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Mount Vernon’s Memorial Field Continued Construction Becomes A Sign For “Better Days Ahead Of Us” 

Olivia Barrios-Johnson
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Mount Vernon’s Memorial Field Continued Construction Becomes A Sign For “Better Days Ahead Of Us” 

As a newly retired United States Postal Service employee, Melvin Jones, 65, is excited to use his free time to once again run laps around the track and sit down on the bleachers of the newly renovated Memorial Field, to reminisce on the nearly 50 years in which he’s grown up in the city of Mount Vernon. 

After being closed down for over 10 years and going through four different mayors, the construction and rebuilding of Mount Vernon’s Memorial Field is currently in progress. In partnership with Westchester County, the field is now set to be completed by the late summer of 2022 and open in the fall of 2022 according to an interview with Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. 

Like Jones, many residents of Mount Vernon have long awaited the reopening of Memorial Field. A place where community members exercised as early as 5 a.m., gathered for events like concerts and cheered on their Mount Vernon Football team, the Knights, at games. 

Growing up, Jones considered Memorial Field a place where he would spend time with childhood friends to watch football games, “stay out of trouble” and even have his high school graduation ceremony. 

“Memorial field is a landmark,” Jones said. “It was a safe haven for everyone in the area to relax and unwind and let your guard down.” 

When Memorial Field closed down, Jones felt like it was a “big loss” to the community and created a disconnect between residents of Mount Vernon as they no longer had a singular place to commune. 

“Memorial Field was an eyesore,” Jones said. “When you get off the parkway the first thing you see is Memorial Field. I didn’t want everybody to look at Memorial Field and think Mount Vernon was that way and it’s not.” 

In efforts to make a difference and change the direction of the city, on July 15, 2020, Mount Vernon in collaboration with the County of Westchester, determined that The LandTek Group, Inc., submitted the low bid in the amount of $24,883,600 million to begin construction of Memorial Field, according to an official press release by Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. 

Two years later and day by day, the field is one step closer to completion. Jones believes that Mayor Patterson-Howard worked hard to “get the ball rolling” to make real progress on Memorial Field. 

The renovated Memorial Field will feature an NCAA regulation football field, an eight-lane track, tennis courts, locker rooms, a skateboard park, and seating for up to 3,900 people. 

Additionally, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitation of social gatherings and in-person events, the reopening of Memorial Field will also allow Mount Vernon residents to get back outside again and reconnect with one another.  

Nelda Bianca Bazil, 64, Founder and President of We Run Mount Vernon, believes that the reopening of Memorial Field will encourage residents of Mount Vernon to take ownership of their physical health and fitness. 

“For our survival, we must, absolutely must, have movement,” Bazil said. “And that’s what Memorial Field will bring back to our community, an opportunity for us to be able to move.”

We Run Mount Vernon consists of a group of individuals whose goal is to get the community healthier by “encouraging movement as part of a daily routine” according to the We Run Mount Vernon website.

Members of We Run Mount Vernon participate in weekly walks, runs, and hikes and conduct a one-hour fitness program for children. They also host an annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5k run/walk and are currently planning for their 2022 trot.   

“We want our children to know that physical activities should become part of your daily routine,” Bazil said. “We’re trying to shift the mindset for our kids…the next generation of Mount Vernon citizens should have fitness as part of a regularly scheduled thing that they do and then they can pass that baton to their children.”

Physical inactivity is more common among racial and ethnic minorities in most states according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Given that Mount Vernon consists of 62.7% of Black or African American people, and 17.4% of Latinx people according to the United States Census Bureau, Brazil believes that physical activity is a key component in reducing health disparities among these populations. 

“We want folks to know that the citizens in the City of Mount Vernon like any other city are concerned about health and our mission is that we are able to shift the paradigm in the next generation of our children,” Brazil said.  

Young Mount Vernon residents like Timothy Crump, 22, who also grew up here, believe that the completion of the field is a stepping stone to a greater Mount Vernon not only aesthetically, but also in regard to leadership. 

