point of view january/february 2011

8/8/2019 Point of View January/February 2011

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As we rememberthe legacy of Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. in Januaryand people like PhillipPayton, Leonard Cooke,Maggie Walker, WilliamBill Darden, and others,let us also remember theresponsibility that each oneof us has to bequeath to thenext generation a worldmore perfect than the onewe inherited. Make history,365 days of the year.

365Black is notjust a slogan used byMcDonalds, but it is state-ment which reflects thedaily contributions thatpeople of African ancestryhave made and continue tomake to the nation and tothe world. The statement isalso indicative of the resil-iency of people who haveovercome obstacles seldomexperienced in all of humanhistory.

In a recent inter-view I conducted with theHonorable Keith L.T.Wright, Member of Assem-bly, 70th Assembly District,I asked him how the districthe represents, Central Har-lem, would be different ifblacks had greater accessto wealth. He said, lookwhat blacks have accom-plished without having much

access to wealth! Headded, today blacks areserving as Chief ExecutiveOfficers. He added, blacksare serving in some of thehighest positions in govern-ment, including the mostpowerful position in thefree world, President of theUnited States. Imaginewhat blacks could do ifthey had wealth?

The experience ofblacks in America is one ofstruggle, but it is also oneof resistance and persever-ance. Three hundred andsixty five days of the year,every year, blacks aremaking history. They arenot only making history,they are making a differ-ence. They are remember-ing the past, working in thepresent, and shaping thefuture.

365Black

Celebrate King onat 2:00 pm on Monday,January 17, 2011 at Pil-grim Baptist Church, 80North Franklin Street, NewYork 10960, and everydayby making or renewing acommitment to social justice.

The Reverend Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr., isremembered for his famousI Have a Dream speech.King was much more than adreamer. He was a revolu-tionary. He was a vision-ary. He did not what waspopular, but what was

right. Despite being de-spised and rejected bymany of his contemporaries,including some blacks andmembers of the clergy, hefought valiantly for thecreation of nation that hewould not live to see.

c| y i|x Serv ing the B lack Popu la t ion o f Rock land Coun ty, New York

More Than a Dreamer

Also inside...

Benefactor: Rose Holland

Nyack Village Clerk: Mary

White

2011 HSBCS Tour

Historic Underground Railro

Society

Delta Sigma Theta

Justin Marsland: Rising Sta

Special Points of Interest

Jewish Federation toRemember King 2

Revealing the Secrets ofthe Hollow

2

Rockland County CivilRights Hall of Fame

3

The Piano Lesson atElmwood Playhouse

4

Ambassador AndrewYoung to speak in county

7

Meet Shelley Roxanne:Shes Optimistic

10

The Hat Boutique andMore

10

January/February 2011

Volume 1, Issue 3


2/16

Jewish Federation to Remember King

Did you know...

Revealing the Secrets of the Hollow

lengthy interview sessions.

For more informa-tion about the film, includinginformation about how tosupport the project finan-cially, visitwww.acroweflyz.com.

Alice and AliciaCrowe are identical twinlawyers. They are workingto tell the story of blacks inRockland County throughtheir documentary, Secrets ofthe Hollow.

On Thursday, De-cember 16, 2010, Alice andAlicia interviewed a number

of people to share their ex-periences and researchabout Hillburn, School De-segregation, free blacks inAntebellum America, theUnderground Railroad andmore.

A screening of thedocumentary, which is still inproduction, followed the

Dutch slave owners(Whites).

The term Jackson Whitesrefers to Jacks andWhites.

Mozelle Van Dunk Steinconducted research onthis population.

Historically, some indi-viduals living in theRamapough/RamapoMountain region werereferred to as theJackson Whites.

The offensive term re-fers to mixed race indi-viduals and families

living in the RamapoMountains and surround-ing areas, including inRockland County.

The group are believedto be the descendentsLenape Indians, run-away slaves and freeblacks (Jacks), and

Point of ViewPage 2

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William Bill Darden, activ-ist, educator, legislator,

passes away at the age of 65.

