaders, Board of Education trustees are charged with guiding the direction of the school districts they serve. Yonkers is the fourth largest city school district in New York State, and we believe we have a moral imperative to inspire the youth and community we serve, as well safeguarding the highest quality public education. The City of Yonkers’ Latino/Hispanic population has grown to 35%.

Within our schools, 59% of the students are Latino/Hispanic. Yonkers demographics significantly influenced our decision.

Why Cesar E. Chavez? Yonkers Board of Education policy for renaming a school dictates the individual’s life or work must demonstrate significant and far-reaching global contributions. Cesar E. Chavez was a true American hero - a civil rights advocate who championed nonviolent social change defending the rights of Latinos and farm laborers. Chavez’s commitment to social change was drawn from the nonviolent civil disobedience of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. As his cause and celebrity grew, so did Chavez’s work. He evolved into a community organizer and social entrepreneur, and a crusader for the environment and consumer rights. He was a genuinely religious and spiritual figure who inspired those around him to embrace goodness and equality for all. In 1994, Chavez was presented posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The renaming of the Cesar E. Chavez School is something the entire City of Yonkers and County of Westchester can be proud of. It was a beautiful day in our City’s history that many will never forget. I am humbled and grateful to have played a small part in this very special day.

EDGAR SANTANA IS A MBA, MSM/PA TRUSTEE, YONKERS BOARD OF EDUCATION VICE-CHAIRPERSON, MAYOR SPANO’S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD DIRECTOR OF POLITICAL & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, LABORERS EASTERN REGION ORGANIZING FUND WWW.EDGARSANTANA.COM

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BW OPINION AND COMMENTARY

OCTOBER 2018

US INCARCERATION RATES AND THE AFFECTS ON ECONOMY

BY LOUIS MOLINA

T hose who know me know that I have been an advocate of criminal

which include, but are not limited to academic education, vocational training, cognitive behavior therapy, mental health services, family mediation, faith-based support and community resources for persons in the custodial care of their local jails.

Why is it important to address these issues acutely at the local jail level? It is fairly common knowledge that the US has the highest number of prisoners in the world, beating out China in second place by roughly 500,000 inmates. What is even more substantial is the rate of mass incarceration in the world. For added context, given that the US population is 325.7 million with just over 2 million imprisoned (0.6%) and the population of China is 1.379 billion with around 1.5 million imprisoned (0.1%), our rate of incarceration is roughly six times higher than that of China.

Additionally, most US states individually have higher rates of incarceration than many other countries. Contrary to some beliefs, higher rates of incarceration do not amount to lower crime rates, which means that the spending for prison systems is often excessive in order to financially sustain the large populations imprisoned in the US.

Persons entering the state level prison systems have in most cases spent time in the custody of a local jail for varying lengths of stay pending their criminal trials or serving confinement sentences not exceeding a year. The length of stay on average could be short, which is why acute targeted programming is vital to making these programmatic interventions impactful, leading to a change in individual behavior that changes the path from state prison to a pathway that returns a person to their community with the ability to engage with their family, friends, and others.

If over time the enhanced programming services at the jail level diverts persons from prison back to their communities, then the long-term cost savings could be tremendous.

State incarceration costs in 2015 were on average $33,274 per offender.

justice reform. I possess the unique experience of having worked in all three major fields (policing, district attorney’s office and correction’s) in which I learned the importance of investing in programs that assist and guide vulnerable people to achieve their individual best.

Alternatives to incarceration options have increased and this is a good thing. However, in my opinion, for us as a society to have long-term sustainable investments that break the cycle of poverty, crime and educational neglect, we need to enhance programming services, The official costs varied based on state, prison population, and prison expenditures, but among the 45 states that participated in providing data, the total cost was almost $43 billion for around 1.2 million in the custody of these state prison systems.

Consider what the positive economic impact could be for the communities that currently have high incarceration rates if the individual offender’s behavioral changes occurred at the local jails. It has been observed that high incarceration rates disproportionally affect disadvantaged communities, especially those who experience low incomes and poverty, as well as marginalized groups. High crime rates and high incarceration rates both negatively impact efforts to promote economic growth and participation in facilitating that growth.

