we are witnessing a second wave of the Arab liberation movement ... In the first wave, the Arabs liberated themselves

from colonial powers and foreign domination. I think now, the very heart of the Arab world, the backbone of the Arab world, is leading the move towards freedom and democracy and human rights." There has been a lot of talk about the effect of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media on the revolutions, but one of the largest effects seems to be the anger incurred when these services are denied. In Tunisia, some commentators called it a "WikiLeaks Revolution" because of the

unrest stirred by the government blocking the critical leaked cables. In Egypt, anger has flared over the government 's early decisions to block Twitter and Facebook, and to l a t e r t a k e t h e unprecedented step

By Matthew Scott

After billions of dollars spent and many years working to defi ne itself as an energy company that protects the environment by going "beyond petroleum," last month's oil rig explosion and subsequent spill in the Gulf of Mexico could leave oil giant BP (BP) with the unfortunate legacy as the oil industry's "biggest polluter."

It could also be the watershed event that negatively affects the oil industry's long-term profi tability.

As the assessment of the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf changes daily, experts are now preparing for the eventuality that the spill could become a worse disaster than the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989. Unfl attering comparisons to Hurricane Katrina have already been made, so the impact this disaster will have on the long-term corporate reputation of BP could be enormous.

Effective Focus on Safety?“BP's response to contain the growing oil

spill in the Gulf of Mexico from its Macondo

exploration well serves as a test to confi rm whether the fi rm's safety-driven focus of the past few years has been effective," wrote Morningstar equity analyst Catharina Milostan in a recent note to investors.

“A longer-term cost could be on the reputational front after BP is reviewed on current efforts. Constraints on future offshore oil drilling in the United States could have longer-term effects, slowing drilling and production growth plans in this region. Deep-water U.S. production accounted for 11% of BP's total production in 2009, and major deep-water projects are underway to bring recent discoveries to production over the next few years.”

BP has major interests in the Gulf of Mexico, including expansion of production at its Thunder Horse Field -- the largest oil fi eld in the Gulf -- and start-up production at the Great White fi eld in the ultra-deep-water Gulf, where it has a 33.3% ownership stake. The company's ability to quickly and effectively clean up the current spill may have an effect on the level of future drilling and exploration it's allowed to do at these other sites.

Reputation Survived Previous DisastersSomehow, BP's reputation as an

environmentally friendly company wasn't mortally wounded after the March 2005 Texas refi nery explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 180, or the March 2006 Alaskan pipeline spill that resulted in the cleanup of 267,000 gallons of crude.

But given the scope of the ecological and economic damage that's resulting from the current spill, BP won't be given the benefi t of the doubt for this accident.

The British company's reputation with the general public has already been soiled.

Brand Keys, a research fi rm that tracks customer loyalty, says that since the accident, BP has fallen from top to last in rankings of customer loyalty among the seven largest oil companies.

Investors have expressed their displeasure through stock trades, sending shares of BP down from $60.09 at the close on April 21 to $50.99 at the close on May 5. Shares of BP had fallen 83 cents to $50.16 in afternoon trading on Thursday.

Damage Extends to Entire Oil IndustryUltimately, BP's damaged reputation as

a company that can drill for oil safely may extend to the entire oil industry. Congress has already introduced new legislation to curb offshore drilling in the U.S. and to increase the liability limits for oil companies from $75 million to $10 billion.

“This spill may set back progress for offshore drilling by decades,” said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst for PFGBest Research. “This may do to offshore drilling in the U.S. what the Three Mile Island debacle did for nuclear plant production.”

Matthew Scott is a markets and investing writer for DailyFinance.

JUNE, 2010

NEWYORK

NEWYORKTREND

Will BP’s Oil Stain the Whole Industry?

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Mover & Shaker Phil Andrews-Page 13

Summer Internships Available!! Page 19

Thick oil began reaching the shore linePHOTOS COURTESY OF BP

Crystal Ashby, BP Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, spends time on the beach assisting with the clean up in Grand Isle, LA.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BP Page 8: Mark Jackson’s

“HDMD” Business

Page 11: Trend on the Town

Page 12: Seen on the Scene

Protests continue to sweep Egypt,

as the world waits to see if President Hosni Mubarak will be forced from office. Those protesters are not alone. T h e m o v e m e n t l e a d i n g t h e demonstrations in Egypt credited inspiration for their actions to the protesters in Tunisia, and a later protest in Yemen credited the Egyptians. What's going on?     According to Foreign Policy, the successful ouster of autocratic president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali struck a chord with many young, angry Arab populations ready to protest. Writes Ellen Knickmeyer, "The unhappy youth in Tunisia are not alone in the Arab world. On Jan. 25, tens of thousands of young Egyptians took to the pavement in Cairo and other major Egyptian cities in the largest challenge to President Hosni Mubarak's regime in a generation. Other crowds have shaken the streets of Sanaa, Algiers, and Amman."She also notes, "And rather than the Arab world's usual suspects -- bearded Islamists or jaded leftists -- it is young people, angry at the lack of economic opportunity available to them, who are risking their lives going up against police forces." Why is the Middle Eastern youth so angry? Much of the frustration can be traced to extremely h i g h u n e m p l o y m e n t r a t e s . A s Knickmeyer notes, the unemployment rate for young people in North Africa and the Middle East, who make up sixty percent of the area's population, is four times higher than the average rate in the region.So why these countries, and not poor nations in general? CNN's Fareed Zakaria argues that it's not just the joblessness that sparks unrest in these populations; it 's the "frustrated expectations" of a group that feels it should be receiving more from society

than it has. He notes that far from failing, the Tunisian economy had been growing at five percent a year, and the Egyptian

economy "much faster than that." The dictators ruling these countries were unable to accommodate the increasing demands of the nation's youth. As Zakaria puts it, "It is this revolution of rising expectations that often undoes a dictatorship because it is usually unable to handle the growing demands of its citizens."What are these "growing demands"? Historian Basheer Nafi of the University of London's Birkbeck College told Al Jazeera today, "My feeling is that

of shutting off the Internet entirely. While social media certainly helped the protestors to organize and

communicate, it seems one of their most powerful roles was to serve as a catalyst when they disappeared. As Salman Shaikh of the Brookings Institute points out, "Due to the phenomenal growth of secondary and university-level education, literacy rates among the region's youths have skyrocketed in the past 40 years. The percentage of people living in Arab cities has risen by 50% in the same period." Literate, cosmopolitan people want to communicate. Therefore, argues Shaikh, "Propelled by the young and the digital revolution, citizens will demand nothing less than the right to choose and change their representatives in the future.The Tunisia riots were set off by a the self-immolation of a 26-year-old man named Mohamed Bouazizi, who killed himself after police

seized vegetables he was trying to sell. Michele Penner Angrist, writing in Foreign Affairs, argues that in authoritarian societies, "... people bear an internal cost -- to their sense of autonomy and personal integrity -- of pretending that the status quo is acceptable. And when the cost of pretending becomes intolerably high for a few citizens, sudden and surprising mass protests can erupt." This was the case, she says, with the horrifying suicide of Bouazizi, which other Tunisians felt was too terrible to ignore. After the momentum begins, she writes, "The actions of these few can trigger similar actions by others, who, when they see how many others feel as they do and are willing to show it publicly, join in the opposition. The larger the number of protestors becomes, the more others are willing to join them."So

will these protests continue to spread through the region? It is most likely too soon to tell; after the Tunisian president fled, it was reported that Cairo residents chanted "Mubarak next," but few thought that the massive Egyptian protests would begin so suddenly, and it remains to be seen what the ultimate outcome of the protests will be. However, Marc Lynch in Foreign Policy sees reason for hope. "There are strong reasons to expect most of these regimes to survive, which we shouldn' t ignore in a moment of enthusiasm. But we also shouldn't ignore this unmistakable new energy, the revelation of the crumbling foundations of Arab authoritarian regimes, or the continuing surprises which should keep all analysts humble about what might follow," he acknowledges. However, he adds, "The Tunisian example has offered the possibility of success, and models for sustained action by a decentralized network, after a long and dispiriting period of authoritarian retrenchment. Al-Jazeera and the new media have played their role in reshaping political opportunities and narratives, but it is people who have seized those opportunities."

From Yemen to Algeria to Jordan, the BBC reports protests both large and small. The average age in the countries hovers around 25, the jobless rate about 10 percent, and Internet use anywhere from a sixth to a quarter of the population. While it is far from certain, the potential for a "new Arab liberation" movement is entirely possible.Written by Cara Parks-Huffington Post

Arab Revolutions: From Tunisia to Egypt,Is This The Beginning Of A Trend?

InsideThisIssue

Politics Page 4

On The ScenePage 9

SportsPage 16

“Why is the Middle Eastern youth so angry?”-Ellen Knickmeyer

Black HistoryPage 7

TravelPage 13

By Matthew Scott

After billions of dollars spent and many years working to defi ne itself as an energy company that protects the environment by going "beyond petroleum," last month's oil rig explosion and subsequent spill in the Gulf of Mexico could leave oil giant BP (BP) with the unfortunate legacy as the oil industry's "biggest polluter."

It could also be the watershed event that negatively affects the oil industry's long-term profi tability.

As the assessment of the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf changes daily, experts are now preparing for the eventuality that the spill could become a worse disaster than the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989. Unfl attering comparisons to Hurricane Katrina have already been made, so the impact this disaster will have on the long-term corporate reputation of BP could be enormous.

Effective Focus on Safety?“BP's response to contain the growing oil

spill in the Gulf of Mexico from its Macondo

exploration well serves as a test to confi rm whether the fi rm's safety-driven focus of the past few years has been effective," wrote Morningstar equity analyst Catharina Milostan in a recent note to investors.

“A longer-term cost could be on the reputational front after BP is reviewed on current efforts. Constraints on future offshore oil drilling in the United States could have longer-term effects, slowing drilling and production growth plans in this region. Deep-water U.S. production accounted for 11% of BP's total production in 2009, and major deep-water projects are underway to bring recent discoveries to production over the next few years.”

BP has major interests in the Gulf of Mexico, including expansion of production at its Thunder Horse Field -- the largest oil fi eld in the Gulf -- and start-up production at the Great White fi eld in the ultra-deep-water Gulf, where it has a 33.3% ownership stake. The company's ability to quickly and effectively clean up the current spill may have an effect on the level of future drilling and exploration it's allowed to do at these other sites.

Reputation Survived Previous DisastersSomehow, BP's reputation as an

environmentally friendly company wasn't mortally wounded after the March 2005 Texas refi nery explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 180, or the March 2006 Alaskan pipeline spill that resulted in the cleanup of 267,000 gallons of crude.

But given the scope of the ecological and economic damage that's resulting from the current spill, BP won't be given the benefi t of the doubt for this accident.

The British company's reputation with the general public has already been soiled.

Brand Keys, a research fi rm that tracks customer loyalty, says that since the accident, BP has fallen from top to last in rankings of customer loyalty among the seven largest oil companies.

Investors have expressed their displeasure through stock trades, sending shares of BP down from $60.09 at the close on April 21 to $50.99 at the close on May 5. Shares of BP had fallen 83 cents to $50.16 in afternoon trading on Thursday.

Damage Extends to Entire Oil IndustryUltimately, BP's damaged reputation as

a company that can drill for oil safely may extend to the entire oil industry. Congress has already introduced new legislation to curb offshore drilling in the U.S. and to increase the liability limits for oil companies from $75 million to $10 billion.

