Our Time Press November 30, 2017 by Our Time Press

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| VOL. 21 NO. 48

Since 1996

November 30 – December 6, 2017 |

Antidote for these Times:

Lessons on the Power of Grace Under Pressure and Standing Ground

A lovely seventeen-year-old Harlem Renaissance poet rejected the illicit propositions of a Vanity Fair editor (“Harvey Weinstein and Martha’s Vineyard” by Abigail Rosen McGrath, P. 6; a prominent minister bypassed his colleagues in favor of advice from a wise “outsider” (“Watchful Eye,” P. 6); and, this week, a humanitarian has dared to speak up for P.S. 25, the elementary school that inspires his mission (below and P. 2). What links them? Connections to the ancestral calling and a sense of determination to confront fear with steadfastness. Also inside (“Navajo Codebreakers,” P. 12).

Humanitarian speaking up for alma mater P.S. 25 -- “a rare community gift”

eorge Johnson, the humanitarian – philanthropist, is calling for graduates of Public School 25 to

take a stand and pledge allegiance to his elementary school, currently The Eubie Blake School located on Lafayette, be-

tween Throop and Marcus Garvey Blvd. In response to a recent NY Daily News article announcing that a local group is calling

for the closing of his alma mater, Johnson says it won’t be closed without a fight. He noted to this writer, for transparency, also an alumnus of P.S. 25 and a current volunteer, that Frank Mickens, principal, Boys & Girls H.S.; education activists The Baker Twins – Geraldine and Audrey; the late Congressional Record and Bowker Company editor Evelyn A. Russell; and a host of other community leaders and game-changing achievers owe their successes to the school. The Daily News reported that a community group has called for the closing of the school due to low attendance. “If the school is getting the highest scores in District 16, that’s the story the media should report and that is a school that should stay in the community! If it is achieving against the odds then the community needs to know about it in order to make informed recommendations!

Continued on Page 2

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

Humanitarian speaking up for alma mater P.S. 25 -- “a rare community gift” ➔ Continued from page 1 Turning a positive into a negative – especially as gentrification destroys the neighborhood culture and vitality -- is the worst thing we can do for our community and our children. You want to know how you turn a positive into a stronger positive? Make the school, under the leadership of principal Anita Coley, a gifted and talented oasis, like it was when I attended, and watch folks fight to get their kids into it.” Johnson, who has sponsored an annual

Toy Drive every Christmas for the past 31 years, is calling for all P.S. 25 graduates and family members of ancestor alumna of all nationalities and ages, to attend his function on Friday, December 8 (See Page 2 flyer for details). “I’m doing it for the children who attend the school, their parents, the teachers, my home community which has been ignored for so many years and for Mr. Eubie Blake!” As Toys are given out to needy children, Johnson will appeal to graduates to join in the campaign to keep P.S. 25 open. (BG)

VOL. 21 NO. 48

High-Achieving Bed-Stuy School Threatened?

November 17th Daily News article on the recommended closing of PS 25, The Eubie Blake School, because of low enrollment and the resulting increased cost per student. The article also says, “Despite minuscule enrollment and a high number of students with disabilities, the school manages relatively high test scores”.

A walk through the school and visit to the classrooms prompts the question, “Instead of closing, why not bring more students into this high-achieving environment?” Our Time Press Education writer Margo McKenzie will explore this question in a 2-part series beginning next week.

Young Person Turning 5 Next Year? Apply for Kindergarten

EW YORK, NY — Does your kid turn 5 next year? If so, it’s time to start thinking about kindergarten. Applications for kindergarten classes in New York City public schools open Tuesday for the 2018-19 school year. Students are eligible to start kindergarten in the year they turn 5, so New York City parents with kids born in 2013 can apply starting this week. The application period closes on Jan. 12. Families can apply for kindergarten classes in up to 12 schools that interest them, according to the city Department of Education. Most kids attend kindergarten in their neighborhood’s zoned school, the DOE says. Kindergarten has been mandatory for all New York City 5-year-olds since 2013. The city’s schools had more than 82,000 kindergartners last year, according to DOE data. This year, 13 schools will give priority to some students in the free and reduced-price lunch program in an effort to better integrate DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc. 358 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 599-6828 Web site: www.ourtimepress.com e-mail: editors@ourtimepress.com Publisher DBG MEDIA

the city’s segregated public school system. See the full list of schools at this link. Subscribe Students with disabilities, those learning English and those living in temporary housing follow the same application process as all other students, according to the DOE. You can submit kindergarten applications online at schools.nyc.gov/ApplyOnline, by phone at 718-935-2009, or by visiting one of the DOE’s Family Welcome Centers.

Omission: In the November 23rd issue we published a “Letter to the Editor, Property Heist of the 21st Century”, and omitted the writer’s name. It was submitted by Mr. Charles Beverly, Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn. We apologize.

Editor-in-Chief David Mark Greaves Consultant Bernice Elizabeth Green Legacy Ventures Contributors Victoria Horsford Fern Gillespie Akosua Albritton Margo McKenzie Priscilla Mensah Aishamanne Williams Marlon Rice

Dr. Umar Johnson

Dr. Patricia Newton

Web Manager www.ourtimepress.com Liani Greaves Sports Eddie Castro Office Manager Joanna Williams © 2015, DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc., printed in New York City. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publishers. Publishers are not responsible for any ad claims. MBE Certified in NYC, NYS and the Port Authority of NY & NJ Member: New York State Press Association

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OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

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OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 48

WHAT’S GOING ON ■■

By Victoria Horsford

DECEMBER 2017 December is a busy month in North America, noteworthy for a succession of special events and rituals. December 1 is World AIDS Day. The winter solstice begins December 21. Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, runs from December 1220. Christmas is December 25. Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African tradition and culture, which observes seven principles, begins December 26. And there is the inevitable New Year’s Eve on December 31.

NEW YORK STUFF Reverend Al Sharpton, civil rights leaders and MSNBC-TV Sunday morning hosts, says that the time is now for an AfricanAmerican Speaker of the NYC Council. The eight hopefuls for the very powerful legislative post include incumbents Afro-Latino

Chancellor of the New York City School System, Qualifications and Duties Below” is in circulation. It is interesting reading. The Cornerstone Baptist Church in BedStuy, mentioned in this column last week, celebrated its 100th Anniversary this week.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS On 11/24, Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as Zimbabwe’s interim president. Two weeks ago, former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was stripped of political power and placed under house arrest by the nation’s army. He refused to resign. Impeachment proceedings began before Mugabe submitted his resignation. The crisis lasted for about a week. Mnangagwa’s post-inauguration message to the people was that he would create jobs. His message to the world is that Zimbabwe is open for business. He urged the international community to drop sanctions against Zimbabwe.

BLACK ACHIEVERS

Rev. Al Sharpton Richie Torres; African-Americans Robert Cornegy, Jumaane Williams and Donovan Richards; Dominican Republic-born Ydanis Rodriguez and whites Jimmy Van Bramer, Mark Levine and Corey Johnson. The political pundits predict that the Queens and Bronx Democratic machines will influence the Speaker vote outcome. Four years ago, it was Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio who influenced the Speaker election. However, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. says that he is not supporting any candidate. To be sure, the unions are working behind the scenes to influence votes. After 2016, I have little faith in political pundits. Most media accounts say that Levine is the favorite for the Speaker. An 11/27 provocative, perhaps clairvoyant, Peter Goodman’s ED IN THE APPLE blog titled “Anticipated Vacancy

International

or the first time since the country gained independence from white minority rule in 1980, Zimbabwe has a new leader. At a packed stadium in the capital city Harare, Emmerson Mnangagwa promised not to “squander this moment” to change the culture of politics in his country.

Parallels Who is Zimbabwe’s new leader? Emmerson Mnangagwa? The outgoing president, Robert Mugabe, had said he would not attend the day’s festivities because he “needed time to rest”. The 93-year-old Mugabe resigned a few days ago after 37 years in power, in the face of military pressure and mass demonstrations. He has said he will remain in the country and Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper says Mnangagwa has assured him and his family of their protection.

