Caribbean American Weekly - ISSUE 54

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.CAWNYC.COM FOR MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION, FREE LEGAL CONSULTATIONS AND A CHANCE TO WIN A TV!

continued on page 6

continued on page 15

Success Starts on Thursday, June 25. Over 30 FREE Empowering Seminars ...see page 16

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.CAWNYC.COM TO ADVERTISE IN OUR PUBLICATION CALL 718-771-0988

FREE A D.B.A. OF I.Q. INC. ISSUE 54 VOLUME 13

‘I PUT IN WHITE TENANTS’: The Grim, Racist (and Likely Illegal)Methods of One Brooklyn Landlord BY D.W. GIBSON

BY WENDY FELIZ

BY JILLIAN BERMANHUFFINGTON POST

continued on page 11 Brian Figeroux, Esq.

2016 Presidential CandidatesWeigh-In on President Obama’sImmigration Action

FREE Legal consultations on

student loan issues.Call 718-222-3155.

Why Are All the Teachers White? ... see page 3Love & Money: The No-Stress Approach ... see page 5

College Debt Crippling Graduates’ Abilityto Gain Wealth

For the past three years, I've trav-eled around the city, talking withNew Yorkers as they experience

gentrification. There is little consensuson the topic — even the word itself isdefined differently by each of us. I'vespoken with tenants, activists, lawyers,investors, architects, construction work-ers, real-estate agents, drug dealers, busi-ness owners. Many people occupy sever-al of these spaces at once, a fact thatunderscores just how quickly this con-

versation becomes complicated.Ephraim is both developer and land-

lord. His thick beard and heavyset framemake him look much older than his 26years. He is a Hasid, and he started buy-ing buildings a few years ago, in thewake of the housing crash.

A real-estate agent introduced us."Anything for that guy," Ephraim told mewhen I asked if I could interview him.We met in Prospect-Lefferts Gardenswhere I found him sitting in his parked

Millions of Americans areplagued by student loans, analbatross hindering them

from taking adult financial steps likebuying a house or moving out of Momand Dad’s basement. The FederalReserve Bank of New York saidTuesday that outstanding student loanbalances recently grew to $1.16 trillionin the U.S. But one group is dispropor-

tionately affected by student debt. More than 40 percent of African-

American families had student loandebt in 2013, compared with 28 percentof white families, according to ananalysis by the Urban Institute, aWashington-based think tank studyingissues of education, health policy andlow-income families. African-American families also typically takeon more student debt — $10,295 onaverage, compared with an average of

Immigration policy has become ahot topic as the 2016 Presidentialprimary picks up steam. It is no

surprise that the issue of Presidentialauthority over immigration has takencenter stage in recent weeks as HillaryClinton, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bushhave all begun discussing their viewsaround how far the President shouldhave gone with respect to executive

HOTTOPICS:


Former Jamaica PM Says WeedCould Be Lucrative ... see page 2

Preventing Police Abuses...see page 10

Caribbean Star: Carol Maraj... see page 20

Time for Change in T&T?...see page 4

Guyana New President Calls for Unity...see page 2

Support for Green Businesses ... see page 22


NEWSBRIEFS2Caribbean Consulates

Anguilla845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-745-0277

Antigua & Barbuda610 Fifth Avenue, Suite 311New York, N.Y. 10020Tel: 212-541-4117

The Bahamas231 East 46th StreetNew York, N.Y. 10020Tel: 212-421-6420

Barbados820 Second Avenue, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-551-4325

Belize675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911New York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-949-1240

Dominica800 Second Avenue, Suite 400HNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-949-0853

Dominican Republic1500 Broadway, Suite 410New York, N.Y. 10036Tel: 212-768-2480

Grenada 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400KNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-599-0301

Guyana 308 West 38th StreetNew York, N.Y. 10018Tel: 212-947-5119

Haiti 815 Second Avenue,6th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-697-9767

Jamaica 767 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-935-9000

Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-838-6887

Montserrat845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-745-0200

Panama1212 Avenue of the Americas, 6th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10036Tel: 212-840-2450

St. Kitts & Nevis414 East 75th Street, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10021Tel: 212-535-5521

St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10007Tel: 212-697-9360

St. Maarten675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807New York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 800-786-2278

St. Vincent & The Grenadines801 Second Avenue, 21st FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-687-4981

Trinidad & Tobago125 Maiden LaneNew York, N.Y. 10038Tel: 212-682-7272

For more Consulate information go towww.cawnyc.com/directory

Former Jamaican PM Thinks WeedCould Be Very Lucrative

Emmanuel Baptist Church: Connecting People to Christ

At the recent 2015 annual town hallhosted by Western Union andGrace Kennedy LTD for the

Caribbean Diaspora here in New York,focused on the theme: “CaribbeanDiaspora-Borderless Possibilities,” for-mer Prime Minister of Jamaica, P.J.Pattersonn, jokingly, yet realistically,mentioned how valuable an economicresource the recently legitimized marijua-na cultivation in his country would be notonly for Jamaica, but for the Caribbean:“As I’ve been saying recently, that plant,which has been so much maligned, hastremendous scientific and medicinal qual-ities that it is too valuable to go up insmoke... Do you know that it is of suchvalue that sometime last year one ounceof CBD extracted from the sinsemillaplant was worth one ounce of gold on theworld market? So, we have to look atsome of the things with which we have anadvantage. I would like to enjoin you tounderstand that.”

As the person who coined the phrase,“Borderless Possibilities,” in his capacityas the keynote speaker, Patterson, stated,

'“When I took the oath as Prime Ministerfor the first time and subsequently forthree others, I have said that I envisagedJamaica as a land without boarders and Ihave never resigned from that view, butsought to promote it while I held politicaloffice and will still continue to do what Ican from the pavilion to encourage thepeople of the Caribbean. We have builtother countries, other nations; it’s time forus to help build the Caribbean. The peoplewho are present in this room representpersons who have reached the pinnacle inseveral fields of endeavor in a vast rangeof professions to which they belong andseveral are emerging as people to be reck-

oned with in the field of business and com-merce….you may be a Jew living in theUnited States, but while you are contribut-ing to the building of the nation here, youare also making sure that Israel is sup-ported and Israel is protected, and Israelis defended. Some of the phenomenalgrowth you are seeing occurring in India,comes from people who came here manyyears ago and went out up in the SiliconValley and learned their skills and tookthose skills back home with them and theyare now the driving force in the develop-ment which is taking place in India. TheChinese Diaspora, which had alreadybeen spread long before China, has beenemerging today as an economic super-power, is linked with the trade, the devel-opment and the increase of prosperity inthat country. So are the Irish, and I wantto see the Caribbean Diaspora herebecome a potent force for the developmentof the Caribbean… we all are Caribbeanpeople; we all have to work togetherbecause the growth and development ofthe Caribbean will ensure the growth anddevelopment of Jamaica and the otherCaribbean countries.”l

For 134 years, Emmanuel BaptistChurch has been an impactful main-stay in Clinton Hill, and the

Brooklyn community at-large. Located at279 Lafayette Avenue (corner of St. JamesPlace), Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC),is known for its mission of "ConnectingPeople to Christ." EBC has 3 services(Traditional and Contemporary) for itsmembers and visitors to choose from, thatallow attendees to go to a service theymost connect with. Whether members pre-fer hymns in four-part harmony, or wereweaned on hip-hop—or their tastes fallsomewhere in between—all of these serv-ices equip attendees with Christ-centered,biblically based tools for optimum living.It is very common to find parishioners inthe pews following sermonic presenta-tions in bound Bible, or Bibles digitallydownloaded onto their smartphones.

Additionally, Emmanuel Baptist Churchoffers a variety of ministries for membersto get involved, including PrimetimeMinistry (50+ years old), 20/30Something (20-30+ years old), Frontliners(Men Ministry), The Chosen (Women'sMinistry), and Youth Leaders of

Emmanuel (12-19 years old). EBC also offers a multitude of educa-

tional, and inspirational programs, such asThe Blueprint (its DiscipleshipDevelopment Institute), and its regularlyoccurring Jazz Vespers. As EmmanuelBaptist Church believes in making all ofits members feel welcomed and acknowl-edged, one program they have coming upis its Jazz Vespers on June 28th from3:00pm-5:00pm. The Vespers will cele-brate Caribbean American HeritageMonth and feature Haitian jazz vocalistMari Toussaint.

Emmanuel Baptist Church's 3 servicestake place Saturday's at 5:30pm, andSunday at 9:00am and 11:00am.

To learn more about EBC, their min-istries, and their upcoming EmmanuelBaptist Church Jazz Vespers, visithttp://ebcconnects.com/ or call 718-622-1107. l

BY VANDELL PARK

Former Jamaican Prime Minister,Hon. P.J. Patterson

BY NICOLE McGARRELL

A cross-section of the congregation atEmmanuel Baptist Church


CONVERSATIONS 3

Why Are All The Teachers White? TEAM

PublisherI.Q. INC.

Managing Editor & Editor-in-ChiefPearl Phillip

Senior EditorColin A. Moore, Esq.

Legal AdvisorBrian Figeroux, Esq.

Assistant EditorMarilyn Silverman

Graphic & Website DesignersPraim SamsoondarLana Delgadillo

ContributorsWendy FelizJillian BermanDr Christine BirchiniVandell ParkClaude LeachDr Daroy LyneAllan JenkinsRavi BhaumiJhodie-Ann WilliamsJanet HowardPaul McDanielAnita CampbellKarena, AllRecipes.comNicole McGarrellMayo Clinic Staff

Email:[email protected]

My people are destroyed forlack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6

Visitwww.cawnyc.com

For Caribbean News & Updates

Take your business to

the next level! Join your island

chamber of commerce.Visit

www.chambercoalition.orgtoday and sign up!

Iam a white teacher. Growing up in the'80s and '90s in Brooklyn, N.Y., I donot remember having a single teacher

who did not look like me. Every teacherI've ever had, represented “me” in someway or another.

By virtue of being born a white childwho spoke English as her first (and only)language, I was fortunate. I had my pickof mentors, my race was represented inmost—if not all—curricular texts, and Iexcelled in school, year after year. Myacademic fate was sealed in the most pre-dictable of ways.

Not only were my teachers homoge-nously white, but in my 13 years of com-pulsory schooling, I do not rememberbeing assigned a single text authored by aperson of color.

Indeed, I was already at a social advan-tage long before my teachers even knewmy name. My family and I were nottasked with learning what Lisa Delpit hasfamously coined the “culture of power”;as a typical neighborhood white kid, I wasnot ignorantly considered a culturalanomaly, nor was I a threat to the tried,“true,” and impenetrable pedagogies,practices, and policies of my teachers’classrooms and those of the schools Iattended.

My parents never, not once, not for ananosecond, would have to worry abouthow my teachers and administratorschose to relate to me—or worse yet, treatme—because of my race, culture, or pri-mary language. My parents did not haveto worry about the potential for racistpolicies and practices to impact my out-comes.

As a white child, I would not have toendure a single micro-aggression by someadult who should have a) kept their mouthshut, and b) read a book by Lisa Delpit,bell hooks, Tim Wise, or other brilliantthinkers who have made it their life’s mis-sion to understand how race—includingwhiteness and white privilege—and thedominant culture impact day-to-day lifein this country and its schools.

I may have been from a working-classcommunity, but I had it easy. The fact ofthe matter is that schools were set up bypeople who looked like me for peoplewho looked like me. And as Motoko Richillustrates in her recent article, “WhereAre the Teachers of Color?,” despite anever-increasing racially, culturally, andlinguistically diverse student population,not much has changed in the racial make-up of the teaching force.

