Black Girls Anthem INSIDE ROCHESTER Opens April 1st at Geva Theatre
“City Hall must be returned to the people!”
Challenger Community News Proudly Endorses Bill Johnson for Mayor of Rochester!
W
e proudly endorse Bill Johnson in the upcoming special election for Mayor of the City of Rochester on March 29. Former Mayor Johnson is an experienced and dedicated public servant who has served our City well for 12 years. He empowered our residents with the NET office, provided quality new housing opportunities, and fostered neighborhood and downtown development. He’s balanced 12 City budgets. Bill says, “we have talented people in this community who have the ideas, the answers and the will to make Rochester a better place. To achieve this, City Hall must be returned to the people. “ Bill Johnson also says he will balance the city’s fiscal challenges while maintaining essential services, while bringing stability to city government. Our key factor in choosing Bill Johnson for Mayor of Rochester is his plan to restore citizen participation in decision making, which has been sorely lacking in the current administration. The over policing of our citizens is an outrage. There are over 50 cameras at various intersections in the community. The booting of unsuspecting citizens’ cars (even though you are currently parked legally but may owe parking tickets in the past), results in your car being towed and you must pay an out of town company in order to get your car back. That’s more money leaving Rochester instead of circulating around Rochester. Rochester, N.Y. has quickly become one of the heaviest police cities in all of New York State. Bill Johnson has been endodrsed by and is running for Mayor on the Working Families and Independence Party Lines.
Black Girls Anthem, a choreopoem by Rochester-based playwright Melany Silas, is probably one of the mostMARSHA about events JONES talked in town, this spring. Tickets for the production, which will be at Geva’s Next Stage Theatre from April 1-April 3, are $15 for students with ID and $20 for general admission and can be purchased on line at www.blackgirlsanthem.com. Show times are 2 and 7 p.m. Silas, the oldest of six kids and an assistant professor in Health Studies at Monroe Community College, has been writing poetry as long as she can remember. Inspired by Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls...., Melany decided to take poems she had written in the past, mix it with new stuff she created, and then consulted with local director Kate Washington. “I was at RAPA (Rochester Area Performing Arts) and Ntozake’s show talked about her experiences and wanted to do the same thing.
Vote Bill Johnson on March 29, 2011!
AROUND TOWN
*Reg’s Computing Solutions book signing and technology Mood Makers Books, March 26 from 2-3:30 p.m. (585)300-6800. *Forward Movement live at Clarissa’s Friday, March 25 at 8 p.m., 292 Clarissa St.,Rochester. (585) 454-2680.
*Aries Birthday Bash, Sat. M arch 26 from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m., Radisson, 120 E. Main St., Rochester; (585) 474-4935 or (585) 288 – 6610. *Memorial AME Zion Church Women’s Ministry Luncheon Sat., March 26, Noon, Radisson Hotel, 175 Jefferson Rd., Donation $40; (585) 546-5997.
Continued Page 10
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ON STAGE NOW! Page 2
(585) 232-Geva gevatheatre.org
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MARCH 23, 2011
State Legislators to Hear from Adult Day Health Care Program Participants About Impact of Budget Cuts
A rea Bri efs
Jean Jimison
Merriweather Library to Host 5th Anniversary Celebration The Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Library will host its fifth-year anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 2 from 2:00 – 4:00pm with drumming, poetry, music and more. This community event is free and open to the public. The Merriweather Library is located at 1324 Jefferson Avenue (corner of Jefferson and E. Utica). The library opened in 2006 to replace the nearly 80-year old North Jefferson Branch Library. In the past five years there have been many cultural and educational programs; as well as programs for entertainment. The library features an African American Resource Room, adult and youth reading rooms, a computer lab, auditorium, and parking lot.
Kensington Little League Baseball
Student Achievement Committee Meetings
Kensington Little League Baseball, Inc. is holding registration for boys and girls for the 2011 season on March 26 at 11 a.m. at McCarthy Park and April 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Galleria Mall. There are discounts for early registration before April 9. For more information call (716) 563-1637 or (716) 816-8980. Practice begins April 4 at McCarthy Park.
The Buffalo Public School District’s Student Achievement Committee will begin meeting every Wednesday, between the hours of 4 and 5 p.m., in City Hall Room #801. Weekly meetings will continue through June 29, 2011. A meeting will be held Tuesday, April 5 [in lieu of April 6] and a meeting has not been scheduled for April 20. Please check the district website, www.buffaloschools.org for changes in meeting dates and/or times.
Big Basha Hit Big Three young men, each armed with a handgun, stole thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise late Sunday evening from Big Basha Central, an East Side Store in the 800 block of Jefferson Avenue. The robbers got away with $1,200 from the cash register, $1,400 worth of jackets and about 10 pairs of size 10 sneakers valued t $1,000 according to police. An investigation is continuing.
Call for Volunteers - National Register District Nomination Program for Hamlin Park
Preservation Studios (www.preservationstudios.com), is currently working on behalf of the Hamlin Park Taxpayers Association to gain listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the Hamlin Park Historic District. If successful, residents and businesses in the approved historic district could be eligible for historic preservation benefits, such as restoration tax incentives and, in certain instances, grants. Pursuit of National Register listing for the only local historic district on Buffalo’s Eastside will be a community-based, volunteer-driven effort. If you are interested in volunteering to assist with the nomination effort, rescheduled mandatory training sessions and fieldwork days for this coming spring have been rescheduled. Training Sessions, which will take place at Preservation Studios , 257 Lafayette Avenue, Suite #3, will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on March 31, April 14 and April 28. The Fieldwork Days will take place at EM Tea Coffee Cup, 80 Oakgrove Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 2, April 16 and April 30. . If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Preservation Studios at 716-725-6410 or online at www.preservationstudios.com. There will be more opportunities in the future to assist with the survey. MARCH 23, 2011
Jean Jimison, A part of Buffalo’s Civil Rights Movement Funeral services were held recently for Jean Jimison, a part of Buffalo’s Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s & 70’s, and a community leader well into the 1990’s. Born on May 5, 1930 in Buffalo, N.Y., she made her Transition on February 28, 2011. Jean was very active in the home, church, school and community. A member of St. Nicholas Home School Association, she served as chairperson of their fourth annual Spring Ball, and initiated having the event in the community instead of the church hall. She was a member and chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Development Workshop; the Black Lay Catholic Caucus’ local office; the BUILD organization; and served as president of the Town Garden Tenant Associaion. Additionally, she introduced Black Culture into the local Catholic Church; served as a member and president of the Niagara Frontier Trade Union Leadership Council; distributed food to the needy; and was part of a team that wrote and produced “Tibute to A King,” that was performed for the community and schools for 13 years. She was director of the Black Lay Catholics and employed by the Department of Social Services for 15 years. A member of New Covenant United Church of Christ, she is the beloved mother of Jonathan Wilson, a Professor of Theatre and Drama at Loyola University and the Grandmother of former Canisius College Golden Griffin Basketball Player, owner of The Oak Room Restaurant/Lounge, and one of Buffalo’s Premier Urban Event Promoters Dennis Wilson Jr.
Tuesdays 12 NOON - 1 P.M.
The Schofield Adult Day Health Care Program will host a Town Hall Meeting for New York State legislators to speak to the participants in the program about the status of the New York State budget. Participants in the program, and their families, will share their concerns about how budget cuts would harm them. The meeting will take place Friday, March 25 at 10 a.m. in the Schofield Adult Day Health Care Program – located on the Third Floor of Sheehan Health Network at 425 Michigan Avenue in Buffalo. New York State Assembly and Senator representing the district in which Sheehan is located were invited to attend. New York State Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes is planning to attend as is a representative of Senator Mark Grisanti.
