41 minute read
Union Matters
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (center) stands between Democrats and BBB bill.
(Photo courtesy of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin/Newsroom)
Being resolute about resolutions
Gregory Floyd
President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
As the New Year approaches, we look to a fresh start and a new beginning. It’s a tradition held by many to spend some time reviewing the last year and making a resolution or a wish for the New Year: lose weight, stop smoking, spend less money, listen to your spouse more are just some of the most popular resolutions. We know when we make resolutions that, at best, they are wishful thinking that hold no penalties if they don’t last. For sure, the most resolute thing about New Year’s resolutions and wishes is that, although we make them with sincerity and plan to keep them in earnest when made, there’s the sense that there’s always next year to make them again. In fact, 88% of New Year’s resolutions fail—80% of them are over, forgotten or just abandoned by March of the new year.
New Years is indeed a time when many reflect on their lives—sometimes with regret, sometimes with anger about what went wrong, but more often with thanks and with hope for a better year ahead. There are always celebrities who have weighed-in with their new year hopes, predictions, aspirations, and advice. Oprah Winfrey famously said: “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Albert Einstein advised: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Maya Angelou noted: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Mark Twain suggested that: “New Year’s Day is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” Rita Moreno told her fans to “Smell the roses. Smell the coffee. Whatever it is to make you happy.” John Lennon said: “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” Michelle Obama encouraged youngsters to: “Choose people in your life who lift you up.” Muhammed Ali gave this advice: “I hated every minute of training. But I said, don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. counseled his followers to “Take the first step in faith—you don’t need to see the whole staircase, just the first step.” Frank Sinatra sang: “The best is yet to come babe and won’t it be fine. You think we’ve seen the sun but you ain’t seen it shine.” And even Dr. Seuss chimed in with this philosophical thought: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
Two years of the coronavirus and its variants have changed many things. The new normal is anything but normal. The devastating and continuing impact on lives and livelihoods would probably be on everyone’s list of what went wrong. The universal desire to end the stranglehold that this crisis has had on us and wish to move on will, no doubt, be part of many predictions, resolutions, and prayers for 2022. Some may question if the pandemic could possibly have had a “silver lining”— such as more time with family members—or perhaps even produced a profound sense of thanks or a reinvigorated feeling of joy for the simple pleasures that had been previously taken for granted or ignored. Few would say that 2021 will be missed and certainly, not forgotten. As we look forward to the new year, and new beginnings, many will try to be more resolute about our resolutions.
Union to Manchin: vote for ‘Build Back Better’
By STEPHON JOHNSON
Amsterdam News Staff
The U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of 2020 might look at the Manchin of 2021 differently. The former voted for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The latter is fighting against legislation that would improve the state he represents with allegations of corporate bribery.
At the last minute, and after much negotiation, the senator declared that he wouldn’t vote for U.S. President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” bill, which addresses issues like infrastructure, child tax credit payments, universal pre-K, clean energy and health insurance for low-income citizens. In a statement, Manchin (D-W Va.) laid out his reasons for not supporting the bill.
“The American people deserve transparency on the true cost of the Build Back Better Act,” said Manchin. “The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined the cost is upwards of $4.5 trillion which is more than double what the bill’s ardent supporters have claimed. They continue to camouflage the real cost of the intent behind this bill.” As the Omicron variant spreads throughout communities across the country, we are seeing COVID-19 cases rise at rates we have not seen since the height of this pandemic.
While the bill addresses what’s happening inside the country, Manchin focused on alleged threats from the outside.
“We are also facing increasing geopolitical uncertainty as tensions rise with both Russia and China,” he continued. “Our ability to quickly and effectively respond to these pending threats would be drastically hindered by our rising debt.”
The news is another blow to Biden’s BBB bill where Manchin asks for concessions and scale backs only to ask for more when the Senate was on the brink of voting.
Manchin, along with U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Az.), has obstructed Democrat’s efforts to produce a bill that the party believes will benefit Americans the most. Two big elements of the bill involve clean energy and taxes.
Sinema’s seen significant financial contributions from conservatives and right-leaning finance companies for her opposition to an increase in taxes (personal and corporate). Manchin helped shrink BBB over its desire to address climate change. Both senators have received donations from pharmaceutical companies looking to fight changes to Medicare and fossil fuel companies to fight against clean energy.
According to a September study by the non-partisan Analyst Group, a Clean Electricity Payment Program, which is part of the BBB, could contribute more than $9 billion to the economy and provide close to 8 million jobs by the end of 2031.
United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued a statement telling Manchin how much BBB would help the union and bring back jobs to unemployed coal miners.