“This spill may set back progress for offshore drilling by decades,” said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst for PFGBest Research. “This may do to offshore drilling in the U.S. what the Three Mile Island debacle did for nuclear plant production.”

Matthew Scott is a markets and investing writer for DailyFinance.

JUNE, 2010

NEWYORK

NEWYORKTREND

Will BP’s Oil Stain the Whole Industry?

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Mover & Shaker Phil Andrews-Page 13

Summer Internships Available!! Page 19

Thick oil began reaching the shore linePHOTOS COURTESY OF BP

Crystal Ashby, BP Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, spends time on the beach assisting with the clean up in Grand Isle, LA.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BP Page 8: Mark Jackson’s

“HDMD” Business

Page 11: Trend on the Town

Page 12: Seen on the Scene

January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011

Egyptian protestors stomp over a portrait of their President Hosni Mubarak in Central Cairo

NYTrend Celebrates Black History

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com2

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

For many years, it seems that trouble and strife have

aligned with misery and pain and attached themselves to all I hold near and dear. Suffering through grief, disappointment and physical pain, illness and depression all at once has brought me to moments of teetering on collapse. Life’s promises broken and dreams crushed, it is like a Tsunami tidal wave broke down my front door and washed through the stability and joy that once permeated through the walls of my fortress. My head is still spinning and my world is still swirling in directions I know not where they will find me. Have you ever felt like the ground was actually ripped out from under you and your footing is gone? Have you ever faced a day when you knew all “normalcy” as you had known would never return again? I know you have had a day or two or maybe days upon days of asking ‘why me?’ In over twenty years of publishing this newspaper, I have never left the editorial board for as long as this run. I chose to silence my voice because I had none.

It’s been at least a decade since I wrote an editorial that

brought the most commentary of anything I had written on this page. It was entitled, “In the Going Through.” I wrote about how we feel when we are so down in the valley, so deep that it seems no light will ever shine at the end of the tunnel. It feels like every breath is so anxiety ridden that you feel as if you are coming out of water and trying to catch your breath when you awaken. It’s days on end that you open one eye to see if the daylight has come and beg that it is still night in order to not face another day of misery. It’s retreating from friends and occasions and appearances to avoid the whispers, finger pointing or questions that are not in your best interest to hear. But the point of ‘In The Going Through,’ was not that we would go through life without a test of our strength, endurance, fortitude, sanity or faith, but that we would not be going through alone. And one day, we would open one eye and see that night has passed and daylight is upon us—and not regret or fear it. We came through it and the miraculous thing about it was we could not recall the pain for what seemed an eternity. We would sit and ponder and search our minds and hearts and souls to try and feel what we felt while we were going through but could not conjure up that pain. I’m still going through and some of you are too.

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." When God

takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.- Unknown

A friend said to me one night in trying to help that it is like

‘we have our backs against the floor,’ laying so flat that our spines can feel the cracks in the wood beneath. So the only way we can go is up. Even if we roll over, we still have to rise up. When life seems to be so dark and daylight brings sorrow and fear, and we are laying flat on our backs, something makes us rise up, a text, a phone call, work, to shower and we get our bodies in motion. Dr. Charles Stanley, a minister out of Atlanta, Georgia speaks of these words, ‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,’ found in the 23rd Psalm, and he reminds us that ‘we are only passing through this valley and will not be left in there. ‘ So while I dare to share what I face, I share so that my suffering is not in vain and that it might just be one of you who needs to know that you are not the only one going through the valley. Yes, the valley is frightening and it seems like it may be holding on to your home, or your spouse, or your child like being stuck in quicksand and every step sinks you deeper rather than giving you a foot hold to step out. But we have to believe that the valley is there with no light inside to allow us to see the light beaming through once we have reached the end.

Let’s be encouraged by those who have been in and out of the valley several times. We will also be one of those who speak of being in and coming out—better. The key to our victory is hope. Doesn’t mean a dark day won’t give us a major setback and we will feel hopeless all over again. It does mean that we will have fewer of those days until we won’t even remember how dark those days were. The believers who are all around me as I go through my storm, repeatedly ring in my ears; be encouraged, be strong, keep faith, don’t give up, look up and pray often. This is for them also because they don’t think I listen. I do. It got me to use my voice and come out of the silence today.

EDITORIAL

NEWYORKTREND

Catalogued and displayed in U.S. Library of Congress.New York Trend welcomes letters to the editor.

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By  Dr.  Teresa  Taylor  Williams My cousin Tanya sends me inspirational pieces often and I leave

this one with you; To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

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Coming Out of the Silence

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

POLITICS

4

Assistant  Chief   James  Secreto,  commanding   officer  of   Patrol  Borough  Queens  South,  was  the  guest   speaker  a t   A s s e m b l y m a n   W i l l i a m  Scarborough’s   29th   AD   Task   Force  MeeIng.     He   reported   crime   figures  were  down  1%  in  Southeast  Queens  in  the   103rd,   105th   and   the   113th  Precincts.     40%   of   robberies   are  commiRed  by  13  to  18  year  old  youths.  One  in  4  youngsters  was  either  a  vicIm  or  a  perpetrator.    

Secreto   discussed   the   recent  incident  involving  2  police  officers  from  the  105th  Precinct  giving  a  70  year  old  woman  a  Icket.   She  was  a  passenger  in   her   husband’s   car   and   she   had  removed  her  seat  belt  to  get  out  of  the  car   and   go   into   the   pharmacy   they  were   stopped   in   front   of   to   pick   up  prescripIon  medicaIon.  She  had  no  ID  on  her.  She  also  wasn’t  driving  the  car.    The  two  officers  insisted  on  ID  so  they  could  write  her  a  Icket.   Her   husband  offered  to  drive  back  home,  according  to   witnesses,   and   get   his   wife’s   ID.    Witnesses  claim   the  police  would   not  let  him  drive  home,   less  than  2  miles  away.   The   2   officers   claim   the  husband  offered   to   walk   through   the  cold   snowy  streets.     AYer  the  ordeal,  the   70   year   old   husband   suffered   a  heart   aRack   in   his   car   on   the   trip  home,  which  claimed  his  life.  

Secreto  said  the  2  officers  had  been  removed  from  Icket  wriIng  duty  while   an   invesIgaIon   was  underway,  and  they  had  displayed  poor  judgment.    It’s   a   real   problem,   he   said,   that   we  

don’t   have   more   officers   who   reflect  the   community   they   serve   because   if  these  officers  could  have  looked  at  this  woman   and   been   reminded   of   their  

grandmother,   they   might   have  responded  differently  in  the  situaIon.

Secreto  also  said  he  just  got  55  new   police  recruits  assigned   to   Patrol  Borough   South   and   not   one   of   them  

was   African   American.   They   were  predominately   from   Nassau   and  Suffolk   counIes,   not   from   Queens   or  the  city.  

Audience   members   discussed  concerns   including   illegally   parked  tractor   trailer   trucks,   slow   police  response  Imes,   high   incidence  of   gun  violence   and   bringing   more   gun  buyback   programs   to   the   community  and  the  value  of  aRending  some  of  the  monthly   precinct   community   council  meeIngs.   These   meeIngs   are   an  opportunity   to   meet   officers   in   your  precinct  who  you  can   go   to  when  you  have   a   problem.   Secreto   emphasized  the  community  has  to  be  the  eyes  and  ears  of  the  police  department.

Secreto   was   well   received   by  the   audience   who   responded   to   his  genuine   responses   to   their   issues,  noIng   locaIons  and   informaIon  in  his  notebook.  Though  he  was  promoted  to  the   commanding   officer   of   Patrol  Borough  South  just  a  year  ago,  he  is  no  stranger  to  this  community.  He  lived  in  Queens  Village  for  24  years.

The   29th   AD   Task   Force  MeeIngs  are  held  the  last  Saturday  of  every  month   from  10:00   AM   to  Noon  at  the  Robert  Ross  Johnson  Family  Life  Center   located  at  172-­‐17   Linden  Blvd.  ( n e a r   Me r r i c k   B l v d . ) .     C a l l  Assemblyman   Scarborough’s   District  Office  for  informaIon:  718-­‐723-­‐5412.

Commanding  officer  of  Patrol  Borough  Queens  South,  Assistant  Chief  James  Secreto  (L)  was  the  guest  speaker  and  addressed  community  concerns  and  issues  at  Assemblyman  William  Scarborough's  29th  AD  Task  Force  MeeKng.

President  Barack  Obama  delivered  his  

second  State  of  the  Union  on  January  25,  speaking   of   the   need   to   maintain  America  leadership  in  a  rapidly  changing  world   so   that   our   economy   remains  compeIIve.   In   order   to   do   so,   the  President,   whose   approval   raIngs   are  faring   slightly   beRer   than   this  Ime   last  year,   put   forth   a   plan   to   help   the   U.S.  win   the   future   by   “out-­‐innovaIng,   out-­‐educaIng   and   out-­‐building   our   global  compeIIon”.

The   President   began   his   speech   by  acknowledging  the  arguments  from  both  sides  of  the  poliIcal  spectrum:

“It’s   no   secret   that   those   of   us   here  tonight   have   had   our   differences   over  the   last   two   years.   The   debates   have  

been   conten;ous;   we   have   fought   fiercely  for   our   beliefs.   And   that’s   a   good   thing.  That’s  what  a  robust  democracy  demands.  That’s  what  helps  set  us  apart  as  a  na;on.”

But   he   later   called   for   a   united   effort   to  secure   our   future:   “We   have   to   make  America   the   best   place   on   Earth   to   do  business.   We   need   to   take   responsibility  for  our  deficit  and  reform  our  government.  That’s  how   our  people  will   prosper.  That’s  how  we’ll  win  the  future.”

The   first   step,   the   President   said,   is  encouraging   innovaIon.   He   is   issuing   a  challenge   to   America’s   scienIsts   and  engineers   to   invent   new   clean   energy  technologies,  calling   for  80  percent   of  the  naIon’s   electricity   to   come   from   clean  sources   by   2035  and   ensuring   the   U.S.   is  the   first   to   put   1   million   electric   vehicles  on  the   roads  by   2015.   In  order   to  pay   for  this,   President   Obama   called   for   the  eliminaIon   of   oil   subsidies,   which   could  generate   over   $38   billion   over   the   next  decade.

In   addiIon,   the   President   also   called   on  Congress   to   redefine   the   federal   role   in  educaIon   by   replacing   No   Child   LeY  

Behind   with   a   new   law   that   raises  expectaIons,  challenges  failure,  rewards  success,   and   provides   greater   flexibility  for   schools   to   innovate   and   improve  results  for  their  students.  He   also  wants  his   American   Opportunity   Tax   Credit  made  permanent.

 The  President  proposed  efforts  to  repair  and  rebuild  America’s  infrastructure   and  guarantee  the  naIon  has  the  fastest  way  to  move   people,  goods  and  informaIon  in   terms   of   transportaIon   and   high-­‐speed   internet,   extending   the   next  generaIon   of   wireless   coverage   to   98  percent   of   the   populaIon.   He   also  ordered  a   regulaIon   review   to  remove  unnecessary   burdens   to   reform  government,   our   corporate   tax   system  and  reduce   the   rate   of  health  care   cost  growth.

