This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City went like the others before it, except it came with a powerful message about immigration and the art of humanity directed at the new administration of President Donald J. Trump.
After presenting Trump with a bowl of Shamrocks, Irish Prime Minister Edna Kenny delivered a powerful speech that was a clear and unwavering stance at odds with the Shamrock receiver. Noting the start of a new era between Ireland and the United States following Trump’s election, Edna reminded the president of the long standing, strong bond and mutual respect between the two countries. He then pivots to deliver the central theme of his message on this St. Patrick’s Day saying, “It’s fitting that we gather here each year to celebrate St. Patrick’s and his legacy. He too, of course, was an immigrant. And though he’s of course the patron saint of Ireland, for many people around the globe, he’s also a symbol of, indeed the patron of immigrants.” This statement was a clear message to the new administration that has brought about a type of divisiveness this nation hasn’t seen in modern times. The Muslim ban, the wall separating the US and Mexico, anti-immigration, and anti-refugee sentiments taking shape are just a few examples of Trump’s vision for a new American era.
Pointing to the large number of Americans that claim Irish heritage, Kenny goes on to say, “Ireland came to America because deprived of liberty, deprived of opportunity, of safety, of even food itself, the Irish believed… and four decades before Lady Liberty lifted her lamp, we were the wretched refuse on the teaming shore. We believed in the shelter of America, in the compassion of America, in the opportunity of America. We came and we became Americans.”
Another poignant clap-back against the new administration came from the Irish Arts Center in NYC. The organization distributed free books by Mexican authors from 14 locations across all five boroughs on St. Patrick’s Day. Culture is truly a significant part of our collective humanity and the Irish took a stand on their special day to celebrate this notion. Perhaps it’s this welcoming and accepting characteristic that allows folks from all walks of life to become Irish for a day.
The powerful speech by Kenny was cloaked in culture and significance of a people who like today’s Muslim communities across America and Europe, were at one time labeled terrorists. This distressing reminder was delivered in an equally powerful rebuke of Trump’s anti-immigrant policy in an op-ed in New York Daily News by Irish Senate member, Senator Aodhán ó Riordáin who said, “The negative stereotypes now attached to other identities were once attached to us. We were the terrorists at one time as Irishmen and Irish Women embarked on murderous bombing campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s in Britain, forcing every Irish immigrant in the UK to lower their voices in shame.” Although his words may not appease many who can’t overlook the recent terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists in the U.S., France, Germany and even parts of Africa—just to name a few places indiscriminate bombs are going off, and killings are taking place—the desire to negatively stereotype and target an entire demographic of people solely based on their religion and or their place in the world is not only unwise, it is inhumane and wrong. And, history has shown us this time and time again.
Riordáin pointed to Trump’s own immigrant mother and wife as an example of the hypocrisy and heartless treatment of a people seeking refuge from war torn countries that has forced a large number of them to become displaced; many dying on their journey to maintain basic life. Their bodies, small and large, young and old, scattered across sea shores for all to see. And yet the unwavering rhetoric from anti-immigration and anti-refugee politicians in the U.S. and Europe, including the Middle East, shaped to dismiss the glaring and unforgiving truth of the matter, continues to deny them the basic human dignity all people deserve.
He goes on to say, “The Bannon worldview will undoubtedly attempt to use the St. Patrick’s Day events in the White House to promote the American success story of a white European Christian people. But they have forgotten themselves and their own history. They have forgotten the plight their own families went through as immigrants.” One can easily add to this sentiment that the current administration has also forgotten America’s unsavory past by essentially turning a blind uncaring eye to the many social woes that still permeate a rotting stench across our beautiful country—like police brutality that overwhelmingly impacts minorities, a judicial system that favors the powerful and wealthy, persistent attacks on long established basic human, civil, voting, workers and women’s rights by a new generation of alt-right republicans dead set on turning back the hands of time to an era most Americans wouldn’t want to relive, let alone revive. Riordáin is absolutely spot-on when he said, “When you make African-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Muslim-Americans feel lesser, it comes from a pit of racism.” The Make America Great Again theme of the Trump administration is a false battle cry that on this St. Patrick’s Day the Irish people weren’t afraid to challenge.
iFreshH performing at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ
BY JEANETTE LENOIR
The Northeast may be digging itself out from under Winter Storm Stella but that’s not putting a freeze on artists flocking to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX. That roster includes up and coming Hip-Hop artist iFreshH who is starting to make waves in the New Jersey music scene.