“The Build Back Better legislation includes several items that we believe are important for our members and their communities––some of which are part of the UMWA’s Principles for Energy Transition we laid out last spring,” said Roberts. “The bill includes language that would extend the current fee paid by coal companies to fund benefits received by victims of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung. But now that fee will be cut in half, further shifting the burden of paying these benefits away from the coal companies and on to taxpayers.”
“The bill includes language that would, for the first time, financially penalize outlaw employers that deny workers their rights to form a union on the job,” Roberts continued. “We urge Senator Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues to pass something that will help keep coal miners working, and have a meaningful impact on our members, their families, and their communities.”
Manchin’s actions contradict his overall AFL-CIO score in 2020 of 80%, an average senate democrat 96%, and a lifetime score of 84%.
According to CNN: Manchin, according to his latest financial disclosure, has holdings valued at between $1 million and $5 million in Enersystems, Inc., a coal brokerage business he founded. He made almost a half-million dollars from those holdings in 2020.
West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword said Manchin’s position on the Build Back Better Act betrays his own constituents.
“The critical relief the Act would provide on the cost of health and child care has been repeatedly noted, but just as importantly, this legislation preserves the strained Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which provides benefits to thousands of coal miners who suffer from the disease; contains groundbreaking labor enforcement provisions guaranteeing workers’ basic right to organize and bargain collectively by applying civil monetary penalties on employers that commit serious unfair labor practices (provisions from the PRO Act, of which Senator Manchin is a co-sponsor); creates and improves jobs for home care workers, while expanding access to affordable home and community care for seniors and those disabled; and includes Sen. Manchin’s ‘American Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act,’ which will invest $4 billion in coal communities to attract manufacturing companies that will provide good-paying, union jobs,” stated Sword.
Reparative approaches to housing discrimination
By BRADEN CROOKS
The history of New York City’s neighborhoods, like in most municipalities across the country, is defined by discrimination. This includes redlining neighborhoods housing New Yorkers of color, service cuts in neighborhoods slated for slum clearance and urban renewal, wealth destruction and predatory practices. Finally, when these neighborhoods needed deeper healing, the city leaned on over-policing as a primary method for “cleaning up” redlined areas, eventually paving the way for speculative investment and gentrification. We show this pernicious history in our Undesign the Redline exhibit.
The center of this story is housing: structural racism and inequality were designed into our housing system. Though meaningful efforts have been made to end racist policies and practices in housing, the legacy of racial inequity centered in wealth, health and homes remains as entrenched as ever in New York City. It isn’t over if it hasn’t been undesigned.
Eric Adams, as New York’s next mayor, will need to take an approach to housing that goes beyond ending harm to also heal, repair and undesign legacies of harm. We know America desperately needs a plan for healing. This shift from ending to undoing is needed to move forward into a healed paradigm where every New Yorker can thrive. This is why Designing the We is a proud signatory of the United for Housing: From the Ground Up report, which calls on Mayorelect Adams to develop a reparative approach to housing. We already have many places to start. The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968, and policy is finally being developed that Affirmatively Furthers Fair Housing—intended to heal the legacy of segregation. The Community Reinvestment Act was passed in 1977, but the racial wealth gap remains largely unchanged, prompting groundup efforts to build community wealth. Meanwhile, we have seen the movement for racial healing in America once again renewed, and it must be unwavering, or we will live with the fear and anger that grips us now. It’s time for change. This moment calls us as a city to dedicate ourselves to healing community and social fabric, repairing disparities in wealth and health, and undesigning the systemic legacy of harm to the benefit of all. We often say that if you are not deliberately undoing the legacies of structural racism, then you are almost certainly reproducing them. We are proud that our “Undesign the Redline” exhibit was present in Evanston, IL, when Alderman Robin Rue Simmons led the charge for the first Municipal Reparations policy with the support of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America. New York should explore the same. Healing and undesigning will need to be integrated more broadly into housing policy, systems, and structures. It follows that for every policy that reproduces harm, there is another that heals, repairs and undesigns. All New Yorkers will benefit from this kind of policy.
There are several proposals in the UFH report that speak to this reparative approach and could together form a larger reparative strategy. These include critical homeownership proposals like down pay-
ment grants, cooperative models, tenant opportunity to purchase, and creating a pipeline for the sale of rental buildings into community ownership. They also include advancing the Where We Live NYC plan already underway, robustly enforcing anti-discrimination in housing and lending, and supporting innovative models like Community Land Trusts that will stabilize housing for everyone.
There are many more policies and approaches that need exploring as a larger strategy is developed, and there are already so many organizers and leaders who have been working this way in New York and beyond. The next mayor should learn from them.
During his campaign, Eric Adams highlighted the historic injustices that caused racist harm and we look forward to working with him to initiate a strategic process of healing, repairing and undesigning that can begin to close the racial wealth gap, affirmatively further fair housing and heal our social fabric. We need to build toward a healed future where identity does not determine access to a home, family sustaining wealth, health, and security.