“There’s so many things that one person can do but in order to change a community, it takes a community,” Crump said.  “It’s all a matter of how everyone gets together after Memorial Field is built. Teamwork makes the dream work.” 

Echoing this same sentiment, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard is optimistic about the completion of Memorial Field and the various programming surrounding arts, culture, and fitness that residents can part take in. She is also excited for the long-term economic growth that the reopened field will provide for the city. 

Patterson-Howard wants to ensure there is a “balance” of free and paid programming along with contracts, advertising, and special events that would allow for “long-term maintenance and operations of the Memorial Field venue.” 

Patterson-Howard also gives thanks to those within City Hall and Westchester County Executive George Latimer and his team for their continued support and “team effort.”

“A project like Memorial Field has to be run like a relay race, not a hundred-yard dash,” Patterson-Howard said.  Despite the “hurdles,” she asserts, “we had to find solutions to challenges,” in order to move forward as a community and complete this project. She also stated that once the field is finished, it will be managed and maintained by the city of Mount Vernon. Additionally, there will be an opening ceremony with a ribbon cutting to signify the start of a new chapter for Memorial Field. 

Filled with anticipation to take his grandchildren down to the “modernized” Memorial Field, Jones is looking forward to introducing them to the place where he spent countless hours as a young man. He also hopes to “stretch [his] bones” and encourage other seniors to exercise. 

“We’re getting it back like it used to be,” Jones said. “Memorial field is on the move, it looks good from what I see on the outside and we’ve got better days ahead of us.” 

NYS Gubernatorial Candidate Jumaane Williams Interview

AJ Woodson
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NYS Gubernatorial Candidate Jumaane Williams Interview

Black Westchester presents Super Tuesdays With AJ Woodson and Damon K Jones

Our guest this week is NYS Gubernatorial Candidate Jumaane Williams

Keith Allen, Port Chester’s First African American Asst. Principal Understands The Assignment

Tatiana Pinheiro
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Keith Allen, Port Chester’s First African American Asst. Principal Understands The Assignment

This past fall the first African American Assistant Principal took office at Port Chester High School, in Port Chester, NY. According to the census.gov website, Port Chester in 2019 had an African American population of 4.1 %. Since then that population has decreased by almost 1 %. Today, Port Chester High School’s African American population falls at about 6.3%. With all the recent talk of equity, diversity and inclusion, Keith Allen’s role as ‘first’ is largely significant. Not only does he serve as the first black administrator at the high school itself, but also in the Port Chester school district. “I’m laying the foundation for things that may come after me. We all bring different perspectives and I’m okay with representing our black and brown kids”, says Allen. 

Almost a full year into the current school year, Allen sat down with me in the beginning of the term to acknowledge his transition into the new school year and admitted that it had its challenges, given the circumstances of the pandemic. “I realize that there are gaps in terms of socialization because of the pandemic. Everyone is transitioning back into the system of school”. But Allen was sure to get to work quickly, roaming the hallways getting to know the students inside and out of their classrooms. He understands the importance of identifying the needs of the kids to effectively serve them as Assistant Principle. He also understands the importance of providing students with the opportunity for representation and teaching them the value of their history. 

Allen has had his fair share of ‘first’. He was the only black teacher in Brewster Central District for 13 years, until he became the Assistant Principal there. While he served his 13 years as a teacher, he had an aid, a black woman, who he encouraged to go to school to get her degree so she could teach her own classroom full-time. Eventually, she acquired her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and became the second black teacher in the district. Her daughter followed her footsteps and then became the third. “The gift I’m giving, I’ve got to support our people, all people”. 

Allen allocates a lot of his energy into creating a safe space for the kids and knows that it is vital to establish trust and understanding, acknowledging the various life circumstances each of the kids have. He also emphasizes the importance of exposure to diverse backgrounds and environments. “In order for kids to leave their comfort zone, you create trust first. Once they make that decision to go outside of their comfort zone, let them know that you support their interest…you’ve got to get them to think beyond what they know”.