“Roses for Outstanding Women” Awards Program The Second Annual “Roses for Outstanding Women” will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Frank E. Merriweather Library located at 1324 Jefferson Avenue. Twenty-five women will be honored for their service to the community and the city. Each woman will receive a red rose and a certificate for their contributions. The theme of the program will be The Power of Women. Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant will be the keynote speaker. The program will also include storytelling by Yvonne Harris. The Roses for Women program was created by Columnist and historian Eva M. Doyle. Mrs. Doyle purchases the roses as a gift to each woman for their work in the community. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. The 2011 awardees include: Donna Orr Brown, Judge Barbara Howe, Captain Marian Bass, Kathy Hochul, Mary Davis, Delores McCarley, La Verne Merriweather , Zola Crowell, Ella Holloway, Theresa E. Pope, Lovell Muhammad, Honorable Barbara Sims, Jennifer Parker, Debberra M. Ransom, Yvonne Harris, Kariyma Taaliba, Pastor Terrie’Ann “TC” Coplin, Erika Aminata Mitchell, Gail Lucas, Bernadine J. Kennedy, Constance Eve, Agnes Bain, Michelle Brown, Sabriyah Amin and Debbie Allen.
Local Women to be Honored at “Women Making History” Gala” As this country moves into a historic era recognizing outstanding accomplishment of women worldwide, this year’s “Women History Month” gives much to celebrate and Western New York is doing it in a big way! Saturday, March 26, at 6 p.m. Utopian Euphoria LLC. will present its first annual “Women Making History Gala” at Templeton Landing, (formerly Shanghi Reds) 2 Templeton Terrance in Buffalo. The donation is fifty dollars. The theme of this Signature Gala is the celebration of women . Each recipient will receive an award for their historical accomplishment, achievement or community contribution. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Sickle Cell Rsearch and a special donation to the future Human Trafficking Safe House of Western New York. This year’s recipients are , Honorable Betty Calvo Torres, Honorable Louise M Slaughter, Honorable Crystal Peoples Stokes, Honorable Renae Kimble, Deputy Elizabeth Fildes, Dr. LaVonne E. Ansari, Mary Vance Boyd, Marnetta Malcolm, Janice White, Anna Marie Sinatra and the Legacy Award to the family of Aviva Merritt and Mary McLeod Bethune. Dr. Steve Ambrusko of Women and Children Hospital and Ms. Naquita Hunt, a thriving Sickle Cell patient will be keynote speakers . A special presentation will be given by the new Mrs. New ork America 2011 Karen O’Hara. Live music by JWN Band will feature Joyce Nixon. Join us for this momentous occasion; it is our goal to make this event an evening of a lifetime. For invitation information call (716) 833-2090 or (716) 390-0314.
VISIT US ONLINE AT challengercn.com
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NEWS UPDATE
Farrakhan Warns Obama On Libya: ‘Who The Hell Do You Think You Are???’ The UN-sanctioned attack on rebels and non-combatant civilians loyal to strongman Muammar Gaddafi in Libya have been met with approval by US Republicans. Some Democrats are questioning Obama’s decision to send air assaults last week without Congressional approval or a clear definition of America’s role in the mission in Libya. Minister Louis Farrakhan spoke with FinalCall.com about the war in Libya and offered words to President Obama as he shed light on what he feels is the reason for American intervention. “Our dear brother [Obama] has to be very careful in his decision...whenever government wants you to think and act in a certain way that would bring justification to an action that they are already planning to make, they must make the person that they hate, the boogey man.” Farrakhan states that in every nation there is dissatisfaction and the CIA moves into a country and aligns with the people to stimulate a revolt against a leader that they don’t like. Although the Libyan people have legitimate grievances, The Minister suggests that imperialist powers such as France,
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England and the United States aren’t truly concerned with the countrymen. “What is their dissatisfaction about?” Asks Farrakhan, “...do they have jobs? Yes. Do they have food? Yes. Has Gaddafi used the oil money to build Libya? Yes...Did he impose farming in the desert so that they could feed their own people? Yes.” He warns that the Libyans may unite against the US and other countries if they kill Gaddafi. He advises that Barack meets with the country’s leader instead of using force and Louis gives his thoughts on the actual reason for war strikes. “Don’t tell me and wise Black people or White people that you’re interested in Black suffering. Where were you in Rwanda? Where are you in the Congo? Why did you go to Darfur? Because oil is there! No, you don’t want to save the Libyan people, that’s your noble motive to hide your wicked agenda.”
Minister Farrakhan “I warn my brother do you let these wicked demons move you in a direction that will absolutely ruin your future with your people in Africa and throughout the Arab world…I would advise you to momve carefully with wisdom and skill....Why don’t you organize a group of respected Americans and ask for a meeting with Qaddafi, you can’t order him to step down and get out, who the hell do you think you are?” (For complete interview /video of the Minister’s address go to hiphopwired. com)
BlackAgendaReport.com
Rightwing Offensive Resembles Confederate Resurgence
Assaults on government programs and labor unions in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere show that neo-Confederate ideology seeks national domination, says South Carolina Black activist and writer Kevin Alexander Gray. “If people want to remake their states after South Carolina, good luck with it,” Gray said. “South Carolina is first when it comes to everything bad, and last when it comes to everything good.”
Wisconsin Governor Targets Black Interests
Governor Scott Walker’s legislative agenda is “disproportionately going to affect Black people,” says Monica Adams, of Freedom Inc., in Madison. “It’s also about targeted attacks on professions that are dominated by women.”
Workers and Community Organizations Must Join Forces
“Workers and communities cannot achieve their full human rights, alone,” says Terrence Courtney, of the Atlanta Public Sector Alliance. Paul McLennan, a retired transit union member, added, “The historic problem with unions is that they have been too involved with workplace grievances. Public sector workers have to form a strategic alliance with the people they serve.”
Former Prison Inmates Hold Conference
Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, of The Ordinary People Society, TOPS, says no one yet knows the full extent of state retaliation against Georgia prison inmates who attempted to go on strike, last December. Pastor Glasgow recently hosted a national Conference of Formerly Incarcerated Persons, or FIPs, in Dothan, Alabama.
Clarence Thomas Should Be Imprisoned
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should face criminal charges, says Kevin Zeese, of Protect Our Elections. The organization filed a bar complaint against Justice Thomas in Missouri, charging he filed false financial disclosures for 20 years about his wife’s income from rightwing sources. Thomas is guilty of “lying to a federal agency, the same thing that Martha Stewart” was jailed for, says Zeese.
Head Off U.S. Intervention in Libya
Joe Lombardo, of the United National Anti-War Committee, UNAC, says demonstrations in New York City and San Francisco on April 9 and 10, respectively, are necessary to “stay the hand” of Washington in North Africa and the Middle East.
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MARCH 23, 2011
HEALTH MATTERS
Spring is the Time for Caring for Your Liver and Gallbladder!