Mozelle Van Dunk Stein

Shared History,Shared Future is the theme ofan evening of dialogue inmemory of Reverend Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr., spon-sored by the Jewish Federa-tion of Rockland County. Theevent is January 13, 2001 at7:00 P.M. at New City Jew-ish Center. The center islocated at 47 Old SchoolHouse Road, New City, NewYork.

The KeynoteSpeaker is Reverend Dr.DeeDee Coleman. Coleman

is a native of New Orleansand pastor of Russell StreetMissionary Baptist Church inMichigan.

For more informa-tion about the event pleasecontact Ben Lewis at 845-638-9600, extension 115 orvia email [email protected].

To learn moreabout Reverend Coleman,visit www.russellmbc.org/pastorsbio.htm.

Reverend Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr.


3/16

Did You Know?

The banks goal was tofacilitate loans to thecommunity.

The house her familyoccupied is a nationalhistorical site in Rich-mond, Virginia.

Maggie Lena Walker was the first woman to

be president of a local bank.

Walker opened the St.Luke Penny SavingsBank in 1903.

She was born to former slaves.

Maggie Walker wasalso an agent for a in-surance company, theWomans Union, for atime.

New Inductees to the Civil Rights Hall of Fame

Frances Pratt, Harriet Tub-man, Dr. Willie Bryant, JuneShagaloff, Jacqueline Hol-land and Rev. Louis Sanders.

Next time you visitNew City, stop by the lobbyof the Allison-Paris CountyOffice Building and view theplaques and portraits of civilrights leaders in the county,past and present. Check outthe honorees from 2003 to

the present.

For years, RocklandCounty has honored men andwomen for their commitmentto civil rights. Three peoplewere inducted into the Rock-land County Civil Rights Hallof Fame in December.

Wilbur Aldrige, Mid- H u d s o n / We s t c h e s t e rNAACP Regional Director,was honored for his commit-ment to eliminate discrimina-

tion in all forms.Dr. Martha McGuf-

fie was honored for her work

to improve the living condi-tions of disadvantaged peo-ple, especially children inKenya.

John Murphy wascelebrated for his work withthe disabled. Murphy, alongtime Rockland CountyLegislator, has worked onbehalf of Camp Venure andJosephs House, for example.

Aldrige, McGuffieand Murphy join an impres-sive group. The group in-cludes: Thurgood Marshall,

Nyack Educator Honored

She was describedas extremely dedicated.Another employee of thecenter said, shes alwayslooking for new ways of improving the experience of the children.

The centers facili-ties will expand over thenext few years to accommo-date more children.

Diane Rivera, alongtime Rockland Countyresident and educator, wasrecognized in the Journal

News for her leadership atthe West Street Child CareLearning Center. Rivera isthe Executive Director of thecenter is credited for themany of the changes thathave been made to the cen-

ter, according to the De-cember 17, 2010 article.

Diane Rivera has been the Executive Director since 1997. The center serves over 100 children.Her colleagues have nothing

but praise for her commit-ment to the areas young peo-

ple.

Page 3Volume 1, Issue 3

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Honorable John Murphy, one ofthree inducted into the RocklandCounty Civil Rights Hall of Fame

Maggie L. Walker, daughter ofslaves became first woman to es-

tablish a bank.


4/16

Join the Rockland Negro Scholarship Fund, Inc.For A Night At the Theatre

The Piano LessonBy August Wilson

Elmwood Playhouse

Thursday, February 3, 2011Pre-Show Reception 7pm

Show Time 8pm

Tickets $40

One Night Only Limited Seating

For more information contact: Tracie McLee at 845-548-4493 or

Alex Cabraie at 845-507-3016


5/16


6/16

Nyack Branch of the NAACP Meets to

Install Officers and Discuss Key Issues

Sparkill, New York

Wilbur Aldrige Frances Pratt, Branch President

Executive Board Members

Assembly Member Jaffe reads thenames of board members.


7/16

Strength in Diversity

Nyack Branch NAACP

52nd Annual Membership Renewal, Recruitment and Freedom Fund Dinner

In Memory of

Leonard Cooke, Walter C. Blount, Jr., Laurence Holland, Honorable William Bill Darden,David Cozart, and Ken Wilder

Thursday, April 28, 2011 AT 6:00 P.M.

