Vol 1/ Issue 2 BLACK WESTCHESTER -SEPT 2017 by BLACK WESTCHESTER

NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EDITION

COMPLIMENTARY

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

TRUMP WANTED ‘FACTS’ BEFORE CALLING OUT RACISTS. WHEN I WAS ON TRIAL, HE DIDN’T CARE. BY YUSEF SALAAM story on page 8

Black Law Enforcement Rally In Support of Colin Kaepernick

LATINAS WHO SHINE IN MEDIA

LISA REYES BY AJ WOODSON

PAGE 13

SEPTEMBER 2017

BILL BELLAMY, ADELE GIVENS & TALENT TALK DICK GREGORY’S LEGACY BY SAMANTHA HUNTER PAGE 10

Milagros Lecuona Attempts To Make History As First Hispanic Mayor In Westchester White Plains Common Councilwoman Lecuona Hopes to Be White Plains First Female Mayor

COVER STORY PAGE 12

BY AJ WOODSON

With the Brooklyn Bridge and New York City skyline as their backdrop, retired NYPD officer, Francesco Vincent “Frank” Serpico known for whistleblowing on police corruption in the late 1960s and early 1970s joined close to 100 current and former officers, Saturday at a rally in support of quarterback Colin Kaepernick who still finds himself without a team to play for. Because Colin Kaepernick took a knee, these members of black law enforcement dressed in black t-shirts with #IMWITHKAP on the front let him and the world know they have his back... (Continued on Page 11)

Black Westchester Stands With Sen. Andrea Stewart Cousins

WILLIE COLON

THE SALSA SOCIAL ACTIVIST We don’t have to go to the south to be reminded of racist white people. They’re right here in New York. The disrespectful race based language of Daniel Loeb, who is a top donor to Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and many other politicians is unacceptable on many levels. For Loeb to compare Senator Cousins to the KKK, then apologize and blame it on their passion for Education insults our intelligence and our suffering as Black people at the hands of a racist organization like the KKK. Makes us wonder what they think about women and black people behind closed doors. All monies from Mr. Leob should be returned; racist money should not be accepted in the Democratic Party from Gov. Cuomo on down. (Con’t on Page 7)

BW’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR SOCIAL ACTIVISM Willie Colon is a living example that music and activism can in fact go hand in hand. A beacon for the policially engaged salsa fan, Colon has always refused to compromise on his music or morals. He is most known as a musician who has had an enormous influence on contemporary Latin jazz. He is one of the pioneers of salsa, in the early 1970s and recieved the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences... (Con’t on Page 19)

BIG PUN

Legacy of A Latino Lyricist Starting with the end and working backward, the world was in shock when the news came that Big Pun suffered a fatal heart attack on February 7, 2000 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, White Plains, at the age of 28 years old. In a time most stories like this ended with a hip-hop artist dying by some act of senseless violence, if there was anything positive to find, many were happy that he wasn’t shot to death. What made taking his death so hard was hearing the lyrics of his current single; “It’s so hard (It’s hard work, baby)/ Yeah (I just copped 100 pounds, I’m tryin’ to live, I ain’t goin’ nowhere).” Despite the loss of weight, a heavyweight in hip-hop was gone. It’s So Hard featuring Donell Jones (Con’t. on page 13)

2 BLACK WESTCHESTER

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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yonkersPD

SEPTEMBER 2017

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

BLACK WESTCHESTER 3

O END

RSED BY

The Mount Vernon Democratic Party

O END

RSED BY

The Westchester County Independence Party

DEMOCRAT FOR city council

7A for Duarte LEARN MORE AT JDUARTE4COUNCIL.COM

Vote 7A September 12th, 2017 @JDuarte4Council

JANICE DUARTE ATTEMPTS TO MAKE HISTORY AS FIRST ELECTED OFFICIAL OF PORTUGUESE DESCENT IN WESTCHES TER People Before Politics Radio Show recently interviewed Mount Vernon City Council Candidate Janice Duarte, who is running on the Democrat and Independence Party lines and hopes to make history as the first Portuguese candidate to win an office in Westchester County. She ran in 2015 on the Westcester County Independence Party line and despite not being in the Democratic primary, she recieved over 2000 votes in the General Election. This year not only will she be in the Democratic Primary, she is also one of the three council candidates endorsed by the Mount Vernon City Democratic Committee. Born and bred in Mt. Vernon, she is a first generation American of Portuguese descent. Janice is the first in her family to go to college and graduated from Columbia University. Janice’s roots in Mt. Vernon are strong and run deep. 50 years ago, when Janice’s grandparents made the decision to leave Portugal in search of a better life, on her father’s side, they went to Venezuela, where her dad grew up, and on her mother’s side they came to Mt. Vernon, where her mom grew up and graduated from Mount Vernon High School. It was here in Mt. Vernon, that Janice’s parents met for the first time. When they married, they decided to start and raise their family in Mt. Vernon. Janice’s parents, brother, and grandmother still live in Mt. Vernon. She understands how different happenings can have different impacts on one’s life and across generations. As a member a future member of the City Council, Janice is cognizant of how decisions affect all residents of Mt. Vernon. She understands the need for us to be ONE Mt. Vernon and to have a government the serves all its residents and not just a select few. Janice tells BW that she is a much-needed, new independent and democratic voice, to move Mount Vernon forward in a new direction so that the City delivers on the basics and residents can S.E.E. their future: Safety, Education & Employment.

4 BLACK WESTCHESTER

www.BlackWestchester.com

SEPTEMBER 2017

Race and Confederate Monuments

BY DERICKSON LAWRENCE

Two days of public pressure brought Pres. Trump to condemn the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, white supremacist, and other hate groups, who organized a rally that erupted in violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday August, 12th. The clash between the white supremacists and the counter protesters, where protester Heather Heyer was killed, was sparked by the ongoing controversy over the removal of a Confederate The Honorable Paul Ryan statue. The ensuing re- Speaker of the House of Representatives sponses from President Washington, DC 20515 Trump expose his moral ambivalence to festering The Honorable Nancy Pelosi racism, bigotry and anti- Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Semitism; and to symbols Washington, DC 20515 of Confederacy in the The Honorable Mitch McConnell South. “White lives matter! Majority Leader United States Senate ‘You’ will not replace us! Washington, DC 20510 ‘Jew’ will not replace us! Blood and soil!” chanted The Honorable Charles Schumer Minority Leader United States Senate the most radical rally attendees, who carried lit Washington, DC 20510 torches in a procession, the night before. The TV Dear Congressional Leaders: images of that procession “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and evoked scenes of KKK doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17) The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, members during the era of Jim Crow. The objectives known as “The Freedom Church” is the church of Harthen and now were fear riet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Coretta Scott King. and intimidation. As such, we have a more than 200 year history Given this backdrop, the delay in response of addressing the issues of justice, equality, and recon Monday denouncing onciliation. It is that legacy that demands we raise our specific groups did not rise voices to speak to the crisis currently facing our beloved to the level of moral au- country. We lament the violence that occurred in Charthority and leadership that many expected from the lottesville, VA this past weekend and extend our sinceroffice of the presidency. est condolences to the families of Heather Heyer, he The president initially said fallen police officers, and to the scores of others injured the altercation “came from by the weaponized vehicle or individual assaults. many sides” of the event, which leaders of both parties said seem to improperly spread blame equally between the white nationalists and the counter protesters. It was reported that Mr. Trump did not want to alienate some of his backers who attended the rally. Giving credence to that perspective were two stunning events. On Saturday, former KKK imperial wizard David Duke who attended the rally stated: “it was white nationalists who got Trump elected.” He was taking credit as a Trump stalwart. Then on Tuesday, August 15, the president held a news conference, essentially reversing himself, and reverted back to denouncing both sides for the eruption of violence. David Duke followed up, right after the press conference, with a public statement thanking the president for his honesty. Those turn of events were nothing short of stunning. Nonetheless, the opportunity for presidential leadership and moral clarity in a time of crisis and despair beckoned. More facts and study are what Mr. Trump called for on Tuesday, in addition to suggesting there was a slippery slope in removing the Confederate statue. It’s not clear why the president would need a study to put the issue of race into context, because minorities have always known that race has been used as the great wedge throughout American history. If, through the study, we were to examine our American culture with an eye toward broadening American identity, so that we can acknowledge we all have an equal stake in holding America to its promise of individual rights and liberty; that will be progress. In the end, as a country we cannot despair. The majority of Confederate monuments were erected not during the era of the Civil War but several years after. The first phase came at the turn of the century when Jim Crow laws were being introduced. The second phase came during the civil rights movement, in 1950s and 1960s. The timing of the build out was no accident. Kevin Kruse, a Princeton historian argues: “The monuments were not just historical markers, but erected to glorify the Confederate cause. They assert that a war fought to preserve slavery was a just one; that the people who fought it were morally upright; and that white supremacy should be cherished as part of Southern heritage.” Ironically, it was General Robert E. Lee, himself – the subject of Charlottesville’s protest - who argued against the idea of having war memorials built. “I think it wiser” the retired military leader wrote about a proposed Gettysburg memorial in 1869, “…not to keep open the sores of war…. but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered.” Symbolism notwithstanding, we should engage only in lawful practice and thorough local debate to determine the legacy of these monuments. The writer, a resident of Mt. Vernon, was a 2016 congressional candidate in CD

Racial Crisis in America White Supremist President Trump...

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FROM THE BOARD OF BISHOPS OF THE A.M.E. ZION CHURCH

Our shared sorrow has now become righteous indignation as a result of the remarks by the 45th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, that suggested a moral equivalence between advocates for justice and white nationalists and neo-Nazis. Such a perspective is abhorrent for any person, but coming from the President, it is extremely dangerous and demands an immediate and strong rebuke from Congress. The combined events in Charlottesville and the statements by the President have revealed what many of us have been painfully aware. There is a toxic stream of bigotry and racism that has been an animating force in some politics and policies. Such political opportunism and division must be publicly renounced by all persons of good conscience across the political spectrum. Those who espouse racial, ethnic, and religious hatred must never find succor in the words or actions of any elected official but especially those elected to the highest office in our land. Donald Trump has peddled for many years in racially charged rhetoric and discriminatory practices, including his offensive and false accusations that our only African American President wasn’t born in this country. It will be a blight throughout history that many remained silent in the face of Trump’s birtherism claims. His list of other divisive comments are well documented and far too many to be litigated in this letter. Simply put, any person who harbors such immoral beliefs or offers excuses for those who do, is grossly unfit to hold such a high office. This is a defining moment for this country and for our religious, civic, and political leaders. Speaker Ryan has declared that; “There can be no moral ambiguity.” We wholeheartedly agree but insist that concrete actions must now be taken to live up to those words. As such, we petition the United States Congress to pass a Joint Resolution censuring the President for his lack of moral clarity and failure to strongly and unequivocally condemn the hate-filled ideology of white nationalists and neoNazi groups. This must not be a partisan issue, but a righteous one. We remind you of the powerful words of Dr. Martin Luther King who stated; “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Racism has been an ugly stain on the American story since it’s founding and requires each generation of citizens to confront this evil forcefully. Unfortunately, there has been a spike in the number of hate groups in recent years and they have now been emboldened by the current occupant of the White House. Many of these groups have promised rallies in the weeks to come. We are deeply concerned that the potential for further violence is real. As the AME Zion Church, we call for non-violent protests against such vile ideologies and enhanced resistance to all policies that adversely impact oppressed and marginalized people. However, we are clear that words must be linked with actions that promote justice. In order to begin the process of healing for this nation and address the crisis we currently face, it is important that in addition to a censure resolution the United States Congress must also act on the following: • Issue a joint statement calling for the end of practices that lead to voter suppression, voter intimidation, and discriminatory gerrymandering. • Jointly call for the immediate dismissal of any individual working in any branch of the US Government who has a documented history of associations with white nationalists groups, including the current White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. • Hold public hearings of the Judiciary Committees to address recent actions by the Department of Justice that fail to enforce consent decrees with Police Departments and that eliminate resources devoted to investigating white nationalists, Neo-nazis, and other domestic hate groups. For the cause of Justice, Liberty, and Truth, we are; The Board of Bishops of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church The Right Reverend George E. Battle, Jr. - Senior Bishop The Right Reverend Dennis V. Proctor - President The Right Reverend Kenneth Monroe The Right Reverend Darryl B. Starnes, Sr. The Right Reverend Mildred B. Hines The Right Reverend W. Darin Moore The Right Reverend Seth O. Lartey The Right Reverend Michael A. Frencher, Sr. The Right Reverend Staccato Powell The Right Reverend George D. Crenshaw The Right Reverend Hilliard Dogbe The Right Reverend Uduak U. Effiong The Right Reverend Joseph Johnson (Retired) The Right Reverend Marshall H. Strickland (Retired) The Right Reverend Nathaniel Jarrett (Retired) The Right Reverend George W. C. Walker, Sr. (Retired) The Right Reverend S. Chuka Ekemam (Retired) The Right Reverend Warren M. Brown (Retired) The Right Reverend Louis Hunter, Sr. (Retired)

SEPTEMBER 2017

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

BLACK WESTCHESTER 5

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK 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.