WWW.AMSTERDAMNEWS.COM THE NEW BLACK VIEW Vol. 106 No. 18 | April 30 - May 6, 2015 ©2015 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City
B’MORE UNREST
Welcome, Attorney General Loretta Lynch
Braden Crooks is a co-founder of Designing the We, By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch had hardly the creators of the Undesign the Redline exhibit. finished being sworn in Monday as the first AfricanAmerican woman to hold the position when the outrage and violence in Baltimore after Freddie Gray’s death in police custody became an immediate flashpoint. In effect, she has to hit the ground running with a situation that is becoming all too customary in America. Lynch’s first statement upon taking office was her promise that the Justice Department will continue the investigation of Gray’s death and send two top officials to Baltimore to help calm the city and stop the rioting. “As our investigative process continues, I strongly urge every member of the Baltimore community to adhere to the principles of nonviolence,” Lynch said in a statement Monday evening. “In the days ahead, I intend to work with leaders throughout Baltimore to ensure that we can protect the security and civil rights of all residents. And I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice to bear in protecting those under threat, inves-
By NAYABA ARINDE
Amsterdam News Editor
And CYRIL JOSH BARKER
Amsterdam News Staff
And SALIM ADOFO
Special to the AmNews The killing of another Black male by police left Baltimore burning Monday, April 27, 2015. It is calmer now, with curfews, multiple arrests and a simmering anger replacing the unbridled outrage that followed the funeral of Freddie Gray. The irony is not lost on social observers that the volatile response to a death in police custody occurred just two days before the 13th anniversary of the 1992 civil unrest ignited by the vicious videotaped police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles. Several thousand people have come out into the streets of Baltimore protesting the killing of 25-year-old Freddie Gray over the past few days. Police arrested Gray April 12, without resistance or incident, and he died from injuries suffered while in custody. His family said that his voice box was crushed, 80 percent of his spine was severed and his neck was snapped. Gray eventually slipped into a coma and died April 19. At a press conference this week, Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said, “When Mr. Gray was put in that van, he could talk and he was upset. … When he was taken out of that van, he could not talk and he could not breathe.”
See LYNCH on page 6
National Black United front (Salim Adofo photo)
See BALTIMORE on page 34 WWW.AMSTERDAMNEWS.COM THE NEW BLACK VIEW
Vol. 106 No. 9 | February 26 - March 4, 2015 ©2015 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City
Was Jimmy Breslin tipped off about Malcolm X’s assassination 50 years ago? By MILTON ALLIMADI and COLIN BENJAMIN
Special to the AmNews Was the NYPD involved or did they merely know about the impending murder of Malcolm X and allow it to happen 50 years ago? Were some reporters, including famed scribe Jimmy Breslin, tipped off that something was about to go down? The official story has been that Malcolm X was killed Feb. 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem because of a feud between him and his former allies in the Nation of Islam. Malcolm had a falling out with NOI leader and his former spiritual guide Elijah Muhammad, who he’d
We Need Stronger Rent Laws, Not Developer Giveaways
Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5
Sharpton the newsmaker By HERB BOYD
Special to the AmNews
It may be a great disservice to mention the Rev. Al Sharpton and Rudy Giuliani in the same article, but they are two public figures with a long affair with the media—one longing for it to go away and the other courting it for coverage.
