People Before Politics Radio – Real Talk For The Community With Damon K. Jones, AJ Woodson & Cynthia Turnquest-Jones
Our guests this week are NYS Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins & Westchester County Legislator Ken Jenkins
Black Law Enforcement Organzations & Victims Families Take Their Outrage To PBA President Pat Lynch’s Front Door
Black Police & Victims’ Families Hold Press Conference Outside PBA HQ To Respond To Lynch’s Inflammatory Rhetoric
Black law enforcement organizations, including Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, Law Enforcement Alliance, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, as well as the family of Eric Garner, the father of Ramarley Graham, and family members of other victims who have been killed at the hands of police, held a press conference on the steps of PBA to denounce recent comments by PBA president Pat Lynch
“As Black Law Enforcement Professionals, we are outraged over the inflammatory remarks of NYC PBA President Pat Lynch,” states Damon K. Jones of Blacks In Law Enforcement of America. “Mr. Lynch has been nothing less than professional when dealing with the death of Eric Garner. The family and supporters call for oversight and accountability of those who claim to protect and serve. We will be gathering to denounce the incisive rhetoric of PBA President Pat Lynch towards incidents involving possible Police Criminality toward communities of color in New York City.”
“It’s ludicrous for Patty Lynch, a longtime police officer, to declare that the officer did not used an unauthorized tactic, which is a chokehold,” said Noel Leader of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care.
“Not one time did I have training that told me to come behind somebody, jump on their neck, put all my weight on him, drag him to the ground,” said Corey Pegues of the Law Enforcement Alliance, who retired this year as the commanding officer at the 67th Precinct in Brooklyn.
“Come back out and apologize to these communities for the statements that they’re making,” said Dennis Jones of the Law Enforcement Alliance.
“As Law Enforcement Professionals, we do understand that Law Enforcement unions play a distinct role in the protection of labor rights for their union members, BLEA’s Jones continues. “However, when labor rights are used as a cover-up for violations of department policy and procedures, it can lead to criminal acts and violations of civil and constitutional rights of citizens by law enforcement.”
One of Garner’s cousins stood silently with the group, but Frank Graham voiced his outrage. He’s the father of Ramarley Graham, an unarmed teenager shot and killed by police in the Bronx in 2012.
“You need to think twice before you say some of the things you say, because all you’re doing is dividing the city,” Frank Graham said.
The group said while it doesn’t believe the officer wanted to kill Garner, someone must be punished.
Legendary Actress And Civil Rights Activist, Ruby Dee Dies At 91
Nine years and four months after the death of her husband, iconic actress, activist, and poet Ruby Dee passed away at 91 years old.
Dee died peacefully on Wednesday, June 11th, at her New Rochelle, New York, home. Nora Davis Day told The Associated Press on Thursday that her mother died at home in New Rochelle on Wednesday night of “natural causes.”
Dee, who frequently acted alongside her husband of 56 years, Ossie Davis, was surrounded by family and friends, she added.
“We have had her for so long, and we loved her so much,” Day said. “She took her final bow last night at home, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.” Day added: “We gave her our permission to set sail,” said Day. “She opened her eyes, closed her eyes and away she went.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1924, she was an actress, poet, screenwriter, and activist who won a plethora of awards for her work including a Grammy, Emmy, Obie, Drama Desk, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Awards. She is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.
Her career spanned over seven decades, beginning on Broadway, where she made several appearances before receiving her first film role in 1949, in the musical drama “That Man of Mine.” She received national recognition for her role in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story and gained acclaim for her starring roles, including the 1960s film “A Raisin in the Sun,” several Spike Lee movies, such as “Do The Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever,” and in more recent years, “American Gangster,” starring Mount Vernon native Denzel Washington. She can also be seen in the upcoming crime drama “King Dog” opposite Ice-T, still in production, which was her final film.
Dee and her late husband Ossie Davis, who died February 4, 2005, not only collaborated together on-screen but were also active fighters in the Civil Rights movement, working alongside Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
A private service will be held for family and friends to remember the star. A public memorial will be held at a later date. Stay tuned to Black Westchester Magazine for an official tribute, coverage of the memorial, and further information or updates.