Founded in 2014 by DAMON K. JONES AJ WOODSON Published by URBANSOUL MEDIA GROUP 455 Tarrytown Rd., Suite 1318 White Plains, NY 10607 www.BlackWestchester.com Email:

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.

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Publisher DAMON K. JONES @DamonKJones Editor-In-Chief AJ WOODSON @BWEditorInChief Assistant Editor Dr. Robert Baskerville Ph.D News Reporters/ Writers AJ Woodson Damon K. Jones Dr. Robert Baskerville Ph.D Samantha Hunter Lorraine Lopez Rashad Bilal Ayanna Armstrong Derickson Lawrence Eddie Ortiz Photographers AJ Woodson Antoine DeBrlll Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson Graphic Designers AJ Woodson Paula S. Woodson For Advertising Rates AdvertiseWithBW@gmail.com Letters To The Editor BWEditorInChief@gmail.com Subscriptions

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Here it is, Issue number two, September 2017, the National Hispanic Heritage Edition. First before I get started I would like to officially like to thank Joe Parisi of the Mount Vernon Inquirer by allowing us to use the bottom row in all his racks throughout Mount Vernon, it is a gesture we greatly appreciate and others need to see how if two separate media sources can play nice, then anything should be possible. Seriously we can use a lot more of that with the climate we have right now in Mount Vernon we can, Thx again Joe. Well you heard me talk about it for a month now, here is our National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition of Black Westchester. Like African-Americans, your history is too vast and your accomplishments are too many to fit in one newspaper or be celebrated for only one month. I hope we honored you with this edition. The Black and Brown communities face and deal with a lot of the same issues. Our communities used to be a lot closer, but we allowed the powers to be to cause division between the two groups and in some cases within ourselves as a people. They do this because they know how powerful unity and working together can be to the status quo. For every issue, you see come out there are so many people behind the scene who believe in the vision and they get it where they fit in. For all of you who double and triple check for grammatical errors and typos. All who help with the distribution, whether it be grabbing a few stacks to take back to your city for us or handing them out. I want to give a special shout out to Lorraine Lopez, who helped make this issue possible. From setting up the interviews to using her connections to get me to the table with potential advertisers. I want to officially say thank you for being my ghetto tour guide through the Latino and Hispanic community and culture. I hope the final result helps change the narrative and give others a better understanding. Look out for new column Latino Empowerment. Next month we will be focusing on Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness, especially domestic violence that often gets overshadowed by Breast Cancer the more sexier of the two to discuss. But Domestic Violence must also be discussed because it plagues communities of color and often goes unreported. Lastly, thank you to all the readers, longtime followers and new readers alike. The first issue was so well received, beyond our wildest dreams. We had over 50 requests for subscriptions. We are working out all the details and subscriptions will be available in the next 30-45 days. We have already set a sign-up form on blackwestchester.com. At the end of the menu bar on the main page, you will see BW Newspaper, under that you will find Subscribe for Delivery, fill that out. The subscriptions will be $25 dollars a year (12 issues). This transition from online to print has been a learning experience, to say the least. Thank you all for taking the journey with us. You could be reading anything else but you choose to pick up a copy of Black Westchester and we greatly appreciate it.

www.BlackWestchester.com

6 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BW NEWS

MES DE LA HERENCIA HISPANA NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH - SEPT. 15 - OCT. 15, 2017 Hispanic-Americans are the largest ethnic minority in the United States. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period. The term Hispanic or Latino, refers to Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. On the 2010 Census form, people of Spanish, Hispanic and/or Latino origin could identify themselves as Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or “another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.” Today, 55 million people or 17% of the American population are of Hispanic or Latino origin. This represents a significant increase from 2000, which registered the Hispanic population at 35.3 million or 13% of the total U.S. population.

200 White Plains elementary and middle school age youth recieved Free Hair Cuts thanks to White Plains’ My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and participating barbershops like D’Cache Barber Shop, Kenson Barber Shop, Erwin Barber Shop, Janisly Barber Shop & Hair on Lexington.

ASTORINO VETOES IMMIGRANT BILL As expected Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino held true to his word August 15th when he vetoed a bill that its supporters said would have protected undocumented immigrants in the area. Astorino rejected the Immigrant Protection Act, which was passed Monday, August 7th with a 10-5 vote from the county Board of Legislators, with two legislators absent. In his veto, Astorino said the act, “endangers public safety, violates federal law, infringes upon longestablished principles of law enforcement cooperation and jeopardizes millions in federal public safety grants.” “For more than two decades, Republicans and Democrats have failed to fix our nation’s immigration system,” the county executive said in the statement. “That failure is why we are here today.” The Democratic majority leader of the Westchester County legislature is recieving heat for comparing County Executive Rob Astorino’s stance on an immigration bill to the Nazis. “It’s the classic ‘Big Lie’ technique,” Borgia wrote in an August 17th email viewed by The Journal News/lohud. “All clever Nazis use it.”

PEEKSKILL DIVIDED Peekskill - One of the hottest contested races in the 2017 election is in the City of Peekskill. If you haven’t been paying attention, let me see if I can catch you up. The Democrats choose Councilman Andre Rainey to challenge Frank Catina for Mayor of Peeksill on a ticket that includes Colin Smith, Ramon Fernandez & Vanessa Agudelo for Common Council. A little more than three weeks after the Democratic City Committee endorsed Councilman Andre Rainey for Mayor, The Peekskill Republican Committee unanimously endorsed Mayor Frank A. Catalina and Councilman Joe Torres for reelection along with a seasoned businessman, Luis Segarra and attorney Bob Sullivan for Common Council. The ticket was named Peekskill United and here’s where it gets tricky, Segarra and Sullivan are registered Democrats. “Our theme for this election is “Peekskill United” and the reason why is because this group of candidates reflects a true fusion ticket…registered Republicans and Democrats coming together for the betterment of Peekskill,” Peekskill Republican Chairman Vincent C. Vesce explained. Mayoral candidate Andre Rainey contacted Black Westchester to inform us of a DINO (Democrats In Name Only) Luis Segarra was seen campaigning in Peekskill obtaining signatures and when questioned told the voters he was running on the ticket with Andre Rainey. One particular voter Segarra allegedly told this was Rainey’s grandmother. The Dems took peekskill United to court and Sullivn and Segarra were disqualified from the Democratic Party line after they submitted petitions that were not witnessed properly and had numerous invalid signatures. New York State Supreme Court Justice Sam Walker ruled against Republican candidates Bob Sullivan and Luis Segarra, who attempted to get back on the ballot on the Democratic Party line. Outraged by the court’s decision Sullivan took the fight to the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division on August 22, 2017. The GOP accused Reginald Lafayette, the Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner, who is also the Westchester County Democratic Chairman of actively working to suppress approximately 500 Peekskill Democratic voters. Peekskill United Democratic candidates, Sullivan and Segarra,fought in court to honor the signatures of hundreds of Peekskill Democratic voters. The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled in favor of Peekskill United, ensuring the voices of almost 500 residents will be heard. With this ruling, we are excited to announce the addition of Sullivan and Segarra to the September 12, 2017 Primary Election. “The Peekskill Republican Party takes no position in intra-democratic party disputes,” Mayor Frank Catalina tells BW. “Peekskill United has put up candidates from different political parties who have put Peekskill’s interests ahead of party politics. Peekskill issues are not democratic or republican issues, and we believe our elected officials locally should have Peekskill’s interests above party politics. All of our candidates have been endorsed by multiple parties. Robert Sullivan and Luis Seggara did not discard their lifelong democratic values in order to run for Peekskill office, nor were they asked to. Remember, without democratic votes Mayor Catalina would never have been elected as Mayor. He has governed as an independent and seeks like-minded individuals to put aside their partisan rancor and put Peekskill first.” “This is an effort by the Republicans to present their candidates as progressives with Peekskill’s best interests at heart, but they have already cost taxpayers thousands in lawsuits. If this is how they want to operate, it’s a shame for Peekskill,” Mayoral candidate Andre Rainey tells BW. “This primary will be an opportunity to demonstrate that voters won’t be tricked into thinking otherwise. Primaries are supposed to expand democracy, not manipulate it,” Council Candidate Colin Smith added. With the primary quickly appoaching, Peekskill looks anything but UNITED! Stay tuned to BlackWestchester.com for more on this developing story.

BLACK WESTCHESTER

WHERE CAN I GET A COPY

Thanks to Joe Parisi of the Mount Vernon Inquirer, you can now find Black Westchester on the bottom row of his racks throughout Mount Vernon. Your very selfless act of kindness makes it easier for people to get a copy of Black Westchester especially in places where your rack is the only place to put it. You can also find BW in White Plains, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon & Riverfront Library in Yonkers, Mt.Vernon, Peekskill and Yonkers City Hall, Greenburgh TownHall, Houses of Worships throughout Westchester, area Barbershops, Beauty Salons, Nail Shops, Soul Food and Carribbean Restaurants, Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers, The Slater Center, The Urban League in White Plains, The Theodore Young Community Center in Greenburgh, The Tamika Y. Rose Insurance Agency (Nationwide) located at 65 E. Main Street, Elmsford, The Hummingbird 2051 E Main St, Cortlandt. If you want to carry copies of Black Westchester in your business, can’t find a copy or want copies to give out at your event, email us at BlackWestchester@gmail.com

BW NEWS

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

BLACK WESTCHESTER 7

28 WESTCHESTER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AMONG 100 BEST IN NY Twenty-eight Westchester County school districts are among the 100 best in New York, according to brand-new 2018 rankings just released by the education website Niche. A total of 36 schools from the Hudson Valley made the Top 100. Schools were evaluated based on academics, teachers, clubs and activities, college readiness and health and safety and diversity. Edgemont Union Free School District was the top Westchester school district in the rankings, No. 5. Scarsdale Union Free School District catapulted from the No. 23 ranking to No. 6 in 2018. Rye Neck Union Free School District, which went from No. 40 last year to No. 10. Rye City School District was next, ranked 11th. Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District earned the No. 12 ranking, followed by Bronxville Union Free School District (No. 13) and Byram Hills Central School District (No. 14) Other Hudson Valley school districts ranked are: Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District – No. 16 Ardsley Union Free School District – No. 20 Pelham Union Free School District – No. 22 Chappaqua Central School District – No. 24 Ramapo Central School District – No. 26 Katonah-Lewisboro School District – No. 28 Mamaroneck Union Free School District – No. 31 Bedford Central School District – No. 38 Irvington Union Free School District – No. 40 Harrison Central School District – No. 42 Pleasantville Union Free School District – No. 43 Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District – No. 44 White Plains City School District – No. 49 Eastchester Union Free School District – No. 52 Yorktown Central School District – No. 54 Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District – No. 56 Croton-Harmon Union Free School District – No. 57 North Salem Central School District – No. 62 Nyack Union Free School District – No. 68 South Orangetown School District – No. 71 Haldane Central School District – No. 73 Tarrytown Union Free School District – No. 76 Clarkstown Central School District – No. 78 Spackenkill Union Free School District – No. 79 Arlington Central School District – No. 85 Somers Central School District – No. 86 Nanuet Union Free School District – No. 89 Tuckahoe Union Free School District – No. 92 New Rochelle City School District – No. 94

BW STANDS WITH ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS BY DAMON K. JONES

(Continued from page 1)

SCARSDALE HIGH SCHOOL

FROM THE BREWSTER ROAD SIDE

The 2018 Best School Districts ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more

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The black community of Westchester have watched for too long the subtle dog whistle Politics against Black Politicians including our sister in her position by sexist and racist elected officials, and some of them have the nerve to call themselves Democrats. What makes Governor Cuomo think that Sen. Klein has a better understanding of the suburbs than the Senate Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins? Senator Cousins represents more of Westchester than Sen. Klein, is more known and has crossed ethnic boundaries throughout the county. Maybe our Governor didn’t understand. Maybe the Governor forgot that living in Chappaqua, which has a 1.95% black population (according to the 2011 census) does not represent the rest of Westchester. Maybe there is an underlining Racial Empathy Gap in the Democratic Party in the state of New York. To systematically deny a Black woman the power of the position is a denial of Black peoples’ pain of Slavery, Jim Crow, the fight for Civil Rights, unjust killing of Black man and Mass Incarceration. I believe it’s even worse. The problem is that the pain isn’t really felt its only identified with when they need our votes. And that’s being a Hypocrite! Sen. Cousins has, 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 Independent Democratic Caucus (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? These are the questions Sen. Klein and others must be asked. With racist donors like Leob, what are they thinking? We all know the old saying, birds of a feather, flock together. If the racist shoe fits; then wear it! Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins has remained unbroken and continues to chip at 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 adversity while remaining regal throughout – she is the embodiment of beauty in the struggle. As I stand, all Black Westchester should stand with Sen. Cousins because she has always stood for us. If Governor Cuomo fails to recognize Sen. Cousins and her seat of power as Senate Majority Leader, then maybe, just maybe he would recognize her if she primaries him in the next election as a Candidate for New York State Governor. Would he see her then?

