January 2012 Issue by The Positive Community

GOOD NEWS FROM THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

January 2012

www.thepositivecommunity.com

Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Issue

$2.95

we put your health first

The members of the New Jersey Education Association are proud to honor Dr. Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and legacy by working to provide every child with a great public school education. Barbara Keshishian, President Wendell Steinhauer, Vice President Marie Blistan, Secretary-Treasurer Vincent Giordano, Executive Director Richard Gray, Assistant Executive Director/ Research Director

January 2012

CONTENTS SECTIONS Money

Password Security Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Faith and Finance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit. . . . . . . . . . 23 Education

Haitian Scholarship Program at Metropolitan College . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Rescuing Avon Avenue School . . . . . . 27 Health

Americans Praying for Health . . . . . . . 37 The Doctor in the Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . 38 COVER STORY: NATIONAL MLK MEMORIAL STANDS AS TRIBUTE TO DR. KING

First Aid and Health Policy Training in Haiti. . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

&also inside

Health

From the Publisher’s Desk . . . . . . . . . 11 My View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Parenting 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 On Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Fitness Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Gospel Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 In the Spirit & Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Way Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 The Last Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Cover Photo: Master Lei Yixin, sculptor of the Memorial

Bethany Baptist’s Jazz Vespers . . . . . 51 WBGO Expands Listening Area . . . . . . 54 Hal Jackson Turns 97. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Features New Leadership at BMC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Virginia Montague Elected Chair of Mother AMEZ Board . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Commemorating the Great Emancipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Continuing and Professional Studies

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...Re-envisioning theological education for the 21st Century...

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Certificate of Christian Ministry Master of Divinity Master of Pastoral Care and Counseling Master of Religious Education Doctor of Ministry Program For additional information, call or e-mail Dr. Cynthia Diaz Director of Student Affairs and Vocational Discernment cdiaz@nyts.edu | 212-870-1212

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GREAT

R C OLL

MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

ALL

TO PROGRESS

he clergy organizations, churches, community businesses and institutions listed below have committed to the purchase of at least 50 magazines per month at $1.00 each (one-third of the cover price) or support this publication through the purchase of advertising. Find out more by calling 973-233-9200 or email rollcall@thepositivecommunitycom

Abyssinian B.C., Harlem, NY Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, Pastor

Fellowship Missionary B.C., Newark, NJ Rev. Kippie C. Brown, Pastor

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Peekskill, NY Rev. Adolphus Lacey, Pastor

Thessalonia Worship Center, Bronx, NY Rev. Dr. Shellie Sampson, Pastor

Abundant Life Fellowship COGIC, Newark, NJ Supt. Edward Bohannon, Jr, Pastor

First AME Zion Church, Brooklyn, NY Dr. Darran H. Mitchell, Pastor

Mt. Pisgah B.C., Brooklyn, NY Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, Pastor

Union Baptist Temple,, Bridgeton, NJ Rev. Albert L. Morgan, Pastor

First B.C. of Lincoln Gardens, Somerset NJ Rev. Dr. DeForest (Buster) Soaries, Pastor

Mt. Zion AME Church, Trenton, NJ Rev. J. Stanley Justice, Pastor

Walker Memorial B.C. Bronx, NY Rev. Dr. J. Albert Bush Sr., Pastor

First Baptist B.C. of Teaneck, NJ Rev. Marilyn Monroe Harris, Pastor

New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, NJ

West Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY Rev. Alvin Barnett

First Bethel Baptist Church, Newark, NJ H. Grady James III, Pastor

New Hope Baptist Church, Metuchen, NJ Rev. Dr. Donald L. Owens, Pastor

World Gospel Music Assoc., Newark, NJ Dr. Albert Lewis, Founder

First Park Baptist Church, Plainfield, NJ Rev. Rufus McClendon, Jr., Pastor

New Hope Baptist Church of Hackensack, Hackensack, NJ Rev. Dr. Frances Mannin-Fontaine, Pastor

Businesses & Organizations

Antioch Baptist Church., Brooklyn, NY Rev. Robert M. Waterman, Pastor Archdiocese of New York Brother Tyrone Davis, Office of Black Ministry Berean B.C., Brooklyn, NY Rev. Arlee Griffin Jr., Pastor Bethany B.C., Brooklyn, NY Rev. Dr. David Hampton, Pastor Bethany B.C., Newark, NJ. Rev. Dr. M. William Howard, Pastor Beulah Bible Cathedral Church, Newark, NJ Gerald Lydell Dickson, Senior Pastor Black Ministers Council of NJ Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, Exec. Director Calvary Baptist Church, Garfield, NJ Rev. Calvin McKinney, Pastor Canaan B. C. of Christ, Harlem, NY Rev. Thomas D. Johnson, Pastor Childs Memorial COGIC, Harlem, NY Bishop Norman N. Quick, Pastor Christian Cultural Center, Brooklyn, NY Rev. A.R. Barnard, Pastor

Friendship Baptist Church, Harlem, NY Rev. James A. Kilgore, Pastor General Baptist Convention, NJ Rev. Dr. Guy Campbell, President Grace B. C., Mt. Vernon, NY Rev. Dr. Franklyn W. Richardson, Pastor Greater Abyssinian BC, Newark, NJ Rev. Allen Potts, Senior Pastor Greater Allen Cathedral, Queens, NY Revs. Floyd and Elaine Flake, Co-Pastors Greater New Hope Missionary B.C., NYC Rev. Joan J. Brightharp, Pastor Greater Zion Hill B.C., Harlem, NY Rev. Dr. Frank J. Blackshear, Pastor

Christian Love B.C., Irvington, NJ Rev. Ron Christian, Pastor

Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI) Lucille McEwen, President & CEO

Community B.C., Englewood, NJ Rev. Dr. Lester Taylor, Pastor

It Is Well Living Ministries, Clark, NJ Rev. Kahlil Carmichael, Pastor

Community Church of God, Plainfield, NJ Rev. Dr. Shirley B. Cathie., Pastor Emeritus

Jesus Christ Family Church, Brooklyn, NY Rev. Jason Sumner, Senior Pastor

Concord B.C., Brooklyn, NY Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson, Pastor

Messiah Baptist Church, East Orange, NJ Rev. Dana Owens, Pastor

Convent Avenue Baptist Church, New York, NY Rev. Dr. Jesse T. Willams, Pastor

Metropolitan B.C., Newark, NJ Rev. Dr. David Jefferson, Pastor

Empire Missionary B.C., Convention NY Rev. Washington Lundy, President Evening Star B.C., Brooklyn, NY Rev. Washington Lundy, Pastor

Mother A.M.E. Zion Church, Harlem Rev. Dr. Gregory Robeson Smith, Pastor Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church, Harlem, NY Mt. Neboh Baptist Church, Harlem, NY Rev. Dr. Johnnie Green Jr., Pastor

New Life Cathedral, Mt. Holly, NJ Rev. Eric Wallace, Pastor

125th St. BID

New Zion B.C., Elizabeth, NJ Rev. Kevin James White, Pastor

American Diabetes Association

Paradise B. C., Newark, NJ Rev. Jethro James, Pastor

African American Heritage Parade American Heart Association, Northern, NJ Brown Executive Realty, LLC

Ruth Fellowship Ministries, Plainfield, NJ Rev. Tracy Brown, Pastor

City National Bank

Shiloh B.C., Plainfield, NJ Rev. Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas, Pastor

Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce

St. Anthony Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY Rev. Dr. Duane E. Cooper

Medgar Evers College

St. Luke Baptist Church of Harlem, New York, NY Rev. Dr. Johnnie McCann, Pastor

Muslim American Chamber of Commerce

St Luke B.C., Paterson, NJ Rev. Kenneth D.R. Clayton, Pastor St. Albans, NY COGIC Rev. Ben Monroe

Essex County College, NJ Inner City Broadcasting Mildred Crump, Newark City Council NAACP New Jersey* NAACP, NY State Conference* New Jersey Performing Arts Center New York Theological Seminary New York Urban League

St. James AME Church, Newark, NJ Rev. Ronald L. Slaughter, Pastor

Newark School of Theology

St. Matthew AME Church, Orange, NJ Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, Pastor

Schomburg Center

St. Paul Community B.C., Brooklyn, NY Rev. David K. Brawley, Pastor

The United Way of Essex and West Hudson

The Cathedral Int’l., Perth Amboy, NJ Bishop Donald Hilliard, Pastor

WBGO-88.3FM

The New Hope B.C., Newark, NJ Rev. Joe Carter, Senior Pastor

Razac Products Co., Newark, NJ The College of New Rochelle

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

“The Positive Community magazine does outstanding work in promoting the good works of the Black Church. All churches and businesses should subscribe to and advertise in The Positive Community. Please support this magazine, the only one that features good news about the black community.”—Rev. Buster Soaries, General Baptist Revival, May 20, 2010

I love to care for people! “Caring about people is what I do. It’s in my blood. For several of our clients family is rare, and if they need a little extra care, someone with compassion has to do it. Why not me? “I treat them as if they’re one of my family members. At the end of the day, we all know that we’re trying to reach one goal – and that’s if we can get someone functioning more independently, outside in the community. Then

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LET US REMEMBER

Dr. King

aS a chaMpion foR EconoMic and SociaL jUSTicE Too As we observe the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and honor Dr. King for his contribution to America’s Civil Rights Movement, let’s not forget about how his efforts also helped advance the American Labor Movement. Of course Dr. King will always be remembered first and foremost as a civil rights leader. School children today are taught about his civil disobedience, the marches he led and the speeches he gave as he worked to end racial segregation and discrimination. They also learn how he was taken from us so suddenly and so violently on that fateful spring day in Memphis, 1968. What they may not be learning and many of us may have forgotten is that Dr. King was in Memphis at the time to lend his support to striking city sanitation workers who were fighting for dignity – fair treatment, better wages and benefits, safer working conditions and the right to be represented by a union, the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733. In fact, the night before his assassination, Dr. King delivered one his most famous speeches to

by Danny Donohue

those striking workers, giving them hope with the words: “I’ve been to the Mountaintop,” and “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” Later that month, in the wake of Dr. King’s assassination, AFSCME and City of Memphis negotiators reached a deal ending the strike, granting workers better wages and recognizing their union. As responsible citizens, it is important for us to teach our children and

generations to come that Dr. King was a champion not just for civil rights but a champion as well for political, social and economic justice for all Americans including poor and working families. Today, as we witness nonviolent protesters effecting incredible change all over the world from Egypt’s Tahrir Square to Wall Street’s Zuccotti Park, it is clear that the moral principles Dr. King espoused are still relevant and the methods he used to advance them are still effective.

Danny Donohue is president of the 300,000 member CSEA – New York’s Leading Union, representing every kind of worker in every part of New York. CSEA is also the largest affiliate of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.

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Dr. Adelaide Sanford

Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood

SELMA 2012

THURSDAY, MARCH 1 — MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012

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Alabama • Selma • Montgomery • Birmingham • Tuskegee March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge Join the Board for the Education of People of African Ancestry Griots Collective REV. DR. JOHNNY R. YOUNGBLOOD

IN TRIBUTE TO JAY & ADELAIDE SANFORD

1965

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In Remembering our Past, We Embrace the Future B.E.P.A. A.

286 Convent Avenue New York, NY 10031 Sis. Betty Dobson qidia@aol.com

Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood Exec. Pastor / Spiritual Engineer

Mt. Pisqah Baptist Church 760 Dekalb Ave. Brooklyn, NY, 11216

ADRIAN COUNCIL FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

Dawn of a New Age: A Quest for the Real Meaning of Freedom

“F

ree at last, I am Free at Last, Thank God Almighty, I am Free at Last.”

These are the words from the old Negro Spiritual that are engraved upon the tombstone of 20th century prophet, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout his ministry, the word “freedom” was the recurring theme of his message. Indeed, many remember the struggle for civil rights and social justice as this country’s great Freedom Movement. In this new year, 2012, our community must grapple with the true meaning of two huge events of major historical significance: the re-election effort of President Barack Obama; and how we are to account for 150 years of “freedom” as America approaches the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 2013. Our Patriotic Duty On the political front, many can recall that as recently as fifty years ago, black people were denied the right to cast their ballots in elections throughout much of the South. We owe a debt of gratitude to all who sacrificed to establish and secure this basic right of citizenship. Now, more than ever, our leaders must never weary of reminding the people—with enthusiasm and zeal—of their moral responsibility to our community and their patriotic duty to our country. Vote in this and all future elections! To register and to vote are rights that must never be shrugged off, or taken for granted. Literacy, Education and Culture Culturally, The Positive Community is embarking upon a journey, a quest to discover the real meaning of freedom. Our hope is to inspire the dawn of a new age of progress and wisdom among our readers! We will pursue this course through a search for increased understanding of the value of literacy, education and culture in community life. In addition to our editorial focus we are teaming up with the Harlem Book Fair to launch a lecture series to be hosted at churches, schools/colleges, and other community institutions throughout the region. Topics include: How Did We Become Free? The Bible, Slavery and Freedom; the Gospels, Freedom and Song;

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Freedom and Health; Freedom and Education; Freedom and Finances; How do we explain slavery to our children? The Civil War and Reconstruction; the African American Experience and the Economics of Culture. Our American Story Our poster, The Great Countdown to Freedom (see inside back cover) contains a “cultural narrative” that tells our story, the genesis of the African American people in this land. We will accomplish much in advancing the causes of literacy, education and freedom if families, Sunday school programs, civic organizations and community institutions that touch the lives of young people post and hold discussions on this story that tells us where we came from and who we are now as a people. Ideally, as a rite of passage, every child should have the ability to read, comprehend and speak the “cultural narrative” before the age of 15 (it can be adapted for presentation to children). For within this narrative— our American story—are the seeds of a positive community-building ideal of self-acceptance, self-reliance and self-respect. Community Pride and Dignity This year, The Positive Community is dedicated to the business of our future: the progress of our children and the integrity of our culture! But we cannot accomplish this mighty work alone. We appeal to the best and brightest in our communities to take on this most urgent, noble and righteous cause. We must now stand together as one! Let’s mobilize and leverage our own creative talents, gifts, expertise and resources to the mutual benefit of all. We invite advertising and sponsorship commitment from forward-thinking and community-minded businesses, corporations and institutions of goodwill to join us as community partners—stakeholders—in this venture. Save the children, save the people, save the country! Celebrate heritage, community pride and dignity. Celebrate literacy, education and culture! Together, let us begin- right now-to prepare ourselves in spirit and in truth for the next 150 years of freedom—the Dawn of a New Age… We can do this- Yes we can!

January 2012 The Positive Community

REV. THERESA NANCE MY VIEW

Rev. Nance is pastor of The Church by the Side of the Road in Passaic, NJ. She is also a radio talk show host and documentary filmmaker.

LISTEN TO THE POSITIVE COMMUNITY HOUR ON WKMB 1070 AM HARVEST RADIO, MONDAYS, 1:30–2:30 P.M. WITH HOST THERESA NANCE.

