cny vision week of april 18 - 24, 2013
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Local, National news and features serving the African-American community in Syracuse, New YorkTRANSCRIPT
1 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 - 24| 2013syracuse nyvol. 4 no. 3 april 18 - 24 2013
eliminating racismempowering women
YWCA To Honor
2 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 -24 | 2013
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CALENDAR
april
{COVER P 5 - 7
• YWCA to Honor Diversity Achievers
{local P 4
• Wage Equity Legislation Passed• Sharon Owens Appointed New Chief Executive at South West Community Center
{national P 8
• FBI: Early Test Shows Ricin in Obama Letter
{OPINIONS/EDITORIAL P 8-11
• Cheers..Take a Shot of Confidence By Danielle Frazier
• The City of Back Door Deals
By Chris Stevenson
In This Issue: 1 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 - 24| 2013syracuse nyvol. 4 no. 3 april 18 - 24 2013
eliminating racismempowering women
YWCA To Honor
20 CNY Day of PercussionTime: 12:00pm–6:00pmLocation: Onondaga Community College - 4585 W. Seneca TurnpikeIt is a full day of clinics and concerts featuring internationally renowned artists, local artists, OCC students, and area high school students. Clinics and performances this year will feature John Riley, Andy Harnsberger, Kay Stonefelt, Portal, Iktus, Auburn HS Percussion Ensemble, Jamesville-Dewitt MS Percussion Ensemble, Central New York All-Star Percussion Ensemble (with Kay Stonefelt, conductor), OCC Percussion Ensemble & the OCC Afro-Cuban Ensemble. On-site registration starts at noon and continues throughout the day. There is a $10.00 fee to pay for clinicians and expenses. The final concert featuring CNY All-Star Percussion Ensemble and the OCC Percussion Ensemble begins at 5:00pm. The final concert is free and open to the public.
20Party for the PlanetTime: 10:00am–4:30pmLocation: Rosamond Gifford Zoo - 1 Conservation PlaceJoin the zoo in celebrating Earth Day 2012! Learn about the zoo’s efforts to protect wildlife and the environment and see how you and your family can make a difference, too! Enjoy endangered animal demonstrations and keeper talks, tours of our “green” building and “Flora for Fauna” garden, puppet shows and “green” booths and exhibitors.Admission Info: Free with paid zoo admission
2515th Annual YWCA Day of Commitment LuncheonTime: 11:30amLocation : SRC Arena at Onondaga Community CollegeThe luncheon will begin at noon (registration begins at 11:30 a.m.) and feature keynote speaker Theresa
Mohamed, professor and former chair of the Department of English at Onondaga Community College. Twenty-eight community members will be inducted into the YWCA Academy of Diversity Achievers for their work to make a difference in the community, both locally and globally.). To purchase tickets, call the YWCA at (315) 424-0040 or email [email protected].
26An Evening of Jazz and Wine TastingTime: 6:30pm–9:00pmLopcation: Community Folk Art Center - 805 E. Genesee StreetWAER and Community Folk Art Center Present: An Evening of Jazz and Wine Tasting.This event will feature a performance from Syracuse based Latin American band Grupo Pagan, and the tasting of local wines. Admission Info: $25
27Memorial Day Benefit for LaFayette Outreach, IncTime: 8:00am-12:00pmLocation: The Columbian Presbyterian Church in LaFayetteThe event will consist of a silent auction, bake sale, plant sale,”Red, White & Blue Ice Cream Sundaes”, and free Kid’s Craft Area. There will be some new and exciting activities for this year’s event, so plan on attending (...and bring your camera!) . For more information or to help out: 315-677-3293, or [email protected] .
30 Workshop for Landlords on Smoke-Free Housing Time: 9:30amLocation: Park Central Presbyterian Church, 504 East Fayette StreetThe workshop is free however advance registration is requested by telephone at 315-475-8092 or e-mail [email protected].