M
arch 20 marked the official beginning of the Spring season – a time of new beginnings, fertility, conceiving ideas and laying the groundwork for things to come. It is a time to restore health, to build new relationships, to express our emotional truths, to expand on current projects and to plant seeds that may one day come to fruition. As winter’s ice breaks up and currents flow, the waters of spring nourish new growth. In our bodies, the organs associated with spring are the liver and gall bladder, which govern the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments. -The LiverThe emotion of anger strongly affects the liver, causing stagnation of energy and blood when we hold anger in or excessive internal heat if we express anger too much. The health of the liver is reflected in our eyes and nails. Blurred vision, bloodshot eyes, yellow sclera, ridged, soft or brittle nails each communicate the liver’s condition. The flavor associated with the liver is sour – a little sour food improves liver function while too much can damage. As in the cycle of the seasons when water nourishes the growth of trees, the kidneys are said to be the mother of the liver. If the liver is overactive, it will deplete the kidneys; if the kidneys are deficient, the liver will lack support. The liver blood nourishes the tendons, muscles and joints. When the liver is deficient, there may be pain, weakness, and stiffness. -GallbladderYour liver makes about 500 ml of bile a day. The function of bile (which is mostly water with bile salts and lecithin) is to make fats more watersoluble so that they can be digested and absorbed by the small intestine. Bile is pumped through canals in the liver to one large tube called the common bile duct. The common bile duct drains into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. In between meals, the gallbladder, an expandable sac connected to the bile duct, stores bile until we need it for digesting fatty foods. When we eat protein and fat, the gall bladder contracts and empties its
HERB OF THE WEEK GINGER: Stimulates circulatory system, relieves sore throats and cleanses the kidneys and bowels. Excellent for nausea, sea sickness, flu symptoms, stomach cramps, including menstrual cramps and is good for bronchitis, gas, colds. MARCH 23, 2011
contents in to the duodenum. -Breast HealthIn women, breast health is strongly influenced by the liver’s ability to circulate energy, detoxify chemicals, and manage hormones, particularly estrogen. Liver stagnation and impaired detoxification pathways may result in breast swelling or cysts. Our breasts also need to move daily to allow circulation of lymphatic fluid, which helps to cleanse toxins from the breast area. Breast massage supports this process. SPRING FOODS Foods That Support The Liver: cabbage, sauerkraut, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, other sprouts, kale, dandelion, salad greens, beets, red peppers, carrots onions, garlic, soy, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, spirulina, whole grains, flaxseed oil, fish oil, olive oil, apples, other juicy fruits, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, turmeric powder. Foods That Remove Liver Stagnation: onions, leeks, garlic, mustard greens, turmeric, basil, by leaf, cardamom, cumin, fennel, dill, ginger, black pepper, horseradish, rosemary, mint, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beets, strawberry, peach, cherry, raw vegetables and fruits, apple cider vinegar with honey. Sour Foods That Improve The Liver: apple cider vinegar, lemon, lime, grapefruit. Bitter Foods That Cleanse The Liver: rye, romaine lettuce, asparagus, amaranth, quinoa, citrus peel. Foods That Cool Liver Heat: mung beans, mung bean sprouts, celery, seaweeds, kelp, lettuce, cucumber, tofu, watercress, millet, plum, chlorella, spirulina, daikon radish, rhubarb. Foods That Build Liver Yin And Blood: mung beans, mung bean sprouts, cucumber, tofu, millet, flaxseed oil, spirulina, chlorella, dark grapes, raspberries, blackberries. FOODS TO AVOID: Avoid the foods that cause liver stagnation – red meat, cream, cheese, eggs, butter, rich nuts, lard, margarine, most oils (except fish, flaxseed and olive oil), alcohol. (Excerpted from the Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health, by Dr. Sat Dharam Kaur, ND, Dr. Mary Danylak-Arhanic, MD and Dr. Carolyn Dean, ND, MD)
EAT TO LIVE
When reading is a struggle, so is life. How does low-literacy feel? Often, it’s disorienting, especially when even simple road signs are a mystery. But the Buffalo Public Schools Adult Education Division is doing something about this. We’ve been helping Western New York residents improve their levels of literacy for years, and we can help you or your loved one, too. With the ability to succeed on a daily basis comes the ability to succeed for a lifetime.
8 8 8 -7 0 8 8
Visit www.upskill.org
Dr. James A. Williams, Ed. D., Superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools
CHALLENGERCN.COM • (P) 716 881-1051 (F) 716 881-1053 Continued Page 13
Read. Learn. Succeed.
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1080 AM WUFO Radio Welcomes “The Praiser” Anita Williams has been heard on 1080am WUFO every Sunday at 9:30am uninterrupted since 1986 with her well founded ministry, God’s Ministry of Deliverance and The Prophetic Word radio broadcast. She recently accepted her newest post at 1080AM WUFO as “The Praiser” and will be sharing the best in gospel music on Sunday evenings with 1080 AM WUFO listeners. When asked what she thought people wanted to hear on Sunday evenings she smiled and replied, “the people really want to praise HIM!.” Known for her like of the up beat tempo she will take you there! Anita, the wife of Dillard Williams Jr., is the evangelical founder of the 23rd Taking it to the Streets event and Pastor of God’s Ministry of Deliverance Church. Prior to accepting the invitation to join the 1080AM Evangelist Williams WUFO line up, Pastor Williams had to be assured that including her would not interfere with any of the already existing on air personalities and their shows. “The Praiser” will launch on Sunday evenings in the near future. Pastor Williams says that she is thankful to all of the staff at 1080AM WUFO for a loving welcome and for showing her the “ropes” on the board. CELEBRATING 50 years of uninterrupted broadcasting, radio station 1080AM WUFO The Spirit of Western New York of the Sheridan Broadcasting Network is prayfully, professionally and dutifully managed by Mrs. Sheila Brown
Survivors Women’s Conference this Weekend A Survivors Women’s Conference will be held March 25 – 27 at the Adams Mark Hotel. For more information contact Lady Kandice V. Drayton, The New Testament Revival Cathedral at (716) 778-2163 or www.survivorsconference.org. Tickets are $65 for a power packed weekend! The opening night, Friday at 7 p.m., will feature Vickie Winans and the Renowned Judge Mablean. The Survivors Women’s Conference is a conference specifically for women who find themselves caught up in one or more of nine issues faced by women and girls all over the country regardless of ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic status. It will be facilitated by women who have survived or escaped each issue.
“Enough is Enough” CityWide Prayer El-Bethel Assembly 511 Michigan Ave. Bishop Clarence Montgomery, Pastor Monday March 21- Friday March 25 Beginning nightly from 6 – 7pm Mount Olive Baptist Church 701 E. Delavan Ave William Gillison, Pastor Monday March 28,- Friday April 1 Beginning nightly from 6 – 7 pm For More Information call Elder Wiggins @ (716) 954-3330
New Covenant United Church of Christ Men’s Day
Taken from the biblical text Psalm 133, “Men Working for Christ” is the theme for the first annual Men’s Day to be held at New Covenant United Church of Christ, Jacquelyn Ross Brown, Senior Pastor. Commencing Saturday, March 26 at 4:00 PM the Power of Praise Men‘s Group will be in concert followed by dinner in the fellowship hall, donation for this event is $10. The guest speaker on Sunday, March 27 for the 11 a.m.Worship Service will be the Reverend Dennis Mull, assistant pastor of Second Timothy Baptist Church. You may call 716856-3392 for additional information. The community of Buffalo is invited to share with the congregation of New Covenant for this spirit filled celebration. Co-chairs are Trustees Vemell King and Robert Tigg III.
Annual Y.P.W.W. Rally Young People’s Willing Workers State Tabernacle COGIC will present its 19th annual Y.P.W.W. Rally Young People Willing Workers on Sunday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the church, 234 Glenwood Avenue. The inspiration speaker will be Missionary Marie Bell. Elder Michael O. Payton will deliver the evening message. The pastor is Elder Russell C .Bell. All are welcome.
Worshhip This Week!
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MARCH 23, 2011
Chelsea Prophet
Pretty Buffalo Native and Former Miss Buffalo Wins Miss Greater Rochester 2011 Title in her Quest to Become Miss America
Miss Greater Rochester 2011 Chelsea Prophet
C
helsea Prophet, a pretty 23-yearold Masters student at Medaille College, was crowned Miss Greater Rochester is a local preliminary to Miss America on Sunday, March 13. The Miss Greater Rochester Scholarship Pageant is a preliminary competition to the Miss New York State and Miss America Scholarship Pageants.
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. Chelsea, a former Miss Buffalo and former Miss Genesee Valley, will be going to Staten Island June 19th to compete in the Miss New York State Finals for the Miss America Pageant. She is currently majoring in Education with a specialization in Literacy. A product of Miss Barbara’s School of Dance in Buffalo where she presently teaches, Chelsea has an extensive dance background and is a passionate Arts advocate. She will spend her year promoting her personal platform “Feed Your Kids the Arts.” Chelsea has devoted countless hours in community centers and schools promoting the benefits of the arts and an active healthy lifestyle. Chelsea needs your support as she prepares for the Miss New York pageant in June. Her goal is to become the first contestant to sell 20 ad support pages and
raise $2,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children’s health issues. This has yet to be done by any contestant in the New York State area. In addition to business sponsors, She is also seeking a personal trainer. Please contact MGRPageant@ gmail.com or ChelseaJProphet@gmail. com to receive an official ad form for sponsorship and donations. Congratulations Chelsea!