Ben Jones: Portrait of an Artist

ne could say artist Benjamin Jones is a child of the kings. First, he is a child of the king of kings, Jesus the Christ, and we also might arguably say he is a son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ben embodies those qualities that King himself possessed and such virtues appear to have been passed on to his children. For those who don’t know, Ben Jones is literally an artist on the world stage. Yes, from Paris to Pennsylvania, he has traveled the ocean blue and has found his marvelous exhibitions hanging in some of the most prestigious art galleries from the Big Apple to little known hamlets both far and near. Recently, New Jersey City University honored this socially conscious “brother” by establishing an endowment scholarship in his name. Finally retiring after some 40 years of service, Ben still treks to the university regularly because his passion for the students and the institution itself does not stop just because he has hung up his paint brush, so to speak—at least at this location. The benefit dinner was a gala to behold. The who’s who of the art, academic and entertainment worlds were there, along with Ben’s loving family and a gaggle of friends. Because I’ve been a longtime friend of his and his family-atlarge, he asked that I offer the invocation that night and I was proud to do so. Some of the notables in attendance that night were the remarkable poet Sonia Sanchez; Dr. Clement Price, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of history at Rutgers University; Playwright/Professor Amiri Baraka; the incomparable Randy Weston, one of the jazz world’s finest; and Dr. Charles “Chuck” Davis, choreographer and founder of DanceAfrica, a multi-faceted festival of dance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. But Ben the man, not the artist is what most impresses me. His commitment to his people is like a breath of fresh air since he is successful, by anybody’s standards, but has not forgotten from whence he comes. His story reads like a Horatio Alger saga. He is one of 15 children, raised in the city of Paterson, NJ, and nurtured artistically by Mrs. Roslyn Feinstein, an art teacher at Eastside High School. He said, “As I look at my life I feel I have been blessed. I have had a good life and consider myself a spiritual and political person—an activist.” He indicated one doesn’t get any-

The Positive Community January 2012

thing in life without getting involved. And involved he is. He and his siblings and nieces and nephews meet once a month to hash out topical issues of the day, to determine where they are going to invest their time and finances into a worthwhile venture. This unashamed born-again Christian is not heavenly minded yet no earthly good, but rather has embraced the causes that are crucial to the survival and advancement of black people. He’s also a doting uncle that has taken some of his nieces along with him when he has had to travel to Paris for an exhibition. I’ve celebrated Kwanzaa with the family at Ben’s sister’s house in Montclair. His brother, Arthur (Puggy), is a faithful member of the church. Because of Ben, I was able to interview the one and only R&B queen Ruth Brown when she was performing in the Broadway musical, Black and Blue. Some folks say service is the rent you pay for living. It is, more or less. But when I observe many others who have scaled great heights in their particular professions and don’t feel the need to stay in touch with the folks back home, I breathe a big sigh of relief to know there is someone like Ben, who understands like King, injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. Who, like King, in his quiet persona wants America to rewrite the check marked insufficient funds; and who, like King, loves because Jesus loves. And, it doesn’t get much better than that. www.thepositivecommunity.com

NY Baptist Ministers’ Conference Annual Christmas Message By Rev. Dr. Willaim L. Watkins Jr.

aptist Ministers’ Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity held its annual Christmas Message at its headquarters at Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem. The Order of the Day preacher was Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, NY, who delivered a passionate sermon. The BMCGNY and Vicinity was founded in 1898 with the purpose of promoting amity and good fellowship among its members. The organization’s objective is to maintain a vigilant, prophetic eye of concern that effects humanity. It is affectionally called “the greatest conference in the world.”

L–R: Rev James Barnwell; Rev. John Gilmore, Rev. James Kilgore; Rev. Edgar W. Howard Musical recital by Malobe Sampson II

L–R: Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson with publisher, Adrian Council, Sr.

Photos: Hubert Williams

L–R: Conference’s newest member, Rev. Reggie Bachus, Mount Ollie BC is welcomed by Rev. John Scott

L–R: Rev. Shellie Sampson with his son, Rev. Malobe Sampson

L–R: Leaders in community and faith: L-R Reverends Jesse T. Williams, Jr.; James Morrison; Lee Arrington; Ronald Grant, president Empire Missionary Baptist Convention, NY; Charles Curtis; W. Franklyn Richardson and Shellie Sampson

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

New Leadership at New York Baptist Ministers Conference President Rev. Dr. Shellie Sampson Jr. will focus on youth and education BY GLENDA CADOGAN

hile working as an educator with a Baptist Conference, Rev. Dr. Shellie Sampson Jr. proposed setting up a program to help students with the SAT exams. He waited for more than a year for a reply and when it came, the official position was that the program could not be classified as “religious education.” Rev. Sampson contended that “all education is religious” in the sense that it brings structure to lives and acts as a coping mechanism for adversities. Though his proposal never saw the light of day, Sampson—who had embraced lifelong educational pursuits in both his personal and professional life—remained committed to the cause. Fast forward to October 2011 and the dawning of a new era when Rev. Sampson was elected president of the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity. To no one’s surprise, education emerged as the centerpiece of his platform. “I don’t think that our organizations are really structured and have the interest they ought to have in

The Positive Community January 2012

making sure our children succeed,” he said. “We need to repackage our educational and spiritual programs to be more inclusive of the challenges people are facing in their lives.” In his efforts at “repackaging” for the organization he now leads, Rev. Sampson has instituted a Committee on Baptist Youth, which has as its primary goal, devising ways and means to construct and reconstruct the organization’s educational engagement with young people. Rev. Sampson, a native of Newark, NJ and pastor of the Thessalonia Baptist Church in the Bronx, NY, has been heavily involved in educational ministry and is considered “the education minister.” “I feel that God and education are the only paths to spiritual and political salvation,” he opined. “Salvation deals with a person coming to terms with a holistic life and embodies how we think. Therefore, education ministry— whether secular or sacred— is important because religion and education both deal with the same thing, the development of the person.” Having established that education is indispensable, Rev. Sampson extends his view toward helping students learn how to learn. “The problem is that our children are not being taught how to think in conceptual terms and domains,” he explained. “Every field—history, theology, mathematics, anthropology, biology or political science— has specific domains of information. And every domain has its own way of expressing itself. Therefore, one has to learn the language and structure of that particular field so that information becomes clear,” he added, “not because something is different is it difficult.” It is with a sense of authority that Rev. Sampson is able to speak about education, learning and learning to learn. As a scientist who has worked professionally in that field, Rev. Sampson brings a kind of analytical and critical mindset to the issue of education. In fact, it was while working in the scientific community as a chemist that Shellie Sampson received his call to the ministry. He left his lucrative position as a laboratory supervisor and followed his calling. “I had a major spiritual encounter with God that took over my whole being,” he said recalling the experience that took place about 40 years ago. “For six weeks I was in another

. . . Rev. Sampson has instituted a Committee on Baptist Youth, which has as its primary goal, devising ways and means to construct and reconstruct the organization’s educational engagement with young people. www.thepositivecommunity.com

of Thessalonia Baptist Church, “the friendly Church in the Bronx,” and helped to transform that ministry and community. He spearheaded the construction of the $7 million Thessalonia Cultural Community Center, established the Thessalonia Institute of Education and co-founded the Thessalonia Elementary Academy with his wife, Deloranzo. It is with a sense of authority that Rev. In the area of community development, he enhanced the church’s outreach by establishing programs for seniors, adult education and feeding the homeless. Sampson is able to speak about educaHaving taken over the leadership of the Baptist Ministers Conference, President Sampson embraces the opportunity extend his sphere of influence in the areas of education tion, learning and learning to learn. As to and community development. The Baptist ministers Conference, which consists largely of black clergy members a scientist who has worked profession- and church elders, was founded in 1898 as a result of African American Baptist ministers not being admitted to their counterpart organization with white Baptist ministers. ally in that field, Rev. Sampson brings a The purpose of the conference is to provide a platform for ministers to exchange ideas and theologies and find a mediof fellowship. “Fellowship has always been a stronghold kind of analytical and critical mindset um of the conference but we have also responded to social issues as they arise,” remarked Rev. Sampson. At present, there is a revival on theological reflection, personal attento the issue of education. dance and interaction with each other among the 750 ministers of the Conference. Rev. Sampson calls it “fellowship with a purpose.” As a minister and a scientist, Rev. Sampson has been able to bridge both worlds in ways that are unprecedented. “Science forces you to be more analytical and you tend to look at causes and • Master of Divinity how things are broken down,” he offered. “In religion, I discovered God • Master of Arts by having an experience. And you can• Master of Professional Studies not measure an experience. So the way I • Certificate Programs see the relationship between the two is that in science, man discovered what Come Visit Us! God had already done.” Saturday, January 28th • 11:00am Celebrated as a Christian education 361 Broadway, New York NY 10013 author, Rev. Sampson, in one of his Call 866-42-NYACK or visit our website at many offerings, wrote a book titled www.nyack.edu to register to attend!. Superior Leadership in Challenging Situations. As he prepares to lead the Conference for the next three years, there is no doubt that the road ahead will be paved with countless challenging situations. But it is with Rev. Sampson’s Nyack, NY • New York, NY superior leadership and God’s anointing that the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity is assured a safe harbor. world and when I emerged, my entire mindset had changed. I developed a strong spiritual presence of God in me and an appetite to read and re-read the Bible.” Soon after this “deeply internal state of being,” Rev. Sampson accepted his first pulpit. In 1982, he began serving as pastor

EARN YOUR DEGREE AT NYACK

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January 2012 The Positive Community

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@tech-c s legitimate as it may seem tech.team < k s e D PM EDT upon first glance, comService om> 11:43:25 From: IT 1 1 0 grade 2 -center.c , 7 plying with this email’s tober 2 nce & Up ch@tech c a a n O te : .i te te m in a a a D dM ” <te nter.com Schedule request for your login credentials @tech-ce Subject: h c a te .i : “team would throw the gates open to Reply-To your company’s network. e Desk Known as “phishing,” this type of IT Servic ploy is just one of many tools hackr ount Use ers and cyber-criminals use to gain Attn: Acc ers ased serv Upgrade access to user accounts. By posing as indows-b nance & W te f o in . t a e e c M s n na new duled a legitimate entity (whether it’s your re Mainte ded to a Re: Sche frastructu in eing upgra t b h IMAP e f it o w rn s g te bank, your company’s IT guy, or even s n e e proc ns, alo e with in o th n ti li c in in n is e fu t c s n a iru terf ccou your CEO), the phisherman intends to and anti-v e email in Your a usage. this nti-spam ced onlin a n r nce your a e a h tt h n e and after n e trick you into divulging information that b e n e to id P v A and a ro e during p IM v l ti il rt c w o a p t w rs p u lo e u b s be : serv pted that S would provide access to your finances the detail The new ntly disru g e devices te n il it ti b ta o rm s m te y r ot in rt fo unt b Is your computer or sensitive data. They’ve become quite Suppo count is n our acco t your ac confirm y a ly th d re in k u skilled at making these emails look like s guy driving you To en quired to you are re they’re coming from a verified source, crazy? upgrade, even going so far as to spoof the From: and me: Reply-to: fields. * User na rd: Don’t fall for it. Never (and we do mean * Passwo t. r accoun eactivaNEVER) send your username and/or passmporal d de of you te ra g a p u to lt e su prompt th , might re word in an email to anyone. Your IT guy does This will otification n is th f o ipt not need your password to do anything with dge rece atabase. CMIT is Your Technology Team acknowle e Desk d ic to rv re e u S il details. your account (he or she has a master passa IT m F o fr t our login n y u f OUR SERVICES o o c c n a o r ti u firma CMIT Marathon - Service Plans word). Your bank or credit card issuer will tion of yo your con Security - Backup Solutions ve upon ti c a in never ask for a password over email. Similarly, a - Disaster Recovery all rem h s t n u o c aused. - Troubleshooting c neither will online merchants such as eBay, Payience cSupport n Your a e v n o c - Software & Hardware ny in izes for a Pal, Amazon, or Craigslist. - Computer Networks k apolog s e D Hosting - Email, Servers, Web e ic Even if you need to share your password IT Serv CMIT Anti-Spam Voice Over IP (VOIP) with a co-worker, spouse, or other person Consulting Services ice Desk rv e S Payment Plans IT with a legitimate need, do not put it in an email. If your email account is ever hacked CMIT S or otherwise compromised, usernames and Courtesy Cecil Cates passwords are one of the first things cyber973.325.3663 • 800.399.CMIT www.cmitsolutions.com/n criminals will look for. Pick up the phone instead. www.cmitsolutions.com/nunioncounty

The Positive Community Winter 2012

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Harlem Business Alliance Honors Community Leaders

ix community leaders were honored by the Harlem Business Alliance (HBA) at the organizations’s 31st Annual Awards celebration on the campus of City College on December 8, 2011. The Chairman’s Award was presented to Arthur Barnes (National Jazz Museum in Harlem), Government Service Award to Michael Garner (Metropolitan Transit Authority), Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Joe & Sheron Barnes (Mobay Uptown Restaurant),Community Service Award to Jackie Rowe Adams (Harlem Mothers Save), and the Business Person of the Year Award to Carol Griffin (Griffin Real Estate Group). Through the creation of strategic partnerships with the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, NYC Department of Small Business Services, City College, Columbia University, Minority Business Leadership Council and support from City Councilwoman Inez Dickens and Senator Bill Perkins, HBA has leveraged these resources to promote the creation and preservation of businesses in Harlem.

Walter Edwards, HBA chairman; Regina Smith, executive director; Michael Garner, MTA

L–R: Londel Davis Jr.; Londel Davis Sr., owner of Londel’s Restaurant in Harlem; Donel Davis and Joe Barnes, co-owner of Mobay Photos: Seitu Oronde

HBA Board of Directors and awardees www.thepositivecommunity.com

Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Photos: Seitu Oronde

George Fraser Power Networking Awards

L–R: Frank Waters, president 1209 Affair; Keynote Speaker, George Fraser, CEO Fraser Net; Stacie N.C. Grant, Celebrity Guest Host; Henry Nelson, VP 1209 Affair

n December, Success Net hosted its annual Power Networking Awards in Harlem. Honorees included Dr. Shirley Innis, Director King of Kings Solutions; Air Personalities, Lenny Green and Shaila of 98.7 Kiss FM; PowerNetworker of the Year, Aziz Gueye Adetimirin, publisher, The Network Journal.

