Kings House of Fire, co-founded by mother/son duo Joan and Walter King, is a lifestyle, cannabis brand focused on delivering the highest quality cannabis and cannabis-infused products in a unique environment where each individual customer is seen, heard, and understood. Being one of the largest cannabis dispensaries in New York, they pride themselves with catering to a wide variety of consumers where they can safely purchase, learn, and enjoy cannabis culture.
Joan and Walter King, together they hold the CEO/CFO positions at the first legal dispensary in northern Westchester, located at 3006 E. Main Street in Cortlandt Manor, between Kohl’s Department store and a NAPA auto parts business.
“Walter King got the entrepreneurial chance of a lifetime when his mother Joan received a license from the state of New York to open a cannabis dispensary. But as the founder and CFO of the new business, his first inclination was to dispense with the family name for the retail location on Route 6,” the Peekskill Herald reported. His hesitation stemmed from the types of other businesses his family ran involving child care and a children’s entertainment space. But the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to be transparent about who exactly was behind Kings House of Fire, the first legal dispensary in northern Westchester.
“We understand people’s concerns about doing two things that may contradict each other,” said Walter. “We make kids’ safety our first priority in our businesses. We will apply that same standard to the business of distributing cannabis. We’re giving people an opportunity to purchase a product in a legal, safe and controlled environment,” said Walter about the location that received approval from the Town of Cortlandt to open in the only section of the town zoned for a cannabis dispensary.
Joan has been an entrepreneur in upper Westchester County, NY for the past 30 years. She is a breast cancer survivor who chose natural healing as opposed to medicinal treatment. In her lifetime, Joan never used any drugs and always opted out of medicinal treatments which she even refused to use cannabis as part of the healing process. One thing Joan loves most about Kings House of Fire is that it changed her outlook on the cannabis industry in its entirety.
This is not a new journey for them as Joan has always believed in Walter’s vision and to date has supported him fully in all of his business endeavors.
Walter has been instrumental in managing and growing the family businesses since graduating college in 2019. Walter is well-known for his athleticism on the basketball court however off the court, he is a true visionary and entrepreneur. What Walter loves most about the cannabis industry is that it brings people together from all walks of life. You can be any race, gender, skin complexion or religion but share an interest in cannabis. Walter has big plans for Kings House of Fire. “You must have a divine purpose in this industry. It must be bigger than just selling cannabis. Yes, the opportunity is cool, but you must stand for something!”
The King family, from left Wykeima, Walter Jr., Wyquasia, Joan and Walter. (Photo courtesy of the LuxuRay Experience Inc/TLC Shoots LLC)
Joan and Walter have always been about helping the community and it is evident through the family businesses. Collectively the King family owns and operates five local businesses throughout Westchester County stemming from childcare, amusement, event planning, car repair and hair services. They are a true inspiration in family entrepreneurship.
Kings House of Fire intends to hire 15 people to work the dispensary and since his father runs a security business he will be vetting the employees and training them. “There will be identification checks at the point of sale, security cameras that New York state will have access to and licensed armed security guards,” said Walter. He is familiar with how that works from the daycare centers his sisters operate, where people are permitted to enter only via a buzzer door system.
For more information on King’s House of Fire visit their website and follow them on IG.
Tara Somersall’s creativity serving children of all ages has made Yonkers Public Library a community leader in meeting kids’ needs and preparing them for a lifetime of reading.
Over the past 22 years, Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers awards have offered a compelling snapshot of what’s up and coming in the library world, as well as how it has changed. Their 2024 Movers cohort represents a range of innovative, proactive, and supportive work; they are imaginative and kind and brave in a world that needs those qualities—and the results they produce—very much.
Library Journal (LJ) has revealed the winners of the 2024 Movers & Shakers awards, celebrating a dynamic group of Advocates, Community Builders, Change Agents, Innovators, Educators, and Ban Battlers representing diverse realms within the library profession.
Tara Somersall received this prestigious national award in the Innovator category for her work in early literacy while she was head of youth services at the Riverfront Library. During her tenure, she helped develop a comprehensive outreach program to local daycares, worked with local hospitals to connect new parents and babies with reading resources, and assisted in renovating The Cove and Sensory Room. In late 2023, she was promoted to Branch Administrator of the Grinton I. Will Library.