Pearl River Hilton, Pearl River, New York

Ticket Information

Voncile Oliver 845-268-6626

Maria Whittingham 845-353-0773

Adult Tickets $65 (includes meal, one year subscription to Crisis Magazine and one-yearmembership)

Youth Council Members Ticket Courtesy of the Branch

Non-Youth Council Members $50

No ticket sales after April 25, 2011

Keynote Speaker

AmbassadorAndrew Young


8/16

Temple-1 Unisex

Gallery342 West Route 59

Nanuet, New York

845-215-9348


9/16


10/16

Shelley Roxanne: Shes Optimistic!

Did You Know...

The Hat Boutique and More

So, next time youare in the area, stop by theNanuet Mall. Check out TheHat Boutique and More,where they are more thanjust hats!

You can reachMarielle by phone also at845-623-1981

The Nanuet Mall isno longer the commercialdestination for the regionsresidents that it once was.Nevertheless, there are anumber of great finds in theold mall.

Mareille is theowner of The Hat Boutiqueand More. The boutique is

located on the second floor.

Marielle carriesformal and causal hats, wigs,hair pieces, scarves, wraps,shawls, watches, handbags,evening bags and brooches.The boutique has a gentle-mens corner to meet theneeds of the fashion con-scious men in the community.

years. He passed away at his

home on November 2,2010, three days shortof his 100th birthday.

Arthur Huggins of Na-nuet designed the me-morial for the HistoricMt. Moor African Ameri-can Cemetery in WestNyack, New York.

He was one of the foun-ders of the RocklandNegro Scholarship Fund.

Huggins was the firstblack building inspectorin New York City.

Huggins moved to Na-nuet in 1950 from theBronx.

He was married toGrace Huggins for 75

Community ProfilesPage 10

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Shelley Roxanne

Arthur and Grace Huggins discusstheir 75 year marriage shortly before

his death.

Boys (OLAB). OLAB wasfounded in 2007 inspireexcellence among youngboys .

Shelley Roxanneswork has not gone unnoticed.She was recently named aNational Woman of Influ-ence!

To learn moreabout Shelley Roxanne, in-cluding Optimistic H20, visitwww.shellyroxanne.com.

Shelley Roxanne isthe founder of Optimistic, Inc.Optimistic, Inc., is a personaland personal developmentcorporation. Shelley Rox-anne is a highly sought afterspeaker and consultant. Sheis truly a 21st centurywoman!

Shelley Roxannehosts a radio talk show, TheShelley Roxanne Show withmore than a million listeners.She reaches people in the tri-state area and around theworld.

Dont be surprised ifyou see Shelley Roxannehosting her own televisiontalk show. Testing with focusgroups ad network execu-tives is underway!

Shelley Roxanne isalso a writer. Roxanne Rules:The Ten Commandments toOptimistic Livingwill be re-leased soon.

Shelley Roxanne isalso a philanthropist. She isthe founder of The OptimisticLeadership Academy for


11/16

Did You Know...

Thirty percent of stu-dents in grades 1through 8 attend privateschools.

About 28% of studentsin grades 9-12 attendprivate schools.

Source: www.city-data.com

As of July 2009, over300,00 people live inRockland County.

Almost 72% of countyresidents are White,11% are Black, and10% are Hispanic.

Average household in-

come is almost $79,000. 11% of Whites live in

poverty compared to12% of blacks andabout 19% of Hispanics.

Over 19% of residentsare foreign-born.

Benefactor: Rose Holland

Charles AME Zion Church.

Rose Holland hascontinued to work in the cou-ples tradition of service tothe community and philan-thropy. She is a member ofthe Executive Committee ofthe Nyack Branch of theNAACP and is on the boardof Rockland Negro Scholar-ship Fund. Holland is also anactive member of the St.

Charles church family.

Rose Holland hasdevoted her time and re-sources to improving thequality of life for individualsand families in RocklandCounty. For many years,Rose Holland served in lead-ership positions in some ofthe countys most respectedcommunity-based organiza-tions.