Many individuals who have been imprisoned often struggle with finding work following their release, especially if that incarceration period has been long.

The result is that more families are unable to make ends meet, and the unemployment rates also rise. Though there are some companies that have been open to giving returning citizens an opportunity for employment, these employers consist primarily of food service and retail jobs which often do not provide sufficient pay to support oneself and a family, requiring many to continue to receive other government subsidies to survive.

While this is a complicated issue, I am confident with the new emerging faith-based, community, NGOs and political leaders that our current criminal justice system will evolve for the better. Thanks for taking the time to read my first blog post and I look forward to engaging with you all on a range of criminal and social justice issues.

Louis Molina is a decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and currently serves as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Correction, the highest ranking Latino in Law Enforcement in Westchester County. With over twenty years of experience in the public and private sector, namely in the criminal justice arena having uniquely worked in policing, the District Attorney’s office and corrections, which complemented his work in the field of human services assisting the homeless population. Louis is an expert in facilitating change, managing initiatives and has a one-of-a-kind perspective having served all areas of the criminal justice system.

RESTORE, DON’T REPLACE, THE CITY’S PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPERS AND POLITICIANS CAN’T BE TRUSTED TO BUILD NEW HOMES FOR NYCHA

BY LENORA FULANI

Crain’s editorial “Knock down the projects and bring in the cranes” (Aug. 20) should send a chill down the spine of any New Yorker who understands the difference between a balance sheet and the lives of their fellow human beings.

Crain’s argues that even if the $31.8 billion were available to renovate New York City Housing Authority buildings and apartments so that they are safe and fully habitable, the money would be better used to demolish the homes of 600,000 New Yorkers and replace them with new units that “would be energy-efficient and cheaper to maintain.”

The editors support their solution by quoting a convicted murderer— as opposed to one of the hundreds of thousands of working Nycha residents—who attributes anti-social behavior to growing up in public housing: “I cannot imagine where any of us could have found acceptance, affection and guidance. It was nowhere to be seen.”

I grew up in public housing as did millions of hard-working Americans. We wouldn’t argue that public housing is ideal or even as desirable as the suburban tract developments built for white working-class people by the Federal Housing Administration after World War II. But, if asked, we would state that “the projects” provided a safe and stable environment for our families. Why else would 20,000 Nycha residents and concerned New Yorkers have signed petitions calling for the preservation and upgrading of public housing? Why else would over 250,000 New Yorkers get on the Nycha apartment waiting list and hope to receive, in their lifetime, the only affordable housing in New York City?

While Crain’s pays lip service to the needs of Nycha residents—“The authority has enough space for new mixed-income, street-grid housing for its residents and others”—do they really expect us to believe that the same real estate developers and politicians that have profited from massive gentrification throughout our city would invest in new homes for 600,000 poor and working people? And how would this even work— where would the 600,000 live while this new housing was built?

I can hear our mayor and his fellow Democrats saying (after the demolition) how sorry they are that the money could not be raised for this new construction because President Donald Trump or whatever Republicans are in office at the time simply won’t pay for it. They conveniently overlook the fact that President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats also stood by while this vital part of the New York City’s infrastructure deteriorated to its present state of decay.

A “solution” that would force hundreds of thousands of black and Latino New Yorkers into homelessness, shelters and private slum housing—to the extent it is even available—is no solution at all. In my work on this issue, I’ve met thousands of decent, ordinary New Yorkers who understand that residents of Nycha have deep roots in this city and have helped to create its vibrant culture. They’re troubled by the threat to public housing and the impact it has on those who live there.

New York was never destined to be a city only for those with wealth.

Join me in continuing to demand that public housing remain a vital part of our city and that it be invested in.

Dr. Lenora Fulani is the founder of the Committee for Independent Community Action (CICA), which has been organizing New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) tenant leaders, residents and their supporters.

