SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 / Vol. 46 No. 38
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Above & Beyond Page 12
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Rising StarPage 8 Commander!Page 3 New ChurchPage 6
MARCH 31, 2010
“Criminal!” Teen gives his account of fear, humiliation and being racially profiled in the Galleria Mall. Page 11
National:
The Hutaree Militia : A New Name in Home Grown Terrorism Page 4
On the eve of the criticial vote in Congress on health care legislation, thousands of African-Americans gathered in Chicago to urge President Barack Obama to pay more attention to Blacks. The latest Gallop poll shows Obama maintaining a near 90 percent approval rating among African Americans. But many Black leaders feel he is not doing enough to address African American concerns, especially high unemployment rates. Several of those Black leaders attended Smiley’s forum which drew over 3,000 people to Chicago State University’s Jones Convocation Center. The forum, which took place March 20, centered on the topic “Is There a Need for a Black Agenda?” The president has pointed to his efforts to overhaul the health care system, rebuild the economy and improve education as inclusive policies that will affect the nation as a whole, while also improving conditions for minorities who have suffered disproportionately in the recession. But many blacks have become increasingly frustrated with Obama for failing to develop programs targeting the hardest-hit communities. “President Obama is not addressing our black agenda because he has been told (by some black leaders) that he doesn’t have to,” said former Chicago Ald. Dorothy Tillman, one of 12 panelists at Saturday’s symposium at Chicago State University. “We are so happy to have a Black face in the White House that we think we have to get back in our place.” The “We Count!” event, which at times resembled a church rally with people standing and shouting “Amen,” was an effort to voice the concerns of African-Americans and offer constructive criticism that could lead to policy changes, said Tavis Smiley,
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. an d President Lyndon Johnson.
Beyond The Dream
April 4 is the anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1968 assassination, but it is also the anniversary of his controversial speech in 1967, “Beyond Vietnam.” Read “Five Things You Probably Did Not Know About Martin Luther King Jr.” Page 11
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BUFFALO, N.Y. PERMIT NO. 164
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Update on The Meeting in Chicago: What Did Black Leaders Say?
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The Challenger
Rochester Neighborhood INSIDE ROCHESTER Leaders Call for Clarification on Neighborhood Safety Issues
Robert Ricks’s Where Are You Lord: A Grandmother’s Prayer Opens May 1 at The Rochester Armory Rochester playwright and author Robert Ricks’s gospel musical, Where Are You Lord: A Grandmother’s Prayer, comes to the Rochester Armory 900 East Main Street for two shows at 2 and 7 p.m., on May 1, 2010. VIP tickets are $35, general admission adult tickets are $20 and $15 and student tickets are $10. A modern-day version of the Book of Job, the production stars BET’s Jessica Reedy and Rochester’s own Michael Bruce and addresses issues that deeply effect the B lack community such as youth violence, alcohol and drug addiction, absentee parentMARSHA and overtaxed JONES ing, grandparents. According to Ricks, who owns and runs Down In The Dirt Productions and Publications, this show took him seven years to write it. “It just kept evolving,” explains the Opalika, Alabama native. “I worked intensely on my characters because there is poetry in some of their dialogue and some rhyme. My show has two types of characters spiritual versus natural characters. “The meat of the production’s revolves around grandma’s job. Some Robert Ricks people believe in praise and prayer. God hangs out with them and then there are warriors. Grandma saves her granddaughter who is dating a drug dealer. At the beginning of The Book of Job, God and The Devil have a conversation. The question was Where Is God? Each family member has their issue. Being scared of wisdom is being scared of God.” Ricks applied that logic and transferred it into his writing. “There is a power when it comes to words,” explains the father of three children. “I’ve read through The Bible twice and it just grabbed me. It made me think about who would be our Job today?” The two hour and twenty minute production-- which has a cast of 24 characters, a five-piece band, 3 singers, 4 fire dancers --, says Ricks, will get people thinking about the times we live in. As an artist, it’s a theme incorporated in all his works. “I’ve been writing since I was nine. I would hide under my mom’s bed and create my own stories. I wrote my first play at 12. My mom got me a typewriter and used desk from the Salvation Army. “Look at what society is doing to our children. It is so evident. I write about stuff that keeps me up at night. I look for ways to create our stories and put these situations back in our faces. My eight year-old daughter goes to a suburban school and she’s sweet. With everything that happens in schools today...it makes me want to hold her and homeschool her.” Ricks will take his production on the road once its Rochester run ends. For more information, call 469-9604 or visit www.downinthedirtpp.com.
Rochester neighborhood leaders recently gathered to discuss neighborhood safety issues with RPD Chief David Moore. The police chief clarified questions about how the RPD has been addressing community policing, foot patrols, drug houses, gang activity and racial justice. Although crime has decreased slightly in Rochester, city residents are still concerned about safety in their neighborhoods. Sabrina Johnson, Vice President of 14621 says, “Everywhere I go people say they’re afraid to go out to the corner store. There are groups of kids and people are scared. The foot patrols work but we need more of them.” Neighborhood groups and block clubs play a critical role in making sure families feel safe in their neighborhoods. Wanda Martinez’ block club on Treyer Street has been working with the police, “Without the block club we were lost. We didn’t know who to talk to about gangs and drugs. People on the street have discovered we have the same issues and that we’re not alone.” The Neighbors Building Neighborhoods process was originally designed engage citizens in formulating com-
Royal Arch Masons Awards
Haggai Chapter #41 Holy Royal Arch Masons will celebrate their 10th Annual Social and Community Awards Dinner on Saturday, April 10. Community Award Recipients are Charles “Skip” Waterstreet and Jerdine Johnson. Social Hour begins at 6 p.m. and dinner is served at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35.The affair is semiformal. For more information contact any Brother of Haggai or J.D. Jackson, Jr. - 729-2902 or 210-4143 email: jdjacksonjr@alum.rit.edu
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April 2: Good Friday Fish Fry at Memorial AME Zion Church, sponsored by the Harriet Tubman Society, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 549 Clarissa Street. Tickets are $10. Menu includes: haddock or catfish, salt potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, roll and dessert. April 2: Good Friday Night Concert, 7 p.m., Church of Love Faith Center, 700 Exchange St. Bishop Greg Parris Senior Pastor. Admission is free. All are welcomed. April 9: NCAA Eligibility Seminar: 6 p.m., Carlson MetroCenter YMCA. For more info, call 325-2880. May 2: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc’s 10th Annual Jazz Brunch, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., the Double Tree Hotel in Henrietta. Tickets are $45 per person. *April 2 - May 1: FOURWALLS Art Gallery Presents Artists Stephen Dorbiala, Mr.Prvrt, ACrook(Fua), Sarah Rutherford, Downer, Biles, and Jeff Copp April 2, 6 to 10 p.m. FOURWALLS Art Gallery ,34 Elton St. *April 1 - May 15: Eye Candy Clothing Into The Woods, Fierce and RecklessJoin us opening night for a musical performance, Hor D’oeuvres, and the exhibition of three wonderful artists at Eye Candy Clothing Store. Thursday April 1st 6-9pm; show closes on May 15th *ST.PAUL PROJECT AT VENU NIGHT CLUB, Friday, April 16 The Saint Paul Project presented by FOURWALLS Gallery will be located at 151 St. Paul Street Venu Resto- Lounge CREGO REALTY THURSDAY APRIL 22nd. Live Music and Art. More details to come soon! Crego Realty, 383 Park Avenue, Rochester NY 14607. Page 2
“Fierce Brilliance” - Variety
232-Geva gevatheatre.org Co-Produced by Eastman Kodak Company, Nazareth College, Nixon Peabody LLP, The Pike Company, and WHAM-TV MARCH 31, 2010
The Challenger
Grassroots, Inc. Aguilla J. Causey : Announces School A Woman of Military Rank and Godly YGB Teen Radio to Interview Regents Board Candidate Achievement Makes History Member, School Superintendent Interviews Are a B r i e fs
What do possible changes in the state’s Regent’s exams mean for Buffalo area students? Robert Bennett, a member of the New York State Board of Regents, and Buffalo Schools Superintendent James A. Williams, will discuss that the other testing issues when they appear on the YGB teen radio show at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 3 on WHLD 1270-AM. Bennett and Williams will be questioned by high school students from ‘YGB” the teen journalism program sponsor ed by the Buffalo Association of Black Journalists.783-7550 with questions for Bennett or Williams, or comments about the Regents exams. For more information about YGB or to enroll in the radio news show for teens, call 849-5598
Masten District Easter Egg Hunt Masten District Councilmember Demone Smith will sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt on April 3, 2010 from 11:00am to 12:30pm in MLK Park – NICYO Building. This event will be hosted by Boy Scout Troup 139 (St. Martin de Porres) and is free for children ages 5-12. There will be contests and cash prizes along with a special q&a session with a special guest. Registration will begin promptly at 10am. Please join our supporters, Mayor Byron W. Brown, Masten Block Club Coalition, Buffalo Police Athletic League, Delta Sigma Theta, Buffalo United Charter School, Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams, and Above the Rest Motorcycle Social Club tin creating a joyful, memorable event for our children. Volunteers are needed to help support this exciting event. Please contact Tiffany Lewis at 851-5145 for additional information.