SXSW, a global music industry event happens every year during the month of March. It’s an opportunity for new, well-established and up and coming musicians to perform and for some, hopefully walk away with contracts from record labels and other industry folks that attend these events like scouts looking for their next big stars.
The new comer at the global music festival, iFreshH, is a solid and talented performer to look out for this year. The tall, quiet and unassuming figure spitting hip-hop rhymes hails from Trinidad and Tobago but calls Newark, NJ home. iFreshH performs locally, has released several music videos, and is steadily gaining traction, as he debuts his talents for a larger and more influential crowd at SXSW.
iFreshH’s music has a solid foundation in the Hip-Hop genre but his style also includes a hint of versatile soul rhythm, especially with No Love For Me, a song that carries a catchy tune even your mom can appreciate and swing to.
His recent performance opening up for Rich The Kid in Teaneck, NJ at Mexicali Live, as part of a collaboration with other talented and eager performers like Murdah Baby, one would be inclined to think he also represents part of the world of underground music and gangster rap. Nonetheless, iFreshH maintains a humble outlook on life outside of his beats and rhymes. And although he dropped out of a promising college career majoring in Criminal Justice with a 4.0 GPA, his views and perspectives on life comes across as solid and goal oriented. He’s definitely a rising star and promising artist to keep an eye on.
For just a moment, I’d like to take you on a journey; a fashion journey in the middle of a burning room. Don’t be frightened. The colors are beautiful. The people are simply magnificent. And, if you disregard the flames around you, you will be captivated by magic, music and the beauty of our world. Fashion is that one thing that grabs us—even for just a brief moment on a chaotic planet—and allows us to imagine a world we’d all love to live in. Fashion lives, even when the outside world seems to be crumbling at our feet.
The lines, angles, symmetries, the walks—each a unique display of self-worth from the strutter—will embrace you with the possibilities of what the world can be; beautiful like a dancing bird of paradise. Those on the outside looking in walk away with this burning question; what do they know that the rest of us don’t? Nevertheless, the fashion world isn’t untouched by scandals or the perils of the world around it. Photographers are responsible for bringing many aspects of our daily lives to life. They capture tragedies, wars, and sufferings of all kinds, not just beauty, although it serves as a soul nurturing distraction from the “real world” that’s left unchanged and unmoved outside the protected walls of an incredibly influential fashion industry.
Images are powerful. They tell stories of our lives, our hopes, fears and dreams. Fashion is part of who we are and Fashion Week New York never seems to disappoint, despite the glitches and strange designs coming out of this unique world full of beautiful and iconic characters, and creative figures. When the world is quiet—which fashion week seems to grant for just a short window of time—it allows us to feel and look our best, which never goes out of style. Even in a burning room.
Although he’s not a fashion photographer, Steve McCurry, a world-renowned photographer responsible for his iconic photograph, Afghan Girl, said, “Fashion is always a part of culture, whether any part of the world, culture is important. You can live in the most remote parts of Tibet or China, or Russia and fashion is always…we always want to adorn ourselves and look good and have the right hair, or clothes or whatever it happens to be, it’s something I think that, we always want to look our best to present ourselves in the best possible way.”
Art imitates life, and despite some turning their noses at the mere mention of politics or anything other than fashion during Fashion Week, the old adage remains. The incredibly talented and prominent author and public speaker, Fran Lebowitz, a fellow panelist during the FWNY reveal of the 2017 Pirelli Calendar didn’t hold back when asked by moderator Derek Blasberg about President Trump’s impact on the fashion world. “He’s worse than Mussolini,” she quipped.