She is one of only 40 Movers & Shakers this year, and joins an esteemed group of over 1,000 librarian professionals across the nation and world that have been inducted over the last 22 years.
Tara Somersall’s creativity serving children of all ages has made Yonkers Public Library (YPL) a community leader in meeting kids’ needs and preparing them for a lifetime of reading.
Putting the “early” in early readership, Somersall worked with doctors and clinicians at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center to launch the Born to Read program, which focuses on parents reading, singing, and bonding with their baby. Her favorite part of that? “The ‘prescription to read’ that doctors provide to new families to promote the library and early literacy,” she says.
Somersall has collaborated with the Family Services Society of Yonkers (FSSY) on workshops for parents and caregivers, covering topics including mental health, nutrition, and financial literacy. FSSY’s intergenerational mentorship program, Summer Reading Buddies—which Somersall worked to expand—has volunteers read with and to elementary students, mentoring them for six weeks to develop relationships and track progress. In 2023, YPL hosted 110 mentors and 397 students who read 1,822 books.
She also partners with local childcare organizations to provide library cards and run the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program. “It seems so simple—bring story times to the daycare centers,” Somersall says, “but it really expanded our ability to serve more children and families.”
Somersall’s changes to the children’s department have been “transformational,” says YPL Deputy Director Shauna Porteus—not only helping redesign and open The Cove, a multipurpose indoor play and learning space for pre-K kids and their caregivers, as well as the county’s first Sensory Room, but also through her emphasis on hiring presenters and developing programs that are representative of the communities the library serves. “One mother told Tara that seeing someone that looks like her and her daughter meant the world to them,” says Porteus.
Ella Baker, “The Mother of Civil Rights” earned her bonafides by the influence she had on shaping the Civil Rights Movement. Hers was not a charismatic flame like Dr. King’s, but nearly as instrumental! From teaching Rosa Parks how to protest, to being one of the female voices of the SCLC, she quietly had her fingerprints all over the Civil Rights Movement.
The fact that she was a female leader in the testosterone filled room was an impediment. The historical publication All Things Interesting [ATI.com] delineated her struggles,“All the odds were against her as a Black woman in her time.” In 1958 she worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Their flare ups were noted in Time, “Her relationship with Dr. King, however, was tense: Despite her level of experience and proven track record, he had difficulty allowing a woman’s decisions to trump his own, and her idea was that the organization should devote its resources more to promoting and enabling its overall mission rather than celebrating a charismatic leader.”
ATI.com wrote, “Baker often clashed with King, though. King balked at the notion that a woman may have ideas beyond his own. An early SCLC member said of King’s behavior that it was just a consequence of his time and circumstance: ‘unless someone was male and a member of the inner circle of the church, it could be difficult to overcome the preacher’s ego.’”
Born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1903, she was raised in rural North Carolina. Blackpast.org recounts the guidance she received from her Grandmother. “… told young Ella stories of the cruelties she endured at the hands of slave owners… But she bore the beatings with pride and resilience…” That common thread among the downtrodden is what propelled Miss Ella in her quest for Black equality. She graduated class valedictorian in 1927 from Shaw University, and moved to New York City. Britannica; noted her early activism began, “In the early 1930s, in one of her first efforts at implementing social improvement, she helped organize the Young Negroes Cooperative League.’
From 1940 to 1946, Miss Ella worked exhaustively in the NAACP. She rose from a job as field secretary to national director of various branches. Her role was to fundraise for the NAACP, and she traveled all over the country, trying to convince people that they deserved a voice. Many of the people she met had grandparents who were slaves, so they were skeptical that their effort could stop the constant degradation. Miss Ella used the shared lineage to slavery to inspire people to stand strong. The “Mother of Civil Rights” would not be deterred. To learn more read Ella Baker: Leader Behind the Scenes by Shyrlee Dallard.
“Give light and people will find the way.” – Ella Baker
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Leads Senate Confirmation of Westchester County Youth Bureau Director as NYS OCFS Commissioner
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousin and newly confirmed Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) DaMia Harris-Madden [Black Westchester]
Under the leadership of Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the New York State Senate confirmed the appointment Wednesday, May 15th of Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden as the new Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).