Grassroots, Inc. will host a series of interviews for Candidates who are currently circulating Nominating Petitions for the six district seats on the Buffalo School board. The Nominating Committee will meet with candidates on Tuesday, April 6th and Thursday, April 8th from 6:008:00pm. The decision of the Nominating Committee will be based on the candidate’s ability to meet certain pre-established criteria (including but not limited to): 1- their level of knowledge and expertise as it related to the education of urban students, 2- goals that will produce academic success, 3- their commitment to the community at large and 4- their overall qualifications to meet the requirements for the job. Please call 716.553.9169 for more information and to schedule an interview or you can send your request via email to: grassrootsofbuffalo@ gmail.com .
Talbert Mall, Frederick Douglass Towers Reunion Skating Party The Talbert Mall & Frederick Douglass Towers Reunion Committee will host an Easter Skating Party at New Skateland, Friday, April 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $5, skate rental $1, lockers .50 cents.
Services Held for Constance Snell By Munirah
All hail to the humble Queen who has returned to her Creator. Connie, as she was lovingly called by those who knew her, was born Constance Laverne, on September 22, 1945. Her parents, both deceased, were William Kirkland, and Mary Fields. Connie spent many fulfilling years in Buffalo; Bennett High, Buffalo State College, marriage to Hiram Leon Snell (deceased), raising a family, committing time to church and community. In February 2001 Connie retired from Delphi, after 25 years of service to General Motors. She was pleasant, helpful, and hard-working, and we will miss her presence among us. St. Luke A.M.E. Zion Church is where she accepted Christ early in her life, and she worked diligently to live up to that commitment. She modeled fellowship, stability, neighborly courtesy and family cohesiveness. Connie allowed others the room to be who they chose to be, in a very humane way. She was kind and gentle. Connie loved her family: her sister; Gloria Fields, her daughters; Carol Minor, Carmen Snell-Davis (Tony), and Connie Snell, her grandchildren; Erica, Ron, Christopher, Kara, Natassia, Kristen, her great granddaughter Naveah, and they each love her dearly. There are many who will miss Connie; personal friends, community friends, friends from church, friends from work and myriads of people who were acquainted with her through the various honorable endeavors she was always involved with. She was active in her neighborhood where children called her “mom.” She was a board member of the DelavanGrider Board of Block Clubs , the Buffalo Board of Block Clubs and the Good Neighbors Planning Alliance. She served as president n of the Humber Avenue Block club. Under her leadership a community garden was planted at Humber and East Delavan Avenues. She retired from General Motors in 2001 after 25 years of service. Connie was a member of Redeeming Fire Fellowship Church (Pastor David A, Keaton). She held responsibilities there that she was very proud of. Her accomplishments were many, her journey was not very long, and her memory lives in the hearts of those who enjoyed her company. Services were held on Tuesday in Redeeming Fire Church, 145 Lewis St. March 25th , 2010 is a day none of us that knew her will ever forget. Connie we honor you, we miss you, we celebrate your life, and take comfort in knowing you are with The Most High.
Update Juneteenth Parade Any organizations or groups that participated in last years Juneteenth Parade that has moved or changed phone number, please notify the parade committee with your updated information for our records. You may call (716) 891-8801 or (716) 400-4479 with your information.
-Youth Volunteers Needed-
The Juneteenth Parade Committee needs 10 people over the age of 14 years to volunteer to carry this years’s 2010 Juneteenth Parade Division Banners. For more information please call (716) 891-8801 or (716) 400-4479. Thank You. Nathelia Land is the Parade Chairperson; Cammie Carr-Torrence is Co-Chairperson/Secretary; and Beverly Newkirk is Co-Chairperson.
This is Women’s Veteran Month in Erie/Niagara County. The female Commander at the Niagara Air Reserve Station. Aguilla J. Causey will be promoted to Commander at the Buffalo Military Processing Station 2024 Ent Avenue, Building 799 at the Niagara Air Reserve Station Thursday, April 1 at 10 a.m. This is a very impressive and high rank. She is believed to be the first African American Female Veteran to achieve this position in Western New York. She is a very active in ministry at Prince of Peace COGIC at 669 Kensington Avenue in Buffalo. She and her husband, a minister and a Marine, lead their Youth Ministry and Commander Aguilla trains youth in praise dancing. A woman of Military Rank and Godly achievement, she has served in Alaska, Guam, the Middle East - Bahrain, Colorado, as well as Commanding Officer at the Niagara Falls Station. -BioCommander Causey began her military career as an officer candidate at Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, R.I. Upon commissioning as an ensign in May 1992, she was ordered to Naval Security Group Activity, Adak, Alaska, as Legal Officer. In October 1994, she reported to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Western Pacific, Guam, where she served two years as Training Officer. While assigned to NCTAMS she was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant. In November 1996, she was assigned Officer-In-Charge, Personnel Support Activity Detachment and Customer Service Desk, Guam, where she served until transferring in September 1998 to Naval Personnel Command, Millington, Tenn. While at NPC she served as the Navy Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting Systems/Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System Project Officer. In October 2001 she was transferred to the Middle East at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command where she served as Manpower Personnel Officer. While at NAVENT she was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and after serving 24 months in Bahrain was assigned as a student at the Naval War College, Newport, R.I. After leaving Newport she attended and completed the Joint and Combined Warfighting’ School, JPME Phase II, Norfolk, Va. In April 2005 she reported to J72 Exercise and Training at U.S. Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Co. Presently, she is assigned to Buffalo Military Entrance Processing Station, Niagara Falls, NY as Commanding Officer where she was promoted to the rank of Commander. Commander Causey earned a Bachelor’s Degree from South Carolina State College in 1984. She is also a graduate of the Naval War College where she earned a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies in November 2004. Her military awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal as well as various unit and campaign awards. She is married to Johnny “JC” Causey (USMC Retired) of Pensacola, FL and they have four girls.
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The Challenger
Duke Conference April 8-10 Aims To Frame New Black farmers blame Obama Dorothy Height Celebrates 98th Discussion Of Race Birthday in D.C. Hospital for failed settlement DURHAM, N.C. -- A conference
WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP
(Reuters) - The Obama administration dropped the ball on a $1.25 billion deal to settle decades-old discrimination lawsuits with black farmers, an advocate for the group said on Friday after the The deal, one of the largest civil rights settlements in history, was to compensate black farmers left out of federal farm loan and assistance programs due to racism. But it was contingent on Congress approving $1.15 billion in funding by March 31. Lawmakers left for a two-week break on Friday without approving the deal, leaving it in limbo. “The president made a strong commitment to show leadership to get this done, and basically we haven’t seen him show that leadership,” said John Boyd Jr., head of the National Black Farmers Association. “The president didn’t help us finish the job,” Boyd said. The deal reached last month was hailed by President Barack Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Attorney General Eric Holder as a milestone in righting historic wrongs. The farmers had urged the administration to declare the settlement an emergency, which would waive Congress from the so-called “pay-go” requirement to trim budgets for other programs to fund the payments.
Civil rights legend Dorothy L. Height celebrated her 98th birthday on March 24 while recovering from a brief illness at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., BlackAmericaweb.com reported. Deemed as the “godmother of the civil rights movement,” Height has received many significant national honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, the Congressional Gold Medal and the NAACP Spingarn Medal. Height was the only female identified as an equal among the “Big Six” in the United Civil Rights Leadership with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney H. Young and Floyd McKissick. While serving as president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, Height is also the driving force behind the Black Family Reunion, an annual celebration that honors African-American family values. “In my lifetime, I have witnessed the evolution of desegregation, the spread of civil rights and the rise of possibilities for people regardless of race and sex. I have also recently witnessed the passage of our health care bill, something people of all different races and genders can applaud,” Height said in a statement. “It is my pleasure to spend my 98th birthday celebrating these tremendous changes in our country’s history.”