Peter Lindbergh, one of the most influential contemporary photographers and film director, is responsible for this year’s Pirelli Calendar. He seems to put it all in perspective when he said, “Fashion is foremost, dangerous because it allows people to pretend things that they are not. And, it’s easier for people who have money, than for those who have no money.” Although he goes on to explain that that is not the point of fashion, he seems to honor the fact that fashion is a much needed distraction from the metaphorical flames of this burning room we call; the world.
What does the future look like for the fashion world? According to Lindbergh, “the future is t-shirts and tennis shoes.”
James Baldwin spoke from the grave in this searing and poignant piece of storytelling of our American culture and shameful racist history.
This film is not merely an entertainment piece to add to our collection of artful imagery to fill our heads and occupy empty and bored pockets of the mind. No, this piece is to wake our collective conscience that is rooted in a basic understanding of humanity. The difference this time is that the “our” Baldwin and the creators of this powerful piece of historical and cultural storytelling is directly aimed at is white people; American white people to be exact.
I Am Not Your Negro is a soul shaking and profound message. It forces viewers, especially American whites, to face the ugly truth of race relations in our country. It forces them to address the largest elephant in the middle of the cultural room we call our United States. Keep in mind, there are other elephants to content with, like immigration, women’s rights, disability rights, LGBTQ rights and indigenous people’s rights; however, the biggest one—institutionalized racism—is threatening to release a level of aggression like musth across the country. The film’s aim seems to push white Americans, yet again, through more modern and powerful means, to face the truth of life in America for black people, or “Negros” as this film appoints as another searing and thought-provoking label of brown-skinned Americans.
One can’t deny the uncomfortable truth staring, screaming, whaling, hanging, running, begging, pleading, fighting, marching and confronting them…right in front of their eyes. Closing your eyelids, seeking refuge in indifference, won’t change this stark truth. Black people, since the beginning of our country, have suffered tremendously at the hands of white people. Thankfully, not all white people. There are examples in this film of whites entrenched in the struggle for racial justice and equality too. This truth can’t be separated from the black American struggle. Even so, time has yet to heal these wounds as this film so justly brings to the forefront of a national dialogue. The images on the big screen aren’t new. Most of us have seen them before; either in a class room, a movie theater, books, pictures and essentially through all forms of media and communication. Bob Dylan singing of the callous murder of Medgar Evers stings, and moves a compassionate soul to tears. It seems that each new generation requires a different and more impactful way of forcing much needed societal change. That’s what this film represents in many ways too.
I Am Not Your Negro is the incomplete work of the most dynamic, clear, passionate and unapologetic orator of our young culture and democracy; James Baldwin. Baldwin expresses himself in ways that are still stirring in our current society. If America is to sustain its good fortune—if one can call it that—of not having to experience what has been laid out in Baldwin’s other writings in The Fire Next Time, a populous movement coming to a bloody and tragic head, underway even before the days of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., which this powerful film draws upon, than the time for real change is upon us. Baldwin lays it at our feet. His words, and those of Samuel L. Jackson further tattoos it on our conscience, reminding us all of our responsibility and role in creating a new nation that honors its people, regardless of creed, color, or sex. What we do with this forewarning depends on each and every American that yearns for all that this country pretends to be. But first, we must face the ugly truth that despite the “perfect” images of American lives that has shaped our thinking and understanding of ourselves and fellow countrymen, the reality on the ground is completely detached from the true lives and experiences of black Americans.
Baldwin expresses this as clearly as any man can or could, especially when he states that the image of America we grown up with looks ideal in movies and pictures…for white people. Unfortunately, the portrayal of black Americans is not only false, but morally damaging and despicably demeaning to the people that helped built this country through the brutal practice of slave labor. He makes it expressively clear that black people are not the big lipped, lazy sub-human buffoons as consistently portrayed in the old footage shown as a historical reference in I Am Not Your Negro.