Women’s Ministry Luncheon Memorial ZME Zion Church will host a Women’s Ministry Luncheon on Saturday, March 26 at noon at the Radisson Hotel, 175 Jefferson Rd. in Rochester. Enjoy the smooth Gospel Jazz performed by Terrance Bruce and the Immaculate Liturgical Dancers. Donation is $40. For ticket information call the church office at (585) 546-5997. Rev. Dr. Kenneth Q. James is pastor.
RobeRTs CulTuRAl life CenTeR PResenTs RobeRTs CulTuRAl life CenTeR PResenTs
10 Time Grammy Award Winner.
TAke 6
TAke 6 Award Winner. 10 Time Grammy one show only!
TAke TAke 6 6
saturday, April 2, 2011 7:30 p.m.
Tickets onlineonly! at www.roberts.edu/clc one show or at the box office – 585.594.6008
saturday, April 2, 2011 7:30 p.m. 2301 Westside Drive, Rochester, NY 14624-1997 Tickets online at www.roberts.edu/clc or at the box office – 585.594.6008
2301 Westside Drive, Rochester, NY 14624-1997
Worship This Week!
VOTE JOHNSON FOR MAYOR MARCH 29, 2011 MARCH 23, 2011
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entertaiment Missy Elliot, Keri Hilson Deny Chris Brown Melts Down After Good Morning America TV Interview Lesbian Lover Allegations
Missy, Keri Say No Truth To R e l a t i o n s h i p R u m o r s Rapper Missy Elliot recently took to Twitter to dead the current gossip that she and singer Keri Hilson were previously romantically involved. Misdemeanor labeled the rumors pure BS tweeting earlier March 18, “@MissKeriBaby. Girl It amazes me how we never worked 2gether and barely know each other but they make up a full out lie! Smh!,” Hilson also denied the rumor that she and Missy dated years back, tweeting yesterday (March 17), “Lies!! How do those ppl sleep at night? I love & respect Missy & her work, but we’ve never worked & I’ve prolly seen her 5 times in my life!,”
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T
he kinder, gentler Chris Brown hit a serious snag on his road to redemption Tuesday by reportedly flipping out on the set of Good Morning America. His fit of rage was allegedly set off by a series of questions regarding his physical altercation with Rihanna in. According to TMZ, Brown had an off-camera meltdown following his performance and interview with Robin Roberts, smashing a window in his dressing room with a chair and sending shattered glass falling onto the streets of Manhattan. Brown was also shouting so loudly backstage that he scared hair and makeup people and security had to be called. Roberts first questioned Brown about a recent legal victory -- the restraining order that required him to stay away from Rihanna was softened -- but Brown
Brown the statment went, does make a “strange point” about the duality “of celebrity, acknowledged an ABC spokeskperson. If it were Charlie Sheen that flipped out on Good Morning America and smashed windows, the public would react with a giggle and quip, “That’s Sheen being Sheen. Duh, winning,” whereas a Brown freak-out is viewed as a relapse after a year of anger management and a reinforcement that this guy doesn’t have the mental fortitude to make it as a big-time star.
On Stage Listings are Free. Write: The Challenger, On Stage, PO Box 474,, Bflo., NY 14208; or email:
attempted t o bring the conversation back to his new album, F.A.M.E., which was released Tuesday. Roberts then used a query about the acronym behind F.A.M.E. -- Forgive All My Enemies -- as a launch pad for another Rihanna question. “Definitely this album is what I want people to talk about and not this stuff that happened two years ago,” Brown reiterated, awkwardly but calmly. Roberts later said that everything she asked Brown on camera was pre-approved by the singer before the interview. Brown waited until after the interview to really explode. While exiting the GMA building, Brown confronted the producer of his segment, and the two had to be separated before the situation escalated. Also on Brown’s way out of the building, he ripped off his shirt and walked onto the street with his many tattoos on full display. Brown turned to Twitter to speak his mind, writing: “I’m so over people bringing this past s--- up!!! Yet we praise Charlie sheen and other celebs...” Brown tweeted shortly after the incident. The tweet was deleted almost immediately after that. ABC News later issued a response to the incident and Chris Brown’s anger about GMA’s line of questioning.
editor@thechallengernews.com
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MARCH 23, 2011
ON STAGE *Live Piano Jazz: Free every Friday from 6-9 p.m. Diana M. Reeves on vocals Mr. Larry Henderson on drums. Hot Stuff Southern Cafe’, 829 Main St., NF,282.7883.
* “Zooman and the Sign,” Ujima Company, Inc. presents an Alemaedae Theater & Xavier Films Production written by Charles Fuller, and directed by Willie Judson running from Sat. March 5th thru Sun. March 27. call 716-602-6253 or 716-883-0380. *Jazz Jam Sunday 6:30 to 10pm, Cafe @ Masten & Eaton 230 Masten Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209, 716-8832311. Karaoke Tuesdays 8pm with Gordy.
*Wednesday Jazz Series @ 2nd Cup Café: 36 Broadway at Ellicott, across from the downtown library. Wednesday Jazz Series: GRÜVOLOGY ELEMENTAL TRIO, original jazz and standards March 23, 7 9pm JAVA JAM, bring your instrument and sit in if the tune is to your liking. March 30, 7 - 9pm, TBA . *Savion Glover UB Center for the Arts, Mainstage Theatre Thursday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. $47.50 (floor), $37.50 (balcony), Students $31.50 (floor), $26.50 (balcony).
*The Legendary Dionne Warwick, April 10, 7 p.m., the Riveria Theatre & Performing Arts Center, North Tonawanda, NY, 692-2493. See * The Jazz Example; featuring etheir ad this page. Greg Webster on drums; Greg Piontek on bass; Doug (Trigger) Gaston on *August Wilson’s play, “Radio Piano, Band Leader Bilal Abdullah on Golf,” Geva Theatre Center,75 WoodTenor Sax; and vocalist Lady Lita, will bury Blvd., Rochester; featuring Richbe performing on stage at the Anchor ard Brooks, March 22-April 17; (585) Bar, each Friday night @ 9PM 232-1366 ext. 3057 *The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts,The Riveria Theatre, 67 Webster St., N. Tonawanda ; tickets $25 at the Box Office or on line at www. rivieratheatre.org *Take 6, Sat. April 2, 7:30 p.m.; Robert Wesleyan College, Rochester; 7:40 p.m.
*Aretha Franklin Seneca Niagara Events Center - Saturday, May 28, 2011 at 8 p.m. Tickets starting at $55 On sale now. All ages welcome, but under 18 must be accompanied by an adult *The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts,The Riveria Theatre, 67 Webster St., N. Tonawanda ; tickets $25 at the Box Office or on line at www.rivieratheatre.org *Danny & the Blues Review/ Kenny Woo Entertainment featuring Chauncey Northington and Inez Kimble, @ the African Cultural Center’s Friday Night Jook Joint, a Pine Grill Jazz Reunion fund raiser, March 25, 9 p.m.- midnight; $15 donation/$10 more for drink & plate. *”Jar the Floor” on stage, Paul Robeson Theatre, April 29 –May 22 (Mother’s Day Dinner Theatre May 8); 350 Masten Ave. 884-2013.