at Duke Law School April 8-10 will bring together diverse experts to examine issues they believe should be at the heart of a meaningful public discourse on race in America. “From Slavery to Freedom to the White House: Race in 21st-Century America, a Conference in Honor of John Hope Franklin,” is open to the public and all panel discussions are free. The discussions will be in Room 4047 of Duke Law School, located at the corner of Science Drive and Towerview Road on Duke’s West Campus. Parking is available at the Bryan Center. Conference participants come from a range of disciplines such as law, history, social psychology, economics, political science and the humanities. The full Thursday-Saturday conference schedule and list of participants is online at www.law.duke.edu/lrp/ conference/agenda. In a series of roundtable discussions, they will examine such issues as the role that race plays in politics and the significance of the Obama presidency; the future of voting rights, civil rights and racial justice; the causes and implications of interracial disparities in wealth; how social psychology can inform our understanding of societal disparities; and how immigration factors into many of these issues. myc h a l l e n g e r n e w s . c o m
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The Hutaree Militia: A New Name in Home Grown Terrorism No one quite knows why the group in the middle of the latest armed militia controversy calls itself the Hutaree. Even the Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala., group that monitors militias and extremists groups, knows little about the Hutaree. Bloggers following the raids on Hutaree camps in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio over the weekend speculated that the word was made-up, one that came out of the group’s own invented dialect, which appears to include military ranks with bizarre names.” But while the name Hutaree may have a mysterious flavor, the plot its members were reportedly hatching was part of a familiar form of American paranoia. On Monday, federal authories charged nine alleged Hutaree members with seditious conspiracy and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction. The government believes the group - which apparently espouses an extreme form of fundamentalist Christianity - may have been plotting to kill law enforcement officers to help spark a broader armed conflict. According to court documents, the Hutaree deemed police “foot soldiers” of the federal government - which in turn was part of the New World Order, a perpetual bogeyman of militia groups. While training, Hutaree members reportedly wear tiger-stripe camouflage uniforms, with shoulder patches bearing a black cross, two brown vertical pillars that form the letter “H.” All part, it seems, of “Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive,” as a slogan on the Hutaree’s website declares (it has a background of military fatigue). A photo on the site shows 18 men holding rilfes in a wooded area. There’s also a two-minute YouTube video showing men running through woods, wearing fatigues, shooting rifles. The group’s alleged plot appears to have required killing a cop at a traffic stop, or after a faked 911 call. Then, the group planned to attack the funeral of that officer - in order to wreak further havoc by killing even more govermment and law enforcement officials who would have gathered to mourn. According to court documents, Hutaree members met in February in Lewanee County, Mich., a rural county of barely 100,000 about a 90 minute’s drive southwest of Detroit, to train for just such an April exercise. The Hutaree website has a message urging members to contact headquarters immediately for an April 24 training exercise. In court documents, federal authorities said the Hutaree leader may have already identified the initial law enforcement target. Hutaree are a symptom of the continuing militia phenomenon, one that seems to have gained impetus since the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American President of the U.S. The Southern Poverty Law Center says that last year alone, the number of patriot and militia groups increased 244%, to 512. In recent weeks, the health care debate seems to have fueled anti-government sentiment that is far different from the last noticeable rise in extremist group activity, after the 1992 election of Bill Clinton.
Skinhead group burst by FBI sting Five members or associates of an alleged neo-Nazi, white supremacist group known as the Connecticut White Wolves have been indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of conspiring to sell guns and homemade hand grenades to what they thought was a similar group out of state. The group, also known as Battalion 14, is believed to have been formed in the southern part of the state within the past decade by a collection of young, self-professed “skinheads.” More recently, the group has attracted the attention of civil rights groups because of its recruiting efforts and its involvement in disruptive and violent acts. One of those indicted is black. His lawyer said the man was not a member of the group but might have been charged under federal conspiracy law for conversations he had with a group member. The lawyer said he did not have the opportunity to discuss the case fully with his client Monday. The five were charged with a variety of conspiracy and weapons violations, according to the indictment made public Monday at federal court in Bridgeport. Those named in the indictment are White Wolves members Kenneth Zrallack, 29, of Ansonia; Alexander DeFelice, 32, of Milford; and William R. Bolton, 31, of Stratford, who is serving in the U.S. Army. Also charged were Edwin T. Westmoreland, 27, of Stratford, accused of participating in the group’s activities, and David Sutton, 46, of Milford, who is described as a DeFelice associate. The Anti-Defamation League says that in recent years, the White Wolves have become a potentially dangerous group. “Over the past two years, what began as a small collection of racist skinheads in Stratford, Connecticut, has grown into the largest and most active extremist group in the state,” the ADL says on its Internet page. “The group describes itself as a ‘white nationalist skinhead organization’ and promotes an ideology espousing hatred of Jews and racial and ethnic minorities. Members, though typically young, have been involved in a number of criminal acts in Connecticut and have forged ties with nationally recognized hate groups ... “
CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH MARCH 31, 2010
The Challenger
HEALTH MATTERS The Balm In Gilead
“Body & Soul Initiative” To Help African American Faith Institutions Reduce Health Disparities RICHMOND, VA - In conjunction with National Minority Health Month, The Balm In Gilead announced today that it has added a major program to its repertoire of national faith-based initiatives that address health disparities among African Americans. Body & Soul is an evidence-based wellness program that was originally developed for African American congregations and piloted by the National Cancer Institute, The American Cancer Society, and researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Emory University in Atlanta, GA. The program promotes a healthy diet along with an active lifestyle as a means for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer among African Americans. According to Dr. Pernessa Seele, Founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, Body & Soul connects perfectly with The Balm In Gilead’s mission to prevent diseases and improve the health status of people of the African Diaspora by providing support to faith institutions to strengthen their capacity to deliver programs and services that contribute to the elimination of health disparities. “We are delighted that the National Cancer Institute has entrusted us with the dissemination and technical support of this vital program that has been proven to be effective,” said Seele. Body & Soul helps congregation members learn to take care of their bodies as well as their spirits by combining pastoral leadership and educational activities in a faith-based environment that supports healthy eating, and peer counseling. The Balm In Gilead will begin its Body & Soul training program this summer. “Health disparities are a major problem in African American communities,” said Daphne Walker-Thoth, program director at The Balm In Gilead. The most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Minority Health reveal that in 2005, the death rate for African Americans was higher than Whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and homicide. “Often, our faith institutions are ready and willing to assist, but sometimes don’t know how or where to start. Body & Soul represents a good starting place for their Health Ministries.” said Walker-Thoth. For information about participating in the Body & Soul training for faith institutions, contact Daphne Walker-Thoth, director of programs, at The Balm In Gilead at (804) 644-2256 or dwalker-thoth@balmingilead.org.
Mfume to Head National Medical Association Kweisi Mfume, former U.S. congressman and past president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was named chief executive officer of the National Medical Association (NMA) this week. The NMA is the nation’s oldest and largest medical association representing the interests of more than 30,000 African-American physicians and their patients. “I am just happy and honored to be given an opportunity to be a part of what I consider to be one of the premier organizations serving our community,” Mfume, a former Baltimore City Council member, said in an interview with the AFRO. “I have dedicated my life to ending the economic and social barriers that continue to confront people of color all across our nation…It has been a varied approach to trying to be supportive of health issues.” Mfume’s former public service assignments, he said, have prepared him to take the helm of this prestigious organization. He first chaired the Committee on Health in Baltimore’s City Council, where he served for seven years. Mfume went on to serve five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Maryland’s Seventh District, where he chaired the Joint Economic Committee, the Congressional Black Caucus, and co-founded the Congressional Task force on Sarciodosis Disease Awareness. Most recently, as leader of the NAACP, Mfume co-founded the Office of Health Advocacy to educate and advocate on behalf of access and affordability.
WRITER’S CONFERENCE : Nikki Giovanni (center) will headline a writers’ conference that will feature a tribute to Gwendolyn Brooks (right) Center and Third World Press founder Haki R. Madhubuti (left) , April 1-3, 2010 at the 20th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Conference for Black Literature and Creative Writing at Chicago State University (CSU). Other featured writers include American Book Award winner Angela Jackson, critically acclaimed poet and memoirist R. Dwayne Betts, nationally-renowned journalist John Fountain and spoken word poet and author Staceyann Chin. For more information and pricing about this event, call 773-995-4440/ gbrookscenter@gmail.com. Information about this event can also be found at www.csu.edu/gwendolynbrooks MARCH 31, 2010
Trade Up for Health Beverage Exchange! Obesity, which causes such ailments as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, has become a growing epidemic in this country and is at an all time high. Studies have shown that the over consumption of soda pop and other sugary substances directly affect the rate of obesity and are harmful to your health when consumed in large quantities and on a regular basis. As a way of promoting healthier diet and lifestyle, The Healthcare Education Project, a collaborative effort between the Greater NY Hospital Association and 1199SEIU/United Healthcare Workers, is holding the Trade Up for Health Beverage Exchange! which is being held on Monday April 5th at the Broadway Market from 12 noon to 5pm or until supplies last. This event encourages people to turn in their soda pop products and receive in exchange roughly twice the amount of a much healthier alternative of milk and 100% Juices. There will be a raffle, free giveaways, and a live WUFO Radio broadcast on site to make for an overall fun event. This is a part of our effort to promote the implementation of a tax on sugar-added beverages, currently being considered by the NY Legislature. The tax is a way of promoting healthy living by discouraging the public from consuming large amounts of sugary beverages. The revenue raised by the tax will be used to prevent the worst of the proposed budget cuts to much needed healthcare programs in the state. The Healthcare Education Project has assisted in the creation of the “Alliance for a Healthier NY.” Please visit our website at www. healthiernynow.org. The Alliance for a Healthier New York along with the Broadway Market, The Community Action Organization of Erie County, WUFO-AM and Save A Lot at the Broadway Market are pleased to invite the entire community to the Trade Up for Health Beverage Exchange! at the Gibson St. entrance of the Broadway Market in front of Save A Lot for an afternoon of healthy living and fun.
Delaware Soccer Club Recruiting Youths The Delaware Soccer Club is currently holding registration for the Spring 2010 House League Season. Children in grades Pre-Kindergarten (must currently be 4 years of age) through 8th grade are eligible. Play begins the week of May 3 and concludes on Saturday, June 26. Cost of the program, including a uniform and a soccer ball is $85.00 until March 31 and $105.00 until registration closes on April 18. Individuals may register on-line through the club’s web site www.delawaresoccerclub.com, by calling the club’s office at 833-3616 for an application, or by attending one of the two inperson registration sessions. The next session is on Saturday, April 17 in Delaware Park, next to the concession stand near the corner of Nottingham Parkway and Meadow Road. From 9a.m. until 12 noon. If you have any questions, please contact the club at 833-3616. Page 5
New Church to Launch!