THE 2018 RHODES SCHOLARS: The Rhodes Scholarships are awarded annually for 2-3 years of postgraduate studies at Oxford University in England. The scholarships have an annual value of $68,000. Ten of the 32 American Rhodes Scholars designates are Black students. Their names and short bios follow. 1) Simone Askew, first Black to serve as captain in the Corps of Cadets at West Point, the highest in chain of command; 2) Camille A. Borders, Washington University: her senior thesis focused on how African-American women emerged from slavery and understood and practiced their sex lives; 3) Jasmine Brown will earn her Ph.D. in physiology and genetics at Oxford; 4) Tania N. Fabo, born in Germany to Cameroonian parents, is a Harvard senior who organized the first Black Health Matters Conference at Harvard--she will study oncology at Oxford; 5) JaVaughn T., “JT” Flowers, is a Yale graduate who majored in political science, he started a program at Yale that changed his financial aid system--J.T. stands for “Just Talented”; 6) Hazim Hardeman started in Jr. college and graduated magna cum laude at Temple University, has written about African-American intellectual history and he teaches; 7) Chelsea Jackson, a graduate student at Emory, her thesis will study prosecutorial discretion and race; 8) Thamara V. Jean, Hunter College, City University of NY, wrote her senior thesis on “Black Lives Matter”, will study political theory at

Thamara Jean Oxford--the daughter of Haitian immigrant parents, she is Hunter’s first Rhodes Scholar; 9) Naomi T. Mburu, which looks like a Kenyan name, is a senior at the University of Maryland who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in engineering at Oxford; 10) Jordan Thomas, a Princeton senior, will study evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation at Oxford. Meet Black Americans who made CRAIN’S NY MAGAZINE’s 20-UNDER-20 list. They are 1) Skai Jackson, 15, a Harlem-based actress/fashion designer: her acting credits Jessie, Bunk’d-she has 3 million Instagram followers, her girls clothing line is available at Macy’s; 2) Tyler Adams, 18, HS grad and member of the NY Red Bulls soccer team, is working on an online degree in sports psychology; 3) Marley Dias, 12, is a New Jerseyan whose life was turned around after reading Jacqueline Woodson’s “BROWN GIRL

Matthew Whitaker Stevie Wonder, whom he has met, are inevitable. His debut album, OUTTA THE BOX, was released this year. He will perform at one of the Apollo’s 2017 holiday shows.

NEWSMAKERS Prince Harry, one of the Western world’s most eligible bachelors who is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne, is off the market. He found his Fair Lady, biracial American actress Meghan Markle. They were engaged earlier this week. Harry designed the engagement ring, whose main diamond is from Botswana, a place where they vacationed last year. A spring 2018 wedding is planned. Sagittarian Birthday greetings to Tara Banks, Jeff Burns, Jr., Deborah McCready, Chandra Grosvenor Brown, Don Cheadle, Morris Chestnut, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, Noel Hankin, Ernie Hudson, Sam Jackson, Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Dionne Warwick and Kerry Washington. Congrats to publisher/boater Thornell Jones, who celebrates his 80th Birthday Anniversary next month.

HOLIDAY OUTINGS

Marley Dias DREAMING”, a National Book Award autobiography--Dias is an author and literacy advocate who is named after Bob Marley, her Scholastic book, “Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You”, is a how-to guide to inspire young people to channel their passion to create change and follow their dreams will be published in January; 4) Matthew Whitaker, 16, who has headlined jazz festivals in North America and Europe, is the organist at the New Hope Baptist Church in NJ—he’s also blind. Comparisons with

Jazz vocalist Rome Neal appears in concert with his virtuoso trio, pianist Marcus Persiani, bassist Hillard Greene and drummer Willie Martinez on Thursday, November 30 at Mist Harlem, located at 46 West 116th Street. [Visit www.romeneal.com] The Harlem Aesthetic Salon hosts its 2017 Harlem for the Holidays season at the Gadson Gallery, located at 225 West 134th Street, featuring the works of Laura Gadson, Shimoda and other local artisans. Sale dates are December 2-3, December 9-10 and December 16-17. Participating artists are Hats by Woza, Sweet Octavia; LaTrelle Thornton, crochet; Cassandra Bromfield, fashion; Brenda Brunson-Bey’s Tribal Truths; Akosua Bandele, jewelry; crochet by Juliette and Marvin Sin, leather art. [Visit theharlemaesthetic.com] A Harlem-based management consultant, Victoria Horsford is reachable at Victoria.horsford@gmail.com.

Zimbabwe Swears in a New President in First Transfer of Power Since Independence As NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton has reported, the past few weeks have been a time of political upheaval in Zimbabwe. On Nov. 6, Mnangagwa was fired as vice president by Mugabe, and fled to South Africa, saying he feared for his life. But the military refused to accept Mnangagwa’s dismissal and warned that the army might intervene to restore stability. The next day, the military, which is an integral part of the governing ZANU-PF party behemoth, seized control and confined Mugabe to his residence. Under mounting pressure, the president stepped down on Nov. 20. Mnangagwa has overcome this moment of political chaos, but he faces many challenges as he steps into the presidency: corruption, economic troubles and international condemnation chief among them. As the Associated Press reports, “President Emmerson Mnangagwa is making a range of promises with the aim

of reviving a once-prosperous economy that has collapsed amid mismanagement and international sanctions”. In his inaugural speech, he promised the international community that “all foreign investment will be safe in Zimbabwe”, and promised his people that democratic elections will be held next year as scheduled. Still, some Zimbabweans are skeptical. As NPR has reported, it’s not clear how much of a policy change the new leader will herald. “Zimbabweans, I know — I’m Zimbabwean — we’re ululating all around the world, and we are celebrating,” journalist Michelle Faul told Weekend All Things Considered, “but we need to be cautious. This is not a revolution to bring reform. This is about an internal ZANU-PF coup to ensure that ZANU continues its one-party rule of Zimbabwe”. “He’s no savior,” Ofeibea reported last week. “He’s cut from the same cloth

[as Mugabe], the cloth that has seen Zimbabwe’s economy tumble. This was the breadbasket of southern Africa. He’s also seen as having been absolutely brutal in the ‘80s in Matabeleland when there was a massacre. So people shouldn’t think of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who may come back and head an interim government, as being a savior for Zimbabwe — certainly not.” -Maggie Penman, NPR

VOL. 21 NO. 48

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

Thinker's Notebook ■■

By Marlon Rice

How America is Once Again at the Root of Slavery

here was a man named Muammar Gaddafi. He ruled as the leader of Libya from 1969 until he was killed in 2011, in an operation backed by NATO, led by Hillary Clinton and approved by Barack Obama. Gaddafi had a very contentious relationship with America for decades. He was an anti-imperialist, meaning that he was against any country or nation attempting to use relationships and diplomacy or military force to extend its power and influence in the world. He was tyrannical, intelligent, paranoid and at times downright maniacal. His ideals and actions brought a lot of attention to his regime in the 70’s and 80’s. And while the world’s leaders were quite aware of Gaddafi’s human rights violations in his country, be it the use of torture, lengthy jail sentences without due cause, or even politically motivated executions, it was his connection to terrorism that got the attention of America. In April of 1986, 3 people were killed and over 200 were injured as a result of a

Opinion ■■

By Priscilla Mensah

y response to the now wellknown comments made by Gabrielle Douglas pertaining to women and sexual assault, is quite simple. I think it was a teachable moment for Gabby, nothing more, nothing less. Equipped with the full understanding that there are many societal pressures that Gabby may likely be facing by mere virtue of her race and gender alone, I will not add fuel to that fire by harboring on her poor use of words. I will continue to regard Gabby as a skilled Olympic medalist who has potentially helped to shatter race barriers in the Olympic games. Because of her, more girls and women who look like me may be more frequently represented in the Olympics. What Gabrielle Douglas said in response to her former Olympic teammate Aly Raisman’s accusations against their coach Dr. Larry Nassar’s alleged sexual abuse was a true statement, but perhaps used in the wrong context. Specifically, Gabby stated that women should “dress modestly and be classy ... dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd”. Her statement was given in response to Aly’s that stressed, “Just to be clear…just because a woman does a sexy photoshoot or wears a sexy outfit does not give a man the right to shame her or not believe her when she comes forward about sexual abuse…stop victim-shaming, it is because of you that so many survivors live in fear”. Aly’s statement was well-said and long overdue yet appropriate given the increasing number of high-powered men being accused of sexual assault. Dressing modestly, which is a crucial part of what Gabby essentially said women should do, standing alone, is a true statement. If I am to be completely honest, I do not know of a single household wherein that very message was not told from mothers and fathers to their daughters and even when appropriate to their sons. It is just a reality; women should be conscious of how they dress because, unfortunately, there are loose cannons in the world. I think where