Different Experiences of SchoolIndeed, the important quest to developmore teachers of color is not new.Education leaders and researchers from avariety of camps have been asking thesame questions about this for quite sometime. However, it is a question that seemsto skirt, if not outright ignore, the systemof racialized privilege that is historicallyembedded in, and endemic to, the publicschool system writ large.

As a researcher, I study white teachers,their words, and their practices. As a uni-versity professor, I teach education cours-

es where, most semesters, each and everyone of my teacher-education students iswhite.

I have yet to meet a student in my col-lege courses who did not claim to excel inschool, or at the very least to do excep-tionally well. My students, for the mostpart, fondly recall their experiences as K-12 students.

Such fondness, to be sure, is part andparcel to why students go into teaching,and it is not far-fetched to assume thatthey look back fondly on their experi-ences because schools were set up bypeople who look like us for people wholook like us.

Current politics, initiatives, and institu-tionalized madness aside, is it really anywonder that we’d want to return? Indeed,most of us who desire to return to schoolas teachers are returning to the very insti-tutions that have been set up to benefit usall along.

Conversely, why would historicallymarginalized populations elect to eventu-ally become teachers for the very systemthat (likely) underserved them in someway? Why would minority populationselect to serve a system that will (likely)continue to underserve minority studentsif the current discourse of “accountabili-ty” has its way?

In other words, who willingly, and intheir right mind, returns to a system thatfailed to adequately educate, represent,respect, and appropriately mentor theirown student body?

An underserved schooling experiencemight be examined in a couple of ways.We might think about it in terms of thedesperate skill-and-drill measures thatJonathan Kozol illustrated long ago,fraught measures which have been shownto impact schools inequitably.

Moreover, the guarantee of seeing yourrace represented positively in your dailyexperience, or of seeing your race reflect-ed back at you by people in power (aswith our teachers and administrators) is acore tenet of Peggy McIntosh’s iconicWhite Privilege: Unpacking the InvisibleKnapsack.

Ignoring DiversityOn the other hand, for your race to beunderrepresented in your daily experiencewith others in the most meaningful ofways (e.g., while spending up to one thirdof your day in an educational institutionsurrounded by authority figures who donot look like you) is one powerful way for

you to be underserved by your schoolingexperience.

On the curricular front, I would arguethat schools’ odd, even irrational adher-ence to all things canonized is also anexample of underserving an increasinglydiverse student body. Perhaps if schoolspermitted their teachers to teach some-thing other than the “required classics”from the “canon,” we might begin toscratch the surface of what it would looklike to foster a culturally in-sync learningenvironment. A curriculum which reflectsthe realities of a racially and culturallydiverse student body is perhaps morelikely to create an environment with thepotential to appeal to a more diversifiedteaching force.

The failure to incorporate curricularmaterials that, as McIntosh puts it, “testi-fy to the existence” of racial diversity is tounderserve and ignore our increasinglydiverse student bodies. Perhaps if, asinstitutions of education, we gave someattention to what Chimamanda NgoziAdichie has famously coined “the dangerof a single story,” we might begin tounravel the reasons why our teachingforce has not kept up with the studentpopulations we are tasked with educatingfor a better world.

The quest for more teachers of colorinvolves a lot more than asking schools,programs of teacher education, and teach-ers to uncover personal biases. Becomingaware of your own personal biasesrequires, also, becoming aware of howand why school served you well. Anexamination of your relationship withyour educational experiences, howeverlong gone, might reveal unspokeninsights into who schools invite back tobecome teachers, and who they continueto cast aside.l

Christina Berchini is an assistant professorin the Department of English at theUniversity of Wisconsin Eau Claire. AnEast Coast native, she flew the coop andearned her Ph.D. in curriculum, instruc-tion, and teacher education with an empha-sis in English education from MichiganState University. Her areas of interest andspecialization are secondary English edu-cation/English teacher education, criticalrace studies, critical pedagogy, social jus-tice, and issues in urban education.

As first appeared in Education WeekTeacher, April 28, 2015. Reprinted withpermission from the author.

BY DR. CHRISTINE BIRCHINI


ISLAND FOCUS: T&T4

eral. The most recent of such atro-

cious actions is an outlandish bill,sponsored by Prime MinisterBissessar, requiring a two-termlimit for Prime Ministers, an elec-tions runoff system and a recallsystem for non-performing MPs.The bill is dubbed the most con-troversial in the country’s history,because of its sinister intent ofultimately forcing citizens of thecountry to be subjected to anundemocratic process. In fact,

Independent Senator, Anthony Vieira,says while the proposals in the bill aresimple: “the devil is in the details… forlines of divisions are deepened.” He fur-ther noted: “The runoff system willexclude minority interests and will lead toa fragmentation of our political party sys-tem…it is undemocratic because it is awinner take all system.” Again, PrimeMinister Bissessar exposed her true char-acter by pushing a law that will deprivecitizens of Trinidad and Tobago theirvoter’s rights.

In addition to this sinister political agen-da concocted by Bissessar, she alsousurped her powers as Prime Minister topoliticized the country’s awards process,when she unilaterally publically bestowedon former Prime Minister PatrickManning, the country’s highest award,without even consulting with him prior tothe announcement, and without evenseeking the approval of the national

awards committee. Further, Bissessar isaccused by the country’s OppositionLeader, Dr. Keith Rowley, of instructingthe committal of crimes via emails,against a journalist and the country’sDirector of Public Prosecutions, individu-als who acted within their constitutionalrights, but in disobedience to herdemands. This criminal accusation nowengages the attention of the NorthernDistrict of California Court in the UnitedStates, which has given permission to theTrinidad and Tobago IntegrityCommission to subpoena search engineGoogle to investigate the so-called“Emailgate” scandal. According to Dr.Rowley in a motion of no-confidencebrought against the Prime Minister andher ruling People’s PartnershipGovernment, he has information from 31emails exchanges between PrimeMinister Bissessar, Attorney GeneralAnand Ramlogan, Minister of LocalGovernment Surujrattan Rambachan andthen National Security Advisor to thePrime Minister, Gary Griffith, indicatingplans to harm a journalist who reportedon the Section 34 problem, and to plantelectronic spy devices in the office of theDPP and to offer a bribe position to theDPP as judge over the said section 34issue.

Rowley says these emails will provecorruption at the highest level in theKamla Persad-Bissesar Government,pushing for the enactment of a law called

“I likeKamla...but she has an

awful weakness, and I thinkyou know about it...” —Panday

With Trinidad and Tobagonational elections set to be heldby September 17, 2015, politi-

cal parties, including the incumbentPeople’s Partnership, have begun to cam-paign to become the next government torule the country. The two candidates forthe two main political parties, KamlaPersuad Bissessar, of the People’s Party,and Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley, leaderof the PNM, are shaping up for the politi-cal fight of their lives. Many Trinidadiansand Tobagonians believe that experienceand a prolific political track record by Dr.Rowley should be enough to give him anassailing lead to become the next PrimeMinister of the country, ahead of a lessexperienced and alleged corrupt, KamlaBissessar.

Dr. Rowley, a distinguished graduatefrom the University of the West Indieswith a Doctorate in Geology, entered pol-itics in 1981, and has since served hisconstituents with distinction. He has suc-cessfully defended the Diego Martin Westparliamentary seat since 1991, and has theaccolade of producing results for the peo-ple he serves. In addition to his politicalleadership, Rowley also served as the rep-resentative Governor of the Inter-American Bank and as Governor of theCaribbean Development Bank, two rep-utable financial institutions in theCaribbean region and the world. Withsuch strong political leadership and out-

Time For Change in Trinidad &Tobago?BY RAVI BHAUMI

standing corporate administrative suc-cess, the people of Trinidad and Tobagobelieve the country should be trusted intothe capable hands of Dr. KiethChristopher Rowley.

On the other hand, the politics current-ly practiced in Trinidad and Tobago bythe incumbent People’s Partnership, ledby Kamla Persad Bissessar, is consideredthe most dastardly ever in the country’shistory. Many citizens of the Twin IslandRepublic are aghast by the egregious actsof self-serving and blatant disregard forthe rule of law and the country’s constitu-tion, by a Prime Minister who they con-tend, demonstrates chronic insincerityand reckless disregard. Bessissar’sactions besmirched the honorable officeshe holds, as well as the esteemed brandof political system that the countryenjoyed over the years, one of transparen-cy and calculated decisive actions onbehalf of the interest of the nation in gen- continued on page 23


CARIBBEAN POLITICS 5

BY VANDELL PARK However, the victorious APNU/AFCalliance Government says it is determinedto change the haap and Jaat culture of pol-itics in Guyana by working towards inclu-sion and unification of the racial dividethat now exists. President Granger, speak-ing this week after assuming office on hisplans as the New Government states:“This is a moment that Guyana has beenwaiting for. It’s a moment that we shouldregard as the start of a process of buildingnational unity, as a process of creatingwhat I call inclusionary democracy andrejecting the winner-take-all mentali-ty.…What happened in 2011 and 2015, isthat the people changed. They stoppedthinking race and start thinking moreabout issues and this would be a goodmoment for the PPP and former PresidentRamotar, to send a message to his sup-porters that we want Guyana to move for-ward and that we are prepared to join thismovement for national unity rather thanstay on the sidelines and criticize.”

In his victory speech following hisswearing-in as the eighth ExecutivePresident of Guyana, Granger made clearhis government’s intentions to provide allGuyanese a cohesive living environmentwhere equal justice and economic stabilitywill be the hallmarks of a progressiveGuyana under his leadership: “Guyanese,the elections are over, the people havechosen their representatives, the constitu-tion has been respected, and our democra-

cy has been fortified. Let us now put pastrivalry behind us and work in unity to ban-ish poverty, ignorance, failure and hatred.We’re assembled here today to witness theswearing-in, not of a party leader, but of aPresident of all the people, and I shall bea good President for all the people. We,the Guyanese people, have chosen to inau-gurate a government of national unity andto promote multi-party inclusionarydemocracy. We are convinced that this isthe best way to overcome our historic divi-sions. We have witnessed the damage doneto our beautiful country over the past 23years. We have been mocked by thedestruction of local democracy, and thedenial of local government elections. We,the Guyanese people, have seized theopportunity to vote for human safety, tovote for national unity, and to vote forinclusionary democracy.. As fellowGuyanese, let us work together to realizeour aspiring national motto: One People,One Nation, One Destiny. And in so doing,let us be reminded of that famous nationalsong: Let us cooperate for Guyana, let uscooperate for our land, let us resolve tofight together, see we do it right together,can we do it, yes we can.”

President Granger has begun identifyingareas that are of priority for developmentunder his administration. He also empha-sized the importance for the observance ofthe rule of law by public servants includ-ing those from the past administration

Guyana’s New Government Calls forInclusionary Democracy

The people of Guyana have entered anew political phase. For the firsttime in the country’s history,

Guyana will be ruled by a multi-party gov-ernment. After gaining autonomy from theBritish in 1953, there has been coalitionleadership with the Peoples ProgressiveParty (PPP) and the People’s NationalCongress (PNC) alternately dominatingthe political landscape of the country. Thedominance of these two political forceshas led to a bitter rivalry between the twomain ethnic races in Guyana, primarily theEast Indians for the PPP, and the Afro-Guyanese for the PNC. That racist dividewas acrimoniously re-injected intoGuyana’s politics by former presidentBharrat Jagdeo, during the campaign ofthe just concluded elections, as he egre-giously charged that the new President,David Granger, and his party, will killIndian people and introduce kick-downthe door banditry should the party win the2015 general elections, primarily with theintent to drive fear in the minds of the EastIndian population of Guyana. Jagdeo’smalicious and destructive racist rantsworked in that Guyanese of East Indianethnicity largely boycotted the Unitarianmessage by the multi-party A Partnershipfor National Unity (APNU) led byGranger and voted race in the 2015 elec-tions.

demitting office: “Good education, aboli-tion of poverty, and good employment. Ireally want to see every single Guyanesechild no matter how poor his or her back-ground, in school. I really want to see that,and if at the end of my tenure I can gothrough the street and go through the vil-lages and see nobody liming, nobodyskulking from school, no children sellingpapers during school hours, I’ll be very,very happy.…I want to see a reduction inthe high cost of living, particularly amongwomen who have to run households,which means reduction in the cost of foodand we hope to change the tax thresholdso that persons who are earning what wewould call a very low income would nothave to pay income tax at all. We want toreduce the value-added tax that will havea significant impact on food, reduce thetoll on the Berbice River Bridge; there arespecific things that we want to do but theyare geared towards giving poor people amore comfortable frame of life. If you takesomething that doesn’t belong to you [it] istheft, and theft is a crime. I am not witch-hunting, but it is unlawful to remove stateproperty without permission, and if peopleremove cars or computers or anythingelse, I will send the police to get it backand to ask them questions and if they com-mitted crimes they will be persecuted inaccordance with the law.”l

IN TROUBLE WITHTHE LAW?