This film diverts our attention back to the reality on the ground. And just when you think that the racial narrative of our country placed in front of us in this powerful film is unrepresentative of our current state of being, you’re hit with images of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Sandra Bland, Philando Castille, Terence Crutcher… the list goes on and on, just like the struggle for equality and basic human rights for all Americans… not just for those who have benefited from oppression, slavery and brutality, to maintain a grasp on the heavy crown called power. Undoubtedly, as it comes across in this film, power equates to might but real power embraces the responsibility of humanity.
America, throughout its short history, has failed to reconcile its racist past adequately enough to settle these burning issues that keep us bound in a discombobulated ball of spaghetti. It’s not a coincidence that the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture only came to fruition in September of 2016. That was 6-months ago… after years of black civil rights leaders and other activists working to persuade mostly white politicians that it’s the right thing to do. There are numerous examples of unjust treatment of blacks, and stark examples of our evolving police state in this film that has primarily impacted black people in America. For this to change, America must change. Specifically white Americans, according to Baldwin and many others like him who have paid the ultimate price pushing for this change to occur.
Throughout the film, this sentiment is expressed eloquently by Baldwin in this uncomfortable but crucial piece of cultural and racial perspective. Baldwin, from the grave, is targeting our collective conscience as Americans. “We’re in this together,” he seems to shout from an impenetrable divide. America is not a white country. America is a multicultural phenomenon brought about by all who built, fought for and shaped her. Black Americans have an equal stake and root in this land and its identity. If white Americans—especially those in powerful positions to shape and govern us as one nation—accept this unyielding truth, we will come together as one people. In our relatively short history, this has yet to happen, making I Am Not Your Negro a reflective piece of art that imitates our real lives. This film is a must see. But, prepare to be confronted with an uncomfortable truth.
BY JEANETTE LENOIR The local Boy Scouts of America Troops need a few good volunteers. The local council, specifically Troop 21, was formed in 2008 by former BSA Council President, Ricardo Fernando “Rick” Rosero. They serve local at-risk youths, many of whom are new immigrants and refugees from war torn countries that now call Central New York home.
Following a two-year sabbatical after retiring as council president, Rosero said, “I came back and asked them to send me to a place where there were no troops. And they said Donovan Middle School needs a troop. So, I said fine and I went there.” Troop 21 started with just a few scouts but quickly grew to include more local students taking part in the after school meetings. “It started with three, and then six and ten, and as time went by another volunteer came out to assist me. That’s how it all started,” Rosero said.
Today the local BSA collectively serves about 50 scouts in Troop 21, 101 and 316 with many success stories from those who joined in 2008 that have gone on to lead successful lives. “Everybody graduates from high school. Those that are eligible can go to college or go into a training program. We really stress that as the young fellas get older. This is something we’re pushing all the time,” Rosero says. The idea of going to college after high school is not necessarily a good option or fit for some of the scouts and Rosero says that’s not a bad thing, especially when they have other options, such as training programs, that can help them lead successful lives. He says his message to the troop is, “When you graduate from high school you need further training, whether you go through the college route, or the crafts route. You can be a Plummer or Electrician, or whatever will help you because you definitely need training for the future.” In the 9-years of serving local at-risk youths, Rosero says that the program has been tremendously successful as he points out that not a single one of his scouts have had any dealings with law enforcement or have gotten themselves into trouble. “No problems whatsoever. I can categorically say that,” he adds.
And, he wants to keep it that way. Rosero says BSA Troop 21 needs the community’s support in many ways but the most effective way is through volunteering. “The more young men we can help, the better. There are a lot of kids out there. When you start to look at statistics and demographics there are programs out there that actually work, but nothing works unless you have volunteers. If you don’t have people out there in the streets and helping and participating, it’s all rhetoric,” he said.
Although the program started at Donovan Middle School, Troop 21 serves young men from all parts of the city of Utica and beyond. “That’s why we do a lot of driving around,” he says. The small number of volunteers and BSA leaders are tasked with picking up and dropping off the scouts, which amounts to a lot of driving during the week. They also go on camping trips, swimming lessons and take part in a host of other BSA activities, making it more and more difficult to meet the needs of these at-risk youths. Troop 21 could also use a van to help with their transportation efforts; however, Rosero says although funding is important, the greatest need is volunteerism. He says, “Unfortunately, I find that a lot of adults…they read the papers, they see what’s going on around them and they’re assuming someone else is going to pick up the pace and volunteer, and they don’t have to. I rather people keep their money, and give us their time.”