*D.L. Hughley Show, Tuesday, March 29 & Wednesday, March 30 performing 2 shows both nights , w/ Talent & Steve Wilson. First Show 6 p.m. Doors | 7 p.m. ; Second Show 9:15 p.m. Doors | 10 p.m. $26.50 presale | $32.50 day of show .Tickets on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone 1-800-745-3000
Featuring Television Actor
Richard Brooks
“Firefly” & “Law & Order”
ON STAGE NOW! Co-Produced by:
Bank of America, Eastman Kodak Company The Pike Company, Madeline’s Catering MARCH 23, 2011
(585) 232-Geva gevatheatre.org
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Speak Out! Commentary
Black Male Crisis in WNY
J
By Antoine M. Thompson
ust over 3 years ago, a National Report, “The Crisis Continues: Black Male Joblessness in Milwaukee 2007,” by Dr. Marc Levine, stated that Black Male Unemployment in Buffalo was the highest in the United States. Dr. Levine’s report indicated that Black Male Unemployment in many Buffalo neighborhoods was over 50%.” The release of the report was followed by the usual hosting of town meetings, articles in newspapers, television coverage, and lots of talk on radio shows, in the barbershops and beauty salons. The negative state of Black males in WNY persists and has taken its toll on the African-American community. Pain of Poverty Any weekday afternoon, just take a drive through a neighborhood on the East Side of Buffalo and witness the despair in so many faces of young males. While there are lots of good men working hard to earn a living and take care of their families, the majority of black males in Buffalo are struggling to survive. Too many are either in jail, in and out of court, unemployed or under-employed. More young Black males can be found walking the streets on a warm afternoon, than going to church on Sunday, visiting a Community Center, or going to work on a given Monday. The Census figures released every 10 years have shown the problem ANTOINE THOMPSON worsening for the last 30 years. Struggle to Provide It is the hardest thing for a man not to be able to provide for his family. Since many Black males in Buffalo grew up and continue to grow up in fatherless homes, they are often pushed into a pseudo-father-like role at an age early age. Paying the rent and buying food for their younger brothers and sisters is not unusual for many black teenage males. For many, the street game of selling drugs, clothes, or cars is born out of the necessity to survive. This can lead to joining gangs, getting sent to youth detention facilities, shot or even killed. In the 1960s and early 1970s when unemployment was low, and families were stronger, it was easier for the Black extended family to help out single mothers and their children. Today, Westinghouse, Bethlehem Steel, and many other big employers are long gone. Many young Black males can’t even get a driver’s license because they owe back child support. Making matters worse, because so many jobs are in the suburb where public transportation is almost non-existent, often Black males find themselves trapped in a genuine Catch 22: “They need a car to get a job, and they need a job to get a car.” As a result, they are essentially shut out of this market of potential jobs. Schools are Gateway to Prison Since only 1 out 4 Black males in Buffalo graduate from High School, the tragic reality is that many of the schools have become largely a pathway to prison and poverty. There are currently more than 60,000 inmates in NYS State Prisons, most of whom never graduated from high school. Most of the inmates come from Buffalo, NYC, Rochester, and Syracuse. In Buffalo and across New York State, many of the young Black males on state and federal parole did not graduate from high school. According to numerous research studies conducted and/or funded by the NYS Department of Corrections, “Black males who get a GED are less likely to go or return to jail.” Further, the dismantling of vocational, career and technical education in schools attended by Black males has accelerated the drop rate. Interestingly, students in NYS in many school districts that have career and technical programs are less likely to drop out of school. This has been well documented by many sources. Access to School Buildings and Parental Involvement Sociologists, social workers, criminologists, and education experts all suggest that longer school days, after school programs, and keeping young people off the streets between 3 and 8p.m. are all essential to student achievement. Traditional inner-city public schools are often closed by 3pm and are not opened on the weekends for students and community group, unlike their counterparts in the suburbs. This shortcoming prevents human service agencies from providing additional help to at-risk students and their families. Also, community activists and education advocates do not adequately promote parental-involvement and parent-accountability. In many Buffalo Public Schools, the parent-teacher conference participation rate is less than 25%. Many parents for a variety reasons do not visit their child’s school. Black males and their neighborhoods are under siege. Education must become the drawbridge out of poverty formore Black Males (academic,technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial). Spectators The lack of serious education and job strategies for Black males at the local, state, and national level will only further destroy lives, families, and communiContinued Next Column Page 10
Legislative Awareness Day: Demand Justice
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risoners Are People Too is a justice advocacy initiative that meets monthly on selected Mondays in Buffalo at the Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street from 6:30-8:30pm. Most meetings feature a documentary film, related to some criminal justice issue or issue of prison reform, and one or more guest speakers who address that issue. At the next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too on Monday, March 28, our guest speakers will be members of the strategy team that is spearheading KARIMA plans for the AMIN upcoming May 3 Legislative Awareness Day in Albany. This special day of action, being planned by the NYS Prisoner Justice Network, will “…bring prisoner justice activists together from around the state to talk with legislators and their staffs about a number of issues including parole reform, the implementation of the SHU bill (barring prisons from placing prisoners with psychiatric diagnoses in isolation), prison closures, and others.” This meeting in Buffalo is one of several regional
ties. Owing to the lack of jobs, fewer Black males vote. Many do not go to church, won’t volunteer, and fail to participate in their families in a meaningful way. It is unfortunate that unemployed Black males are not mad and ready to demand that the schools and government work better for them too. While there are many Black males taking care of their children, providing for their families, and staying out of trouble, the facts are just the facts. They are unavoidable because too many Black males are on the sidelines, soup-lines, help wanted lines, etc. We as a community must wake up and begin to recognize the importance of education, lest we become spectators in this critical game of life. Without education and/or training, Black males become spectators in their families, communities, and even the economy, leaving the rest of us to pay the price for their lack of involvement every single day. Antoine M. Thompson, is the President of BlackWNY.com. He is also a Diversity and Community Relations consultant. Antoine served in the NYS Senate and on the Buffalo City Council.
meetings being held around the state to inform and develop a constituency that is dedicated to changing the current culture that impacts more than 57,000 people behind bars in NYS, from one of punishment and retribution, to one of habilitation and reintegration. In Upstate New York, both Prisoners Are People Too and the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition (both Buffalo-based) are members of the NYS Prisoner Justice Network. Last year, only five people from this region attended the Network’s March Conference. There we met other individuals and organizations that had come together from across the state to network on behalf of our imprisoned loved ones, suffering families, and deprived communities. We have too many economic, social, and spiritual problems that continue to exist because of a broken system that fails to honor its charge. Have you ever taken the time to read the departmental mission of the
NYS Department of Corrections? Go to http://www.docs.state.ny.us/mission. html, if you would care to read the mission and vision statements and the Department’s a list of goals and values. The Department of Correctional Services is charged with “Enhance(ing) public safety by providing appropriate treatment services, in safe and secure facilities, that address the needs of all inmates so they can return to their communities better prepared to lead successful and crime-free lives.” Two of the values listed are: “Recognize the value of each person” and “Protect human dignity.” Too much of what I have witnessed, tells me that the prison system is failing in its mission and its values are being ignored. This will not change unless we change it. Come to the next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too on Monday, March 28 to learn more about what you can do to help build a movement that is Continued Page 11
Black Girls Anthem Opens continued
I wanted the show’s poems to weave together and paint a picture about love and life,” continues Silas who is working on the dissertation stage of her doctorate degree from Syracuse University. “I wrote the poems back in 2006. Then I had my daughter, Nyah, who is now two. I stopped to raise my daughter. Then I decided to return to the writing the choreopoem and when I was done, I contacted Geva. I thought the Next Stage would be a perfect spot because it’s an intimate setting and this production really speaks to people. It’s a Black woman’s perspective that any womancan relate to...it’s a journey of legacy, triumphs, failures, and the strength of women.” Black Girls Anthem features 11 poems and one song in its two-hour run. The cast includes Katrina McFadden, Deborah Solomon, Degwanda (dedee) Gause, Natasha House, Melany Silas and Carlet Cleare. The show is recommended for everyone even children ages 13 and up. Silas, author of the poetry book, Spiritual Pieces: Poetry For Every Season Of Life, adds: “It’s my most intimate work on stage to date. I’m honored to have this opportunity: I feel great. I’m proud of myself, but was scared out of my mind. There are people in this world who want to do something creatively and can’t find the resources to do it. I worked with an awesome cast and a fantastic marketing team. My director (Washington) and the stage manager, Sheila Rankin captured my vision brilliantly.” A member of Delta Sigma Theta, Silas is one of the six actresses featured in the production, says this story belongs to everyone. “It’s a human story and surprise: we are all human. When I write especially poetry: it’s poetry for Nyah. It’s a mom’s wish for her child, I think. I’m just sharing my wish for her with the rest of the world.” The Meaning of The above image/logo, part of the Challenger flag, corresponds to one of the 81 chapters in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. This particular tetragram corresponds to number 27, defined as “The Skillful Exchange of Information.” (From R.L Wing’s book, The Tao of Power.) “The truth, always the truth--at all costs”