bombing of the La Belle Discotheque in West Berlin. The club was a known hangout for US soldiers. Among the dead were 2 American servicemen. The United States accused Libya of the bombing and retaliated by bombing the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi in Libya. The bombings were intended to kill Gaddafi, but they failed. In December of 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland. All 243 passengers and 16 crew were killed. After an intense investigation, the FBI issued arrest warrants for two Libyan nationals. After years of protesting and battling global sanctions, Gaddafi handed over the two suspects to face trial. In 2003, after decades of tension between Libya and the United States, Gaddafi began to soften his stance on many things. He accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and he paid restitution to the victims’ families. He renounced his own covert nuclear and chemical weapons program. After watching the fate of Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi began to realize that the fate of his country’s future rested in the ideal of peace and not war against the power machine of

the Western world. As a result of Gaddafi’s change in position, President George W. Bush negotiated an agreement with him. The deal was simple. Gaddafi was to give up all of his weapons of mass destruction, and in return the United States would agree not to seek his death or disposal. That deal stood firm for eight years. However, in 2011 the United States went ahead and toppled Gaddafi’s regime, removing him from power and ultimately causing his demise. The overthrow of Gaddafi may have seemed like a good idea but once he was gone chaos descended upon Libya. The country cascaded into a civil war in 2014. Refugees flooded into Europe while those who stayed were witness to a previously stable country becoming completely unstable. Libya is now considered a failed state, with multiple “governments” competing for territory. This past week, a CNN investigation story exposed footage of West Africans being sold and auctioned off at an auction block in Libya. Young men, being sold for farm work, were paraded on the auction block and sold to the highest bidder. Most of the men

were sold for less than $800. The footage sparked a great deal of outrage throughout social media. France immediately called for UN-imposed sanctions. Protests popped up around the world. And here at home people shared the information and reacted in bewilderment. How could something like this happen in 2017? How could slavery still be an issue? The policies of the United States with regards to the Middle East and North Africa have worked to completely destabilize the area. While there were countries, like Syria and Yemen, that were already in chaos, Libya was not. The removal of Gaddafi without a plan on how the country would move forward left a vacuum, and that vacuum sucked all of the humanity from the region and replaced it with the evil that men do. Slavery is certainly one of those evils. Every developed nation, every leader in the world needs to act now to eradicate the existence of a slave trade in Libya. Furthermore, the United States needs to do a much better job of strategic policies when they decide to simply topple a leader. In hindsight, Gaddafi’s anti-imperialist sentiments were well-placed.

Wake-up Call: An Analysis of Gabby Douglas’s Statement Regarding Sexual Abuse Gabby went wrong is applying that very true statement to the situation in which it was referenced. Effectively, Gabby, perhaps unintentionally, placed the blame of sexual assault on the victim and not the one committing the offense. According to scientific fact, the human brain does not fully develop until age 25. Consequently, I cannot help but have a certain level of sympathy for Gabby. She is only 21, after all. On the other hand, I know that she is still an adult and moving forward, I do not encourage others who are similarly aged to intentionally make uninformed statements and then proceed to pull the age or naivete card as a reason to support their stance. On the other hand, I can understand why Gabby might have made such a comment. I think it is human nature to want to play devil’s advocate. Often, people naturally want to be sure that when others make accusations in large numbers that they are right. I know that is how I am anyway. When I see someone giving a strong opinion about something or someone I almost always want to wonder why and sometimes, depending on the circumstance, even find a way to defend the minority opinion and/or leastliked person. Furthermore, I think Gabby eventually apologizing and then admitting that she too had been a victim of sexual assault is commendable. Her subsequent actions displayed strength in character and her willingness to learn from her mistakes. This whole Gabby debacle is a perfect reminder of the level of scrutiny that successful African-Americans are under. I am reminded of so many different scenarios when thinking about this incident. Chief among them are times when the Internet goes crazy over Malia Obama doing things in college, Harvard University mind you, that normal college-aged students sometimes do. Instead of highlighting that Malia is attending Harvard, the media chooses to focus their attention and energy on the taboo activity that Malia briefly engages in. Another comparison that comes to mind is that of African-Americans having to work twice as hard as their white

counterparts to earn an A grade in school. Evidently, that applies here, too. It seems to be the case that African-Americans also must be twice as decorous in social settings to get a grade of A in socialization. Forget about talking, can you imagine the

backlash if Gabby did something slightly inappropriate? Priscilla Mensah is a former Health Reporting Fellow at the CUNY School of Journalism. She can be reached at pmensahbrooklyn@gmail.com.

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OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 48

Exclusive to Our Time Press

Harvey Weinstein and Martha’s Vineyard A Sad Little Boy from Brooklyn Goes Too Far

■■

By Abigail Rosen McGrath

hat do you say to your neighbor when he has been publicly accused of rape, sexual harassment and in general, just being a pig? Do you shun him? Do you say that you’re not surprised? Do you act as if nothing has happened? On the tiny island of Martha’s Vineyard, just off the coast of Massachusetts, Harvey Weinstein was a major player. He was a partner in a restaurant, donated to charities and was thought of as a regular mensch. He loves the island and its historical “New England” heritage. His wife loves it, so do his kids. It is their second home. When you’re as rich as Harvey, you have a lot of choices as to where to make your second home and Martha’s Vineyard was his. The sad little boy from Brooklyn actually thought that “they” would let him “in” and that with enough money, he could do no wrong. Harvey, who once was a celebrity, is now a pariah. It is never “OK” to break the law, not even jaywalking, yet how many of us come to a full stop at five corners in the middle of the night in January? (A local bottleneck) Treating women like chattel has been around since day one. AT LAST, we are doing something about it in the courts. In 800 B.C.-ish, when King David sent Uriah off to be killed in the war so that he could shtoop Bathsheba; was that harassment? If so, why would so many people name their sons after him? In the 1920’s when Frank Crowninshield,

the editor of Vanity Fair, asked my mother, Helene Johnson, to have sex with him, she refused. When he said that if she did not have sex with him he would see to it that none of her poetry was ever published in Vanity Fair again, she said: “But I’m only 17”, and he said, “all the better”. Vanity Fair never published another word of hers. In the 1940’s when my friend Annie’s mother was told that she would be given a better shift at the garment factory if she let the foreman touch her, she said “no”. When he said that he would fire her if she did not come across with the goods, she changed her mind. In the 1960’s when my buddy Nawana went out with a wealthy guy that she met at Max’s Kansas City, she assumed that she would have to repay him at the end of the evening. As the evening became more and more extravagant, she realized that a black leather mask in the closet was probably the least of his kinky desires. Sexual harassment is about power as much as it is about sex. I’m not saying that the actual groping doesn’t feel good or that it is a minor part of the picture, it is a great big part of the picture but it is only a part of the picture. For the most part, it is men who harass women because they are bigger and stronger than we are. The person with the strength and power gets the person without the strength and power to yield to their needs. If we take sexual harassment to be creating an uncomfortable sexual atmosphere, then we are in a whole new ball of wax when it comes to judgment. It is difficult to separate out the fine line between a joke and an uncomfortable