8 BLACK WESTCHESTER

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

SURROUNDING AREAS

TRUMP WANTED ‘FACTS’ BEFORE CALLING OUT RACISTS. WHEN I WAS ON TRIAL, HE DIDN’T CARE. BY GUEST COLUMNIST YUSEF SALAAM

In President Trump’s instantly infamous news conference at Trump Tower, he blasted critics of his slow, equivocating response to Saturday’s deadly events in Charlottesville by furiously insisting that one reason for the delay in issuing a statement about the tragedy was that “you don’t make statements that direct unless you know the facts. It takes a little while to get the facts. You still don’t know the facts. And it’s a very, very important process to me and it’s an important statement. So I don’t want to go quickly, and just make a statement for the sake of making a political statement.” He’s got a point: When someone is accused of a crime, or of inciting the kind of violence we saw last week in Charlottesville, we should gather the facts and carefully evaluate them before rushing to lay blame. But here’s the thing: I’m one of the Central Park Five. When we were falsely accused of sexual assault, Trump had no qualms about jumping to conclusions. In 1990, my co-defendants and I were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned after being charged for the brutal and tragic beating and rape of 28-year-old Trisha Meili, known then as the Central Park Jogger, in 1989. We spent, respectively, between seven and 13 years in prison, until exculpatory DNA evidence emerged and another man, Matias Reyes, confessed to committing that terrible crime, and our convictions were overturned. We sued the city of New York for police and prosecutorial misconduct and settled the case in 2014. In the years since, I’ve done my best to move on. [I’m one of the Central Park Five. Donald Trump won’t leave me alone.] But this week, when I heard Trump adamantly, almost angrily, scold reporters with “You still don’t know all the facts,” I could hardly believe his hypocrisy. Even for someone as fact-challenged as Trump, this was too much. When we were on trial for our freedom, as children, trying desperately to clear our names, he — a private citizen at the time — took it upon himself to poison public opinion, demanding the harshest punishment possible, even though he didn’t know, and couldn’t have known, the facts. We weren’t named in the ads, but “Muggers and murders,” it read, “should be forced to suffer and when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.” As one report notes, “he didn’t refer to the teenagers by name,” but given the timing “it was clear to anyone in the city” that he was referring to us. He never acknowledged his rush to judgment, and last year when asked about us, he still stuck to the line that “They admitted they were guilty” and “The police doing the original investigation say they were guilty.” Never mind that we weren’t. Or that the case finally turned on the introduction of additional facts. Yusef Salaam is a motivational speaker based in Atlanta. Follow @yusefsalaam

SURROUNDING AREA

CELEBRITY CHEF SPOTLIGHT: WENFORD PATRICK SIMPSON, EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR B.B. KING BLUES CLUB AND GRILL AND THE HIGHLINE BALLROOM

BY SAMANTHA HUNTER

A great chef understands that before a morsel of food hits someone’s palate, it has to appeal to them on the plate. Not only does Wenford Patrick Simpson, Executive Chef of B.B. King Blues Club and Grill and the Highline Ballroom in New York City and star of Tempo Television’s Cook-Up With Chef Patrick, want you to fall in love with what you taste when you visit his restaurants, he wants you to love what you see as much as he loves preparing it. Chef Simpson first discovered his love of cooking as a young boy back in Jamaica, spending time with family. He recalls, “My mom used to work two jobs so I had to babysit my sister, so every now and again I would be in the kitchen cooking something for her so she could have something to eat.” At the age of 10, Chef accidently stumbled upon the realization that the kitchen could be a place to create and experiment, and ultimately come up with something uniquely flavorful. While attending Marcus Garvey High School in Jamaica, Chef says he chose to study food and nutrition as a way to give him access to food, but the experience actually fueled his passion for and interest in culinary arts and cooking. “I used to go to school with no lunch money, nothing to have for lunch, so I was basically using Food and Nutrition class was my resource. I thought there was going to be food there, but to my surprise there wasn’t always food there – I sat in a class with paper, but every now and again, the teacher would have practical, where we would cook something and we would all get to eat.” Chef Simpson began staying behind after Food and Nutrition class and studying cookbooks. He recalls one day his teacher asking him what he wanted to be when he grew up, to which chef recalls he responded, “I want to be a famous chef. I don’t want to be rich, but I want to be a famous Chef with my own cookware… up until this day I can remember the day when I said that. From that point I’ve set these goals and standards, I mark them off in my head, and I tick them off as I go along in the sense of accomplishment. It’s the bucket list that I created for what I want to do in my career as a chef. Seeing that I’ve accomplished all that I’ve set out to do as a part of my career – that’s my greatest accomplishment. Today, as executive chef for bb king, chef Patrick cooks for hundreds of people weekly. His family has expanded to include members from all over the world who enjoy his fusion-style cooking. For chef, it’s still all love. Chef is sharing the love by giving back to his native Jamaica in a big way – he is in the process of building a culinary school for students there, because he wants the youth to know that if you believe and work hard, anything is possible. For more on Chef Simpson, his television show Cook-Up With Chef Patrick on Tempo TV, and his line of seasonings go to http://chefwpsimpson.com. Samantha Hunter as a multimedia journalist whose experience covering music, lifestyle and entertainment spans over 15 years. Samantha’s work has appeared in Inner City Magazine, Essence.com, Hype Hair/ Today’s Black Woman, Ms. Magazine, RnBmagazine. com, RollingOutTV.com and VH1.com, featuring interviews with the late Gerald Levert, Chaka Khan, Jeffrey Osborne, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Faith Evans, Donell Jones, Nile Rodgers, Brian McKnight, Tyrese, Chrisette Michele, Tamar Braxton, Mack Wilds, MC Lyte, Brian McKnight, EVE, Erica Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Anthony Hamilton and many more. She presently resides in Pelham, New York.

From Music to Movies to TV, Latinos Are Widely Underrepresented - And I’m Done With It John Leguizamo

Following the ‘Despacito’ VMA snub, actor John Leguizamo pens a powerful essay on Latinos’absence from film, TV and media in general. It was OK in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s because we’d tell ourselves, “They don’t know better,” as a justification to ease our alienation. It wasn’t fair, but it was status quo. Not knowing better is a symptom of ignorance, not evil. We assumed people over time just needed to become educated, and in turn would empower Latino equality in the arts. We were wrong... I was wrong. We have now reached our threshold, in 2017, where we must not just symbolically make a stand. No… we must actualize our movement and create change. We cannot leave it up to those who don’t know better… we must empower, thrusting knowledge and humanity onto the ignorance of the world. We need equality. And the time is now. “Despacito” is the name of a Spanish-language music video by Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi with a historic record-breaking 3 billion views on YouTube. The song, not the video, was a late, perfunctory inclusion as the song of the summer at the MTV Video Music Awards. We must ask ourselves, is this a blatant omission? A proactive and decisive stand against the Spanish language? With 3 billion views, this historic song and video triumphs over the likes of, with all due respect, Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, but this is only one example of exclusion. I’ve lived my entire life justifying my position on the outside looking in. Trying to rationalize analytics that break records to executives that just “can’t see it working” for an undisclosed reason. How can we continue to be absent on so many lists, awards shows, news programs, movies, TV shows and even, more so, distorted and erased from history textbooks? We Latin people are less than 6 percent of roles in TV, movies and all streaming platforms. Most of those Latin roles are attributed to Latin-only audiences. As if we Latins are the only people who can relate to our skin color or our accents. It’s an unconscious choice to ignore our talents and achievements and trump it up to a “limited market,” but that’s what happens. “They don’t know better” doesn’t work in the age of the internet, where analytics and response rates are easier to source than a McDonald’s cheeseburger. So why are we still subjected to the “Latin only” corner of the room? While this is a slap in the face to Latin artists who work so hard to hold a mirror up to humanity as a whole (and not just Latin people), it’s far more detrimental to our youth. A youth that still grapples with identity. A youth that must still learn to fill a historic Photos: Courtesy of Chef void for itself — omitted from the history books and Wenford Patrick Simpson omitted from current pop culture. (Billboard.com)

SEPTEMBER 2017

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BW FINANCE

5 EASY WAYS TO CUT COLLEGE COSTS IN HALF – OR MORE

Zoe Saldana Is Launching Digital Media Brand To Empower Latinos Actress/producer Zoe Saldana is launching a digital media company that will focus on empowering Latinos. BeSe (pronounced “bee-say”) will debut by the end of 2017. The startup will create cultural storytelling targeting millennial and Gen Z audiences, for distribution across social and digital platforms. Saldana will serve as the founder and CEO of the company, with media and entertainment veteran Daniel Batista as president and COO. Backing BeSe is Plus Foundry, which partners with influencers and brands to ideate, develop and launch transformative ventures. The name comes from the verb “to be” in two languages — in English “be” and in Spanish “se” — meaning to exist and know yourself. Its mission will be to amplify the voice and untold stories of cultural pioneers reflecting and shaping the collective American experience. Saldana has also been unapologetic about the importance of embracing Latinos and their stories. During a conversation with Latina magazine in 2015, the star addressed anti-immigrant sentiment and the rise of Latinos in the U.S., which today make up over 17 percent of the population.

CHICAGO AGREES TO OVERSIGHT WITH POLICE REFORM CHICAGO (AP) — The city of Chicago changed course Tuesday and said it now wants to carry out far-reaching reforms of its police under strict federal court supervision, abandoning a draft deal on reforms with the Trump administration that envisioned no court role. The new approach led to the unusual sight of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan at a joint news conference to announce that Madigan — with the mayor’s full support — had just sued the city seeking court oversight of the beleaguered police force. The 35-page lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago requests extensive judicial oversight, including an independent court-appointed monitor who would report regularly to a judge about whether the city was meeting reform benchmarks.