There have been some significant changes taking place within the BSA in the last few years. In 2015, after coming under tremendous pressure and criticism, the organization moved to accept gay scout leaders and youths. And more recently an announcement from BSA Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh effectively changed the organizations position on eligibility and participation for the transgender community. However, these momentous changes will not be applied across the board. The local BSA troop is funded by Utica’s Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and according to BSA policy; each sponsoring organization dictates the policy each troop must abide by. Rosero said, “I just read about it the other day and it wouldn’t be a problem in our troop because Our Lady of Lourdes Church dictates to us any policy. For example, their policy as a church would never allow homosexual leadership or members. I don’t make the decision our sponsoring organization makes the decision.” Rosero says he has not dealt with his troop members facing a similar LGBTQ issue.
Those interested in supporting BSA Troop 21, 101 and 316 can do so by visiting their website: www.leatherstockingcouncil.org or by calling (315) 735-4437. Despite all the politics and changes taking place within the BSA, it truly is inspiring to hear and witness what these young men are doing to improve their lives and the community they call home. These young people are not lost to video games, or other modern avenues that can lead to a less productive life. They’re learning and growing as organically as possible in an increasingly changing world thanks to what the BSA instills in them; character and leadership. But, without volunteers and the support from parents and their community, these fundamental and important goals will become increasingly harder to achieve. CNY, and especially Utica, can’t afford to lose another generation of young men to the perils of an impoverished community. There is hope. You can see it in the outcome and eyes of those directly impacted by BSA Troop 21. Scouting works, and research proves that.
The Women’s March on Washington by all account, except perhaps President Donald J. Trump’s, was enormously successful. The event drew crowds from across the country and the world in solidarity against arguably the most controversial and despised figure on the planet right now; President Trump. Across the spectrum, outrage usually followed by ridicule over his rhetoric, views, policy positions and vision for the country has plagued the 45th president of the United States since the start of his campaign for the highest office and leader of the free world. Despite promising to make the country great again, draining the political swamp in DC and putting America first on everything—promises that any sound American would welcome with open arms, especially when considering the public’s view on politicians in general—Trump is still failing miserably to win the hearts and minds of most Americans. And the Women’s March on Washington was a clear indication of these shared sentiments.
Out of the gate, the new administration is feeling the heat from the media and the public following the two press conferences held by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who managed to make things worse by presenting the public with what, Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway dubbed “alternative facts” about the inauguration numbers and other petty Trumpisms. Trump’s recent executive orders to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, (TPP), reinstating the Global Gag Rule, like former president George W. Bush did back in 2001, and imposing a federal hiring freeze similar to another president; Ronald Reagan, are campaign promises being kept. Whether his actions will lead to his “bigly” vision of making America great again has yet to be seen, nonetheless, Americans of all walks of life, including the international community, is anxiously bracing for the next four years of a Trump presidency.
All the same, the American public’s outrage over Trump’s election is baffling considering the evolution of American culture, values, and moral compass. Considering our modern culture, one would have to accept that as a nation, we are exactly where we put ourselves. From our fascinations and obsessions with scandals of all kinds, the sexualisation of women, our inability to not glorify violence in any form we see fit, including our appetite for all things plastic, easy and immediate, collectively we must all take responsibility for our role in the manifestation of Trump’s America. If you buy into the cheapening of our culture, you support—willingly or not—the creation of Trump.