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The equal pay legislative package, which democrats say is aimed at ending unfair wage discrimination statewide has passed. Assembly member Sam Roberts was a co-sponsored of the legislation made the announcement Monday.
“In order to bring fairness and equality to the workplace, it is crucial that experience and skill dictate what an employee earns,” Roberts said. “This legislative package will ensure that Central New Yorkers have equal opportunities and a fair wage to support their families.”
The equal pay legislative package would enact the New York State Fair Pay Act to address and enforce pay equity. It will broaden equal pay protections to include equivalent jobs, making it unlawful for an employer to discriminate between employees on the basis of gender, race or national origin and ensuring that traditional female and minority jobs are not undervalued.
It will establish state policy that local political subdivisions ensure equal pay for work of comparable value regardless of sex, race or national
origin, implement a state policy that compensates employees in state service equally for work of comparable value by eliminating wage inequality for workers due to sex, race or national origin and design and publish a report evaluating wage disparities of public employees related to job titles, segregated by the gender, race and/or national origin of employees
Women in New York make 84 cents for every dollar men earn, creating a yearly pay gap of roughly $8,275 between men and women working full time in New York State. Further,
minority women fare even worse, with African-American women being paid 64 cents and Latina women being paid 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men nationally.
“Inexcusable wage disparities are making matters even more difficult for families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” Roberts said. “It is time to put an end to this inequality so that all employees receive equal pay for equal work.”
Wage Equality Legislation Passed
Sharon Owens Appointed New Chief Executive at Southwest Community CenterSharon F. Owens has been appointed as the new Director of the Southwest Community Center (SWCC).
Owens will replace long-time Syracuse resident Jesse Dowdell who ran the center for more than 25 years. Dowdell is set to retire the end of the month. Owens will assume her role on May 1st.
“She has all of the qualifications that we were looking for. We wanted the
ultimate person and Sharon is the ultimate person. We are delighted that she is our new CEO,” Chair of the Transitional Committee and SWCC board member Susan Stearns said.
Owens is currently the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Syracuse. She serves as the assistant and chief advisor to the Commissioner in the coordination of all housing and neighborhood development activities for the City and is responsible for oversight and management of initiatives and programming funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Friday, April 19th will be her last day.
Owens is no stranger to the SWCC. Early in her career she served as Teen Center Director, coordinating service provision with various agencies operating within the community center and provided information and referral services to teens and their families. She has also served on the center’s board of directors.
“She has such a wonderful grasp of the word ‘community’ and what it truly means,” Stearns said. “…SNMF’s
mission is to strengthen and empower families by providing a variety of accessible, supportive services. Miss Owens’ thoughtful and realistic appraisal of how to approach this task resonated with the Board.”
Owens plans to begin in an in depth 90 day review and assessment of the current administrative positions, policies, procedures and programs at
SMNF, which is encompassed of the Southwest Community Center and three Family Planning Service clinics.
Stearns said the Board of Directors is looking forward to working with Owens on innovative initiatives to provide new vitality SWCC and its surrounding neighborhood.
Sharon Owens
LOCAL
5 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 - 24| 2013
Firmly believing that diverse backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs adds to the richness of the Onondaga’s campus community, Dr. Cathleen McColgin is committed to creating an environment of inclusiveness.-one that celebrates and values the uniqueness that each student, faculty, and staff member contributes to Onondaga’s “community if learners”.
It is an honor to be selected as a recipient of this award. I am hopeful the efforts that the residence hall staff and I make in our work have a positive impact on the students of OCC, broaden their perspectives and help to develop a greater appreciation for diversity.
I am really honored to receive this award. I have been volunteering for a lot of years and never imagined that I would be rewarded for doing so. Volunteering is my life. I love helping other people; you never know when you will need help. It is really important for people to volunteer to help others. It gives you the chance to meet other people from all walks of life, races and genders. It helps bring people together that maybe otherwise would never meet and promotes diversity. I will always volunteer because I know the best things in life are free!