Holland was mar-ried for many years to thelate Laurence Holland, achampion of civil rights in hisown right. Laurence Holland

was actively involved in theNyack Branch of the NAACP,serving as its President. Hewas a proud member of theAlpha Phi Alpha fraternityand St. Charles AME ZionChurch, among other associa-tions.

Together, Rose andLaurence gave generously tomany causes. For example,the two are benefactors ofthe Albert Holland EducationCenter. The center is locatedat 432 Valentine Avenue inSparkill, New York at St.

Nyack Village Clerk: Mary White

cutting edge techniques, pro-grams and services, that canbe provided to residents.

In addition to herwork with the village, MaryWhite is also active in manyother organizations includingwith Hollingsworth MemorialChurch Family Worship Cen-ter.

The role of the vil-lage clerk is to provide resi-dence with assistance in ob-taining a variety of personalstatistical records fromachieves, request forms forpublically available informa-tion and additional re-sources. In the village ofNyack, few people havedone the job as well as Mary

White.

Mary White is aproduct of the Nyack PublicSchool systems. She is agraduate of the Cornell Insti-tute for Municipal Clerks,making her a Certified Mu-nicipal Clerk! The three-yearprogram provided Whitewith professional training in


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Mary White

The Albert Holland Educa-tion Center is located on

the grounds of St. CharlesAME Zion Church in Sparkill,New York.


12/16

I Was Raised By WomenPage 12

I was raised byChitterling eating

Vegetarian cookingCornbread so good you want to lay

down and die baking"Go on baby, get yoself a plate"

Kind of Women.

Some thick hairedAngela Davis afro styling

"Girl, lay backand let me scratch yo head"

Sorta Women.

Some big leggedHigh yellow, mocha brown

Hip shakingMiniskirt wearing

Hip huggers huggingDaring debutantes

Groovin"I know I look good"

Type of Women.

Some tea sippingWhite glove wearingGot married too soon

Divorcedin just the nick of time

"Better say yes maam to me"Type of sisters.

Some fingerpoppingBoogaloo dancing

Say it loudIm black and Im proudJames Brown listening

"Go on girl shake that thing"Kind of Sisters.

Some face slappingHands on hips

"Don't mess with me,Pack your bags and

get the hell out of my house"Sorta women

Some PhD totenPoetry writing

Portrait painting"I'll see you in court"

World travelingStand back, I'm creating

Type of queens

I was raised by women

By Kelly Norman Ellis


13/16

Tech Support and Computer Repair

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, New Rochelle-White Plains Alumni Chapters 2011 Black College Tour is scheduled for April 17through April 22, 2011. The tour will visit ten (10) historic black colleges and universities located in the southern and northeastern sec-tions of the United States.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will provide hotel accommodations, structured leisure time activities, and a safe environment fortour participants. Tour participants will travel with eight to ten adult chaperones, all of whom have vast experience in conducting col-lege tours.

The total cost per participant is $500. Final payment of $350 will be due by March 31, 2011.

Breakfast will be provided through the accommodating hotels and lunch through the particular college being visited. Tourparticipants are financially responsible for providing dinner funds .

Students participating in the tour must attend mandatory Tour Classes will be held starting in February 2011 . The classes willprepare students for the tour and provide education and career planning.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to arrange payment for the trip, please contact Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at (914)714-8074 or email [email protected]. Colleges are subject to change.

The members look forward to your childs participation in the Kappa Alpha Psi New Rochelle-White Plains Alumni Chapter2011 Black College Tour.

Page 132011 Historic Black Colleges and Universities Tour


14/16

Historic Underground Railroad Society

Did You Know...

People to People

of monies donated goes todirect services.

For more informa-tion visitwww.peopletopeople.org orcall 845-623-4900.

People to People isRockland Countys largestfood pantry. The pantryprovides food for familiesand seniors.

The need is sogreat. People to Peopleassisted more than 20,000individuals last year alone!In addition to providing

food, People to People alsoprovides gently used clothingand house wares and schoolsupplies.

The organization iscommitted to helping those inneed and doing it with dig-nity. You can help People toPeople help others by mak-ing a donation. About 90%

Hilton in Pearl River,New York.

For ticket informationemail [email protected].