Crain’s New York Business originally published this opinion piece Dr. Fulani wrote on public housing in their issue that hit newsstands, September 10, 2018

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OCTOBER 2018

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

BLACK WESTCHESTER21

MAKE AMERICAN EDUCATION GREAT AGAIN!

BY DENISE BARNES

What a novel idea to spend more time and money on providing remedial resources for students who truly need the support and teaching them foundational skills such as reading with fluency, rather than try to find another way to lower a standard?

Even with a lack of “top-notch” resources, if we provided teachers with a manageable number of students in a classroom, professional development that correlates to the needs of their students and not just P.D. for P.D.’s sake to meet the requirements, and actually allowed them to teach circa the “one-room schoolhouse” days, we might actually see all students improving.

I recall a recent conversation with an educator friend who recently returned from a literal “one-room schoolhouse” in Uganda, where the students didn’t all have pencils, they walked many miles early in the morning to get to school and stayed till the evening with one meal and no such thing as “snack time,” and both the instructor and the students were 100% committed to the learning process and the students, all students, were progressing.

What if “school reform” in America could simply mean authentic concern for all students leading to authentic learning in all classrooms, from Chappaqua to Hempstead, from Briarcliff Manor to Hunts Point?

Leads me to pause and wonder what “America, the Great” has missed when it comes to our students.

1.

Make America Education Great Again published November 24, 2016 by Bruce Plante politicalcartoons.com

At a quick glance at the recent graduation statistics for New York State, many would think that we are surpassing many states in the nation with 80.2% of the 200,000 9th graders who entered high school in 2013 leaving on time.1 However, in a question that rings similar to campaign slogans of the recent past, who are the 80%?

Surprisingly or not, depending on where one stands on the issues, the 80% are white, middle class, native-born English speakers with access to better resources than most children of color, who most likely fall into one of the disaggregated populations of low-income (free and reduced lunch/FRL), students receiving special education services or New English Learners.

It what continues to ring true, we are continuing to leave many children behind despite proposed efforts at “reform” and proponents continuing to tout “educational transformation” by splitting a 4000 student school into 4, 1000 student schools and boasting about the changes.

We’ve even gone so far as to rebrand services, as English Language Learners (ELL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) is now being called New English Learners (NEL) because name changes will boost scores dramatically overnight.

Despite the multiple ways for New York State students to earn a high school diploma, such as appeals, exceptions for students with disabilities and for those who are non-native English speakers we still cannot seem to move the needle for those who need the greatest support.

Or I should say, we cannot authentically move the needle for those who need the greatest support because we have altered graduation standards, created “new” pathways for students to be “entry-level” job ready but not necessarily college ready and seemingly created this black hole of educational rhetoric that does nothing to truly help the most needy students gain the skills needed to succeed.2

2.

Harris, Elizabeth. The New York Times. “Graduation Rate Made Little Progress State Says.” Feb. 2018.

Disare, Monica. Chalkbeat. “New York’s graduation rates are up. Does that mean students are learning more?” Feb. 2018 Denise Barnes is the former Regional Special Programs Manager for k12.com and founder of UnmaskEDU, an education consulting firm.

She is a native New Yorker returning to the city after a working stint in Atlanta, Georgia.

Denise holds degrees in Economics, Education and Educational Leadership and is now Black Westchester’s newest Columnist.

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OCTOBER 2018

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REAL TALK FROM THE COMMUNITY

BLACK WESTCHESTER 23

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON INCARCERATING “RAISE THE AGE” YOUTH SHOULD BE MATCHED WITH MONEY FOR DIVERSION

Dear Editor:

tion at Woodfield Detention Center-- and yet Probation is planning to build a 130 bed extension. As a stop gap they are putting up two prefab structures on the grounds Raising the Age for criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 years of age was the humane of Woodfield – one 20 bed building for boys and one 10 bed building for girls. thing to do. Subsequently, however we seem to have lost sight of the humane part of Woodfield currently has 24 beds, with the ability to expand their capacity to 32. the equation.