Allen is currently working on diversifying existing programs and expanding some of the after-school clubs like, the African American Club, by working closely with Ingraham Taylor, a long-time resident of Rye and board member of the Education Committee, and Committee Chair of the NAACP ACT-SO Coalition (Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) of Westchester. “Mr. Allen is an individual who is committed to empower and support the students to strive for success, and that’s all you can ever hope for”, says Taylor. 

When we last spoke, Allen had plans to bring in professionals of color, to show students that they can in fact be who they want to be in life. This school year, Allen has not neglected to put action behind his word. Students like Isaiah Dempson, Senior and Student Body President, believe that Mr. Allen has already made a positive impact. During Black History Month Allen made daily announcements to give a synopsis on Historical Black figures, he also brought in guest speakers from different professions like finance to share their success stories with students. Dempson says, “We’ve never experienced a Black History Month like we did this year. In my previous years, the month of February felt like it went by quickly, but not this year. He really made it fun, and we learned so much! Mr. Allen hasn’t just been helpful with Black History Month but also Women’s History Month. He’s really trying to be there for all the students, and I think he’s doing a good job at it”. 

Allen also believes in building community and feels that it is equally as important that the families of students feel integrated and a part of their child’s educational experience. “I want to connect the communities to the school, there is a lot of disconnect and I just want them to know that they are welcome here…their input is important”. 

Allen hopes to see more equitable programing that celebrates the culture of all students in the next five years and says he will continue to work diligently to make that possible.

About The Author: Tatiana Pinheiro is a Character Education instructor for a global non-profit organization and freelance entertainment journalist for SOHH.com, a hip-hop news website. She enjoys writing poetry, critical essays, film, and photography. She hopes to continue to grow her skill set as a multimedia journalist, eventually focusing on issues like segregation, and public housing.  She is currently working on a curated Instagram project, @nooomoreapologies which uses fashion, imagery, poetry, messaging, and juxtaposition to challenge stereotypes and the hood perception. ” I want people to understand that when you come from the hood or any sort of marginalized community, you can defy the odds and be so much more than your expected to be. There is power in owning who and where you are in life, especially if it doesn’t fit the standard and I have never fat the standard.”

Mount Vernon’s Rai Benjamin Wins Silver Medal With Second Faster Time Ever

AJ Woodson
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Mount Vernon’s Rai Benjamin Wins Silver Medal With Second Faster Time Ever

TOKYO – Rai Benjamin ran a race to remember in the men’s 400m hurdles on Monday, August 2, 2021. Benjamin won the silver medal, in his very first Olympics appearance, crossing the finish line in 46.17 seconds, the second-fastest time in history.

“If you would have told me I would run 46.1 [seconds] and lose, I would probably beat you up. I’d tell you to get out of my room,” Benjamin said after the race.

Benjamin, a native of Mount Vernon, NY captured the first Olympic medal of his career at the age of 24. He came up short by 0.11 seconds but he is still the number two ranked 400m hurdler in the world, and that is nothing to sneeze at. He broke a record that was set five years before he was born.

He won a silver medal in the men’s 400 m hurdles and a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the World Championships in 2019. In college, Benjamin ran for the UCLA Bruins and then the USC Trojans, where in early 2018 he was part of the team that set the world best time in the indoor 4 × 400 m relay with a time of 3:00.77. At the time, his relay split time of 44.35 s was the fastest ever recorded in an indoor race. In June of the same year, he also helped set the NCAA record in the same event but outdoors and ran what was at the time the second fastest 400 m hurdles race of all-time in 47.02 s.

Black Westchester congratulates and salutes Rai Benjamin, a Mount Vernon legend, and we look forward to witnessing the greatness ahead of him!

PBP Radio Episode 326 Corey Pegues – A Cops & Robbers Story

AJ Woodson
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PBP Radio Episode 326 Corey Pegues – A Cops & Robbers Story

Black Westchester presents The People Before Politics Radio Show Episode 326

With Hosts Damon K. Jones and AJ Woodson & Co-host Robert ‘Dr. Bob’ Baskerville

Our Guest this week is Corey Pegues, discussing his new documentary, “A Cops & Robbers Story”

Justice Dept Announces Pattern Or Practice Investigation Into MVPD

AJ Woodson
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Justice Dept Announces Pattern Or Practice Investigation Into MVPD

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) announced on Friday, December 3, 2021, that the Justice Department has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department (MVPD). The investigation will assess whether MVPD engages in a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing. The investigation will also assess MVPD’s use of force, strip and body cavity searches, and how it handles evidence. 