Considering our very short memory of history and diminishing attention span, it will suffice to only mention a handful of our new cultural norms and objects of worship and value. Kim Kardashian becomes an object of sexual worship following the release of her sex tape. Former NY Governor Elliot Spitzer gets caught up in a prostitution scandal and is rewarded with his own show on CNN. The prostitute he paid for sexual favors also benefitted from the scandal. Ashley Alexandra Dupré was rewarded for assisting in the destruction of a marriage and family with her own column in the New York Post called “Ask Ashley.” Also, let’s not forget that Rolling Stone magazine honored the second Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, with a sexualized cover photo and article that will forever represent our state of mindfulness and object of worship. The young man and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, terrorized a city and he’s on the cover of a magazine projecting the look of a typical and innocent American college kid. Forget aiming for fame when infamy is arguably equally valued now days. Lately, it seems that the more celebrity figures behave badly, the more attention we laud upon them, essentially turning them into gold statues to worship as false gods. And, if the video of Ray Rice knocking out his then girlfriend didn’t make its way to the surface, can one honestly say that the outcome of his football career would stand as it does?
Ever since Trump started making a name for himself, the media and others in powerful positions, like former Access Hollywood co-host Billy Bush, encouraged his outrageous antics and behavior. Trump was made in America. He was permitted to grope, grab and force himself on us while we grinned, clapped and begged him for more. Trump didn’t sneak up on us. As a society we helped to create him.
Resting on our evolving values as a society, culturally, we all own a piece of what Trump represents. To quote the late Michael Jackson, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change.” With any luck, as we continue to evolve as a nation, for the better, Americans will take Trump along for a cultural ride on the roller coaster of our beautiful diverse society.
Michele Vivas who calls New Jersey home says she was moved to make another journey to protest in Washington, DC as part of the Women’s March against President Donald Trump’s policies and divisive rhetoric. This is her story…
“The white man broke every promise except for one. They promised to take our land, and they did,” these are the words of war chief and holy man Sitting Bull that, more than 100 years later, seems to still echo across the plains of the Dakotas.
The bitter cold and recent decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that put a halt to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, (DAPL) may have sent some protesters packing, but not all of them. The camp—today a community of staunch, unwavering and passionate like-minded people—is bracing for what’s to come. Whatever that may be, some of the Veterans I spoke to said. Even after president-elect Donald Trump, who supports the construction of the pipeline, takes over the reins at the White House. The protesters, those willing and cleared to speak to the media, made their intent very clear. They’re not budging until all Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. equipment, still at the ready to proceed in constructing the 1,172 mile pipeline under Lake Oahe, is removed from the disputed site.
The location of the All Nations Camp, as its been dubbed by its members and the locals, is in Cannon Ball, SD. A short distance drive up the road passed Prairie Knights Casino. The camp sits between Oceti Sakowin Camp and Sacred Stone camp, immediately after crossing the Missouri River. For many of the protesters, the casino provides some relief from the camp and the bitter cold. As you near the camp site, you can’t help but feel a sense of amazement and awe of the tenacity and strong will of the human spirit. These are the first Americans. Fighting to maintain their culture and identity, still.
“Fifteen or twenty thousand years ago, at the end of the fourth great Ice Age or before, the first men reached the New World. These were the ancestors of the American Indians. They came in small bands of several families, following the hunters who got them food. Straggling out of Asia in pursuit of game, they had no notion of the two enormous continents that lay ahead of them, empty of men,” states a passage in The Ghost Dance, The Origins Of Religion, by Weston La Barre. This understanding carries enormous significance when adequately judging the on-going protest against the pipeline, despite the multicultural distinction of its members, these people have taken on a David versus Goliath like combat. And, they’re unsure of what lies ahead.
Tribal Flags of all kinds and meanings guide your path into the snow covered camp shrouded with howling winds and flapping tarps begging for mercy. Tents, Tepees, RV’s and even basic plywood structures that serve as a much needed refuge from the weather, seem to stand at attention as a sign of opposition against an unmatched power, and an unforgiving changing world. Man’s need and insatiable appetite for oil and other riches that help advance and sustain our modern society reigns supreme in these vast lands, fought fiercely for, and belonging to the first Americans, the Lakotas’.