situation. People are often coming up to me and saying: “Abby, you’ll appreciate this…”, then Harlem Renaissance writers Dorothy West they tell a joke that is demeaning (left) and Helene Johnson tend to Ms. to Black people or to women or Johnson's daughter, Abigail, on Martha's both. They think they are being Vineyard in the 1940's. liberal and funny as all this gets out; if they could jump into my head they nothing. would see just how out of touch they were. Harvey brought a lot of wonderful things to Uncomfortable is the key word here. Now Martha’s Vineyard, those things are still here. here’s the rub…sometimes those jokes are Can a bad man do good things? Clearly, funny. All jokes are at someone’s expense so he can. Do we accept those good things? why not the underdog? Knowing the difference Obviously, we do. Are we bad for accepting between funny and insulting requires thinking. them? What excuses will we have for not So, what was our friend and neighbor giving them back? Harvey Weinstein thinking? Did he realize There is no need to ponder as to what that what he was doing was against the law? would happen to Harvey if he were Black. The Harvey Weinstein, like it or not, is one of man would be under the jail right now. If he us. He is a Vineyarder. True, he is a first-gen- were Black and asked the judge for a respite to eration summer resident, but let’s face it, we go to some self-help program, the judge would never shunned him. He has chosen to spend a be falling off his seat, reeling with laughter. good deal of his life on this island and, like the Harvey isn’t Black, and they are still throwing rest of us, wishes only good things to happen the book at him. here. Clearly, he loves it here. Harvey went too far, but we all have a long Okay, he’s a pig, but he’s “our” pig. One way to go. “The times, they are a-changing.” could say that he was only exercising his What was acceptable yesterday is no longer acdroit de seigneur as a big-shot Hollywood ceptable today. Ten or twenty years from now, guy, which was part of the package of being eating meat may be against the law. Does that a success. Along with the trophy wife, the mean that we meat-eaters are criminals today? trophy mcmansion and the trophy ride, the Women no longer have to wear push-up trophy shtoop was just another notch on the bras to get the job. We now have the courage trophy belt. to say, “no more”. Now we can say, “No more, I have a casting director friend whose I have had enough and if you continue, I will major job was procuring good-looking blonde put your ass in jail”. women for him. It will be interesting to see how much jail BUT Harvey wasn’t the only one he did time Harvey, the poor little boy from Brooklyn, it for. They don’t call it the casting couch for is going to do.

In Honor of Two Great Men: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin

n January at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. This year of the 30th Anniversary of his death, we remember Bayard Rustin, a great friend of Rev. King. The philosophies, teachings and examples of both men, ahead of their time during their lifetime, are the instructions America should follow now in pursuit of its greatness. Bayard Rustin (March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and nonviolence, and gay rights. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania where his family was involved in civil rights work. In 1936, he moved to Harlem, New York City and earned

a living as a nightclub and stage singer, and continued activism for civil rights. A master strategist and tireless activist, Bayard Rustin is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963 “March on Washington”, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the United States. He brought Gandhi’s protest techniques to the American Civil Rights Movement, and helped mold Martin Luther King, Jr. into an international symbol of peace and nonviolence. Despite these achievements, Rustin was silenced, threatened, arrested, beaten, imprisoned and fired from important leadership positions, largely because he was an openly gay man in a fiercely homophobic era. Five years in the making and the winner of numerous

Now Is the Time to Come Together ■■

By Dee Bailey

e must come together to fight HIV and AIDS and all issues impacting all communities. As we quickly approach World AIDS Day (December 1) 2017 we have yet again found ourselves at a learning moment. A place in time when reflection on how far we’ve come can help us chart a new course of where we want to go. It was 60 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and fellow civil rights leader Bayard Rustin came together in pursuit of freedom and civil rights for African Americans across the country. While we all know the value of partnership in fighting HIV/AIDS, we also know quite well the challenges we often face in collaborating with fellow organizations who have also taken on the tremendous work associated with educating and reducing barriers to

services for those infected and affected by this pandemic in our communities. Partnerships are the cornerstone of success! We have seen this before, and we can only eternally thank leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin for the freedoms we have today. During our struggle for civil rights in America two of our greatest leaders also faced difficulty in their attempts to collaborate for the greater good. As is often the case, there were well-intended influencers whispering in Dr. King’s ear in an attempt to disparage Bayard Rustin’s tremendous work to demand civil rights for African Americans. The problem with naysayers is that they are often short sighted. They only see what is within reaching distance. What were they saying? Individuals who found themselves in the company of Dr. King were telling him that Bayard Rustin’s lifestyle as a gay man was not beneficial to the movement. They cautioned

awards, BROTHER OUTSIDER presents a feature-length documentary portrait, focusing on Rustin’s activism for peace, racial equality, economic justice and human rights. Today, the United States is still struggling with many of the issues Bayard Rustin sought to change during his long, illustrious career. His focus on civil and economic rights and his belief in peace, human rights and the dignity of all people remain as relevant today as they were in the 1950s and 60s. Of note: In February 1956, when Bayard Rustin arrived in Montgomery to assist with the nascent bus boycott, Martin Luther King, Jr. had not personally embraced nonviolence. In fact, there were guns inside King’s house and armed guards posted at his doors. Rustin

persuaded boycott leaders to adopt complete nonviolence, teaching them Gandhian nonviolent direct protest. ➔➔ Continued on page 11

Dr. King that many of Mr. Rustin’s lovers were white men. This coupled with the fact that Mr. Rustin represented a demographic that many believed did not add to, but only subtracted from Dr. King’s work was reason enough that a collaboration was frowned upon and strongly advised against. Fortunately Dr. King was a man of vision. Dr. King was a man steadfast in fighting for the civil rights of the African American community and saw and understood the value of partnerships. He did not allow minor differences to detract from the ultimate goal of civil rights for all. While he listened to all the noise that was being raised around collaborating with Mr. Rustin, Dr. King also saw what awaited us over the mountain top. Today, as community leaders, we find ourselves in a similar place. We are often advised by those who do not possess our long-term vision but will give you a myriad of reasons why we should not work together. “They’re too this or they’re too that!” The list of reasons why something can’t or won’t work

is endless, but the reasons why we should work are few. We only need a few good reasons to work together as partners in our civil rights fight against an epidemic that for over 30 years refuses to release its grip on our communities. On the contrary, its grip is getting stronger, and tighter. Why? Because unlike Dr. King and Bayard Rustin, there is still a resistance to long-term partnerships in this line of work. While we may come together from time to time to collaborate on a stand-alone initiative, there still lacks a cohesive and conscious effort to maintain these partnerships. Collaborations and partnerships are good for our community in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. On a short-term basis we see the results of our efforts. Our communities are educated, our leaders are motivated, and we created bridges of comraderies throughout the community. Looking beyond the shortterm and a study of history as so eloquently provided by Dr. King and Bayard Rustin we ➔➔ Continued on page 12

Bayard Rustin with Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1956 (Credit: Associated Press)

VOL. 21 NO. 48

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

No LIRR train service between Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal December 2–3 and 9–10 Ride Q trains between Atlantic Terminal and 34th Street/Herald Square instead The Long Island Rail Road will be installing new switches near Atlantic Terminal on the weekends of December 2–3 and December 9–10. During those weekends, the following changes will be in effect: • No LIRR trains will operate between Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal • NYC Transit will accept LIRR tickets for rides on the Q train between Atlantic Terminal and 34th Street/Herald Square • Eastbound customers: make the short walk from Herald Square to Penn Station at 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, where you can board eastbound LIRR trains •

Brooklyn-bound customers: take your LIRR train to Penn Station, then walk to 34th St/Herald Square and board the Q train to Atlantic Terminal

For more information, call 511 or visit mta.info/lirr.

#LIRR

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS POLISHED SERVICES BY DEE LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 07/21/2017 Office Location: Kings County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, c/o Deydra Bringas, 1809 Albemarle Road, LLC, Brooklyn, NY 11226. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. Notice of Formation of Davis Row LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/24/2017. Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The LLC, c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202,

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF LEGAL POSTPONEMENT OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS, NESTOR I, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. RENA TABIBOVA, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on September 12, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, Room 224, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on December 14, 2017 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 802 East 39th Street, Brooklyn, NY. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 4985 and Lot 0033. Approximate amount of judgment is $685,779.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 505422/2014. The original sale was scheduled for November 16, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. at the same time and location. Bruce Goldstein, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Ste. 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No. 509992/2014 STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff, -vsTHE HEIRS AT LARGE OF SHIRLEY JOHNSON, deceased, and all persons who are husbands, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienors, heirs, devisees, distributees, successors in interest of such of them as may be dead, and their husbands and wives, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors of interest of all of whom and whose names and places are unknown to Plaintiff; JERRY JOHNSON, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE STATE OF SHIRLEY JOHNSON, DECEASED; EDMUND RIVERA; DONTRELL JOHNSON; CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; KINGS SUPREME COURT; CREDIT ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION; CREDIT ACCEPTANCE SILVER TRIANGLE BUILDING; MIDLAND FUNDING, LLC; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; “JOHN DOE” AND “JANE DOE” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants. Mortgaged Premises: 980 EAST 105TH STREET, BROOKLYN,

Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of OLLIE NY 251 DEKALB LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/04/17. Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Andrew Bledsoe, 757 Third Ave., 17th Fl., NY, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 2167 68th Street LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 04/20/2017 Office Location: Kings County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process NY 11236 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. Your failure to appear or answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you, unless the Defendant obtained a bankruptcy discharge and such other or further relief as may be just and equitable. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer to the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. These pleadings are being amended to include The Heirs at Large of SHIRLEY JOHNSON, deceased, Jerry Johnson as Administrator of the estate of SHIRLEY JOHNSON, deceased and Edmund Rivera as possible heir to the estate of SHIRLEY JOHNSON, deceased. These pleadings are also being amended to include United States of America and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. KINGS County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the mortgaged premises. Dated: August 24, 2017 Mark K. Broyles, Esq. FEIN SUCH & CRANE, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff Office and P.O. Address 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800 Rochester, New York 14614 Telephone No. (585) 232-7400 Block: 8212 Lot: 77 NATURE AND OBJECT OF ACTION The object of the above action is to foreclose a mortgage held by the Plaintiff recorded in the County of KINGS, State of New York as more particularly described in the Complaint herein. TO THE DEFENDANT, the plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action. To the above named defendants: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of HON. NOACH DEAR, Justice of the SUPREME Court of the State of New York, dated October

to: 2167 68th Street LLC, 2167 68th Street, LLC, Brooklyn, NY 11204. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. Notice of Formation of HC 215 Management LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 10/16/2017. Office Location: Kings County, Secretary of State of New York is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: HC 215 Management LLC, 4908 4th Avenue, 2nd Fl., Brooklyn, NY 11220. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. Jade Lin Property LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 09/05/17. Office Location: Kings County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 6921 12th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 16, 2017 and filed along with the supporting papers in the KINGS County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose a Mortgage. ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land situate lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the westerly side of East 105th Street, distant 45 feet northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of Avenue J and the westerly side of East 105th Street; RUNNING THENCE westerly parallel with Avenue J and part of the distance through a party wall, 95 feet 6 inches; RUNNING THENCE northerly parallel with East 105th Street, 20 feet; RUNNING THENCE easterly parallel with Avenue J and part of the distance through a party wall, 95 feet 6 inches to the westerly side of East 105th Street; RUNNING THENCE southerly along the westerly side of East 105th Street, 20 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING. Mortgaged Premises: 980 EAST 105TH STREET, BROOKLYN, NY 11236 Tax Map/Parcel ID No.: Block: 8212 Lot: 77 of the BOROUGH of BROOKLYN, NY 11236 LEGAL NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF SALE SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS HSBC BANK USA, N.A., Plaintiff against DMITRIY VASILEVSKIY, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on September 26, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 7th day of December, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. premises Lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn and State of New York. In the condominium known as “BRIGHTWATER TOWERS CONDOMINIUM.” Together with an undivided 0.13025% interest in the Common Elements. Said premises known as 501/541 Surf Avenue a/k/a 2985 West 8 Street, Apt/ Unit 7J, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11224. (Block: 7279, Lot: 1724). Approximate amount of lien $ 548,654.07 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 501878-12. Renaye Cuyler, Esq., Referee. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff145 Huguenot Street – Suite 210 New Rochelle, New York 10801 (914) 636-8900 The above mentioned sale was originally scheduled for November 16, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. The new sale date is December 7, 2017 at the same time and same place. Renaye Cuyler, Esq., Referee. NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Kings Bank of America, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Ramon Burgos, Myrna Burgos, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 5/10/2016 and entered on 6/3/2016, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360

VOL. 21 NO. 48 11228. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. Notice of Formation 1301 Lots LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 8/30/2017. Office Location: Kings County, Secretary of State of New York is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to1301 Lots LLC, 4331 Elbertson St., Elmhurst, NY 11373. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. UPP NORTH LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/16/2017. Office loc: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC c/o Yulonda Jones, UPP NORTH LLC 2021 E 41st Street Unit 5F, Brooklyn, NY 11234. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on December 14, 2017 at 02:30 PM premises known as 120 Bradford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 3673, LOT: 33. Approximate amount of judgment is $449,586.97 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 504574/2013. Angelicque M. Moreno, Referee, FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP, 53 Gibson Street, Bay Shore, NY 11706 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS, EMIGRANT BANK AS SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO EMIGRANT SAVINGS BANKBROOKLYN/QUEENS AS ASSIGNEE OF EMIGRANT MORTGAGE COMPANY INC., Plaintiff, vs. GUSTAVO ALVAREZ, DORIS ALVAREZ, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on September 25, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, Room 224, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on December 21, 2017 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 28 Schenck Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 3919 and Lot 23. Approximate amount of judgment is $389,969.15 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 12679/2014. Jageshwar Sharma, Esq., Referee Borchert & LaSpina, P.C., 19-02 Whitestone Expressway, Suite 302, Whitestone, New York 11357, Attorneys for Plaintiff SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS HSBC BANK USA, N.A., Plaintiff against RAMKUMARI SINGH A/K/A RAMKUMARI RAM, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on September 15, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 14th day of December, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 389 Crescent Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11208. (Block: 4170, Lot: 105). Approximate amount of lien $ 428,793.46 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 508896/2015. Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee. Fein, Such & Crane, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 28 East

VOL. 21 NO. 48

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

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LEGAL NOTICES ➔➔ Continued from page 8 Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, N.Y. 14614 (585) 232-7400 SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. AS TRUSTEE F/B/O HOLDERS OF STRUCTURED ASSET MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS II, INC., STRUCTURE ASSET MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS II T RU S T 2007-AR4, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007AR4, Plaintiff against ADRIAN JOI BROWN A/K/A ADRIAN J. BROWN A/K/A ADRIAN BROWN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on October 3, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 14th day of December, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING

at a point on the westerly side of East 7th Street distant 467 feet southerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the southerly side of Avenue Z with the westerly side of East 7th Street; THENCE westerly parallel with Avenue Z and part of the distance through a party wall, 100 feet THENCE southerly parallel with east 7th Street, 22 feet; THENCE easterly parallel with Avenue Z and part of the distance through a party wall, 100 feet to the westerly side of east 78th Street; THENCE northerly along the westerly side of east 7th Street, 22 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING. Said premises known as 2658 East 7th Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11235. (Block: 7243, Lot: 30). Approximate amount of lien $ 630,308.72 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 22483-13. Steven Z. Naiman, Esq., Referee. Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 10 Bank Street - Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606 (914) 949-2574 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: KINGS COUNTY PENNYMAC CORP; Plaintiff(s) vs. JAMAL PORTER; et al; Defendant(s) Attorney (s) for

Plaintiff (s): ROSICKI, ROSICKI & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 2 Summit Court, Suite 301, Fishkill, New York, 12524, 845.897.1600 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on or about July 28, 2017, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York. On December 14, 2017 at 2:30 pm. Premises known as 1328 JEFFERSON AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NY 11221 Block: 3391 Lot: 13 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale. Sold subject to all of the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment $850,910.57 plus interest and costs. INDEX NO. 14695-13 Betty Lugo, Esq., Referee NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS, NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE, LLC D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff, vs. PEARLENE CLARKE A/K/A PEARLENE CLARK, ET AL., ➔➔ Continued on page 10

10 ■■

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 48

Nicki Minaj & Harvey Weinstein – an Interesting Paradox

By Zaza Ala

don’t talk or walk soft, so for those of you readying your fingers to accuse me of slut-shaming, be my guest. A woman who identifies herself as a slut is already overdue for a reality check. A society that embraces slut culture needs redirection. American culture, particularly Black American culture, needs a rude awakening. There’s been a lot of talk as of late, and rightfully so, of rape culture. The recent events surrounding Harvey Weinstein and others have placed a blaring spotlight on the misogynistic infrastructure of Hollywood. Every other day, secrets are coming out of the closet, tearing the veil from a dirty secret that the whole world has known forever, yet taken no action to prevent. Women and girls are seen as playthings; second-class citizens; undeserving of protection and respect, even in their ignorant and/or most vulnerable states. Rape culture is defined as “a society or environment whose prevailing social attitudes have the effect of normalizing or trivializing sexual assault and abuse”. We know Weinstein is a creep. We know his type are found in board rooms, rap lyrics and every spectrum of pop culture. We have eons of time to dissect the who, what, when, where, why and how’s of his kind. Today,