PUT YOUR FUTURE IN OURHANDS. WE CAN HELP.

CALL NOW. 718-834-0190.

Remember the lawyer youhire, does make a difference!


HOT TOPIC6

“A noisy, tender tour of New Yorkmuch in the mode of StudsTerkel...Mr. Gibson is a skilled andsensitive interlocutor with an eye forthe revealing gesture...Mr. Gibsonlets the city speak for itself, and itspeaks with charm, swagger andheartening resilience.” (The NewYork Times)

“A generous, vigorous, and enlight-ening look at class and space in NewYork; it ought to be required read-ing…Gibson has found vibranthumanity in a subject that is, para-doxically, lacking in it…The EdgeBecomes the Center raises criticalquestions about what we expectfrom our cities and how groupsbecome communities. Mainly,though, it’s a joy to read, its chorusof voices a reminder of oral history’spower. Anyone who cares about theshape and gestalt of life in NewYork―and anyone who believes incities as centers of culture―willcome away moved.” (The ParisReview)

PICK UP YOUR COPY TODAY!

Available at amazon.com

car with the engine running. I hoppedinto the passenger seat and went for anafternoon ride-along through the neigh-borhoods where he does most of his busi-ness: Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant,Crown Heights.

It is important to remember thatEphraim is one voice on a wide spec-trum. And it is important to know thatEphraim is a pseudonym for reasons thatwill become obvious.

Ephraim turns the car on. I stammerthrough a request to hear what it’s like tobe a landlord in so many evolvingBrooklyn neighborhoods. Ephraim nodsand stares out the window, as if he lacksthe will or energy to answer such a broadquestion.

Do you know anything about proper-ty? There’s a deed and there’s a note.

Like with a car, if you have a lease, thetitle is in your name but you don’t actual-ly own the car. The deed to the house isthe same thing. If you have a mortgage,the actual thing, the house is the bank’s.So they have a note, and they can trans-fer it to other banks, they can sell it to bigcompanies, they can make packages ofnotes. You still own the deed — that’syours. And if the bank wants to take itfrom you, they have to go through theprocess of foreclosure. If the house has asmall mortgage, that’s fine — you cansell the deed — but if the house is under-water, you can’t really do anything withit.

So we came up with the idea: The banktakes a long time before they take theproperty away. It can take them up tofive, six years. So we go to the owner,buy from him the deed, and then we rentit out. When the market went up a littlebit, about 10 percent of the mortgageswere almost at market value, so we’d paythem off and keep the building. If it’s abig mortgage, I don’t have any choice; Ijust sit until the bank takes it away. I’mjust sitting, collecting rent. And that’s it.

It’s not 100 percent — I mean, it’slegal, but sometimes in the mortgagethere’s a clause that says if you sell thedeed, you have to notify the bank and ifyou don’t notify them the bank can takethe property. But even if you didn’t noti-fy them, the bank has to go through thewhole process of getting the property andthat takes some time.

And the banks don’t care. They actual-ly like when people take care of thebuilding. Because it will actually costthem $100,000 a year — people breakingin, pipes busted. As long as everything isgood, everything running, they just leaveit alone until they’re taking it.

People that have small mortgages,they’re going to want a lot more for theirdeed, to give over ownership. A personthat sells a deed with a big mortgage usu-ally wants to get $5,000. They don’t care.They didn’t pay the mortgage for, like,two years — the property’s shit. So wewould give them $5,000, $10,000, andthey give us the deed.

We started out with this, buying overone hundred deeds, all over the place,

and we collected the rent. I used to loveit. But the bad part was, come Monday, Iused to go to the buildings in my car, andknock on every single door. This was likefive years ago. And they didn’t give mepayment. One out of 10, one out of 20,maybe. And they were yelling at me,“You fucking Jew! Leave me alone!”

I got used to it. And I understand it.Not all Jewish people are nice people.Every tree has a bad apple. Some of themare really nasty and can trick their ten-ants. But some of the tenants put up sucha fight that you have to trick them. I usedto do that — but I don’t do that anymore.I did that once four years ago. I toldsomeone, “I’m going to give you twentygrand to move — just move out first, andthen I’ll give you the money.” And then Iscrewed them. I gave him something butnot the money I told him. And he could-n’t come back to me because he wasn’t

even legally supposed to live there.Some Jewish people, they’re going to

come in and they’re going to try to rip offthe black tenants — and the tenants knowit, there’s word of mouth. So it’s like,“Oh, a Jewish guy again?” There’s a lotof Jewish guys moving around. Like alot, a lot, a lot of investors who are eitherHasidic Jews or a little bit less, butthey’re Jewish. They’re holding Bed-Stuy like this — he squeezes at the air infront of him, strangling it. So sometimesit’s like, “Hello, this was our neighbor-hood. What are you doing here?”

We started in East New York, but wesold everything we had. We didn’t wantto be there. Most of them are eitherSection 8, other government programs,and even the person that pays with cashis too much headaches. So we soldeverything over there and we came outall the way to Park Slope. Then we start-ed backing up, backing up, slowly, all theway to Bushwick. This is one of thehouses we’re finishing now.

We pull up in front of a three-storybrick building. Having shed the deed-buying business, Ephraim’s nowinvolved with acquisitions and develop-ment. And he prefers to hold and rentbuildings as opposed to renovating andflipping them. Ephraim stops the car inthe middle of a residential block to rolldown his window and light a cigarette.The street is lined with brownstones,most of which are in various stages ofdestruction and recreation, rented dump-sters stuffed with shards of demolition

They don’t know — here he

lowers his voice — that even

if they get the money and they

left, they could always come

back. They don’t know that part.

And it’s so scary sometimes

because they could come up in

the middle of construction and

say, “It’s my property, I didn’t

understand what I was signing,

and I want to come back.”

continued on the next page

“I Put White Tenants In/continued from page 1


7HOT TOPIC

and pallets of new Sheetrock passing by.Smoke shoots out of Ephraim’s nostrils.There is a young Hasidic man standingacross the street. He and Ephraim makeeye contact: Ephraim waves casually, ifnot reluctantly. The young man comesover to the car, his hands slouched on thewindow. A long silence follows thenfinally:

Ephraim: Everything okay? You haven’tgotten me anything.

Young Man: I’m still stretching — it’searly.

Ephraim: Bring me something. Youhave my number, right?

Young Man: Yeah. [Pause.] You don’thave anything for me?

Ephraim: No. What do you need?

Young Man: Multi-families.

Ephraim: Ay — you do multi-families?I thought you were selling multi-fami-lies.

Young Man: No, I’m buying also.

Ephraim: No. No, I don’t have anything.For now.

Young Man: You don’t have anything,huh?

Ephraim: No.

More silence while Ephraim makes apoint of his disinterest, playing with hisphone. Then:

Ephraim: If I have something, I haveyour number.

Young Man: Okay.

Ephraim tosses what’s left of his ciga-rette and moves his hand toward the but-ton to roll up the window. The glassemerges from the door with an electrichum and the young man takes his handaway.

They’re like the new kids coming in.He laughs. He breaks for a few more

phone calls — many are carried out inHebrew, though the profession-specificwords seem to be stuck in English:brownstone, skim coating, Prospect Park.I ask him what the first thing is that heconsiders when deciding whether or notto buy any given building.

We’re small, so we look into places thathaven’t caught on — we just did a placeon Nostrand Avenue. People are not eventhere yet. We put in $600,000 and every-one was laughing at us. “It’s crazy, you’reover there. A building for yuppies, whitepeople? It’s not going to work.” Thebuilding was full of tenants — $1,300,$1,400 tenants. We paid every tenant theaverage of twelve, thirteen thousand dol-lars to leave. I actually went to meet them— lawyers are not going to help you.And we got them out of the building andnow we have tenants paying $2,700,

$2,800, and they’re all white. So this iswhat we do.

My saying is — again, I’m not racist— every black person has a price. Theaverage price for a black person here inBed-Stuy is $30,000 dollars. Up overthere in East New York, it’s $10,000 dol-lars. Everyone wants them to leave, notbecause we don’t like them, it’s justthey’re messing up — they bring every-thing down. Not all of them.

Most of them don’t believe you at first."Oh, you Jewish people you’re a bunchof thieves, you’re never going to give memy money." But once you start actuallyhaving a base of people who know you,who you actually gave the money, it’sbetter. Sometimes it’s really trickybecause you’ll have one person willing toleave for $2,000 and another wants$20,000. And the second this guy findsout that guy is getting 20 he says, “Hellno, I’m not leaving. I want 20, too.”

They don’t know — here he lowers hisvoice — that even if they get the moneyand they left, they could always comeback. They don’t know that part. And it’sso scary sometimes because they couldcome up in the middle of constructionand say, “It’s my property, I didn’t under-stand what I was signing, and I want tocome back.”

Some blacks have an attorney andeverything. So I try to make them happy,even if they’re going to go for $7,000 or$8,000, I’d rather give them an extragrand so they’re happy and they’re notgoing to think about it too much. Again,I don’t want to be a racist, but when Ihave a building—I can’t even say itbecause it’s not going to sound right.

He lowers his voice again:If there’s a black tenant in the house—

in every building we have, I put in whitetenants. They want to know if black peo-ple are going to be living there. So some-times we have ten apartments and every-thing is white, and then all of the suddenone tenant comes in with one blackroommate, and they don’t like it. Theysee black people and get all riled up, theycall me: “We’re not paying that muchmoney to have black people live in thebuilding.” If it’s white tenants only, it’sclean. I know it’s a little bit racist but it’snot. They’re the ones that are paying andI have to give them what they want. OrI’m not going to get the tenants and themoney is not going to be what it is.

The scary part about doing this is, if theblack guys start to realize how much theproperty will sell for. This is a new thingnow, the past year. A million, two milliondollars—it’s crazy, crazy numbers. Noneof them realize yet—some of them do—the amount of money you can get. Thescary part is they’re going to realize theycan get the same exact house in East NewYork for $400,000, $500,000 and theycan get paid $1.5 million for their homein Bed-Stuy, they’re going to start dump-ing houses on the market and the mar-ket’s going to be flooded and it’s going tocool down. It’s already cooling down.