BLACK WESTCHESTER

MTV DEFENDS ‘DESPACITO’ 2017 VMA SNUB

According to the College Board, tuition, fees and room and board for full-time instate students averaged $19,548 at public four-year colleges and universities in 2015 and $43,921 at private nonprofit four-year colleges. But most students receive some form of financial aid, bringing the average net cost (sticker price minus grant aid and tax benefits) of tuition, fees and room and board down to $14,120 at public four-year institutions, and $26,400 at private nonprofits. A few well-played strategies can slash that college price tag further still. Level Down A College Solid students who take tough classes, get good grades and excel in athletics or extracurricular activities are likely to get more merit aid, also known as non-needbased aid, if they are willing to “level down.” High achieving students who opt for a less prestigious undergraduate school can often earn a degree for 50 percent less with the help of lower tuition fees and more generous scholarships and grants. The most sought after college students could even get a full ride. A 2014 study of college graduates by Gallup-Purdue University found that the type of institution they attended mattered less than what they experienced while in college – experiences that “strongly relate to great jobs and great lives.” Choose a Zero Tuition School If you really want to minimize your tuition fee, as in, not pay a dime, more than a dozen U.S. colleges offer free tuition. Really. Generally, you will still incur the cost of room and board, along with books and incidentals, and you may be required to work during the academic year, as some schools offering a degree for free want their students to have some skin in the game. Finaid.org, a free online financial aid resource, profiles each of the colleges offering zero tuition. Finaid.org notes that some new colleges, particularly professional schools, also offer free tuition to the first year’s incoming class to generate publicity, which is worth investigating the year you apply for college. And for those with exceptional financial need, it reports, more than 70 colleges have implemented zero loans financial aid policies for low-income students. College Study Abroad The number of American students who study abroad before graduating from college has more than tripled in the last two decades, reaching a new high of more than 300,000 in 2013-14 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education.3 But the vast majority spends only a semester or two abroad. To save some serious cash, you might want to consider packing your bags for all four years as it is sometimes less expensive to attend school overseas. Start at a Community College You can also save a bundle by getting your first two years of college credits at a local community college and then transferring to a four-year institution. The average published price for an in-district, two-year public community college in 2015-16: $3,435. That is a total of $6,870 for two full years.4 And since many students who attend community college live at home, they do not incur the additional expense of room and board. To fairly compare out-of-pocket costs, however, you will need to factor in the cost of transportation to get you to and from campus, including a car, train or bus. You do need to do your homework before you take the leap. You want to make sure that the courses that you take at the community college will transfer to the four-year program. Check with your community college and the four-year school you are planning to research your options. Pay in-state Tuition There is also much to be gained by getting “in-state” tuition rates, but that does not necessarily mean you have to attend a school in your own state. Several states have reciprocity programs in place that allow eligible non-residents to pay the equivalent of in-state tuition at their colleges and universities. Despite the rising cost of college tuition, it is still possible to earn a degree without driving yourself into debilitating debt. ________________________________________ Provided by Rashad Bilal a financial representative with The Bilal Group LLC, courtesy of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company © 2016 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, MA 01111-0001 FY1080 CRN201809-204856

The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards neglected to give YouTube’s most-viewed production EVER a single nomination, and now, the network is trying to explain the blatant “Despacito” snub. The 2017 VMAs, which have made front-runners out of Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd, deemed Luis Fonsi’s massive hit ineligible because the artist’s team never formally submitted it for consideration. But Universal Music Latin Entertainment claims MTV didn’t ask the team for a submission until two weeks after the eligibility window closed. Uh…? “‘Despacito’ has not aired on MTV or MTV2, but it is being played on MTV Tres, the company’s Latin channel,” the statement reads. “As for the VMAs, MTV said “the ‘Despacito’ video was not submitted for consideration. The VMAs have conceded that “Despacito” will be eligible for a Song of Summer category, which the label seems to be happy with. “UMLE is surprised and happy to learn that MTV plans to recognize ‘Despacito’ in the VMA’s ‘Song of Summer’ category,” UMLE noted. “We hope the nomination will lead to MTV airing the full video on their main channels.” “We’re proud to work with MTV to expose new audiences to our artists’ music and we would welcome MTV’s decision to recognize Spanish-language videos on its main channel and the Music Video Awards program,” it added. The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards will aired on August 27. You can vote once per category, per day until voting closes ahead of the show.

CHARLOTTESVILLE SUSPECT ARRESTED IN GEORGIA TO BE EXTRADITED

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A man wanted in connection with the beating of a black man in Charlottesville on the day of a white nationalist rally turned himself in to authorities in Georgia and will be extradited to Virginia, officials said. Alex Michael Ramos, 33, surrendered Monday, August 28 at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Lawson Bittick told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Ramos faces one count of malicious wounding in the attack on DeAndre Harris, which was captured in photos and video that went viral. The Aug. 12 attack by a group of men left him with a concussion, abrasions and contusions across his body, as well as a head laceration that required staples, a knee injury and a fractured wrist, according to his attorney. Ramos agreed to be extradited to Virginia during a hearing Tuesday, said Kathy Barfield, deputy clerk of the Monroe County Magistrate Court. Bittick said Ramos is an unemployed construction worker, and he didn’t know if he had obtained an attorney. In an interview with Atlanta TV station WGCL, Ramos said that he hit Harris once and that others beat him with sticks and shields. He called the incident “a defensive attack.” Ramos also said he is not a white nationalist. “I was there because, pretty much, I’m a conservative. … There were some non-racist members who were going to a free speech rally,” he said. Harris, a 20-year-old special education instructional assistant, attended the rally with friends to show his opposition to the white nationalist groups, his attorney, S. Lee Merritt, said. A member of Harris’ group began arguing with a white supremacist over a Confederate flag, Merritt said in a statement. Harris intervened just as the white supremacist attempted to spear his friend with the flag’s pole, the statement said. Harris tried to retreat but was pushed to the ground by a man holding a shield with the symbol of a white supremacist group, and the group of men swarmed him, beating him with blunt objects,

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SEPTEMBER 2017

COMEDY KINGS TALENT AND BILL BELLAMY REFLECT ON DICK GREGORY’S LEGACY AND INFLUENCE

WORDS BY SAMANTHA HUNTER, PHOTOS BY ANTOINE DEBRLLL

Some of the best and brightest of the comedy world came out to Harlem’s Alhambra Ballroom for the 1st Annual LOL Comedy Honors, which was created to celebrate the legends who have pioneered the art of comedy in the Black community. Hosted by Bill Bellamy and Kim Coles, the event paid special tribute to the late Charlie Murphy, as well as honored the original Queens of Comedy in addition to bestowing awards to some of comedy’s best and brightest, including D. L. Hughley, Luenell, Mike Epps, Joe Torry, and Juhahn Jones. We caught up with four of the evening’s attendees – Bill Bellamy, Adele Givens, Cocoa Brown, and Mount Vernon’s own Talent Harris, as they walked the red carpet and asked them to share their thoughts on another comedic great who passed away on August 19, the legendary teacher, political activist, and comedian Dick Gregory. Gregory was not only a pioneer in the comedy world and a powerful political activist and teacher, but he also touched the lives and inspired many comedians who followed in his success and took cues from his life’s work and story book. Gregory passed away at the age of 84 from heart failure, and although he will be missed, the following comedians celebrated his life and legacy at the LOL Comedy Honors pre-show and shared warm thoughts and memories of the late comedy legend. Here’s what they shared with Black Westchester.

Talent Harris, Comedian, actor, writer, known for his appearances on BET’s Comic View, Def Jam Comedy, host of 98.7 KISS FM’s Morning Show “He (Dick) was the exact blueprint of the mental approach to my comedian business side. He basically not only literally opened the doors for that generation to open further for me, but he preached smart business and black consciousness and ownership. I have listened and modeled my whole business savvy approach this way and therefore I am amongst my comic peers as a leader and go-to guy in the international comedy game… and nationally the king of New York.” Talent’s 4th annual comedy show, “Talent’s Westchester Comedy Festival, will be taking place at the Yonkers Comedy Club October 16-22. For more info go to yonkerscomedyclub.com.

Bill Bellamy, actor and stand-up comedian, has appeared on several TV and movies, including Showtime at the Apollo, Def Comedy Jam, Love Jones, How To Be A Player, The Jamie Foxx Show, and The Bounce Back “Dick Gregory is one of our legendary comedians. I mean, he brought so much to the game – a real voice, a real parameter for social justice, for doing comedy and speaking to the people and educating. There’s not a lot of us that specialize in that lane like him. He created that lane to me, where you’re laughing but you’re like, whew, I better drink my water… I gotta walk… you don’t have to have diabetes. There’s a lot of things I learned from Dick Gregory just watching his speeches. I mean, he would just do speeches and be telling it from the heart and it would be funny, but he’d be dead-ass serious. And you know, I’d be like, wow. So what a wonderful, bright spirit we had – we’re taking a very big loss with him, but I met his nephew Mark and I think he’s going to carry the torch. “

Cocoa Brown, comedian and actress known for her work in The Single Mom’s Club and Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse, and The Soul Man “Dick Gregory paved the way for every comedian for it to be okay to have political commentary, and to talk about what’s going on in the state of our country, to talk about politics and racism and classism and sexism – he made it okay. And he also made it okay that every joke doesn’t warrant a big old belly of laughs. Sometimes you’re there to thought-provoke and get your audience to think. And a lot of us do have something to say, and it’s not just about knock knock, who’s there and all of that. A lot of us comics are educated, and we’re up there actually educating while we tell these jokes. So I am so grateful to Dick Gregory and his legacy because he allowed us as comics for that to be okay.” Cocoa Brown is starring in the stage revival of the popular movie, Two Can Play That Game, alongside Vivica Fox, Carl Payne and Columbus Short.

Adele Givens, actress and comedian, was featured in The Queens of Comedy Tour and has countless credits to her name, including Beauty Shop, The Player’s Club, Def Comedy Jam and Comedy Central Presents “To me this is a lost for everyone, not just the world of comedy, with the wisdom that the man had and he was always open to share it with you and to teach you something. I mean, he gave me a two dollar bill one time and gave me the history on the group of people on the back of the two dollar bill. Once I was on stage in Detroit, and he showed up on the stage while I was in the set. These are just personal brags that I’m doing right now that I had these moments with him, and me remembering it, it’s awesome. I’m so grateful for the person that he was and I’ll try to carry his knowledge on, because he loved to educate, and for me, my motto is, you’re not wise until you share that knowledge, and that makes it wisdom. Because if you just hold it in and never share it with anybody it’s like a book that nobody reads. And I love him for sharing all the time with us, I really do. “ For more info and tour dates for Adele Givens, go to ticketmaster.com.

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

SEPTEMBER 2017

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

FRANK SERPICO JOINS BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT AT RALLY IN SUPPORT OF COLIN KAEPERNICK

BLACK WESTCHESTER 11

Vote Sept. 12th in the Democratic Primary for County Executive

“There is no such thing as a bad cop. Either your a Cop or a Crook in blue, no in between!” Retired NYPD officer Frank Serpico says at Rally for Colin Kaepernick, Saturday, August 19, 2017 [Black Westchester] (Continued from Page 1) His story was chronicled by Al Pacino in the 1973 movie Serpico. The 81-year-old admitted not being a football fan but said he felt it was important to support Kaepernick for his stance. “He’s trying to hold up this government up to our founding fathers,” Serpico said at the presser. The former San Francisco 49ers player became a controversial figure last year after he refused to stand for the national anthem in what he called a protest against the oppression of people of color. Kaepernick finds himself without an NFL job so far this year after he began kneeling during the National Anthem before games last season. Because Colin Kaepernick took a knee, these members of black law enforcement dressed in black T-shirts with #IMWITHKAP on the front let him and the world know, they have his back. Law enforcers past and present turned out Saturday in a show of support for the 29-year-old NFL quarterback without a team to call home — whose public stance against racism and police violence preceded his current unemployment. “What Colin Kaepernick did is try to bring awareness that this nation, unfortunately, has ignored for far too long,” said NYPD Sgt. Edwin Raymond, who helped organize the rally near the Brooklyn bridge. “And that’s the issue of racism in America and policing in America. We decided to gather here today because of the way he’s being railroaded for speaking the obvious truth.” Kaepernick is being punished for not standing for a song the poet and lyricist Francis Scott Key sang in 1814 for freedom while enslaving blacks. His hatred even bled into the lyrics of the elongated version of “The Star Spangled Banner” you won’t hear at a sporting event. The third stanza reads … “No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave” That line was basically a shot at the slaves who agreed to fight with the British in exchange for their freedom. Who wouldn’t want freedom, and how could he not understand them opting out for a better life? A song that retired NYPD Inspector and Author of Once A Cop, Corey Pegues stated at the presser; “March 3, 1931, Congress passed a resolution for us to sing the national anthem, making it officially the song of the United States. I also noticed that Black people couldn’t vote in 1931. So let’s be very clear when the Constitution was written, it didn’t include us. I’m not just talking about law enforcement now, I’m talking about Black People… it did not include us…”