I want to talk about women. I want to talk about our subconscious embrace of rape culture and the perverted mind-set that’s been born as a result. Making a public spectacle of yourself in compromising sexual positions, in front of the world, is a contribution to rape culture. Regardless to how beautiful the makeup, fancy the clothes, high profile the photographer, it’s trashy and dangerous. While millions of young girls look up to Nicki for her playful lyrics, it must not be taken lightly that she has amassed global success pretending to be a Barbie doll; another cultural icon belonging to the elementary and preteen stages of girlhood. So, let’s be clear, this is not about freedom of speech or disallowing women the opportunity to take control of their sexuality. This is about using symbolism to sell sex to vulnerable children. And not just sex I might add – soft porn, minaj a trois, lesbianism (Nicki is not a lesbian) and playful sexual simulations that women in compromising situations would give their lives to break free from. Young Black girls see themselves in ALL Black women. This is why we cheer the Michelle Obamas and Misty Copelands of the world. We know that their success is a representation of what our daughters can aspire to be. Black women are magnetic,

even in our madness. Everything we do sets global trends. Why else would women in Sweden pay top dollars to learn how to twerk? It is irresponsible to continue to endorse women that cater to the lower nature of the human brain, which is fragile enough as is. The “Minaj a Trois” photo shoot is a booster shot into the already-promiscuous and overtly sexual culture plaguing Black America. Cardi B, Lil’ Kim, Amber Rose, Kim Kardashian, etc., all play their part in staging a perverted notion of success and ideals of what a woman should aspire to be. Instead of using money and fame as a platform to be classy, these women regress the notion of women’s empowerment; glorifying a lifestyle that women around the world are trying to escape… then they have the audacity to complain about not being treated the same as the men in their respective craft. There are a few things I need for women to understand. Shock factor does not equate to respect. We live in a world that is predicated on normalizing dysfunctional behavior. I’m sick and tired of hearing women complain about male-dominated industries, only to carry out the same behavior that keeps men in power over us in the first place. This is not a movement in consciousness for women’s rights; this is

weaponizing sexuality. A concept born out of rape, abuse, degradation and demoralization. Many sisters, in their ignorance, now seek to outman men. These efforts are futile to a woman that understands her real power is in womanhood. Balance must be restored in our communities so that it trickles down to our children. Women AND men must begin to develop respect for the anatomy and control over our sexual behavior. As women, we cannot objectify ourselves then complain when we get treated like objects. We can’t be sacred and savage at the same time. A boss shouldn’t act like a bed wench. Respect should never be compromised for attention. We can hone in on the Trump organization, racism, police brutality, etc., all we want. But the more we continue to ignore our emphasis on an exasperated, physically propped up, yet soulless version of the Black woman, the more perverse her reflection will appear. If what we focus on expands, then we should expect up-and-coming Nicki’s to be prevalent not only in pop culture, but in middle and high schools as well. We will either accept the challenge of redefining what it means to be a woman and the type of women we glorify, or we can seal the fate of generations to come. There is a war for the minds and hearts of our children at hand.

Nancy Pelosi Does Not Stand with Women Accusing Rep. Conyers of Sexual Harassment ■■

By Diversityinc.com

One woman who filed a sexual harassment complaint against Conyers in 2014 was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement, according to Lisa Bloom, the complainant’s attorney. BuzzFeed News reportedly obtained four signed affidavits pertaining to Conyers. According to the publication, Conyers made unwanted sexual advances toward some of his women staffers and touched and caressed them. In 2015 Conyers reportedly reached a $27,000 settlement with a former female staffer who claimed she was fired for not engaging with Conyers sexually. “I was basically blackballed. There was nowhere I could go,” the woman told BuzzFeed when explaining why she agreed to the settlement. She spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. To Pelosi, appearances take precedence over a man who exploited his power to take advantage of women being removed from said position. According to Politico, Pelosi “wanted Conyers to leave the high-profile post but didn’t want to be seen as forcing him out.” “Privately, Pelosi has been working behind the scenes with leaders of the CBC and Conyers to figure out his next steps. One senior Democratic aide said she was trying ‘to lay groundwork for him to step aside

gracefully,’” Politico reported. Apparently, the consequences for sexual harassment in Pelosi’s book depend on who the accused is. She said in the same interview of former President Bill Clinton’s own sexual harassment scandal, “I think it is a generational change. Let me say the concern we had then was that they were impeaching the president of the United States. and for something that had nothing to do with the performance of his duties and trying to take him out for that reason.” She also downplayed the groping accusations against Democratic Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). “I don’t believe you can equate Senator Franken with Roy Moore. It is two different things,” she said. Moore currently faces mounting allegations of sexual misconduct and assault with teenagers while in his thirties. While the allegations against him are different in nature than those against Franken, they still constitute sexual harassment. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment,

unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.” And to play down the significance of any case of sexual harassment or abuse could discourage future victims from coming forward, as well as muddle the definition of what is and is not sexual harassment. For instance, according to a Cosmopolitan survey of women aged 18 to 34, among women who said they have never been sexually harassed at work, 16 percent responded “yes” when asked if they have ever had a sexually explicit or sexist remark spoken to them at work. Only after receiving immense backlash for her “Meet the Press” interview did Pelosi release a more affirmative statement against Conyers. “Zero tolerance means consequences,” she said. “We are at a watershed moment on this issue, and no matter how great an individual’s legacy, it is not a license for harassment. I commend the brave women coming forward.” Conyers, the House of Representative’s longest-serving member, is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. He denied the allegations against him in a statement, calling them the result of “documents reportedly paid for by a partisan alt-right blogger.”

LEGAL NOTICES

Judgment Index # 7267/13. Bartholomew M. Verdirame, Esq., Referee, Schiller, Knapp, Lefkowitz & Hertzel, LLP, 1412 Sweet Home Road, Suite 12, Amherst, New York 14228, Attorneys for Plaintiff

buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block: 7262 Lot: 30. Approximate amount of judgment $788,195.69 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 2136/2013. Steven Cohen, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 759-1835 Dated: September 21, 2017 48944

Foreclosure and Sale entered on August 21, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction, in Room 274 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on the 16th Day of November, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Premises known as 1247 East 13th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11230. (Block: 6733, Lot: 77) Approximate amount of lien $459,199.90 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 18838/2009. Gregory T. Cerchione, Esq., Referee. Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 28 East Main Street, Suite 1700 Rochester, NY 14614-1990 Tel. 585/7608218 Dated: October 17, 2017

hen it comes to sexual harassment, women do not have an ally in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) on Sunday stepped down from the House Judiciary Committee amid accusations of sexual harassment against female staffers. Shortly before his announcement, Pelosi strongly defended the congressman and called into question the women who accused him of misconduct. “We are strengthened by due process,” Pelosi said on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.” “Just because someone is accused — and was it one accusation, is it two? John Conyers is an icon in our country. He’s done a great deal to protect women.” “The fact is, as John reviews his case, which he knows, which I don’t, I believe he will do the right thing,” she said. When asked if “the right thing” is to resign, Pelosi wouldn’t provide an answer. “He will do the right thing,” she repeated. Pelosi also did not say she believed the women accusing Conyers. “I do not know who they are. Do you? They have not really come forward,” Pelosi said.