In   order   to  reduce   the   naIon’s  deficits,  the   President   announced   a   five-­‐year  freeze   on   all   spending   outside   of  security,  Medicare,   Medicaid  and  Social  Security,   but  stressed  the   importance   of  biparIsanship   to   cut   spending   where  appropriate  in  order  to  “do  big  things”.

From  the   earliest  days  of  our  founding,  America  has  been  the   story  of  ordinary  people  who  dare  to  dream.  That’s  how  we  win  the  future.

We’re  a  na;on  that  says,   “I  might  not  have  a  lot  of  money,  but  I  have  this  great   idea  for  a  new  company.”    “I  might  not  come  from  a  family  of  college  graduates,  but  I  will  be   the  first  to  get  my  degree.”    “I  might  not   know   those   people   in   trouble,   but   I   think   I   can  help  them,   and  I  need  to  try.”     “I’m   not  sure  how  we’ll  reach  that  beEer  place  beyond  the  horizon,  but  I  know  we’ll  get  there.    I  know  we  will.”

We  do  big  things.

By  J.  Dakar  for  ConcreteLoop.com

Photo  Credit:    Juliet  Kaye

President  Barack  Obama

President  Barack  Obama  waves  at  the  conclusion  of  his  State  of  the  Union  address

The State of the Union Recap

Queens Commanding Officer Addresses Community

New York Trend January 30 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

COMMUNITY NEWSPUBLIC NOTICE

OFCOUNTY TREASURER’S SALE

OF TAX LIENS ON REAL ESTATEIN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD & THE TOWN OF NORTH

HEMPSTEAD

Notice is hereby given that I shall, from the 15th day of February, 2011 through the 18th day of February, 2011, beginning at 10:00 o’clock in the morning each day, in the Legislative Chamber, First Floor, Theodore Roosevelt Executive And Legislative Building, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, New York, sell at public auction the tax liens on certain real estate, unless the owner, mortgagee, occupant of or any other party in interest in such real estate shall have paid to the County Treasurer by February 11, 2011 the total amount of such unpaid taxes or assessments with the interest, penalties and other expenses and charges against the property. Such tax liens will be sold at the lowest rate of interest, not exceeding 10 per cent per six month's period, for which any person or persons shall offer to take the total amount of such unpaid taxes as defined in section 5-37.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code. As required by Section 5-44.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code, the County Treasurer shall charge a registration fee of $100.00 per day to each person who shall seek to bid at the public auction as defined above. A list of all real estate in Nassau County on which tax liens are to be sold is available at the website of the Nassau County Treasurer at http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Treasurer/Annual_Tax_Lien_Sale/tax_sale_listing.html. A partial listing of the real estate located in school district number(s) 1 in the Town of Hempstead and school district number(s) 2, 6 in the Town of North Hempstead only upon which tax liens are to be sold will be printed in this newspaper during the week of February 7, 2011.

THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURERMINEOLA, NEW YORK

Dated: January 14, 2011

TERMS OF SALE

Such tax liens shall be sold subject to any and all superior tax liens of sovereignties and other municipalities and to all claims of record which the County may have thereon and subject to the provisions of the Federal and State Soldiers and Sailors' Civil Relief Acts.

However, such tax liens shall have priority over the County's Differential Interest Lien, representing the excess, if any, of the interest and penalty borne at the maximum rate over the interest and penalty borne at the rate at which the lien is purchased.

The Purchaser acknowledges that the tax lien(s) sold pursuant to these Terms of Sale may be subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or may become subject to such proceedings which may be commenced during the period in which a tax lien is held by a successful bidder or the assignee of same, which may modify a Purchaser's rights with respect to the lien(s) and the property securing same. Such bankruptcy proceedings shall not affect the validity of the tax lien. In addition to being subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or the Federal and State Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Acts, said purchaser's right of foreclosure may be affected by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act(FIRREA),12 U.S.C. ss 1811 et.seq., with regard to real property under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation(FDIC) receivership.

The County Treasurer reserves the right, without further notice and at any time, to withdraw from sale any of the parcels of land or premises herein listed. The Nassau County Treasurer reserves the right to intervene in any bankruptcy case/litigation where the property affected by the tax liens sold by the Treasurer is part of the bankruptcy estate. However, it is the sole responsibility of all tax lien purchasers to protect their legal interests in any bankruptcy case affecting their purchased tax lien, including but not limited to the filing of a proof of claim on their behalf, covering their investment in said tax lien. The Nassau County Treasurer and Nassau County and its agencies, assumes no responsibility for any legal representation of any tax lien purchaser in any legal proceeding including but not limited to a bankruptcy case where the purchased tax lien is at risk.

The rate of interest and penalty at which any person purchases the tax lien shall be established by his bid. Each purchaser, immediately after the sale thereof, shall pay to the County Treasurer ten per cent of the amount for which the tax liens have been sold and the remaining ninety per cent within thirty days after such sale. If the purchaser at the tax sale shall fail to pay the remaining ninety per cent within ten days after he has been notified by the County Treasurer that the certificates of sale are ready for delivery, then all amounts deposited with the County Treasurer including but not limited to the ten per cent theretofore paid by him shall, without further notice or demand, be irrevocably forfeited by the purchaser and shall be retained by the County Treasurer as liquidated damages and the agreement to purchase shall be of no further effect.

Time is of the essence in this sale. This sale is held pursuant to the Nassau County Administrative Code and interested parties are referred to such Code for additional information as to terms of the sale, rights of purchasers, maximum rates of interest and other legal incidents of the sale.

Dated: January 14, 2011 THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURERMineola, New York

NY Daily News Brian Adams; NY State Senator Bill Perkins; C2C Founder Marie Eusebe; Hot 97 DJ Mister Cee

5

Reverend Briddell Westbury namedNAACP President

Nassau County Legislator Robert Troiano (D-Westbury) is pictured recently presenting a citation to the Rev. Marcus De'Angelo Briddell after swearing him in as the newest president of the Westbury chapter of the NAACP. Rev. Briddell succeeds Mrs. Robin Bowling as Westbury chapter president. Rev. Briddell is joined on the executive committee by Dr. Betty Hylton, 1st Vice President; Evor Ingram, 2nd Vice President; Carol Gardiner, secretary; Dorothy Royal, treasurer; and Ruth Kennedy, Assistant Treasurer.During the swearing in ceremony Legislator Troiano encouraged the NAACP leadership to continue their 101 year mission of advocating for the voiceless and ensuring a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Education @ the Schomburg presentsBlack History Month Youth Film Series 2011

The Schomburg Center Public Education Program presents its second annual Black History Month Film Series geared toward youth audiences with contemporary and historic films about the African-American and global black experience. Each film is followed by a post-screening discussion. Admission is free and registration is required. HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE!TO REGISTER: Email schomburged@nypl.org or call (212) 491-2234 for more information.

FILMS AT-A-GLANCE:

February 14 Animated Classics: Harriet Tubman & Our Friend Martin

February 15 500 Years Later

February 16 Race-The Power of An Illusion: Story We Tell & Difference Between Us

February 17 Mighty Times: The Children’s March & The Legacy of Rosa Parks

February 18 Kirikou and the Sorceress

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

EDUCATION

6

"Let   P.S.   9   Grow"   and   "Save   M.S.   571"  make  sense   to  former  Community  School  Board  President    

     On  Monday,   January  24th,  DemocraIc  State   CommiRee   member   and   former  Community   School   Board   13   President  Chris  Owens   spoke   to   a   crowd  of  public  school   parents   and   community   leaders  packed   into   the   auditorium   of   Public  School  9  in  Prospect  Heights,  Brooklyn  for  a   public   hearing   sponsored   by   the   New  York  City  Department  of  EducaIon.           The   hearing   was   focused   upon   two  proposals   that   will   be   put   forward   for   a  vote   at   the   next   Panel   for   EducaIonal  Policy   meeIng   on   Thursday,   February  3rd.     The   first   proposal   is  to  close   down  Middle   School  571,  a  small  middle   school  that   the   New   York   City   Department   of  EducaIon  has  determined  is  failing.    The  second   proposal   is   to   place   a   currently  homeless   Charter   school   in   the   P.S.   9  building.    Owens  opposes  both  proposals.    "It   is   the   administraIon,   teachers,  parents  and  students  of  P.S.  9  who  will  be  the  biggest  losers  as  a  result  of  the  DOE's  proposal   to  place   a  Charter  school   in  the  P.S.  9  building,"  he  declared.

      Chris  Owens,   a   member   of   the   Deny  Waiver   CoaliIon,   supports   the   ongoing  mobilizaIon   of   parents,   students   and  community   members   to   protest   the  

closing   of   schools   and   the   co-­‐locaIon   of  Charter  schools.    The  next  event  is  a

Rally  on  Thursday,  January  27th,  4:30  PM,  on  the   east  side   of  City  Hall  Park  near   the   foot  of  the   Brooklyn  Bridge.     Following  this  rally  there   will   be   acIons   on   February   1st,  February  3rd  and  March  1st  as  well.

      In   his   statement   read   to   the   Monday  meeIng  at  P.S.  9,  Owens  recalled  his  days  as  a  P.S.  9  student  back  in  the  1960s  and  1970s,  when  he   was  the   Salutatorian  and   involved  with  music,  student  government  and  drama,  and  when  his  mother  was  the  PTA  President.

      Owens   touched   upon   certain   themes.    First,  he   objected  to  the   closing  of  M.S.  571.    "Instead  of  invesIng  in  M.S.  571  in  a  manner  that   will   help   it   succeed  with   an   important  demographic  that  is  underserved  throughout  the   City   of   New   York   -­‐-­‐   and   instead   of  allowing   M.S.   571   to   remain   a   lesser  intrusion  on  elementary   school  life   at   P.S.   9  -­‐-­‐   the   DOE   is   abandoning   the   school   and  bringing   a   major   intrusion   that   is   far   less  likely   to   serve   the   underserved   Special  Needs  and  ELL  populaIon,"  he  said.

      Owens  then  demanded  that  the   Charter  school  not  be  placed  in  P.S.  9.    "The   Charter  school  is  what  it   is  and  it  needs  space,  but   it  remains   an   inappropriate   insItuIon   to   co-­‐locate   within  P.S.   9,"  he   stated.     "The   DOE  has  an   obligaIon   to  find   appropriate   space  for   Charter  schools  -­‐-­‐  and  appropriate   space  

means   space   that   is   not   already   uIlized   and  needed  by  other  public  school  students."

      The   principle   of  co-­‐locaIng  Charter  schools  within  other  public  school  buildings  was  Owens'  addiIonal   target.     "If   we   have   the   space,   we  should   be   enhancing   the   programmaIc  offerings  of  the   home   school  in  order  to  aRract  more   families   back   to   the   home   school   by  improving  the  quality  of  educaIon  at  the  home  school,"   he   stated.     "My   love   of   singing,  orchestral   music,   drama   and   public   speaking  was  developed  in  P.S.   9  classrooms  that   were  not   extremely   overcrowded,   nor   during   lunch  hours  that  were  at  ridiculous  Imes  of  the  day."    Owens  idenIfied  himself  as  a  Board  member  of  a  Charter  school  that  has  its  own  building.    

      Owens   also   challenged   the   DOE's   planning  and   analysis   with   regard   to   these   proposals,  noIng   that   the   demographics  of   the   Prospect  Heights   community   will   jusIfy   leaving   P.S.   9  alone   or,   at   a   minimum,   allowing   a   small  number  of  middle  school  students  to  be  part  of  a  unified  K  through  8  educaIonal  community.