It’s so hard to get empty buildings.When you have an empty building it’slike gold. So we never flip buildings.One building we sold because in theJewish religion there’s a weird thingwhere you don’t cut down a fruit tree.Some people really don’t give a shitabout fruit trees. But most of the Hasidic

Jewish people will not cut down a fruittree. There’s one house in Borough Parkwhere they cut down a fruit tree and therewas nine fires over there in the last twoyears. Sometimes weird stuff happens.So we had a building, and the only wayit’s working for us is if the fruit treecomes down. We spent $50,000 doingthe plans and then found out there’s afruit tree. We didn’t know about it. So wehad to sell the building. It’s the only wayI’m going to sell a building. A building isnot really a selling thing. Buildings arefor keeping.l

DW Gibson is the author of Not Working:People Talk About Losing a Job andFinding Their Way in Today’s ChangingEconomy and The Edge Becomes theCenter: The Oral History ofGentrification in the Twenty-FirstCentury, from which this excerpt wasadapted. Copyright © 2015 by DWGibson. Published in 2015 by TheOverlook Press, Peter Mayer PublishersInc. www.overlookpress.com. All rightsreserved. Article originally appeared inNew Yorker magazine. Reprinted withpermission from the author.

Like a lot, a lot, a lot of investors who are either Hasidic

Jews or a little bit less, but they’re Jewish.

They’re holding Bed-Stuy like this — he squeezes

at the air in front of him, strangling it.

continued from the previous page

DW Gibson, author of “The EdgeBecomes the Center: The Oral History

of Gentrification in the Twenty-First Century.”


MONEY MATTERS8

Love and Money: The No-Stress Approach

Money is a main source of stressin many relationships, but itdoesn’t have to be that way.

Combining finances with your significantother can be—and should be—just asmuch fun as sharing a bottle of wine. It istrue that money may not buy love, butfighting about it will bankrupt your rela-tionship. It is important for people whoprofess to love one another and even havechildren together, to learn to do so with-out having money issues that will doomthe relationship. People have to learnhow to communicate effectively as wellas how to develop the art of compromiseand not find themselves in constant strug-gles. Many couples think that if theymade more money, their financial issueswould go away. That is far from the truth;in fact, the problems and issues becomelarger and more expensive.

In dealing with love and money it isimportant for couples to be prepared tohave an open discussion about everythingfinancial—credit history, debt load,income, retirement plans and their viewsand values about money. This of courseshould be done once they have passed thedating stage of their relationship and maybe thinking of marriage or some otherpermanent relationship.

Couples often find out that they may

have significantly different views aboutfinances that can cause a halt to the love.Oftentimes couples are less than forth-right on the financial questions and some-how expect the issues on which they maydisagree, to work themselves out. That isusually never the case. People canchange, but change is difficult to achieve.There are persons who are not prepared tocompromise on certain issues. In lookingat love and money, it is important for cou-ples to look for "those" red flags andaddress them. Be sure that you can getboth you and your partner to the table todiscuss and compromise if necessary onthose money issues. The communicationmust be something that both parties areprepared to entertain. If your partner isshutting you down whenever you want totalk money, you have three choices. Stayand put up with the differences and theeventual conflicts, walk, or run for help.

In the event that you decide to stay andrun for help, you might be able to findcounseling in a number of places. Checkout your religious organization. Look fora program that includes a comprehensivesession on money management, includingcovering the emotional issues about man-aging your money. Check with your ben-efits office at work. Many employee ben-efit packages include referrals to counsel-ing services. You may wish to check outprofessional organizations for counsel-

ing. Some agencies offer help to couplesdealing with money issues.

Perhaps one of the most importantguidelines that a couple can follow inaddressing love and money is the No-Stress Approach, whereby they can setup a number of money rules whichshould address how they will deal withfinancial issues in their household. Thisis an area that couples pay scant attentionto, but one which should have rules ofengagement that must include rules forhow to be civil and have respectful dis-agreements and never fight about money.The rules should not be changed unlessthere is an agreement by both parties. Indeciding on the financial rules, recogni-tion must be given to whether or not thereis room for financial secrets. Thereshould be a plan to meet regularly to dis-cuss the family finances. There should bean agreement to operate under a budgetand an agreement to adhere to it.

Having a set of financial rules whichone could use as a guide may seem tooformal and businesslike, but if there isgoing to be financial peace in a love andmoney relationship that should last, thenthere must be rules that would govern thefinancial behavior. Will the rules be bro-ken? Sure they will. But having them as abaseline of how to conduct yourself willhelp you quickly get back on tract whenthe rules are broken.

It is most important for parties to strive

for a love and money relationship that haslittle, or better still, manageable stress.The “Mighty Sparrow,” a CaribbeanCalypsonian in his “No Money No Love”song, gives us a number of consequencesthat are the result of not having money ina relationship. He tells the story about thefemale partner who complained aboutstaying in a relationship where there wasnot enough money to spur the love andkeep it going. The lyrics of the song areworth some attention. Of course couplesshould ensure that their relationship nevergets to that level. Love and money canco-exist. Just follow the No-StressApproach.

“No Money, No Love” don’t have to bethe route to follow. Here an excerpt fromthe song:

Ivy pack up she clothes to leaveBecause John was down and outAll alone he was left to grieveShe had a next man in SouthShe said openlyI really love you JohnnyBut you ain’t have no moneySo what will my future beEven though you love me?We can’t love without moneyWe can’t make love on hungry bellyJohnny you’ll be the only one I’m dream-ing ofYou’re my turtle doveBut no money no love l

BY CLAUDE LEACH

FREE BANKRUPTCY CONSULTATION

Documents Required:*List of debts*Your most recent tax returns*Correspondence from creditors*Lawsuit documents*Social Security and ID*List of assets

Save Your:*Home *Health*Business *Peace of Mind/Health*Car *Marriage/Relationship

Filing a Chapter 7, 11 or 13 bankruptcy may be your only choice!!!

Get the legal help you need NOW! Call 718-834-0190!

The Law Offices of Figeroux & Associates, 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brooklyn, NY. Visit www.figeroux.com

Creditors’ Harassments!Lawsuits! Foreclosures!


FAMILY MATTERS 9

Lots of people live with a parent orcaregiver who is an alcoholic orwho drinks too much. Alcoholism

has been around for centuries, yet no onehas discovered an easy way to prevent it.

Alcohol can affect people's health andalso how they act. People who are drunkmight be more aggressive or have moodswings. They may act in a way that isembarrassing to them or other people.

Alcoholism is a disease. Like any dis-ease, it needs to be treated. Without pro-fessional help, a person with alcoholismwill probably continue to drink and mayeven become worse over time.

Diseases like alcoholism are no one'sfault. Some people are more susceptibleto wanting to drink too much. Scientiststhink it has to do with genetics, as well asthings like family history, and life events.

Sometimes what starts as a bad habit canbecome a very big problem. For example,people may drink to cope with problemslike boredom, stress, or money troubles.Maybe there's an illness in the family, orparents are having marriage problems.

No matter what anyone says, peopledon't drink because of someone else'sbehavior. So if you live with someonewho has a drinking problem, don't blameyourself.

How Does Alcoholism Affect Families?If you live with a parent who drinks, you

may feel embarrassed, angry, sad, hurt, orany number of emotions. You may feelhelpless: When parents promise to stopdrinking, for example, it can end in frus-tration when they don't keep their promis-es.

Problem drinking can change how fam-ilies function. A parent may have troublekeeping a job and problems paying thebills. Older kids may have to take care ofyounger siblings.Some parents with alco-hol problems might mistreat or abuse theirchildren emotionally or physically. Othersmay neglect their kids by not providingsufficient care and guidance. Parents withalcohol problems might also use otherdrugs.

Despite what happens, most children ofalcoholics love their parents and worryabout something bad happening to them.Kids who live with problem drinkersoften try all kinds of ways to prevent themfrom drinking. But, just as family mem-bers don't cause the addiction, they can'tstop it either.

The person with the drinking problemhas to take charge. Someone who has abad habit or an addiction to alcohol needsto get help from a treatment center.

Alcoholism affects family members justas much as it affects the person drinking.Because of this, there are lots of supportgroups to help children of alcoholics copewith the problem.

Coping With an Alcoholic Parent

What If a Parent Doesn't See aProblem?Drinking too much can be a problem thatnobody likes to talk about. In fact, lots ofparents may become enraged at the slight-est suggestion that they are drinking toomuch.

Sometimes, parents deny that they havea problem. A person in denial refuses tobelieve the truth about a situation. Soproblem drinkers may try to blame some-one else because it is easier than takingresponsibility for their own drinking.

Some parents make their families feelbad by saying stuff like, "You're drivingme crazy!" or "I can't take this anymore."That can be harmful, especially to kids:Most young children don't know that theproblem has nothing to do with theiractions and that it's all in the drinker'smind.

Some parents do acknowledge theirdrinking, but deny that it's a problem.They may say stuff like, "I can stop any-time I want to," "Everyone drinks tounwind sometimes," or "My drinking isnot a problem."

Lots of people fall into the trap of think-ing that a parent's drinking is only tempo-rary. They tell themselves that, when aparticular problem is over, like having arough time at work, the drinking will stop.But even if a parent who drinks too muchhas other problems, drinking is a separateproblem. And that problem won't go awayunless the drinker gets help.l

© 1995- 2015. The NemoursFoundation/KidsHealth®. Reprinted withpermission. For full acrtile,visit:www.kidshealth.org

REVIEWED BY D’ARCY LYNES, PFD

Family Law PracticeSummarized

The lawyer you hire, does make a difference!nDIVORCE nSEPARATION nSUPPORT nCUSTODY

NEW YORK IS NOW A NO-FAULT DIVORCE STATE

BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Tel: 718-834-0190

LAW OFFICES OF FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES

uContested &

Uncontested Divorces

uSeparation & Prenuptial

Agreements

uBusiness & Degree

Evaluations

uSpousal Maintenance

uCustody/Visitation

uPaternityuBank & Asset Searches

uWire Transfers

uAlimony Reduction

uCo-habitation

Investigation

uDivorce/Dating/Fraud

uInternet Dating/Fraud

uVideo Surveillance

uRelocation

uChild Support

uAbuse/Neglect

uRestraining &

Protective Orders

uModification of Previous

Orders & Awards

Matrimonial Investigations

Has your spouse disappeared?We can find your spouse!


NEWS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION10

President Obama Already Has a Way toPrevent Policing Abuses

The bloody images of police beat-ing Floyd Dent, a 57-year-oldAfrican-American man pulled

over for allegedly running a stop sign,and violently arresting Martese Johnson,an African-American student at theUniversity of Virginia, went viral at atime when police across the nation areunder increased scrutiny for civil rightsabuses. These incidents come after aDepartment of Justice report that docu-ments a pattern and practice of policediscrimination against AfricansAmericans in Ferguson, Missouri, aswell as a presidential task force reportwith recommendations for bridging thedivide between police and communitiesof color.

The reports document the reality ofpolicing rooted in implicit bias and alegal structure that perpetuates it. Theyalso lay out steps that policy makers fromthe federal government level down tolocal police departments can take to pro-hibit racially biased policing, hold policeaccountable to communities and protectpublic safety while upholding the valuesof fairness and human rights. The reports

were released on the heels of nationwideprotests demanding justice for policekillings of unarmed African-Americanyouth and a full 50 years after the marchfrom Selma was sparked by a state troop-er killing a civil rights activist.Considering the deep divide betweenpolice and communities, the tools at thedisposal of his administration and thegrowing calls for justice, President

Obama can and should go big to ensurethat police departments respect the civilrights of all Americans.

President Obama can immediately dothis by strengthening compliance withTitle VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964through Department of Justice (DOJ)action. Title VI prohibits recipients offederal funds, including local policedepartments, from discriminating basedon race, color or national origin.Unfortunately, the federal governmenthas not been doing enough to ensure thatrecipients are upholding civil rights. Itdoesn't — and shouldn't —have to be thisway.