This week they are both back in the news—again. Rumors are afloat that Sharpton’s “PoliticsNation” on MSNBC may be put on a weekend schedule. Other hosts on the network are also, as they say in the business world, scheduled for reassignment, including
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Vol. 106 No. 16 | April 16 - April 22, 2015 THE NEW BLACK VIEW
©2015 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City
By HERB BOYD
Special to the AmNews About a minute and half into her online announcement of her presidential bid last Sunday, Hillary Clinton said, “Everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion so you can do more than just get by, so you can get ahead and stay ahead. Because when families are strong, America is strong.” Interestingly, April 12, 154 years ago, the Civil War began, and Clinton has begun her campaign to turn things around, although with an arsenal of words, at least for the moment. Community bids Dr. Ben farewell By AUTODIDACT 17 Special to the AmNews The announcement, which From New Two days of ceremonies at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church last week allowed associates, comrades, family and friends of acclaimed Kemeta-physician Dr. Yosef A.A. ben-Jochannan the opportunity to pay their final respects before he was interred at Ferncliff Ceme-tery Friday afternoon. “It’s an honor to be here and celebrate this great life that has been amongst us for 97 years,” remarked colleague Dr. Leonard Jeffries, beginning Thursday evening’s wake, the capacity crowd erupting in applause, chants and drumming. “We have to be aware that Dr. Ben has made his transition and he’s expecting us to continue his great legacy that he shared with us.” One of Jochannan’s daughter’s exhorted, “I challenge you to go home and continue the See BEN continued on page 34 York to DC, folk set off on #March2Justice By SAMANTHA M. COLTON Special to the Am News Monday kicked off Justice League NYC’s first March2Justice. Participants started their walk on Staten Island and will continue for nine days until they arrive in Washington, D.C. Along the way, they plan on engaging in rallies and mobilizations before they meet with legislators to demand congressional intervention on the national crisis of police brutality. According to the organization, they are “inspired and moved by young people and others across the country that continue to keep this movement alive in the name of justice. We now want to see action from the powers that be, and it's time we take the movement t them.” The march will cover five states, with move-ments planned in cities such as Trenton, Philadelphia, Baltimore and D.C., where the final rally will take place on Capitol Hill. The group then plans ALL EYES ON SHARPTON Joy Reid, Ronan Farrow, Ed Schultz, Chris Hayes and Lawrence O’Donnell. It sounds as if MSNBC is cleaning house and dissatisfied with its leftist orientation. And if we can believe Erica Snipes, Eric Garner’s daughter, Sharpton “is only in it for the money,” as she said to a right-wing mischief maker recording her comments on a concealed camera. She later recanted, indicating that Sharpton and the National Action Network had paid for her father’s funeral. Later, in a statement to NAN, she clarified her position on the matter. “It is unfortunate that the New York (Bill Moore photo) See SHARPTON on page 6 (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)
12 • March 26 - April 1, 2015 HILLARY’S IN!
See HILLARY on page 6
(Karl Crutchfield photo)
See MARCH on page 6
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS MTA, take a hike
When a fare hike by the MTA went into effect Sunday, the moans from straphangers, particularly those who have been struggling even to pay $2.50 per ride, were louder than the brakes of an A train coming to a halt—that is, if you were lucky to have one arriving at your station on schedule.“I realize it and we all realize that service … is not where we need it to be and not necessarily meeting our customers’ expectations,” said Carmen Bianco, president of New York City Transit. This is an understatement of the highest order, and while confession is good for the soul, it brings little relief to the working poor, who will be the most impacted by the increase as they are by the often inadequate service.Ask any of the regular daily 6 million commuters on the city’s subway system and you will hear a litany of complaints—the most common one being the interminable delays. According to the latest reports from the MTA, through January there was an average of more than 43,000 delays a month. Even more distressing—and it’s the second most common complaint—the trains are so jammed with passengers that you have to wedge your
Opinion
way in. Luckily, these riders are not on the rapid transit system in Japan, where they have “oshiyas,” or pushers, whose are responsible for making sure passengers are all the way into the car.These problems are compounded during periods of inclement weather. Again, MTA authorities have promised to address such issues and to speed up the time needed to restore schedules after a malfunction. Unfortunately, the remedies are not coming as fast as the fare hikes, and we sympathize with customers who want to know if the increase in fares will improve services in the century-old system. To be at the mercy of the 4, 5 and 6 lines even after rush hour is to have the experience of a sardine. The ordeal is doubly challenging for the elderly—who, by the way, are only experiencing a 10 cent hike in their fare, up to $1.35 a ride, which isn’t welcomed when you’re on a fixed income—and the disabled, who can rarely expect an ounce of common courtesy from weary workers. It’s been estimated that more than $30 billion is needed to upgrade the subway system. Passengers expecting any of that money to trickle down from Albany have a longer wait than the arrival of any weekend train. When it comes to transportation in the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appears to be far more interested in those in cars and on their way to LaGuardia, evidenced by his proposed AirTrain expansion and plan to spruce up the Tappan Zee Bridge.So my dear straphangers, grin and bear it, dig a little deeper into your depleted pockets for that extra quarter or two and hope the next fare hike is as slow and distant as the next train.