Dr. Harris-Madden previously served as Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau from 2018 until her appointment. Governor Kathy Hochul nominated her to the OCFS post, and on Wednesday, Sen. Stewart-Cousins brought a confirmation vote to the State Senate floor, with Dr. Harris-Madden and her family in attendance.
“As a Westchester resident and as somebody who has known Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden for years, I’m so pleased that the governor has selected her for this position,” Sen. Stewart-Cousins said. “As Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau, Dr. Harris-Madden kept a focus on the youth of our county by developing and implementing more than 200 youth-centered programs each year to support and nurture children, including implementing the OCFS Youth Development Program and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program in Westchester. She is an exceptional leader, and the Office of Children and Family Services will be an even better organization under her leadership.”
“What a week! It is a privilege and honor to be confirmed as the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services. I am immensely grateful and humbled by Governor Hochul’s nomination, the Senators that unanimously confirmed me, and the praying families and friends who supported me,” Dr. Harris-Madden shared with Black Westchester.
Sen. Stewart-Cousins’ comments were echoed by Bernie Dean, the Acting Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau, who thanked Dr. Harris-Madden for her excellent work in Westchester and wished her the best in her new role.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the nomination of Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden to serve as Commissioner of the New York State OCFS, on Friday, March 8th.
“My administration is committed to putting families first, and the Office of Children and Family Services plays a critical role in that effort,” Hochul said in a statement. “Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden is a tested, experienced leader who will be an important part of our work to make New York an even better place to raise a family.”
“I am incredibly humbled and deeply grateful to be nominated by Governor Hochul as the next Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services—an immense agency that touches the lives of nearly every New Yorker.” Dr Harris-Madden shared with Black Westchester after her nomination. “It will be both an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity, wholeheartedly embracing the opportunities to create a meaningful impact that enhances the overall well-being of all New Yorkers. Twenty-three years ago, I made the life-changing decision to leave the private sector and dedicate myself to working on behalf of the most vulnerable: children and youth. Looking back, it was undoubtedly the best decision I could have made. My upbringing and experiences in the City of Mount Vernon inspired me personally and professionally, shaping my commitment to making a difference. I found the funding and resources to create many programs based on what I would have liked as a child growing up in Mount Vernon, what the youth advised me of as their wants and needs, and the research that pointed to promising practices that would make children, youth, and families thrive.”
Dr. Harris-Madden has spent 20 years working at the intersections of government, education, business, and the non-profit sectors. She worked as Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau, within the County Executive’s office. She was responsible for managing a department that deploys financial and technical resources to hundreds of programs and contractors operated by nonprofit, private, and municipal agencies that support children, youth, and families within the 46 communities of Westchester County.
Before joining the Westchester County Youth Bureau, Dr. Harris-Madden served in four mayoral cabinets in the City of Mount Vernon, where she expanded the city’s services significantly. She has served as a federal and local grant reviewer and a New York State 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program evaluator.
The OCFS is an agency of the New York State Department of Family Assistance, and provides families and youth with services and resources across a broad spectrum, helping families find childcare, working to prevent child abuse, overseeing the state’s foster system for children and parents, providing health care and disability services, and a host of other functions.
Black Westchester congratulates and celebrates Dr. DaMia Hadden-Harris, a true Black Westchester Legend!
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Liberation Day, is the oldest known celebration that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. Join us as we come together to celebrate this historic and momentous occasion and kick off a month-long series of Juneteenth activities around Westchester and Rockland Counties.
Saturday, June 1, 2024 | 12-4pm 2024 Countywide Juneteenth Kick-off Celebration | The First Supper
Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, One Remington Place, New Rochelle, NY – FREE
THIS EVENT HAS REACHED CAPACITY! Come break bread with us as we kick-off Juneteenth celebrations across Westchester and Rockland Counties! This year’s program will include the staging of an original Juneteenth play, historical reenactments, food presentations, a communal meal prepared by award-winning Chef El-Amin, music and dance performances by regional artists, educations workshops for youth, local vendors and more!
This program is part of the Westchester Roots series, in partnership with ArtsWestchester, Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, City of New Rochelle, Lincoln Park Conservatory and Westchester County government.