“What is planted cannot be uprooted.What is well embraced cannot slip away.” I CHING
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A Time to
MARCH 23, 2011
We Will No Longer Allow Our Young Black Boys Mass Incarceration : The New ‘Jim Crow’ to be Destroyed! By Marian Wright Edelman
“A hooded boy stalked the street; hunting, searching, desperately looking… for something. His face a mask of hurt, pain, anger, sorrow, despair. Hands full of dope, beer, knife, gun. Face devoid of sadness, hope, happiness, fun. Pockets too full of empty air; but he did not care, he was going… nowhere.” Betty Jean Grant I was on my way to church early one Sunday morning, in 2008, I was driving down Moselle Street near East Ferry when I passed by a young man who looked as if he had stayed up and out all night and was on his way home, to sleep. His clothes were badly wrinkled, he looked malnourished and he was wearing the ‘garb’ of the so-called ghetto; a black hooded coat. And as I passed by him, he looked directly at me. I greeted him in a hand wave but he did not return the greeting. He looked at me or maybe, (it seemed to me, at the time) he just looked through me. There was no spark of recognition or acknowledgement on his part; just a blank, dead stare that was probably meant to reveal nothing but nevertheless, told me so much. To me, it told, accurately or not, of his acceptance and reconciliation BETTY JEAN with the circumstances and conditions that he now found GRANT himself in. It seemed to relay his many ‘dreams deferred’ or ambition thwarted because of the unique position society had charted out for him and countless other ‘lost boys’ of his generation. And as I stared at him, I felt alternating emotions of guilt, sadness, regrets and remorse. And, not unlike the legendary Zombies of Haiti, I felt that I was truly gazing at one of our own community’s version of the infamous ‘walking dead.’ The Zombies of Haiti are probably a myth but the island people believe that many dead and buried individuals have ‘risen’ from their graves and are Continued Page 12
Let the Truth be Told Concerning the Police Reorganization Commission -ConclusionHere we go again trying to point the finger to keep the light off the real criminals. Oh, by the way the Chairman of the Commission who was arrested in that drug bust, was appointed by the same person - Councilwoman Bonnie Russell - who wants to bring my name up as an ex-convict with a criminal past! What do I have to do with the person she appointed and who just happened to be arrested for being involved in an alleged drug operation? Yet she had the audicity to ask out loud, ‘why didn’t the Council have background checks?” Everybody knows my background. I told it when I started in 1993.I put it in the paper and on the table for all to see and every time I’m mentioned in the media they make sure the statement “ex-gang leader, ex-convict” follows my name. As you might not know the chairperson who was arrested in the drug bust didn’t even have a background to be checked. He was never arrested before, so what difference would it have made? Yet everybody is callilng for my head, and trying to make me the “problem” on the Commission because of my past. One collelague blasted me over the phone and told me I Darnell didn’t deserve to sit on the commission! The Ellicott District JACKSON Councilman Rev. Pridgen has also sided with them and refused to appoint anyone until they put in place background checks. He himself has been investigated about an incident involving an ex-convict who is still on Parole for felonies. He has was accused of using Rev. Pridgen’s truck to rob and kidnap a young man. He is being sought as we speak. Did he give this guy a background check before he allowed him to use his truck three times to commit a felony? What does that sound like to you reader? Should I be targeted for something I had no clue about? Don’t I deserve a place at the table where our community is concerned? I pay taxes, abide by the law, and reside in the heart of this Great City called Buffalo among my people. The bottom line is that those who are throwing stones at me and want to use me as a scapegoat, are living in glass houses. Stay tuned. It ain’t over till it’s over...Darnell Jackson can be reached at 570-9165. God Bless Buffalo and Our Youth! MARCH 23, 2011
(Ed Note: Mass incarceration is by far the greatest crisis facing Black America, ultimately eclipsing all others. Michelle Alexander, in her extraordinary book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” makes a solid case for this reality. In a recent lecture, she pointed out that there are more African Americans under correctional control today, in prisons or jail, on probation or parole, than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began. She also points out that in some major American cities like Chicago, more than half of working age African American men have criminal records. The so called “War on Drugs ” - and not the nation’s crime rate - is the single most important cause of the expansion of the prison system in this country. And that “war” she states, has been waged almost exclusively in poor communities of color across this country, yet people of color are no more likely to use or sell illegal drugs than Whites.)
WASHINGTON - “Jarvious Cotton cannot vote. Like his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, he has been denied the right to participate in our electoral democracy... Cotton’s greatgreat-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Ku Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting by Klan intimidation. His father was barred from voting by poll taxes and literacy tests. Today, Jarvious Cotton cannot vote because he, like many black men in the United States, has been labeled a felon and is currently on parole.” “Cotton’s story illustrates, in many respects, the old adage ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same’... In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. So we don’t. Rather than rely on race, we use our criminal justice system to label people of color ‘criminals’ and then engage in all the practices we supposedly left behind... Once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination—employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service—are suddenly legal. As a criminal, you have scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow. We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” So begins the introduction to legal scholar and former litigator Michelle Alexander’s extraordinary book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Jim Crow has been praised for documenting in compelling detail how the current historic levels of incarceration in the United States have disproportionately targeted communities of color and function as a means of controlling people of color, just as slavery and Jim Crow did in their time. Alexander acknowledges that many people find this argument hard to believe in the “age of colorblind-
ness.” Many Americans wanted to see President Obama’s historic election as the final hopeful sign our nation has moved “past race,” and many believe the millions of other Black Americans who are imprisoned and disenfranchised are in that condition only because of individual bad choices. When we are confronted with the facts that our nation’s incarceration rates have quintupled over the last several decades and the United States has the largest prison population and imprisons the highest numbers of its minority population in the world, Alexander says many Americans simply accept the prevailing myth that “there is, of course, a colorblind explanation for all this: crime rates. Our prison population has exploded from about 300,000 to more than 2 million in a few short decades, it is said, because of rampant crime. We’re told that the reason so many black and brown men find themselves behind bars and ushered into a permanent, second-class status is because they happen to be the bad guys.” But as The New Jim Crow argues, the data show this is simply not true. While incarceration may be rooted for some in poor individual choices, the glaring racial disparities in searches, arrests, convictions, and sentencing for the same crimes suggest our nation doesn’t treat everyone’s poor choices equally. What has skyrocketed over the years are not our nation’s crime rates—which have actually fallen below the international norm—but the number of drug convictions in the U.S. as a result of our declared “War on Drugs.” Many people assume next that of course Black criminals are being incarcerated for drug crimes at record rates because they are the ones committing them. In some states, Blacks comprise 80%-90% of all drug offenders sent to prison. But The New Jim Crow painstakingly outlines how media and political strategies manufactured the popular images of the War on Drugs as an assault on scary, violent Black male drug dealers, when in fact “[s]tudies show that people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates. If there are significant differences in the surveys to be found, they frequently suggest that whites, particularly white youth, are more likely to engage in drug crime
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than people of color.” Meanwhile, as The New Jim Crow clearly shows, the dramatic increases in mandatory sentence lengths even for nonviolent offenses and the far-reaching consequences that come with being classified as a felon even after a sentence is completed have made incarceration today a historically punitive form of social control and social death—at exactly the same time as record numbers of African Americans are being confined. This is how mass incarceration functions as the new Jim Crow, with predictably destructive results for Black communities and families. For those of us concerned about our nation’s Cradle to Prison Pipeline crisis, this latest danger threatens to overwhelm and destroy millions of our children’s futures. By identifying it and giving it a name, Michelle Alexander has placed a critical spotlight on a reality our nation can’t afford to deny. We ignore her careful research and stay silent about mass incarceration’s devastating effects at our own and our nation’s peril. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund .