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief Member Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Alliance for Audited Media Nayaba Arinde: Editor Penda Howell: Vice President, Sales, Advertising Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus
EDITORIAL The savage inequality of education must end By ASSEMBLYMAN MICHAEL BLAKE The current education debate in Albany has been elevated because of the need to pass a New York state budget by March 31. Education advocates on both sides are tall on ideology, but we are all falling short on cooperation and remembering that this is about the children. The dialogue is fascinating, ranging from school funding to teacher performance, tenure, evaluation, public versus charter and private versus parochial. All of these considerations are necessary and timely to improve the academic, social, mental and physical setting for young people. But the tone has become incredibly divisive. Advocates on all sides of the discourse say that we are “at war.” Actually, we are not, so let’s leave that terminology to those who serve us honorably in uniform. I understand that we are all passionate on how about improve the lives of our children and give them paths to success. But this conversation is unproductive if it’s an “either or” consideration rather than a “both and” where we acknowledge that each side has legitimate points on how to transform our educational system for the better and determine a path forward. We are sometimes invoking terms and images of savagery rather than pursuing constructive compromise. This is not the first time that I have heard the word savage used to describe education. In “Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools,” Jonathon Kozol described my elementary school, P.S. 79, in that way. Given the challenges that my great principal, James Carter, had to endure to empower our minds and hearts, it saddens me that instead of being described as scholarly, we were described as “savage.” In large part, that framing was not because of my future, but because of my ZIP code. I grew up in the Bronx. I lived a block away from school, where I passed the corner bodega on one side and bought my slice of pizza on another. Deep down, I knew that our schools didn’t have what we needed, because of inadequate funding.In 1993, that financial disparity reality came to greater light when the Campaign for Fiscal Equity was established and later led to the landmark victory in C.F.E. v. State of New York, where the coalition successfully argued that the city’s school finance system was woefully underfunded and denied its students their constitutional right of a sound basic education. That decision addressed the chronic shortfalls for New York City schools, but its logic carried to upstate’s mix of poor urban districts and high-tax, low-wealth small town and rural districts. The remedy for curing that finding of unconstitutionality was robust funding under a more equitable formula called Foundation Aid, which attacked unfairness, regardless of a school’s region, racial or income mix, by dividing allocations by district student enrollment and assessing student need and local ability to pay. Sadly, Foundation Aid was fully funded only in the 2007-2008 fiscal year. The Great Recession knocked that full funding off the tracks, and the inequities re-emerged to the point of approximately $4.9 billion CFE money still owed to public schools in our neediest areas. This inequality hits close to home, as my Assembly district is owed a staggering $76 million in CFE money—more than any Assembly district in New York City. Imagine what that funding could do for our kids? Smaller classroom sizes, more teachers, school supplies, books, building repairs, etc.You compare this intolerable reality with the equal gut blow of 10 of the 178 “failing” (I prefer struggling) schools are in my district alone. It’s beyond unjust and inhumane. The conditions we are putting our students, teachers, adminSee EDUCATION on page 32 12 • March 19 - March 25, 2015
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS No more excuses, confirm Loretta Lynch
Several days after impressing a Senate panel, Loretta Lynch appeared to be a shoo-in to succeed Eric Holder Jr. as U.S. attorney general. But leave it to the mischievous, meanspirited Republicans to rain on her parade. At least, we hope, only temporarily.Just when she seemed to be a lock for the post, particularly with such prominent Republicans as Orrin Hatch of Utah, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine promising to confirm her, there is a snag. So what’s the problem? The problem is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his reluctance to call a vote because of a human-trafficking bill that includes a provision that would establish a fund for victims from fines paid by those convicted of trafficking crimes. These funds, as the Democrats proposed, could be used for abortions, and therein lies the rub.It’s simply amazing that bills can get past a committee then hit that implacable wall called Republican repugnance. The story here is that Republicans apparently don’t mind gathering funds from predators fined for sex trafficking crimes, but this money can’t be used by the victims to pay for abortions. Republicans contend that such use of the money would compromise the Hyde Amendment, which, except for rape, forbids use of tax dollars for abortions. What has this got to do with Lynch’s confirmation or the price of rice in China? This boondoggle is very similar to the impasse over Homeland Security funding that included an immigration attachment. We were pleased to see the Republicans capitulate on that measure and allow the Department of Homeland Security funding to go forward while tossing immigration into limbo.
That had as much to do with undermining the president’s executive authority as anything else, and we would be naive to believe that the same shenanigans are not at play in Lynch’s confirmation. Sen. Chuck Schumer is right on point when he noted that the Senate “can walk and chew gum at the same time,” but this becomes a difficult process when considering any action put forth by President Barack Obama.
Opinion
In 1984, the Senate took a year to confirm President Ronald Reagan’s nominee, Edwin Meese, for attorney general, but that delay was based on Meese’s messy business practices. And if some Republicans have their way, Lynch will be tarred with the same brush, given the alleged dealings she had with drug lords and money launderers. All of this is hogwash. Lynch’s problem is that she is a strong Black woman who happens to agree with many of the policies of the outgoing attorney general and the ongoing president. Yes, the Senate may be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, but we all suffer when the gum is stuck to their shoes and they are politically immobilized. Two things are clearly immutable—Lynch’s race and her politics. So get over it! No more excuses. Confirm Loretta Lynch!