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MILAGROS FOR MAYOR

Wants to create a White Plains where every neighborhood moves forward, together

Milagros is an immigrant from the Canary Islands in Spain who moved her family to White Plains in 1987 to pursue their American dream. She has a BS in Architecture from the University of Spain and is a trained architect and urban planner for the last 35 years she has served on the White Plains Common Council for the past 9 years. During her time in office Lecuona has taken on powerful interests on behalf of the people of White Plains. She is a board member of the Westchester Hispanic Coalition, was a former member of the Westchester County Planning Board and served on the Advisory Committee of the White Plains Cable Commission. Entering public service was a natural progression given her lifelong community involvement. She has been the recipient of multiple recognitions and awards. We caught up with White Plains Mayoral Candidate Milagros Lecuona to discuss her campaign, what she thinks of the Immigration Protection Act, the Black and Brown community dealing with excessive force from the police and how if she wins she will not only make history as the first Female Mayor of White Plains but Latino Mayor in the state of New York. Her platform is One White Plains United - A City For Everybody, Not Just A Group Of People. One of the first things we were eager to get her perspective on was the controversial Immigration Protection Act, that was passed by the Board of County Legislators and then vetoed by County Executive Rob Astorino. She shared a personal story about how this bill impacts her own family. “I am an immigrant and my daughter unfortunately went through the deportation process,” Milagros shares with BW. “And so while the bill is really supposed to protect the residents and criminals are supposed to be kicked out the country, my daughter went through the deportation process not because she was a criminal, but because immigration laws put her in what they call a limbo status. She was in an undocumented and it was the immigration laws that put her in that position, when she became an adult. So her crime was becoming an adult, She was automatically removed from my application. So when I hear about a way of criminalizing the undocumented and other ways to criminalizing the population, I am very careful to find out what that criminalization is all about. With that said I am all for safety. For laws that keep our residents safe, but I want to make sure when we make decision related to our population, our minorities, our immigrants that are making the right decisions based on politics. So I think the bills should pass. I was at the County Center the day that the county passed the bill, i congratulated my colleagues in the County Legislature there for moving the bill forward and I hope at the end the veto will not win.” She expressed he importance of our public being really, really informed, because the more educated the less chance of being manipulated. We discussed he relationship with the police and the community which has been a hot topic throughout the county and the country. In White Plains there have been issues with Blacks and Latinos in dealing with the police and the use of excessive force. One such incident led to the death of a 68-year-old Marine veteran who was retired from Westchester County Department of Corrections, Kenneth Chamberlain. What was supposed to be a medical call because in his sleep he set off his medical alert pendent ended in his death at the hands of the White Plains Police. “The use of force by the police as you are aware is not just a White Plains issue. What that shows us is its a complicated issue. That does not mean it doesn’t have to be addressed, It has to be addressed at different levels. There will be no place for abuse of police power in my administration, With that said, we have a good department, we need accountability. Just like the firefighters, we do not have enough.” These are some of the issues she plans to address as mayor and is the reason Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr., (who “I support Milagros Lecuona for the next Mayor of is still fighting for justice in his father’s summery execution five years later) stands in full support of her. Will she make White Plains, NY and so should you. If your not history, only time will tell, but win or loss, Milagros will continue to fight for all the resident of White Plains, especially the registered to vote do so” -Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. unrepresentative. To see the video of our entire interview with Milagros go to www.BlackWestchester.com.

COVER STORY

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

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BIG PUN THE LEGACY OF A LATINO LYRICIST BY AJ WOODSON

Big Pun was a surprisingly graceful and nimble rapper, delivering his often clever, tongue-twisting rhymes at a torrential pace. When he spit; “Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know/ That we riddled two middlemen who didn’t do diddly,” in Twinz (Deep Cover 98), everyone was speechless how Pun rode that classic beat from the Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg collabo from the movie Deep Cover. You couldn’t deny his notably technical efficiency, his having minimal pauses to take a breath and his heavy use of alliteration as well as internal and multi-syllabic rhyming schemes. In my first interview at Loud Records with Pun a year or so later for the release of his debut solo album, the one thing I remember him was telling me, “AJ, I’m gonna be the first Latino rapper to go platinum. That will be like artists go 10 times platinum for me, to be the first.” He insisted he would be first; “cause Latins goin’ platinum was destined to come.” The other thing I remember was his sense of humor, he was very quick-witted and had jokes for days, making it hard to actually do the interview, cause he had my crying. Dude was madd funny. Emerging from the underground hip-hop scene in The Bronx borough of New York City, in the early 1990s, he was the first Latino rapper to have an album certified platinum as a solo act. He first appeared on tracks from Fat Joe’s second album Jealous One’s Envy in 1995, and The Beatnuts’ second album Stone Crazy in 1997, prior to signing to Loud Records as a solo artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. About.com ranked him #25 on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of All Time, while MTV2 ranked him #11 on its list of the “22 Greatest MCs”. In 2012, The Source ranked him #19 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. Soundview, Pun’s hood is a neighborhood at the eastern edge of Bronx Community Board 9, with a population density about 45,000 per square mile (excluding Soundview Park, about 53,000 per square mile). Its total land area is roughly 1.3 square miles. The neighborhood predominantly consists of Latin Americans (mainly Puerto Ricans) and African-Americans and has a mixture of moderate single-family homes, low-income buildings and expensive condominiums. Just 10 miles or so, away from Money-Earning Mount Vernon where another Heavyweight hip-hop artist, Heavy D, called home. Boricua, morena, boricua, morena, boricua, morena, boricua, morena

Big Pun Artwork by Andre Leroy Davis

Starting with the end and working backward, the world was in shock when the news came that Big Pun suffered a fatal heart attack on February 7, 2000 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, White Plains, at the age of 28 years old. In a time most stories like this ended with a hiphop artist dying by some act of senseless violence, if there was anything positive to find, many were happy that he wasn’t shot to death. What made taking his death so hard was hearing the lyrics of his current single; “It’s so hard (It’s hard work, baby)/ Yeah (I just copped 100 pounds, I’m tryin’ to live, I ain’t goin’ nowhere).” Despite the loss of weight, a heavyweight in hip-hop was gone. It’s So Hard featuring Donell Jones played on not just heavy rotation, but every rotation like Hypnotize played right after Biggie died. Now starting from the beginning, I knew Pun was gonna be a big star when he joined Fat Joe on stage to perform a track from Joe’s second album, Jealous One’s Envy. Joe was performing, Big Pun came out on stage at the Palladium that used to be located on the south side of East 14th Street, between Irving Place and Third Avenue. In midverse, Pun fell flat on his ass, laid on the floor of the stage, never missing a beat, a lyrics and rocked like it was a scheduled part of the show. I remember watching saying this dude gonna be a big star.

In 1996 Big Pun began recording songs for his debut album Capital Punishment. In 1997 producer Knobody’s production partner Sean C took advantage of his new role as A&R at Loud Records to play Knobody’s tracks to Big Pun. Suitably impressed, the rapper hired Knobody to remix “I’m Not a Player”. The remixed song, featuring Joe and titled “Still Not a Player”, became Big Pun’s first major mainstream hit and major breakthrough for Knobody. The full-length debut Capital Punishment followed in 1998, and peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200. Capital Punishment was also nominated for a Grammy, and went to No. 1 on the R&B/hip-hop charts. Big caught his first big break when he met successful rapper-producer Fat Joe in 1995. Recognizing Big Pun’s talent, Fat Joe asked him to appear on his song “Watch Out.” The two oversized talents formed a strong friendship and working relationship. Inspired by a comic book character, he took the new name, Big Punisher, and joined the Terror Squad, a group of Latino rappers associated with Fat Joe. Fat Joe even helped negotiate Big Pun’s contract with Loud Records. In a short time, Big Pun developed a substantial fan base and became a hero in the Puerto Rican community. He was proud of his heritage and often mentioned it in his lyrics and even draped himself in the Puerto Rican flag at times. Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000) better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was a legendary Latino lyricist!

The legendary André LeRoy Davis, professionally known as A.L.Dré, is a writer, a poet, an M.C, a producer, a teacher and a journalist. A.L.Dré has been most recognized for his contributions as an artist for The Source Magazine, during the publication’s most impactful period. His “Last Word” column appeared on the last page of every issue of The Source from September 1990 to January 2007. Now, he partnered with Marvel Comics, crafting a new X-Men variant cover that pays homage to Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five.

LATINAS WHO SHINE IN MEDIA - LISA REYES

BY AJ WOODSON

Until recently, much like African-Americans, Latino portrayals in the media has had negative effects for the Latino community. Historically Latinos have not only been portrayed negatively through stereotypes but they have also been largely ignored and excluded from most American Media. BW in an effort to help change the narrative wanted to find local Latino who was not an actor or an athlete (the only two thing other than a criminal mainstream media likes to portray black and brown people as) to spotlight for this National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition. I turned on News 12 to catch up on the local news of the day and it was a no-brainer when I saw Lisa Reyes come across the screen. BW decided we would highlight Lisa Reyes as a Latina in media who demonstrates dedication and commitment as a reporter/anchor for News 12 Westchester and is a shining example to a generation of Latinos, who get to see the news delivered by someone who looks like them. “It’s always very refreshing to see another Latina working in the public eye, especially in the media, 17th District Westchester County Legislator Virgina Perez tells BW. “The Latino community is very proud of Lisa’s accomplishments and will always stand by her side.” Lisa is a proud Puerto Rican and native New Yorker from right here in the Hudson Vally. She is thrilled to be reporting in the area she grew up in. Her work has been recognized by the New York Associated Press, New York Press Club and the National Association of Black Journalists. She has published featured articles on crime and immigration in Urban Latino Magazine. Lisa graduated magna cum laude from New York University. “Lisa is an extraordinary example and role model for young Latinas to look up to,” Latino Empowerment’s Lorraine Lopez tells BW. “Especially since we do not always have positive role models to look up to. Now Latinas in Westchester have Lisa Reyes.” (continued on page 20)

SEPTEMBER 2017

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Congratulations to Black Westchester Magazine for bringing their vision to print! It is truly inspiring to know that an idea can grow into so much more when you put in the hard work and diligence needed to fulfill any goal. Thank you for providing great content to the community and may Black Westchester Magazine continue in prosperous growth.â&#x20AC;? - County Legislator Virginia Perez

SEPTEMBER 2017

National Hispanic History Month Edition

BLACK WESTCHESTER

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LATINO EMPOWERMENT

LATINO LIVES MATTER WHY ISN’T THE MEDIA TALKING ABOUT LATINOS

& OTHER NON-WHITES KILLED BY POLICE?