Rockland Negro Schol-arship Fund, Inc. is host-ing its ANNUAL DINNERDANCE.

The dance is Sunday,February 13, 2011.

The cocktail hour beginsat 4pm.

Dinner and dancing isfrom 5-9pm.

Tickets are $70 perperson ad will benefitthe great works of theorganization.

The dinner dance will beheld at the Pearl River

Helping HandsPage 14

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Sarah Kane Oliver was a resident ofSkunk Hollow, a historic black com-

munity near Palisades, New York.

ety or to learn more aboutthe Underground Railroad inour area visit www.hugrs.org.

The Historic Under-ground Railroad Society(HURS) promotes the memoryof the Underground Railroadin the Hudson Valley. Theorganization invites you toview their exhibit in Nyack.The barn is located behindAdare Apartments on MainStreet in Nyack.

The exhibi t ishoused in a 19th centurybarn and includes old toolsand hardware. A miniaturesculpture of Harriet Tubmanand other items related to

the Underground Railroadare also on display.

The exhibit is espe-cially designed for schoolaged children. Children willlearn about the role thatvarious bodies of waterplayed in the UndergroundRailroad, including the Ny-ack Brook.

The Historic Under-ground Railroad Society isprivately funded. For moreinformation about how tosupport the work of the soci-


15/16

Did You Know...

Women of Leadershipand Vision Brunch.

For more informationcall the center at 845-358-2600 or visit themo n l i n e a twww.nyackcenter.org.

Nyack Center will cele-brate Black HistoryMonth on February 5,2011.

The event will begin at 7PM and honor those whocontributed to the livesof African Americans.

The center will also rec-ognize the contributionsof women in the monthof March.

A brunch will be held onMarch 12, 2011 at 10am.

The brunch is called

Delta Sigma Theta Rockland Alumnae Chapter

awareness and involvement.Under the leader-

ship of President, CharleneWeaver, the organizationhas partnered with commu-nity-based organizations toenhance the quality of lifefor individuals and familiesincluding school aged chil-dren and seniors.

For more informa-tion about the organization,visit http://rcac-dst.org.

Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization whosepurpose is to provide assis-tance and support throughestablished programs in localcommunities throughout theworld.

The RocklandCounty Alumnae Chapter

was chartered on January 6,1985, by a group of nine-teen dedicated and deter-

mined Deltas who wanted touse their creative and intel-lectual abilities to carry outthe organizations NationalFive Point ProgrammaticThrust.

The Five Point Pro-grammatic Thrust addresseseconomic development, edu-cational development, inter-

national awareness and in-volvement, physical andmental health, and political

Nyack Center

vide space for others withsimilar goals.

Visit the center at58 Depew Avenue in Nyack.

Nyack Center wasfounded in 1990 by a groupof concerned citizens and is

housed in a renovated his-toric church. The mission ofthe Nyack Center is to createconnections across social,cultural and economicboundaries and to improve

the life of all that live in theNyack community. NyackCenter serves over 2000

people each year, by pro-viding programs, facilities,and opportunities for ser-vice. The center offers pro-grams that nurture children,teens and families, and pro-


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Charlene Weaver


16/16

Justin Marsland

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Serving the Black Population of Rockland County, NY.

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Lori Latrice Martin, PhDEditor

Published by M&BVisionaries2, LLC

Justin Marsland of Nyack has spent better than half his life running, and now its begin-ning to pay off. Justin, who is only 10 years old has competed in several local and nationaltrack meets since the age of 6 running in the Fastest Kid in New York placing 4th overall andrunning the fastest 100m in the Northeast clocking a blazing 13.8 seconds qualifying him forthe Hersey Track and Field Nations this summer.

Justin has joined a local track team, Rock City Striders, to represent Rockland Countywhen he runs at major track meets. One of Justins major accomplishments this fall was get-ting sponsored by The Athletic Genius, a sporting company who will support and contribute tohis travels to major track events.

Justin also enjoys playing soccer, football and basketball. He is a very well roundedathlete who enjoys competition and challenges. Justin will look to use his track experienceto fulfill a long and prosperous career on the track.

point of view january/february 2011

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