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief Member
(Photo courtesy of Douglas Palmer—Flickr) EDITORIAL
Letter to the congressional leadership March 13, 2015
Hon. Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Hon. Harry Reid Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Mr. Leaders: I write this letter to express support for the nomination of Loretta Lynch to become the attorney general of the United States Department of Justice. As the attorney general for the state of New York, I am confident that Ms. Lynch will provide the strong leadership necessary United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ms. Lynch has developed a long record of achievements, and she enjoys a reputation for fairly and evenhandedly enforcing the law. She demonstrates extraordinary character, sound judgment and clear commitment to the principle of equal justice under commitment to public service and strong management skills, make her well-suited to serve in this position.Our nation requires a capable and effective advocate such as Loretta Lynch to head its chief law enforcement agency. For these reasons, I urge the Senate to confirm Ms. Lynch to serve as attorney general for the Mitch McConnell Harry Reid 12 • April 23 - April 29, 2015
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Opinion Smart crook versus crooked cop
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher Member and Editor in Chief Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Nayaba Arinde: Editor Alliance for Penda Howell: Vice President, Sales, Advertising Audited Media Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus
By SAINT SOLOMON
During the turbulent 1980s and early 1990s, when murder, mayhem and drugs plagued the inner cities, scores of self-made gangsters vied for control of certain neighborhoods. In Brooklyn, Fort Greene and Lafayette Gardens were atop the list that harbored some of the most infamous characters. While Killer Ben and 50 Cent found infamy in Fort Greene, Lafayette Gardens was dubbed “Bush Gardens” because of the way Derrick “Bush” Hamilton, along with his brother J.R., were
Stuck in the middle of a deadly dilemma
By ELINOR TATUM Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Over the past several months, a lot of attention has been focused on killer cops. Every other day, we seem to witness a case of police brutality that ends in murder. Although it is not a new phenomenon, it is one that is reaching epidemic proportions—a deeply troubling epidemic. But as we shout
“Black Lives Matter!” in protest, we have lost sight of the other battle against violence in our communities.
Although there is no comparison, and some may say that if you restart the battle to stop Black-on-Black crime, then we lose focus on the police and their tactics that are killing us. So where does that leave us? Unfortunately, it leaves us in the middle—in two wars that must be fought simultaneously and swiftly. In effect, rumored to have controlled a large percent of the illicit activities in that particular neighborhood.Almost simultaneously, Brooklyn North Homicide Squad developed a roving 40-man task force to quell Brooklyn’s murder epidemic. Of all the detectives, Louis Scarcella was most famous for solving murders. In 1983, Hamilton was jailed for an assortment of violent crimes, such as manslaughter, weapon possession and robbery. During his time in an Elmira prison, Hamilton, a self-taught jailhouse lawyer, helped other convicted killers receive time cuts and reversals. He, too, was back in Lafayette Gardens in less than a decade. In 1987, 50 Cent was immortalized when Julio “Wemo” Acevedo gunned him down in a dusky hallway located in Albany projects. Acevedo was subsequently arrested, convicted and shipped to an upstate prison.In 1991, a Brooklyn man named Nathaniel Cash was murdered. Hamilton’s name came up in the investigation. Scarcella didn’t have the patience and wherewithal for justice. He believed that he was above the law. He arrested Hamilton post haste. After a lengthy trial, Hamilton was once again convicted and sentenced to decades of confinement. Hamilton wasn’t worried. This wasn’t his first rodeo. In fact, he and fellow Brooklynite Acevedo ended up in the same prison. After exchanging penitentiary pleasantries, Hamilton told Acevedo that he knew of some legal discrepancies in his case and vowed to free him. True to his word, Hamilton had Acevedo back on the street before the turn of the century. In 2000, while Hamilton was still in jail, his brother J.R. was murdered inside of his sea food restaurant. According to a federal indictment, Damion “World” Hardy, another La fayette Garden resident, was responsible for ordering that particular hit. Word on the street was Hamilton, while incarcerated, had convinced a paroled lackey to kill Hardy. Although he sustained a head wound, Hardy survived the shooting. Coincidentally, Scarcella also lost a brother, Michael, a cop who committed suicide as he depressingly witnessed his brother’s tainted career unravel and capsize. In 2011, Hamilton’s legal prowess, coupled with Scar cella’s faulty and shoddy police work secured his pre mature release from prison. In 2013, Acevedo plows through a crowded Brook lyn street while driving drunk and crashes into a taxi, caus
this is not an either/or dilemma, but a problem that requires a both/and solution. To be sure, fighting wars on two fronts is hard enough, but it gets even harder when we need one of the so-called enemies as an ally.Police-community relations have had their ups and downs. Whereas a segment of the pop-
EDITORIAL This situation is madness, and it shows how deep the rifts have become. Any trust that once existed is now complete ly eroded. Youngsters on the street used to know the beat cop, and the beat cop knew them. The police were a pos itive fixture in the communi ty and they were a part of the community, not apart from
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Vol. 106 No. 4 | January 22 - January 28, 2015 THE NEW BLACK VIEW ©2015 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City Obama’s audacity of hope By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews If the usual rhetorical flair and occasional lyrical resonance were missing from President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, it did abound with a number of audacious proposals for the Republicans to chew on and mull over before they soundly reject them.In this address, there were no quotes or references to past presidents— no Lincoln, FDR, LBJ, JFK, not even Reagan. In this time when Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy is being invoked in