BY AJ WOODSON

While the national outrage and protest grow for African-Americans killed by law enforcement in America, the media seems to forget to inform the public about all the Latinos Killed By The Police. With groups like Black Lives Matter making mainstream news is it coincidental, purposefully done or just sheer ignorance on the part of mainstream media or could it be they just do not care? Like black Americans, Latinos face disproportionate rates of police violence, could it be it’s just not as sexy a topic to talk about our brown brothers and sisters, who are even more likely to be forgotten about in the media? Are the lives of our Latino brethren any less important? If not why isn’t the media talking about the lost lives of Latinos who are killed at the hands of the police? The issue of police criminality and how police use force is sometimes outside the lens of black and white. The Hispanic and Indian-American communities are rarely discussed but suffer the same deadly consequences as Blacks when it comes to police encounters. While Blacks Killed By Police has dominated the headlines, African-Americans are not the only non-whites being killed by the police. Let’s take the month of July 2016, as videos of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two African-American men shot and killed by police went viral and their names became hashtags, many called out a lack of media attention for Latinos who were killed by officers that same week. Names like unarmed, 19-year-old Pedro Villanueva, who was shot several times and died at the scene at the hands of two undercover California Highway Patrol officers, dressed in plain clothes. At a time when police killings have dominated national media attention, one might have expected Villanueva’s death at the hands of police to become a major story. However it didn’t and many of you are reading his name for the first time. Organizations like the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Voto Latino and even Black Lives Matter, are raising awareness of police use-of-force in Latino communities. Police killings of brown people often go underreported, says Eric Rodriquez, vice president of the NCLR’s office of research, advocacy, and legislation Though the victims received scant national attention, the killings marked 100 Latinos killed by police in 2016 by September, according to Killed by Police, a database that tracks killings by U.S. law enforcement. “In American history, racial conflict has largely played out in black and white. But the history is much more complicated, [leaving] out Native Americans, as well as Asians and Hispanics,” Aaron Fountain, historian of youth activism at Indiana University tells PBS digital reporter and producer for Race Matters and education, Kenya Downs. “Americans don’t see any kind of historical context when Latinos are victims of state violence, despite the fact that there is historical context there.” While blacks and Hispanics have interactions with police at rates proportional to their population, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, both groups are over-represented when it comes to traffic searches and arrests. Hispanics, for example, make up 17.6 percent of the U.S. population but represent 23 percent of all searches and nearly 30 percent of arrests. A 2014 study published by Columbia University found that less than 1 percent of national news stories focused on Latinos. A majority of those stories covered a Hispanic who was breaking the law. Others say the Latino community needs more powerful institutions and leaders to attract media attention to Hispanic issues. Rick Rios, a co-founder of the Pasco-based civic group Consejo Latino, praised the work of civil rights leaders and Black Lives Matter, saying Hispanic activists should follow their lead. “I always go back to the same thing: lack of leadership,” Rios, who played a leading role in publicizing the Montes-Zambrano case, told HuffPost. “We’re not going to legislate discrimination away, we need leadership … That’s what you see with groups like Black Lives Matter. They’re organized. They’re powerful. That’s what the Latino community needs to do.” According to the Counted, a database from the Guardian that tracks officerinvolved deaths across the United states, Latinos were killed by police at a rate of 3.51 per 100 million in 2015, compared to 2.93 for white Americans. “The existence of police abuse and police killings has to be addressed collectively by Latinos,” says Juan Cartagena, a constitutional and civil rights attorney and the President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “From a national perspective, we don’t see the same intensity of attention. When something happens in a community people often see it as an isolated incident. But it’s not.” Between 2007 and 2014, more than half of those killed by police in Los Angeles county were Latino, according to Youth 4 Justice. In 2016, 195 Latinos were killed by police across the United States, according to the Guardian’s database The Counted, making them the group with the second largest number of victims per million (3.51) after African-Americans. That number is likely higher, because local authorities often don’t have the option to categorize victims as Hispanic when filing reports. Last year, 306 of those killed were black (7.27 per million), and 581 were white (2.93 per million). BW takes this time to lift up and acknowledge the Latino lives lost at the hands of law enforcement and challenges all other media outlets to pay more attention, especially Black Media. Martin Luther King Jr said, “An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere,” and I say to the African-American community, Police Brutality to anyone of color, affects all of us of color!

SEPTEMBER 2017

LATINO EMPOWERMENT

As the issue of immigration heats up in this country, and the U. S. Government tries to pass legislation aimed at solving the problem, I thought it would be fitting to comment on the issue. My family: Ramon and Lucy Ortiz (parents), Hilda, Lucy, and Nancy (sisters), Hector, Raymond (brothers) and myself, Eddie, lived in the small bucolic city of Villalba, Puerto Rico for the first seven years of my life, in a ramshackle house, about one hundred yards from my maternal grandparents. My father supported our family by working in the sugarcane fields surrounding the city, cutting sugarcane. The wages he earned were meager and our lives in constant and oppressive poverty. In early 1960, my father decided to leave the punishing and brutal existence in Villalba and head for the United States in an effort to improve his family’s impoverished condition. At the end of his journey, he arrived in Yonkers N.Y., where he established residence and worked for a year to save the money for the plane fare for my mother, three sisters, and youngest brother. Hector and I remained behind with my paternal grandparents on a small farm they owned in Orocovis, P.R. We stayed there for two years, before leaving the island in early September 1963. Soon after our arrival, I was signed up for grade school at the age of nine. It was a shocking and unnerving experience mostly due to the fact that I didn’t understand what the people around me were saying and also because I didn’t feel too much goodwill and friendship forthcoming. I made it a priority to learn English as quickly as possible, and within a few months, time knew enough to carry on a simple conversation. This allowed me to make new friends and build some bridges. This experience taught me the immense value of communication. All throughout my grade school, junior high, and high school years, I took my school assignments seriously and gave them my best effort.I knew that education is an invaluable asset to have in the pursuit of a good paying job. After graduating high school, I spent several years meandering from one menial job to another. Finally realizing I wasn’t going anywhere, I decided to go to S. C. S. Institute where upon graduating, I received a certificate in Digital Electronics. This training allowed me to get a position year later at the V. A. Medical Center Biomedical Engineering Department in New York City. This was a decent job that allowed me to help my daughter achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. So by my family migrating here, it allowed me to do better than my father, which in turn made me able to enable my daughter to do better than me and become a doctor. This is what immigrants have done for decades, come here in search of better opportunities Though many people from many nations have immigrated to this country for decades and made America Great by their contributions; I have chosen to write about my own experience as a Latino, because it is similar to the experiences of other Latino immigrants. Puerto Ricans, for example, have made great contributions to this nation in the past and continue to do so today. Here is a short list of contributors: Science; Astronomer Victor Manuel Blanco, Aerospace; Engineer Juan R Cruz, Space Medicine; Doctor Nitza Margarita, Mathematician Carlos Albizu, Miranda Law; Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Music; Band Leader Tito Puente (father and son) and Singer Marc Anthony, Sports; Robert Clemente, Film; Benicio del Toro and Jennifer Lopez and many, many more. Puerto Ricans who have contributed to making this country great. By Eddie Ortiz, One of the Adminstrators of the Latino Empowerment Facebook Page

IT REALLY TAKES GROWING UP TO TREASURE THE SPECIALNESS OF BEING DIFFERENT. NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT I’VE GOTTEN TO ENJOY THINGS THAT OTHERS HAVE NOT, WHETHER IT’S THE LAUGHTER, THE POETRY OF MY SPANISH LANGUAGE - I LOVE SPANISH POETRY, BECAUSE MY GRANDMOTHER LOVED IT - OUR FOOD, OUR MUSIC. EVERYTHING ABOUT MY CULTURE HAS GIVEN ME ENORMOUS EDUCATION AND JOY. - SONIA SOTOMAYOR FIRST LATINA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 2017

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

COURT ISSUES CLEAR MESSAGE TO MAYOR THOMAS: CEASE AND DESIST THE BASELESS LEGAL WRANGLING ANOTHER SAGA IN THE LEGAL MISADVENTURES OF MAYOR RICHARD THOMAS BY DR. ROBERT BASKERVILLE Ph.D

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Had Mayor Thomas signed the check for the little more than $187,000 February 2016 with the money that was approved and sitting in the 2016 budget that would have been the end of the story. Instead, it went to court and now Councilman Wallace is owed over $310,000 plus $53,000 for legal fees if the courts sees fit for him to be reimbursed. Add that to the over $250,000 in outside counsel fees owed which is still less than the $290,000 plus that it cost for outside counsel to fight the Terrance Horton/Sentinel LED light case, which the city is still appealing, BW was informed. Basically, we are looking at $610,000 for not signing a $187,000 check. That’s an additional $423,000 that the taxpayers will have to pay. Every couple of hundred thousand raise the tax rate. This is just one of the many cases against the city. Win or lose, in the end, taxpayers are the ones who will end up paying the most.

Earlier this week, the administration of Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas suffered another legal defeat in the contentious courtroom battle in which the administration has been embroiled with Councilman Andre Wallace over outstanding payments for an emergency command center constructed by Wallace’s firm, Creative Direction Construction & Design, LLC. The facility became the focal point in the city’s increasingly fractious politics shortly after Thomas and Wallace—one-time political allies who cast themselves as reformers during the 2015 election season—had a very public falling out almost immediately after being sworn into office in January 2016. The dispute over the payment of the monies is just one in a series of bruising battles that have left the city deeply divided, and there is no agreement among the city’s elected officials, or their supporters, regarding the ultimate cause of the dispute. Casting himself as a responsible guardian of the taxpayer money, Thomas has repeatedly stated that his sole concern was to fulfill his fiduciary responsibility to ensure taxpayer money is spent prudently wisely. In his public pronouncements and court filings, Thomas insisted that his refusal to approve payment of the outstanding balance the city owes to Wallace’s was due to the latter’s failure to fulfill the terms of the contract. Councilman Wallace, on the other hand, contends that it is part of a political vendetta that Thomas has been waging, at the behest of political boss Joseph Spiezio, after he rejected a backroom deal that the Mayor asked him to broker with the Council as negotiations over the 2016 budget were beginning to falter. Whatever the cause for the feud, Monday’s ruling by the court is a welcome one, promising to bring an end to the swashbuckling, legal misadventures of a mayor whose actions are more reminiscent of a knight-errant, than the high-minded crusader he poses as. The crux of the court’s argument for rejecting the Mayor’s request to compel the NYS Department of Labor to furnish internal, administrative documents regarding the construction of the center shows just how questionable the methods and motives of the Thomas administration actually are. To begin with, even though Thomas portrays his administration as embodying a new level of professionalism in city governance, it is shocking to learn, on reading the decision, that the city’s recent motion in the Wallace case was rejected because the motion was filed late. Far from being professional, it is the kind of irresponsible misstep you expect from college students turning in term paper, not from seasoned, well-compensated attorneys who are supposedly fighting a major case of financial wrongdoing. The attorney of record, it should be noted, was not Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari—who’s considered by some to be legally slow-footed—but the outside firm of Smith, Buss & Jacob, LLP, home to Joe Spiezio’s long-time attorney, Jeffrey Buss. Since the tardiness of the filing was automatic grounds for rejecting the city’s motion, perhaps the city should take Smith, Buss & Jacob to court to recover fees from the firm for failing to file the court motion on time.

18 BLACK WESTCHESTER

www.BlackWestchester.com

VOICES OF THE PEOPLE

DEAR BLACK COMMUNITY

A few weeks before Charlottesville a young woman Tweeted “Dear White Community, We’re tired. Your turn. -The Black Community “ I liked and retweeted. I couldn’t respond in 140 characters and threads go unread. Today, I would like to respond.

We have known this for sometime and have spent the last two years building a formidable resistance and linking our organizations together. We all agree that regardless of when our descendants got here, and what prejudices they had to overcome, we still represent a white face. We accept that hate started by whites can only be defeated by whites. Don’t laugh at our protests. They are there to show others not to be afraid. We work more behind the scenes. You do not have to fight along side of us, but we do ask that you be The Home front. What does that entail? you ask.. Sacrifices. They are not any harder to give up than what was rationed during WW2. At that time they made life uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Tonight President Trump said in his speech about Afghanistan, that “Pakistan is often housing the very terrorist we are fighting” The black community is guilty of the same thing, in the fight for equality and civil rights. Today, we are calling on you to please stop. The Fox Network gave Donald Trump his platform to spew vile hate against President Obama and divide us and dog whistle himself to the highest position in the World, and the Community rewards them with Millions of dollars to continue giving him oxygen, by making EMPIRE their largest grossing show. White people can not shut down the Fox freak show if Cookie is more important than another unarmed youth being gunned down and the shooter acquitted. We can not stop HBO from Airing Confederate, an Alternative History of Black History, if you refuse to cancel your subscriptions. We all hear, “everyone cares about the Holocaust but not about us” . That’s not true. The victims and their descendants care enough about the Holocaust to not give one penny to ANYONE who disrespects it or them. And anyone with a heart follows their lead and boycotts also. My uncle liberated a concentration camp. He was outraged for the rest of his life. I will never buy a German car. Look around in The Jewish Community, their are no German cars in their lots. I’m not Jewish, but I stand with them. An NFL Boycott is another cause we will get behind, and need you to commit to. Again, a young man has been Blacklisted (pardon the phrase) for respectfully and quietly kneeling during a song he knows in his heart doesn’t apply to him. Why would the career of this young man or any other person of color career matter , if The NFL and their sponsors believe that nobody will give up football? The players are now muted for fear of losing their careers. In essence, it is the Black Community who has sentenced them to a life of slavery. Tonight, before Mr.Trump committed us to a strategy in Afghanistan, unseen since WW2, he denounced hate by promising a great future of equality for returning Vets, when the war is over. On August 14, two African American Soldiers were killed in Iraq, Roshain E Brooks, 22 , of Brooklyn and Allen L Stigler Jr 30 of Arlington TX., while this President refused to denounce Nazis and The KKK. There is much to think about. I have only given you a starting point. You must keep the Home fires burning, by not supporting racism in any form it comes in. Even if it’s all wrapped up with a pink ribbon. This war MUST be won, once and for all. Sincerely, The White Resistance While our editorial policy usually requires usually requires writers to idnetify themselves by name, we granted this writer’s request to remain anonymous for reasons of personal safety!