      "Instead   of   an   increasingly   successful  elementary   school   environment,   P.S.   9   will  endure   compeIIon  between   three   schools  for  space   and  scheduling  during   the  next  few  years  -­‐  endangering  the  progress  of  all  three  schools,"  said   Owens.     "AYer   these   rough   transiIon  years,   there   will   remain   two   completely  unaffiliated   schools  operaIng  within  the   same  building.    This  is  not  a  way  to  aRract  families  to  P.S.  9  or  to  the  Charter  school."

Chris Owens Says "No" To Charter Placement at P.S. 9

Councilmember   Robert   Jackson   responded   to  Governor  Cuomo’s  historic  cut  to  aid  for  public  schools   across   New   York   State  with   concern  and  anger:  “I  understand  the  need  for  sacrifice,  restraint   and  fiscal  prudence.  However,   these  cuts  to  the  educaIon  budget  do  not  solve  the  state’s   budgetary   problems.   Instead   they  penalize  students  who  had  nothing  to  do  with  creaIng   those   deficits.     The   state’s   primary  consItuIonal  obligaIon  is  to  fund  a  system  of  schools  for  its  children.”

Jackson,  who  chairs  the  New  York  City  Council’s  EducaIon   CommiRee   and   co-­‐chairs   its   Black,  L aIno   and   A s i an   Caucu s   conInued  ”EducaIonal   equity   –   the   opportunity   for   a  sound,   basic   educaIon  –   has  been   called  the  civil  rights  crusade  of  today.  That  struggle  takes  place  on  a  foundaIon  of  public  educaIon  that  is  both  the  bedrock  of  our  democracy   and  the  path   for   individual  mobility.   For   these  cuts  to  counteract   more   than   two   centuries   of  consistent   progress  at   the  same  Ime  that  our  wealthiest   ciIzens   enjoy   extraordinary   tax  protecIon  is  incomprehensible.”

City Council Education Chair

Response to Cuomo's Budget Proposal

THE TOWN HALL AND CON EDISONKICK OFF

BLACK HISTORY MONTHWITH A FREE PERFORMANCETO NYC SCHOOL CHILDREN

OFSOUL STEPS

 AT NYC’S LANDMARK VENUE

THE TOWN HALL 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD  

WHO: 1,500 school children from grades 3-8, will attend a performance of SOUL STEPS, the acclaimed New York step dance troupe. For many of the students, this

will be their first theatrical experience on Broadway. Students, teachers and performers are available for photos and interviews.

WHAT: In the interest of enriching arts programs in NYC Schools, Con Edison and The Town Hall, are now in their 14th year of partnership celebrating Black History

Month. They have provided free performances, to students, as part of their school curriculum to introduce students to the arts. Participating schools are from Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. In addition to their studies and the performance, students will be invited to submit either a poster or essay expressing what they have learned. Five students will be honored for their submissions at a ceremony at The Town Hall later this year.

WHERE:The Town Hall – 123 West 43rd Street between 6th and Broadway

TIME:

10:30am and 12:30pmPerformances are approximately one hour

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

Carter  Goodwin  WoodsonCarter   G.   Woodson   is   a  name  that  many   won’t   recognize   off   top,  although  they  should  considering  he  is  the  very   reason  that  Black  History  Month  is  even  recognized.  Known  as  the   “Father   of   Black   History,”  Woodson   (1875-­‐1950)   didn’t   allow  his  upbringing  as  the  son  of   former  slaves   to   sIfle   his   growth   or  potenIal   and  became   the  epitome  of   defeaIng   the  odds.   Although  he  didn’t   begin   his   formal   educaIon  unIl  he  was  20  years  old,  Woodson  used  his  uncanny  ability  to  learn  and  his   thirst   for   knowledge   and  obtained  a  B.A.   from   the  University  of   Chicago   in   1907.   In   1908   he  aRended   Sorbonne   University   in  Paris   where   he   became   fluent   in  French.   He   received   a   Ph.D.   in  History   from   Harvard   University   in  1912—only   the   second   black  American   to   do   so   (aYer   W.   E.   B.  DuBois).  Woodson  taught  briefly  and  held   educaIonal   administraIve  posts   in  the  Philippines,   at   Howard  University  (where  he  was  Dean  of

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

7

 the  School  of  Liberal  Arts),  and  West  Virginia  State  College.

Imagine  a  world  in  which  people  like  you  have  no  wriRen  history,  or   that  which  has  been  wriRen  is  incomplete  or   distorted.   Before   Dr.   Carter  Godwin   Woodson   began   his   work,  there  was  very   liRle  informaIon,  and  mu ch   o f   t h a t   s t e r e o t y p i c a l  misinformaIon,   about   the   lives  and  history   of   Americans   of   African  descent.   But   with   much   work,  Woodson   took   the   steps   to   make  sure   that   African   Americans   would  have  a  wriRen  and  accurate  history.  H is   accompl i shments   inc lude  launching   Negro   History   Week   in  1926,   chosen  in  the  second  week  of  February   between   the   birthdays   of  Frederick   Douglass   and   Abraham  Lincoln,   which   evolved   into   Black  History   Month   in   1976.   He   also  founded   the   AssociaIon   for   the  Study   of   Afro-­‐American   Life   and  History   in  1915,  founded  the  Journal  of   Negro   History   in   1916—a  publicaIon  sIll  in  existence.  

Oprah  WinfreyOprah   Gail   Winfrey   is   probably   best  known   for   her   role   as   the   Queen   of  DayIme  television,   a  Itle  which  is  well  earned.   Although   if   a  person   looked   at  Oprah  today   they  would  believe  her   life  had   always   been   a   simple   in   carefree  one,   one  would   have   to   look   into   her  history   to   know   that   this   woman   has  suffered  hardships  all  her  life  and  earned  every   single   accolade   that   has   every  been   bestowed   upon   her.   From   birth  unIl   age   17,   Oprah   suffered   hardships  and   triumphs   including   pre-­‐pubescent  incestuous  rape,  teenage  pregnancy,  the  death  of  her  child,  

Today   Oprah   is   not   only   a   television  host;   she   is   also   an   actress,   producer,  and  philanthropist.  She  has  been  ranked  the  richest  African  American  of  the  20th  century  the  greatest  black  philanthropist  in   American   history   and  was   once   the  world's  only  black  billionaire.  She  is  also,  according   to   some   assessments,   the  most   influenIal   woman   in   the   world.  Oprah  wears  many   hats  and  bears  many  Itles   including   host   of   The   Oprah  Winfrey   Show,   the   owner   of   her   own  network-­‐-­‐OWN:   The   Oprah   Winfrey  Network,  O,  The  Oprah  Magazine,  Oprah  Radio   Sirius  XM   Radio   and   with   Harpo  ProducIons.

Celebrate Black HistoryBy  Zena  M.  Gray

February  is  Black  History  Month-­‐in  case  you  didn’t  know-­‐  and  in  honor  of  it,  I’ve  decided  to  feature  prominent  African  American’s  who’ve  broken  down  boundaries,  far  exceeded  expectaIons  and  made  boundless  contribuIons  to  the  race  over  the  past  several  decades.  At  New  York  Trend  we  pay  homage  and  respect  Black  History  Trailblazers.

Woodson’s first published novel ‘The Mis-Education of the Negro’

Woodson’s letter to ask to implement Negro Education into schools.

Queen of All Media Oprah Winfrey

The O.W..N. network beginning 2011

Oprah’s longtime emblem at ABC Studios

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

ON STAGE

“Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday” at the Castillo Theatre, located at 543 West 42nd Street in Manhattan, but lives on spectacularly through the lively cast consisting of Lindsay Arber, Dana Berger, Zoe Geltman, Ben Prayz, Debbie Buchsbaum, Joseph Mallon, Katya Pucci, Moshe Yassur, Reynaldo Piniella and community activist Lenora Fulani, in her debut role. Renowned producer Woodie King, Jr., also makes his debut as director in this production. King skillfully etches a course through history and the nature of human kind which makes the show a thought provoking piece of theatre.

The audience is not told Mr. Hirsch’s history or what he suffered in life to make him become a disheveled, unshaven, unpleasant and angry old man. We assume he came out of the era of Nazi Germany. We know he is a contradiction because despite his bitterness, he co-owns a sweet shop. His partner is his brother-in-law and complete opposite. Mr. Hoffman (Joseph Mallon) is well liked, while Mr. Hirsch (Moshe Yassur) is not.

Widowed, Hirsch claims he dislikes the children who come to his sweet shop, yet he makes certain that he orders the cherry marshmallow candy he knows they like. Although he might grumble when asked, he lends money to the children and donates money to charity. Yet he is slandered as a phony by the ruthless Sadie Greenberg (Freda Greenberg’s mother) whose own behavior is unsavory. One is made aware of the duality of personality and circumstance as the “nice” and “not so

Lenora B. Fulani Makes Her Acting Debut

8

n i c e ” c o - m i n g l e t h r o u g h o u t t h e performance.

Those around Hirsch rarely look beneath the surface, content to keep judgmental and critical banter ongoing. This overall dislike toward Hirsch by the kids and parents who frequent the malt shop does not serve to dissuade his sense of hopelessness, or uplift or change the negative climate around Hirsch who eventually orchestrates his own demise.

One might note that the negativity and demonstrated violence that existed in Hirsch’s time continues to exist in this time. There is a tendency to blame the victim and seek to divide rather than work together for a common goal and/or positive outcome benefiting the whole rather than the few. This attitude of laissez-faire within the population to

accept rather than challenge, demonstrates a general refusal to admit that lack of action only results in the continued status quo.

Playwright Fred Newman suggests via his play, that as much as events and technology have changed, people have relatively remained the same. Hirsch does nothing to improve his circumstances making the choice to lie dormant rather than take responsibility for his morose state. Those around him comment on Hi r sch’s l ack o f n iceness whi le demonstrating their own mean-spirited behavior; something we see all too often in recent time.

“Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday” is a period piece that takes us through several wars, human rights, counterculture and the social revolution of the 1960s. The 1970s

saw an outcry to end the Vietnam War. It heralded in the “Me decade” which saw Americans leaning toward a t o m i z e d i n d i v i d u a l i s m a n d a w a y f r o m communitarianism in direct contrast to the 1960s. The 1980s, gave us Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and a move away from morals. The idea that “greed” was a good thing became popular. The 1990s brought in the Post Modern Age, ushering in a proliferation of new media and the Internet. The 2000 decade found globalism, terrorism, unemployment, war, and the Bush Administration’s dismantling of America; a taint upon the prior generation’s efforts to win equal rights and freedom clandestinely overturned by the Patriotic Act while a sleeping and gullible America irresponsibly let fear mongering deny them of their inalienable rights.

Psychologist, psychotherapist, political activist, and All Stars Project founder, Lenora Fulani, does a believable job in the role of the older black Freda as does the younger Jewish Freda played by Lindsay Arber. One cannot take this play literally or at face value since there are varied shades to this play. There are many allegories and metaphors threaded throughout the show that state whatever our challenges and differences may be, ultimately we are the same and share the same history. History is not experienced by an individual alone but by all of us. It is society as a whole that decides their future and whether we make choices to put our governance in another’s hands or become accountable ourselves. In the long run, we are ultimately responsible for what we allow the outcome to be.