“…every year the first entry of man into the New World seems to be pushed deeper into antiquity,” states La Barre in The Ghost Dance. And, to put the DAPL protest in historical perspective, one can’t help but find the irony and sad truth of this observation. The Lakotas’ aren’t new to these kinds of constrictions, but it’s hard to argue that the on-going struggle for basic human and land rights is steadily pushing them further away from their ancient past, as the world around them tugs away at what remains of their land and culture.
A recent article in the Smithsonian titled, Grant’s Uncivil War by Peter Cozzens, states fittingly at this moment in history concerning this on-going issue: Under the Fort Laramie Treaty, the United States designated all of present-day South Dakota west of the Missouri River, including the Black Hills as the Great Sioux Reservation, for the Lakotas’ “absolute and undisturbed use and occupation.” The treaty also reserved much of present-day northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana as Unceded Indian Territory, off-limits to whites without the Lakotas’ consent. The article goes onto say that “most Lakotas’ settled on the reservation, but a few thousand traditionalists rejected the treaty and made their home in the Unceded Territory. Their guiding spirits were the revered war chief and holy man Sitting Bull and the celebrated war leader Crazy Horse. These “non-treaty” Lakotas’ had no quarrel with the wasichus (whites) so long as they stayed out of the Lakota country. This the wasichus largely did, until 1874.” That’s when Major General George Armstrong Custer received his marching orders to scout land for a new Army post, according to historical records. Fast forward 142 years later, it’s clear to see who got the raw deal of the Fort Laramie Treaty.
During my stay in Bismarck, ND I got a chance to speak to an official who asked to remain anonymous. He made the argument, sitting next to his wife and a family friend they jokingly didn’t want to claim as such, that the protests may have started as a fight for mother earth and clean water, but says that it’s taken a political turn for another shot at pushing for land rights. “It’s about old rights. That’s what the protest is really about,” he said. “Pipelines are everywhere! Why is this one so important?! It’s a lands rights issue and the rule of law has been violated,” he said. He asserts that the protesters that have come from across the country and Canada are not being good guests of the two bordering states. The group shared stories of poaching, menacing and trespassing on farmers lands. He said the cost to maintain order and safety doesn’t come cheap. “North Dakota has paid 17-million so far to deal with the protesters,” he said. The official also stated that the coverage of the protests have been biased and that goodwill between the Sioux and locals have been damaged because of the protests. “Friends are torn apart,” he said.
Speaking to some Veterans at the camp, the consensus was that the recent visit from other Veterans led by Wesley Clark, Jr. caused more confusion and discontent than anything else it set out to do. Some of them believed that there were political motives involved in Clark coming to the camp. “He even rode on a horse up to a hill,” one of the “Old Vets” claimed. The Veterans, still dug deep into this struggle, refer to themselves as “Old Vets” to distinguish from the newer arriving Veterans that have since left. One thing was made clear. They’re not budging until the Sioux Nation asks them to leave. When asked about getting paid to maintain the protest, the group collectively took offense to the question and said, absolutely not. However, the question merit asking as it was brought up by some in Bismarck, including the official that spoke anonymously, as a reason behind the on-going protest at Standing Rock.
My evening at the camp ended at the Dome, appropriately aired and warmed with burning wood and the smell of sage. It’s a dome structure in the middle of the camp where camp leaders meet to discuss issues, like change of perspectives, how to improve camp life, the forming of clicks and Lakota virtues. The members form a big circle and take turn speaking, adhering to a respectful exchange, and ending with a prayer.
It is necessary to recognize both sides of the situation. It’s hard to argue with the official who says it’s time to merge cultures and collectively contribute to our greater American society. However, the root of this pattern of conquering land from the first Americans, at any cost, runs deep. The wounds are still raw and hard felt. How the Trump era of politics and dealings will impact this struggle is anybody’s guess, but it behooves one to remember that the strength of America is rooted in all the people of this land. The first, the old, and the newcomers.
The world is changing at a rapid pace right in front of our eyes. Trump is president-elect and Fidel Castro has died. These two incidents alone represent a monumental shift in the world. It’s a lot to take in and reflect upon, regardless of how these two powerful figures will eventually settle into their rightful place in history.