BIRTHDAY APPRECIATION RECEPTION: A Birthday Appreciation Reception will be held in honor of Lady Geraldine Deas for 75 Years of Life! Love! and Ministry! Friday, April 9 at Shanghai Red’s . Dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets $50. For more information call 939-2187 or 602-7913.
WORSHIP THIS WEEK
Beginning on Resurrection Sunday at 10AM a new church will launch here in the city of Buffalo. GOD’S MINISTRY OF DELIVERANCE INC. has been an evangelical ministry for the past three decades and has served as an umbrella to “TAKING IT TO THE STREETS,” “WELL DONE MEDIA,” and S.W.I.M. (Suffering Women in Ministry). Founded by Anita Williams and co- maintained by the spirit of the Lord in her husband Brother Dillard Williams Jr.,Evangelist Mary Baldwin aka MaMa “B” and countless friends The God’s MINISTRY OF DELIVWilliams and husband ERANCE CHURCH will open it’s Prophetess Dillard. doors on Sunday April 4 with services held every Sunday at 10AM. The churches location will be in the Brent Manor Apartment Buildings banquet hall (temporary location) 366 Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo New York (rear entrance). For more information contact Prophetess Dr. Anita Williams, Senior Pastor at 716-891-4760 / 507-1931.
“Rizen”
Greater Emmanuel Temple Church will be having an illustrated sermon on Easter Sunday at 6:00pm entitled “RIZEN.” The church is located at 151 Richmond Ave, where the Pastor is Dist. Eld. Germaine D. Hurst. For any further information, please call 882-2700.
Mt. Olivet Baptist Holy Week
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 141 Adams Street in Rochester, will present Holy Week – A Week of Sacrificial Worship, March 29 thru April 2 every morning at 5 a.m. A free country-style breakfast will be served immediately after services. On Wednesday, March 31, Pastor James Hartsfield of Mount Sinai Ministries will be the featured pastor; on Thursday, April 1, Bishop Troy Bronner of Elim Christian Church in Buffalo; and on Friday, Pastor Rickey Bernard Harvey, pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist. Pastor Darius Pridgen led the worship service on Tuesday.
“Eyewitnesses of Easter” The Christian Education Ministry of Calvary CME Church, 1007 Ellicott Street, will present “Eyewitnesses of Easter” on Saturday, Aril 3 at 5 p.m. Experience the eyewitness accounts of characters present during the journey to the cross. There will be soloists and speakers from various churches. Rev. Regina Reese-Young is pastor.
Groups to Hold Joint Prayer Service
On Good Friday, April 2, from noon to 3 p.m., the Black Leadership Commission on AIDS of Buffalo (BLCA), AIDS Family Services the Buffalo Urban League, Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church and True Bethel Baptist Church, will join forces in a Prayer Service to seek the healing and cure for those members of our community who have been infected and affected with the dual scourge that is H IV and AIDS. In the spirit of compassion that marks this time of year, Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church will conduct this service towards the conclusion of its hosting of the commemoration of The Seven Last Sayings of Jesus Christ, which is scheduled to run from noon until 3 p.m. Pastor Darius Pridgen, Senior Servant at True Bethel Baptist, has made his church available to host this service. BLCA of Buffalo is c haired by the Rev. Dr. James A. Lewis III; Ms. Jessica Walker the Executive Director of AIDS Family Services; Mrs. Brenda McDuffie is president and CEO of t he Buffalo Urban League. The public is invited. For more information call 898-3771. Page 6
MARCH 31, 2010
A Young Lady’s season of Anger, and How to Manage It! A large majority of our young ladies today are challenged with a life of anger; on many levels this is due to not understanding how to cope with life’s’ pains and pressures. According to statistics, suicide is the leading cause of death among young women. They are looking for avenues of hope. In many cases, maybe there is a failed relationship with their significant other, preferably a boyfriend. Many of their attitudes are PASTOR TERRIE ANN rooted in questions they may ask themselves such “TC” Coplin as “why doesn’t he want me” or “what’s wrong with me?” Many have looked for their self worth and “dignity” through the eyes and opinions of a male; and when this fails, unfortunately many of them shut themselves off from the world. They stop progressing in productive ways. According to the Bible we have been wonderfully and fearfully made; which indicates that our creator, God, had good thoughts upon making us. It is vital that our young ladies are established an attitude of God consciousness; seeing that it can be the foundation for true life, which brings hopes and healing through a life of integrity. From my experience, knowing the truth can always bring freedom when life’s’ challenges are looked at through the eyes of the Bible. Important ways in helping our young ladies to cope with seasons of anger are the following: 1. Always let her know that it is only a season, and it is not the end of the world 2. Always assure them that it is okay to feel anger 3. Always assure them with the hope, that there can be healthier feelings to concentrate upon. 4. Always assure them that someone else’ decision to reject them is the other persons’ choice, and to not blame themselves. 5. Always attempt to get the young lady to refocus on her goals and aspirations in life 6. Always teach her to have a disciplined focus on her dignity and personal dreams 7. Help her to establish a healthy support group, family or friends For more attention towards helping or young ladies to deal with anger; une in to the World of Girls radio show this month, “What’s going on”, as we discuss anger management on WHLD 1270 am dial at 1pm Saturday afternoon. Also we have anger management counseling for the young lady in thestruggle; please feel free to contact our office: World of Girls Empowerment Center: 716-362-1242. Emergency Hotline: 716-715-0446
MARCH 31, 2010
Minority Students Encouraged to Apply for Accounting Program The Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE) of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Management are accepting applications from high school juniors for the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program. The program will take place from June 27 to July 1 on UB’s North Campus and will feature a comprehensive series of breakout sessions designed to provide participants with insights into all the components of an accounting education and career. A number of area accounting firms will give presentations on campus, and students will make off-site visits to Lumsden & McCormick, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Rich Products, where they will take company tours and speak with accounting representatives from those firms. The goal of the COAP program is to increase minority participation in the accounting field, and recruitment is focused on minority groups historically underrepresented in the profession. Only high school juniors (next year’s seniors) are eligible to participate. Interested students should contact Cara Patterson, program liaison, at 212-719-8362 or coap@nysscpa.org to receive an application.
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The Challenger
Taleesha Janine Scott : Rising Star to Perform in Porgy and Bess In May family, friends and theatre lovers will board a bus to Charlotte, North Carolina to see the 75th Anniversary Tour of Porgy and Bess. What makes the Buffalo group most excited about the trip is the talented young soprano, Taleesha Janine Scott, who will perform in this national production. A native of Buffalo, Soprano Taleesha , a graduate of the Buffalo Academy of Visual and Per forming Arts, earned her Master of Music degree in Vocal Pedagogy from the New England Conservatory of Music and Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University. In her young career, Ms. Scott has already been the recipient of many awards, honors and accolades for her professionalism, beauty of sound, flexibility, interpretation, an intelligent sensitivity for varied repertoire, as well as acting abilities, and gracious generosity she brings with her gift. Among her many appearances, Scott sang the role of Lucy in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha for the Opera Providence’s 2007-2008 season. In the role of Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff she was cited by the “Baltimore Sun” as “...[going] well beyond as Nannetta revealing a delicious shimmer to her voice and telling nuance in her voice and telling nuance in her phrasing.” She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including 1st place Gold Medal at the National NAACP ACT-SO, Classical Vocal Competition, 1st place Gold Medal in the Western NY Regional NAACP ACT-SO Contemporary Vocal Competition, a two time winner of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s annual Competition and runner up in the Maryland Regional “Leontyne Price Competition.” In 2007 she participated in the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, Spoleto, Italy . Additional activities include performing with a backup ensemble for Kenny Rogers’ Christmas Show for two years, participation in the “Juilliard Experience” and various programs, ensembles, recitals, public events and other artistic genres. Ms. Scott is the Soprano soloist for the chamber ensemble Opus Nine. She is a member of Elim Christian Fellowship where Bishop T. Anthony
Page 8
Bronner is pastor. (For more information about the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to see Porgy and Bess, contact Jeanie Scott at 907-0445.)