LEFT: L–R: Honoree William “Tony” Rogers, president Urbanology Systems; Kimberly Hardin, Laurana Edwards and friend

Photo: Wali Amin Muhammad

The Frederick E. Samuels Democratic Club Holiday Turkey Giveway

L-R: Ricky Davis, president; Wilma Brown, district leader; family receiving turkeys and NYS Assemblyman Keith Wright

The Positive Community Winter 2012

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

AARP and WLIB-AM Faith and Finance

L-R: Chanda Ball, associate state director, Communications AARP; Dionne Polite, Assoc. state director, AARP and RandaGuastella, WLIB-AM account executive

Debt Reduction, Savings, Managing Finances and Retirement, and Health

n an effort to help African Americans achieve longterm financial security, AARP New York, in partnership with WLIB-AM, hosted the “Faith and Finance Tour” in New York on Wednesday, December 14 at Riverside Church in Harlem. The Faith and Finance Tour was designed to work with the faith community to address some of the most pressing financial security concerns facing African American, black and Caribbean New Yorkers. Attendees heard from a panel of experts about managing debt, increasing savings, managing finances and living and retiring comfortably. Panelists included a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), representatives from a credit union and the Social Security Administration, and a fitness expert (CPT) who discussed the link between physical wellness and financial wellness. “AARP is really pleased to have the chance to partner with WLIB-AM to bring this important information to the faith community. As we head into a new year, it’s so

1st Park Baptist Church

L–R: Vincent Ferguson, CPT, Body Sculpt New York; Shaun Freeman, CFP, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Daryl Newkirk, loan originator, Municipal Credit Union; Shirley Saxton, Public Affairs Specialist, Social Security Administration; Dionne Polite, Associate State Director for Multicultural Outreach, AARP New York

important for our folks to get financially and physically fit,” said Dionne Polite, Associate State Director for Multicultural Outreach, AARP New York.

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

P: 6:00p.m. RSVMin. Gail Fitch, program coordinator

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1st Park Baptist Church 315 W. 7th St. • Plainfield NJ

The Positive Community Winter 2012

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African American Chamber of Commerce New Jersey Business Leaders Host Foundation Dinner

L–R: Brandon Brice, director of Education & African American Affairs, State of New Jersey; David N. Dinkins, former NYC Mayor, keynote speaker, Bruce Curry, Johnson & Johnson

L–R: John E. Harmon, Sr., president and CEO of AACCNJ; Bishop David G. Evans, chairman of AACCNJ Foundation board of directors; Moses Santizo, store manager, Wells Fargo; Hosea Johnson, chairman of AACCNJ board of directors

he New Jersey-based African American Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its 1st Annual Foundation Dinner at the Trenton Marriot Downtown. The keynote speaker was former NYC Mayor and Trenton native, David N. Dinkins. Corporate honorees were PSE&G and Wells Fargo Bank.

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Professional Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club honors Women of Faith

n November 5, 2011, the North Jersey Unit of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clubs, Inc. honored nine outstanding First Ladies of Faith and Women Ministers at their 88th Annual Founders Day Luncheon. The honorees were chosen based on the ideals of Sojourner Truth and the marks they have made on society as they go about serving their ministries and addressing the needs of their communities.

District Elder Mary C. Allen, pastor, Latter Rain Apostolic Church of Christ, Inc. in Scotch Plains, NJ

The highest honor, the Sojourner Truth Award was presented to Rev. Tiffany M. Williams, associate minister of the Upper Room Full Gospel Church in Edison, NJ

Minister Honorees

Rev. Dr. Valerie Marie Griffin, associate minister, First Baptist Church of Madison, NJ Rev. Harriet Wallace, assistant pastor, Park Avenue Christian Church in East Orange, NJ

Pastor Cheryl N. HegginsTurner, Lily of the Valley Christian Church in Orange, NJ

Rev. Dr. Millie Biggins, associate minister, New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, NJ

First Ladies of Faith Honorees First Lady Kedra N. Gamble, Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church Newark, NJ

First Lady Velma Harrison-Savage, New Eden Baptist Church in Newark, NJ

First Lady Linda S. Jefferson, Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark, NJ

Officers of NANBPWC, Inc.

Rev. Dr. Iris Banister, guest speaker and national parliamentarian

Mary E. Singletary, committee chairperson and past national president

Claretha L. Smith, Northeast district governor

Diane Toppin, nationalist vice president The Positive Community Winter 2012

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Rev. Jesse Jackson

The Wall Street Project BY GLENDA CADOGAN ringing everyone to the tableâ&#x20AC;? is the ultimate aim of the annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit organized by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. This year, the Summit, now in its 15th year, will take place from January 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;27 and has as its theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Are One World: Bringing Everyone to the Table.â&#x20AC;? The Wall Street Project was created by Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most influential civil rights activists and religious leaders, who is also founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunities. Each year the Economic Summit brings together many of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost commerce, businessminded, and entrepreneurial agents to discuss the economic, social justice, community interests and concerns unique to the African American and Hispanic communities. Its purpose is to spur access to capital, industry and technology for minority businesses and communities. In preparation for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summit, Rev. Jackson engaged with reporters from across the country and outlined some of the major issues that will be on the table. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Middleclass America is vanishing,â&#x20AC;? Rev. Jackson declared. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to maintain its existence, we need to expeditiously reinvigorate our economic equality. One of the biggest sources of our wealth has been home-ownership, which has been threatened as banks choose risky investing over lending. Banks got a free ride while homeowners were thrown over the cliff. That must come to an end.â&#x20AC;? Unlike previous years however, the 2012 Summit comes at a time when Occupy Wall Street and similar movements across the country are challenging economic disparities daily. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The occupy movement is really a new name for an old challenge,â&#x20AC;? Rev. Jackson told reporters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We occupied Montgomery for a year and then the bus laws were changed. We occupied Birmingham until we got public accommodations. We occupied in Selma and got the right to vote. We

â&#x20AC;&#x153;B

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occupied the Mall in Washington and set up Resurrection City and revived the war on poverty. Therefore, the occupy movement aimed at closing the gap is just a continuation.â&#x20AC;? One of the expected highlights of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summit, which takes place at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, is the Wall Street Project Career Development, Retraining and Retooling Panel, which will provide empowering tools, resources and insights on the new dynamics of how Americans are going to work in the future. Leading billionaires and African American economists will address domestic and global societal issues in a session called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Billionaires Engaged.â&#x20AC;? In efforts to put the focus on small business as a means of economic development, The Small Business Association and business leaders will outline how to maintain a business in this economy. Money management skills for young people will be addressed in an interactive panel sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank in which students will learn financial basics. On this same issue, Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will sponsor a panel on key strategic business areas and discuss the business behind the business of retail. In a roundtable discussion, ministers will focus on issues surrounding home and church foreclosures, jobs, prison population and student debt. Legislators from around the country will also be brought to the table to discuss how their respective states are dealing with the current fragile economy and share insights on promising solutions for the vast economic disparities. To register, visit www.rainbowpush.org.

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January 2012 The Positive Community

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Virginia M. Montague Elected Chair Historic Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Board of Trustees BY JEAN NASH WELLS irigina McNeil Montague has had a lifetime of devotion to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church. On September 1, 2011, the Mother AME Zion Church, the oldest black church in the State of New York, elected her chair of its Board of Trustees, the first woman to hold that position in the church’s 215 year history. “The historic significance of my election to this position is not lost on me, my pastor, Rev. Dr. Gregory Robeson Smith or on the members of the Board of Trustees,” declared Ms. Montague. “When I look at the great women of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church—women like Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Madame C.J. Walker, among others who were leaders in the AME Zion church and the communities where they lived— I am truly humbled. It is my prayer that God will provide me with the wisdom, patience and gifts needed to work with this Board to accomplish the work mandated by the AME Zion church’s Book of Discipline and Dr. Smith.” In infancy, she was baptized at St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Durham, North Carolina by the late Rev. S.P. Perry. It was at St. Mark, where both her mother, Helen Rice McNeil, and father, John McNeil Sr., were active in the life of the church and Virginia and her four siblings were steeped in the concepts of African Methodist Episcopal Zion and faith in the Lord. Virginia served on the Junior Usher Board, the Young Adult Choir and the Buds of Promise. She is one bud that has fully bloomed. She began elementary school in Durham at the age of four, completed high school at the young age of 15 and

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matriculated at North Carolina Central University, where she majored in Education and Physical Education. A longtime resident of New York City who makes her home in Harlem, Montague’s efforts at Mother Zion include serving on the Board of Leaders as a class leader, a Missionary, a member of the church’s Lay Council, and a member of the Christian Education Council. She also serves as a consultant to elected officials and political candidates on religious events in the community. Truly a trailblazer, her resume is filled with a list of firsts, among them: first female assistant director of investigations for the NYC Health and Hospitals’ newlycreated Office of Inspector General in 1982; first nonclergy coordinator of the African American Citywide Clergy Council of New York, where she coordinated the activities and meetings of members of the interfaith community with the mayor, police commissioner and other elected officials; and first director of Community Affairs of the 100 million dollar federally funded Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Montague currently serves as president of the founding chapter of the Coalition of 100 Black Women. Although she has not had cancer, she co-founded Sisters Health Care Coalition of Harlem, which was created to address the needs of black female breast cancer survivors. She is the co-founder and chairperson of Faith Works International, an organization that coordinates with local churches in Latin American countries to build housing, as well as the vice president of the Central Harlem Interagency Programs, which serves young people and their families, addressing the issue of inequality in the school system. Out of this concern, a charter school will be housed in the Harlem community and named after the iconic Dr. Muriel Petioni, the first black female physician on staff at Harlem Hospital. Ms. Montague’s many honors and awards are a tribute to her talents, tenacity and concern for others, but most importantly, they come out of her deep faith. She has been honored with the New York Women’s Agenda Galaxy Award, the Woman of Excellence Award from the National Action Network, the Richard Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church Distinguished Service Award and the North Carolina Central University Service Award, among many others. She is also the recipient of Proclamations from the United States Congress and Citations of Service from the New York State Senate, the New York State Assembly, the City Council and others. January 2012 The Positive Community

Education TEACHING, LEARNING, MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Haitian Scholarship Program at MCNY . . . to he lp Re build Haiti

ith the anniversary of the Haiti earthquake approaching, Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) announced the culmination of its inaugural Haitian Scholarship Program. Following the devastating effects of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the school decided to help relief efforts in their own unique way. Last year, MCNY launched its first Haitian Scholarship Program, which provided five full-tuition scholarships to qualified graduate level Haitian students seeking to one day return to Haiti and assist in rebuilding efforts first-hand. On December 22, students accepted into the program received a Master of Public Administration degree in Emergency and Disaster Management (MPAEDM). “MCNY’s scholarship program was our small way of helping to rebuild Haiti. We designed the program to help equip Haitian professionals with the critical skills necessary to be effective disaster managers,” said Vinton Thompson, president of Metropolitan College of New York. “As part of their scholarship, our Haitian scholars were required to develop a comprehensive emergency management experience and plans that can be adapted and implemented in Haiti. We congratulate these students on their graduation and their decision to aid in the rebuilding of their home country.” “A career in Public Health is my ultimate career goal. I think a degree in Emergency Management is my best choice. There are not enough people on the ground in Haiti with the direct knowledge of what to do in emergencies. In my opinion, Haiti needs Public Health professionals above everything else. With my background in medicine, I feel I can step right in and help in rebuilding efforts,” stated Garmalia Mentor, medical doctor, Haitian scholar and MPAEDM graduate. The program covered all tuition, books and fees as well as providing unique hands-on off-site learning components, which provided direct knowledge on how to respond during

The Positive Community January 2012

L-R: Elie Jérôme, Ingrid St-Firmin, Tamara Olicœur, Nousta Audate Dieudonné, Garmalia Mentor and Lenève Julien

a disaster. Last spring, the students visited Chile, where there was an earthquake and a mine explosion, to learn from Chilean first responders. With professors who regularly work in the trenches at local and national emergencies, students visited disaster sites and met with government agencies that handle emergencies. In the field, practicums included visiting the 9/11 site and mock training with the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey. Additionally, the students interned with top agencies and organizations including the Salvation Army and the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey. The 16-month, highly specialized degree covers planning, management, logistics, response, relief, recovery and economics associated with managing emergency situations. Classes within this program include the Economics of Hazards and Disasters, Public Health Systems and Preparedness, Terrorism and Disaster Management and Organizational and Municipal Continuity Planning.

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Rescuing Avon Avenue School BRICK Academy’s First Year BELOW: Chad Board members and staff L-R; Lawrence Munroe, Michelle Diaz, Dr. Robert Curvin, Kim Weeks Johnson, Dr. Kia Calhoun-Grundy, Tynesha McHarris, Shané Harris, William Williams, Dr. Judy Miller, Jeffery Young, and Reginald Lewis.

he Chad School Foundation inaugurated its annual Policy Roundtable by unveiling a case study on BRICK Avon Academy, Newark’s first teacherrun school. BRICK: Building, Responsible, Intelligent, Creative, Kids, is the story of teachers who received authorization to manage one of New Jersey’s lowest performing schools. Sixty-five community stakeholders, including Newark Public Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson, convened at the Newark Club on November 15, 2011 to discuss report highlights. The report closely examines the areas that factored into the negotiations between the founding teachers of BRICK and the Newark Public Schools to focus on a high-poverty school with a persistent record of low achievement. Authored by former New Jersey Assistant Commissioner of Education, Gordon MacInnes, the document draws several conclusions: • The BRICK educators’ first year confirmed the efficacy of concentrated focus on intensive early literacy, which produced dramatic improvements in third grade reading and writing. • The Newark Public Schools (NPS) should be credited with taking a chance on this experiment. NPS Central Office support could be found in the form of assistance with human resources, facilities, and information technology. • The BRICK team continues to grapple with meeting

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LEFT: L-R; Gordon MacInnes, Chad roundtable presenter; Dr. Kia Calhoun-Grundy, M.D., Chad chair; Cami Anderson, NPS superintendent and Reginald Lewis, Chad executive director.

its pledge to educate the whole child, including providing effective service delivery addressing physical, emotional, family, and community well-being. Key policy recommendations are also provided: • Work with NPS to better track preschool students attending kindergarten at BRICK Avon and other Newark schools in hopes of better determining the quality of preschool programming available to all regions in the city, particularly the South Ward. • NPS should develop a student-level data base to track enrollment, attendance, academic performance, and other indicators critical to student success. • NPS needs to decide that its Central Office can be relevant to the fate of chronically-underperforming schools. With a number of Newark schools that remain on lists of failing schools year after year, NPS has the obligation to borrow successful practices from highperforming school districts found throughout New Jersey and across the nation. Chad, the Newark, New Jersey-based education policy and advocacy organization, dedicates its resources to improving the quality of public schools. The full report can be downloaded at www.thechadschoolfoundation. org. Reginald Lewis, Executive Director of the Chad Foundation, is reachable at (973) 622-1061. Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Friendship Baptist’s Diamond Jubilee L–R: Rev. James A. Kilgore with Rev. Dr. William Epps

Photos: Wali Amin Muhammad

s part of its year-long celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Harlem’s Friendship Baptist, a diamond jubilee celebration benefit dinner was held at Astoria Manor in Queen, NY on November 11, 2011. During its long and inspiring history, the church addressed the needs of its congregants on a local basis, but also played a major role in the civil rights movement. Designated the official meeting place of the organizers and participants in the 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Lughter gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Rev. Dr. William Epps of Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles, CA was the guest speaker. Rev. James A. Kilgore is Friendship’s senior pastor. Anniversary Committee

The Positive Community Winter 2012

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L–R: President, Local 1199, McGrew, president United Federation of Teachers, Rev. Al Sharpton, Ben Jealous, NAACP and U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel

SINCE 1997

Stand For Freedom

Seminary Level Education for Ministers and Laypersons

March in NYC

Photo: Seitu Oronde

his year, two-thirds of state legislatures have introduced laws that undermine the right to vote. Early voting and Sunday voting are under attack, photo ID requirements will introduce the first financial and document barrier to voting since the poll tax, and racially-motivated bans on ex-felons will wipe tens of thousands off the rolls. This effort is unprecedented, it is coordinated, and it is targeted. African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, students, working women, seniors and immigrants of all colors will be disproportionately affected. The right to vote is the heart of our democracy. Throughout our history Americans have been murdered for defending this basic human right. We will not let it be taken away from millions today. On Saturday, December 10th—The United Nations’ Human Rights Day—thousands turned out to proclaim to America and the world: It’s time to Stand for Freedom. We must protect our right to vote.