I surmise that Mr. Newman via his play attempts to inform us that change is the only constant in life. Thus, there is a need to let the harmful attitudes of the past die so that the future can be reborn in newer and more beneficial ways.

“Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday,” runs until February 20th. Be sure to catch it.

Photo by Ronald L. Glassman

t was a whiteout at the Golden Globes with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) failing to hand out any of its annual awards to any black, brown, yellow or red folks. Thus, there was little “Glee” among members of minority groups as they were left disconnected from “The Social Network.” But even more surprising than those results was the way in which the show’s host, Ricky Gervais, went out of his way to court controversy. His unscripted remarks ranged from introducing Bruce Willis as Ashton Kutcher’s dad to insinuating that the HFPA accepts bribes for nominations to outing a couple of celebrity Scientologists as gay. The producers found the insults so offensive that they kept the ostensibly-inebriated Gervais offstage completely for about an hour or so to sober up while they read him the riot act. But after his unexplained absence, Ricky only picked right back up where he left off, ending the evening with a swipe at the Creator, signing off with, “Thank you to God for making me an atheist.” As for the Globes, which are considered an Academy Awards indicator, The Social Network emerged as the early Oscar favorite, given that it won in four categories: Best Picture (Drama), Director, Score and Screenplay. Next in number were The Kids Are All Right and The Fighter, which garnered a couple of trophies apiece. In terms of TV, Glee netted a trio of Globes, including Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Too bad the evening was ruined for so many recipients and presenters by a mean-spirited emcee with a cruel agenda.

Type to enter text

For  BEST  TELEVISION  SERIES  –  COMEDY  OR  MUSICAL,  the  Golden  Globe  is  awarded  to  “Glee,”  (FOX)  produced  by  Ryan  Murphy  Television,  Twentieth  Century  Fox  Television.  (L-­‐R)  Matthew  Morrison,  Kevin  McHale,  Lea  Michele,  Jenna  Ushkowitz,  Darren  Criss,  producer  Ryan  Murphy,  Mark  Salling,  Amber  Riley,  Dianna  Agron,  Jayma  Mays,  Jane  Lynch,  Nava  Rivera,  Heather  Morris,  Cory  Monteith  and  cast/crew  pose  backstage

Accepting the Golden Globe for BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA for “The Social Network” is producer Scott Rudin

Gabourey Sidibe

2011 Golden Globes RecapBy Kam Williams

By Deardra Shuler

Lenora B. Fulani with co-star Moshe Yassur in Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

ON THE SCENE

9

The  14th  Annual  Legacy  Awards  Gala  was  held  on  Wednesday,  January  26,  2011  in  New  York  City  at  the  Pierre  Hotel   in  New  York  City.   The  American  FoundaIon   for  the  University   of   the  West  Indies  (AFUWI)  presented  its  coveted  Bob  Marley  Award  to  Suzanne  de  Passe.      

Ms.  De  Passe   is  the  first   female   to   be  awarded  this  honor.  

The   AFUWI   Legacy   Awards   gala   raises   much  needed  funds  to  support  scholarship  programs  at  the  University  of   the  West  Indies  (UWI)  located  in  14  Caribbean  naIons.

This   is   the   organizaIons'   premier   fundraising  event  in  North  America.

Star  Jones  served  as  the  mistress  of  ceremonies.

All  photos  by  Margot  Jordan

Janet  Rolle  with  honorees  Suzanne  DePasse  and  Brenda  Blackmon.

Dr.  E.  Nigel  Harris,  honorees  Brenda  Blackmon,  co-­‐anchor  of  My9  News,  WWOR  TV,  along  with  internaKonal  Jamaican  arKst  Michael  Escoffrey  and  Jeanine  Liburd  of  BET  Networks  will  receive  the  Vice  Chancellor's  Award  joined  by  Dr.  Carlton  Masters  And  Debra  Lee

Herb  Wilson,  Star  Jones,  Jeanine  Liburd,  Hon.  David  N.  Dinkins  and  Paula  Madison  Walker

14 Annual Legacy Awards Gala

Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening Star Jones.

IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, SO CAN YOUR CUSTOMERS!

ADVERTISE WITH NEW YORK TREND

516-466-0028

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

IN YOUR EAR

10

It was shortly after the passing of her mother at age 94, that I first spoke to singer Cynthia Scott. She had recently finished the recording of her CD “Dream for One Bright World,” a poignant CD that I suspect was a labor of love. It may have also served as a catharsis for the loss of her mother who passed during the time Cynthia was recording the CD. Obviously, her heart was reflected in the rhythm and message of the music. The CD, an eleven-track recording, features musicians such as Lonnie Plaxico on bass, trumpeter Etienne Charles, pianist/keyboardist John diMartino, multi-reed player Bill Easley, Wayne Escoffrey on tenor sax, percussionist Jeff Haynes, trombonist Andrae Murchinson, and famed arranger and pianist Norman Simmons. I suspect the same heart rhythm and tempo will continue to be reflected in the musical performance piece she has written entitled "One Raelette's Journey," her one woman play chronicling her life and her experiences working with Ray Charles as one of his Raelettes. The play consists of original material written by Ms. Scott with some excerpts flavoring the music Ray Charles made famous. Currently putting on the finishing touches, Cynthia will be showcasing her production sometime in February 2011.Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, and singing since age 4, Cynthia Scott grew up as a preacher’s kid, placing 10th in the pecking order of 12 siblings. Her father, a Holy Roller minister, loved gospel so Cynthia was/is well versed in the genre and spirit of gospel. In fact, only gospel music was allowed in her home, so if she wanted to whet her appetite for other musical forms, it had to be at the homes of neighbors or at her sister’s house. “The first

song I heard outside of gospel was “Save Your Love for Me.” The flip side was “Share Your Love with Me.” It was really a beautiful song. My love of music continued to grow f r o m t h e r e , ” explained the former Raelette. “When I was in 9th grade I became part of a group called “Sisters of Soul,” remarked Cynthia w h o w e n t o n t o become an airline stewardess. “I was afraid of flying so that job was short l i v e d b u t I w a s honing my music the entire time I was w o r k i n g f o r t h e airlines. It was in 1972, that I met Ray Charles. I had gotten up early and was fighting with my dog who was chewing on my underwear when the phone rang. I was rather cross, so when I answered the phone I was brusque. It was Ray Charles at the other end of the line inviting me to become part of his back-up singers known as the Raelettes. I worked with Ray for the next 2 years, which included a tour with Oscar Peterson with Joe Pass and The Count Basie Orchestra with Joe Williams. Ray really kick started my career,” stated the multi-talented vocalist, versed in jazz, R&B and gospel. “You know when one is blind other senses kick in. Ray’s hearing was magnified. He could point to the exact band member who

missed a note and correct them. Ray knew exactly how he wanted his music to represent him. I learned a lot from him. It

was due to working with Ray that I first traveled abroad and met the wonderful and talented people I met,” recalled the songwriter.A l l s i n g e r s a r e influenced by those s i n g e r s w h o c a m e b e f o r e t h e m a n d Cynthia is no different. “ I l o v e d C a r m e n McCrae, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin. They had such depth of feel and later I listened to and enjoyed the m u s i c o f S a r a h V a u g h a n , E l l a Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. I pay tribute to some of these great ladies in my CD.”A p p o i n t e d t h e Ambassador of Jazz,

C y n t h i a h a d t h e opportunity to travel to Africa. It was in Ghana that she noted the family origins and resemblance. Thus, knew that Ghana is where her ancestry lies. She buried photographs of her family in Ghana’s soil. “Africa was a life changing experience for me. I had the opportunity to go places and do things most tourist can’t. I visited 5 African countries. Everyone goes to the place the slaves were kept as part of the Middle Passage. I visited that area and a place where they worshiped snakes” said Cynthia of her experience in Africa.

She returned to school where she earned her Bachelor and Master Degrees from the Manhattan School of Music in 1993 and 1995. She’s on the vocal teacher roster at The New School and City College and teaches private students.Ms. Scott has headlined at Birdland, Iridium, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola and has worked with many of the jazz world’s superstars such as the late Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway and David Fathead Newman, as well as with Eddie Henderson, Ed Cherry, and Wynton Marsalis. She even tested the acoustics at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Room with a combo comprised of saxophonist Sherman Irby, bassist Gerald Cannon, drummer Willie Jones and pianist John Hicks. She has traveled abroad performing at various festivals and has performed at The Women in Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center. She appeared in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a tribute featuring the music of Johnny Mercer and was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition and the 2005 International Songwriting Competition. Cynthia’s mother had Alzheimer when she passed. Therefore, Ms. Scott is donating a portion of the income she makes from her CD towards a cure for the dreaded disease. Thus, interested parties can buy her CD “Dream for One Bright World,” and find info on her one-woman-show entitled "One Raelette's Journey," at her website: www.CynthiaScott.com. To hear her interview on the “Topically Yours” show, see Blakeradio.com, Rainbow Soul archives, and/or visit the February “Music Pastures” section of Soulinterviews.com.

Cynthia Scott: Former Raelette’s “Dream for One Bright World”

By Deardra Shuler

Cynthia Scott

The Green movement has affected the music industry and has created a new following among the hip hop generation. “As hip hop gets back to the basics, ‘the Green movement’ is cultivating a change and becoming more mainstream instead of underground,” said Belle Young, 25, a senior health science student from Gainesville, Georgia. Hip hop was initiated as a cultural movement by inner-city youth, mostly by African-Americans in New York City, in the early seventies. Since then, hip hop has become international and evolved into a way of life for an entire generation, from fashion and language to a way of thinking.

With numerous genres already, hip hop has added a new one to its list: “Green” hip hop. “Green” hip hop is filled with eco-friendly lyrics and messages of saving Mother Earth. “Sustainability has always been in hip hop, going back to Africa. Hip hop has always been about providing and connecting back to the earth,” said Tem Blessed, an eco-friendly rapper from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Tem Blessed was also a key speaker at the Power Shift 2009 environmental summit in Washington, D.C., attended by many Historically Black College and University students in February.

In many ways, it was inevitable that hip hop was going to join in on the

Green movement. With hip hop evolving along with technology, hip hop artists are doing their share to make a difference for the environment. Many hip hop artists, such as The Roots, Talib Kaweli, and Kardinal Offishall, are also starting to incorporate sustainability into their music.

“Conscious rappers are going ‘Green.’ Groups such as Strong Arm Steady have released their albums online in order to not put out more plastic compact discs,” said Asa Rice, former urban promotions representative for Warner Brother Records. “The Internet and downloading have

proved to be a source for the hip hop community and the ‘Green’ movement,” Rice added.

“Since the election of President Obama, the African-American community feels that their voices are finally being heard and a change has occurred,” said Chase Dotten, assistant production accountant for 51 Minds Entertainment. “With change brings change in our messages, and I believe hip hop will evolve and create a following where artist lyrics will become more socially, environmentally and politically stimulating,” Dotten said.

HIP HOP GOES GREEN

“Green”  arKsts  The  Roots  perform  at  the  Dow  Live  Earth  Run  for  Water  in  Brooklyn's  Prospect  Park

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com11

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

FOR THE RECORD

12

Dr. Cornel West is a prominent and provocative public intellectual dedicated to democracy. Currently the Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy at Princeton.

Since then, he has taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale, Harvard and the University of Paris. He has written 19 books and edited 13 other. He is best known for his classic “Race Matters,” as well as “Democracy Matters,” and his recent memoir, “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.”