MARCH 31, 2010
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Beyond The Dream: Five Things You Probably Did Not Know About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4 is the anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1968 assassination, but it is also the anniversary of his controversial speech in 1967, “Beyond Vietnam”, where he extended his beliefs on non-violent protest to the conflict in Vietnam. The second Tavis Smiley* Reports in his upcoming PBS special, MLK: A Call to Conscience, premiering Wednesday, March 31 (8/7c). delves into one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s greatest but little known speeches, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” which he delivered on April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City. He examines the context of Dr. King’s words on liberty, responsibility and freedom against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights and an increasingly unpopular war. The primetime special examines the implications of his words today, particularly in light of President Obama’s decision to increase U.S. troops in Afghanistan. I. War & Peace Three years before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “Beyond Vietnam” speech on April 4, 1967, at The Riverside Church in New York City, he had received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and had bequeathed his entire $54,123 monetary award to the nonviolent movement for social justice in America. The 35-year-old King was and remains the youngest person in history to receive the prestigious award. In accepting the Peace Prize, King asserted that “civilization and violence are antithetical concepts” in order to challenge the myth of American triumphalism. In 2009, 48-year-old Nobel Laureate and wartime President Barack Obama accepted his Peace Prize and distributed his $1.4 million monetary award to various charitable organizations. In contrast to Dr. King, President Obama’s acceptance argued that “the instruments of war have a role to play in preserving the peace.” 2. King or Obama? Given the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam, in his “Beyond Vietnam” speech King christened America as “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” Almost 45 years later, President Obama is arguing the notion of “just war” in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is justifying the use of drones in Pakistan. Who’s right: King or Obama? 3. What a Difference a Day Makes The day after his speech the editorial boards of numerous mainstream newspapers denounced King’s stance on Vietnam, claiming that he had speciously fused the struggle for civil rights with the politics of war, and plainly overstepped his bounds. The New York Times cast “Beyond Vietnam” as “wasteful and self-defeating,” while the Washington Post averred that “many who have listened to [King] with respect will never again accord him the same confidence. He has diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country, and to his people.” The severity of the overwhelming media pushback brought King to tears. 4. King & a Crown of Thorns . “Beyond Vietnam” resulted in King’s being disinvited to the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and a public rebuke by the leaders of the NAACP and the Urban League. None of this compares, however, to the fateful day exactly one year after King had called the nation to look “Beyond Vietnam.” On April 4, 1968, King was killed by an assassin’s bullet on a Memphis motel balcony. Given the adulation and adoration contemporarily bestowed upon Dr. King, it is mind-boggling to note that on the day he died, King was America’s persona non grata. Almost three-quarters of the nation had turned against him and more than half of Black America had spurned his witness. 5. Come Sunday . One of the last calls Dr. King made from Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel was to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where he served as co-pastor with his father, Daddy King. Despite the negative repercussions following his Tuesday, April 4, 1967, “Beyond Vietnam” speech, King’s conviction about the immorality of what America was doing in Vietnam did not waver during the last year of his life. Indeed, King told his father he had resolved that come Sunday, April 7, 1968, his sermon topic would have been “Why America May Go to Hell.” (Pictured: Dr. King and PLr esident Johnson) 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
Published by Challenger Communityy News Corporation P.O. Box 474 Buffalo, NY 14209 Phone: 716.464.3738 Email: advertising@thechallengernews.com
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MARCH 31, 2010
EDITORIAL
“Criminal” Erie County Holding Center: Guilty until proven otherwise! By Kashmeel McKoena (The Walden Galleria Mall is practicing racial profiling in their implementation of t heir M18 policy. Black youth are often harassed by security guards and escorted out of the mall with the threat of an arrest, regardless of whether they are doing something wrong or not. My son, Kashmeel, attends City Honors and is a remarkable young man. He recently had a very negative encounter with a security guard on his way from a movie matinee. Here is his story. –Odette Reid)
I found out the hard way the meaning of the expression, “expect the unexpected.” But I don7t think I had high expectations: I just wanted to have fun with my friends at the Walden Galleria Mall. Despite what one might think, my adolescent definition of fun didn’t cross any lines that would have crushed my innocence. I mean, how bad could lunch and a movie on Saturday at the mall be? My friend and I were looking for Sears; he just got off the phone with his mother, who said she would pick us up in ten to fifteen minutes. We had just recently finished lunch in the food court and walked it off, stopping by the EB Games store and back around the upstairs loop when he called her. I didn’t check the time since we left the cinema at 3:30 pm. We were looking for the right exit, when the least expected thing happened: a short man in uniform, with an uncomfortable-looking hat approached us as we walked. “Excuse me,” he says, with a tomato face, “Are all of you together?” He gestured between my friend and I and a family walking behind us. He must have been humoring himself now that I think about it, because even though I didn’t get a good look at the people behind us, I know they were much lighter than us. My friend is Kenyan and I’m Jamaican—a little darker than him. But I don’t think the man saw the cultures we carried with us he saw black unaccompanied minors - targets! “Will, you two come over here for a moment?” As he pulled us over, I suddenly know exactly what is going on. He was a security guard and we were at the Mall after 4 pm without adults. My parents warned me about this countless times. “There are rules,” my father said, “that are meant to keep us out of the Mall” I had to fight with my parents to let me go to a movie once that would let out at 4 p.m. Trepidation clutched me and I barely heard what the man said. We obviously were not eighteen yet, but the game of cat and mouse required him to ask I knew the M18 rule, but still, when he asked us if we did, we shook our heads and let him explain it. In an attempt to save face and walk out unscathed, I told him we were already on our way out. It was the truth and my friend confirmed it. He asked where we lived and I was stumped again; I didn’t want to lie, but I was afraid of what other questions would follow. How serious was this thing and how far was he willing to go? My friend responded for us. “Buffalo,” he said. It wasn’t a lie and it wasn’t specific enough for him to write down. I was relieved a little but I knew my friend’s smartness had irked him I reiterated our story, we saw a movie and were on our way out. Continued Page 12
(Note: the following article is a fictional account of events based on the information gathered from various citizens who testified during a public hearing on problems at the Erie County Holding center.) It’s your birthday and this year you decide that you are going to invite a few of your girlfriends out to a local bar and celebrate in style. The BETTY JEAN kids are all grown GRANT up; the husband has grown into a couch potato and you are bored. You make a few phone calls and a few hours later, your sistah friends and you are yakking it up at a Fillmore Ave. comedy show. The laffs are flowing as freely as the wine so you relax and enjoy this rare ‘Girls Night Out.” As you get up to leave, you realize that you might have had too much to drink but since you live only several blocks from the club, you decide to chance it and drive home. Two blocks from your house, you drive your car into the side of a house. The owners call the police and less than 30 minutes later, having failed the sobriety test, you are in a police car on your way to the Erie County Holding Center. You are offered an opportunity to make one phone call but you are too embarassed to call your husband or your kids. You decide that you would be better off if you went to sleep and wake up in the morning, sober, before you call your husband to come get you out of there. All that wine you drank has made you thirsty so you ask the officer, standing next to you, for a glass of water. The holding center officer looks at you as if you have lost your mind. He never answers you or gives you the water but you can tell by the sadistic smirk on his face that he heard your request. He walks away from you. “Sir, Sir, did you hear me?” The officer turns around so aburtly he knocks his cap off of his head. “Shut the hell up, you Black slut!” he screams. “One more word out of you, you gonna wish you had died in that car crash. Drunken Whore!” You say, “Sir, I am a diabetic and I have high blood pressure. I don’t have any of my medicine on me. Will you please call my husband and tell him I need my medication? Let him know that I got arrested and I am in the holding center downtown. Tell him that I was too ashamed to call him.” The officer whips himself around, unbuckles his nightstick and points it in your direction. He takes a couple of angry steps toward you. A female attendant sees the confrontation and looks in your direction. She puts her finger to her lips as she shakes her head to and fro. You know that she is telling you to ‘be quiet, don’t rock the boat ‘ because if push comes to shove,
she will not be able to defend you. The officer steps right up to you, puts his face a couple of inches away from yous and says, “one more peep out of you, you gonna find yourself mopping this floor with your mouth!” So what do you do? You shut your mouth and you take your sixty-two year old bones over to the metal bench in the far corner of the room. The old rusty bench, which is all the bed that you will see this night, has no mattress, sheets or pillows. You don’t mind at all because you know that you would not allow those items to touch your body, anyway. There are six benches in the room; four of them occupied by women in various stages of undress and neglect. The woman who will occupy the fifth bench or bed is hunched over in a darkened corner. From the grunts she is making and the stench coming from her direction, you guess correctly that she is defecating on the floor! You start to say “Use the toilet, lady,” but before you get the words out, you glance at the toilet and realize that it is already full to the brim. You go over to your bed, curl yourself into a fetal position and pray that the stench will knock you out until morning comes, because even with the alcohol from the wine still numbing your senses you believe that there is no way you will be able to survive the night in this hell hole with your faculty intact. A growing uneasiness in the pit of your stomach lets you know that your bladder is filling up while the salt from the pretzels and potato chips you ate at the bar is making your mouth ‘water’ for a taste of water. And as you struggle for sleep, a troubling thought comes to you. You know that you will probably be alright because you know when to shut up and not put yourself in a position to be abused or beaten by the guards. But then, you begin to wonder about the highly intoxicated, first time arrestee; smart-mouth adolescent or the mentally ill individuals who are arrested and detained at the center. What if they don’t know or are unable “To shut the Hell up?!”
-12Colors blind the eye. Sounds deafen the ear. Flavors numb the taste. Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart. The Master observes the world But trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky. Page 11
The Challenger
African Burial Ground National Monument’s Visitor’s Center now Open NEW YORK — About 15,000 African slaves and their descendants were once unceremoniously buried under what is today Manhattan — and forgotten. On Feb. 27, a new visitor center opened near the rediscovered cemetery from the 17th and 18th centuries to celebrate the ethnic Africans who had toiled, many unpaid, to help make New York the nation’s commercial capital. The African Burial Ground National Monument’s new Visitor Center is now open to the public Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., except for federal holidays. The Visitor Center is admission free and includes four exhibit areas, a 40-person theatre and a store and is located on the first floor of the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. All visitors must go through the building’s security screening prior to admittance. “It’s shocking — the number of people today who are still unaware that this history exists in New York,” said Tara Morrison, superintendent of the African Burial Ground National Memorial. It’s located a short walk from Wall Street, where African slaves once were traded.