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”

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

In Dat Great Gettin’ Up Morning: Commemorating the Great Emancipation lack History Month gives us an opportunity to attend the venerable school of lifelong learning. Since its beginning in 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson set aside the second week in February as Negro History Week, until its current permutation as a national month-long observance, Black History Month has evolved into a remarkable public ritual in historical literacy and memory. This year, 2012, should be an especially poignant, preparatory year of study, reflection and commemoration, for on January 1, 2013, we will observe the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. It stands as one of great acts in modern world history. As I wrote in these pages last year, we should be mindful during this commemorative season that black leaders early on, most notably Frederick Douglass, seized upon the deeper meaning of the Civil War, the War that would ultimately necessitate Lincoln’s proclamation. Douglass called upon the states that constituted what remained of the Union to see the Confederates as tyrants and the Civil War as an opportunity, finally, to deal a death blow to black enslavement in those states in open rebellion against the Union. Such sentiments, which Douglass

The Positive Community January 2012

BY CLEMENT ALEXANDER PRICE

shared with other black leaders and white abolitionists in the Republican Party, were exceptional because they came many months before a war weary Union realized that the Civil War was really a war over slavery and, by extension, the future of black people in the American Republic. Black History Month 2012 might be spent reconsidering that distant crossroads in American history, when the Civil War, in horrific ways, brought to the surface what had long ailed the nation—its countenance of slavery and harshness toward black people. Had the War proceeded without an acknowledgement of the true source of tension between the northern and southern states— black enslavement and the expansion of slavery into the western territories—what could have the enormous loss of lives on both sides of the conflict been about? President Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address, given on March 4, 1865, eloquently spoke to this very point. He spoke these words just weeks before the War would end: If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to www.thepositivecommunity.com

OURSTORY remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly, do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” Lincoln’s solemn acknowledgement of the grim legacy of the unrequited toil of the enslaved was important as the Civil War was then drawing to a close. It is important still. That legacy should inspire us to reverently observe the Great Emancipation. First and foremost, it should be a broadly based American observance, not commemoratively set aside by and for black Americans. All Americans have a deep stake in the momentous developments that occurred during the War, especially the Emancipation. In a sense, a massive cross section of Americans became freer as a result of slavery’s end as, finally, the United States had an opportunity, as a nation that had forsaken slavery, to evolve into a democracy. Arguably the most important and transformative development to emerge during the Civil War was the behavior of many African Americans during the conflict. As the nation battled over its conflicted destiny, African Americans increasingly dramatized their preference for freedom over enslavement. That they did so was important, because they challenged a powerful mythology that blacks were passive during the conflict when, in fact, they were freeing themselves months before President Lincoln issued his famous Proclamation in its final form on January 1, 1863. Thousands of enslaved people, in 1861 and 1862, were making a break for freedom, attempting to find a semblance of safety as freed people behind Union Army lines, or taking advantage of the breakdown of slavery’s traditional policing authority by symbolically taking some personal matters into their own hands, or changing their work routine in such a way as to advance themselves, ever so slightly, as workers, not slaves, or by imagining that the future of their children would be marked in some meaningful ways by freedom. Freedom did not come all at once during the Great Emancipation. It certainly did not come simply as a result of President Lincoln’s Proclamation. Over time, and that time would unfold over the months and years going forward, blacks gave meaning and substance to their freedom through individual and collective acts of determination, courage, shrewdness and sacrifice. Those acts, which have been chronicled for well over a century www.thepositivecommunity.com

by historians, should now become better known during this commemorative season because, in a sense, our knowing how former slaves became free men, women and children bestows reverence upon their trials and tribulations. Moreover, in turning our attention toward the days when freedom came, we account for the Great Emancipation’s connection to our own times. With that in mind, perhaps many of us should read, or re-read, the testimonies of former slaves—elderly black Americans— taken in the 1930s, as a part of the New Deal’s WPA project. Those testimonies reveal much about the humanity of enslaved people and how they navigated their passage from enslavement to freedom. This season might also encourage discussions about family genealogy, which is especially important for black parents. I was once asked by the Camden County Historical Society how it might interpret slavery in that predominately black city. At the time, Society officials were concerned over what might be called the historical sensibilities of black residents in the community in which the Society was located. Would they resent the Society’s planned exhibition narrative about black slaves and slavery in Camden? I told them that several generations of scholarship on the life and times of enslaved African Americans in Camden and in other American places had convinced most rational Americans that it was far nobler to be a descendant of a slave than of a slave owner. That perspective should foster a renewed curiosity into the life and times of our nation’s enslaved forebearers, especially for those of us with enslaved ancestors. What became of them after slavery? What did they do with their freedom? Did they move from one place to another in search of opportunity? Did they marry? Did they change their names? Did they become involved in local politics? Did they acquire land? Who were they, really? Raising these questions connects us to the precious yet difficult transformative days, months and years that placed more than four million men, women and children on paths that The Positive Community readers now travel as participants in the American system, some as the progeny of slaves and as freedom-loving citizens. Over this commemorative season, our interest in the past should turn toward what our forebearers did as a free people and how we, their descendants, are taking full advantage of freedom in the second decade of the twenty-first century. Dr. Price is the Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of History and Director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience at the Rutgers University, Newark Campus January 2012 The Positive Community

UMBA Consecration Service

he United Missionary Baptist Association (UMBA) held its 2011 Consecration Service on December2, 2011 at New Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Harlem. Rev. Dr. Carl L. Washington Jr., UMBA first vice moderator, was the host pastor, Rev. Dr. Lee A. Arrington was the moderator, Rev. Dr. Anthony Lowe was 2nd vice moderator and Rev. Dr. Renee F. Washington Gardner was program chair. Rev. Dr. Joe Albert Bush Sr., pastor of Walker Memorial Baptist Church in the Bronx, delivered the sermon. UMBA is a fellowship organization of more than 100 Baptist Churches in Manhattan, the Bronx, Mt. Vernon and New Rochelle.

Rev. Dr. Joe Albert Bush Sr.

L-R: Rev. Anthony Lowe, pastor Mt. Carmel B.C. , Bronx; Rev. Dr. Joe Bush; Rev. Dr. Lee Arrington, moderator and pastor Paradise B.C., Harlem and Rev. Carl L. Washington

Photos: Bruce Moore

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The Positive Community Winter 2012

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His Legacy Is Carved in

Stone

(Finally!)

The MLK Memorial BY R.L. WITTER

Jan Hanus

“We are standing on sacred ground. We are in a space where many of our ancestors stood not knowing that generations later we would return to celebrate the unveiling of a memorial dedicated to a man who was a drum major for peace and justice.” —Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. General President, Herman “Skip” Mason Jr. 08/26/11 fter observing the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday for 25 years, there is finally a place befitting King to visit, celebrate and commemorate the day honoring the civil rights leader. Just as King fought long and hard for the dignity and equality of all people in America, many people fought long and hard to see the breathtaking monument come to fruition. In the true spirit of brotherhood, the men of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity turned an idea for honoring one of their own into the memorial that now stands as the first —and only—U.S. national monument to honor an African American or black person. More than forty years after King’s assassination and 3.5 years after the election of America’s first black president, even Hurricane Irene couldn’t stop the momentum of the MLK Memorial. Clouds gathered, wind blew, rain fell. Despite the fact that the official dedication had to be postponed until October 16th (the sixteenth anniversary of the Million Man March), people braved the elements to be among the first to honor Dr. King and experience the memorial. Sculptor, Master Lei Yixin, calligrapher Nicholas Benson and the teams at Devraux and Purnell/ROMA Design Group Joint Ventures and McKissack and McKissack/Turner Construction Company/Tompkins Builders, Inc./Gilford Corporation Joint Ventures have made that experience nothing short of thrilling. As of December 2011, the National Parks Service (NPS) reported that approximately 1.6 million people had visited the memorial. NPS estimates that 4 million people will visit annually, with the largest numbers gathering to mark the MLK Holiday. With 2012 being the first MLK Day since the memorial’s opening, throngs are expected to descend upon the National mall on January 16th to celebrate Dr. King’s dream and hopefully, keep working to make it a reality.

The Positive Community January 2012

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COVERSTORY Interesting Facts and Features • In a nod to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson with Martin Luther King, Jr., the memorial’s address is 1964 independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20024. • The memorial’s main entrance is through a massive boulder symbolizing the struggle faced on the quest for peace and equality, the Mountain of Despair. From within the symbolic struggle, a piece has been removed and thrust into the open plaza—the Stone of Hope. • Near the memorial’s entry, a 10” medallion (set into one of the large granite tiles that cover the ground) marks the spot underneath which a time capsule is sealed. Contents of the time capsule will be revealed in 50 years—on August 28, 2061.

• Stone carver Nicholas Benson designed the unique typeface for the memorial, called “King.” • Fourteen quotes adorn the inscription walls, there are two engravings on either side of the Stone of and the name of the memorial is etched in five locations, one on each end of the inscription walls, one at the main entry, one across from the bookstore and one at the Basin entry. • Inscriptions with only a year as the citation are quotes from Dr. King’s books, Strength to Love (1963) or Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958). • Each year, the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom around the beginning of April, as if in memory of Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968.

• Of the 159 granite pieces of the sculptures, the heaviest is the one with Dr. King’s arms. It weighs 31 tons. Dr. King’s head is the second heaviest piece at 27 tons.

• Water cascades over granite on either side of the Mountain of Despair, the sound sheltering the environment from traffic noise.

• Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope are culminations of symbolic gestures, a physical manifestation of Dr. King’s famed words, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope,” which are from his iconic I Have a Dream speech.

• Since its inception in 1998, the MLK National Memorial Foundation has operated with a total staff of 12 or less. At the time of dedication, the Foundation employed three executives, nine permanent staff and a handful of longterm consultants, all of whom were present to celebrate the culmination of the Foundation’s mission.

• The Stone of Hope stands 28’ 6” high as a symbol of unyielding faith in the ultimate promises of mankind and democracy. From this symbolic stone, a likeness of Dr. King emerges. Dr. King’s gaze is fixed on the horizon, concentrating on the future and his hopes for humanity.

With a waterside location, impeccable design and beautiful landscaping, the MLK Memorial stands as a testament to Dr. King’s vision, dedication, tenacity and sacrifice.

All photos courtesy of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.”

Master Lei Yixin Mieko Preston

www.thepositivecommunity.com

January 2012 The Positive Community

NYTS Fundraiser for Prison Degree Program

ore than one hundred friends and guests of New York Theological Seminary gathered at the Yale Club in New York City on November 30 for a fundraising reception for the Seminary’s Master of Professional Studies program at Sing Sing. This unique program, under the direction of Dr. Edward L. Hunt, professor of Pastoral Care, offers a fully-accredited Masters degree to persons who are incarcerated within the New York State correctional system. More than 400 men have now completed the degree; many are serving as chaplains’ assistants, peer counselors, and teachers within the correctional system. Others who have been released are serving in ministry, the academic world, the non-profit corporate sector, business and the arts.

Rev Dr. Dale Irwin, president NYTS

Photos: Bob Gore

Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt, associate elder of The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of Greater New York

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The Positive Community Winter 2012

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Health P r e v e n t i o n , Tr e a t m e n t & C u r e

By Jean Nash Wells

More Americans Praying About Health

here was an increase in worship attendance across multiple religious faiths immediately after the 9/11 attack, but that has not stayed elevated. However, Amy Wacjholtz, PhD, the lead author of an article published recently by the American Psychological Association, says that people continued to use informal and private spiritual practices such as prayer after 9/11. “There is also a greater public awareness of Buddhist-based mindfulness practices that can include prayerful meditation, which individuals may also be using to address a variety of health concerns,” Dr. Wachholtz, an assistant professor at University of Massachusetts Medical School, notes. The practice of praying about health issues has dramatically increased among American adults over the past three decades, rising a remarkable 36 percent between 1999 and 2007, according the study. Researchers analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 1999, 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Surveys for the article in the May 2011 issue of the APA journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. The study primarily focused on comparisons of results between the 2002 survey which included 30,080 adults (over 18 years old) from 44,540 households and 23,393 adults from 40,377 households for the 2007 survey. People who had a decline in health as well as those with improved health reported more prayer, suggesting that individuals who experience a progressive disease or an acute health change are more likely to use www.thepositivecommunity.com

prayer to cope with the changing circumstances, the article states. While prayer about health issues increased across all groups, from 43 percent in 2002 to 49 percent in 2007, the data indicated that people with the highest incomes were 15 percent less likely to pray than those with the lowest incomes, and people who exercised regularly were 25 percent less likely to pray than those who didn’t exercise. Women, AfricanAmericans and the well-educated were most likely to pray about their health. “We’re seeing a wide variety of prayer use among people with good income and access to medical care,” Wachholtz said. “People are not exchanging health insurance for prayer.” A significantly greater proportion of women prayed compared to men, with 51 percent of women reporting prayer in 2002 and 56 percent in 2007, in contrast with 34 percent and 40 percent among men for the same periods. African Americans were more likely to pray for their health than Caucasians. Sixty-one percent of AfricanAmericans reported having done so in 2002 and 67 percent in 2007, compared to 40 percent and 45 percent for Caucasians. People who were married, educated beyond high school or had experienced a change in health for better or worse within the last 12 months were also more likely to pray about health concerns, the study found. The study did not reveal the type of prayer people used, or which occurred first – prayer or the health issue. Dr. Wachholtz was assisted in the study by Usha Sambamoorthi, PhD, West Virginia University and Morehouse School of Medicine. Winter 2012 The Positive Community

‘The Doctor in the Mirror’

Dr. Reed Tuckson Empowers Readers to Take Charge of Their Health by Recognizing Dr. You (BLACK PR WIRE)

ith 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, a new book by Reed Tuckson, M.D., executive vice president and chief of medical affairs, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), aims to put the power of healthy aging in the hands of average Americans. The Doctor in the Mirror is based on a simple premise: while preventive care and regular doctor visits are vital to health, the key to much of our wellness is in our hands. The book encourages readers to recognize the doctor in the mirror, or “Dr. You,” and provides information, strategies, ideas and resources designed to help older adults age with vitality. Dr. Tuckson, a graduate of Howard University, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s General Internal Medicine residency and fellowship programs, developed The Doctor in the Mirror to share his commonsense recommendations for living a longer, healthier life more broadly. The counsel he shares in the book’s pages is based on his four decades of experience as a physician, including serving in a leadership role with the American Medical Association and as the commissioner of public health for the District of Columbia. In his current role, Dr. Tuckson has a national view of health issues facing more than 75 million people served by UnitedHealth Group. A companion website, www.DoctorInTheMirror.com, provides additional information and resources and allows visitors to share their questions about health and aging, as well as relevant personal stories on overcoming barriers and achieving personal health goals.