Air Billionaire: MJ Joins The Billionaire Club
Michael Jordan, considered by many as the G.O.A.T. becomes a Billionaire (yes we said Billion with a B). Now CNBC and others are reporting MJ is the first billionaire athlete, while Golf Magazine gave the honor to Tiger Woods in February. All we know is whether he is truly the first athlete or not, it’s an incredible accomplishment that needs to be uplifted.
CNBC reports Tiger Woods is supposedly on track to reach $1 billion next year, though his agent Mark Steinberg told CNBC he doesn’t keep an official tally anywhere. Mention by many, LeBron James is the dude who is thought to be most likely to follow Woods. But even six and a half year after MJ played his last game, five years after being inducted in the Hall Of Fame, he still setting the bar.
According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes, Jordan recently increased his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80 percent to 89.5 percent, which put MJ over the billionaire threshold. Given the 2014 sale prices of the Milwaukee Bucks ($550 million) and Los Angeles Clippers ($2 billion), Forbes now estimates Jordan’s Hornets are worth between $600 million and $625 million.
Mike Ozanian writes: Our net worth figure for Jordan uses the $600 million figure. The Hornets have $135 million of debt, which makes Jordan’s equity in the team worth $416 million. After subtracting all the cash Jordan has invested in the team, we estimate his net worth outside of the Hornets to be $600 million, giving him a net worth of a $1 billion.
In addition to that, his Nike brand, Jordan, topped $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time, according to CNBC. It appropriately comes 23 years after Nike reached $1 billion in revenue for the first time. At more than $1 billion in sales, the Jordan brand now makes up roughly 5 percent of Nike’s overall revenues.
This come just after Dr. Dre, the rapper/producer-cum-mogul recently became hip-hop’s first billionaire, when Apple paid $3 billion to acquire Beats Electronics, the headphone manufacturer and music streaming service in which Dre and partner Jimmy Iovine had around a 50-percent stake.
In an era where everyone post and repost whatever there hear and see without checking the facts, in the matter of whose first, I figured I’d check Forbes for myself and this is what they had to say in an article online on the matter: So is MJ the first billionaire athlete? Sort of. In September 2009, Forbes bestowed that title upon Tiger Woods. Two month later, Tiger crashed his Escalade and began his fall from grace. He’s not currently listed on Forbes comprehensive list of the world’s billionaires.
First or not, one thing is clear, from this point forth, you must now refer to Michael Jordan as Air Billionaire!
LeBron Earned $30 Mil in Dr Dre’s Apple Deal
Defending NBA champion, LeBron James, who may see his dreams of The Heat three-peat dashed if they don’t win the next 3 straight games has public aspirations to become the first billionaire active athlete.
Another thing he will have in common with Air Billionaire, Micheal Jordan, owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, who he is often compared to. Dr. Dre who appeared with James on the cover of the February 2013 issue of ESPN The Magazine, assisted him on that quest. It’s been reported that Lebron James acquired $30 million in stock and cash after the Beats by Dre sale by Apple.
Even though his Heat are one game away from elimination, King James does have something to smile about since he has reportedly raked in 1% of the $3 billion sale of the headphone and music streaming company. Dr. Dre and partner Jimmy Iovine gave James prototypes of the Beats headphones back in 2008, prior to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Lebron James was given a share in Beats by Dre in exchange for promoting the headset. According ESPN, this deal is being dubbed “the biggest equity cash payout for a professional athlete in history”.
Apple announced its plans to acquire Beats by Dre and Beats Music and bring both Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine into the Apple fold in May. The acquisition is expected to close in Q4 2014. It is still unclear if James will continue to work with Beats following the closing of the Apple acquisition. James who is in position to make another Decision, and can test the market again in the 2014 free agency, is well-known to be the top spokesperson for Apple’s main rival, Samsung.