OBAMA’S TIME
Mayor Dinkins delivers keynote at MLK luncheon By DEMETRIA IRWIN Special to the AmNews The Black Agency Executives organization recently held its 38th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon. Aptly hosted by NBC4’s Pat Battle, the event at the Hilton New York in Midtown was well attended. The Honorable David Dinkins, New York’s first and so far only Black mayor, was the keynote speaker. While reflecting on the legacy of King, Dinkins shared the following bit of wisdom: “It’s important to recognize that we do not stand alone and gun violence, which was heavi ly stressed at his previous State of the Union address.Of course, Black Americans heard little that directly related to them, though many of his proposals inev itably will affect them, if the propos als ever see the light of day. His words may not have had that poetic arch he can invest in a speech, but the numbers leaped from the page—a page he said it was time to turn. “Six years ago, nearly 180,000 Ameri can troops served in Iraq and Afghani stan,” he said. “Today, fewer than 15,000
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Vol. 106 No. 11 | March 12 - March 18, 2015 ©2015 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City President greets 103-year-old civil rights legend Amelia Boynton Robinson with Rep. Terri Sewell of www.whitehouse.gov)
Many rivers and bridges to cross By HERB BOYD
Special to the AmNews
As President Barack Obama prepared to lead marchers across the
Edmund Pettus Bridge spanning
AND STILL WE MARCH Such actions of police misconduct Special to the AmNews may not be sanctioned or as blatant as in the past, but they are no less deadly As President Barack Obama pre- and we need look no further than the pared to lead marchers across the homeless man shot and killed by a Edmund Pettus Bridge spanning police offi cer in Los Angeles last Sunday.
Merry and bright
In this season when giving is of paramount concern, when people around the world praise the birth of a special child, millions of children in poverty may experience an even harsher reality if the child tax credit is not salvaged. On Dec. 15 countless numbers of families received their final check, placing them in dire situations, particularly the diminishing prospect of providing their children with healthier meals, as well as paying the mounting cost of utilities. One senator, a veritable scrounge-turned-Scrooge, EDITORIAL Joe Manchin of West Virginia is the principal or unprincipled culprit at the intersection of this flow of government assistance. He is blocking a measure that would even benefit many in his home state dependent on the monthly payments. We are pleased to learn that he is getting some pushback from his impoverished constituents and we have to wait to see if this outcry of desperation is enough to change his opposition.
Raking in more than $200,000 annually—and millions more through his donors in the coal, oil, and gas industry––Manchin is impervious to the pinch of poverty and the need to have even the meager $300 per child each month. Well, that payment can no longer be counted on, and it will be a very unhappy holiday season for too many underserved and poor Americans.
Manchin is part of the machinations hindering President Biden’s dream for approval of his Build Back Better Act. The senator’s obstinacy on climate change is another clog in getting Biden’s legislation through Congress.
If it means anything, we add our voice, our shoulder to the wheel to make Biden’s plan a reality. To think that millions of children in this country are on the brink of starvation is not the kind of yuletide carol consistent with that child in the manger.
The surge of the omicron virus, the long lines of people eager to be tested, and the increasingly crowded hospitals puts a terrible damper on the possibility of celebration and communion with family members.
Nonetheless, despite the harrowing circumstances, we extend our good wishes and hope that as the calendar flips your situation has some glimmer of being merry and bright. The Obama family joins hands as it begins the march with the foot soldiers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. (Offi cial White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) HAVE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?
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The hope that lies beyond the fireplace
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.
ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS
By practically every measure, 2021 has turned out to be the worst since the turn of the millennium. We were confronted with a slew of challenges, starting with the most obvious: the COVID-19 pandemic, which is appearing to be a persistent threat and one which might never be eradicated. This, followed by massive wildfires, political unrest, chaos within our communities, and politicians who appear to care less about the people and more about themselves have made this trying year into one that will be remembered and studied for generations to come. However, despite the treacherous year we have had to endure, there is still plenty to be hopeful for during this Christmas.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the meaning of Christmas—the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ—as well as the time of its observance. As the year draws to a close, Christmas is an ideal time to reflect on the year that has come to pass. What began as a day primarily dedicated to commemorating the birth of the Christian savior has evolved into a secular holiday of sorts—a celebration of family and a time of self-discovery, both in the context of oneself and of us all. Mortality, destruction, and financial ruin have been the result of this historic year. However, at this time of year, the decaying ash is transformed into a melancholy blanket of snow, and all that was bad appears to mature into a shiny white glimmer of hope. We can seek refuge with our families beside the fireplace, experience this time of peace and serenity, and discover the hope that lies beyond the fireplace. We express our thanks to our loved ones for their presence, and our savior— or good fortune—for our survival, and we look forward to the future, in the hopes that it will be brighter than the past.