KARIMA AMIN continued determined to dismantle this system of neglect, injustice, disrespect, and mass incarceration. The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng are the sponsors of PRP2 programs. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438 or karima@ prisonersarepeopletoo.org. Rertraction: Last month, it was reported in error that one of our guest speakers, Mr. Leroy Jones, was affiliated with Oxford House Supportive Living. He is the CEO of Changing Faces, Inc., a “residential recovering community.” I apologize to Oxford House and to Mr. Jones. (-ka) Page 11
Sis. Letava Mabilijengo Brings the Black Woman’s Agenda to Buffalo
BETTY GRANT continued
Goal is to Reach One Million Black Women with her Message of Empowerment
S
is. Letava Mabilijengo, author of “The Black Woman’s Agenda,” brought her ambitious effort to reach one million Black women with her message of empowerment to Buffalo during a “Her Story” program at the Merriweather Library during Black History Month. Described as the revolutionary-minded Black woman’s compact, the book, which is available free of charge by going to her website, www.theblackwomans agenda. com, arms the reader with five key things a Black woman can do to instantly change the condition of her own life and the lives of her family, neighborhood, community and nation with the resources she already controls. It has been called “a must have/read for today’s conscious Black woman.” During her straight forward message she told a cross section of women that Black women hold the key to rescuing our children and the race, and that change begins with self. “It is never too late too call your house in order,” she said. “Its never too late to correct SIS. LATAVA a problem.” She encouraged sex education at home (“too many are dying from STD’s and AIDS” she admonished.) And although “there is no such thing as an all size fits one house,” she said that women have to become more strict disciplinarians. “When we started giving our children ‘time out’ the problems started,” she said. And ultimately, anybody who can’t be told by their mothers what to do, is eventually “going into a cage or a box.” “ Black kids are the poorest in this country, but they have more material things than anyone, but not enough books, education etc,” she said. “We need to make Black children our priority,” she continued, because as a result of us not doing so, they are being locked up and stimulated with sugar and drugs etc. “Too many Black children don’t even get a hug everyday!” she pointed out, instead, they are being called out of their names rather than being complimented. Sis. Letava encouraged all the women present to: *Be willing to defend and protect yourself and your offspring to the death. “We are at war,” she declared. `*“Go out of your way to speak to (and compliment) every Black woman you see..especially those with a bad attitude.” *Tell every little Black girl you see “how much you love her hair” (a serious love thyself/self pride motivator). *When in the presence of younger women, “give them some real information” they can use, i.e. how to demand respect from your man and the importance of “negotiating our relationships.” Also, teach your daughters to be businesswomen. *Build a real sisterhood “We do our families and our community a world of good when we hold to our standards,” she stated. Her take on the status of Black men today: “If you’re not angry, get angry... (and sisters) if you got a Black man who is not angry you got the wrong one.” The bottom line she said, is that “nothing trumps a mother’s power...nothing trumps the power of femininity...nothing trumps the mother’s principles.” “We have everything we need to recover,” she assured. It just needs to be activated. Sis. LeTava hosts a free weekly Sistah-hood Webinar every Sunday morning 11:00am (EST). For more information call Queen Yama at (716) 603-8769 or go to www. theblackwomansagenda.com -a.b.
Tuesdays 12 NOON - 1 P.M. Page 12
Kids safest in rear-facing car seats until age 2 Children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1, according to updated advice from a medical group and a federal agency. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued separate but consistent new recommendations Monday. Both organizations say older children who’ve outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits them. Booster seats help position adult seat belts properly on children’s smaller frames. Children usually can graduate from a booster seat when their height reaches 4 feet 9 inches. Children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat, the guidelines from both groups say. The new rules are based on evidence from crashes. For older children, poorly fitting seat belts can cause abdominal and spine injuries in a crash. One-year-olds are five times less likely to be injured in a crash if they are in a rear-facing car seat than a forward-facing seat, according to a 2007 analysis of five years of U.S. crash data. Toddlers have relatively large heads and small necks. In a front-facing car seat, the force of a crash can jerk the child’s head causing spinal cord injuries. Car seats have recommended weights printed on them. If a 1-yearold outweighs the recommendation of an infant seat, parents should switch to a different rear-facing car seat that accommodates the heavier weight until they turn 2, the pediatricians group says. Luckily for parents, most car seat makers have increased the amount of weight the seats can hold. This year, about half of infant rear-facing seats accommodate up to 30 pounds, Durbin said. Ten years ago, rear-facing car seats topped out at children weighing 22 pounds. “The good news is it’s likely parents currently have a car seat that will accommodate the change,” Durbin said.
walking around the cities and country sides of Haiti. Since many people who supposedly die are quickly buried, sometimes without the benefit of a physician in attendance, many comatose individuals have been mistakenly pronounced deceased. These once dead individuals, now walking around, are usually ragged and starving for food because their families or neighbors are afraid of them. Those Haitian Zombie myths and legends may or may not be true but we do know that there are a lot of young Black men in Buffalo who would fit some of the characteristics assigned to the zombies. Too many of our young African American men are feared, ignored or ostracized by their own families and neighbors; Women grab their coats, tighten their grip on
Peaceprints Prison Ministries Honors Outstanding Individuals at annual Phoenix Awards Dinner On Saturday, March 26 Peaceprints Prison Ministries will hold its annual Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of individuals in the community. In remembrance of the late Sr. Karen Klimczak, SSJ, the Peaceprints™ Award honors individuals who carry on, in spirit and actions, her deep commitment to nonviolence. The recipients of the Peaceprints™ Award are Pastor Henry Covington (posthumously) and P.E.A.C.E., Inc. Pastor Covington’s journey from a path of addiction and incarceration, to a ministry of outreach and service to homeless individuals in Detroit, Michigan, is featured in the best-seller “Have a Little Faith” by Mitch Albom. His wife, Annette, will be accepting the award on his behalf. P.E.A.C.E., Inc. (Parents Encouraging Accountability and Closure for Everyone), reaches out to provide support and comfort to those in our Buffalo community who have lost a loved one to homicide. Teresa Evans, co-founder and President, will be accepting the award on behalf of the organization. David Baker and Daniel Rance will receive the Phoenix Award for their extraordinary achievement in rebuilding their lives to become persons of independence, leadership and service to their community. For more information about the event or to register, call (716) 856-631 or visit online www. peaceprintspm.org.
purses or cross over to the other side of the street when they have to pass; people walk by these boys and young men on street corners and pretend to themselves that they don’t exist; rendering them irrelevant and unimportant at the same time. Churchgoers, office workers and elected officials buy the drugs that keep them on street corners and then later condemn these same drug dealers to high Heavens when those same street corners erupt into bloody, murderous chaos. The We are Women Warriors Community and Family Empowerment group meets @ 6 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Frank E. Merriweather Library. We are in the business of making sure that no more generations of young African American males are lost to the education system and the community. Please join us on these days to learn all that we can about saving this and future generations of young males from the incarceration and prison system. These events are free and the public, especially young African American males and their families, are encouraged to join us. For more information, please call Betty Jean Grant @ (716)536-7323.
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MARCH 23, 2011
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The Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park, celebrating its 35th anniversary as Western New York’s military history museum, is seeking proposals for a new café at its waterfront location. Located in the heart of Buffalo’s historic Canal Side, which will be brimming with new development and activities this summer as part of a public-private economic revitalization effort, the Naval & Military Park is encouraging restaurant and bar owners with credible evidence of capabilities, experience and references to submit proposals to offer table-service restaurant dining no less than seven days a week at the museum. The process will be moving quickly, as the target opening date for the café is late June 2011. Interested parties may attend a meeting at the Park on March 25 at 10 a.m. to take a walk-through of the location. Proposals are due by April 8, 2011 and may be submitted to: Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park, One Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, New York 14202. For more information about this opportunity, please call the Park at 716-847-1773 x10.