One simple but vitally important stepthat the DOJ can take is to require thatpolice departments clearly demonstrateequitable police practices when theyapply for federal grants, undergo evalua-tions, submit reports and get audited bythe Department of Justice for compliancepurposes. Any assurances that policedepartments make, and any documenta-tion that they provide to DOJ to provecompliance, must be reflected on theground, where police officers interactwith the community. The departmentshould require specific, demonstrableevidence of proactive efforts to preventand address racially biased policing.

Stronger requirements for policedepartments are not only necessary forcivil rights compliance, but can also helpto implement many of the recommenda-tions made in the interim report by thePresident's Task Force on 21st CenturyPolicing. These recommendationsinclude police collecting and reportingdata on stops, frisks, searches, summonsand arrests disaggregated by race andethnicity. They also include police train-ings on implicit bias; on use of force thatemphasizes de-escalation and alterna-tives to arrests or summons; on improv-ing social interaction with communitymembers; and on the treatment ofLGBTQ, immigrant and Muslim com-munities. The task force also recom-mends accountability measures such asexternal and independent criminal inves-tigations in cases of police use of force,

BY DIEGO INIGUEZ-LOPEZ &ALLAN JENKINS, TRUTHOUT.ORG

community oversight, and mechanismsto address inappropriate use of equip-ment and tactics during mass demonstra-tions. It also proposes commonsensepractices in police interactions likerequiring an officer to seek consent for asearch and to explain to that person thatthey have a right to refuse consent in theabsence of a warrant or probable cause.

The Department of Justice can requirepolice departments receiving federalfunds to implement one or a combinationof these recommendations to show com-pliance with Title VI. The nationwideprotests in response to police killings inFerguson, in New York and in other partsof the country continue to reveal deeppatterns of tension and civil rights griev-ances, and the DOJ is well within itsauthority to respond by requiring con-crete, demonstrable compliance prior to,and as a condition upon, receipt of feder-al funds, as well as during the period offunded activity.

Through these and other measures, thedepartment can move us closer to equaljustice by incentivizing policies thatimprove police and community relationsand enhance public safety.

Fifty years ago, activists in Selmalooked to the federal government whenthey were faced with violence at thehands of state and local law enforcement.Similarly, federal action is now criticallyneeded on the issues of police killings ofyouth of color and equal justice for all.The Obama administration has an oppor-tunity and obligation not only to shape itslegacy, but also to use its federal author-ity to prevent civil rights abuses bypolice departments.l

Copyright, Truthout.org. Reprinted withpermission. Visit: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/30012-president-obama-already-has-a-way-to-prevent-policing-abuses

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A SECOND CHANCE!

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR SEMINARS:

How to Apply for a Certificate of Relief from CivilDisabilities and a Certificate of Good Conduct

in New York State

Join us from 6pm to 8pm on the following dates:Thursday, July 9, 16, 23, 30 and August 6, 2015

Do you have a criminal record?

Register:www.chambercoalition.orgEmail: [email protected]: 718-797-1104

Location:26 Court Street, Suite 701

Brooklyn, NY 11242

Criminal records contain manyerrors. Fixing these errors can helpopen doors to employment, housing,and stability that had previouslybeen closed. We can help personswith conviction histories request,read, and repair their NYS Divisionof Criminal Justice Services rapsheets and criminal records that aremaintained by consumer credit reporting agencies.

We also help individuals apply for Certificates of Good Conduct andCertificates of Relief from Civil Disabilities, which provide presumptiveevidence of rehabilitation and overcome numerous statutory barriers toemployment and more.


IMMIGRATION 11

ALL IMMIGRATION MATTERS

LAW OFFICES OF FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES

CALL 718-834-019026 Court Street, Suite 701

Brooklyn, NY 11242

lPERSONAL INJURYlACCIDENTSlFAMILY LAWlPOLICE BRUTALITYlCRIMINAL LAWlCIVIL LITIGATIONlBANKRUPTCY

lREAL ESTATE

Visit our website at:www.figeroux.com

lGET THE FACTS lBE SMART lMAKE THE RIGHT DECISION lBEWARE OF IMMIGRATION FRAUD

uHealth Care (RN/OT/PT/TSHH/SLP’S

& IT Cases)

uExtension of Status & Visa Renewals

uWork Authorization

uH-IB Professional Workers

uF-1 Students

uJ-1 Exchange Visitor Trainees

uO-1 Extraordinary Ability

uR-1 Religious Workers

uU.S. Citizenship

uFamily-sponsored Permanent Residence

uGreen Cards/Labor Certification (RIR)

uImmigration Visa Petitions:Employment Based

uTemporary Work Visas

uNaturalization Derivative Petitions

uLabor Certifications

uApplication for Asylum

uPetitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus

uAppeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals

uLawsuits involving Eligibility and Processing for

Citizenship

BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Tel: 718-834-0190

action on immigration and what theywould do if they were President.

Hillary Clinton said to a group in a pub-lic event in Las Vegas last week that shewould defend the President’s immigra-tion actions and hinted at ways in whichshe might take them further.

“I will fight to stop partisan attacks onthe executive actions that would putDREAMers—including many with ustoday—at risk of deportation. And…ifCongress refuses to act, as President Iwill do everything possible under the lawto go even further. There are more peo-ple—like many parents of DREAMersand others with deep ties and contribu-tions to our communities—who deserve achance to stay. I’ll fight for them too.

“The law currently allows for sympa-thetic cases to be reviewed, but right nowmost of these cases have no way to get areal hearing. Therefore we should put inplace a simple, straightforward, andaccessible way for parents of DREAMersand others with a history of service andcontribution to their communities tomake their case and be eligible for thesame deferred action as their children.”

Marco Rubio would preserve some, butnot all of the President’s actions, byremoving protections for undocumentedparents of U.S. citizens and permanentresidents (DAPA) but keep those in placefor recipients of Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals (DACA), accordingto the Miami Herald:

“The Florida senator, who is already aformal presidential candidate, has saidhe would do away with DAPA right awayif it doesn’t die in court first but leaveDACA in place at first while pushingCongress to pass immigration legisla-tion.

“At some point, it’s going to have to end— that can’t become the permanent poli-cy of the United States — but on the shortterm I’ve said I won’t remove it,” Rubiotold CNN en Español last month. “Iwould eliminate DAPA, the new measure,and I would use the position of Presidentto advance a responsible immigration-reform process.”

Jeb Bush is harder to pin down. Thisweek, he said that current legal chal-lenges to DACA and DAPA will end the

initiatives. When asked directly by a FoxNews anchor if he will bring an end to theprogram he responded “Absolutely, Iwould. Of course.” Later when askedhow he would undo it, he said by passingmeaningful immigration reform. Withoutfurther clarification, however, it is hardto be completely sure what he means.How aggressively would he work toundo the President’s actions and does hemean both DACA and DAPA? Or wouldhe leave them intact, if they survive thelegal challenges until he could get reformpassed?

Perhaps as Bush refines his positionshe should call a family meeting.

Ironically, in the same interview Bushsays “I totally understand why peoplewere upset, when Barack Obama, withthe stroke of a pen, through executiveaction, takes unconstitutional actions.”

Ironic, as both his father and brotherused their executive authority to shieldimmigrants from deportation. Indeed,before President Obama, George BushSr. had taken the most aggressive steps,shielding more than a million individualsfrom possible deportation through the1990 Family Fairness program. Also,George W. acted four times throughexecutive action to protect immigrants.

As the campaign season continues,what candidates say about the future ofPresident’s Obama’s executive actionson immigration is important. In the faceof an intractable Congress, thePresident’s executive actions have beenthe one area of policy progress in years.How our next President promises to han-dle it has implications for the millionswho may potentially qualify.l

Presidential CandidatesWeigh-In On Immigration/continued from page 1

Marco Rubio Hillary Clinton Jeb Bush


In an effort to combat the problem ofimmigration fraud that is constantlyon the increase here in Brooklyn, and

across New York, the Brooklyn DistrictAttorney’s (DA) Office has establishedan immigrant Fraud Unit tasked primari-ly with the responsibility to ensure pros-ecution for those involved in the crime ofdefrauding and scheming to defraudundocumented immigrants by deliberate-ly setting out to take advantage of theirstatus. Chief of the Brooklyn DA’SImmigrant Fraud Unit, Kin Ng, says hisdepartment will be undertaking a seriesof public information endeavors to makethe public aware of the various schemesalready used to trap undocumentedimmigrants, as well as to let immigrantsknow that help is available for themshould they fall victims to fraudsters, andthat those involved in the practice ofdefrauding immigrants can and will beprosecuted. Mr. Ng, in an interview withCaribbean American Weekly says: “It isBrooklyn District Attorney KenThompson’s motto, that once you are avictim of a crime whether you are docu-mented or undocumented, he will bethere to help you. The Brooklyn DistrictAttorney’s Office Immigrant Fraud Unitis set up to prosecute anyone who prac-tices the fraudulent exploitation of immi-

grants, using schemes or other means.Whether it’s an organization, a church,or an individual or individuals, we willprosecute. The most typical schemes arewhere a person or group may pose as anattorney or someone who has specialskills in terms of immigration and whatthey will do is give that person legaladvice, and promise to have special con-nections to expedite somebody getting agreen card or social security card and inreturn they will charge you some amountof money, let’s say $10,000, and if yougive me $5000 upfront, I’ll guaranteethat you get a Green Card in six months.So obviously, this sounds great to theimmigrant because oftentimes they workvery hard and one of the primary con-cerns for them is to get status andbecome a citizen, but after they give themoney, often times when they follow upwith these people, they never hear backfrom them again and because they are

afraid of the authorities such as thepolice, because sometimes they worryabout deportation, they are not going toreport the crimes, so often times thesecrimes are under reported, we don’t knowtoo much about them, so that’s why weare trying to get the word out there to letthem know that we are here to help and itmatters not what your status is. Once youmake the report we will investigate andbring to justice the perpetrators.”

According to Mr. Ng, victims of immi-gration fraud who are undocumented,have no need to fear deportation forreporting a crime to the police. TheBrooklyn DA’s office is simply trying toreduce the number of fraudulent crimescommitted against vulnerable residentsof Brooklyn, in particular undocumentedimmigrants. He stressed that his office isobligated to serve everyone living inBrooklyn and it is with that mandate inmind why the Brooklyn DA’s Office hasundertaken to alleviate crimes such asimmigration fraud: “My unit, we do a lotof outreach, our office goes to a lot ofpriestly council meetings, our office goesto different groups, and for example myunit is part of the big task force called theProtect Immigrant New York task forcethat incorporate a lot of non-profitsgroups and involves other DA’S officesand some of the federal agencies. Alsowe have both a New York Immigration

Hotline at 1-800-566-7636 and aHelpline at 718-250-3333 where you cancall in and report the crime. Also, on anygiven day you can come down to the DA’sOffice where we have an action centerand you can speak to one of our special-ists who will take your complaint andwrite it up and forward it to the relevantdepartment for action.”

In order to further fulfill its obligationto the Borough of Brooklyn, the DA’sImmigrant Fraud Unit will embark on itspublic awareness campaign this June byhosting its first public forum to speak onthe issue of immigration fraud amongother topics that will be beneficial to theimmigrant community. Mr. Ng explains:“After our first immigration forum, wewill make adjustments. We plan to go todifferent parts of Brooklyn to continueour outreach program to the residents ofthis Borough. Brooklyn is home to one ofthe largest immigrant populations in theUnited States and our immigrant commu-nities represent the beauty and richdiversity of our great city.