The department will conduct a comprehensive review of MVPD’s systems of accountability, including complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition and discipline. SDNY and the Civil Rights Division will also reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with the MVPD.

Prior to the announcement, department officials informed Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, MVPD Chief Marcel Olifiers, City Council President Marcus A. Griffith, Commissioner of Public Safety Glenn Scott, and Corporation Counsel Brian Johnson of the investigation. 

“An effective and accountable police department is a hallmark of a healthy and well-functioning democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that law enforcement agencies across our country use their authority in a manner that is constitutional, transparent and free from discrimination.”

“Police officers have tough jobs, and so many do their work honorably, lawfully, and with distinction, respecting the rights of the citizens they have sworn to protect,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “But when officers break the law, they violate their oath and undermine a community’s trust. We ask that anyone who has information relevant to the investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department to contact the Department of Justice via email at community.mvpd@usdoj.gov or to call (866) 985-1378.”

The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The Act allows the department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. This is the seventy-fourth investigation of a law enforcement agency conducted pursuant to this statute since it was enacted in 1994. The department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, as well as the Safe Streets Act of 1968; and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division, in Washington, D.C., will conduct this investigation.  Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via email at community.mvpd@usdoj.gov or by calling the toll free phone at (866)-985-1378. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s new reporting portal, available at www.civilrights.justice.gov.

Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.

I Caught COVID. You Should Get Vaccinated.

Dennis Richmond Jr
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I Caught COVID. You Should Get Vaccinated.

My name is Dennis Richmond, Jr., and I’m a 26-year-old New Yorker. Since March of 2020, I’ve been doing good. I made sure to wear my mask indoors and outdoors, I was socially distant, and I received both shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. I ran around New York City earlier this month, hitting everywhere from the Burnside Avenue section of the Bronx to the East New York Section of Brooklyn and from the Howard Beach section of Queens to Midtown Manhattan. I did most of this running around- maskless.

On Saturday, September 18th, 2021, I tested positive for COVID-19. The first thing that I had to do was let everybody I was around, know that they were exposed to COVID. Why were they exposed? Because of me. Even though I didn’t expose people on purpose, reaching out to people was an experience. One person asked me, “Is this a joke?” It wasn’t. Somebody else had told me “Thank you for telling me.” That was
a nice response, considering I just furthered the pandemic because I didn’t want to wear a mask.

After hearing some interesting responses, things got crazy. One person who I was around told me that if they tested positive for it, they wouldn’t tell anybody. Wait. If you catch the Rona, you’re not telling anybody around you? Somebody else dared to tell me after I told them my diagnosis, “That explains why I haven’t felt good all week.” Are, you, serious? For real? Don’t tell me that. I wasn’t glad to know that I had to let my relatives, who are seniors, know that they were exposed to COVID-19 too. I had seen an uncle of mine who’s 81. I had to let him and my aunt know.

I felt the urge to post my diagnosis on social media. I did, and I got a myriad of reactions and comments as a result. The amount of love that people showed me from social media and elsewhere was beautiful. This person lives in Queens, this one lives in Virginia, this one lives in Harlem, and this one lives in Pennsylvania. It was something.

Things got crazy yet again when I started conversing with people around my age about getting vaccinated. Young adults are so quick to smoke something and get high but hesitant to take a vaccine. It doesn’t make sense. You don’t know what’s in that loud, gelato, sour, or kush, but you’ll smoke it. God, forbid you have to take a vaccine so you won’t spread a deadly virus.

Since COVID-19, I lost weight, I slept a ridiculous amount of time, and I had to quarantine in my room, in my house. If I had to say anything at all, it would be to please, just get vaccinated.