The Positive Community Winter 2012

“One of the most often-overlooked medical truths is that no one knows what’s going on inside a person’s body or mind like that person does. In a culture that rightfully gives such reverence to our health professionals, that’s a powerful concept that gives many people pause,” said Dr. Tuckson. “I wrote this book to help people understand that one of the most capable doctors they’ll ever meet is right there in the mirror. It is my hope that the information and practical tools in the book will help people recognize the barriers that stand between them and better health and help them learn how to pull them down, brick by brick.” Comprehensive in nature, the 359-page book is divided into three sections that focus on the areas that have the greatest impact on the health of older adults: lifestyle, medical needs, and home and family. Each section delves deeply into the health concerns that most often plague older adults. Throughout the pages of the book, Dr. Tuckson urges readers to be honest with themselves about the life they want to live and the health they need to achieve it. He encourages people to understand the relationship and interactions they have with friends, family, their community and the health system, and what is necessary from these relationships to achieve individual health goals. Compelling visuals as well as “Medical Notes” and “Doctor’s Orders” are incorporated throughout the book, which transforms it into a guide that is intended to be referenced and re-read as needed over the years. For more information, visit www.DoctorInTheMirror.com. www.thepositivecommunity.com

MTW2012.Ad.r3_MTW2012.Ad.r3 1/5/12 8:46 PM Page 1

32nd Annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series

Taking Good Care:

A HISTORY OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY S a t u r d a y , 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

F e b r u a r y Marion Thompson Wright Lecturer: Joycelyn Elders, MD Former United States Surgeon General

The Paul Robeson Campus Center Rutgers University-Newark 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Newark, New Jersey

Speakers: William F. Owen, Jr. MD, UMDNJ Sharla Fett, Occidental College

Photo Credit: W. Eugene Smith Design: Diane Cuddy Design, LLC, Bloomfield, NJ Printing: Hanover Printing of NJ, Inc.

Dorothy Roberts, Northwestern University School of Law Priscilla Wald, Duke University

1 8 ,

2 0 1 2

“Generation Fit” Special reception and program The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Admission: Free Funded by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and the New Jersey Historical Commission, Department of State, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, The Prudential Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the Rutgers Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes. New Jersey CouNCil For The humaNiTies

Presented by Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience; and by The Federated Department of History, Rutgers University-Newark/New Jersey Institute of Technology

For more information, visit http://ethnicity.rutgers.edu 973-353-3891

DR. LIZ PARENTING 101

Winter Health Update old and flu season is upon us, so it’s best to equip yourself with the information you need to handle winter illness. Unfortunately, antibiotics do not cure the “common cold” and the flu. It’s important to know how to manage some of the symptoms at home, but it’s also important to recognize when it’s time to call your doctor. Not every runny nose, cough, and sore throat can or should be treated with an antibiotic. Doctors who prescribe antibiotics for every sick visit are treating the fears and worries of parents more so than the actual illness and are contributing to the rise in antibiotic resistance. I advise parents to work closely with your pediatrician. Some illnesses may initially require watchful waiting before initiating antibiotic treatment. Most people don’t realize that there are more than 100 viruses that are responsible for the common cold. It might seem that your child has the same cold all winter, when he actually might have caught back-to-back viruses. Viruses, however, cannot be cured even with the strongest antibiotic. You must give the body’s immune system time to fight them. The key is to provide fluids for hydration, rest, and over the counter medicine to control high fevers and pain/discomfort. Over-the-counter cold medicines are sometimes helpful in alleviating your child’s discomfort, but are best to give after consulting your physician, particularly if your child is under six. You can manage cold/flu symptoms at home for 48 to 72 hours, but if symptoms persist, you should see your pediatrician. High fevers, body aches, fatigue, and congestion may be symptoms of the flu. The flu cannot be cured with an antibiotic, but a prescribed antiviral medication may reduce the duration of the illness. Stomach viruses are extremely common during the winter and can usually be managed at home. If your child is having diarrhea, you can continue giving him solid foods but you must keep him hydrated by having him drink plenty of Pedialyte if he is under 4 or 5 years of age. For older children, electrolyte sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade are preferable. For those who refuse to take these drinks, water and a variety of juices will have to suffice. Avoid milk because it’s usually too heavy for the stomach to handle. The use of Imodium is also not recommended. The goal is to give your children small but frequent amounts of fluid to keep them hydrated. Sometimes you

The Positive Community January 2012

may have to give 1 to 2 teaspoons every 10 to 15 minutes in order to insure that the fluids stay down. Many things can be handled at home, but there are some illnesses that warrant a doctor’s visit. If your child complains of a severe sore throat, you should bring him to the doctor to get checked for strep throat. Sore throats caused by viruses don’t need an antibiotic, but strep throat is caused by a bacteria called Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus. Bacterial infections can only be cured with the administration of an antibiotic. Other reasons for calling or visiting the doctor are: • Signs of dehydration, which include a decreased number of wet diapers or bathroom visits, dry lips/mouth, no tears when crying, sunken soft spot, and sunken eyes • Persistent vomiting • Lethargy to the point of little or no activity. The child is too sick to take interest in any of his normal activities even for a brief period of time. • Unbearable headache, neck pain, or stiffness, which may point toward meningitis • Fever that persists for more than 2 or 3 days or rises close to 105 degrees Fahrenheit • Extreme pain • Inconsolable, nonstop crying for several hours Parents should ask questions and never leave the doctor’s office without knowing the diagnosis, the reason for taking the prescribed medicine, and the guidelines for calling back or returning. It’s more difficult to stay healthy in the winter because people are inside and are in close contact with each other. Winter health, therefore, can be enhanced by good hand washing, sneezing or coughing into your sleeve/arm rather than your hand, and a good partnership with your doctor. About Dr. Liz Dr. Elizabeth Robinson Henry (Dr. Liz) has dedicated her life to providing youth with the knowledge and confidence to lead healthy and productive lives. She is the founder of Dr. Liz Consulting, a practice focused on making a difference in the lives of adolescents by addressing their physical, emotional, and mental needs. Teens, tweens and their parents can find resources on how to build self-confidence, manage anger and stress, and overcome issues such as bullying, emotions, fitting-in, and obesity at www.drlizforyouth.com. Disclaimer: The information in this article is solely for educational purposes and should not be relied on for a diagnosis. Always consult your physician for medical advice, treatment, and/or diagnosis. www.thepositivecommunity.com

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McDonald’s Introduces Healthier Happy Meals

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n conjunction with their “Commitment to Offer Improved Nutrition Choice,” on Saturday, December 10, 2011, McDonald’s patrons at several locations in the tri-state area were treated to Happy Meal SOULdelicious Parties. At the McDonald’s on Broad Street in Newark, owned and operated by Jessica Quintina, the new, healthier Happy Meals were the main attraction, but games, prizes, and music by DJ Sequence added to the party experience. In addition, Benita Perkins, the well-known health and wellness expert, was on hand to explain the healthy changes to parents who expressed their approval of the new choices. Available nationwide in the first quarter of 2012, the new Happy Meal automatically includes apple slices (¼ cup or ½ serving) as a side to the choice of Chicken McNuggets, a hamburger or cheeseburger and choice of beverage, which includes fat-free chocolate milk and 1% white milk as options. In addition to apple slices, the meal also includes a smaller sized french fries (1.1 ounces). More Happy Meal fruit and vegetable choices are under development and expected to roll out over the next few years. —JNW

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Health and Wellness expert Benita Perkins

It’s Our Mission. Photo: Don Sherrill.

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

PHILIP M. BONAPARTE M.D. ON CALL

Chief Medical Officer, Horizon NJ Health/Officer of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Vice President of Clinical Affairs

Diabetes: Complications & Prevention injury to the body’s blood vessels. The high levels of blood sugar can make the millions of blood vessels in the kidneys work overtime. Kidneys can become damaged and unable to remove waste products that build up in the blood. Although diabetes is not the only reason kidneys fail, the American Diabetes Association notes that it is the number one cause of kidney failure.

Question: My friend was diagnosed with diabetes. She has not taken any steps to manage her diabetes, but she worries about the complications that might come with her disease. Could you please let me know how I can work with her to help her live a healthier life? Answer: orking with your friend as she learns about diabetes is a good way to help her prevent, manage or reduce the risk of problems that can occur. Diabetes can increase a person’s risk for many serious and sometimes life-threatening complications, such as blindness, damage to the kidney, heart or nerves and loss of an arm or a leg. Encourage your friend to talk with her doctor to find out more about her diabetes. As her friend, research the topic together on the internet. She can learn about the complications, find out about managing her disease and hopefully she will realize why it is important for her to make some changes in her lifestyle. A balanced, healthy diet is a good start. Ask her to read about meal plans and healthy recipes in cookbooks for diabetics. There are many complications associated with diabetes including those that can involve eyes, kidneys, heart or the loss of limbs. Diabetes is the leading cause of: • new cases of adult blindness • kidney failure • lower-limb amputations It is important that people with diabetes get plenty of exercise, physical activity and regular HbA1C (Hemoglobin A1C) to monitor diabetes control.

The Positive Community January 2012

EYES People with diabetes have a higher risk for blindness than those without diabetes. However, many of these problems are minor and can be treated. People with diabetes need to be extra vigilant about getting their regular eye examinations and check ups. If vision or eye problems occur, prompt attention and treatment can help. Tell your friend to schedule her next eye appointment now and every twelve months with an eye doctor. Those who have diabetes are 40 percent more likely to develop glaucoma than people without the disease. With glaucoma, pressure in the eye builds up and eventually can pinch the blood vessels to the eye and optic nerve. Over time, this damage can lead to vision loss or blindness. As one ages, the risk of glaucoma increases, yet treatments are available. Surgery is an option and some drugs will reduce the pressure in the eye. KIDNEYS Kidneys are very good filters for the body and continually sift through the blood to make sure the body keeps the good and eliminates any toxins and waste. Such a system can be prone to damage by diabetes. Diabetes causes

LOWER LIMB AMPUTATIONS Diabetes is a leading cause of foot and leg amputations. The risks are greater if you: • Are an African American • Are age 65 or older • Had a previous amputation • Smoke • Have poor circulation in your feet and legs • Have neuropathy or loss of feeling feet or legs • Have sores leg or foot sores that are slow to heal PREVENTIVE MEASURES • Schedule a foot exam every year • Inspect feet daily for discoloration, sores, redness or cracks • After bathing, dry feet and in between toes • Use lotion to keep skin’s moisture • Make regular visits to a physician and a foot doctor (podiatrist) • Get a Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) blood test and frequent finger sticks to monitor or check blood sugar level Be prepared. Make a plan and share it. For more information visit: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699450/.

www.thepositivecommunity.com

KAHLIL CARMICHAEL THE FITNESS DOCTOR

Kahlil Carmichael is the Pastor and Founder of It Is Well Living Church located in Monroe, NJ. He is the CEO of the Fitness Doctor Inc., a Fitness Rehabilitation and Wellness Consultation company. To contact Kahlil to become spiritually and physically fit visit www.itiswellchurch.com or call 732-921-3746

Follow the Leader

t’s the beginning of a new year and I am excited by the possibilities! Prospects and promises of financial increase, new career opportunities, the realization of dreams that have been deferred and, of course, elevating our spiritual and physical fitness and health! With the Presidential election occurring this year, all eyes will be on leaders. The world will be watching to see whom we will follow for the next four years. If you are a leader of any kind, people are watching you as well. If you lead your family, a magazine, an organization, club, business or church, if you are in a position of authority you are leading and someone or some body is following. And yes they are watching… Everything! Your manners, lifestyle, work ethic and oh yeah—your fitness, nutrition, and wellness habits! So I have a question: Are you fit to lead? Because most of the people you lead want to imitate and follow the leader, even if they do not want to admit it. I have been saddened by the sudden passing of some great leaders within the church. Many of them taken away in the prime of their lives by complications and conditions associated with obesity. They leave behind wives, children, loved-ones and throngs of people who followed them as they followed God! These leaders did everything to lead the people who were following them with integrity. They encouraged them to go back to school, preached liberation in Christ and taught by example the benefits of being multifaceted and multi-tasking. Yet sadly, they did not exemplify a healthy lifestyle to the people God assigned them to lead. Paul encourages the church of Philippi to “keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9 NSRV). Leaders, I encourage you to start an exercise regimen www.thepositivecommunity.com

that incorporates all three components of fitness (aerobic, strength, and flexibility instruction) as soon as possible. Also, make sure you are going to the doctor regularly for a full physical examination! I have always worked with leaders in the secular world as well (I will not name drop—it’s just not necessary) but in the past year this charge to help leaders become fit has become a vital part of my calling and ministry. Starting this year I will partner with New York Theological Seminary, The Positive Community, and the American Heart Association to assist in my vision to continue helping leaders get fit! There is a saying in the church world alluding to preachers and leaders in ministry that he or she is “well prepared for ministry.” It refers to education, experience, etc. but discounts the physical well being. So leader, are you well prepared for ministry? Are you fit to lead? Because many look to follow the leader! Here are some tips to help you get started right away with a fitness and wellness program: 1.) Make an appointment with your physician 2.) Find a qualified fitness professional that specializes in working with the unique needs and schedule of a leader 3.) Stop trying quick fix remedies to lose weight without getting fit. That’s like preaching without living holy! 4.) Pray and ask God to give you discipline to get started and keep going! 5.) Call me! God has called me to help you! Amen For information on our fit care program or for a free consultation call 732-921-3746 or visit us at www.itiswellchurch.com Disclaimer: The information contained in this column is of a general nature. You should consult your physician or health care professional before beginning any exercise program or changing your dietary regimen.