He appears frequently on the Bill Maher Show, Colbert Report, CNN and C-Span as well as on Tavis Smiley’s PBS-TV Show. And since last fall, he can be heard regularly on The Smiley and West radio program.

He has also appeared in over 25 documentaries and recorded 3 spoken word albums. In short, Cornel West has a passion to communicate in order to keep alive the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.

Here, he discusses his participation in “America’s Next Chapter,” a forum hosted by Tavis Smiley where a panel of luminaries will wrestle with the question, “How do we make America as good as its promise?”

Kam Williams: Hey, Dr. West thanks for the time.Cornel West: It’s a blessing! Happy New Year to you, brother!

KW: Thanks! And the same to you. By the way, a mutual friend of ours, Rhea Kinnard, asked me to say hello to you for her. CW: Yes, a lovely sister, indeed.

KW: I have so many questions for you from my readers that I want to get right to them. FSU Grad Laz Lyles says: I love that America’s Next Chapter is a multi-ethnic forum. Why aren't there more forums of this type?CW: I think it has to do with the vision of my dear brother, Tavis Smiley. There ought to be more forums like this which are concerned with informing folks about some of the painful realities of our country. It would be wonderful for them to be multi-cultural and multi-racial but, most importantly, they have to be willing to speak to those truths.

KW: Laz’s follow-up is: Given our cultural history, is there more of an onus on African-Americans to be more inclusive with social and national discourse?CW: I think that’s certainly the case, because there’s no doubt that many of the mainstream white institutions tend to be cosmetic and symbolic when it

comes to including African-Americans, whereas we black folk tend to be much more sensitive about embracing others, and we have a long history of that.

KW: Teri Emerson asks: At the point where President Obama is now, what would be your view on what he would need to do improve his chances for reelection? And would focusing more on the African-American community's problems help or hinder his reelection?CW: Reelection ought not to be the primary preoccupation of any

politician. It ought to be standing up for truth and justice. If he is to be a statesman, he would act like Lincoln, and stand up for something that might be unpopular but not allow the right-wing to dictate the agenda, meaning Fox News, the Tea Party and others.

KW: Ilene Proctor wants to know whether, given the bleak economic outlook due to corporate malfeasance, global outsourcing, and a decline of empire, and with the U.S. facing challenges that were never as pervasive, there is any cause for optimism that American ingenuity and can-do spirit will help turn the country around. CW: That’s a deep question. I don’t think there are any grounds for any sentimental optimism. But black folks have never really been optimists. We’ve been prisoners of hope, and

hope is qualitatively different from optimism in the way that there’s a difference between The Blues and Lawrence Welk. The Blues and Jazz have to do with hope while the other is sugarcoated music which has to do with sentimental optimism.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: What does “America's Return to Greatness” mean? Has America been great to and for all groups in this country?Is greatness domination or collaboration? Can American greatness permeate the class

structure and have a multi-ethnic approach?

CW: So much hangs on your definition of “greatness.” I’m a Christian. I believe that greatness has to do with the quality of love shown to the least of thy brethren and the quality of service to those who are catching hell. When you look at it in that sense, I’d say America has had great moments, but I wouldn’t call it a great nation. I don’t think there have been any great nations in the history of the world, because in every nation you find poor people being subjugated. So, I see the term “great nation” as a contradiction, as an oxymoron.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: Do you think that an increase in grassroots activism by the political left will counter the activities of those on the right? It seems that the Tea Party

and their ilk have had an impact, based on the last election.CW: That’s a very good question. Sister Bernadette’s absolutely right. The most important assets we have are our bodies and our energy which can be put to good use as resources in political activism for poor and working people.

KW: Legist/editor Patricia Turnier says: During segregation, the U.S had signs reading: ''No Colored” and “Whites Only.'' Now we hear: ''You're not a good fit for the organization.'' What can be done to help African-Americans enter the job market and break the glass ceiling?CW: Again, so much has to do with going beyond treating black people as cosmetic and symbolic items, as opposed to genuine personalities and human beings. And that is a deep moral and spiritual issue, which can of course be backed up by Civil Rights Commissions which enforce the laws against any form of discrimination. KW: Patricia also says: about 4.2% of all physicians are black, 3.8% of all lawyers are African-Americans, barely 5% of all college professors are black, and the majority of them are in HBCUs. Only 3.7% of all engineers are African-Americans. Given those statistics, do you think that Affirmative Action is effective enough? What can be done to correct this situation?CW: I think we need much more Affirmative Action across the board. There’s no doubt about that. But Affirmative Action is not the primary issue in and of itself. The primary issue is that we need for more young black people to fall in love with the life of the mind and to become voracious readers and writers. And we also need institutions of higher learning to be more receptive to black, brown, red and yellow talent.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: What do you want your legacy to be?CW: I don’t think about my legacy too much, Kam, because I’m still very much alive. Every day has to do with how much love, how much decency, how much compassion, how much kindness, and how much tenderness one is able to enact vis-a-vis others. So any legacy, for me, has to do with: How deep was your love? What were you willing to sacrifice? What were you willing to give up? What price were you willing to pay for others?

KW: Is there a good question that reflects your consciousness that you could give me to ask everyone I interview? CW: Yes, what price are you willing to pay for a cause that is bigger than your own self interest?

KW: Much appreciated! I’ll be sure to call it the Dr. West question. Thanks for another excellent interview. CW: Thank you so much, Kam. Stay strong, and Happy New Year!

Dr. Cornel West

Dr. West’s Prognosis for the Country’s ProspectsThe “America’s Next Chapter” Interview with Dr. Cornel West & Kam Williams

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

TRAVEL

13

Today, most people have never heard of Paul Robeson. Yet he was American of exceeding talents and accomplishments -- an exceptional athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist -- well known and revered in his day. His strong (and outspoken) support for civil rights for African Americans and for the poor and oppressed people of the world often made him the target of powerful forces in America and eventually lead to his cruel demise.

An ill and broken man in his mid-sixties, Robeson came to live out his final years with his sister in a brick row house in a black neighborhood of Philadelphia. Following his death in 1976 (at age 77), friends and admirers worked to preserve his memory by purchasing the house and making it a historic home and memorial to Robeson. Now a National Historic Landmark, (opened to the public) it has a small collection of Robeson’s personal be longings d isplayed. Dedicated guides tell visitors of Robeson’s life and his significant contributions to America and the world. The house a l so se rves a s the n e i g h b o r h o o d c u l t u r a l c e n t e r , something that would have pleased Robeson.

Born in 1898, Paul Robeson grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. His father had escaped s lavery and become a Presbyterian minister, while his mother was from a distinguished Philadelphia family. At seventeen, he won a scholarship to Rutgers University, where he received an unprecedented twelve major athletic letters in four years and was his class valedictorian. He went on to Columbia University Law School, and, following graduation, took a short lived position with a New York law firm.

Robeson had a resounding bass voice and loved public speaking so soon found work as an actor. In the mid-1920s he played the lead in Eugene O’Neill’s “All God’s Chillun Got Wings” (1924) and “The Emperor Jones” (1925). Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, he was a widely acclaimed actor and singer. With songs such as his trademark “Ol’ Man River,” he became one of the most popular concert singers of his time. His “Othello” was the longest-running Shakespeare play in Broadway history, (nearly three hundred performances). It is still regarded as one of the great-American Shakespeare productions. While his fame grew in the United States, he became equally well-loved internationally. He spoke fifteen languages, and performed benefits throughout the world for causes of social justice. More than any other performer of his time, he believed that the famous have a responsibility to fight for justice and peace.

As an actor, Robeson was one of the first black men to play serious roles in the primarily white American theater. He performed in a number of films as well, including a remake of “The Emperor Jones” (1933) and “Song of Freedom” (1936). In a time of deeply entrenched racism, he continually struggled for further understanding of cultural difference. At the height of his popularity, Robeson was a national symbol and a cultural leader in the war against fascism abroad and racism at home. He was admired and befriended by both the general public and prominent personalities, including Eleanor Roosevelt, W.E.B. Du Bois, Joe Louis, Pablo Neruda, Lena Horne, and Harry Truman.

While his varied talents and his outspoken defense of civil liberties brought him many admirers, it also

made him the enemy of those trying to maintain the status quo.

During the 1940s, Robeson’s Black Nat ional is t and ant i -colonial is t activities brought him to the attention of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his UnAmerican Activities Committee. Despite his contributions as an entertainer to the Allied forces during World War II, Robeson was singled out as a major threat to American democracy. Every attempt was made to silence and discredit him, and in 1950 the persecution reached a climax when his passport was revoked. He could no longer travel abroad to perform, and his career was stifled. Of this time, Lloyd Brown, a writer and longtime colleague has said, “Paul Robeson was the most persecuted, the most ostracized, the most condemned black man in America, then or ever.”

It was eight years before his passport was reinstated. A weary and triumphant Robeson began again to travel and give concerts in England and Australia, but the years of hardship had taken their toll. Realizing that he was no longer the powerful singer or agile orator of his prime, he decided to step out of the public eye. He retired to Philadelphia where he lived in self-imposed seclusion until his death.

Even today, many of Paul Robeson’s accomplishments remain obscured by the propaganda of those worked to discredit him throughout his life. His role in the history of civil rights and as a spokesperson for the oppressed of other nations remains relatively unknown. In 1995, more than seventy-five years after graduating from Rutgers, his athletic achievements were finally recognized with his posthumous entry into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A handful of Robeson movies and recordings are still available, but they are a sad testament to one of the greatest Americans of the last century. If we are to remember Paul Robeson for anything, it should be for the courage and the dignity with which he struggled for his own personal voice and for the rights of all people.

L e a r n m o r e a t <www.paulrobesonhouse.org>.

Paul Robeson House in Philadelphia, PA

Civil Rights Activist Paul Robeson

Nearly Forgotten, Paul Robeson Was a Great American and Champion for Civil Rights

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

BY THE BOOK

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Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, today announced that it will celebrate Black History Month with special events and promotions recognizing the significant contributions by African-Americans to the world’s social, political and economic development. Throughout February, Barnes & Noble stores will host Storytime events, promotions and celebrity appearances in stores and online at Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com).

All stores will have a Black History Month table with displays of books for all ages, including picture books for young readers and relevant titles for each age group. Displays will include Rebecca Skloot’s bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; Isabel Wilkerson’s Warmth of Other Suns; Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose; and Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport. In addition, Barnes & Noble stores will also highlight the artwork of acclaimed African-American artist April Harrison on an exclusive signature tote bag and journal, and on posters and signs in stores and graphics on BN.com.

Barnes & Noble stores across the country will host Storytime events with readings and themed activities, as well as local author events related to Black History Month. In New York City, the Union Square Barnes & Noble store will hold an event with acclaimed author Maya Angelou for her inspirational cookbook Great Food, All Day Long: Cook

Splendidly, Eat Smart on February 17. On February 8, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee will also appear at Union Square for Giant Steps to Change the World. Other New York City events and readings include Rubin “Hurricane” Carter will be at the Upper West Side store with Ken Klonsky on February 11; Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts will appear at the Upper East Side store on February 17; and Cheryl Wills will appear in conversation with Hazel Dukes at the Upper West Side store on February 23. Letters from Black America: Intimate Portraits of the African-American Experience will be held at the Park Slope store on February 8; and Robert Morris will discuss Black Faces of War in Des Moines, IA. For more information on all Black History Month event times and locations visit the Barnes & Noble s t o r e l o c a t o r a t h t t p : / /storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/.