For real. Get vaccinated.

Stolen In Ghana. Sold In South Carolina.

Dennis Richmond Jr
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Stolen In Ghana. Sold In South Carolina.

My name is Dennis Richmond, Jr., and I am a 26-year-old author and genealogist. I have been examining my family tree since March of 2008. I am humbled to say that I made strides that many of those researching Black families only dream of making. I know the plantation that my family was on and, I know who owned them.

I also know where my ancestors came from in West Africa. My great, great-grandparents are Rhina Nelson and Brutus Bowens. Born on Saturday, December 28th, 1889, Grandpa Brutus was one of the children of Gabriel Monday Bowens and Flora Stevens. He was born in Big Camp, South Carolina. Big Camp is close to Pineville, SC. Grandpa Brutus, a farmer, and father of seven died of heart failure on October 29th, 1931, at just 41 years old.

My great, great-grandmother, Grandma Rhina, the daughter of Kate Nelson and a former slave named John Gould, died in 1950. She is resting in the Mexico Cemetery in Berkeley County. There are at least two dozen Bowens relatives buried in the Mexico Cemetery. The fact that there are first names in my family tree, like “Saturday” and “Monday,” suggests that my ancestors descend from the Akan people of Ghana.

My great, great, great grandmother is Grandma Kate Nelson. Grandma Kate was born c.1866 in Berkeley County, South Carolina. Her parents are Primus Nelson, born c.1842, and Sarah Wiggins, born c. 1845. Grandpa John Gould was the son of Cain Gould and Henrietta Westin. I found my family through census records, death records, and with the help of a special genealogist named Jeanie Glaser. My ancestors Primus and Sarah were born in the Mexico area of Berkeley County.

The goldmine for me was locating several of my ancestors in an estate inventory. Primus, Sarah, Cain, and Monday all appeared in the estate papers for Major Samuel Porcher in 1851. Samuel Porcher owned close to 400 slaves at the time of his death. All his property had value. His property included my ancestors. I saw
prices next to all my ancestor’s names. Imagine waking up and being told that you were worth $340.

I learned that Grandpa Cain’s parents were named Quashy and Sappho, Grandpa Gabriel’s parents were Moses and Lizette, and Grandpa Primus was a child of Billy and Lucy. Galboa and Silvey were the names of Grandma Sarah’s parents.

My ancestors were slaves on the Mexico Plantation in Berkeley County, South Carolina. My ancestry doesn’t start on the Mexico Plantation, though. DNA evidence from multiple descendants of Grandpa Brutus and Grandma Rhina shows Ghanaian Ancestry. Those Akan naming traditions survived Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, the slave ships, and the Mexico Plantation, all the way to 2021 to allow me to write about them today.

Many of my ancestors in this branch of my family descend from people stolen from Ghana. My African ancestors didn’t come to America by choice.

It’s time for me to take a trip back home.

The Greenburgh Housing Relocation Crisis Update

AJ Woodson
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The Greenburgh Housing Relocation Crisis Update

Okay, once again, it’s time for some REAL TALK!

The Greenburgh Housing Authority’s Executive Director, Raju Abraham, sent a strongly worded email, Thursday afternoon to the Greenburgh Human Rights Advisory Committee that if they continue with their scheduled Rally, Sunday, August 22nd that they will be arrested.

Ms. Goodman

Please be informed that 100 Greenvale Circle is owned by Greenburgh Heights LLC, a private entity, which is managed by the Greenburgh Housing Authority. I have been informed via social media and other sources that an organization named “ Greenburgh Human Rights “  and Greenburgh Human Rights Advisory Committee chaired by you, is holding a Tenant rally on this property on August 22, 2021 at 6 PM. We don’t allow, and we have not given permission for such rallies and gatherings to be held on our property and it will be construed as trespassing on private property . We have informed authorities on this matter. We request you to take necessary actions to prevent this rally from taking place on our property.