Their average population from 5 counties on any given day is 14 youth ages 13 to

A sickening situation has been developing quite rapidly, under the radar, that 16. (Over 50% are youth of color.) affects our youth. Our County Probation department is planning to build a 130 bed Probation claims that they need 130 beds because the State wants Westchester to extension to Woodfield Cottage, a juvenile detention center –a jail for children. serve a 10 county region.( In 2016 there were 15 youth total in detention from these One of the consequences of raising the age for delinquents from 16 to 18 is that there ten counties,including Westchester, according to the NYS Office of Children and will be more youth in the Juvenile System. The 17 and 18 year olds will no longer be Families. ) housed at the County Jail, or the highly successful Youth Shelter Program.

As compensation for the strain on the Juvenile justice system the State

It has been known for generations that the further a young person penetrates is providing money for construction and staffing of a jail for children, but diversion the justice system the less likely they are to be able to turn themselves around and money only for “Raise the Age” children in the system. Every dollar spent on incarbe productive citizens. The key to helping young people in trouble with the law is ceration should be matched with a dollar for diversion. We need to be looking at the DIVERSION. There are numerous ways to divert youth from the system using comsystem as a whole and diverting youth as early as possible. munity based services. It starts with the Police. When policemen are poised to arrest This incarceration plan is a travesty and needs to be stopped. Surely there a youth they have many options at their disposal: Youth development services, com- is a better way of providing justice for our youth. munity service, church sponsored youth groups, mental health services, etc. Arrest should be the last resort.

- Ann Barringer Spaeth, WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE.qxp_Layout 1 7/20/18 10:11 AM Page 1

If the youth is eventually arrested, the same holds true for diversion by Proba- The BLACK Anti-Racist AllianceWestchester, tion pretrial services as well as Family court. The last option should be jail-- incarcera Rye, New York

COUNTY JAIL USES CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TO HELP COMBAT RECIDIVISM (White Plains, NY) – In the ever persistent problem of how to stop recidivism, leaders at

the Westchester County Jail are now turning their attention to civic engagement and getting inmates reintroduced to society by exercising their voting rights.American, and you can take that to the Bank.

“It’s a complete restorative justice process,” Westchester County Department of Corrections Deputy Commissioner Louis A. Molina tells BlackWestchester. “When inmates return to the community we want them to understand how the community operates, beyond just being a good neighbor, by looking past just the couple of blocks where they live to become a part of the community as a whole.”

In the United States, seventeen states do not allow inmates to vote when imprisoned. This sanction is removed, however, once they are set free. In New York, the general rule is that you can vote after incarceration for a felony conviction while you are on probation, or once you have completed parole. In these cases, your voting rights are automatically restored, but you have to re-register in order to vote. The reregistration is the complicated part.

Jen Lackard heads up the Station of Hope prison ministry at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon. Her work finds her in the midst of many ex-inmates and their families.

“I noticed that a lot of people were unaware about civic responsibilities. We had men and women coming home from prison who were eligible to vote but did not know what that meant,” Lackard said. “Families were disenfranchised by the experience. Even though they never lost their right to vote, they were not inclined or motivated to vote at all.”

That a person might feel disconnected from human society after months or even years of being incarcerated should not come as a shock. This disillusionment is a major contributing factor to what many feel is a “revolving door” in the courts. The most recent report on the topic from the New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision indicates that 29 percent of female ex-offenders and 42 percent of male ex-offenders returned to custody within three years.

So when Lackard approached Deputy Commissioner Molina recently with an idea for a new program that not only addresses low voter turn-out among ex-inmates but also tackles recidivism head-on by getting ex-inmates intellectually vested in their communities and country, he was all ears.

The County formulated a curriculum for an in-jail series of classes designed to help inmates understand how to engage with the community from a civics standpoint and the importance of every single member of the community.

Molina, the highest-ranking Latino in law enforcement in Westchester County is quick to point out that it’s not just about registering people to vote, but ensuring they have the knowledge to make their own decision.