January 2012 The Positive Community

e know We knowour ourcommunity commun Empowering Ourselves in Taking Care of” Health We here. ” Welive live here. in Our Communittees Moderator Richard Roper

Newark Leadership Roundtable Series Presents:

Streaming live on the web

Dr Philip Chief Medical Officer,Officer, Horizon NJ Health Dr Bonaparte, Philip Bonaparte, Chief Medical Horizon NJ Health

A Health ROUNDTABLE Saturday Feb. 25th • 9am-1pm

oneed maketoa make difference, not onlynot in my but life, in the of lives others. I am involved in healthinissu a difference, onlylife, in my butlives in the of others. I am involved he eantly African-American and Latino I understand what it’swhat like toit’scome humble backgr the African-American andcommunity. Latino community. I understand like tofrom come from humbl “If a clean, safe & healthy environment is a communityoss Blue Shield in lives Newin Jersey and we believe in accessin to quality for every Blue Cross Blue lives Shield Newhow Jersey and weimplement believe access to healthcare quality healthcare fo building ideal, then do we such values?” mportant as breathing air.” .it’s as important as breathing air.” Positive Community Editorial November 2011 General BaptistHorizon Convention Horizon NJ Health can help and your too. NJ Health canyou help you andfamily, your family, of New Jersey, Inc.

too. eyou uninsured, enroll enroll in our in NJour FamilyCare or NJ FamilyCare ADVANTAGE plan are uninsured, NJ FamilyCare or NJ FamilyCare ADVANTAG eligible,eligible, call 1-877-7NJ-HEALTH (1-877-765-4325) To seeTo if you’re call 1-877-7NJ-HEALTH (1-877-765-4325) see if you’re

Horizon Horizon NJ NJ Health Health

Go to www.thepositivecommunity/nlrs.com to register for broadband webcast an independent of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ® Registered®marks of the marks Blue Cross Blue Shield and SM R dsey of isNew Jersey is an licensee independent licensee of theand Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Registered of theand Blue Cross andAssociation. Blue Shield ®’ Association.

y. 2011 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield NewShield Jersey. Penn Plaza East, Newark, NewNewark, Jersey 07105. of © New Jersey. © 2011 Horizon Blue CrossofBlue of Three New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, New Jersey 07105.

“We know our community. We live here.” Dr Philip Bonaparte, Chief Medical Officer, Horizon NJ Health “I feel the need to make a difference, not only in my life, but in the lives of others. I am involved in health issues facing predominantly the African-American and Latino community. I understand what it’s like to come from humble backgrounds. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield lives in New Jersey and we believe in access to quality healthcare for every resident. To me......it’s as important as breathing air.”

Horizon NJ Health can help you and your family, too. If you are uninsured, enroll in our NJ FamilyCare or NJ FamilyCare ADVANTAGE plans. To see if you’re eligible, call 1-877-7NJ-HEALTH (1-877-765-4325)

Horizon NJ Health Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® Registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ®’ and SM Registered and service marks of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. © 2011 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey 07105.

Step to It!

(L-R) Louis L. Levine, president & CEO of NY College of Podiatric Medicine and Rev. Nigel A. Pearce, senior pastor at Grace Congregational Church of Harlem and Chair of the Foot Center Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees and members of the staff of the Foot Center of New York L–R: Howard Rosas, DPM; Eunice Ramsey-Parker, DPM, MPH; Rev. Robert Royal; Virginia Montague; Rev. Edward R. Culvert; Deirdre Clemens; Rev. Nigel A. Pearce; Louis L. Levine; Pat Stevenson; and Rev. Franklin Simpson.

The Foot Center of New York Serving The Harlem Community and the Nation for more than 100 Years

he Foot Center of New York installed its new Board of Trustees in December. “With the diverse mix of members on the Board, we have been fortunate enough to utilize the pulpits of clergy, civic leaders, and stake holders to help us encourage people to utilize the variety of services offered by the Foot Center of NY” explained Virginia Montague, president of the New York Coalition of One Hundred Black Women and a proud Board of Trustees member. Rev. Nigel A. Pearce, senior pastor at Grace Congregational Church of Harlem, is chair of the Board of Trustees. As a community resource and spiritual guide, Rev. Pearce recognizes the multitude of health problems that face the Harlem community, with diabetes ranking amongst the top. With some of the earliest signs of diabetes linked to foot problems, Rev. Pearce is “not only thinking about your spiritual life, but also about the wholeness of your life. The Foot Center is the “best kept secret in Harlem,” said Rev. Pearce” and he is fully committed to making it the “best well-known secret.” “I have diabetes, and my doctor has advised me how important it is to take care of my feet,” explained Pat Stevenson, publisher of the Harlem News Group, Inc. and secretary of the Board. “I recently became a patient of the Foot Center and I am

Continued on next page

The Positive Community Winter 2012

Foot Pain? Walking Problems?

FOOT CENTER of NEW YORK 55 East 124th St.

(between Madison & Park Aves.)

Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 8 am - 4 pm

Wednesday 8 am - 7:30 pm

Treating Adults & Children Expert staff diagnose and treat foot ailments including: Sports Injuries • Foot Pain • In-toeing • Out-toeing Flat Feet • Ingrown Toenails • Walking Problems Heel Spurs • Bunions • Hammertoes

Full-Service Physical Therapy Center Diabetic Wound Care

55 East 124th St. @ Park Avenue, in Manhattan Call 212-410-8158 for an appointment www.footcenterofny.org Most insurances accepted www.thepositivecommunity.com

FOOT CLINIC

Continued from previous page satisfied with my experience. I was especially pleased with the way the doctor treating me explained how I should care for my feet, the types of shoes I should wear, and what could happen if my diabetes is not kept under control. I now plan to go to the Foot Center every 8 weeks for an examination.” The Foot Center’s affiliate is the adjacent New York College of Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM). For over 100 years these two institutions have been servicing and providing to Harlem, NYC, and the entire community by offering education and treatment, leading to better standards of living and countless limbs being saved. NYCPM has graduated more than 25 percent of all active podiatrists in the nation and offers an affordable, rigorous course load, international opportunities and unparalleled hands-on experience. President/CEO Louis L. Levine explains that the college supports the center financially and in the midst of hospitals closing and the family doctor concept fleeting, he is fully committed to keeping the center open saying, “Harlem has tremendous diverse medical needs and we have the opportunity to treat those needs and educate at the same time.” The Foot Center of New York is the world’s largest and nation’s oldest facility that provides specialized medical foot care! The Center specializes in a full spectrum of services from custom shoes to braces and x-rays, and offers specialized clinics in pediatrics, sports medicine, diabetes, and surgery. For a full listing of all that the Center offers, visit www. footcenterofny.org. The New York College of Podiatric Medicine is located at 53 East 124th Street and can be found online at www.nycpm.edu/ and by phone at (212) 410-8000. www.thepositivecommunity.com

Dr. King traveled over 6,000,000 miles for us.

AARP and you, continuing the journey. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to making the world a better place for us all. The powerful legacy he left behind reminds us that even if it takes millions of miles more, together we can make it happen. At AARP, we are committed to ensuring that every generation has the power to carry the legacy of Dr. King even further and the opportunity to live the best life possible. To discover all of the work we’re doing in your community, visit aarp.org/blackcommunity.

Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Progress Through Cooperation in TEXT AND PHOTOS BY BOB GORE If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, join with others.—African proverb he purpose of my most recent visit to Haiti was to attend the three-day First Annual Progress through Cooperation Conference, focused on first aid First aid class for youth training and health policy development in the country’s northeast. The forum was unique in many aspects. A major emphasis was placed on cultivating and promoting local talent to spearhead planning, communications, leading discussions and post-conference task forces while positioning American participants in less visible support roles. The meeting occurred at a time of rising optimism in the region. Though extremely poor, there are a number of positive social, political and economic indicators. The earthquake had sidestepped the area and the subsequent cholera epidemic had minimal impact. Michel Martelly, the new president, was elected by a comfortable margin and without the turmoil that usually accompanies elections. There are a number of projects underway that are expected to bring jobs and other opportunities. Probably the most important is the recently completed highway funded by the European Union. The road allows safe and speedier travel between local towns and the Dominican Republic. As seen in the U.S., highways can enhance quality of life and spawn new businesses and population growth as well as economic progress. A new university to accommodate ten thousand students is being constructed by the Dominican Republic at a cost of $30,000,000. The nearly 325,000 square foot campus is due to be completed in this year. Negotiations are underway to attract a Korean food processing plant that will employ up to 15,000, making it the region’s largest employer. The conference was sponsored by Bethlehem Ministry, Esperance et Vie and EMEDEX International. The notion of cooperation started with their shared work history and core values. Each is committed to supporting: the creation of professional training leadership development programs in local communities; the design of sustainable, low-overhead programs run by local people and the creation of economic opportunities for the poor.

The Positive Community January 2012

HAITI

The participants came from all income levels, professions and towns in the region and the number of them amazed me. They were mothers, farmers, students, doctors, tap tap (a form of jitney service) and clergy. They came from Trou du nord, Ouanaminth, Limbe, Carrefour, Lemonade and Terrier Rouge— towns unfamiliar to most Americans, but typical of Haiti’s interior, home to more than half of the nation’s eight million citizens. First aid training is a selfless form of education offering no economic benefit. For the trainees, many of whom took time from work, their reward is that their knowledge might one day save a life or reduce suffering, or that they would be able to prepare the injured for travel to clinics. Even those with medical training found the first aid training essential. “I learned how to give emergency care to accident victims and how to establish a network of communication between us,” said Dr. Maité Rivière, intern at the Centre de Santé de Terrier Rouge. According to Dr. Berry Rice of Bethlehem Ministry, this portion of the conference aimed to “democratize the policy development process by empowering the people to promote their vision for regional health care.” Early on, the group tackled the most pressing and emotional of health concerns: timely response to the sick and injured. The northeast region has no organized ambulance, 911 or other emergency response system. The process of transporting the sick is layered with risks. Transportation to emergency care often means a prolonged, jolting ride on a moped or in the back of a pickup truck, without the care of a trained technician. After comments by Father Jean Monique Bruno, a consensus was reached: “Tap taps are no longer acceptable. It is time we aim for quality care for our people. We need an ambulance service with properly equipped vehicles manned by trained emergency medical technicians.” The major breakthrough came during the questionand-answer session when the regional health minister, Dr. Jean Denis, gave his endorsement by saying, “I am very supportive of this gathering and will work with you on the development and implementation of the recommendations from the conference.” Though not on the formal agenda, the role of nongovernmental organizations was the subject of much discussion. These ubiquitous organizations exert enormous influence and are continued on next page www.thepositivecommunity.com

Dr. Jean Denis , Regional Health Minister

Dr. Harold Durant, a second generation physician

Father Jean Monique Bruno, head of Esperance et Vie

viewed by many as instruments of foreign influence. According to Bill Clinton, Haiti has an estimated 10,000 such groups, more per capita than any other country. Most provide vital human services that would otherwise not be provided; however, donor policies are often in conflict with government priorities. According to a report by Prof. Mark Schuller of York College, “Since the Dole Amendment in 1995, all USAID funds go through NGOs.” A senior U.N. official recently estimated that for all donors 98 percent of aid goes directly to NGOs. Without the essential services they provide, the country could not function. Nonetheless, there is widespread criticism of the influence they exercise. In order to build lasting change, the government must be engaged, empowered and made accountable to the electorate and the donors. Dr. Paul Farmer, the Deputy U.S. Envoy to Haiti, put it this way, “You can’t have public health, public education, or public services without a public sector. NGOs like the one I work with cannot replace the government, nor can the United Nations or any other group. We don’t have the skills or the mandate, and if aid is to work, it can’t fall apart when the expats leave.” By all indicators, the First Annual Progress through Co-operation Conference provided a variety of lasting

www.thepositivecommunity.com

Students in first aid workshop

benefits among which is a new network of Haitian and American doctors, nurses, technicians and volunteers leaning on and supporting one another. It also gave a boost to the sponsors who took great pride in the accomplishment and in particular, the government’s participation. Often I am asked, “Why do you care about Haiti?” In addition to my emotional attachments, there are pragmatic reasons for aiding Haiti. The countries in our region are so intertwined politically and economically that problems originating in one locale soon ripple across the borders of others. Ultimately, what we do for Haiti is not charity, rather it is in our self-interest. As the Hon. P.J. Patterson, Jamaica’s former prime minister, once said to me, “Our region cannot enjoy full prosperity until Haiti is restored.” In spite of the dire state of affairs in Haiti, the future is ours to mold. We have witnessed dramatic transformations in a number of countries once considered backward and hopelessly mired in poverty. When I was a child, the students in our school donated pennies to feed the hungry in India and China, two countries once viewed by westerners as permanent poverty cases. Today, India provides critical technical support to top corporations, and China continually astonishes the world by its manufacturing and financial prowess.

January 2012 The Positive Community

Rev. Albert Morgan Honored

nion Baptist Temple of Bridgeton, NJ hosted its 25th Pastoral Banquet in honor of their beloved pastor, Rev. Albert Morgan, “God’s Mailman.”

Pastor Albert Morgan with Marbeth Gentry, president of the Thomas Dorsey Convention

Bishop Dennis Thompson, In His Image Evangelical Ministries Bridgeton, New Jersey.