Diversity to me is appreciating each individual for who they are and striving to always be inclusive. It’s treating everyone with respect and valuing their unique contributions. Diversity comes from the heart.
Diversity is the ability to appreciate differences. I’m honored to have the tremendous opportunity to stand on the shoulders of those before me and will continue to dedicate my life promoting the values of all people while inspiring them to reach their full potential…so the exciting journey continues!
I am honored and humbled to be even considered for this award. Margaret Mead said it best ” “If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.”
Dr. Mona Ivey-Soto lives by the ideal from Dr. Martin Luther King, “life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?” Through her role as a university professor, community activist, mentor and mother, she lives each day by examining and calling out the injustices that exist and advocating for social change. Her teaching, scholarship and service is rooted in a framework of social justice and it is her life’s calling to help future
teachers understand, name and challenge the current status of inequality and inequity that exists in every facet of our society.
I am an older, African American, woman. Each places in a group of a diverse Americans that need our attention. I am a social work educator with particular interest in encouraging students to pay attention to the diversity around them. This award suggests to me that I may have done something right.
As a librarian, I have been fortunate to have the best possible platform to promote diversity, the public library. I am so proud that library ensures equitable access to the disenfranchised, encourages and enlightens every member of our community and provides a forum for civic engagement.
COver
28 men and women will be inducted into the YWCA Academy of Diversity Achievers. The honorees will be awarded during the Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism and Promote Diversity Luncheon, Thursday, at the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College.
The event, hosted by the YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County, will celebrate individuals, community leaders and business professionals who make a difference.
Executive Director Fanny Villarreal said, “Individuals are selected at the YWCA that have helped in the
YWCA’s mission of empowerment of women in their workplace or place of worship. They support women’s work and leadership. They also help to eliminate racism.”
For the last 15 years, the YWCA has been on the mission to identify racism in the local community and to make a promise to support initiatives to eradicate racism and encourage diversity.
“We send out letters telling everybody about the chance to nominate someone to be inducted and why they should be awarded,” Villarreal said. “Some of them are from churches with women in different
leadership positions. They pretty much follow our mission, a spirit of peace, justice and freedom for all.”
The YWCA works with several organizations including InterFaith Works’ Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism and Onondaga County’s Diversity in the Workplace Training programs.
Past recipients of this award have come from business, academia, and community organizations such as Lockheed Martin, WSTM-TV 3, The Salvation Army and Upstate Medical University.
Cathleen McColgin, PhD., Onondaga Community College
CATHY DOTTERER, ONONDAgA COMMuNITY COLLEgE
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YWCA To Honor By Delani Weaver
6 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 -24 | 2013
COver STOrY
Elizabeth Stewart Lockheed Martin MST
Evelyn WeisbrodMAMI Interpreters
farah Jadran SyracuseWomanMagazine
gina Lee-glauserSyracuse university
Htoo Lay PawMAMI Interpreters
Joe ScripaOnondaga Case Management
Jolie MoranVera House Inc.
LaVergne HardenYWCA Syracuse & Onondaga County
Marvin francis_Lockheed Martin MST
Mary Meier SuNY upstate Medical university
Nichola Arnette-BurkeCNY Society for Human Resource Management
Rev. Dr. Yong Ju Jeekorean Church of Syracuse
Robert DainoWCNY
Tamara Panzironi Pulse fitness & zumba Center
Tashia Thomas Esq.OnCare
I feel very humbled and honored to have the opportunity to work with young women to help inspire them to pursue careers in science and engineering by organizing “Women in Engineering Day” at Lockheed Martin
I was surprised to be nominated and then chosen for this award. I am grateful to receive it. I truly love the diversity of cultures at MAMI, and the friendships we have developed. My goal is to foster this by striving to think of others first and putt them before myselfThank You!
Farah is extremely honored to have this honor from the YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County. She says, “In her mind there’s no room for prejudice in this world. I would rather say, ‘hello,’ to someone and get to know him or her instead of judging them. I have time for open-mindedness, nothing else.”