Sincerely,
Raju Abraham
Executive Director
Greenburgh Housing Authority
9 Maple Street, White Plains, NY 10603.
Ph. 914 946 2110

The Greenburgh Human Rights Advisory Committee – that serves as a resource to help facilitate better understanding among the diverse groups in the Town of Greenburgh. NY. – agreed to refrain from holding a committee-sanctioned rally. But several individuals acting on their own tell Black Westchester they refuse to stand down, vowing to continue with the rally Sunday from 6-8PM as scheduled to advocate for the residents being relocated. They say they will be there letting the residents know their rights and that they have resources like the Westchester Residential Opportunities.

“Black people are free,” Housing Advocate, Mechelle Brown, and Stephanie Swann, who is a resident of Greenburgh Heights LLC, shared with Black Westchester. “People that live in the Greenburgh Housing Authority are entitled to invite people to their homes to exercise their First Amendment – which guarantees freedom of expression and the right of citizens to assemble peaceably. We were invited by the residents and fully plan to be there for them.”

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner stated in a follow-up email that he would be happy to participate in meetings with tenants and to use my office to help the Housing Authority make the temporary move as stress-free as possible.

“I like the idea of having individual meetings in different complexes with as many tenants who would like to participate. Town officials, the housing authority, the housing action council and tenants can all meet together. Hopefully, we can help find housing within or very close to the school district,” Feiner wrote. “And we could ease some of the anxiety that many of the tenants have.  I’m hopeful that at the end of the process the tenants will feel that we all tried hard and fought for a good quality of life for them while construction took place.”

This is where I am a little confused. If the Town Supervisor likes the idea of having meetings at the different complexes, why is the Greenburgh Housing Authority threatening to have those scheduled to rally behind the tenants arrested? Aren’t the GHA appointed by the Town Board? A quick Google search revealed that the Board is comprised of four Council members, who are elected for a four-year term, and the Supervisor, who is elected for a two-year term. Are the officials of Greenburgh taking out of both sides of their mouths?

According to their website, “At the Greenburgh Housing Authority, the tenant matters!” Their Customer Care Service Pledge states that Greenburgh Housing Authority commissioners and employees are dedicated to providing you with excellent service. We thank you for being our clients. Our goal is to completely satisfy your housing needs. That’s all sounds good, but from the tenants we have spoken to, they do not feel like they matter and are receiving anything but the excellent care the GHA pledges on their website.

So for those keeping score or playing catch, allow me to go back to how Black Westchester first got involved. Black Westchester received a letter to the editor alleging that seniors are being displaced. We received several calls and emails from residents for about three weeks about he situation, mostly in support of the allegations in the letter asking me to help shed light on what’s going on. Then we started receiving emails from Raju Abraham, the Executive Director of the Greenburgh Housing Authority (GHA), and were provided with links to a video of a meeting where members of the GHA stated that the letter to the editor was full of misrepresentations of the facts. We received calls about residents being silent when trying to speak up, including a senior or two.

So, after many calls for Black Westchester to look into what’s really going on, we scheduled a special edition of our weekly talk radio show, People Before Politics. Friday, March 19th and Dr. Bob and I held a forum to open up dialogue to try to bring out some solutions. We invited the Chairman of GHA’s Board Bishop Wilbert Preston – who says the letter by Greenburgh Housing Authority’s Federal Sites Commissioner Renee Robinson was misleading – Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, Executive Director of Greenburgh /Ceo Greenburgh Housing Authority, Raju Abraham (who did not appear on the show), Greenburgh Housing Authority’s Federal Sites Commissioner Renee Robinson, Former Greenburgh Housing Authority State Site Commissioner Clifford Abramson (who did not appear on the show), Town Supervisor Candidate Tasha Young (who has been advocating for those relocated) and a few others including one senior, Mrs. Lorraine Frazier who came of to backed up Commissioner Renee Robinson’s letter, as well as share her experience (no heat and broken toilet that keep backing up) and the experience of other seniors (who are without food and ended up in a nursing home) who feared retaliation and did not want to appear.