➔➔ Continued from page 9 Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on September 11, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, Room 224, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on December 14, 2017 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 524 Thatford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 3626 and Lot 52. Approximate amount of judgment is $457,883.44 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS HSBC Bank USA, National Association as Trustee for Nomura Asset Acceptance Corporation, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series2007-1, Plaintiff AGAINST Luan Dzafa; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated November 24, 2014 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on December 7, 2017 at 2:30PM, premises known as 18 Brighton 4th Terrace, Brooklyn, NY 11235. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the

REFEREE’S LEGAL NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS CITIMORTGAGE, INC. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO ABN AMRO MORTGAGE GROUP, INC., Plaintiff – against – HENRY HERBST, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of

VOL. 21 NO. 48

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

Brooklyn HS Hurdling Phenom Signs with University of Kentucky

The Injury Bug ■■

By Eddie Castro

he Brooklyn Nets came into this season expecting to be one of the NBA’s most improved teams coming into t h e 2017-18 season. This year’s team is based on youth and a lot more talent that they did not have on their roster last year. The team traded for a potential All-Star in D’Angelo Russell and added quality players such as Allen Crabbe and DeMarre Carroll to go along with players Jeremy Lin, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Sean Kilpatrick and Trevor Booker, just to name a few. With the Eastern Conference being as open as it is, the Nets, with some good play, can push into one of the eight playoff spots. That scenario alone is easier said than done. Near a quarter of the NBA season being complete, health has been a major issue for Brooklyn so far. The team lost their floor general Jeremy Lin to a season-ending knee injury after just one game, then they lost probably their best all-around player D’Angelo Russell about two weeks ago to a knee injury as well. Add Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe to that list as well. Although the team has been decimated by injury, they have had some players who have taken the old saying of “next man in line” to heart. Sharpshooter Joe Harris and backup point guard Russell Spencer Dinwiddle has played some fantastic ball of late in the absence of some key players. If somehow Trevor Booker can do what he does as far as doing the gritty work for the team, as well as Carroll being able to get in rhythm after a slow start, maybe the Nets can pull a few wins together. Not to mention, the trade deadline will be nearing in a few months and one of the hottest names on the trading block is 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor. If the Nets were somehow able to trade for the talented big man, it would give the team another scoring option just in time for Russell to return from his injury. This team has shown so far that despite the injuries, they can score in bunches. Brooklyn is currently fourth in the NBA in scoring at 110.2 points per game. Only time will tell what this current team is made of when they can get their key players back on the court in time for a run at the playoffs. Sports Notes: (High School Football) PLAYOFF GAME OF THE WEEK! Led by junior Mike Jones, #4-seeded Midwood was able to knock off #5 Tottenville by a score of 36-34 last Saturday at Sheepshead Bay High School here in Brooklyn. (NFL Football) Giants quarterback Eli Manning was notified this past Tuesday afternoon that after 14 seasons, his 210 consecutive start streak will come to an end this Sunday when the team plays the Oakland Raiders. The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback will be replaced by former Jets quarterback Geno Smith. Eddie Castro’s Question of the Week: With the Giants benching Eli Manning, has Manning played his last game with the team? Will the organization look to trade him? E-mail me at Castroeddie714@ gmail.com and share your thoughts with me.

■■

By Nathaniel Adams & OTP Staff

Photo: Nathaniel Adams

Track star Tai Brown signing to join the University of Kentucky Track team with his mother, Debby Gittins and long-time coach Charles Weekes, proudly looking on.

ne of the off-track highlights of the PSAL Pilgrim Games this past Sunday was the signing of Midwood High School’s hurdling standout Tai Brown with the University of Kentucky Track and Field team. The ceremony took place at the venerable 168th Street Armory Track & Field Center on Sunday, November 26, 2017 where a very happy young Mr. Brown said he was excited about going to the University of Kentucky, where he plans to major in sociology. Coach Charles Weekes of the Ruff Kutz Track Club has been working with Tai since he was 9 years old. “Tai picked a great college and the coaches there are going to be a big help to him.” At the signing Tai’s mother, Debby Gittins, said it was “awesome that he was able to find a coach comparable to his youth coach”. Apparently, the young man had a number of college offers and finding the right fit was a cause for concern. “It was a collective thing that we did together to find somebody that he is comfortable with,” said Ms. Gittins. “There is a good feeling when you are comfortable with someone, and he found it.”

Bedford Union Armory Project Gets Green Light After Changes to Plan

■■ By Kelly Mena, Kings County Politics

he full City Council is set to approve redevelopment of the Bedford Union Armory in Crown Heights next week after the proposed condos in the plan was taken out and the affordable housing component was greatly increased. The original plan called for 330 rental apartments, half of them market-rate — and half considered affordable with rents as high as $2,135 a month. That plan additionally called for 56 condos, 80% of them market-rate. Under the new deal, the condos – a major bone of contention with many in the community – have been taken out of the project, and there will be an increase of rental apartments to 400, with 250 of them considered affordable with rents ranging from about $521 to $1,166 for a two-bedroom. “The Bedford Union Armory won’t sit vacant any longer. We’re putting it back into service for Crown Heights as an affordable community rec center and affordable homes. The end result is one this neighborhood can be proud of. We worked with Council member [Laurie] Cumbo to hone the project, adding nearly 100 affordable apartments and removing market-rate condos. We look forward to the day the armory reopens its doors as a resource to this community,”

said Mayor Bill de Blasio. Cumbo (D-Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Crown Heights), who in the last few months had been resisting the plan for the city-owned property, threw her support behind the project, which then led the Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concession to vote unanimously in approval. “I fought to remove 48 luxury condominiums, deepened the bands of affordability by securing approximately 250 housing units for low-income and formerly homeless families – quadrupling the affordable housing that was proposed in the original plan,” said Cumbo. According to the developers of the project, BFC Partners, the luxury condos were initially proposed as part of the plan in order to subsidize the costs of the 138,000-foot recreational center that will include basketball courts, a swimming pool and affordable office space. This need was apparently assuaged after the city kicked in about $50 million in additional subsidies to get the project across the finish line. The new plan has also been amended under the negotiations with Cumbo that will now require that the mixed-use space be accessible to all members of the Crown Heights community. At least 50% of memberships for the recreational center will be reserved for community members at discounted rates of just $10 a month for adults and $8 for a child under 16.

Affordable office space will be available to nonprofits at just $6 per-square-foot and rent increases will be capped at 3% annually. In addition, a community advisory committee will be created to help plan programming for the recreation center to ensure the needs of the local community are met throughout the life of the project. Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill) applauded Cumbo’s negotiations, praising the increased affordability in the project and the amended plans investment in the local community. “I know that the Councilwoman will continue to work with her colleagues in an effort to ensure that we provide our communities with the recreation center we so desperately need for our young people. Likewise, the addition to the affordable housing unit our local neighborhoods so desperately need and deserve. Negotiations also produced much-needed space for local nonprofit community-based organizations. I look forward to my ongoing assistance with the Councilwoman as we seek to address and add additional subsidies in our attempt to make this truly a sustainable project for current and like-minded Brooklynites to come,” said Mosley. The amended agreement, passed by a vote of 16-1 in committee, and the full by the full City Council is expected to approve the project at next week’s stated meeting.

In Honor of Two Great Men: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin ➔➔ Continued from page 6 Apart from his career as an activist, Rustin the man was also fun-loving, mischievous, artistic, gifted with a fine singing voice, and known as an art collector who sometimes found museum-quality pieces in New York City trash. Historian John D’Emilio calls Rustin the “Lost Prophet” of the Civil Rights Movement. Bayard Rustin said ...

Martin Luther King, with whom I worked very closely, became very distressed when a number of the ministers working for him wanted him to dismiss me from his staff because of my homosexuality. My activism did not spring from my being gay, or, for that matter, from my being Black. Rather, it is rooted fundamentally in my Quaker upbringing and the values that were instilled in me by my grandparents who reared me. I believe in social dislocation and creative

trouble. I am an opponent of war and of war preparations, and an opponent of universal military training and conscription; but entirely apart from that issue, I hold that segregation in any part of the body politic is an act of slavery and an act of war. I am a Quaker. And as everyone knows, Quakers, for 300 years, have, on conscientious ground, been against participating in war. I was sentenced to three years in federal

prison because I could not religiously and conscientiously accept killing my fellow man. I have seen periods of progress followed by reaction. I have seen the hopes and aspirations of Negroes rise during World War II, only to be smashed during the Eisenhower years. I am seeing the victories of the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations destroyed by Richard Nixon.