Unfortunately, there are individualswho target and prey upon these commu-nities and defraud and exploit innocentpeople. My unit is committed to investi-gate and prosecute individuals and busi-nesses that target and exploit immi-grants.”l

Immigrant Fraud Unit Is Set UpBY VANDELL PARK

NEWS IMMIGRATION12



NEWS IMMIGRATION14

National Small Business Week,which has occurred each yearsince 1963, recognizes the contri-

butions of entrepreneurs and small busi-ness owners in the United States.According to the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration (SBA), more than half ofAmericans either own or work for a smallbusiness, which SBA defines as an inde-pendent business having fewer than 500employees. Small businesses createdabout two out of every three (63 percent)net new jobs in the U.S. from 1993 to2013, and 60 percent of net new jobs since2009. Behind these broad numbers is thecritical role immigrant entrepreneurs playin America’s small business environment.

Frequently cited statistics show thatimmigrants are more than twice as likelyto start a business than the native-bornpopulation. Immigrants, over the last 15years, have also increased the rate bywhich they start businesses by more than50 percent, while the native-born haveseen their business formation rate declineby 10 percent. Moreover, income fromimmigrant-owned businesses increased bymore than 60 percent over the last decade,and in 2010, generated more than $775billion in revenue, $125 billion in payroll,and $100 billion in income, and employed

one out of every ten workers.Immigrants are creating economic

opportunities in the neighborhoods wherethey’re needed most. While immigrantscomprise 13 percent of the country’s totalpopulation, 16 percent of the labor force,and 18 percent of business owners overall,immigrants make up 28 percent of “mainstreet” business owners nationally in2013. According to a January 2015 report,“main street” businesses are those that fallinto three sectors: retail, accommodationand food services, and neighborhood serv-ices. These are the types of small busi-nesses that contribute to neighborhoodvitality.

Additionally, main street businesses areoften establishments with a thin profitmargin, as they tend to cater to a smallercustomer base and market area. Butthey’re important for generating neighbor-hood-level economic growth and revital-

ization. Regarding particular types ofbusinesses, immigrants make up 61 per-cent of gas station owners, 58 percent ofdry cleaners owners, 45 percent of nailsalon owners, and 38 percent of restaurantowners. Locally, in some metropolitanareas, immigrants make up over half of allmain street business owners: 64 percent inthe Los Angeles metro area, 61 percent inmetro San Jose, 56 percent in theWashington, D.C., metro area, and 54 per-cent in the Miami metro area.

Clearly, small business immigrant entre-preneurship has the potential to boostlocal economic growth and communitydevelopment. Yet, small business owners,particularly immigrants and refugees, faceparticular challenges and barriers—lackof credit history, access to capital, lan-guage and cultural barriers, and under-standing of the local business environ-ment and rules, regulations, and permit-

ting for starting a business in a particularplace. By seeking opportunities to helpbudding immigrant entrepreneurs over-come these challenges, their businessstartups will likely see a greater chance ofsuccess, with positive benefits for theiroverall community.

From the local to the national level, thereare a variety of public, private, and non-profit organizations exploring ways tocultivate immigrant entrepreneurship.Local leaders in St. Louis launched animmigrant entrepreneurship advisoryboard comprised of local immigrant entre-preneurs, an effort led by the St. LouisMosaic Project as part of a holisticapproach to help entrepreneurs turn theirideas into reality. The announcementcame as part of a new resource and infor-mation-sharing agreement between thecity of St. Louis and the SBA to boost areaimmigrant businesses. Indeed, many localorganizations are already pursuing strate-gies to bolster immigrant entrepreneurs intheir communities. And the recentlyreleased set of strategies from the WhiteHouse Task Force on New Americansincludes steps federal agencies like theSBA can take to build on ongoing locallevel work, leveraging resources andexpertise to strengthen opportunities forsmall business entrepreneurship.l

BY PAUL McDANIEL

Immigrant Entrepreneurs Move theU.S. Economy Forward


WEALTH & DEBT 15

A Special Invitation

to all faith-basedleaders to empower their

congregation and membershipfrom the IJLEF, Inc.,

a 501(c)(3) approved not-for-profit

organization offeringFREE IMMIGRATION

SEMINARS/PRESENTATIONS &

CONSULTATION CARDS($100 VALUE) ON THE DAY OF THE PRESENTATION

Call 718-243-9431 to schedule a presentation

$8,020 for white families. The student debt disparity is just one

factor adding to a yawning gap in wealthbetween black and white Americans.

One big reason black families are morelikely to borrow for college is becausethey’re less likely to have access to tradi-tional sources of wealth such as inheri-tances, or wealth-creating tools such ashomeownership, according to the UrbanInstitute. Once black students graduate,the extra debt may prevent them fromactivities that build wealth—for example,buying a house or saving for retirement.

“Student loan debt can have rippleeffects. It can delay when people buytheir first home and when they begin tostart saving seriously for their retire-ment,” said Signe-Mary McKernan, asenior fellow at the Urban Institute. “Thisdisadvantage means that African-Americans are getting a late start inwealth accumulation.”

The Urban Institute analysis relies ondata from the Federal Reserve Board ofGovernors' survey of consumer finances.One critique of the survey is that itunderestimates total outstanding studentloan debt.

One important caveat: The UrbanInstitute analysis relies on data from theFederal Reserve's survey of consumerfinances. One critique of the survey isthat it underestimates total outstandingstudent-loan debt. A recent New York

Fed study found that lenders report high-er levels of debt.

All students who weigh whether to bor-row for college face a catch-22. Researchshows it’s much harder to get a decent-paying job without a college degree, yetsaddling oneself with loans can be daunt-ing. Among African-American students,the choice can be particularly acute.

For one thing, African-American stu-dents are less likely to graduate from col-lege, according to the Urban Institute,meaning they won't have a degree to helpthem land the kinds of jobs that will payoff loan debt. That, says the Institute, isin part because African-American stu-dents are more likely to attend for-profitcolleges. Those schools often have lowergraduation rates than nonprofit counter-parts, and they’ve come under fire inrecent years for not delivering on prom-ises to get jobs for graduates.

And black students who do get a degreeoften face discrimination in finding a job.Recent black college graduates face anunemployment rate double that of theirwhite counterparts, according to a 2014analysis from the Center for Economicand Policy Research. A study from theNational Bureau of Economic Researchsuggests that this may be due partly to asubconscious bias against black jobapplicants.

The first few years of a career areextremely important in determining howmuch money a person will make overtheir lifetime, and whether there will beenough to do things like buy a house orsave for retirement. This combination offactors makes it especially difficult forblack college graduates to gain wealth.“That wealth translates into opportuni-ty,” McKernan said.l

“Student loan

debt can have

ripple effects. It

can delay when

people buy their

first home and

when they begin

to start saving

seriously for their

retirement...”

College Debt CripplingGraduates’ Ability/continued from page 1


NEWS EMPOWER YOURSELF16

OVER 30 FREE EMPOWERING SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Bring your business partner, employees, family and friends. Attend as many seminarsas possible, then discuss the information together!

Room 1 - Small Business Boot CampTime

Time Room 5 - Int’l Trade & Global Biz

Room 3 - Next Level

Room 6 - Franchising

Room 2 - Construction

Room 4 - Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees

10am-10:45am

11am-11:45am

12noon-12:45pm

2pm-2:45pm

3pm-3:45pm

4pm-4:45pm

10am-10:45am

11am-11:45am

12noon-12:45pm

2pm-2:45pm

3pm-3:45pm

4pm-4:45pm

I’m Going to College Business to Start a Business, NotGet a Job; and Business Plan Basics

Show Me the Money: Financing Your Business(Traditional & Non-Traditional

Identifying Contracting Opportunities for MWBEs &Veteran-Owned Businesses at CUNY, NYS and theU.S. Federal Government

Small Business Solutions:Legal, Tax & Accounting Issues and An Intro toQuickBooks

Doing Business in the Dominican Republic

Doing Business in Haiti and Doing Business withImmigrants

Doing Business in BarbadosDoing Business in Jamaica

An Introduction to Marketing, Social Media andEffective Networking

How to Start & Manage a ConstructionCompany & Being a Union Contractor

LEED Documentation for General Contractors& Construction Managers

An Introduction to PLA: The Good, Bad & Ugly;and An Introduction to the From Worker(Union) to Business Owner

How to Start a Restaurant Business and AnIntroduction to the Restaurant & Urban NightlifeAssociation

An Introduction to Federal Training for Sub-Contractors

Doing Business in Trinidad & Tobago

Panel: Doing Business with the New York City,New York State and the Federal Government

Doing Business with BNY Mellon

International Trade & Global Business:The Value of E1, E2 & EB5 Visa Programs

An Introduction to Export.gov

An Introduction to International Trade & GlobalBusiness

An Introduction to Non-Profits

An Introduction to Workers’ CompensationIssues

Managing Your Online Reputation

How to Start & Manage a Successful DayCare Business

How to Do Business with Battery Park

Doing Business in the St Vincent & theGrenadines

An Introduction to Franchising

Minorities and Franchising

Doing Business in Guyana

Doing Business in St Lucia

Financing Your Franchise and Taking YourFranchise International

Master Your Finances, Master Your Business

Advertising in the Digital Age & Key Essentials of LocalOnline Marketing

Find Your Financial G-Spot

How to Start & Manage a Successful Beauty Salon &Cosmetics Line

An Introduction to the Fresh Start Initiative forDistressed Businesses

REGISTER at www.chambercoalition.orgQuestions? Call 718-722-9217.

Seminar schedule subject to change.



NEWS SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS18How to Take Your Solopreneurship tothe Next LevelBY ANITA CAMPBELL

If you’re like nearly 18 million peo-ple in the U.S., you’re operatingyour business as a solopreneur. That

means you’ve been doing everything,from making sales to refilling the print-er paper. But what happens when yourbusiness grows beyond what you can doon your own?

It’s time to call in reinforcements. Butit’s not just a matter of hiring a few free-lancers. You need a strategy that willhelp you scale your operations to matchup with your boom in business.

Change Your Business StructureWhen you’re small potatoes, operatingas a sole proprietor is usually sufficient.But as you grow, you need to protectyour personal assets. If someone suesyour company, they’re essentially suingyou, and your personal assets may betaken to cover costs. But operating as acorporation or LLC, you are separatedfrom your business, and you’re not per-sonally liable for it.

There are also tax advantages tochoosing a formal business structure, sodo some research and figure out whichis best for your company.

Figure Out Your Staffing NeedsYou can’t continue to do everything suc-cessfully, so it’s time to start hiring. Youhave a few options here, depending onhow much help you need:•Freelancer•Intern•Agency or consultant•Part-timer•Full-timer

If you have a one-off project, like webdesign, a freelancer may work. If youwant to hand your marketing over tosomeone else, consider hiring a market-ing consultant or agency. And if youhave regular tasks you need help with,determine whether you need to hire partor full time.

Be Willing to Invest TimeWhile yes, adding people to your teamwill lighten your load in some ways, ifyou’re truly ready to grow your busi-ness to be competitive with bigger play-ers, you’ll probably have to spend moretime working on that growth. Let yourfamily know that at least for the timebeing, you’ll be less available at home.

Look to the FutureAs your business grows, you maychange your goals. As a solopreneur,you may not set your sights as high asyou can once you’re moving up to thenext level. Reassess your business plan,and decide whether it’s still in line withwhere you want to take the company.

You may find that you want to growmore aggressively now that you’ve builta team to help you move faster.

Let GoUp until now, you were the one to makeall the decisions. Now that you’re work-ing with other people, it may be a chal-lenge for you to not want to controleverything. But realizing your growthinvolves you working with people whoare skilled in areas you aren’t, so trustthem to do the job and contribute toyour company’s success.

Moving from solopreneurship to alarger small business isn’t an overnightmiracle. It will take planning, time andmoney, so make sure now is the righttime for you to step up your efforts.l

Anita Campbell is a guest blogger forwww.sba.gov. She runs online communi-ties and information websites reachingover 6 million small business owners,stakeholders and entrepreneurs annual-ly, including Small Business Trends, adaily publication about small businessissues, and BizSugar.com, a small busi-ness social media site.