I would like to thank Ms. Esther Gray for the nomination and the Board of Directors and the Racial Justice Committee for this Award. I am profoundly grateful for this honor. I am especially humbled to be in the company of this year’s inductees and previous Awardees.
I want to thank the YWCA for this award, and thanks MAMI Interpreters for nominating me. It has been a joy for me to bring together people of country and the Syracuse Community. Thanks to everyone who helped me achieve this, especially Evelyn and Jim at MAMI.
As our society becomes more diverse, “We should all know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color”. -Maya Angelou
It’s my honor to accept this award today on behalf of all people everywhere.
My passion for advocacy connects me with people of different races, religions, and cultures. Receiving this award provides motivation for me to continue the work I do and help all people live happy, safe, and healthy lives.
Martin Luther King Jr. stated that everyone may not become famous but everyone can become great. Greatness is a matter of service. Today I humbly accept this award…It’s a testament of those shoulders before me that I stand on; and all the phenomenal people that I’ve been privileged to lock arms with throughout my 20 years of dedicated service.
Maya Angelou said “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” I am deeply honored to receive this award. Thank you
I feel very honored to be receiving the Diversity Achievers Award. The work that I do in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Upstate helps to identify, address and remedy potential discrimination in the workplace and ensure equal opportunities. More importantly, my supervisor, Maxine Thompson and co-worker, Mozart Guerrier work as a team to foster an environment that respects
and appreciates the diversity of our employees and people in the community we serve. I’m grateful to work for an organization that is committed to promoting the values that I have always believed in.
It is with much pride that I accept this honor from the YWCA. Throughout my professional endeavors, as well as through my volunteer work in schools and various community-based organizations, I have tried to promote diversity in our communities. These experiences have enriched my life and provided me with an opportunity to recognize the values and the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in our lives. I
would like to thank the YWCA for this honor and also CNY SHRM for nominating me.
It is an honor to be here today, I appreciate it. Syracuse has many unsettled refuges. I want you to know this. They fled from their homeland due to political or religious persecution, but they live as social or cultural refugees here again. We thank god for giving all of us the great opportunity to introduce and think about refugees and their situations today. I hope that many people can join us to give hope and love to these people.
I believe in consistently modeling diversity by treating all fairly and respectfully while providing opportunities for individuals, including women, to grow professionally and assume leadership positions. Community service is a core belief for me. At WCNY we put community needs first, ensuring that our programming is diverse and educational outreach services to the underserved a top priority.
When I opened Pulse Fitness Studio on the near West Side in the city of Syracuse it was my thought to provide a location that was convenient for people of all walks of life to come together. I felt as though most fitness facilities cater to the suburbs or the more affluent areas. I decided it was time for a change. My objective was to build a community and a bond
between people whom you wouldn’t normally expect
to see together through music and fitness. Thank you, I am so honored and privileged to receive this prestigious award and I pledge to continue promoting health and fitness throughout the community and use it as a way to build Unity and Diversity.
It is extremely important for me to be an active participant in the elimination of discrimination and oppression. I love having the opportunity to engage people in thoughtful dialogue about “isms” and encourage the appreciation and value of diversity.
7 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 - 24| 2013
PRE-K REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 2013Great Futures Start Early!
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Soo Hyang Jeekorean Church of Syracuse
Amy BordynskiOnondaga Case Management
I am so happy for this chance to share what God has done through us. God makes us meet our refugee friends and shows us how to serve them. This is how my church as well as I can do this work. We have become their friends because they need a friend. We have shown God’s love because they are eager to be loved. This award encourages us. At the same time, I believe that this award makes us keep working for our refugee friends.
Jody CrawfordLockheed Martin MST“I am honored to be a recipient of the YWCA’s Academy of Diversity Achievers Award. Thank you to the YWCA for its commitment to promote diversity.”