First Lady Darlene Geronda Hadley and Pastor David Hadley, Glory Tabernacle, Bridgeton, NJ

Sister Thelma Scott, president, Women’s Department, NHJ General Baptist Convention

The Positive Community Winter 2012

Bishop-elect Samuel Ellis, First Pentecostal Church Chester, PA

Pastors Albert Morgan; Levi Lockamy, St. Phillip, B.C., Bridgeton, NJ; Granville Seward, former pastor of Mt. Zion B.C., Newark, NJ www.thepositivecommunity.com

Maurice Chestnut

Culture M U S I C ,

A R T

L I T E R A T U R E

Worshipping the Lord to the Sounds of Jazz By Jean Nash Wells

hen Rev. M. William Howard became the pastor of Newark’s Bethany Baptist Church in October of 2000, he brought with him a wealth of knowledge, experience and new ideas. His tenure began with addressing concrete challenges facing the congregation and the community, among them a successful elementary school—University Heights Charter School, a community development corporation—Bethany Cares, Inc., which supported the operation of a Children’s Defense Fund affiliated “Freedom School,” and a program that helped prepare soon-to-be-released, incarcerated young men for productive roles in society. He also introduced one of Bethany’s most popular and swinging programs—Jazz Vespers. Each first Saturday at 6 p.m. from October through June, world-renowned jazz greats like Randy Westin, Junior Mance, Yvette Glover, Hilton Ruiz, Cyrus Chestnut, Jimmy Heath, Earl May, Lizz Wright, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Mulgrew Miller, Slide Hampton, Sonny Fortune and Houston Person can be found performing at Bethany’s Jazz Vespers and other special events. Now in its twelfth season, Jazz Vespers—initially a curious novelty—has become a rich setting for genuine worship.Jazz in a church? Dr. Howard had this to say: Duke Ellington’s Come Sunday, Mary Lou Williams’ Mary Lou’s Mass, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, Pharaoh Sanders’ A Creator Has A Master Plan, Geri Allen’s A Child Is Born, among others, are all musical compositions and arrangements by so-called jazz musicians that will never be heard (or heard of) in some houses of worship, although they were inspired by religious faith. With the passive compliance of the public, record companies, popular media, even academics have been guilty of “segmenting music” and targeting it to certain audiences for mainly commercial purposes. This has resulted in cir-

www.thepositivecommunity.com

Lizz Wright

Geri Allen

cumscribing the range and depth of deeply moving, spiritually enriching musical sounds that can stir human hope in the very places where people come for healing and renewal. Of all places, the sanctuary of God should not be party to the balkanization of music; any music, which appeals to the sacred sensibilities that lie deep within each of us, should be welcomed. We must be open to any sounds that open us to belief and to moral and ethical living. On December 17, 2011 at a special Christmas concert, pianist Geri Allen launched her first Christmas CD, A Child is Born. According to Ms. Allen, her experience during another performance at Bethany was the genesis of the CD. “It found its genesis in the church at Bethany,” she told blogger Angelika Beener of nextbop.com. “We did a concert there two years ago, and the choir embraced the idea of doing this music, and I was so embraced by the church, you know? I felt like I had to come back . . . and I did come back. I felt so very grateful to be a part of it. So the music really did grow out of that...it has its foundation there.” Jazz vocalist Liz Wright and tapdancer Maurice Chestnut joined Ms. Allen and her band for the concert.

January 2012 The Positive Community

BY PATRICIA BALDWIN

Groove is Back! Grace & Peace! ith the holidays rolling past and order being set for the New Year, gospel music in all of its splendor has to set the year off right. The best way—the only way—is to get it on with The Stellar Awards. This year The Stellar Awards are hosted by Pastor Marvin Sapp & Dorinda Clark-Cole at the hottest spot in Nashville, TN—The Grand Ole Opry House, of course. The date is set for January 14th, 2012 so if you don’t have your tickets already, be ready to check your local listings and watch it on TV soon! The airwaves and the people have spoken and clearly, what you hear is what you get. Everyone you think should be nominated has been nominated. Beautiful things are happening to deserving legends in the ministry of music. Major awards for the three celebratory achievement statues are given for accomplishments that require tremendous effort and achievement. The James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Pastor John P. Kee; the Thomas Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award will go to radio host Vy Higginson and The Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award goes to (drum roll please) Ms. Dorothy Norwood, of course—I mean she is noted as the world’s greatest gospel story teller. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Stellar Awards and it just gets better! They were made to celebrate the ones we listen to the most and honor the hard workers of the music ministry. To commemorate with that, the female category is now called the Albertina Walker Female Vocalist of the Year Award to honor the namesake herself. We have to say, the ladies up for this nomination are heavy duty anointed singers: Kim Burrell, Beverly Crawford, Yolanda Adams and the Tina Marie of Gospel, Martha Munizzi. Now we can’t leave the gentlemen out. Although there is no name change for the Male Vocalist category, all of the powerhouses are on the list: Earnest Pugh, Vashawn Mitchell, Israel Houghton and now full-time pastor, Smokie Norful. Other categories that we are looking forward to are

The Positive Community January 2012

CD of The Year, Group/Duo of the Year and Artist of The Year. As in past years, vocalists such as Mary Mary and James Fortune & FIYA are nominated multiple times. This could be a big year for Deitrick Haddon with an astounding five nods, and Earnest Pugh and Rance Allen are blessed with four. Oh, but the groove is back in a Holy Ghost party and it’s on at the 27th Annual Stellar Awards because performing live is an outstanding list of your favorites. Ok, ok… I’ll tell you! Can you “Smile” and say Kirk Franklin? Now add to that Richard Smallwood, LeCrea and get ready for Mr. “I Need Your Glory”—Earnest Pugh. Don’t leave the women out! Martha Munizzi and the ladies of BET’s Sunday Best, Jessica Reedy and LeAndria Johnson, are expected to help you get your praise on along with a host of others. Everyone should expect another anointed powerful movement of God on this show. It’s good to know that everyone who is coming will support each artist in their own respect and that they are all fans of each other’s music. It’s easy to do that when you serve the same God. Gospel music always brings people closer because there is a healing that affects us, a truth that bonds us and a purpose that binds us together in Christian love—his name is Jesus! Don’t you just love Him? Well that’s it family. So until next time, remember we are Kingdom Builders…What’s on your foundation? www.thepositivecommunity.com

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GOSPEL TOP TEN Issac Carree—In The Middle Earnest Pugh—I Need Your Glory Donald Lawrence—Spiritual James Fortune—Still Able Kirk Franklin—I Smile Yolanda Adams—Be Still Maurette Brown Clark—I Hear The Sound

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VaShawn Mitchell—Nobody Greater Jessica Reedy—Put It At The Altar Kim Burrell—Sweeter Winter 2012 The Positive Community

JAZ Z

for Everyone!!

WBGO-FM Expands Signal Increasing Listening Quality And Reception

Flipping the switch to the new WBGO transmitter are L-R: Rhonda Hamilton, host of Midday Jazz; Michael Bourne, host of Afternoon Jazz; Brian Delp, host of Jazz After Hours; Cephas Bowles, WBGO President and CEO.

By Helene Fox

f you’ve recently noticed more cars a-rocking and fingers a-popping in the area, there’s good reason! On December 30 at 1:00 p.m., WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM, the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area’s only full-time jazz station, flipped the switch to enhance its signal and improve the quality of reception for listeners throughout the region. An upgraded transmitter and antenna system were erected atop 4 Times Square in New York City, although WBGO’s broadcast studios, production facility, and administrative offices —its nerve center— remain in Newark. When WBGO switched to the new transmitter, the station became better positioned to spread jazz music and the love of this original American art form to listeners across the metro area. Listeners throughout most of the station’s coverage area, who sometimes had to sit in their cars to hear their favorite music or pose precariously with their antennae to get a clear signal, are now able to receive the station’s signal without the existing interference caused by a combination of physical barriers and the low-lying location of the original transmitter. The new transmitter is located at a height of 834 feet, almost

The Positive Community Winter 2012

doubling the height of the previous system in New Jersey. “This action is a vital step in seeing WBGO through a bold vision of enhancing the listening experience, supporting and growing culture throughout the marketplace and sharing our love of jazz with the world. The transmitter project is an investment in the future of WBGO and a testament to terrestrial radio being alive and well, despite misconceptions to the contrary,” said Cephas Bowles, president and CEO of WBGO. “In concert with strengthening WBGO’s role in the Newark community, the signal enhancement supports the lifeblood of our operation – the presentation of jazz – America’s music, via our terrestrial radio signal,” he said. Listeners tuned in to WBGO during Midday Jazz with Rhonda Hamilton to hear the announcement on air, and then let the station know how their reception was by taking a survey on the WBGO website. For some it was an almost historical moment, one where jazz fans will regale one another with stories of where they were when the new antenna debuted and changed their listening habits. The improved service arrived just in time for one of WBGO’s signature programs, Toast of the Nation, count-

ing down New Year’s Eve in every time zone throughout the United States. The 2011 broadcast took place live from Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola with Wynton Marsalis as the ball dropped in Times Square. The change makes sense. WBGO has been increasing its visibility over the past several years with high-profile partnerships with New York and New Jersey-based arts and entertainment organizations, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Brooklyn Museum, 92Y Tribeca, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, City Parks Foundation (Summerstage) and the Heart of Brooklyn. Now, WBGO has increased its “listenability” by extending its signal and improving the listening experience for established listeners and exposing the infectious art form to new ones. “Strategic partnerships help us engage with the metro community in a variety of ways, be it over the airwaves, on the ground or online. We work with organizations that are committed to serving their communities in unique ways – from hosting the highest quality jazz performances to promoting cross-cultural awareness for children – qualities that enhance the WBGO mission and listening experience,” Bowles added. www.thepositivecommunity.com

HARLEM FINE

ARTS SHOW

AT THE HISTORIC RIVERSIDE CHURCH 490 RIVERSIDE DRIVE (AT 120TH ST), NEW YORK CITY

FEBRUARY 10,11,12th 2012

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The harlem Fine arTs show zine

<< Look for HFAC magazine in the February New York Times supplement

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

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Winter 2012 The Positive Community

FLO WILEY IN THE SPIRIT & IMAGE

Flo Wiley is a disciple at Memorial Baptist Church, Harlem, NY.

14th Annual New York Martin Luther King Interfaith Observance for Religious and Racial Harmony Sunday, January 15, 2pm until 5:30pm Co-sponsored by New York Metropolitan Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolence, International Communications Association, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Sutton Place Synagogue, Islamic Cultural Center of New York and Morrisania Revitalization Corporation, this three-site event begins at the Islamic Cultural Center (E. 97th & First Avenue), continues at Sutton Place Synagogue (Park Ave & E. 51st), includes a silent prayer march from there to St. Batholomews Church (Park Ave & E. 51st Street) for the concluding service, and features the combined 200-voice church choirs of King Emanuel Missionary Baptist Church, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Nazarene Congregational CCC from Brooklyn, Convent Avenue Baptist Church and JAZZ AT BETHANY Canaan Baptist Church of Christ as well as the Children’s Sunday, January 7, 6:00pm Bethany Baptist Church, 275 Market Street, Newark NJ Choir of PS 56 of Bronx, NY. You are invited to join the celebration at any of the three locations. Space on the Rev. Dr. M. William Howard, Jr. Produced by Bethany member Dorthaan Kirk of WBGO- busses is limited. To reserve a space call the NYMLK FM, this monthly concert series starts out the New Year Center at (718) 589-7858, ext 30. For more information with vocalist Gregory Porter. Born in Los Angeles, raised visit www.nymlkcenterfornonviolence.org in Bakersfield, and now living in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, Gregory Porter has made the world his THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL CONCERT Sunday, February 5, 3:30pm musical home. His 2010 Motéma Music debut, Water, was Sherry Boone, Soprano; nominated in the 2011 54th Annual Grammy® Awards as Harriet D. Foy, Soprano; Best Jazz Vocal Album. His unique vocal style and personand Brandie Sutton, Soprano. al charisma have earned him accolades from music critics Three world class artists in one inspias well as from his musical peers in the United States and rational afternoon, featuring various abroad. Bethany’s Jazz Vespers is followed by a meet-andcomposers including Hall Johnson, greet the artists reception with light refreshments. Undine Smith Moore, E. Simpson For more information call (973) 623-8181 or visit Cureton, and Roland Hayes. Merkin www.bethanynewark.org. Admission is FREE. Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, 129 W. 67th St @ Broadway, NYC. Tickets Harriet D. Foy are $75. Seniors, students and groups of six or more are $65. For tickets visit www.kaufman-center.org, call (212) 501-3330, or go to Gregory Porter the Kaufman Center box office. (Source: www.blacktheatreonline.com). COMEDY AT THE CRYPT: A Holiday Night of Comedy and Music Friday, December 30, 8pm–11pm Church of the Intercession, 550 W. 155th Street, NYC Rev. Jose R. Gandara Perea, Priest-In-Charge In a departure from their monthly music-only series, this unique event is designed to refresh your spirit by giving you tears of joy and sighs of appreciLeighann Lord ation as you experience the performances of comedians Leighann Lord, Gregg Walker, Yvonne Orji, Charles McBee Jr., Bill Santiago, and Clayton Fletcher, jazz vocalist Nikita White and Roger Lent on piano. Light refreshments will be available. Tickets are $20. (212) 283-6200.

To have your church’s arts event listed here, please email: spiritandimage@thepositivecommunity.com.

The Positive Community January 2012

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Godly Men in Sports

n October 31, 2011 the Eldad Medad (Men's) Ministry of Brooklyn’s St. Paul Community Baptist Church, under the leadership of Rev. David K. Brawley, honored a group of men who have been celebrated for their success on the court and gridiron, but are also men who unashamedly walk in the spirit of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Godly Men in Sports: The Ultimate Coaches & Players on the Eternal Championship Team Black Tie Gala was held at Russo’s on the Bay. Honorees were Chris Broussard, Rev. Irving Fryar, Eric LeGrand, Allan Houston and Shaun Smith. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a $25,000 support gift to Eric LeGrand, On October 16, 2010, LeGrand suffered a severe spinal injury during a football game against the Army Black Knights in the New Meadowlands Stadium. Doctors determined that LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down. Eric has never lost faith or courage and is gaining some movement in his limbs The money will be used for his education and medical expenses. LeGrand's return to the field one year later, in his wheelchair, was chosen by Sports Illustrated readers as the Best Moment of 2011. Eric attend the gala via Skype. Cheryl and Ariel Curet, Eric LeGrand’s aunt and uncle were on hand accept his award. Photos: Rob Munroe

Event Planner Stacie Grant and her son, Josiah

Event Honoree, former NFL #1 draft pick, 3-time MVP NE Patriots, 2-time MVP Miami Dolphins, 2-time MVP Philadelphia Eagles, Rev. Irving Fryar, Sr., pastor & founder of New Jerusalem House of God in Mt. Holly, NJ

Tennessee Titans Defensive Tackle Shaun Smith, NY Giants WR Ramses Barden

L–R: SPCBC Senior Pastor Rev. David K. Brawley, Cheryl and Ariel Curet and Savay Burroughs, director of Men’s Ministry www.thepositivecommunity.com

SPCBC Senior Pastor Rev. David K. Brawley with Sinorice Moss, NFL wide reciever/ free agent

Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Hal Jackson turns 97

t was an intimate affair as about 150 close friends and family gathered to honor a cultural giant and radio legend, Hal Jackson on his 97th birthday and 72nd year in broadcasting. Greetings from around the world poured in, showing much love to a man, ever committed to community uplift. In the 60’s, R&B legend, Aretha Franklin, penned a hit song in tribute to Hal’s community service, entitled, “The House that Jack Built”. Guests were treated to a surprise visit and performance by Grammy Award winning artist, Stevie Wonder. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Stevie opened with a personal, touching, musical tribute to Hal, “All I Do (is think about you).” Stevie Wonder never forgot that It was Mr. Jackson who first introduced him on stage at the world-famous Apollo Theater when he was only 13. Among his long list of achievements, Hal Jackson was recently added to the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest active broadcaster. Hal Jackson’s Sunday Classics, on 107.5 WBLS-FM, is a weekly music program hosted by Mr. Jackson, his wife, “Debi B” and veteran radio man, Clay Berry. It remains one of most listened

to radio shows in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. Mr. Jackson co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, owners of radio stations WBLS and WLIB-AM, with former Manhattan Borough President, the late Percy Ellis Sutton in 1972. On Friday, February 24th at 7pm, as part of The Positive Community’s Great Countdown to Freedom music series, Rev. Dr. Johnnie Ray Youngblood of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church will host a special tribute and fundraiser for Hal Jackson’s Youth Foundation, at the George Henry Murray Preparatory School auditorium in Brooklyn, NY. Check future issues of The Positive Community for more information or call 718-388-3900. —AAC