*Organized by: Ardsley Multicultural, Diversity and Inclusion Committee | ArtsWestchester | Antioch Baptist Church-Bedford Juneteenth Committee | Equity for All Lewisboro | Friends of the African American Cemetery | Haverstraw African American Connection | Irvington Juneteenth | Lincoln Park Conservancy | Mamaroneck Juneteenth | Mount Kisco Juneteenth | Mount Vernon Department of Recreation | Ossining Juneteenth Council | Peekskill Youth Bureau | Pelham Juneteenth | Port Chester Historical Society | Pound Ridge Juneteenth | Town of Greenburgh | Tuckahoe Juneteenth Committee | Westchester African American Advisory Board | White Plains Juneteenth Heritage Inc. | Yonkers African American Heritage Committee
Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony June 1 | 9:30am Market Square | Main & Spring Streets Presented by The Juneteenth Council and Village of Ossining
Ballroom Has Something to Say: An Ode to Black Gay/Queer Men June 21 | 7pm-9pm Bethany Arts Community | 40 Somerstown Road Presented by ArtsWestchester, Bethany Art Community, The Loft and The Juneteenth Council
Icon Michael Roberson’s newest production presents an intergenerational history of the Black LGBTQ+ house ballroom community.
5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration June 22 | 12pm Louis Engel Waterfront Park Presented by The Juneteenth Council, The Town of Ossining, and Bethany Arts Community
Join us for an afternoon of culture, history, fellowship and more!
WBBTC 3rd Annual Juneteenth Tournament & Family Fun Day June 29 | 10am-2pm 95 Broadway Presented by The Juneteenth Council, This celebration includes performances, food, and vendors.
TLPC’s Juneteenth Celebration 2024 – Resilience! is a partnership with the City of New Rochelle. This is the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration hosted by TLPC and the City of New Rochelle. Events include: jazz concert, spoken word, African dance, historic trolley tour, kids games, exhibits, lectures, film screenings, gospel concert, drum line performance, African marketplace, food vendors and more. Juneteenth is citywide event with 10 participating community organizations and institutions and begins June 1st and ends June 30th.
June 19 | 12-6pm Glen Island Park Join the celebration including an Afreican marketplace, performances, a petting zoo, food trucks and more!
White PlainsJuneteenth Parade and Festival Downtown White Plains
Presented by White Plains Juneteenth Heritage Committee
This 20th annual community event of “Preserving the Legacy & History of Juneteenth” in downtown White Plains features a parade and festival, including arts and craft vendors, food, and entertainment for the whole family. The 2024 parade’s Grand Marshal is Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr. and special honorees White Plains Hospital, African American Men of Westchester, Karen Jenkins and Sheran Lyons..
For more info visit White Plains Juneteenth Heritage committee on Facebook.
PEEKSKILLJune 13, 15
Peekskill Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony, June 13 | 6pm City Hall, 840 Main Street Presented by Peekskill Youth Bureau, Tuesday Paige McDonald
13th Annual Parade & Festival, June 15 | starting at 1pm Presented by Peekskill Youth Bureau, Tuesday Paige McDonald
This year’s celebration theme is “Empowering the Next Generation.” Grand Marshals are Dr. Glenetta C. Phillips, Kenneth A. Phillips and Todd M. Scott. Annual Juneteenth Festival includes live entertainment, vendors offering unique and cultural goods and services, food vendors and community partners.
Parade Kickoff at 1pm – Park Street A.M.E. Zion Church, 1220 Park Street Parade Route – Park Street – Brown Street to Downton Park Street to N. Division Street Festival Starts at 2pm – Downtown Park Street & N. Division Street
GREENBURGH – June 14 | 5:30-8pm 177 Hillside Avenue
5th Annual Juneteenth Event Presented by Town Councilwoman Gina Jackson and Friends This day of celebration and remembrance in Greenburgh reflects on the past, rejoices in the progress made, and recommits to the work that still lies ahead. Rain Date: Friday, June 21, 5:30-8pmMore info:http://www.greenburghny.com/
YONKERSJune 14,15,19 | Various Locations and Times Annual Citywide Juneteenth African Heritage Festival Weekend Presented by Yonkers Downtown B.I.D, The Autism Project-FLOS, Inc.
This three-day celebration that includes a pan-African flag-raising ceremony, a parade and the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Educational Conference.