We scheduled a special edition of PBP Radio, five months ago today on March 19th and we are no closer to getting to the bottom of things and have not received any responses to our follow up emails requesting updates spoken about during the show. We promised then the show wasn’t going to be a one off and we weren’t going anywhere. You can watch the recording of the radio show here, and see what was said and promised five months ago. As promised on the show to all involved Black Westchester will be following this situation all the way through and continue to shed light on what’s going on with the Greenburgh Housing Relocation Crisis and will report back what happens Sunday evening at the rally. We invite all involved to contact us for a follow up interview because

Blacks Winning For America By Brother John Morrison

Black Westchester
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Blacks Winning For America By Brother John Morrison

24-year-old Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast and is considered one of the greatest and most dominant gymnasts of all time. Those who attack or question her decision to step down, you could never survive a day in her shoes.

Like the Federalist.com’s John Daniel Davidson who wrote “Sorry, Simone Biles, The Olympics isn’t about you, It’s about winning for America.”

What do Black People gain by winning for America? Let’s see!

1936
Jesse Owens won 4 Gold medals representing America, returning back to America, he was still forced to enter through the back door of a Reception held in “HIS HONOR”.

1960
Muhammad Ali known then as Cassius Clay, won a gold medal in the Rome 1960 Olympic Games. representing America. After returning home and being declined service at a “HOMETOWN”
restaurant in Louisville KY, because he was an African-American, Cassius Clay was so angry that he threw his gold medal into a river.

1968
John Carlos Bronze Medalist and Tommie Smith Gold Medalist, track and field winners in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and their Black Power salute on the podium caused them to be Black Bald and Ridiculed. “Niggers need to go back to Africa!” and, “I can’t believe this is how you niggers treat us after we let you run in our games.”

The Olympic Commission has made sure something like this will never happen again, you must sign a waiver now, whatever the Commission considers inappropriate actions will not be demonstrated or you will be immediately suspended.

2012
Allyson Felix is the 2012 Olympic gold medal winner, and a three-time world champion – maintaining the title from 2005 through to 2009. She’s the only Olympic female track star to win six gold Medals Representing America.

Allyson Felix said her “stomach dropped” when she was asked to participate in a female-empowerment ad for Nike while negotiating maternity protections with the company.” I was like, this is just beyond disrespectful. She was eventually dropped.

2012 – 2016
Gabrielle Douglas won the 2012 Olympic all-around champion and the 2015 World all-around silver medalist Representing America. Returning home her biggest Obstacle was her “HAIR”. She was humiliated because her hair wasn’t acceptable to America. Remember the statement, “She is cute, but my God look at her HAIR” That phrase elicits in every American black woman a particularly dehumanizing and existential dread — a fear, a state of mind, a poison distilled from over 400 years of not having “good enough” hair.

2021
Simone Biles member of the 2016 Olympic gymnastics team referred to as the “FINAL FIVE”, where Simone won her 25th World Championship Medal that fall. She now has a Combined 30 Olympic and World Championship Medals. Simone has announced she will be dropping from the Competition due to Mental Issues.

Some believe she’s faking, she just doesn’t have tough skin, how dare you let America down. Again she has nothing.to prove or really explain to anyone. Some want to know exactly what Mental illness she is dealing with. America should be looking at the many Athletes who are dealing with Mental illness and start addressing it. Some black people will say, well we have come a long way. How far exactly have we come?

We are still getting crumbs and acting like, yes we are moving forward. Yet we are still being Disrespected, Targeted, and Separated. But, hey to some It’s getting better. We’re moving in the right direction.

“SHUT UP AND PLAY”
“SHUT UP AND PLAY TENNIS”
“SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE”
“JUST SHUT UP PERIOD”

It’s now 2021 and we still represent America with Pride, but still fighting for the same exact thing, Equality, Justice, and Human Rights.

John Morrison Aka Brother John is the Head Coach of the YO.K.O Boxing Team, which has produced 5 Golden Gloves Champions, 3 Ringside Champions, and 10 Junior Olympic Champions. He is the Co-founder of Brother 2 Brother Radio, bringing information to the Community, and is the President and co-founder of the 100 Black Fathers for Change Organization.

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