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
TO ADVERTISE CALL 881-1051 FAX 881-1053
A.C. Ware Manor Apartments A Great Place to Call Home 134 Spring Street Buffalo, NY 14204 (716) 854-0636 Fax 854-0631
IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY discover allenhurst bid S
Affordable monthly rent based On 30%of your gross annual Wages and utility allowance Deduction. Updated 2 bedroom Townhomes. Attached garages. Private entrances. Appliances Included. Laundry hookups. Amherst School District. Metro & Bus lines. Convenient location.Sec. 8 affordable housing. 42A Oxford Avenue Amherst, NY 14226 838-5850 or 853-1548 realabrese@mjpeterson.com www.mjpeterson.com
Naval & Military Park Seeks Café Proposals
For Seniors 62 Yrs. And Older One Bedroom Apartments Include Appliances Wall-to-Wall Carpet Off Street Parking Laundry Facilities Community Room Electronic Door Entry System 24-Hour Surveillance Cameras Located on Major Bus Lines
(716) 854-0636
Renewable Energy Seminar A tuition-free Renewable Energy Seminar will be held on Saturday, March 26 at EOC, 465 Washington Street in downtown Buffalo from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Here is your chance to learn more about green technology and what opportunities might be there for you. This seminar serves as basic training to help individuals assess their interest in the different renewable energy areas, and to learn what skills are needed to prepare for job opportunities. For more information call 849-6727 ext. 500
Tuesdays 12 NOON - 1
Attention Buffalo Students
Free
The path to your first home. The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) offers first-time homebuyers: • 30- or 40- year fixed interest rates that are typically below market; • Financing up to 97%; • Flexible underwriting guidelines; • Down payment assistance (higher of $3,000 or 3% of the loan amount or up to $10,000); • No points; • No financing add ons.
Heat - Internet - Cable Fitness - Tanning - Gym Lounge - Wii - Pool Table Shuffleboard - X Box High-Def. Movie Theater
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or visit www.nyshcr.org
MARCH 23, 2011
Installer, (40 hrs) Full-Time (Temporary). Qualifications: High School Diploma and experience in construction/ home repair, NYS clean, valid driver’s license. Responsible for installation of energy conservation measures such as Insulation, caulk, weatherstrip, etc. Please send resume and 2 references by March 28, 2011, to S. Shears, Niagara Community Action Program, Inc., 1521 Main Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14305. EOE Seeking Experienced Restaurant/Bar Operator. The Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park (“Park”) is seeking an experienced restaurant/bar operator to provide table-service restaurant dining no less than 7 days per week at its museum location. The successful operator will enter into a lease for approximately 1,300 sq ft inside/600 sq ft patio at the Park’s museum location at the Erie Canal Commercial Slip along Marine Drive in downtown Buffalo, NY . Only experienced operators with credible evidence of capabilities, experience and references will be considered. Target opening date is late June 2011. Interested parties should call the Park at 716-847-1773 x10 for more information.
Global Concepts Charter High School has an immediate opening for a Part-Time Biology Tutor. NYS certification in biology or General Science with experience in Regents preparation and administration is preferred. 6 to 10 hours per week until the end of his school year. Interested applicants should send resume, cover letter and credentials packet to: Faith Thompson 1001 Ridge Road lackawanna, NY 14218 or fthompson@globalccs.org
bidS Board of Education Buffalo, New York Division of Purchase 716-816-3585 **Sealed proposals will be received in Room 816 City Hall On: Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:00 AM for BID #10-11-058 SPRING 2011 CATALOGS FOR ADULT LEARNING CENTER Specifications and bid forms are available at www.buffaloschools.org/PurchaseDept.cfm Craig A. Koeppel Director of Purchase
www.CV WNY.com
For more information, call
1-800-382-HOME (4663)
EM P LOY M EN T
833-3700 CHALLENGERCN.COM • (P) 716 881-1051 (F) 716 881-1053
“Enough is Enough” Citywide Prayer Page 13
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THE NUMBER BOOK
Make
The Year to Remember! You know you should do it, and this is the time. Prices will never be more affordable than right now to make burial arrangements for you and your family at Forest Lawn. Select from many burial options: • Estate • Mausoleum • Feature • Traditional • Cremation All it takes is about an hour to gain peace of mind by preplanning your cemetery property needs.
Call the Forest Lawn office today at
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www.forest-lawn.com Page 14
1411 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, New York 14209
CHALLENGERCN.COM • (P) 716 881-1051 (F) 716 881-1053
MARCH 23, 2011
CALENDAR OF EVENTS green is the new black Buffalo Niagara Green Expo saturday April 30th walden galleria free to
attend
get tips on how to
save $
by going
SATURDAY MARCH 26
Information Night: Health Sciences Charter School: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; call 402-1872
ArtSpace Bazaar & Rummage Sale: Set up 8 a.m.; doors open 10 a.m., close 4 p.m.; Vendors call 948-3583.
Board of Education Regular Board Meeting: 5:30 p.m.; City Hall, Room 801
Stop the Violence Coalition 3rd Annual Awards Banquet: 6-10 p.m.; The New Golden Nugget, 2046 Fillmore Ave.; call 861-8006 or 818-5390 for tickets.
FRIDAY MARCH 25 Buffalo Association of Black Social Workers, Inc. Monthly Meeting: 6 p.m.; CAO, 70 Harvard Pl. Free Your Mind: Return to the Source, African Origins, Part II By Dr. Asa G. Hilliard III; 5-7 p.m.; The Golden Cup, 883 Jefferson Ave.; call 883-7770.
green
org ©mm
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fun
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WEDNESDAY MARCH 23
for
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SEE YOU AT THE
EVENTS!
Just Buffalo Literary Center BABEL Series Presents Author Edwidge Danticate: 8 p.m.; Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle; tickets $35 general admission; student tickets $10; call 832-5400. SATURDAY MARCH 26 “Roses for Outstanding Women” Awards: 3-5 p.m., Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave.; free and open to the public. (See page 3). Renewable Energy Seminar: 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; learn about green technology and its opportunities; EOC, 465 Washington St., downtown; 849-6727 ext. 500.
Utopia Euphoria’s “Women Making History Gala”: 6 p.m.; Templeton Landing, 2 Templeton Terrace; tickets $50; call 833-2090 or 390-0314. B.O.S.S. (Buffalo’s Own Smooth Steppers): 10 a.m.-Noon; 313 Fougeron St.; Ballroom, Chicago Steppin and Swing classes; rubber sole shoes please.
The road to College and Career Success Begins in Kindergarten. At King Center Charter School, we believe that all children must be college ready and college bound from an early age. Join us as we expand to the middle school years. We are a school community of experienced and expert educators, committed to providing the best academic, social, and emotional skill development to insure your child's future. Please refer to our website to submit an application-www.kccs.org. Due date is April 1, 2011
30 Rich Street, Buffalo, NY 14211 716-891-7912 Fax: 716-895-2058
Boy Scouts of America Troop No. 139 & Troop No. 237 Celebrate Court of Honor: 4 p.m.; True Bethel Baptist Church, 907 E. Ferry; $5 adults; free for troop members and children under 10; Guest speaker Dr. James A. Williams, Superintendent Buffalo Public Schools; call 481-3598. SUNDAY MARCH 27 ArtSpace Bazaar & Rummage Sale: Set up 8 a.m.; doors open 10 a.m., close 4 p.m.; Vendors call 948-3583. MONDAY MARCH 28 H.E.A.P. Outreach Site Gateway Longview: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; 347 E. Ferry Street; call 894-0914 or 536-7323. Meeting Prisoners Are People Too: 6:308:30 p.m.; Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt St.; call 834-8438.
SEE YOU AT THE
“I would appreciate your support March 29th.” MARCH 23, 2011
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MARCH 23, 2011