NEWSNEWS CV1

nHEALTH nENTERTAINMENT nRELATIONSHIPS nRECIPES nSPORTS nHOROSCOPE

Kitchen Corner

"Once you've had one, you'll wantanother. The recipe is a little differentfrom most burrito recipes, but I've hadmany, many requests for it. Serve thesewith sour cream, chopped greenonions, and salsa." — Karena

Ingredients1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained 2 cups water 3 tablespoons chili powder 4 teaspoons prepared mustard 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 3 tablespoons soy sauce 4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).2.Heat oil in a medium skillet andsaute onion and garlic until soft. Mashbeans into the onion mixture.

Visit www.cawnyc.com for the latestCaribbean news, sports, information and more!

SUBMITTED BY KARENAALLRECIPIES.COM

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Gradually stir in water; heat untilwarm, 2 to 3 minutes. Removefrom heat and stir in the soy sauce,chili powder, mustard, cumin, andcayenne pepper.3.Divide bean mixture and mashedsweet potatoes evenly between thetortillas; top with cheese. Fold tor-tillas burrito-style around the fill-ings and place on a baking sheet.4.Bake in the preheated oven untilwarmed through, about 12 min-utes.l

• PREP 15 mins • COOK 25 hrs• READY IN 40 mins

Domestic Bliss: 5 FabulousWedding Registry Upgrades

Getting ready to say "I do?" Of allthe tasks you'll do to prepare foryour big day, creating your wed-

ding registry will be one of the most fun.It's your chance to choose everything foryour home, from towels and linens toplates, flatware and kitchen gadgets. Besure to add choices in a variety of priceranges so guests can decide how muchthey want to spend, while still getting youand your new spouse something youreally want. Dream big — in addition tothe basics, take this opportunity to ask forpremium gifts. Here are a few items anycouple would be thrilled to receive andenjoy.

Mixing up magicA high-performance blender is a must-have for any newly married couple orfamily. Ask for one that can help withevery meal of the day. Use to make break-fast smoothies in the morning, saladdressing for lunch, soup for dinner, andeven dips and drinks for last-minuteentertaining.

Multi-taskersPots and pans are a registry staple, butyou should also add specialty cookwareand bakeware, such as a roasting pan, rec-tangular baker or covered baking dish.Choosing oven-to-table pieces makes iteasy to go straight from cooking to pres-entation, all in one dish that works forboth tasks. Many of these dishes alsoinclude lids for easily storing leftovers.By asking for a set that comes with multi-ple pieces, you'll be ready to createbrunch casseroles, lasagna for dinner anda warm bread pudding for dessert.

Backyard barbecues An outdoor grill can help set the scene for family gather-ings, tailgate parties or just relaxing with friends. Decide ifyou prefer gas, which offers easy operation and clean-up,or charcoal, which many barbecue connoisseurs say pro-vides a more intense, grilled flavor. Also, think about extrafeatures you may want, such as a built-in thermometer, sideburners, shelves or tool hooks. Don't forget skewers, cook-ing utensils such as spatulas, tongs and grill forks, as well asother accessories like a grill mitt, grill basket or pizza pan.Be sure to consider space as well. If you live in an apart-ment, you may opt for a smaller grill or one that hooksdirectly on your balcony.

Serve in styleBe ready for dinner parties with formal dinnerware andcrystal stemware. Select timeless patterns that will lookfresh and inviting on your table for years to come. Add apop of color and personality with low-cost, on-trend accentpieces, such as chargers or a coffee or teapot. Register fora few different types of glasses including water goblets,wine glasses and stemless or highball glasses, depending onyour drink of choice. Experts recommend requesting eightto 12 place settings, but you may want more if you plan tohost large events.

Unconventional toolsOnce you've got the basics covered, consider some out-of-the-box kitchen items. Keep recipes handy by registeringfor a cutting board that has place for a tablet. For easy enter-taining, a slate cheese board enables you to write the nameof each cheese or appetizer right on the board. Or, pick onewith a hidden drawer for knives and storage.

Friends and family often like to give a signature gift thatwill make you think of them each time you use it. If youneed extra advice on what to choose for your registry, don'thesitate to ask a consultant at your local department storeor download checklists from popular wedding websites andblogs. Creating a wedding registry is often the first steptoward building your home as a married couple, so get theright items to make it a happy one.l(BPT)

Love in old age!


Carol Maraj Is Helping Women BuildTheir Wings

NEWS CARIBBEAN STAR20

Once, there was a pregnant womanwhose boyfriend held a gun toher belly. This story and others

like it, about victims of domestic vio-lence, have inspired Carol Maraj,President and Founder of The CarolMaraj Foundation, to become an advo-cate for victims.

This year, the foundation will have itsfirst annual fundraising gala, theH.O.P.E. Rising Awards, to help raisefunds to help prevent domestic violence.The event will also honor mothers whoare making great strides in the communi-ty.

Maraj is a survivor of domestic vio-lence, she knows all too well the sacri-fices that it takes to persevere not only asa woman but as a mother. Her ability toconnect with the women she meets,comes from a sincere place of under-standing.

“I was just a mother trying to my best,unfortunately my husband went on drugsand alcohol and I had to be strong for mytwo children,” Maraj said. “I knew I hadto keep hope alive for my children.”

One of Maraj’s children is hip-hopmega superstar, Nicki Minaj.

“I would tell my children all the time

that ‘no’ is not an option,” Maraj said. “Ijust kept going, I knew God had betterplans for me.”

In 2011, Maraj planted the first seed intransforming her struggles into a path-way for other women to find theirstrength. She visited a shelter in Harlem,and the stories that were shared with herpushed her into action.

“When I left there I wanted to do some-thing for them. I wanted to show them thelove and support, because there were somany tears, bitterness, and broken heart-edness,” Maraj said.

Uplifting women is the main focus forMaraj. The foundation not only focuseson the internal healing from the mentaland emotional scars that come fromdomestic violence, but it also helps withthe external scars. There are three distinctprograms offered by The Carol MarajFoundation: Dolls Up, M.O.V.E.(Moving Onward VocationallyEmpowered), and Sister’s Keeper; whichare designed to educate the women in thedifferent areas of how to be a survivorand overcomer. Dolls Up focuses onbeauty makeovers, M.O.V.E. helps withjob and career readiness, and Sister’sKeeper focuses on fellowship.

“The objective is, if we can get thewomen to go out there and become finan-cially independent, then they will notwant to go back to their abusers,” Marajsaid. “For some of them there is a co-dependency there and they want to goback, but once they get a job and they’refinancially ready, they don’t want to goback.”

Feeling beautiful and prepared makethe women more confident in their deci-

sion to move on from an unhealthy rela-tionship. These programs are not just forwomen in shelters. The organization doesa lot of outreach and prides itself onbeing accessible to the community as awhole.

“We will make a visit to community cen-ters or wherever we have to go and dothe makeover,” Maraj said.

Makeovers are usually done for free inthe shelters, but when done in other loca-tions it’s only $25 per woman. The smallfee goes directly into helping the non-profit foundation run its programming.

Maraj is also a proponent of reachingthe younger generation as a preventativemeasure. She personally goes out toschools, churches, and youth groups toteach the early detection of abuse.According to statistics, from the organi-zation, Women Helping Women’s web-site, one out of three teenage girls are orhave been involved in an abusive rela-tionship.

“It’s very important, because you wouldbe surprised to see how young theseteens are who are getting involved inabusive relationships because they didn’tknow the signs and didn’t know it wasabuse,” Maraj said. “It’s so important toget them very early so that we can helpmake a change in this new generation.”

In addition to its first, upcomingH.O.P.E Rising Awards, the foundationalso hosts an annual brunch, Beauty forAshes Brunch, to help raise money fordomestic violence awareness and pre-vention. The name is taken from Isaiah61, its biblical reference resonates withMaraj’s focus.

“It means, today I want [them] to putyour ashes down and receive beauty.Your ashes represent your bitterness,your pain, your low self-esteem, and Iwant [them] to leave that aside and pickup their beauty, which is the drive tobecome successful and enhance theirlife,” Maraj said.

Butterflies, planes, and hot air balloonsare all symbols, sprinkled throughout thewebsite, of journeying to a new begin-ning. Growing through a hard circum-stance is something that Maraj empha-sizes to the women she meets.

“I go around and give my stories to oth-ers and tell them, if I’m standing beforeyou that means that there is hope foryou,” Maraj said.

Tickets for the upcoming H.O.P.ERising Awards can be found onEventbrite.

Inquiries about getting access to theprograms or how to volunteer can be sentto [email protected] more information on The CarolMaraj Foundation, please visitCarolMarajFoundation.com. l

BY JHODIE-ANN WILLIAMS

GREEN CARD SLAVERY?Don’t put up with ABUSE anymore! We can get a GreenCard for you and your children PLUS a divorce. Call 718-222-3155 now for a FREE consultation!ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Based on Isaiah 61: we

want you to put your ashes

down and receive beauty.

Your ashes represent your

bitterness, your pain, your

low self-esteem, and I

want [them] to leave that

aside and pick up their

beauty...


NEWSHEALTH 21

The same process that creates heartdisease may also cause erectiledysfunction, only earlier. Erectile

dysfunction — difficulty maintaining anerection sufficient for sex — can be anearly warning sign of heart problems.Understanding the connections betweenthe two may help you get treatmentbefore heart problems become serious.Likewise, if you have heart disease, get-ting the right treatment may help witherectile dysfunction.

Clogged arteries: Where erectile dys-function and heart disease meetAtherosclerosis (ath-ur-o-skluh-ROE-sis) — sometimes called hardening of thearteries — is the buildup of plaques inthe arteries of your body. The smallerarteries in the body, such as in the penis,are the first to get plugged up. The plaquereduces blood flow in the penis, makingan erection difficult. Erectile dysfunctionis an alert to look for atherosclerosis inlarger arteries supplying your heart andother organs and to take steps to treat it.Atherosclerosis also increases your riskof other problems, including aneurysm,stroke and peripheral artery disease.

Certain men are at increased riskBesides sharing a common disease

process, erectile dysfunction and heartdisease also share many risk factors.These risk factors increase the likelihoodthat your erectile dysfunction could be asign of underlying atherosclerosis andheart disease: •Having diabetes. Men who have dia-betes are at especially high risk of erec-tile dysfunction, heart disease and otherproblems caused by restricted bloodflow.•Having high cholesterol. A high level oflow-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad")cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis.•Being a smoker. Smoking cigarettesraises your risk of developing atheroscle-

Erectile Dysfunction: A Sign of HeartDisease?

Hosea: 4:6 - My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge

Tel: 718-722-9217 Email: [email protected]

FREE LAY AMBASSADORS PROGRAM

Location: NACC Conference Room26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brooklyn, NY 11242

Who should attend?Faith-based, community leaders and health advocates

Register at www.chambercoalition.org

HeartSmartsHeartSmarts is a program to empower others to live heart-healthy lifestyles. The program seeks to educatepastors and community leaders to become educators inthe community about cardiovascular health. What makesHeartSmarts different is that it uses a faith-based

curriculum, so each of the ten sessions of the HeartSmartsprogram has a biblical scripture that goes along with it.

rosis. It also directly affects your abilityto get an erection.•Having high blood pressure. Over time,high blood pressure damages the liningof your arteries and accelerates theprocess of atherosclerosis.•Having a family member with heart dis-ease. It's more likely your erectile dys-function could be linked to heart diseaseif you have a first-degree relative such asa sibling or parent who had heart diseaseat a young age.•Your age. The younger you are, themore likely that erectile dysfunction sig-nals a risk of heart disease. Men youngerthan 50 are at especially high risk. In men

older than 70, erectile dysfunction ismuch less likely to be a sign of heart dis-ease.•Being overweight. Being overweight orobese increases your risk of both heartdisease and erectile dysfunction due toatherosclerosis and other reasons.•Being depressed. There's some evidencethat depression is associated with anincreased chance of having heart prob-lems — and erectile dysfunction.