VOICES OF THE PEOPLE

CHARLOTTESVILLE IS NOTHING NEW, BUT MAYBE

YOU’LL STOP PRETENDING RACISM ISN’T A PROBLEM NOW IF YOU’RE NOT A SOLUTION, THEN YOU’RE THE PROBLEM BY AYANNA ARMSTRONG

Is it true when we say, “liberty and justice for all?” No, not at all. White privilege has become clearer and clearer as we watch the news daily. White privilege is not a myth. As a white American, you are able to take late night walks without the fear of becoming a victim like Trayvon Martin. As a white American, if you’re pulled over by a police officer, you don’t have to fear for your life because you weren’t taught by your parents to keep your hands on the wheel, always address them as “sir” or “ma’am” and do everything they say. As a white American, you don’t have to go through half of what people of color endure. Stereotypes are just a word to you, no pain or history follows behind it. Sitting in my living room, I watched the news unfold about the riot in Charlottesville, Virginia where white supremacists and Nazi’s organized a “Unite the Right” rally. Apparently, Jason Kessler organized the rally to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from a park in Charlottesville. That Friday night, it stopped being a rally when the protestors use the guns, sticks, and torches they were armed with on counter protestors. I wasn’t shocked that something like this would happen. The violence resulted in one death and nineteen injuries when James Fields, one of the white supremacists, rammed his car into the crowd of a peaceful anti-racism protestors. There were at leastfifteen other injuries associated with the rally One of the injuries reported involved 20-year-old, Deandre Harris. He says that he and his friends did not initiate any form of violence. He was transported to Martha Jefferson Hospital where he was treated. Harris was left with eight stitches to the head, a broken wrist and a chipped tooth from the altercation. “This represents us taking our country back. We’re going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. He said we have to take our country back and that’s what we are going to do.” One of the protestors, David Duke told a CNN Reporter. After being invoked in his name, Donald Trump wrote on Twitter “we ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Let’s come together as one!” But how can the president possibly say that after making a mockery out of this country? Trump literally has been encouraging this type of behavior for months during the presidential election. The president can’t call out the white supremacists because those are the people that gave him his votes. Call it what you want but this is terrorism. These nationalists targeted a specific group and attacked them not only physically but also verbally. Harris and the other victims of the counter protest didn’t deserve what they went through. Nobody deserves that. Only a few might have noticed but none of the white supremacists hid their identities because they were confident they would leave there alive and still have a job to go back to on Monday. It’s disappointing but true that if the situation were reversed, it would’ve resulted in a different story. Even as we protect free speech and assembly, we must condemn hatred, violence, and white supremacy. It’s disheartening to learn that some of us can’t move on from our hateful ways. It’s painful to know that our siblings and children will have to know the truth of how the world views someone of their skin color. As POC, we are not safe in this country. Our educational systems taught us that America is the land of the free but it’s far from it. Wise words from Maya Angelou, “hate has caused a lot of problems in this world but it has not solved one yet.” In the end, love will always win. Written by Ayanna Armstrong, 2017 Mount Vernon High school graduate, currently a freshman at Pace University.

BW SPOTLIGHT

National Hispanic Heritage Month Edition

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WILLIE COLON, THE SALSA SOCIAL ACTIVIST BY AJ WOODSON

(Con’t from Page 1) in September of 2004. I had the rare opportunity to speak with the Latino Legend recently and what impressed me more that all the hit records all the record sales, all the awards was his activism. Social activism is an intentional action with the goal of bringing about social change. Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, or direct social, political, economic, or environmental reform or stasis with the desire to make improvements in society. Why is it about the activism part of his life that impressed me the most because like rap artist, Drake’s lyrics in Trophies; “I’m just tryna stay alive and take care of my people/ And they don’t have no award for that/Trophies/ Trophies/ And they don’t have no award for that/ It don’t come with trophies, ain’t no envelopes to open...” When someone who is known as a bonified legend in his field, who has millions of fans and sells millions of records, not only takes the time, because he wants to make things better for his people, incorporates it into his music, there should be an award for that. There should be a trophy for that. While its not actually the same thing BW would like to present Willie Colon with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Activism, for his long career as a civil rights and community activist. There won’t be a big award show, no red carpet, no paparazzi to take his picture, just our respect and this tribute to him in our National Hispanic Month Edition. When I asked him what drives him he quickly responded; “We just don’t have our shit together, as far as advocating for ourselves and we need leaders who are not sold out to political parties, pitting us against each other.” The more we talked, the more it was easy to see how brown and black people have so much in common. When Willie was getting started the Black and Hispanic communities were much closer, especially during the civil rights era. But somehow we have allowed those in power to cause a division against, not just our communities but within our communities against ourselves. That was one of the driving motivations in creating this edition to show how much our communities have in common as well as celebrating some Hispanics that need to be known in both communities. The Salsa icon shared memories of marching with Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and others from West 116th Street in Harlem to Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon and performing at the World Famous Apollo Theater with Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder (two other musicians who are known for blending of music and activism, very well.) “The Civil Rights, we were living it,” Colon recalls. The Bad Boy of Salsa has a long history of advocating for various Hispanic causes and humanitarian efforts like ‘Save The Whales.’ While the Nuyorican musician is credited with being the first band leader to put only trombones in the band’s front line and he has collaborated extensively with other leading Latin musical artists, most notably Ruben Blades and Celia Cruz. Although he has remains active on the Latin music scene (still doing a minimum of 25 concerts a year). Colon became increasingly involved in politics. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 17th District to win a congressional seat in 1994, and in 2001 for public advocate of New York City. He may not have become an elected official but has been very active behind the scenes. I was curious how he got started in activism, and when he realize he was an activist. Like I suspected, there was no grand scheme of things, he just started t get involved. We also tell listeners on our radio show, just get involved, do your part. There is always something you can do as an individual, and if everyone played their part we can really get things done. “When I was a kid and we used to have the jam sessions in the streets, we used to get chased away but the police for disturbing the peace, We used to always come back out when they were gone and begin to play again. That was probably my first act of civil disobedience,” Wille recalls. “The music symbolized something. First I started believing in the music, realizing the music was important to the community, to all of us, We didn’t have a lot back in the day. We didn’t have a lot of places we could call our own. So when we would throw a dance or something, it was an excuse to have a meeting and socialize. That started the social consciousness. Then I started writing songs, not about the old country or how I played my drums. We started writing songs about the hood and our kinda urban culture.” “I do not know when the first time was but remember being asked to come to the school and talk tot he kids and kinda liked it. I started doing alot of that and people would call me to read something to the city council and then I started becoming involved. I started going to different fund-raisers and getting involved with different organizations. I was the first Latino on the Commission on AIDS, I was president of the Hispanic Arts Society. The I started working when Dinkins was running to be the first Black mayor in new York. I got excited. Then I started working with Bloomburg. We brought the Latin Grammy’s to New York.” I was interested in what he thinks of where we the Latino community is now, have they come along way, do they still have a long way to go, are Latinos still fighting for the same things you were a few decades ago? “Latinos, we have a long way to go. We got to get smarter, we got get some leaders who are not sold out to the political machines, the parties and people that are more loyal to us. The parties, the Democrats and the Republicans are just going to use us as useful idiots. That’s what they do. They pit us agaisnt each other and once they win they walk away. The things is we don’t have our shit together and we wind up wth nothing, when teh smoke clears, all the time. We gotta be more loyal to us then the parties.” Sounds a lot like the Black community, we have way more in common then we actually realize, once we sit down and talk to each other. “Other ethnic groups, they have Republicans and Democrats in office that can get together and advocate for the Jews, for the Italians, but we;re not there yet, we just kep getting used. We’ve been promised the Dream Act, we been promised this, we’ve been promised that... it’s like the girl that says yes but never tells you when.” As a The four-year veteran of the Westchester County Sherriff’s Department and a 40 year resident of Westchester County I had to get his take on the highly publicized Immigration Protection Act that the Board of Legislators passed and the County Exec vetoed. “I’m against it,” he said without hesitation. BW salutes Willie Colon with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Activism!

20 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BW SPOTLIGHT

SEPTEMBER 2017

VIRGINIA PEREZ BY AJ WOODSON & LORRAINE LOPEZ

Most times, the best place to start any story is at the beginning. That’s none more evident than in the major motion pictures that have come out over the past few years. Each one kicks off with the backstory of some of the most interesting characters in cinema history. Origin stories are fascinating for audiences because it gives us a look at how characters are shaped and molded in the people that they are. So we decided to apply the same scenario with some local officials here in Westchester. Everywhere else you will read they are running for office, why they feel they are the best candidate or at least better than the others and what they will do if and when they are elected. Here in Black Westchester, we wont bore you with what you can read everywhere. Here we will present their origin stories. This month we will look at Virginia Perez, the first Latina to serve on the Westchester County Board of Legislators and what shaped and molded her to be the legislator she is today. We already know the single event that set things in motion for her pursuing a life of public service was when her brother was murdered and she first sought to organize a neighborhood watch program entitled, Help put Yonkers on the MAP (Martin Antonio Perez). It didn’t take long before she realized that without strong enforceable laws to deter gang violence the most vigilant citizens were virtually powerless against crime. She began to lobby the State Senate to pass legislation she named Martin’s Law. It requires landlords, property owners and management companies to take more responsibility for the safety of their tenants and the general public. Frustrated with the slow pace of the political process, she decided she needed to run for office herself to give testimony to the devastating effect of senseless violent crime on a family and a community. Virginia believes she can be the best advocate for her community to ensure that the conditions which breed such mindless violence are addressed. While we felt that was very vital to the why she went in public service, we felt we needed to delve even deeper to find out what drives that passion to go all out to help those in need, so we turned the hands of the clock back to see how she came to be the Latina Legislator we know today. Our research shows she was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States with her family as a young girl, now that seems like a great place to start, what was that transitition like?

We caught up to Virginia at a diner on Yonkers Avenue to interview her and get her back story for the spotlight piece. Virginia comes from humble beginnings, born in the DR and moved to Southwest Yonkers when she was 10. She didn’t know the language, didn’t no anyone, so it was just her and her brother Martin. When she came to the states her family of five were living in one room of a house because her parents didn’t have enough yet to pay for an entire apartment. “It was very hard, but at the same time it helped mold us into who we became, very hard working people,” Virginia shares with BW. “I really admire my parents, for making the ultimate sacrifice to leave their home, leave their country, leave their businesses to come to America so their children could have a better life. They came ahead of us to get settled. We stayed with our grandparents. We used to look forward to the Sunday phone call and the stack of cassette tapes they would record, that someone travelling back and forth would bring to us. I remember we used to get the cassettes, put it in and push play and my brother and I would just listen to our parents telling us what they would doing to prepare for our arrival, it was they greatest thing to hear their voices while we waited to rejoin them.” Her parents knew they made the right move and all their hard work had paid off, when Virginia became the first in the family to go to college. When she graduated she came her diploma to them. While growing up in Yonkers, her brother and her were very close and his murder devastated her. When she finally came of the state of denial, she began to do all she could to make sure her brother’s killer was brought to justice. “It was more their degree, everything I have accomplished it all because of them and the sacrifice they made for us. I wouldn’t be here, if it wasn’t for them,” Virginia shares with us as we place our order. Martin Antonio Perez, her younger brother by three years, was just 25. He was a cancer survivor, he had a tumor growing in his chest that required surgery to remove it, Then he went through both Chemo and radiation treatments, but he beat it. Martin was engaged to the love of his life and was a brand new dad, he had a seven month old daughter. Being a father was another chance to celebrate his second chance at life. You can see the emotions coming through her as he talks about him. No matter how many times she tells the story of how he died, it still hurts and feels like the first time. He was preparing to take the test to become a Yonkers Firefighter and took on a season job for the holidays. “It happened on December 17, 2007. Martin had picked up a side job for the holidays to be able to buy extra gifts for his baby girl’s first Christmas. He got a job at a diner, that had 24-hour delivery. It was supposed to be for only two weeks,” Virginia emotionally recalls like it was yesterday. “One day he went to work, he wasn’t feeling good but he made a commitment to show up so he did. He went out on his first call. Some young gang members thought it would be really funny to place a bogus delivery call with the sole purpose of robbing and harming the delivery person. When they attacked him, they weren’t expecting someone like my brother who was over six feet, very muscular and trained in hand-to-hand combat. When they couldn’t subdue him, my brother defended himself, not knowing they had a gun. THEY SHOT HIM, POINT BLANK RANGE AND ENDED HIS LIFE IN AN INSTANT.” We needed to take a break for a few. Our food had just arrived and we took a break to eat and to allow her to compose herself after reliving possibly the worst day of her life. A day that transformed her in the becoming a public servant. “I played an active roll in catching the people responsible, knocking on doors getting people to come forward. The people came out and thanks to my community, we were able to catch my brothers killer. I needed to repay them. How else could I thank my community? So I decided to serve. Sadly it took a tragedy to get me out there.... the pain, the loss, the anger is what motivates me. Helping people makes me feel like somehow I’m keeping my brother’s name alive, I’m honoring him. So I do all I can for my community who once came out and were responsible for helping bring my brother’s killers to justice.” Being the oldest child, she is the one her family always relies on to fix things. While she knows she will never be able to replace her brother in the life of her niece, she is very active in her life. Her niece now comes out and knocks on doors with her when she is campaigning. Virginia Perez is running for her fourth term as County Legislator for the 17th District and is involved in a heated primary.