Michael O’ConnorOnondaga Community CollegeI am humbled to receive this prestigious award. I have always felt that diversity is America’s greatest strength. I entitled the Diversity Council’s film series “Strength in Diversity” for this reason. I only hope that my work helps encourage people to recognize that diversity is not a problem; it is the solution.
I believe the important work in promoting diversity involves creating safe atmospheres for individuals to express themselves both as a person and as a people. I am grateful for my associates who have taught me to recognize discrimination, and how humility will channel my energy away from putting me before others, and into making peace in my world.
8 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 -24 | 2013
fBI: Early test shows ricin in Obama letterBy EILEEN SULLIVAN and LAURIE KELLMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Letters sent to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator that tested positive for poisonous ricin are related and both are postmarked Memphis, Tenn., the FBI said Wednesday. A senator said police have a suspect in mind. Several other reports of suspicious mail to government officials were being checked.
In an intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press, the FBI says that letters to Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., both say: “To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.” Both letters are signed, “I am KC and I approve this message.”
The activity came as tensions were high in Washington and across the country following the deadly bombings on Monday at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured more than 170. The FBI said there is no indication of a connection between the letters and the bombing. The letters to Obama and Wicker were postmarked
April 8, before the marathon.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said that police suspect a person who “writes a lot of letters to members.” She made the comment Tuesday as she emerged from a briefing by law enforcement on the Boston bombing. Authorities declined to comment on a suspect.
In addition to the letters, U.S. Capitol police were investigating the discovery of at least three suspicious packages in Senate office buildings.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Terence Gainer said in an email that packages were dropped off at the offices of two senators, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said in a statement his office had received one of them.
A third package was found in an atrium on the first floor of one of the two buildings. A person who delivered at least two of the packages was being questioned, Gainer said, as Capitol police swiftly ramped up security.
Both the letters to Wicker, R-Miss., and to Obama were intercepted at off-site mail facilities.
Separately, Sen. Carl Levin of Mich., issued a statement saying an aide in his Saginaw, Mich. Office had received a suspicious-looking letter. “The letter was not opened, and the staffer followed the proper protocols for the situation, including alerting the authorities, who are now investigating,” the Michigan Democrat said in a statement.
The discoveries spread concern in the sprawling Capitol complex, and authorities swiftly stepped up their security presence.
In one case, police sealed off a hearing room where Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, were testifying.
In another, officers advised Sen. Joe Manchin and aides not to board an elevator because suspicious packages had been found on several floors of the Hart Office Building.
“They just told me there’s something suspicious and they’re looking into it,” Manchin said.
The FBI said the letters to Obama and Wicker were undergoing further testing. Preliminary testing can be unreliable, showing false positives for ricin.
Around the Capitol there was an increased police presence Wednesday. Outside, many public garbage cans were emptied and turned on their side. Yet public tours of the building continued as usual.
NATIONAL
OPINION/eDITOrIAL The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision
Have you a failed a test in school or in life? Maybe you had a relationship that went south; maybe the loss of that dependable job, or the death of a loved one or close friend. These are prime examples which can lead to one
losing their self-confidence.
Self confidence is “assurance: freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities.
The question is why does so many of us lack confidence when we truly have it? More importantly after we lose it, how do we get it back? Here are a few tips to getting back on track.
Start every morning speaking positive words to your self—words of encouragement. You can do this in your bed, car, elevator, etc. I normally do this in the shower while getting ready in the morning. I wash on positive words and thoughts and wash off negativity. In the past I spent this time planning my day and thinking about all the hurdles I would be jumping over. I was sending myself out in the world already partially defeated.
Additionally, take the time and give yourself a compliment. Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought: Damn I look good today!! I am giving you permission to say it. Tell yourself you look hot. But don’t stop there. Speak to yourself this way throughout your days whether at work, home, on vacation; whenever you can.