Barnes & Noble.com will promote Black History Month with author features, relevant NOOKbooks and specially priced books, CDs and DVDs that honor the Black American experience (www.bn.com/bhm). Featured books include Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack; The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray by Walter Mosley; Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me by Condoleezza Rice; and Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine. Featured DVDs include Precious and the 30th Anniversary Edition of Roots. Barnes & Noble.com’s B&N Studio (www.bn.com/studio) will have a Black History Month Channel with audio and video content spotlighting prominent black authors and artists like Condoleezza Rice, Jay-Z, Antwone Fisher and Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete.

Barnes & Noble Celebrates Black

History Month

Whether  you  embrace  the  word   "Bitch"  or  shy  away  from  it,  there's  no   denying  this  single  word  carries  an  unusually  large  weight  in  our  culture.  Actress,  model,  singer-­‐songwriter  and  nice  girl  advocate  Megan  Munroe  delivers  a   saucy  communiqué   empowering   nice   girls  worldwide   to   kick  passivity  to   the  curb   in   her   debut   book  Bitch,   Please!   How  Nice  Girls   Can   Succeed   in   a  Bitch’s  World,  which  debuts  in  March  2011.

Shaking   the   bitch’s   empire   with   chapter   topics   like   BeRe   Midler,   Barbra  Streisand,  and   other   big   B’s   to   What   Emily   Post   won’t   tell   you,  this   book  is   a  cover-­‐to-­‐cover   entertainment   treaIse   with   an   addicIvely   enjoyable  conversaIonal  style.

From   pracIcal   how-­‐to-­‐succeed   scenarios   to   laugh-­‐out-­‐loud   lessons,   this  humorous  yet   poignant   dialogue  has  something  for   every  woman.  A  unique  mix  of  rhetoric,  real-­‐life  revelaIons,  kitschy  quizzes,  and   food  for  thought,  this  is  the  perfect  road  map  for  your  journey  to  create  a  successful  life  in  a  nice-­‐girl  fashion.

Megan  Munroe  began  her   career  as  an  actress,  appearing  in  feature  films,  music  videos,   TV   shows,  and   commercials,   before  moving   to   Nashville   to   pursue   her  career  as  a  country  musician  and  recording  two  albums.

A  teen  beauty  queen,  personal  trainer   and  former   literary  publicist,  her   range  of  life  experiences  and  proven  ability  to  succeed  as  a  nice  girl  in  a  bitch's  world  have  led  to  features  in  Cowboys  and  Indians  Country  Weekly  and  more.  

Bitch, Please! How Nice Girls Can Succeed in a Bitch's World

Shanae Hall's experiences from being married to Cory Hall of the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons, as well as dating regular guys, makes up a virtual how-to and how-not-to guide for women with its straight-shooting advice. In Why Do I Have to Think Like a Man? How to Think Like a Lady and Still Get the Man (Farrah Gray Publishing), Hall and Frost have no problem saying it like it is and they do it well in their abundantly clear, no-nonsense approach that gives readers the benefit of their inter-generational perspectives. They remind us that the persistent 'player' mentality in today's men is fashioned, nurtured and created by the very women who hate it so much.

Taking umbrage with Steve Harvey's best-seller, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, this unique mother-daughter perspective on relationships takes it one step further by including a chapter in their book that is devoted totally to rebutting Harvey's follow-up book Straight Talk, No Chaser. Readers will be privy to a woman's viewpoint of Harvey's philosophy on commitment as to why men cheat. By following their impressive advice in Why do I Have to Think Like a

Man? readers will learn how to think like a lady when it comes to finding, keeping and understanding a man and how to date with boundaries and rise above any form of violence and cheating.

There is no doubt these two amazingly vibrant women have done their homework. Why Do I Have to Think Like a Man? is based on more than 300 interviews with men and women over 25, and on the authors' own dating dramas. The book reveals no-holds-barred truths on deal breakers, commitment, baggage, intimacy, and what men really want and getting what you want in return. Using

their own real-life experiences with marriage, divorce, cheating, single motherhood and being the other woman, they hope to empower women to stop 'selling themselves short' by hearing, but not really listening to, what their men say that makes them blind to the obvious red flags that pop up and they ignore.

Frost and Hall have undoubtedly 'walked the talk' when it comes to love, sex, dating, marriage and divorce and they cover the gamut in their funny and sincere, common sense advice on men and relationships by stressing that 'getting the guy isn't about knowing how they think; it's about dating smart - knowing what you want and raising your standards.'

As a Sirius Satellite Radio personality on Jaime Foxx's 'Foxxhole' and a former NFL wife appearing on 'E! True Hollywood Stories - Sports Stars Private Lives, Shanae Hall is never one to shy away from life's difficult conversations. If it has to be said you can count on her to say it – and she does in her 'can't put it down' page-turner that leaves readers gasping with surprise from the first paragraph.

Both survivors of emotional and physical abuse, Hall and Frost are donating a portion of the book proceeds to battered women shelters and other agencies that help women in distress.

Steve Harvey didn’t count on being challenged by Shanae Hall’s Why Do I have to Think Like a Man?

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

ENTERTAINMENT

Actress Erica Hubbard discusses BET original series “Let’s Stay Together” with Kam Williams

Talented, gorgeous and “The Girl Next Door” are words used to describe Erica Hubbard. Born in Chicago on January 2, 1979, the versatile actress has been lighting up the big and small screens with her contagious and enticing smile for the past seven years and can now be seen as one of the leads on Let’s Stay Together, the eagerly-anticipated, original comedy produced for the BET Network, which debuted earlier this month.

Erica knew at the tender age of nine that she wanted to be an actress after performing in her first stage play. Never giving up on her dream, she attended Columbia College in Chicago where she majored in Broadcast Journalism, minored in Theater and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in just three years!

After graduating, Erica landed coveted leads in TV commercials in national campaigns for such companies as McDonald's, MCI, Reebok, Sears and Noxzema, to name a few. Next, she decided to take her talents to Hollywood where she found work almost immediately.

Erica’s motion picture credits include, Save the Last Dance, A Cinderella Story, Light It Up, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Akeelah and the Bee. And her TV credits include guest-starring roles on such hits as “CSI: Miami,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and “Cold Case.” She was also a series regular and the voice of Abbey on the animated series “The Replacements.” In addition, she recently wrapped four successful seasons on the NAACP Image Award-winning, critically-acclaimed family drama “Lincoln Heights.”

When not acting, Erica is deeply involved in her philanthropic work, such as volunteering for charitable organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America and serving as the Executive Director of The Erica Hubbard Foundation, a non-profit which visits schools, community centers and youth organizations to help at-risk, inner-city kids deal with low self-esteem and poverty. In her free time, Erica loves hanging out with her best friend, her rescued Chihuahua, Winnie. And she enjoys learning sign language, taking dance classes, hiking and traveling.

Kam Williams: Hi Erica, thanks for the interview.Erica Hubbard: Thank you, Kam. I appreciate you interviewing me. KW: What interested you in Let’s Stay Together? EH: I love picking projects that make history such as Let's Stay Together and Lincoln Heights. ABC Family and BET Networks developed a television series based on African-American relationships both for the first time. I love being involved in groundbreaking projects! KW: Tell me a little about the show.EH: Let's Stay Together is a comedy set in Atlanta, Georgia that has an ensemble cast following the lives of a married couple, an engaged couple and a single woman. Each of the lives portrayed in Let's Stay Together goes through its ups and downs, being in relationships as well as looking for love. KW: How would you describe your character, Kita?EH: Kita Whitmore is a single, sassy, outspoken, and a fun-loving girl who works at the DMV. She lives by herself and is taking a break from men until she finds the right relationship to

pursue. In the meantime, Kita is always giving advice to others on what they should do in their relationships. KW: Are you more like Kita or Cassie Sutton, the character you played on Lincoln Heights?EH: I have personality traits of both Kita from Let's Stay Together as well as Cassie from Lincoln Heights. I use life experiences of situations I have been through to bring my roles to life. I think a person can have many different ways to express their personality depending on the situation they are dealing with at that moment. Also, I never want to be a one-dimensional actress who portrays the same lifestyle in all her roles because I love being versatile. In the film A Cinderella Story I played a Valley Girl, but then in Akeelah and the Bee I was a single-mom from the city. I studied theater at Columbia College and we were trained to study and to portray all different types of characters and personalities. KW: What’s it like going from Lincoln Heights, a dramatic series, to a sitcom? What challenges did you face in portraying a DMV Employee?EH: I really love to do comedy and drama regardless if I 'm in a stage play or in a TV Series. I enjoy all genres of programming. As a matter of fact, when I was doing the pilot for Let's Stay Together, I was also filming the season finale of the CBS-TV series Cold Case in which I was being shot and killed during the episode. I love both working in emotional stories and in stories that make people laugh. KW: What message do you think people will take away from Let’s Stay Together?

EH: The message I hope everyone will take from watching Let's Stay Together is that we need to stick with each other in the good times and the bad times, and to love each other and truly care about one another in our relationships. There is a saying that I think is so true: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? EH: I usually have to bring up the fact that I love being involved in my community, volunteering or donating. Recently, I formed The Erica Hubbard Foundation and my charity work is so important to my life. I really encourage everyone to get involved with any charity and please give back to your community. KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?EH: I just had a good laugh talking with my friend before the interview. My advice to everyone is try laughing as much as you can every day and watch how much positivity will flow throughout your life. You will be amazed on how great your day will turn out if you laugh a lot throughout your life. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read? EH: The last book I read was, "The Richest Man in Town: The Twelve Commandments of Wealth” which shares the inside secrets of America's self-made millionaires.”

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod? EH: I listen to all different types of music from R&B, Soul, Rap, Hip-Hop, Country, Gospel, Jazz to Reggae. If a song has a great upbeat message, I will listen to it to get my day started in a positive fashion. KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?EH: When I look in the mirror, I see God's love! KW: The Nancy Lovell Question: Why do you love doing what you do? EH: I love inspiring everyone to be successful and encouraging people to keep dreaming toward their success. KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?EH: My fans can help me by writing letters to me, by watching my TV series or movies, by visiting me at Facebook or Twitter to say hello. I truly love the support from fans!

KW: The Dulé Hill question. Do you think that the success you’ve achieved in your career is because of you, because of a higher power, or because of a mixture of both? EH: Most definitely I believe the result of my success I have achieved is from a Higher Power. I know being obedient to God and Him using me to make a difference in my community is why I am successful. KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?EH: The biggest obstacle that I had to overcome is being on unemployment and finding the willpower to put in the work to make a great salary by hard work and dedication. KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list? EH: #1: Dr. Martin Luther King. #2: Gandhi. #3: Mother Theresa. #4: President Obama. #5: Nelson Mandela. #6: Oprah. KW: The Dr. Cornel West question: What price are you willing to pay for a cause that is bigger than your own self interest?EH:I am willing to keep breaking Hollywood barriers to show my community to prove the point that any one of you can be successful with years of perseverance through difficulties and determination. I encourage everyone to be strong no matter what your situation is and remember as the saying goes, "Success is a journey, not a destination." KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be, and where are you in relation to that at this point in your life?EH: I want my legacy to be remembered as someone that cared about by their community through my charity involvement as well as my work onscreen, entertaining the masses. KW: Thanks again for the time, Erica, and best of luck with the new show.EH: Thank you, Kam, and Happy New Year!