Treatment for erectile dysfunctioncaused by heart disease

If your doctor thinks you may be at riskof heart disease, making lifestylechanges such as exercising, changingyour diet or losing weight may be enoughto help keep your heart healthy — andimprove your ability to have an erection.If you have more—serious signs andsymptoms of heart disease, you mayneed further tests or treatment. If youhave both erectile dysfunction and heartdisease, talk to your doctor about treat-ment options for erectile dysfunction. Ifyou take certain heart medications, espe-cially nitrates, it is not safe to use manyof the medications used to treat erectiledysfunction. l

Written by Mayo Clinic Staff

The minority communities are suffering.

Time to put a stop. Participate in

Classes start on Friday,

July 10 from10am-12noon


NEWS MOVING FORWARD 22

The Green Party of New York, ledby former 2014 gubernatorial can-didate, Howie Hawkins, is seeking

to model a green economic climate bothhere in New York and the United States,similar to that encouraged by theEuropean Green Party across Europe.According to Hawkins, the City of Parisis moving towards divestment from thefossils fuels industries that contribute toclimate change and his party is workingto develop and encourage a similar eco-nomic structure here in the United States.Hawkins explains: “What they call for inEurope are businesses that are sustain-able over the long term. They want tochange the industrial technology so thatit’s using renewable energy and ensurethat the by-products of production arereusable so that there is no pollution andwe encourage that. What we want to do isto encourage similar types of businessesin the form of workers’ co-ops whereworkers get the full benefits of their laborand they acquire the entrepreneurial andmanagement skills required. In a co-opthere is a board of directors and the moreefficient they work, the more money theymake and there are some good examplesof that here in the United States…. Oneis recovered Windows, operating out of

Chicago. The manufacturer closed downthe business and the workers stepped up,bought over the company and is operat-ing it as a workers co-op making insulat-ed windows. Another good example is inCleveland where they set up a workersco-op that manufactures solar panelsand installs them to homes and an affili-ated co-op which does urban agriculturein the inner city which has createdemployment and we think we can encour-age those by establishing public bankswith entrepreneurial arms, to help work-ers set up these businesses and createtheir own jobs; unlike a number of man-ufacturing in this country which is beingshipped overseas to cheap labor markets,these businesses would become theanchor to their communities.”

According to Hawkins, his party willseize every opportunity to promote eco-nomic development that will encouragebusinesses and manufacturing operationsthat will make a huge impact towardspractices that will eliminate major contri-butions to climate change. He noted thatcome June 25, 2015, his party will be atthe New American Chamber ofCommerce International & Multicultural

Business Expo scheduled to be held atthe New York Marriott, DowntownBrooklyn, to promote its Green econom-ic drive: “We want to talk about theestablishment of co-ops and the publicpolicies to support them. For me, and Iwould say the Greens, public banking iswhat we need to help communities devel-op economically and not financial insti-tutions that are out there primarily tomake money for their shareholdersonly[we also need]… to help the publicwith its economic missions, and also toencourage the creation of businesses thatwould produce sustainable jobs that aresafe for the environment….We wouldalso like to see regulations and tax sub-sidy policies that would encourage busi-nesses to move into the clean manufac-turing and renewable energy field, forexample, having a tax on carbon with adividend or refund per capita that wouldmake it more expensive to use fossil fuelsand make it less expensive to use renew-able energy. In New York we would liketo see a … bank with the state depositingits money there, thus bypassing the mid-dle man in Wall Street which takes a lotof fees and then have entrepreneurial

arms that look at specific businesses thatare needed to develop a green and effi-cient state. We need businesses such assolar manufacturing and installations,we need retro fitting buildings for energyefficiency and this bank can help thesebusinesses set up through business plan-ning and help finance them and train theworkers until they can operate it on theirown and that would be a proactive way ofgetting businesses in the communities,thus creating employment. Unlike whatwe do now, we give tax breaks away andthen cross our fingers and hope it gener-ates jobs; it’s called trickle-down eco-nomics, which really doesn’t trickledown.”

Hawkins is calling on those interestedin becoming entrepreneurs and are seek-ing to contribute to a green safer and sus-tainable environment, to make it theirpriority to attend the NACC International& Multicultural Expo hosted by NACC,since his Green Party will be making aspecial economic push for more greenbusinesses here in New York. Businessesinterested in being a part of the Expo, cancontact NACC so they can showcasetheir products and take advantage of net-working with other businesses fromacross the tri-state area at 718-722-9217.l

The Green Party of New York Supports GreenBusinesses and Economic Development in NYBY VANDELL PARK Join the Green Party on Thursday, June 25

at the Brooklyn Marriott


NYC City Comptroller HoldsDOE Feet to the Fire for Lackof Physical Education

The New York City Comptroller’sOffice is yet again holding a keycity department accountable, this

time as it exposes the Department ofEducation’s failure to provide adequatephysical education programs for studentsacross the five boroughs of New YorkCity. Comptroller Scott Stringer recentlyreleased a report called “Dropping theBall: Disparities in Physical Educationin New York City Schools” detailing thelack of physical education programswhich is a key component of the NewYork State education curriculum. In hisreport, Comptroller Stringer says:“Simply put, the Department ofEducation [DOE] is leaving too many ofour students on the bench when it comesto physical education and is violatingstate law in the process. Our key findingsreveal that more than 32 percent of cityschools examined do not have a full-timecertified physical education teacher,despite New York State regulationsrequiring the DOE to provide students ingrades 7-12 with a licensed PE instruc-tor. Twenty-eight percent of schools lacka dedicated physical fitness space, eventhough the state requires adequateindoor and outdoor facilities for physicaleducation programs at all levels, andeighty percent of schools that lack a ded-icated physical fitness space are co-located. At a time when more than one infour New York City schoolchildren agedfive to fourteen is obese or severelyobese, the DOE must view PE as a neces-sity, not a luxury. Quality PE has beenshown to improve academic perform-ance, boost public health and save tax-payer money.”

Comptroller Stringer says his office isprepared to work with the Department ofEducation to ensure improvement in thearea of concern and to allow for adequateprovision of physical education pro-grams to be offered to students across thecity. The Department of Education, whencontacted for a response to theComptroller’s report, through its DeputyPress Secretary Jason Fink said:“Physical education is an important partof our students’ learning experience anddelivers our schoolchildren not only

physical fitness, but a well-rounded edu-cation. With training and support forschools, the DOE is bringing innovationand new physical education training forteachers so they can provide expansiveopportunities for students. We will reviewthe Comptroller’s recommendations andwill support our school communities tocontinue to improve physical educationfor all our students. The DOE provides anumber of supports and programs to helpschools provide students with high-qual-ity, engaging physical education. Thereport overstates the number of schoolswithout space for physical education.Some schools that are co-located haveaccess to shared space for physical edu-cation and these shared spaces are notalways reflected in the Principal AnnualSpace Survey (PASS) survey. Manyschools also provide physical educationin spaces categorized in other ways, suchas dance rooms or multi-purpose rooms.Some schools access physical educationspace at external, non-DOE locations.The DOE has submitted its DistrictPhysical Education Plan to the StateDepartment of Education (SED) and it iscurrently under review.”

According to Mr. Fink, the Departmentof Education is working on improving itsphysical education programs across thefive boroughs of the city, an action by theDOE that has not been reflected in theComptroller’s report. He believes thatwith time, the DOE will deliver adequatephysical education to the students ofNew York City, and so far, statistics areon hand to show the work that is already

underway by his department. Heexplains: “The DOE continues toimprove its systems for tracking informa-tion about students’ programs. Startingin 2014-15, all DOE schools (K-12) arerequired to report information abouttheir instructional programs, includingphysical education, in the DOE’s studentprogramming system (STARS). This is thefirst year that instructional data havebeen collected in this manner for elemen-tary schools. State regulations do allowcommon branch teachers to teach physi-cal education in elementary schools andthis has been a long-standing practice inmany schools. We provide training andsupport to certified PE teachers as wellas such classroom teachers. DOE pro-vides instructional support to hundredsof PE teachers annually through profes-sional development. So far, this schoolyear nearly 2,000 teachers have attendedover 83 Physical Education sessions cov-ering topics such as the recommendedcurriculum and assessment, "No Gym,No Problem" for non-traditional activityspaces; adaptive PE; and the nationalLet's Move Physical Activity Leadershiptraining. More than 12,000 elementaryschool teachers have been trained in theMove-to-Improve (MTI) classroom-based fitness program since 2009. TheCHAMPS Middle School Sports andFitness Program currently supports morethan 400 middle schools and reachesmore than 40,000 students each year.PSAL has over 39,000 students on over3,000 teams.” l

BY VANDELL PARK

NEWSEDUCATION 23

Kamla Persad-Bissesar Government,pushing for the enactment of a law calledthe Administration of Justice Act, thatwould have allowed key supporters of theGovernment, Ish Galbaransingh and SteveFerguson who are currently indicted forgross crimes, to walk free. It is to suchextent that this woman, now PrimeMinister of this nation, would go to secureher position in power.

In addition to Prime Minister Bissessar’sinsatiable desire for power, regardless ofhow it is attained, is her palpable inebria-tion, a disgraceful social habit that she sooften embarrasses Trinidadians with, bothon the national and allegedly the interna-tional stage. Examples of this distastefulsocial condition of the Prime Minister, issaid to have occurred while on stage inAustralia and while delivering her conces-sion speech to the loss suffered in thecountry’s 2013 local government elec-tions, and prior to that. In fact, FormerPrime Minister and UNC leader BasdeoPanday, a close ally of Kamla, spoke outabout her alleged drinking weakness: “Ilike Kamla...but she has an awful weak-ness and I think you know about it, and Iknow about it and everybody knows aboutit, and it can make her enormously vulner-able."

In a bid to derail the opposition and castits leader, Dr. Keith Rowley, in a bad light,the incumbent government has stooped tonew lows in the political history of thecountry. First it was the government’seffort to use the socialization of the oppo-sition leader gyrating with one of thecountry’s East Indian voters during thenational carnival celebrations, dubbinghim as being too lawless to lead the coun-try, and when that did not work, the gov-ernment took to parliament to defame Dr.Rowley and his mother, claiming that he isthe product of a rape and that the genetictraits inherited from that experiencewould make him ineligible to lead thecountry.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader andhis team continue to conduct what can beconsidered a clean electoral campaign, byhighlighting issues that affect the peopleand put forward suggestions on what itwill do once voted into government, tosolve the glaring problems that currentlyplague the country. At a recent meetingDr. Rowley says he will tackle crimewhich is the number one problem in thecountry. He says he will revamp the PoliceServices so that it can adequately dealwith both violent and white-collar crimes.He added that his government will stampout corruption since it will not bargainwith anyone for leadership positions, andit will work assiduously to put oversightmechanisms in place to ensure transparen-cy and justice. He also indicated that hisgovernment will make significant changesto the local government Ministry, sincethere will be no appointment of a localgovernment Minister.

With general elections just months away,Trinidadians are called upon to choose aleader who will not embarrass the countryas a drunkard, and also spare the countryfrom the incessant ineptness, and allegedcriminal leadership of the current PrimeMinister, Kamla Persuad-Bissessar.l

Time for Change inTrinidad & Tobago?/continued from page 4