“Helping them understand who leads them and helping them understand the different branches of government, at the local, state and federal levels” is at the core of the seminar series. Deputy Commissioner Molina believes the seminar series will be a potent tool in the County’s fight against recidivism because the program “supports the whole person.”

The program is unfunded, but the County has enlisted the help of a number of groups who have volunteered to do all the heavy lifting involved. In addition to Lackard ministry at Grace Baptist Church, the County has teamed with the League of Women Voters, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Legal Aid Society of Westchester, the National Action Network, Westchester for Change, the NAACP, the WESPAC Foundation, and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, among others. Representatives from each group are going to be educating different program populations in the jail, both men and women, on the importance of civic engagement.

That’s huge. A large number of the population in the Westchester County Jail are detainees, and are technically qualified to vote in an election, if even just by absentee ballot.

Of course, it’s ultimately up to each inmate or ex-inmate to decide whether or not to vote.

But having matriculated through the County’s new civic engagement program, at least that decision will be an informed one.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to reach people who may feel they do not have a voice, who feel marginalized, and I feel that this is a really great opportunity to show why civic engagement is something that everyone should be involved with,” said Susan Van Dolsen, co-founder of Westchester for Change. “You may have gotten a bad rap, but the only way to effect change is to participate. No matter who you are, you have to use your voice.”

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24BLACK WESTCHESTER

BLACK WESTCHESTER ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT

OCTOBER 2018

MVHS ALUM WINS TOP PRIZE FOR CREATING BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE AT SCIENCE COMPETITION

BY A’TIF K. COLEMAN

Mount Vernon – It’s been a year since William Phillips of Mount Vernon High School was drafted to the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB). Since his departure, he has become the new face in the technical industry.

The 2017 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, recently took top honors in his category as a Computer Science and Engineering student at the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) Research Poster Symposium.

The incoming sophomore and computer science major at the University of Buffalo competed against 24 members. Phillips had to complete an extensive research program under the observation of professor Kris Schindler and graduate student Dominique Hickson. It also included a near nine-week boot camp.

Phillips was matched with SUNY Buffalo professor Dr. Kris Schindler and graduate student Dominque Hickson to conduct research for 25 hours each week for the duration of a 8.5-week-long intensive research program. During that time, Phillips was instructed to build a Brain Computer Interface (BCI), a device that allows for computers to be controlled by human brain waves, analyze brainwave activity and develop a prototype keyboard application. This application can be used with a biosensing headset and allows its user to select buttons and type messages with a blink of the eyes. The purpose of his research is to improve the communication abilities for ALS patients. The CSTEP Summer Research Program (SRP) culminated with a capstone poster presentation during which Phillips shared his research to peers, faculty and the State University of New York at Buffalo community.

Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton fondly remembers the MVHS graduate who is now a sophomore at UB.

“I am very proud of William’s accomplishments,” Dr. Hamilton shares with Black Westchester. “He served on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee and always made a tremendous contribution. We have stayed in touch since he graduated and he keeps me up to date on his college journey. I am not surprised that he continues to excel. The world can expect to hear great things from William Phillips.”

CSTEP is a grant-funded program sponsored by the New York State Education Department to support talented underrepresented students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), licensed professions and health-related professions.

William is a proud Mount Vernon Knight. He told local news reporters he is thankful to MVHS and the County for their support.

“I’ve always loved helping people and I’ve always had an interest in technology, so discovering a way to combine the two has been a driving force behind my undergraduate pursuits,” said Phillips. “This passion began while I was in high school; I had led a group of eight Mount Vernon High School students in the 2nd Annual Westchester Mobile Application Development Competition where we won third place for our mobile application, ‘One Touch.’”

“There were more than 250 students from local public and private high schools and universities that participated in the competition, so being able to secure third place was a rewarding accomplishment and instilled a greater sense of confidence in me.”

Phillips added that, “The CSTEP Summer Research Program was the best way for me to maximize the education and skills I developed throughout high school and during my first year of college. I accomplished more than I truly expected of myself and I commend the faculty at SUNY Buffalo for leading such a valuable program for its students.”