Pan-African Flag Raising CeremonyJune 14 | 3-5pm City Hall Plaza, South Broadway
A performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing with the raising of the Pan-African Flag will also include a short history of “Juneteenth and Ujima,” 2024 Juneteenth African Heritage Parade Marshall Bro Rich Crews, crowning of 2024 Juneteenth Queen & King, high school scholarship recipients, comments and proclamations from local politicians, light refreshments and music.
Juneteenth Heritage ParadeJune 15 | 1-3pm JFK Marina Park, John F Kennedy Memorial Dr
Parade day will include food, merchandise, vendors, prizes, arts and crafts, and family fun.
3rd Annual Juneteenth Educational ConferenceJune 19 | 12-4pm Nepperhan Community Center, 342 Warburton Avenue
This educational conference will showcase Dr. Alexandria Connelly, Dr. William Seraile, Dr. Bob Baskerville and Sierre Leone Ambassador AmaraTuray Jalloh. Performances will include Terrell Armstead and TRCY, African Libation Drum & Dance with the Afrikan Healing Circle, as well as live DJ Superior and refreshments.
Haverstraw African American Connection 2024 Juneteenth Events Presented by Haverstraw African American Connection
The Haverstraw African American Connection’s 2024 Juneteenth events will take place over four days. Activities include a live band, presentations, re-enactments, vendors, food, music, and the KIDZone. Location: Haverstraw African American Memorial Park, 41 Clinton Street
June 15 | Time to be announced – Haverstraw African American Memorial Park, 41 Clinton Street Join the community for the unveiling of Beacon of Hope, a permanent Harriet Tubman statue and the Freedom Wall Mural . More Info:http://www.thehaac.com/
ARDSLEYJune 16 | 1pm-4pm Pascone Park, 638 Ashford Ave
The Ardsley Multicultural Diversity and Inclusion Juneteenth Celebration Presented by: The Village of Ardsley
This event will include music, dance and poetry, as well as a DJ and local youth performances. Food and ice cream will also be available for purchase. More info:http://ardsleyvillage.com/
PELHAMJune 16 | 3-6pm
Juneteenth in the Village of Pelham Wolfs Lane Park – Presented by The Village of Pelham Council on the Arts
A day of celebration, inspiration, education, cultural connection and entertainment to honor the Juneteenth Federal Holiday. More Info:https://facebook.com/VOPCA10803
TUCKAHOEJune 17 | 12pm-6pm2023 Juneteenth Celebration Tuckahoe Poetry and Creative Writing Contest Main Street Park, 1-25 Marbledale Avenue
Presented by Tuckahoe Juneteenth Committee
Write a short poem or story about yourself, your community or problems you want to fix in the world. Submit your work to us and we will select 3 submissions to perform at our upcoming Juneteenth event and win a gift card. Best contact information email: tuckahoejuneteenth22@gmail.comAlternate location if it rains | Tuckahoe Community Center, 71 Columbus Avenue
MOUNT VERNONJune 19 | 12pm-3pm
Juneteenth Celebration Hartley Park | 144 N 5th Ave, Hartley Ave. Presented by the Mount Vernon Department of RecreationYusuf Shah Islamic Center
Recognizing the end of slavery as well as celebrating American culture and achievements.
Juneteenth In Pound Ridge Bush Lyon Homestead, 479 King Street Presented by Pound Ridge Partnership,Human Rights Advisory Committee, Pound Ridge Library, and Pound Ridge Library Foundation
A free Broadway performance will feature Dan Micciche, musical director of Wicked; and Stephanie Umoh, who plays Angelica Schuyler in the national tour of Hamilton. 6pmat The Green in Scotts Corners in Pound Ridge. More Info:https://poundridgepartnership.org/events/juneteenth/
PORT CHESTERJune 19 | 5:30-7:30pm
Juneteenth Celebration Bush Lyon Homestead, 479 King Street Presented by Port Chester Historical Society
This family-friendly event will feature music, poetry, history and community art.