THE CHICAGO MEETING continued from Page 1
the television and radio host who organized it. Participants urged Obama to stand up for African-Americans, who gave him 97 percent of their votes in the election and continue to give him record high approval ratings as he loses support from other groups. Minister Louis Farrakhan, whose Nation of Islam followers provided security at the event, said that despite black turnout, it was the white power structure that put Obama in office and the same wealthy whites are controlling the agenda. “When you are running (for office), you can say a lot of things …” Farrakhan said. “President Obama does not run this country, he has been chosen to run white affairs. If (African-Americans) get something, it is because we organized and forced the government to speak to our needs.” As a symbol of respect and admiration for the president despite the disagreements, a cube with the word “love” written on it was placed at the center of the table to indicate that the event was not an attack on Obama. The debate over the “black agenda” has resulted in strong disagreements among some black leaders and the president’s outspoken critics. Smiley said he hopes both sides eventually come together. “This was a conversation whose time has come in black America,” he said. “I hope all the drama and nonsense has been put to rest.”
(Will Return Next Week) Page 12
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Above and Beyond : Event Planners Celebrate Successful First Year! Mattie Stevenson, Tonia Oates and Claudette Shanklin have plenty to be proud of. Their unique new business – Above and Beyond Event Planners LLC - celebrates their one year anniversary this month in the event planning industry. “During the past year a lot has happened unexpectedly,” said partner Mattie Stevenson. “We started operations out of my dining room, and then we moved to a shared office space. We now meet with potential clients in a professional setting where we can show off our showroom. We moved from running the business part-time to full-time. It’s exciting to see how far we’ve advanced in twelve months with the economy the way it is.” Above and Beyond Event Planners ‘ mission is to provide their clients with the highest level of event planning services. Their past clients have stated that the company has maintained service that well exceed their expectations. “We are, in part, the answer to the demands of the social world, outof-town business or special occasion in need of special recognition. As a business we understand the needs of the public and private organizations. As parents and family members, we understand the needs of setting special time apart from other events in our lives,” Stevenson continued. With sales picking up and their awareness becoming more popular, potential clients are seeking out this company to plan their events. This year the company plans to triple their clientele and move into an even larger office space while expanding their current product line. The company has custom Party To ‘go Packs which include decorations, cutlery, plates, napkins and more for clients who like to plan a party without spending a lot. They also plan to add new products and increase the variety of party planning products to give clients additional options to plan for the perfect party. No job is too big or too small. They pride themselves on being able to plan for a party of 2 or 2,000 – successfully. Potential clients can find out additional information about the company by visiting ABEventPlanners.com
“CRIMINAL” continued “Alright then,” he said, “I’ll just need to escort you out to the exit.” The first feeling that hit me was indignation; why did he need to walk us out as if we couldn’t handle it ourselves? I came up with two conclusions, he either was convinced if left alone we would have lingered in Galleria, or he wanted to exert his power and position over us, as if it made him immortal. As we walked, I looked at the crowds around us, I was utterly embarrassed. People I knew, who I went to school with and talked to, now saw me and my friend being walked out of the mall by an officer. I was belittled. Wherever I go, I always make a point to gain a certain level of respect. I work hard in my classes, at my house, and in my church. It just so happens I had to finish all my weekend homework before going anywhere that weekend, which I did. All that I’ve worked towards in earning a studious, amiable and respectful character was slowly being eaten away during the slow walk towards the Sears exit. Behind me, I heard the security officer on a radio. I only caught a fragment of what he said: “One of them is about 5’10.” Fear overtook me again: we were being profiled. It disgusted me, being treated like this. I grimaced, and kept facing forward, not wanting him to see my face, and record that as well. After a minute, he speaks back to us. “And if you plan on coming back here anytime this evening. I just sent your descriptions to the Cheektowaga Police, and if we see you again today, they could arrest you and file charges for criminal trespassing.” I couldn’t believe what was going on. I was being called a criminal; I hear Next Week : Conclusion
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Renovated Historic Landmark Affordable Single and Family Living 1325 Main Street Corner of Riley Phone/Fax: (716) 883-3055 Email: packard82@verizon.net
Accepting Applications
3 Bedrooms - Limited Availability 1& 2 Bedrooms accepting applications for future tenancy HUD Income Limit Guidelines Background and Credit Check
Office Space
Retail Office Space Available @ 700 sq. ft. will build beauty salon/ barber shop, 1300 Jefferson. Retail incubator. 743-7344 Professional Office Space UB, VA Hospital area 650-1300 sq. ft. utilities included, off-street parking. 7437344.
R e q u e st f o r q u a l i f icati o n s REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERINGSERVICES The Town of Holland is seeking Qualified engineering firms to provide professional engineering services for the Holland Water District #1, for the design and permitting process for the Legion Drive Well site. The project involves the design for the pumping and chlorination control building, and the permits required for a public water supply. The Town of Holland has applied for Community Development Block Grant Funding for this project, through the Erie County Consortium. This contract will be funded wholly or partially with federal funds, and as such is subject to all federal rules and regulations pertinent thereto, including, but not limited to, federal policy of encouraging the participation of minority and women business enterprises as sources of supplies, equipment, construction and services. The following is the content of the statement to be submitted to the Town; 1. Description of the Firms qualifications 2. A description of the Firms related project experience. 3. Experience and familiarity with Community Development Grants. 4. Description of project managers qualifications. 5. Logistics and familiarity with area and project location. The Town of Holland will make its selection based on the following criteria; 1. The technical ability of the Firm. 2. The experience of the Project Manager. 3. The demonstrated technical resources available to carry out the assignments. 4. Experience Coordinating with a Grant Administrator. Scope of Services for the Legion Drive Well Site. A. Design completion and Data Acquisition 1. Field walk to verify locations of facilities. 2. Assemble all reports and tests from Moody and Associates for well records. 3. Prepare the base map for design plans. 4. Complete the plan and profile for the connections to the new well to Rumsey Road 8 “ Line. 5. Review equipment needs and operational requirements and develop a floor plan for control building. Develop elevations, typical sections and details for building construction. 6. Obtain and record details for the pump installation and connections from Moody and Associates. 7. Develop design for chlorination system and related installation and connections. 8. Develop design for pump control panel and electrical system and telemetry. 9. Conduct pre –application meeting with NYDEC and Erie County Health department to review requirements for the application 10. Transmit required copies of completed application package to NYSDEC, NYSDOH. 1l. Provide copies of plans of the completed project. Qualifications Proposal Proposals must be submitted to the Holland Town Clerks office, P O. Box 36, 47 Pearl St., during regular business hours and received by 11:00 am April 9, 2010. Proposals must be clearly marked “Legion Drive Well Site Qualification Proposal.” Separate Cost Proposal One copy for the cost proposal shall be submitted in a separate envelop clearly marked “Legion Well Site Cost Proposal.” Contact person for this project is Jerry Barron, 716-480-0660. MARCH 31, 2010
The Challenger
CLASSIFIED
employment Financial Aid: Niagara County Community College is seeking an Assistant Director of Financial Aid. Please see web site www.niagaracc.suny.edu for information, qualifications, and application instructions. NCCC is a SUNY AA/EOE Institution.
State University of New York ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2010-0049
March 22, 2010
LABORER PART-TIME (AFSCME)
Librarian (Circulation: Niagara County Community College is seeking a Circulation Librarian Please see web site www.niagaracc.suy.edu for information, qualifications and application instructions. NCCC is a SUNY AA/EOE Institution.
DESCRIPTION: The work involves performing routine manual work in the receiving office requiring physical endurance and willingness to perform a variety of routine and repetitive tasks, snow removal, furniture moving, loading and unloading trucks. Does related work as required.
Nursing Instructors (4 Positions): Niagara Community College is seeking four (4) Nursing Instructors commencing Fall 2010. Please see web site www.niagaracc.suny.edu for information, qualifications, and application instructions. NCCC is a SUNY AA/EOE Institution.
Applications are being accepted for the Position of: INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES
CITY CAMPUS PART-TIME/TEMPORARY/UP TO 19 HOURS PER WEEK SALARY: $11.44/HOUR MONDAY-FRIDAY – DAY HOURS
REQUIREMENTS: Working knowledge of the maintenance and repair of buildings, fixtures and equipment; ability to make a variety of simple repairs and adjustments to buildings and equipment; ability to lift medium weights; willingness to perform routine manual work; willingness to work under all weather conditions; must be physically capable of performing the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: No educational or experience requirements. Applicants must be able to perform moderately heavy physical labor and be able to read, write and understand the English language. JOB # 2010-0049 Closes April 20, 2010 HUMAN RESOURCES ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4041 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD ORCHARD PARK, NY 14127-2199 TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, GO TO https://jobs.ecc.edu Erie Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, members of minority groups, persons with disabilities, and Veterans are encouraged to apply.