It is still possible to be hopeful for the future, despite the tragic circumstances which we have all come to experience this year. Many incredible news stories go unreported, are underreported, or simply pass us by because we have become numb to the good that exists in the world. Examples include the discovery of a massive reservoir of water on Mars, which scientists believe could indicate the presence of life on a planet that has the potential to aid in the spread and survival of the human species. What about reports of new technology that is being created that would allow a person to be diagnosed with a sickness just by breathing into a machine? In addition to this, let us not forget about the plethora of technology that is being invented and launched almost every single day that makes our lives easier.
Within this news, and the many stories that we each individually discover, we find hope. Hope is both a mirror of the past and a forecast of the future. To hope is to wish for a better tomorrow despite the perilous circumstances of one’s present and past. We have been through a terrible year—in fact, a terrible two years—in which many loved ones have died, many businesses have shuttered, and many people have lost faith. But, despite everything, so many people have had the courage to keep on in the hope of a better future. After all, why shouldn’t they? We live in a world that offers limitless opportunities and a plethora of options for achieving success as well as coping with loss and failure. We can use all of these to overcome the insurmountable and to become the impossible.
It is essential to be with our most cherished friends and family members even in times of sorrow and hopelessness since Christmas provides us with the opportunity to come together and hope for the future. Whatever it is that we are thankful for, we can all find something that will aid us in pressing on in our future endeavors. I say, identify that sliver of hope that you have left, whatever it may be, and utilize it to propel yourself toward the future that you desire. Of course, there are no guarantees, but if you want even a semblance of normalcy after what we have all collectively experienced, you must take the risk and go on a quest to find it. But I assure you that there is a way forward. If you put forth any effort, you will learn that there are green pastures ahead.
I am certain that there are many who see the challenges that lie ahead and give up before they can even start. But I urge any person who thinks that they are not strong enough to continue forward and believe in yourself. Every day is a new beginning, and for many of us, we only have so many beginnings left; use them carefully, press on, and you might just find what you’re looking for.
CHRISTINA GREER PH.D.
The Christmas season is always one of my favorite times of the year. I have such fond memories of my mom playing Johnny Mathis Christmas music on loop, the smell of pine cones wafting through the house, the kitchen filled with pies, and so much more.
In my youth, I was always in charge of wrapping presents. I even volunteered with the American Cancer Society and wrapped gifts for holiday shoppers at Marshall Fields to help the organization raise money during the Christmas season. One of my other holiday “jobs” was to help my grandmother get all of the ingredients ready for her famous fruitcakes. Family, neighbors, and friends would come from far and wide to get one of “Aunt Lillian’s” fruit cakes. Dicing the gelled cherries and chopping pecans are some of my fondest childhood memories, sitting at the dining room table with the plastic covering the fancy tablecloth.
I recognize that not everyone thinks of the holiday season and smiles fondly thinking of Nat King Cole songs playing in the background and cranberry scented candles creating a cozy home. A good friend recently sent me a text to say how lonely they had been during the holiday season. How they’ve spent holidays alone and really missed having family and friends nearby.
This holiday season, with all that is going on around us, I hope we will take a moment to check in with our friends and family. The holiday season can exacerbate depression, sadness, and loneliness for some people. The cold weather and what seems like constant darkness can make the feelings of isolation feel even more acute.
Whenever I get a little sad during the holiday season, missing my late grandparents and dealing with cold weather, I try to think of fond memories of days past. I have also found volunteering and helping others has been a great way to snap me out of the holiday funk. Cleaning out my closets and donating winter clothes to those in need is a great way to start. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or shelter is also a great way to bring cheer to those in need. It is also a way to help overworked volunteers who do this work year round.
Many religious organizations and social service institutions also have opportunities to purchase presents for families in need of assistance in making the holiday season special for their kids. We know many families will need extra assistance in getting gifts for their kids this year and a small donation or present can go a long way in helping a child have a Christmas to remember.
Hopefully, this holiday season will be filled with reflection on how resilient we’ve been this past year. Be sure to bundle up and smile under your mask, you never know who may need to feel that holiday spirit.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” and the cohost of the podcast FAQ-NYC.