(Lisa Reyes, continued from page 13)

“Lisa Reyes has set an example for me by her motivation and positive modeling through her reporting, addressing students needs and her ability to overcome obstacles as once told by her as she addressed her community during an award presentation,” Amanda Juliet Goldberg a young Yonkers Latina share with BW. “Now as I enter my sophomore year at the University of Buffalo I realized how her words of clear set values, commitment to her community and her acceptance of others had helped me to achieve my goals.” From Rocsi Diaz to Soledad O’Brien to Lisa Reyes, Latinas are now paving the way for aspiring multimedia journalists who want to diversify the media landscape and share their unique perspectives with a broader audience. “Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in America,” Westchester County Legislator candidate Carmen Gomez Goldberg shares with BW. “Lisa Reyes interaction with the community through media has a personal and political level of empowering Latinos in our community” BW salutes Lisa Reyes!

J.LO AND A-ROD WILL EACH DONATE $25,000 TO HURRICANE HARVEY VICTIMS Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are using their power couple status to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey in Houston. On Tuesday, August 29, the two stars pledged to donate $25,000 each to relief efforts for victims of the storm via an Instagram video. “We’ve been watching everything that’s been going on down in Houston and our hearts are just breaking for all the families that are displaced,” Lopez says in the video. “All the victims, seeing these pictures of children and all footage, it’s just devastating and we just want to do our part to help.” Rodriguez adds that it’s their “opportunity to come together as one to help all the great families in distress down in Houston. We’re praying for you.” Lopez also urged others to give what they can by following a Red Cross link she added to the caption. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on Friday, August 25 as a Category 4 storm. By Sunday, August 27, it had returned to tropical storm status and continues to deliver the record-setting rainfall that has inundated Houston and other cities. At least 30 people have died in relation to the storm and the continuing rainfall poses further risk for those in the region.

SEPTEMBER 2017

POLITICALLY SPEAKING

SEN. GEORGE LATIMER Sliwa, who founded the Guardian Angels, February 13, 1979, in New York City told The Daily News ENDORSED BY PARTY that Astorino had drifted away from the Reform Party Platform and the party will no longer be a rubber stamp the Republican Party. ASTORINO STARTED for “For me it was difficult to make that decision

Curtis Sliwa, chairman of the state Reform Party, backs Westchester County Exec. Astorino’s Democratic opponent and makes no apologies.

ALBANY — Guardian Angels founder and long-time radio host Curtis Sliwa — Chairman of the state Reform Party founded by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino — makes no apologies for using the organization to endorse Astorino’s Democratic challenger, State Senator George Latimer. Rob Astorino, who is running for a third term, founded the party in 2014 as the Stop Common Core Party when he ranunsuccessfully for governor, later changing its name. Sliwa took control of the party in 2016 in a move that has been challenged in court.

since I was a personal friend of Astorino’s and had campaigned for him previously,” Sliwa told the Daily News. “But in recent conversations that I have had with him, he seems to have drifted away from the positions of our Reform Party Platform. Whoever the best candidate is will get our endorsement, regardless of party affiliation,” he said. “And in this race, without a doubt, George Latimer is the best candidate.” Bill O’Reilly, a spokesman for Astorino’s campaign, said Astorino is the true champion for government reform. “He’s never once raised taxes,” O’Reilly said. “County government spends less than it did when he first came into office; Westchester now has its own term limits, and Astorino is now finding ways to produce revenue for key infrastructure improvements so that taxpayers don’t get stuck with the bill going forward.” Latimer said he was honored to receive the Reform Party’s endorsement. “I’ve long advanced true reform of government,” Latimer said. “It’s clear that Rob Astorino simply does not represent the values of civic participation, transparency, and oversight that the Reform Party is committed to defending in our elections.” Senator Latimer who received both the Westchester Democratic Party and the Westchester Independence Party endorsements will have to face County Legislator Ken Jenkins in a September Democratic primary for the right to challenge Astorino in the General Election in November. Latimer also has the Working Families Party endorsement as well as the Women’s Equality endorsement, a ballot line created by Govenor Andrew Cuomo in 2014.

BLACK WESTCHESTER 21

BEING LATINA & REPUBLICAN IN THE TRUMP ERA BY LORRAINE LOPEZ

Para mi Gente: The other day someone yelled at me on Facebook. I assume he was yelling because it was all caps!! He said that I am not a Republican. Well, guess what, I am. I was born in a Republican household. I love and support Rob Astorino. My mom was a long time and very proud Republican as well as an OG from the Southside. She was actually friends with Peter Chema and named my departed brother, Peter after him. Not all of us are Trump supporters. I’m a moderate Republican and yes, I was excited about a Republican president until my friend Wanda L. chastised me severely. Then 45 opened his mouth and all bets were off. Just because we got a dud, it does not mean you give up your beliefs. Being a Republican does not mean that we are all the same. We are allowed to have opinions. This is America, so I believe we also have free speech and the ability to choose whom we represent. Does not mean that we are robots that stick to this ridiculous fool. Thousands in the party have regrets about pulling that lever. Does not make them bad people? As a matter of fact, the Republicans I know, that made me want to become a Republican have been the nicest folks I have met. So, please...stuff happens...we screwed up but nothing lasts forever and this too shall pass. So instead of bashing, why don’t you grab some forms and register some Republicans, so you too can make a difference. Get it?? So I am tired of arguing and having to defend myself, about some fools who don’t give a crap about any of us. Look in your backyard. Your hometown and if you don’t like the Republican representative then do something about it! It’s not that hard folks...Btw, the rest of my family is Democratic and we get along well. In the movie Hustle & Flow there was a song that said, “its hard out there for a pimp,” just imagine how hard it is to be a Latina Republican in Westchester County in the Trump era!

ASTORINO’S IMMIGRATION ACT VETO IS A THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY BY DAMON K. JONES

Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino recently vetoed the Westchester County Immigration Act that the legislature’s passed on August 7th. Despite the dog whistle Politics from the County Executive office saying the bill will result in sanctuary city status is further from the truth. The intent of the bill limits information given to immigration and limits the assistance of police officers and restrict questioning of someone’s immigration status. The bill also keeps the County Department of Corrections from holding undocumented inmates for immigration without a judicial warrant. The bill never restricts or inhibits Immigration from doing their job. It restricts the involvement of county resources and personnel from assisting. Communities all across America are facing ICE raids as a result of President Trump’s Executive Order. There are reports that many Immigrants are picked up as “collateral arrest” after they opened their doors to agents who were not there to specifically arrest them. Federal Judge James M. Munley of the Central Pennsylvania District has emphasized illegal immigrants had the same civil rights as legal immigrants and citizens. The presumption of the 14th Amendment that guarantees Due Process (is the principle that the government must respect all of a person’s legal rights, instead of just some or most of those legal rights), and Equal Protection under the law (no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws) can be set aside while migrants are hunted down and punished is widespread but false. Judge Munley argues that “We cannot say clearly enough persons who enter this country without legal authorization are not stripped immediately of all their rights because of this single illegal act.” Furthermore, President Trump’s new executive order lacks any independent review as to whether or not it is causing increased racial profiling or civil rights violations. Even though there have been many complaints already of racial profiling in Southern California in Santa Paula, Oxnard, Van Nuys, and San Bernardino. Separately, a former Obama administration ICE official said that administration “targeted felons,” and noted that under the Trump administration, the enforcement priorities laid out in his interior executive order were much broader and could include a wider range of targets than the Obama administration’s enforcement priorities. County Law Enforcement officials, who claim that their law enforcement efforts would be hampered by the bill must have missed the memo from the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. A group of 63 police chiefs and sheriffs from around the country, who formed a Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force in 2015, issued a memo saying they do not want their officers acting as federal immigration officers and they do not want to lose federal funding if their cities and counties are defined as immigrant “sanctuaries.”

The memo is in line with the issues of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which represents 63 large police departments. It notes that “federal court decisions have found federal immigration detainers violate the Constitution” because they are not criminal warrants, which causes many departments and jails to release undocumented immigrants from custody even if an immigration detainer has been filed for them. The memo also made clear that “there is no set definition of what comprises a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’ and the term is often defined much too broadly.” The memo was submitted to the members of the Senate and is signed by the chiefs of Orlando, Houston, Boston, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles County as well as smaller jurisdictions such as Marshalltown, Iowa, and Garden City, Kan. As a representative of a national association of Law Enforcement Professionals, our organization opinion is in line with the many of the Big City Police Chiefs across the nation. Not having protectives will keep people from reporting crimes and undermine police and community relationships. For the County Executive and others to express their concerns about the loss of federal funds if the Westchester Immigration Act is passed, is nothing but political rhetoric. Astorino did not care about losing federal funds when he opposed the HUD settlement. Astorino did not care about the loss of three years’ worth of HUD block grant funding, totalling $17.4 million until the county submitted a version HUD found acceptable. In September 2013, HUD permanently pulled $7.4 million of those funds, but the County Executive continued to stand his ground even writing a Wall Street Journal op-ed . Astorino asked the question to the reader: “Do you think it is a good idea to give the Department of Housing and Urban Development unchecked power to put an apartment building in your neighbourhood?” Why didn’t Astorino care about losing the federal grants then? Why wouldn’t Astorino think that ICE is having unchecked power with Trumps Immigration policy now? Block Grant funds are usually used to benefit lower-income communities. Community improvements, social programs, such as law enforcement, community development, and health services are service that needs much assistance in lower income communities in Westchester. Astorino tenure as County Executive has shown that anything that hurts minority and communities of colour he supports. Anything that helps minority and communities of colour he creates false narratives to reject. I applaud the Westchester District Attorney Anthony Scarpino Jr. creation of Office of Immigrant Affairs but that is a band-aid on an issue that can only be healed through county legislation. Our elected officials should want people to report crimes no matter if they’re a victim, witness, regardless of their immigration status. A veto of this legislation from Westchester County Executive Astorino is a slap in the face to the true meaning of community policing and will endanger the public safety of the immigrant community.

22 BLACK WESTCHESTER

“IT’S SO REFRESHING TO BE HERE.” Jason Evege Founder and Owner of Linoto

With its affordable manufacturing space and a 30-minute commute to Grand Central, Yonkers is the city that’s taking care of business everyday. LEARN ABOUT THIS REMARKABLE STORY AT GENERATIONYONKERS.COM F L

www.BlackWestchester.com

SEPTEMBER 2017

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BLACK WESTCHESTER 23

NEWS PAPER NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EDITION

Unapologetically Delivering The News To Communities Of Color in Westchester & Surounding Areas

SEPTEMBER 2017

WILLIE COLON THE SALSA SOCIAL ACTIVIST LATINO WESTCHESTER SPOTLIGHT - PAGE 19

BW SPOTLIGHT: VIRGINA PEREZ BY AJ WOODSON & LORRAINE LOPEZ PAGE 13

This month we will look at Virginia Perez, the first Latina to serve on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, here is her original story and what shaped and molded her to be the legislator she is today.

BILL BELLAMY, ADELE GIVENS & TALENT TALK DICK GREGORYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEGACY BY SAMANTHA HUNTER PAGE 10

LATINAS WHO SHINE IN MEDIA -LISA REYES PAGE 13