Hubba Hubbard!

15

Erica Hubbard

New York Trend January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011 www.newyorktrendonline.com

By Matthew Scott

After billions of dollars spent and many years working to defi ne itself as an energy company that protects the environment by going "beyond petroleum," last month's oil rig explosion and subsequent spill in the Gulf of Mexico could leave oil giant BP (BP) with the unfortunate legacy as the oil industry's "biggest polluter."

It could also be the watershed event that negatively affects the oil industry's long-term profi tability.

As the assessment of the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf changes daily, experts are now preparing for the eventuality that the spill could become a worse disaster than the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989. Unfl attering comparisons to Hurricane Katrina have already been made, so the impact this disaster will have on the long-term corporate reputation of BP could be enormous.

Effective Focus on Safety?“BP's response to contain the growing oil

spill in the Gulf of Mexico from its Macondo

exploration well serves as a test to confi rm whether the fi rm's safety-driven focus of the past few years has been effective," wrote Morningstar equity analyst Catharina Milostan in a recent note to investors.

“A longer-term cost could be on the reputational front after BP is reviewed on current efforts. Constraints on future offshore oil drilling in the United States could have longer-term effects, slowing drilling and production growth plans in this region. Deep-water U.S. production accounted for 11% of BP's total production in 2009, and major deep-water projects are underway to bring recent discoveries to production over the next few years.”

BP has major interests in the Gulf of Mexico, including expansion of production at its Thunder Horse Field -- the largest oil fi eld in the Gulf -- and start-up production at the Great White fi eld in the ultra-deep-water Gulf, where it has a 33.3% ownership stake. The company's ability to quickly and effectively clean up the current spill may have an effect on the level of future drilling and exploration it's allowed to do at these other sites.

Reputation Survived Previous DisastersSomehow, BP's reputation as an

environmentally friendly company wasn't mortally wounded after the March 2005 Texas refi nery explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 180, or the March 2006 Alaskan pipeline spill that resulted in the cleanup of 267,000 gallons of crude.

But given the scope of the ecological and economic damage that's resulting from the current spill, BP won't be given the benefi t of the doubt for this accident.

The British company's reputation with the general public has already been soiled.

Brand Keys, a research fi rm that tracks customer loyalty, says that since the accident, BP has fallen from top to last in rankings of customer loyalty among the seven largest oil companies.

Investors have expressed their displeasure through stock trades, sending shares of BP down from $60.09 at the close on April 21 to $50.99 at the close on May 5. Shares of BP had fallen 83 cents to $50.16 in afternoon trading on Thursday.

Damage Extends to Entire Oil IndustryUltimately, BP's damaged reputation as

a company that can drill for oil safely may extend to the entire oil industry. Congress has already introduced new legislation to curb offshore drilling in the U.S. and to increase the liability limits for oil companies from $75 million to $10 billion.

“This spill may set back progress for offshore drilling by decades,” said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst for PFGBest Research. “This may do to offshore drilling in the U.S. what the Three Mile Island debacle did for nuclear plant production.”

Matthew Scott is a markets and investing writer for DailyFinance.

JUNE, 2010

NEWYORK

NEWYORKTREND

Will BP’s Oil Stain the Whole Industry?

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Mover & Shaker Phil Andrews-Page 13

Summer Internships Available!! Page 19

Thick oil began reaching the shore linePHOTOS COURTESY OF BP

Crystal Ashby, BP Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, spends time on the beach assisting with the clean up in Grand Isle, LA.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BP Page 8: Mark Jackson’s

“HDMD” Business

Page 11: Trend on the Town

Page 12: Seen on the Scene

January 30, 2011 - February 6, 2011

SPORTS

16

“I didn’t write this book just to revisit The Blind Side… I want to help separate fact from fiction. After the movie came out, there were a lot of people asking me if my life was exactly how it was shown on screen.

Obviously, the moviemakers have to make artistic choices to tell the story…but some of the details… just aren’t true. I hope that I can help to make a little more sense of it all.

My second goal with this book, and the much more important one, is that I want to talk about—and to—the nearly 500,000 children in America… in foster care. Many people probably know my name from The Blind Side... What no one knows is exactly what happened to me during my years in the foster care system, the years before The Blind Side picked up my story.

The ending of my story is unique, but the beginning of my story is, sadly, far too common…It is my goal with this book not only to tell my story in my own words, but to encourage anyone who is a part of the system or who wants to be a part of helping children out of it.”

- - E x c e r p t e d f r o m t h e Introduction (pgs. xiii-xviii)

Michael Oher became famous a year ago when his inspirational story was made into a heartwarming Hollywood movie. That overcoming-the-odds sports saga recounted how a traumatized, black teenager went from homeless to National Football League star with the help of the a well-to-do family who rescued him from the streets of Memphis. Sandra Bullock even won an Oscar for her endearing portrayal of m a t r i a r c h L e i g h A n n e T u o h y, a compassionate Christian who altruistically invited the gentle giant to move into her house.

But the film also took some liberties with the facts, such as suggesting that Michael only learned to play football in high school and that he was walking around wearing shorts in the middle of a frigid day in November. Furthermore, because the picture basically began with his rescue, it failed to convey exactly how much of a harrowing nightmare his childhood had been previously, when he and his siblings had been shuttled from foster home to foster home on account of their mother’s crack addiction.

For these reasons Michael decided t o w r i t e I B e a t t h e O d d s : F r o m Homelessness to “The Blind Side” and

Beyond, a poignant memoir from the perspective of an intrepid survivor who is not too proud to admit how scared, trapped and helpless he felt before finally finding a way out of the cycle of poverty. Given his humblest of origins, it’s nothing short of remarkable that he now plays offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, a tribute not only to the intervention of the Tuohys, but to his own amalgam of ambition, dedication and persistence.

Besides relating his personal tale of c o u r a g e , M i c h a e l d e s i g n e d h i s autobiography to serve as a charitable organization guide for folks motivated to get involved, as well as a how-to primer for children presently stuck in the foster care system. Along the way, he shares some practical advice with kids about the importance of finding role models, daring to dream, setting goals and developing a good work ethic.

In the process, Michael Oher drives home his salient point that “You don’t have to get adopted by a rich family to make it.” Thereby, h is e lus ive, sugarcoated Hollywood fantasy is augmented by the more readily-accessible reality that “You just have to have it set in your brain that you are going to make a better life for yourself and you have to be committed to making that happen.”

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to “The Blind Side”and Beyondby Michael Oher with Don Yaeger

Book Review by Kam Williams

I thought this past season was a good one. I’m really proud of some of the things we’ve accomplished, getting to back-to-back AFC Championship games. It obviously solidifies our program. I think we have a great foundation for sustainable success for the future. I’m really proud of our coaching staff, obviously, led by [head coach] Rex [Ryan] and all of his talented assistants.Now, as we get later into the weeks, we transition into 2011 and our staff upstairs, [assistant general manager] Scott Cohen, [assistant director of player personnel] JoJo Wooden, [senior personnel executive] Terry Bradway, [vice president of college scouting] Joey Clinkscales, they do a great job. We always talk about “every rock, every day” and that’s when they find people like the Tanner Purdums of the world, the Matt Slausons, maybe guys that aren’t household names but those are players that help us win both short-term and long-term. That’s the exciting part for us.On the one hand, there’s disappointment of not getting all the way to the Super Bowl and obviously the emotions from earlier in the week, but by the end of this week, we’ve kind of turned the page and tried to move forward for the 2011 season. With that, I’d be happy to answer any questions.On if the draft is more important this season because of the labor situation…Obviously, with the uncertainty of the labor situation, we’ve talked about having a couple of different plans. Those plans would be in pencil and obviously a

lot of our resources and time will be put into the draft preparation, which is still going to go on. Then we’ll go from there. We always try to look at the offseason as a continuum and we’re always looking for ways to improve the team. You go back to the end of last season, [director of pro personnel] Brendan Prophett and Scott Cohen, they did a great job f i n d i n g a g u y l i k e [ c o r n e r b a c k ] I s a i a h Trufant, who helped us in a couple of games. That’s just another example of we’re always looking to improve the team.On if the team will not try to sign anyone until a n e w C o l l e c t i v e Bargaining Agreement is reached…My sense of it is I doubt we would sign anybody between now and the end of the league year. It’s certainly a possibility, but I don’t foresee that, as of now. Once a new CBA is worked out and we get a sense of years to free agency, if there is a cap, how much is it, years for proration, all those other variables, we’ll move forward. Up until that point, we’ll have a plan and know that we’re going to have to adjust it.On his plans for Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards at the wide receiver position…We’d actually like to keep all three, with Brad [Smith] in the mix there, as well. We

want to keep as many of our good players, as possible, so we’ll see what the system looks like and then move forward from there. Both those players, Braylon and Santonio, did a really good job for us. I think they helped Mark’s development.

Both made big plays during the season, in the postseason. Both had b i g t o u c h d o w n s , o b v i o u s l y , i n t h e Patr iots game. I ’m proud of what both of t h o s e g u y s accomplished for us. Then we’ll see what the s y s t e m l o o k s l i k e moving forward. We hope to keep them all.On if the team will c o n s i d e r P l a x i c o

Burress if he is reinstated by the NFL…I f a n d w h e n a

player is reinstated, we can look at that. I just don’t like to deal in hypotheticals for now. We have plenty of other players to look at and decisions to make, so we’ll be focused on those.On if the team wants to bring back LaDainian Tomlinson…He is under contract for next season. At the appropriate time, we’ll look at everybody, but as of right now, yes, he’s under contract. I expect him back. These things could change, but we do expect him back. He did good things for us.

Going back to what Rex said initially when we brought him in as a three-down back, he’s really good. Obviously, he ran the ball well, over 900 yards, but he also was a great complement to Shonn [Greene], relative to the passing game, pass protecting, and brought a lot of leadership to the team, as well.On if the team has pinpointed specific areas for improvement…I think the big thing is consistency. I know Darrelle touched on that the other day, but we really do need to be more consistent. It starts really from day one. Mark Sanchez is certainly one of them, but a lot of young players, the Nick Mangolds, Darrelle, D’Brickashaw [Ferguson], those guys are our foundation and we need to start more consistently, stay there and play a complete 16-game season. If you look back at the last few years, we won nine regular season games, then 11 and we need to keep improv ing on tha t . O b v i o u s l y , w e h a v e g r e a t competition. Buffalo always plays us hard. Miami, we split last year and then you have a 14-win New England team in our division. The bar is pretty high in our division, and for us to get to where we want to go, we need to win more regular-season games, hopefully win a division. I think that would be one of our goals for next year.Courtesy  of  the  Jets  Public  Rela;ons  Department

Jets GM Tannenbaum Talks Future

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum

It's  official!  Amar'e  Stoudemire  has  been  named  an  Eastern  Conference  starIng  forward  for  the  2011  NBA  All-­‐Star  Game.  Thank  you,  Knick  fans,  for  all  of  the  votes  to  bring  this  deserving  bid  to  fruiIon.  Stoudemire  is  the  first  Knick  to  start  in  an  NBA  All-­‐Star  Game  since  1992.

Congrats Amar'e!

NYTrend Celebrates Black History