On The Road To Riches And Championship Rings: The 2014 NBA Finals
The defending Champs, The Miami Heat are out to repeat as The San Antonio Spurs want to avenge last year’s finals. Both teams have something to prove. 10-Time All-Star, LeBron James and 14-Time All-Star, Tim Duncan lead their teams in a Finals rematch with legacies on the line and rings on their minds.
For the Spurs, don’t call it a comeback; they’ve been here for years. It’s been much blood, sweat, and tears to get in position to erase the Game 6 collapse, where they literally saw their demise with a Ray Allen trey that led to their championship trophy disappearing before their eyes.
The Heat want to accomplish the feat of the three-peat joining Jordan’s Bulls and the Kobe and Shaq’s Los Angeles Lakers. We are witnessing the best two teams of the NBA go for broke and show they ain’t no joke.
Neither team is going out without a fight, as records were broken in game three at American Airlines Arena. The Spurs take game three convincingly to go up 2-1, but I have a feeling it’s far from over. One thing is for certain: this is going to be a long series. It will come down to who wants it more. I expect the Heat to bring the noise in game four!
Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher Reunite As Fisher Becomes New York Knicks Head Coach
he next major move in the new Phil Jackson administration was to secure, 5-time champion, 13th time All-Star, Derek Fisher as the new head coach of The New York Knicks, in a deal worth $5 million dollar over 5 years.
Knicks President Phil Jackson who is challenged to rebuild the Knicks and surrounding himself with people he’s associated with and has alliances to, coached Fisher on all of his five Los Angeles Lakers championship teams from 2000 to 2010. Now Fisher follows Jason Kidd who coached the Brooklyn Nets directly after retiring from the Knicks and makes that transition into head-coaching immediately after retiring as a player with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Coaching allows for you to positively impact other people’s lives,” Fisher said of his new position as the 26th head coach of the New York Knicks. “That’s exciting to me.”
Many were disappointed when Jackson’s first choice, Steve Kerr, decided to take the vacant Golden State Warriors job but I think that was actually a good look. Personally I don’t think Steve Kerr would have held up well under the sometime relentless and unforgiving New York Media. I believe Fisher has the muscle, thick-skin and championship pedigree and a just the right amount of arrogance that New Yorkers appreciate (as long as your winning)!
With all the African-American head coaches that were recently fired including the former Knicks head coach, Mike Woodson and former New York Knick player and former Golden State Warrior coach, Mark Jackson, I am glad that Derek Fisher was generously compensated as the 18 year veteran now becomes a rookie coach.
What does this mean for Melo staying or leaving, I don’t know, but I do believe Phil Jackson has taken another important step in putting his stamp on the organization he’s challenged to restore to a winning franchise. I believe Phil will be hands on in the beginning at training camp as coach, training Fisher and composing the remainder of the coaching staff. The fact, Fisher is open to learning from his former coach I think makes this a good look for the future of The Knicks!
Black NYS Patrol Officers Held At Gunpoint By White Officers While On Duty!!!
Fight The Power: I’m standing on the steps of White Plains Federal Courthouse while four Black Parole Officers who were detained at gunpoint by white police in Upstate, NY, announce their lawsuit, demanding justice for being unlawfully detained and having their Civil Rights violated.
While they were describing the events that took place, I found myself asking, What part of the game is it when Black law enforcement officers have to fear being shot and killed by white cops? It’s time for some Real Talk!
If black law enforcement officers can’t feel safe while doing their job in uniform, what chance do regular cats like me have? They wonder why the urban youth of America have a ‘f the police’ attitude.
It’s hard enough to get the urban youth to join the police department to defend our neighborhoods when they see albeit isolated incidents like this.
What gets me about this? Where is the outrage from the black community? Has it gotten so bad that we just accept it as the way it is? Where are the black leaders? Where is the unity of the blacks in law enforcement for their brother and sister officers? Where is the coverage from the media?
As of yet, there has been no investigation, no suspensions, and no demand for justice. How do we expect it to change if injustices like this continue to go unchecked?
Below, check out the video of the press conference of the four NYS Parole Officers who were unlawfully held at gunpoint while on duty by white police officers in Rockland County.
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