Do something spontaneous. Buy that sexy cocktail dress; wear that hot pink
lipstick; go rock climbing. Try that new perfume or cologne. Read that book that you have been talking about and putting off getting into.
No matter what your age, goal setting must be a major priority in your life. Set personal and spiritual goals. You are worth it. As you start to achieve your goals it will raise your self-confidence. Just like everything else in this life our self-confidence must be maintained.
Think of yourself as a gardener and your self-confidence as a flower bud. Similar to the flower bud in order to grow and sustain life your confidence must be watered (feed your mind, body, and spirit), exposed to light (positive energy, words both spoken and thought) subject to pruning (clip those negative feelings, thoughts, and people who hinder your growth).
Concentrate on the spiritual goals that
you have for yourself. Get connected and stay in connection. When you study God’s word it does something to you and for your spirit.
The bible says, “Cast not away your confidence which has recompense of great reward” (Hebrews 10:35).
----------------------------Danielle Frazer is a graduate of SUNY Albany and Lemoyne College. She holds a BA of Arts and a Masters in Education. She has been published previously in “The Commercial Appeal” in Memphis, TN. Danielle currently works at Upstate Medical University. She is a member of People AME Zion Church.
DANIELLE fRAzIER
Cheers.. Take a Shot of Confidence
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the central new York regional transportation Authority (cnYrtA) is requesting Bids from qualified independent individuals or firms to provide Driver Uniforms. Individuals or firms who desire to submit a Bid may request an “Invitation to Bid Package” from Tara Laws and Designated Contact in writing at fax number: 315-442-3369, mailing address: Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, PO Box 820, Syracuse, New York 13205 or e-mail: [email protected]. Bids must be received in the offices of the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, attention Tara Laws no later than 12:00pm EST on May 10, 2013. Bids received after this time and date will be returned, unopened. Firms wishing to submit Bids do so entirely at their own risk. There is not an express or implied obligation on the part of the CNYRTA to reimburse responding firms for any expenses incurred in preparing and submitting Bids in response to this request. The CNYRTA reserves the right to reject any and all Bids for any reason. Bids received within the confines of the due date will remain in effect sixty (60) days from the due date. All Bidders will be required to certify that they are not on the Comptroller General’s List of Ineligible Contractors. Each Bidder will be required to comply with all Equal Employment Opportunity Rules and Regulations. The CNYRTA hereby notifies all Bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.
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10 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 -24 | 2013
OPINION/eDITOrIAL The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision
Buffalo, New York is currently undergoing a gentrification litmus-test that will have pivotal ramifications of the overall racial makeup of it’s population if allowed to be successful.
On the surface the Rev. Michael Chapman of St. John the Baptist Church has an awesome idea; a $500 million program that will create 15,000 jobs over the
next ten years. This is a program the public at-large got to know about back in 2010 which promises to move 150 residents of the Burnie C. McCarley Gardens into new townhouses that will be built on one of Buffalo’s oldest black communities, the Fruit Belt – a series of streets mostly named after a fruit.
If you are old-school like me you might be telling yourself that it seems like yesterday when McCarley was built in 1978, and here Chapman is selling the property to the University of Buffalo Foundation for $15 million.
The truth be told the powerful white man in Buffalo has been wanting that precious land bordering St. John’s and the Fruit Belt for decades.
Quietly as it’s been kept, Buffalo is a longtime Chocolate City that has survived all kinds of schemes
to decentralize blacks politically, urban-renewal, redistricting, political legislative reduction, and regionalism. Did I cover everything?
One mad-scientist-scheme after another has been fired at blacks here, some of those kooky ideas worked and some rightfully didn’t.
This latest one is part of a larger program called UB 2020. It’s not really a new idea. It’s been in the works since the late 1960’s.
In 1967 Buffalo General Hospital announced the UB 2020 plan involving Roswell Park Cancer Research Center directly across the street from High Street.
To understand the ties between these three entities that make up what is the medical corridor, one must understand the history of the institutions.