Hal Jackson with music legend Stevie Wonder

L–R: Ted “Wizard” Mills (Blue Magic), Melissa Morgan, Melba Moore, George Fasion, Gerald Austin (The Manhattans) and Valerie Simpson (Ashford and Simpson) join with Stevie to sing Happy Bithday

The Positive Community Winter 2012

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L–R: Mrs. Debi Jackson “Debi B”, her husband Hal, and his daughter, Jewel Jackson

Gerald Austin of The Manhattans and Deaconess Cheryll Heggins Photos: Mychal Watts & Wali Amin Muhammad

Pierre M. Sutton, chairman Inner City Broadcasting Corp. with daughter, VP, Keisha Sutton James

L–R: Flutist, Sherry Winston and Stevie Wonder

United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Roderick Palton, teacher; Karen Alford, VP, UFT; Monique Greene, teacher; Anthony Harmon, director community outreach, UFT

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Tickets can be purchased at the Newark Symphony Hall Box Ofﬁce located at 1030 Broad St. Newark, NJ Tickets can be purchased at the Newark Symphony Hall Box Ofﬁce located at 1030 Broad St. Newark, NJ For information call: (973) 643-8014 or www.newarksymphonyhall.org For information call: (973) 643-8014 or www.newarksymphonyhall.org www.thepositivecommunity.com

Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Soul Line Dancing takes Newark by Storm

Audience member holds lucky winning raffle for a roundtrip ticket to Myrtle Beach, SC courtesy of Direct Air and The Positive Community

Artie Smallwood, Comcast; Margaret Cammereri, American Heart Association and founding member African Americans for Health Awareness (AAHA)

L–R: Adrian Council and Aviva Woog, Healthfirst, founding members AAHA

Photos: Herb Glenn

round the city of Newark and vicinity there is a buzz about the positive effect that Soul Line dancing at Newark Symphony Hall’s Terrace Ballroom is having on the people. This inter-generational entertainment phenomenon is fast becoming an institution for fitness, fellowship and wholesome fun! Young or old; rich or poor; black or white, the Soul Line Dance unifies, promotes team spirit and fosters goodwill. Practice sessions begin at 5pm under the instruction of dance leader, Naja. At 7pm there’s the Gospel Line Dance and church roll call. After 8:30, Dancemaster Kenny J and Darryl take over as the program goes full into full swing featuring R&B hits, the Soul Classics and everybody’s Line Dance favorites! Every 2nd Friday all roads lead to the Terrace Ballroom as hundreds gather to become “One Nation Under a Groove.” By popular demand, a second night of Newark line dancing will soon be added! Soul Line Dancing is coming Brooklyn! Read all about it in the next issue of The Positive Community! —AAC Line Dance leaders Darryl and Damcemaster Kenny J

Al Bundy, board member Newark Symphony Hall; Phillip Thomas, excutive director NSH and Mildred Crump, Newark Municipal Council

The Positive Community Winter 2012

Line Dance leader Naja

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Photos: Wali Amin Muhammad

C.U.S.H. hosts Leadership Breakfast

L–R: Reverends Joseph Chukuru, Derrick Allen, Patricia Malcolm, Gilford Monrose, Verold Matthew

L–R: Reverends Verold Matthew, Patricia Malcolm, Joseph Chukuru, Derrick Allen, Orlando Findlayter, Willmouth Seaton, Senator Kevin Parker, Gilford Monrose.

Amerigroup Community Care Sponors Leadership Breakfast

n October 2011, Amerigroup Community Care sponsored a Leadership Breakfast and Information Session hosted by the Churches United to Save and Heal or C.U.S.H. in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The event, themed “Creative Leadership for Contemporary Challenges: Changing the Landscape of a Community,” attracted more than 50 clergy leaders and featured

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a keynote by the Honorable Rev. Floyd H. Flake, D. Min., pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Queens. CUSH is a coalition of 58 Brooklyn-based churches addressing social and economic issues facing at-risk communities. Amerigroup works with similar organizations throughout New York City in a wider effort to address the healthcare needs of vulnerable communities.

Winter 2012 The Positive Community

Photo: Wali Amin Muhammad

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L-R: Camille Evans, Corey Ortega, Ms. Flack, George Faison and George Harrell

Roberta Flack Honored

n Tuesday, December 13, 2011, legendary songstress, songwriter and musician, Roberta Flack; Mona Scott Young, owner of Monami Entertainment and former co-owner/president of Violator Management; and Anthony Hamilton, American R&B /Soul singer-songwriter and record producer were honored by INSPIRED IN NEW YORK at Faison Firehouse Theatre in Harlem. NYS elected officials Assemblyman Keith Wright and Senator Bill Perkins were on hand to present the honorees with proclamations from the state for their contributions in media, arts and entertainment.

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The Positive Community Winter 2012

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MWANDIKAJI K. MWANAFUNZI THE WAY AHEAD

Dr. King, Occupy Wall Street and Beyond The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. —Psalm 9:9 (New International Version) “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied….” —Luke 6:20-21 (NIV) “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will go hungry….” —Luke 6:24-25 (NIV)

s 2012 begins and we honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King during January, his birth month, the above scriptures and similar ones have special significance. Rev. King’s actions suggest that he thoroughly digested scriptures that many folks seldom seem to read. On the surface, the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Poor People’s March (the latter planned under Dr. King but implemented under Rev. Abernathy after Rev. King’s death) were about two different issues: racial integration and antipoverty. But a connecting thread was opposition to oppression. Forcing blacks to sit in the back of the bus was part of an oppressive system that forced blacks to the back and bottom of society at large. That same system kept the black masses and some others in poverty by excluding them from jobs and schooling that could radically improve their economic condition. Jesus Christ, quoted above regarding the poor and the rich, often taught about wealth and poverty. Remember the man who asked Jesus, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16; NASB). After citing several commandments, Jesus added, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor… and come follow me.” (Matthew 19:17-21). Shortly afterward, Jesus commented to his disciples, “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23; NASB). Many people know Jesus’ statement “The poor you will always have with you...” (Matthew 26:11; NIV). Fewer know that Christ was paraphrasing from the Old Testament: “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I

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command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”— Deuteronomy 15:11 (NIV) From this perspective, the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement got half the point, at best. In attacking the one percent of Americans who are rich, the Occupy Movement paralleled the “woe to you who are rich” statement that God issued through Christ. But they mostly missed God’s numerous statements in both the Old and New Testaments regarding helping the poor and oppressed. The Occupy Movement has identified the disparity between the rich one percent and the 99 percent who comprise the rest of Americans, including most of the demonstrators. But I have heard little from the Occupiers concerning funneling some of the one percent’s economic resources—along with some of the middle class’ resources—to the poor and oppressed. “…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of one of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). Christians who understand this should witness to people who have been active in the Occupy movement. Perhaps we can walk some Occupiers toward Christ by showing them that, while identifying the rich and their power is important, helping the poor is essential. As salvation light bulbs go off in previously secular activists’ heads, the Great Commission can be advanced. Given the international reach of the Occupy movement, the “…gospel of the kingdom” may “be preached to the whole world…” (Matthew 24:14). Additionally, as with the black struggle in America historically, the more Christian involvement, the more concrete success the Occupy movement is likely to achieve. Some clergy have worked with the Occupy movement. In November, in Harlem, the Occupy movement protested “stop and frisk” procedures of the New York Police Department, which disproportionately target and oppress poor young blacks. Rev. Stephen Phelps of Riverside Church was arrested in that demonstration. Rev. Phelps and others in 2011 may have already begun the process that I am advocating. As 2012 begins, and we commemorate the life and work of Rev. Martin Luther King, let’s begin advancing that process.

January 2012 The Positive Community

GOOD NEWS FROM THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

The Last Word BY DEFOREST B. SOARIES, JR.

www.thepositivecommunity.com January 2012

Vol. 12, No. 1

Publisher Adrian A. Council, Sr. Editor-in-Chief Jean Nash Wells Associate Editor R. L. Witter Sales Angela Ridenour Adrian Council, Jr. NGS Communications, Inc. Satori MPR Church/Community Affairs Coordinator Faith Jackson Contributing Writers Sonja Gracy Dr. Phillip Bonaparte Linda Armstrong Mwandikaji K. Mwanafunzi g.r. mattox Rosemary Sinclair Patricia Baldwin Rev. Theresa Nance Rev. Reginald T. Jackson Herb Boyd Glenda Cadogan Toni Parker Helene Fox Rev. Dr. Joanne Noel Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood William Parrish Jeanne Parnell Photographers Bob Gore Wali A. Muhammad Seitu Oronde Rev. Dr. William L. Watkins, Jr. Darryl Hall Vincent Bryant Donovan Gopie Linda Pace Hubert Williams Art Direction & Layout Penguin Design Group Martin Maishman The Positive Community Corp. 133 Glenridge Avenue Montclair, NJ 07042 973-233-9200 Fax: 973-233-9201 Email: positive.corp@verizon.net Website: thepositivecommunity.com All contents © 2010 The Positve Community Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This publication, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, stored in a computerized or other retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means whatsoever without the prior written permission of The Positive Community Corporation. Any opinions expressed herein are solely the opinions of the writer(s) and not necessarily those of The Positive CommunityTM, its management or staff. The Positive CommunityTM reserves the right to retain all materials and does not assume reponsibility for unsolicited materials.

The Positive Community January 2012

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HAD A DREAM . . . AND AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY very time I hear Martin Luther King’s hour-long, extemporaneous discourse, which he delivered the night before his assassination, I am moved. King’s words have been appropriately described as “prophetic,” but the prophetic character of his message is not limited to his explicit reference to his own death fewer than twenty four hours later. When we study the speech in its entirety, we are challenged by Dr. King’s prophetic words to his audience describing his concern for and commitment to an economic strategy for African Americans. This is an important part of the speech that is often overlooked. When America ignores this section of King’s speech, it overlooks his theme of economic justice—a key part of his analysis and organizing approach. African Americans represented a huge consumer market that supported businesses that mistreated them. King believed that blacks could use our economic power to pressure America into change. The successful bus boycott that King led in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 showed that if blacks withdrew the money that they spent with companies that practiced and supported racial discrimination, American businesses would have to take the concerns of black people into account. Corporate America was then and is now warned by King’s words to support the issues that relate to the welfare of those who support their enterprises. Specifically, King said, “We have an annual income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That's power right there, if we know how to pool it.”

Today that number is close to one trillion dollars! King believed that our dollars should be organized to put pressure on companies to create economic opportunity for our community if they expect to continue enjoying our patronage and support. That is as valid a concern today as it was in 1968. King went on to say in his final speech, “But not only that, we've got to strengthen black institutions…. Now these are some practical things that we can do. We begin the process of building a greater economic base. And at the same time, we are putting pressure where it really hurts. I ask you to follow through here.” He was referring to black banks, black insurance companies and other black businesses. King understood that the creation and expansion of a black business community was the only way to ensure long term, sustainable black social progress. Again, this is as true today as it was in 1968. Dr. King not only had a dream – he also had an economic strategy. Today we have plenty of dreams, but we lack an economic strategy. Unless we develop a massive economic strategy that includes a tactical component that makes it practical, we will continue to drown in economic failure and miss our opportunities to leave as profound a legacy for the next generation as King and his team of leaders left for us. We need to not only celebrate King’s dream, but also start implementing his economic strategy. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey and author of dfree: Breaking free from Financial Slavery (Zondervan).” He has launched a national campaign “The Billion Dollar Challenge” whose goal is to help families pay down one billion dollars of consumer debt. www.thepositivecommunity.com

The Positive Community’s

Great Countdown to Freedom The Grand Jubilee

n one year, America will observe the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation—the sesquicentennial commemoration. From the date of January 1, 1863 through January 1, 2013 we, as a group are blessed with an enormous opportunity to measure, assess and define our American journey, our claim on the American Dream.

Below is a cultural narrative—our story—an oral history, a brief presentation of our deep collective experience that dates back

to before this nation’s founding: The Cultural Narrative African Americans are a unique people with a peculiar history in this land. Brought to these shores in chains from Africa as slaves in the early 1600s, our people toiled and suffered as captives in brutal bondage for a quarter of a millennium (250 years). On January 1st 1863, two years into the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, became law, signaling an end to slavery. On that day, the African American community of the United States of America was born. One hundred years later, in August, 1963, at the height of the civil rights movement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial as he led hundreds of thousands to a “March on Washington” seeking an end to discrimination and Jim Crow segregation in the South. It was a demand for full citizenship rights for the people in what has been called “The Second Emancipation.” Forty years after Martin Luther King’s tragic assassination in 1968, America elected its first black president, Barack Obama (2008). In one hundred years between the first and “second emancipation,” in the midst of bitter persecution, humiliation, lynching and the denial of basic human rights, the resiliency of the African American spirit continued to shine brightly in religion, invention, sports and in the creative arts—music, fashion, dance, language, literature and theater. Indeed, original American art forms and a popular culture which has become the envy of the world were founded upon the souls of a forlorn people! And that is our story-the Truth, Beauty and Goodness of a loving and gifted race revealed! An Extraordinary History Ours is an extraordinary history of trial, tribulation and triumph that we must never forget! This is the story that we must tell our children and be ever remembered by the young and the old. We the people, descendants of the Emancipation Proclamation, must tell our story to each other reminding ourselves, over and over again of the great, noble struggle and scarifies of those who came before us. This is our story, our cultural narrative, our Grand Jubilee and springboard into a great and prosperous future—a vision of hope and progress; health and wholeness; peace and goodwill!! Stay tuned to The Positive Community magazine and online www.thepositivecommunity.com for features and updates on news, church events, concerts, and other activities leading up to January 1, 2013—the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation—our Great Countdown to Freedom: The Grand Jubilee!! To become a Community Partner or Sponsor: Call Today 973-233-9200.

United Federation of Teachers

Keeping the Dream Alive

Rally photo: David Sanders

The struggle for freedom is inextricably intertwined with the struggle for economic and social justice. No one understood that better than Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who also knew that nothing is more important to a child’s future than the doors of opportunity that a good education opens. We became educators to help children and create a society with freedom and equality for all, one that allows every child to flourish. That’s the kind of society that King fought so passionately to help create. The UFT is proud to carry on King’s dream and make a positive difference in the lives of New Yorkers every day.

Memorial photo: Oscar Rivera

Martin Luther King continues to inspire New York’s Public School Teachers