Irvington’s 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration presented by Irvington Juneteenth Committee and the Village of Irvington
June 19 | 10:45-11:30am Ways to Fly Irvington Historical Society, 131 Main Street
This FREE workshop for kids grades frou (4) through six (6) focuses on the messages of hope and resilience seen in the sculptor Vinnie Bagwell’s Yesterday statue. The workshop will be grounded in the Jacqueline Woodson’s The Year We Learn to Fly story and will incorporate a discussions and art activity so participants can explore their own resilience techniques. Pre-registration is required.
June 22 | 2-5pm Celebrating the Legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, Villa Lewaro, 67 North Broadway
This historic street naming celebration in honor of Madam C.J. Walker at the legendary Villa Lewaro will be attended by Madam’s great, great granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles. There will also be music, food and tours of Villa Lewaro. This event is FREE, but pre-registration is required for the timed tours.
Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth Together! presented by Equity4All Lewisboro Town Park 1190 Route 35, South Salem
This event is open to the public to enjoy live music, food, crafts, games, family fun, and a dance DJ.
MOUNT KISCOJune 22 | 12:30pm-5pm
Mount Kisco’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration Train Station Parking Lot, Mount Kisco Presented by Aaliyah Thompson
This event is for people of all ages and races who want to have fun, educate, and create more diversity with love in the town we live in with a positive outcome. Includes food and entertainment.
Thank you for featuring Dr. Courtney Williams from Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions on the People Before Politics show recently. Though it may feel good to separate recycling from trash, the reality is that all that material often ends up in an incinerator like 40-year-old Wheelabrator Westchester in Peekskill, emitting harmful chemicals that affect everyone who breathes, especially those with asthma, COPD, and other respiratory conditions, lowering quality of life and raising the number of emergency room visits. One way to reduce the harmful effects of the incinerator emissions is to keep food scraps, such as vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and uneaten food, out of the trash. These materials cause the incinerator to burn more fuel and work inefficiently.
Instead of burning food scraps and breathing them in, we should compost them, which restores soil and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Community composting programs can improve public health, increase neighbor-to-neighbor connection, and provide jobs and job training skills to participants. For example, the Baltimore Compost Collective is a thriving organization that employs local youth and sustains community connection, using their compost to improve the lives of their neighbors by building their soil and growing nutritious food. Westchester communities like Peekskill have a similar opportunity, and food scrap collection programs already exist, though they are of limited availability to many residents. Peekskill NAACP is working with the Peekskill school district to provide food scrap recycling to students, and the Peekskill Conservation Advisory council is working to provide publicly available drop-off bins in downtown Peekskill.
Westchester County has earmarked $90,000.00 for a waste reduction study that could expand municipal composting programs. Rather than continuing to run the Wheelabrator incinerator, which has operated without a permit since 2021, County Executive George Latimer and the legislature should make full use of that $90,000.00 to secure cleaner air, make our communities more resilient, and improve the future for all residents. They need to hire a certified Zero Waste consultant to ensure that public health and the environment are the top priorities for an updated waste disposal system. Additionally, WASS applauds the $1.3 million approved for a composting facility that will serve the entire county, and we hope that Westchester communities find ways to make it easy for their residents to contribute to this facility. Currently, groups like WASS, the NAACP, and the Peekskill CAC are putting programs into place that the county isn’t offering, but we know that can change. — Travis Carpenter – Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions
[Editor’s Note, if you missed Dr. Williams appearance on Black Westchester presents the People Before Politics Radio Show you can see it here.]
Yesterday, numerous groups gathered outside Republican David Berkoff’s home for a fundraiser for Democrat George Latimer, sponsored by the Republican group Professional Group Plan.
As attendees engaged with each other, those outside Berkoff’s home were asked if they identified as Republicans, and the response was overwhelmingly affirmative.
During the event, one couple inquired about being a Republican at a Democratic candidate fundraiser. The man expressed his long-standing support for AIPAC. While he was engaged in a thoughtful debate with a protestor, the woman with him interrupted, stating that Congressman Jamaal Bowman was solely focused on Black justice and his people. She added, “I need someone who cares about Jews, not his people!“
This incident highlights the racism present in Westchester. For Black individuals not seeking political handouts, it is evident how deeply rooted racism is in this campaign. What’s even more disheartening is that Black people are being given this information and still don’t believe it. They don’t recognize that supporting George Latimer means supporting racist white people who are using him as a pawn to remove the first Black Congressman. So I ask the Black supporters of George Latimer, if they dont want Bowman to do for Black people, what do you think they want George Latimer to do for you?