Roswell was literally founded by a UB Professor of Surgery Dr. Roswell Park in 1898.
Buffalo General Hospital was founded earlier in 1855 and is a major affiliate of the UB School of Medicine.
I really can’t complain, given the dysfunction of the black branch of Buffalo’s interlocking directives, blacks in Buffalo could easily be living on reservations next to the Indians.
Many of them are masters of talking-black while
giving us the blues.
We historically have had some of the most separate-thinking group of black leaders in the country.
I can only credit God for any victories, perhaps all that dancing and hollering in church has paid off after all in retrospect.
On the other side is a group of McCarley Garden/Fruit Belt current residents who say Chapman’s plan is just another in the long line of urban-renewal lemons being pitched to blacks to the ultimate benefit of whites.
The residents have history on their side. Veronica Hemphill-Nichols and her neighbors are living in deteriorating conditions.
Nichols of Grape Street is a longtime local activist. Since 2001 she has been a member of Restorative Justice, and has worked with the Community Action Organization as their coordinator/trainer in restorative justice philosophy.
Nichols has written letters on behalf of her Fruit Belt Housing Task Force Unit and McCarley Gardens Tenant Council to Francis Letro, the chairman of UB Foundations Inc., regarding the appointments of a panel, to be later called an Economic Opportunity Panel or EOP. As it turns out, this panel only consists of members of the UB Foundation, St. Johns, and
The City of Backdoor Deals
CHRIS STEVENSON
11 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 - 24| 2013
OPINION/eDITOrIALThe views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision
Deficit attention disorder
Letro.
None of the members listed on the panel live or play in the Fruit Belt. They requested an answer to her first letter by one-third and didn’t get it.
Most plans regarding Buffalo are discussed outside of Buffalo and approved by whatever key black leader(s) go along with it at the moment.
Whites plan way ahead of time in their best interest, and any black taxpayers getting hip to their agenda can throw them off momentarily, or force a change in plans.
While Previous Reverends Burnie McCarley and Bennett Walker Smith Sr., helped local blacks through civil rights, we are now subject to the gamesmanship of what former attorney-now-columnist Alton Maddox calls silver rights leaders.
Chapman seems to be making choices over the years that have been only about the money. Rumors are flying he is planning to retire and move south before long and is just trying to cash-in.
To me the Fruit Belt/McCarley Gardens controversy is a trial-run, that if successful, will end in the outright ownership of inner city through the direct ouster of most of its African-American population by the UB 2020 program.
My fear is also that just as in the past, only a few McCarley residents will be able to be successfully moved as a result of Chapman’s training program.
Claiming to train these young black kids in the field of construction and the building trades to have at least 150 new homes ready by 2017-2020 is no small feat, a miracle to say the least.
I only see a handful getting moved and the rest of the money claimed to be allocated for them going into somebody’s pocket.
If you are black and live in Buffalo now, are you ready to live in the suburbs without equal compensation of the home you were forced to leave?
Are you ready to be subject to more racial profiling
than ever by the all-white Cheektowaga, and Tonawanda police departments who operate out of the same towns you stand to be kicked into?
Rev. Chapman has agreed to terms that have yet to be federally approved. I’m really cutting a long story short, representatives of the medical corridor are very unwilling to speak with Nichols or her group, issues such as imminent domain, land banking, and of course gentrification also come into play.
I don’t begrudge a good retirement. I love to see blacks doing well, but not at the dangerous costs we potentially face. A petition with more information is being circulated.
Chris Stevenson is a regular columnist for blackcommentator, Political Affairs Magazine, and a syndicated columnist. Follow him on Twitter, and Facebook, you don’t have to join any of them. Watch his video commentary Policy & Prejudice and The Network for clbTV & Follow his Blogtalkradio interviews on 36OOseconds.
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The City of Backdoor Deals...from previous page
*answers To pUZZLe on page 3
12 www.cnyvision.com | april 18 -24 | 2013