2010-0047
State University of New York ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Announcement of Professional Vacancy March 22, 2010 TECHNICAL ASSISTANT (FFECC)
COMPUTER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES PART-TIME/UP TO 19 HOURS PER WEEK SALARY $15.01/HOUR
DESCRIPTION: The work involves performing para-professional tasks primarily at the CITS Help Desk. Technical skills are required to help faculty, staff and students. Work is performed under the general supervision of a faculty member or supervisory personnel. Supervision may be exercised over students or clerical assistants; Does related work as required. REQUIREMENTS: Good knowledge of fundamentals of teaching; good knowledge of subjects in the academic area in which assigned; good technical skills; knowledge of Microsoft Windows XP or later and Microsoft Office 2003 or later, PC maintenance, repair and software installation; ability to work with and tutor students in academic area in which assigned; ability to work with students and faculty in effective manner; ability to understand and follow detailed oral and written reports; initiative; resourcefulness; reliability; integrity; must be physically capable of performing the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of 60 semester credit hours of study at a registered or regionally accredited college or university JOB # 2010-0047
Closes April 20, 2010
HUMAN RESOURCES ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4041 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD ORCHARD PARK, NY 14127-2199 TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, GO TO: https://jobs.ecc.edu Erie Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, members of minority groups, persons with disabilities, and Veterans are encouraged to apply. MARCH 31, 2010
EMPLOYMENT
bidS INVITATION TO BID The NFTA is soliciting construction bids for Project No. 16BT1004, BNIA – Repair Rooftop HVAC Units, Bid No. E-452, on April 20, 2010. www.nftaengineering.com
Scrufari Construction Co.
Kids Capital Childcare Center Inc. 1657 Kensington Ave. Suit 400 HIRING FOR TEACHERS Associates Degree or 12 credit hours in early childhood required. HIRING FOR TEACHERS ASSISTANT High School Diploma required. Contact Miss Jones at: (Phone) 716833-5215; (Fax) * 716-833-5218 * (Email) kidscapitalbuffalo@yahoo.com Positions Available Immediately.
ADVERTISING PAYS! Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position:
Mental Health Therapist
F/T Mental Health Therapist position available in Niagara county responsible for exercising considerable initiative & independent judgment, ability to accurately diagnose, & treat children, adolescents & families. Must be able to follow OMH guidelines & complete required paperwork & willing to do home visits in the community. Candidate must be a licensed qualified mental health professional able to work at least one evening per week. Interested & qualified candidates may forward resume & cover letter with Job # 201022 to: Catholic Charities, 741 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209, Attn: HR Dept. EOE/M/F
ADVERTISING PAYS! CALL (716) 897-0442 * (716)464-3738 FAX (716) 897-3307 EMAIL: advertising@thechallengernews.com
Seeking M/WBE subcontractors to quote Town of Tonawanda Parker Fries /Waterline Improvement Project, bid date April 6, 2010. EEO Employer. 282 -1225 Board of Education Buffalo, New York Division of Purchase 716-816-3585 **Sealed proposals will be received in Room 816 City Hall On: Friday, April 9, 2010 at 11:00 AM local time for BID # 09-10-079 DOBOY HORIZONTAL FOOD PACKAGING MACHINE at 12:00 PM BID #09-10-080 DELIVERY SERVICE FOR SUMMER FOOD & NUTRITION PROGRAM at 2:30 PM BID #09-10-081 MILK & JUICE FOR SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM. Monday, April 12, 2010 at 11:00 AM BID #09-10-082 PACKAGING MATERIALS FOR 2010 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM at 2:30 PM BID #09-10-083 DELI MEATS, FRUIT CUPS, ETC. FOR SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM Specifications and bid forms are available at www.buffaloschools. org/PurchaseDept.cfm Jennifer LoTempio Purchasing Agent
ADVERTISING
PAYS (716) 8970442
State University of New York ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Announcement of Professional Vacancy
2010-0051 CH
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS AND CALL CENTER OPERATIONS (AAECC)
ADMISSIONS/STUDENT SERVICES FULL-TIME/PERMANENT JOB GROUP XIV SALARY $ 62,051
DESCRIPTION: The work involves coordinating and directing the admissions call center function of the College. Under the supervision of the Executive Vice President for Student Affairs, the incumbent is responsible for the supervision of Admissions Counselors, Call Center and clerical staff. Does related duties as required. REQUIREMENTS: Comprehensive knowledge of admissions and call center procedures at the college level; good knowledge of educational procedures and practices at the college level; ability to develop and supervise student services activities, including admissions and call center functions; ability to coordinate and direct the work of others; ability to prepare statistical materials effectively; good organizational ability; sound professional judgment; courtesy; tact; must be physically capable of performing the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in Education or Educational Administration and five (5) years experience in educational administration with supervisory capacity. Job # 2010-0051 CH
Position closes April 24, 2010 HUMAN RESOURCES ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4041 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD ORCHARD PARK, NY 14127-2199 To apply for this position, go to: https://jobs.ecc.edu Erie Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, members of minority groups, persons with disabilities, and Veterans are encouraged to apply.
advertising@thechallengernews.com
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SUN 3/21
NUMBERS
WIN 4
MID-580 EVE-237
NEW YORK NUMBERS MON 3/22
MID-712 EVE-323
MID-359 EVE-062
WED3/24
THURS 3/25
MID-873 EVE-583
MID-171 EVE-225
FRI 3/26
MID-510 EVE-299
SAT 3/27
MID- 391 EVE- 496
MID- 5560 M ID- 8501 MID-9316 MID-2500 MID- 2301 MID- 2240 MID-7036
TAKE 5
EVE-0750
EVE-8037
HOT TIPS
EVE-7660
EVE-5435
3-9-10-11-18 14-20-22-30-35 1-30-31-32-34 1-12-15-32-35
LOTTO
TUES 3/23
910-309
816-900
THE NUMBER BOOK
EVE- 5476 EVE-3256
EVE-8919
3-7-32-33-39 3-6-12-16-36 3-20-22-29-32
12-16-29-42-49-52#7 1-13-17-42-47-53#26 Extra#50 Extra#36
202-000 711-897 S l ick Wi l l i e is B ack ! ! ! !
670-298527-133202-769-729-000315-220-684-519
LUCKIE DUCKIE 629-038-570-416
648*123*104 980-422-809
981-989-970-990-080-800 390-196-102-581-752-319-
123-140
210-360
CHALLENGER HITS
MIDDAY
EVENING
712-Quick Money (bx) 359-Bee’s Pic & Virgo (bx) 873-Lucky Duckie (bx) 171-Hot Tips (bx) 391-Lucky Duckie & Number Book (bx) 083-Lucky Duckie (bx)
237-Capricorn (bx) *323-Number Book (Straight) *583-Quick Money (Straight) 522-Quick Money (bx) 496-Aries- (bx)
On-Going Events
408-378-352-126
189-444-886 322-522-412-432-421-423
quick money $$$$ 189-809-444 886-980-422 322-522-355 800-592-390 394-833-924 127-909-418 927-313-466 124-550-525 583-269-508
831-111
WEEKLY MEETINGS
*Stop The Violence Coalition Meeting: 5:30 p.m. 742 Delaware Ave. 882-7882. Fridays. *Buffalo Local Action Committee Meeting (BLAC): 6:30 p.m. Pratt Willert Center, 422 Pratt St. Thursdays *TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly): 6 p.m.; Edward Saunders Community Center, 2777 Bailey Ave.; 834-6095. Mondays *African Consciousness Workshop: 6-8 p.m.; Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue. Mondays *The Israel of God Bible Study Class: 6 p.m.; 372 Feugeron Ave.; 897-2270. Wednesdays *Health and Healing Circles: 3:30-5 p.m.; CAO, 70 Harvard Pl.; 903-3290, Wednesdays *Moot Senior Center “Best Breakfast in Town”: 9-10:30 a.m. 292 High St., Wednesdays *Men and Women Support Groups: 5:30-7 p.m.; 1333 Jefferson Avenue; hosted by Group Ministries, Inc. Thursdays *Alcoholics Anonymous First Step Group: 8-9 p.m.; Memorial Medical Center Auditorium, 621 10th St. Niagara Falls. Fridays *Narcotics Anonymous: 5-7 p.m.; Memorial Medical Center Auditorium, 621 10t St. Sundays *Senior Bridge Club/Poker Club: 1-4 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021.
ENTERTAINMENT
*The Café at Masten & Eaton Presents “Friday Evening Jazz”: 8 p.m.; 230 Masten Avenue; 883-2311. Fridays *Swinging Sundays: 8:00 p.m.-12 p.m.; Colored Musicians Club, 145 Broadway; 855-9383. *“Classic Soul Mixer”: 7-10 p.m.; Pandora’s Restaurant & Bar, 2261 Fillmore Ave. Fridays. *Dinner & Live Jazz at Hot Stuff Southern Cafe, 829 Main St., Niagara Falls; featuring Diana M. Reeves Fridays 6-9 p.m. and “Gumbo, Grits & Gospel on Sundays 2-6 p.m.; (716)282-7883.