Phillips aunt, Mrs. Beryl Phillips-Hollingsworth said on Facebook, “Proud of you and Keep Soaring – You are an Eagle.”

Black Westchester congratulates William Phillips as he joins a long list of individuals to graduate from Mount Vernon High School who went on to do great things!

With all the negative headlines about the city, it is our pleasure to proudly spotlight this shining Knight from the great city of Mount Vernon.

A’tif K. Coleman is a lifelong resident of Mount Vernon who has become a Mount Vernon Columnist for Black Westchester. A’tif’s passion and love of the city he was born and bred drives him to wanting to inform the residents and speak truth to power and corruption. Mr. Coleman is also one half of the founders of the Save Mount Vernon movement.

BREAST CANCER & THE BLACK COMMUNITY

BY AJ WOODSON

NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

BREAST CANCER IN YOUNG BLACK WOMEN UNDER AGE OF 35 TWICE AS LIKELY THAN IN THEIR CAUCASIAN COUNTERPARTS According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) every year, 24,000 women under the age of 45 are diagnosed with breast cancer; and 3,000 will die as a result. Young African-American women under the age of 35 have breast cancer rates that are two times higher than Caucasian women of the same age. Furthermore, young African-American women are three times as likely to die from breast cancer as Caucasian women of the same age. Once diagnosed, young African-American women face unique challenges that are either not present or are less severe for older women. Having a breast health course of action and discussing the significant implications of a breast cancer diagnosis is essential for young African-American women in taking care of their health.

Younger women tend to face more aggressive breast cancers, are diagnosed at later stages and as a result have lower survival rates. Women aged 45 and younger are more likely to have higher-grade tumors, larger tumor sizes and a higher co-morbidity of lymph node involvement than women over 65. The relative five-year breast cancer survival rate is lower in women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40 (82%) compared to women diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 or older (89%). Being aware of risk factors and consulting a doctor about breast health is important for young African American women to mitigate and manage their risk.

The lack of awareness among young African-American women on their risk for breast cancer is often a factor into why they have more harsh outcomes.

Approximately 40% of young women with breast cancer had no idea a young woman could get breast cancer prior to their own diagnosis. Fear and stigma are commonly cited reasons for not getting a mammogram. Unfortunately, cultural barriers like fear and stigma associated with illness and poverty deter African-American women from getting breast cancer screenings, which results in a late stage diagnosis. Lack of dialogue among families about generational health and increased risks are key barriers to women taking the steps to minimize their risk of breast cancer.

health in order to take the proper steps to manage their risk. Knowing the signs of breast malignancy can save lives. 80% of young women ultimately diagnosed with breast cancer find their breast abnormality themselves and the earlier the abnormality is found, the greater the survival rate. More importantly, African-American women need to feel comfortable and even encouraged to talk about their bodies. Recognizing the signs of abnormal breast health and consulting a doctor to assess concerns if any known symptoms appear is important to reduce the risk of breast cancer in young African-American women. Symptoms include: change in shape or size of the breast, pain in the breast, and a liquid discharge other than breast milk. Women who are at higher risk for breast cancer at a young age should consult their doctor to learn more about how to manage their risk.

YOUNG WOMEN UNDER THE AGE 45 HAVE A HIGHER RISK FOR BREAST CANCER IF A close relative (parent, sibling or child) was diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer at an age younger than 45. They have other breast health problems or were treated with radiation therapy to the breast or chest during childhood or early adulthood. Or they have changes in certain breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2), or have close relatives with these changes.

According to the CDC, unfortunately, there is no effective method of screening for young women. Young African-American women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and be aware of the signs of abnormal breast health

THE BOTTOM LINE: Of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States, 11% are found in women less than 45 years of age. Young African American women are disproportionately affected by breast cancer compared to young Caucasian women.

Death rates due to breast cancer are three times higher in young African-American women than in young Caucasian women.