Some white supporters of George Latimer do not want to see a Black man in office or show support for Black people. As the woman emphasized, she desires someone who prioritizes Jewish concerns over those of Black individuals.
The question arises: How can George Latimer claim to be a friend of Black people while accepting money from individuals who disregard Black issues and concerns?
Unfortunately, George Latimer has embraced this problematic stance. He has accepted millions from the racist AIPAC, taken money from MAGA Republicans, and accepted the strings attached to these funds. Despite his claims of connection to Mount Vernon, by assoiating himself with he appears distant from its Black roots, a point he often tries to argue against. As I write This article, he should feel more ashamed than I do.
Regrettably for George, regardless of the election outcome, his legacy will be associated with the face of a racist Westchester.
WESTCHESTER, NY—In response to a series of offensive posts by the Vice Chair of the Westchester County Democratic Committee on George Latimer’s Facebook page, Jennifer Cabrera and Peter Bernstein of the Westchester-Putnam Chapter of the New York Working Families Party have issued the following statement:
“We strongly condemn the harmful comments made by Latimer supporter and Vice Chair of the Westchester County Democratic Committee Terry Degatano. Her comments repeat racist stereotypes about Black men and call for the Congressman to suffer a stroke. When others objected, Vice Chair Degatano doubled down on her racist statements. This behavior is unacceptable from any person, much less a member of the County Democratic Committee’s leadership team. We urge George Latimer to denounce racist rhetoric from his supporters and for the Westchester County Democratic Committee to remove Degatano from her position in party leadership immediately.”
Black Westchester obtained screenshots of some of the comments made by Degatano on George Latimer’s Facebook post on the News 12 CD-16 debate
Black Westchester reached out to members of the Westchester County Democratic Committee by email including Chairwoman Suzanne M. Berger and Vice Chair Terry Degatano for a response or quote on the aforementioned Facebook comments of Degatano. While there is nothing wrong or illegal with a member of the county committee leadership supporting a candidate, is this acceptable behavior?
“Political dialogue can get heated and contentious. The remarks extracted below were not made on behalf of the Westchester County Democratic Committee. It’s my hope that all participants in the process will engage, civilly, without resort to racist, antisemitic, homophobic, islamophobic, ableist or other disparaging comments. I have personally made this point several times this season. This Democratic Party will continue to strive to be a home for all civic minded voters striving to protect and preserve our county and our country,” Westchester County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Susan Berger shared with Black Westchester
We have not heard back from Degatano. If she does send a statement of quote we will update the article. We know we are in the middle of silly season and this is a very heated and highly publicized race, so we ask you, do you feel this is acceptable behavior from a member of the county committee leadership? We would like to hear your thoughts below in the comment section.
Police Week is an annual observance that pays tribute to law enforcement officers who have lost their lives or become disabled in the line of duty. It is typically a time for communities to honor and recognize the sacrifices made by their local police officers. However, in Mount Vernon, the police officers chose to boycott Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard’s Police Week celebration as a show of solidarity and protest against ongoing issues within the department.
The tension between the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and City Hall under the Mayor’s administration has been growing due to disputes over pay, safety concerns, and understaffing. The PBA argues that these issues put both officers and the community at risk, leading to overworked and undervalued police officers.
The officers’ decision to boycott the event also highlights the city’s failure to pay the retroactive pay owed to them after agreeing to a contract they believed to be fair. This is particularly striking given that the city claimed not to have the funds, yet the city council and the Mayor gave themselves raises before paying the police their retroactive pay.
PBA President Nicholas Mastrogiorgio expressed the officers’ frustration, stating, “After being denied a contract for 6 years, still being out of contract, working short-staffed, and watching over 120 officers transfer, while still being the lowest-paid Department in Westchester, the least America could have done to help improve work conditions in Mount Vernon was give the officers the free benefit of a healthier, more family-friendly work schedule.”
The police officers’ boycott during a week meant to honor their service and sacrifices underscores the growing discontent and strained relationship between Mount Vernon’s law enforcement and the city’s leadership. It serves as a powerful statement of their dissatisfaction with the current working conditions and the lack of support they feel from the Mayor and City Hall.