DINNERS
*Muhammad Study Group Lunches & Dinners: 579 Jefferson Ave. (corner of Jefferson & Frost); $10; 436-1460. Saturdays. *St. John’s Lodge #16 Free and Accepted Masons Charity Fish Dinner Fundraiser: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; 17 Kingsley Street; $7; 885-5009 or 200-9129. Fridays
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MARCH 31, 2010
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
On-Going Events DANCE
Dance Lessons with Smooth Steppers: Urban Line Dance, smooth style Ballroom, Steppin’ and Swing; CRUCIAL Center, 230 Moselle St., Saturdays at noon; Tuesdays at 6 p.m. $3; 633-7813. *Line Dancing With Pearl Harris: 6-7 p.m. Pratt Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt St. donation $2. Wednesdays *Community Dance and African Drumming Classes: African American Cultural Center, 350 Masten Avenue, 3 p.m. Saturdays and 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; $15 monthly; visit www.africancultural.org more information *Line Dancing Lessons, First Shiloh Baptist Church, 15 Pine St., 6:30 p.m. Fridays. 847-6555. Free. *Line Dance Lessons: 10 a.m.-Noon; Martha Mitchell Center, 175 Oakmont St.; 444-2046 or 833-1038, Tuesdays Wednesdays *Line Dance by George Patterson: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 896-7021, Mondays & Thursdays. *June-Teenth Afrikan Family Time Drum Dance and Song: 6-8:30 p.m.; GatewayLongview Family Resource Center, 347 Ferry Street. Fridays * Argentine Tango Every Monday with Travis Widrick 7 - 10 p.m. 1st hour beginners lesson,The Gallery @ Chow Chocolat, 731 Main St. *Salsa Night Every Wednesday with Calvin and Fanny 7 - 10 p.m .1st hour beginners lesson The Gallery @ Chow Chocolat 731 Main St. *Latin Night 1st/3rd Friday with Chun Poh, Salsa, Merengue, ChaCha, Bachata 8 p.m.- midnight, Chow Chocolat 731 Main St. *Urban Ballroom Stepping, Swing, Beginners Salsa (all classes $3, 633-7813); Tuesdays 6-7 p.m. Urban Line Dancing; 7-8 p.m. Ballroom Stepping; Saturdays 1-3 p.m. Ballroom Stepping, West Coast Swing, Beginners Salsa. *Urban Line Dance: Learn some of the latest hot line dances,Mondays Old 600 Club, Mondays 7-9 p.m.; Wednesdays 6:15-8 p.m., ,St. Philips 15 Fernhill.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 31
SATURDAY APRIL 3
Drill-O-Rama: Kleinhans Music Hall, 6 p.m.; Tickets $15 at Doris Records; NO TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.
Day 3 Discussion Topic WEB Dubois Love, Acknowledgment & Race: 5 p.m., TheaterLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave.; $5. 883-0380.
Day 1 Discussion Topic WEB Dubois Love, Acknowledgment & Race: 6 p.m., TheaterLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave.; $5. 8830380. Americans Feeding Americans: Busti St. (between Maryland And Hudson), 2-5 P.M.; 3 tractor trailer loads of food and toiletries free to families.
Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau Free Seminar on Conference & Family Reunion Planning: 6-7:30 p.m., Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave; 852-0511 ext. 245 for more info or Williamson@buffalocvb.org Day 2 Discussion Topic WEB Dubois Love, Acknowledgment & Race: 6 p.m., TheaterLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave.; $5.8830380.
*Girl Scouts of America: 5-8 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 8967021. Wednesdays
EXERCISE
SATURDAY APRIL 3
*Open Mic Poetry: 6:30-9 p.m.; EM Tea Coffee Cup Café, 80 Oakgrove St.
YOUTH
*Senior Fitness Class: 9:45-10:45 a.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021; Wednesdays *Exercise for Health: 9:30-10:30; Edward A. Saunders Center, 2777 Bailey Avenue; 332-4381 Thursdays *Open Gym: 5-8 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021. Fridays *Tae-Kwan-do: 6-8 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021. Mondays & Fridays *Senior Fitness Class: 9:45-10:30 a.m.: Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021. Mondays
Birthday Appreciation Reception for Lady Geraldine Deas, Shanghai Red, 2 Templeton Terrace, 6 p.m.; $50; 9392187, 602-7913.
THURSDAY APRIL1
Community Prostate Cancer Informational Supper: 5-6:30 p.m. Gaylord Cary Room, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Streets; sponsored by Roswell Park & MAN UP (Minorities Allied for the Need to Understand & Prevent Prostate Cancer); free; 845-8487 or 845-4557.
POETRY
FRIDAY APRIL 9
Masten District Easter Egg Hunt: 11 am-12:30 p.m., MLK Park, NICYO Building, ages 5-12, contests and prizes; for more info 851-5145; free.
RADIO/TV PROGRAMMING
*Sen. Antoine Thompson Radio Show, Thursdays 1-2 p.m.; WUFO Radio 1080AM. *Community Health Center of Buffalo, “CHCB TV”Buffalo Pubic Access Station Mon. @ 9:30 p.m. & Wed.@ 11 a.m.; & on ION Media (Time Warner Ch. 18) Saturdays @ 6:30 a.m. *Pro-Ject Access To A-Free-Ka Radio Show: 3-6 p.m. 1080 AM WUFO; hosted by Ras Jomo; call in 837-111,, Mondays. *Khametic Ascendants Buffalo: 9 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. (nite); Buffalo Channel 20 Video showings; live speakers. Wednesdays *My Time To Be Blessed! Channel 20, Cable TV, Evangelist Gloria Caver-Robinson Gill; Mondays and Fridays 2 to 2:28 p.m. Sundays. *Umoja Presents: 10:30 p.m.; Channel 20. *Jazz Favorites: 9-10 p.m. WBFO Radio 88.7 AM with host/producer Macy Favor and guest. *What’s Happening Buffalo and WNY: 8:30 a.m. MYTV Buffalo; host Esther Smothers.Sundays. *WHLD 1270 AM Real Distinguished Speakers Series: 3-4 p.m.; hosted by Marc L. Fuller, with guest speaker. Saturdays.
*Affordable Homes Presents “Mo’ Money “Mo’ Money: 8-8:30 p.m.; WHLD 1270 AM Radio Ministry. Saturdays.
MARCH 31, 2010
Page 15
ON STAGE *Live Piano Jazz: Free every Friday from 6-9 PM. Ms. Diana M. Reeves on vocals and keyboards. Mr. Larry Henderson on drums. Hot Stuff Southern Cafe’, 829 Main St., NF, NY 14301. 716.282.7883. www.hotstuffsoutherncafe.com *Thursday Night Comedy: The New Golden Nugget, 2046 Fillmore Ave. 8 p.m.; tickets $15. *N’Dias ( “The Mix”) On Friday, April 9 Kleinhans Music Hall’s Mary Seaton Room will be transformed into a multitude of sights, sounds, rhythms and harmonies when N’Dias ( “The Mix”) performs for the first time in the prestigious venue.Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the pre-social event and African Market Place. Showtime is 8 p.m. An after party will take place at the North Lounge, 140 North St. (located in the Lenox Hotel). Tickets for the show are $15 in advance and $20 the door and can be purchased at Kleinhans.
Colored Musicians Club to Host Annual Easter Ball Concert The Colored Musician’s Club will host its annual Easter Ball Concert on April 4 from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Club featuring The George Scott big Band, Candenza, Odel Northington’s Trio and Taylor Made Jazz.
*Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, Saturday, March 20, 8 p.m., UB Center for the Arts; *Easter Jam 2010: Maino, Fat tickets at the Arts Box office or allT- Joe, Red Café, Sat. April l3, The Ticketmaster outlets & ticketmaster. Conference and Event Center at com Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St., N.F., 8 p.m.; Tickets @ Doris Records, *The Jazz Example with Larry New Style Records, West End ComOwens on drums; Greg Piontek on munications, Losson Market, NYC bass; Trigger Gaston on Piano, Bilal Apparel on Pine Ave. NF, Conference Abdullah on Sax; featuring vocalist and Event Center; or www.ticketweb. Lady Lita;9PM,Each Friday at The com; 716.548.3570 or 607-8460 for Anchor Bar. info. *Open Mic & Jam Session every *Buddy Guy, Wed. April 7, 8 Friday and Saturday New Musician’s *August Wilson’s “Two Trains Big “6” Club, 600 East North @ Fox; p.m., UB Center for the Arts, Tickets $43.50 & $39.50, Ticketmaster Running” March 30-April l6 GEVA 896-6660. & Center for the Arts Box Office; Theatre Center, Rochester, 232 GEVA 645-2787 for info. or gevatheatre.org
*Black Chippendales Tour BUFFALO: Club Jazzy’s Genesee St., April 1, 8 p.m., tickets Doris Records, $25 & Club Jazzys; more @ door, 585.402.4767. *SOULFUL SPRING: A Soulful Spring Upscale Affair featuring Buffalo’s rising Indie artists in R&B, Neo-Soul and Smooth Jazz - Dana “DNA” Lewis, Jahnal, Drea and Will Holton - will be held at the Tralf on April 2. Showtime 8 p.m.. Tickets $25 presale, $30 day of s how and available at the Tralf Box Office and Doris Records.
*FALLSVIEW CASINO & RESORT, NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA: *Gladys Knight, April 2 & 3, 9 p.m. $50; Little Anthony & The Imperials, April 9 & 10, $20; The Temptations, April 15, 8:30 p.m., $25; Smokey Robinson, June 11 & 12, 9 p.m., tickets $30; Ticketmaster.
*Black Chippendales Tour ROCHESTER: Club Elite, W. Main St. Rochester; 8 p.m., $25 tickets more @ door, available at The Hip Hop Center, 795 W. Main St. & Mad Flavors, 185 Lyell Ave; 585.402.4767 for info. *MAZE Featuring Frankie Beverly w/ Teena Marie & Betty Wright, April 23, 7:30 p.m., Blue Cross Arena, Rochester; tickets @ Arena Box Office & Ticketmaster Outlets & Mad Flavors Clothing.
MARCH 31, 2010
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