Being aware of abnormal breast health and consulting a doctor to discuss risk management is an important way to reduce breast cancer risk in young African -American women. Once diagnosed, young African-American women face unique challenges that should be discussed with a health care team.

AFTER DIAGNOSIS. Young women face unique challenges upon being diagnosed with breast cancer, including: 1) The possibility of early menopause caused by chemotherapy, 2) Effects on fertility, 3) Psychological distress including concerns about body image and 4) Disruption of employment (both voluntary and involuntary) and challenges to financial stability. A breast cancer diagnosis in young women interferes at a transition point in their lives. Treatment for breast cancer has the potential to impact the life of a young woman in ways that are less pertinent or less severe to older women. Once diagnosed, it is important that young women consult with their health care team to understand the impact breast cancer treatment can have on their lives.

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OCTOBER 2018

BW COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

BLACK WESTCHESTER 25

DADS, TAKE YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL DAY GREENBURGH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT - TUESDAY, SEPT 18th

Fathers and significant father figures turned out in droves Tuesday, September 18, for the Greenburgh Central School District’s annual Dads, Take Your Child to School Day.

Gleaning from the Black Star Project’s Million Father March, Chicago Public Schools hosted the first Dads, Take Your Child to School Day in 2004—in which men showed their commitment to the educational lives of their children by marching with them to school on the first day of school.

Every school in the Greenburgh Central School District invited fathers (and grandfathers, uncles, pastors, community leaders and others) into its schools and classrooms to get to know teachers, see district facilities, learn about curriculum, and even try their hand at some challenging STEAM problems. All of the District’s elementary schools opened their doors to fathers and served them breakfast as they toured the buildings.

As part of the day’s activities, fathers and other significant males attended the District’s Dads and Donuts session at Woodlands Middle/High School, where they heard from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tahira A. DuPree Chase, Board of Education President David Warner, STEAM Director Todd Mensch and others about Greenburgh Central’s extensive course offerings, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, the K-12 Mandarin Chinese program, robotics, computer programming and more.

They were also taken on a tour of the Innovation Quad, where they got a look at the District’s new 30-foot-tall wind and solar power unit. With Mr. Mensch’s help, the fathers discovered their inner child by working as teams on the marshmallow challenge, a classic STEAM project in which they constructed a tower using nothing more than spaghetti, a marshmallow and some making tape. The winning team of fathers received Greenburgh STEAM T-shirts as a prize.

“We had a huge turnout of fathers and other significant males who were interested in how our schools work, what our future plans are, and what our curriculum offers,” said Dr. DuPree Chase. “I am so grateful to our fathers and other significant males for being interested in the well-being of their children. It was a great day for all.”

For more info about the Dads, Take Your Child to School initiative visit this website: http://www.dadstakeyourchildtoschoolday.com

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OCTOBER 2018

Alessandra

BIAGGI DEMOCRAT for STATE SENATE

Black Violin & Purchase Symphony Orchestra October 26, 8pm Also this month 10.6 Jimmy Webb 10.13 American String Quartet with Salman Rushdie 10.20 Lea DeLaria 10.21 Westchester Philharmonic 10.27 Velvet Caravan

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SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER SINCE 2014

COMPLIMENTARY

OCTOBER 2018

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

Publisher Sandra T. Blackwell

Honorary Chairmen Lyndon Williams, Esq. & Bruce L. Bozeman, Esq. and the

Westchester County Press Team invite you to join us in celebrating e

90

th A N N I V E R S A R Y

the

of

The Westchester

County Press

and recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of our honorees

Deputy County Executive Kenneth Jenkins

Dawna Michelle Fields

Dr. James Bostic

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

••••••••••• Manhattanville College

Reid Castle, 2900 Purchase Street Purchase, New York 10577

William O’Shaughnessy

Martin McDonald

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

For info & RSVP, call: (914) 684-0006 westchestercountypress@yahoo.com

Tickets: $150

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/westchestercounty-press-90th-anniversary-celebrationtickets-50306731789 Mail checks to: Westchester County Press

P.O. Box 152, White Plains, NY 10602

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