OUR TIME PRESS November 30 – December 6, 2017

View From Here ■■

By David Mark Greaves

very time you think President Trump has reached the bottom of his civility he opens a door and reveals several new levels of degradation and venality. The latest, at least as of this writing, was his reference to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas” at a ceremony honoring the Navajo “Code Talkers” of WWII under a portrait of Trump’s favorite former president, Andrew “Indian Killer” Jackson. Trump used these surviving heroes as little more than cigar-store Indians, placed there for his schtick. I would not be surprised if the setup was arranged by that creepy presidential aide, Stephen Miller, it had his acid sensibility about it. But then this is a time for revealing evil

sensibilities and we can see them in the many good churchgoing Republicans and Evangelicals of Alabama, see numerous accusations of pedophilia and sexual molestations as not disqualifiers for political office. Perhaps hypocrisy is embedded in the human character in ways big and small, but hypocrisy and rape are a special part of America, and ignoring pedophilia and rape is not new to white Christians. The glorification of white womanhood, while raping Blacks with abandon was a trademark of the southern gentleman, his overseers, drovers, sons and friends. It was this 400 years of raping that changed the color of jet-black Africans into the varied skin tones, like evidence of the crime, worn by African-Americans today. These kinds of Christians we will always have with us, and politicians too if they have their way. While dealing with the above, we also have to come to grips with several other

realities that are hardening into place with each passing day. By denying climate change and repealing environmental regulations, President Trump is ceding the solar energy future to China, the wind energy future to Germany, all the while making this nation fall in place behind these leaders, while its citizens grow sicker and poorer and disdain is shown for the world’s populations. Then there is the judiciary where white supremacist think tanks have given the president a list of young ideological extremists; I hesitate to even call them conservatives to nominate to lifelong appointments on the federal bench. They will be there for decades after Donald Trump is gone, manning the frontlines of the culture wars on the side of the racist, homophobic, misogynist and just plain mean parts of the America character. Also, we see the Republican tax plan that independent reports say will funnel money

VOL. 21 NO. 48 up to the richest at the cost of the middle class and the poorest. As a part of the plan, the Affordable Care Act will essentially be repealed leading to 13 million uninsured, teachers will lose tax credits for school supplies, local tax exemptions will be repealed and virtually everything having to do with health and welfare, including education, will be decimated. Child Health Plus serving approximately 133,000 in New York City is in danger. Everything is to be cut except the military, and all of it leaving the nation as an empty suit of armor, ready to fall or be filled by a tyrant, not unlike the one we have now. The good news, and there is always good news, is that as this year ends, we can give thanks for our family, our friends and our ability to continue the struggle and journey back to wholeness begun by ancestors when they were brought to these shores those many generations ago.

Navajo Code Talkers and the Unbreakable Code to use Code Talkers during World War II. They were afraid the code would be easily cracked, but that was before they learned about the complexity of Navajo.

Philip Johnston’s Brainchild In 1942, Philip Johnston was reading a newspaper article about an armored division in Louisiana that was attempting to come up with another code using Native American languages. Johnston knew the perfect Native American Pfc. Preston Toledo and Pfc. Frank Toledo, language to utilize in a new, unNavajo cousins in a Marine artillery regiment breakable code. in the South Pacific, relay orders over a field As a child, Johnston spent most radio in their native tongue. of his childhood on a Navajo reservation while his parents served n the heat of battle, it is of the utmost there as missionaries. He grew up learning importance that messages are delivered the Navajo language and customs. and received as quickly as possible. It Johnston became so fluent in the Navajo is even more crucial that these messages are language that he was asked at age 9 to serve as encoded so the enemy does not know about an interpreter for a Navajo delegation sent to plans in advance. During World War II, the Washington, D.C., to lobby for Indian Marine Corps used one of the thousands of rights. languages spoken in the world to create an In spite of concerns about the unbreakable code: Navajo. security of a code based on a Native World War II wasn’t the first time a Native American language, the U.S. Marine American language was used to create a code. Corps decided to give Johnston’s idea During World War I, the Choctaw language a try. They approved a pilot project was used in the transmission of secret tactical with 30 Navajos and allowed Johnston messages. It was instrumental in a successful to enlist and participate in the program. surprise attack against the Germans. Germany and Japan sent students to the Getting Started United States after World War I to study Native The first 29 recruited Navajos (one American languages and cultures, such as dropped out) arrived at Camp Elliott Cherokee, Choctaw, and Comanche. near San Diego in May 1942. One of Because of this, many members of the U.S. the first tasks for these recruits was to military services were uneasy about continuing develop a Navajo code.

The Navajo language seemed to be the perfect option as a code because it is not written and very few people who aren’t of Navajo origin can speak it. However, the Marine Corps took the code to the next level and made it virtually unbreakable by further encoding the language with word substitution. During the course of the war, about 400 Navajos participated in the code talker program.

The Code Word Association The Navajo recruits began developing the code by taking words from their language and applying to them to implements of war. For example, the names of different birds were used to stand for different kinds of planes. The initial code consisted of 211 vocabulary terms, which expanded to 411 over the course of the war.

In Record Time A skeptical lieutenant decided to test their

Chactaw Code Breakers

Andrew Jackson Deserves Top Spot on List of Worst US Presidents ■■

By Gale Courey Toensing

nlike the statement in Indian Country Media Network’s “Best Presidents for Indian country” story, it’s a bit easier identifying the “worst” presidents for Indian country. Five tend to stand out with the majority of the rest huddled together after that. Here are our nods to the presidents who did more harm than good for Native Americans while in office. Andrew Jackson: A man nicknamed “Indian Killer” and “Sharp Knife” surely deserves the top spot on a list of Worst U.S. Presidents. Andrew Jackson “was a forceful proponent of Indian removal”, according to PBS. Others have a less genteel way of describing the seventh president of the United States. “Andrew Jackson was a wealthy slave owner and infamous Indian killer, gaining the nickname ‘Sharp Knife’ from the Cherokee,”

writes Amargi on the website “Unsettling America: Decolonization in Theory & Practice”. “He was also the founder of the Democratic Party, demonstrating that genocide against Indigenous People is a nonpartisan issue. His first effort at Indian fighting was waging a war against the Creeks. President Jefferson had appointed him to appropriate Creek and Cherokee lands. In his brutal military campaigns against Indians, Andrew Jackson recommended that troops systematically kill Indian women and children after massacres in order to complete the extermination. The Creeks lost 23 million acres of land in southern Georgia and central Alabama, paving the way for cotton plantation slavery. His frontier warfare and subsequent ‘negotiations’ opened up much of the southeast U.S. to settler colonialism.” Andrew Jackson was not only a genocidal maniac against the Indigenous Peoples of

the southwest, he was also racist against African peoples and a scofflaw who “violated nearly every standard of justice”, according to historian Bertram Wyatt-Brown. As a major general in 1818, Andrew Jackson invaded Spanish Florida chasing fugitive slaves who had escaped with the intent of returning them to their “owners”, and sparked the First Seminole War. During the conflict, Jackson captured two British men, Alexander George Arbuthnot and Robert C. Ambrister, who were living among the Seminoles. The Seminoles had resisted Jackson’s invasion of their land. One of the men had written about his support for the Seminoles’ land and treaty rights in letters found on a boat. Andrew Jackson used the “evidence” to accuse the men of “inciting” the Seminoles to “savage warfare” against the U.S. He convened a “special court martial” tribunal, then had the men executed. Gale Courey Toensing:

skills and the code before trusting them to deliver actual combat messages. The Code Talkers successfully translated, transmitted and re-translated a test message in two and a half minutes. Without using the Navajo code, it could take hours for a soldier to complete the same task. From then on, the Code Talkers were used in every major operation involving the Marines in the Pacific theater. Their primary job was to transmit tactical information over telephone and radio. During the invasion of Iwo Jima, six Navajo Code Talkers were operating continuously. They sent more than 800 messages. All of the messages were transmitted without error. The Navajo Code Talkers were treated with the utmost respect by their fellow marines. Major Howard Connor, who was the signal officer of the Navajos at Iwo Jima, said, “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.”

Honors The hard work of the Navajo Code Talkers was not recognized until after the declassification of the operation in 1968. President Ronald Reagan gave the Code Talkers a Certificate of Recognition and declared August 14 “Navajo Code Talkers Day” in 1982. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a law which awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the original 29 Code Talkers. President George W. Bush presented the medals to the four surviving Code Talkers at a ceremony held in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington in July 2001.

Now Is the Time to Come Together ➔➔ Continued from page 6

are living the benefits and results of their partnership in the fight for our civil rights. I appreciate this every day and thank them for showing us the way. The mere fact that I can have a drink of water from any public fountain, or the fact that I don’t have to give up my seat or sit in the back of a bus compels me every single day to build partnerships that will fight HIV/AIDS in our community. Thank you Dr. King! Thank you Bayard Rustin! Thank you for showing us through living proof the importance and value of partnership. I hope that this World AIDS Day will mark the beginning of our partnership example for the next generation of leaders. Until There’s a Cure… Dee Bailey Founder Watchful Eye