Fidel Castro’s passing, perhaps even more so than the election of Donald Trump, highlights the importance of conducting diplomacy maturely. That’s according to Tom Holladay who is retired from the State Department these days but recalls his time as U.S. Consular to Cuba. Holladay served as consular in Cuba from 1977 to 1979. He was part of a group of ten American Foreign Service people who reopened the interest section of the US embassy, as part of the Swizz embassy in Cuba. “The Swizz had been representing us since we broke relations with Cuba and left in 1961. So, we went back to our old building, which had been kept by the Swizz, and we set about trying to reestablish a channel of communication with the Cuban government and solve some problems that had been outstanding,” he explained.
ePa: Can you describe the state of Cuba upon your arrival in 1977?
TH: I don’t think it was really that different than a lot of the countries in Latin America at the time, materially, probably a little more run-down. Cuba was sort of a dependency of the Soviet Union so they weren’t that bad off. A lot of old cars, a lot of unpainted buildings…interesting place, but I didn’t really focus on what the place looked like.
ePa: At the time, U.S. relations with Cuba were much different. Were you well received, or was it a hostile welcoming entering the country?
TH: No, no, this was an initiative of President Carter that actually during the Ford administration, even under Kissinger, we had started this effort to try to normalize relations with Cuba, and it was briefly interrupted by the elections when Carter ran against Ford. Ford was trying to get his own term in office. Ford administration had started this optimate, and they cranked it back down for the elections, probably because of the Cuban vote in Miami. And then Carter, as soon as he was elected, his transition people started the process of getting ready to open with Cuba very shortly after he took office.
I was working in Cuban Affairs in Washington during the time of the run-up, and then going back down, then cranking back up again, and so when we arrived, it was an optimistic time.
The problems were that the Cubans were becoming militarily involved in Africa. The Cubans, had among other things figured out a way to fly troops to Angola via Guiana, using old Bristol Britannia aircrafts that didn’t really have the rage without a fuel stop, and the Guianese gave them the fuel stop. So, as we were opening up and dealing with some of the issues that I was involved in, we were also concerned about their increase activity in Africa. And that eventually put the kibosh on the improving relations. We really couldn’t make any progress on that political side.
The real reason the Carter administration gave for opening up with Cuba was that they could solve some of the human rights issues that had been pending, and some U.S. citizen issues that we couldn’t really resolve if we didn’t have a presence and a dialogue.
ePa: Can you describe some of the issues you dealt with?
TH: We had political prisoners, hijackers, including American citizens who couldn’t leave Cuba with their families for many years because Cuba wouldn’t give them permission to leave. And then there were a lot of Cuban citizens who suffered from the human rights situation there, who wanted to leave but couldn’t get out, so we were trying to solve all those problems.
We were trying to reestablish a dialogue and reestablish some semblance of normal relations.
ePa: What was your first day of work like?
TH: The first day we opened, all of the people with complaints and problems came to the opening—American hijackers, Americans who couldn’t leave the country, people with permission to leave but needed American visas, all kinds of people—they all showed up as we were talking to the press out front. The management was worried that this would mar the opening. So, they brought them all inside for me to deal with. But, they forgot to screen out the media when they did this. So then I got into a question and answer session with these people, and of course it was all recorded and people in the United States saw me on television that night.
ePa: Can you talk about the hijackers?
TH: Well the hijackers that I dealt with were Americans. They were guys who hijacked planes to Cuba. And they came in and said, ‘we want to leave, we can’t take it anymore.’ So then I had to tell them that, I can’t give you a U.S. passport to leave because you’re on the FBI Wanted list so the only way I can send you home is into the hands of the U.S. authorities. So then they would go to the Cubans and the Cubans would say, ‘if you have a U.S. passport we’ll let you leave.’ Course we couldn’t give them one, so I’d tell them, go back and tell the Cubans I’m not going to give you the passport until we can arrange a way for you to go home that you can’t get beyond that reach.
Most of these guys were American black guys. One group came to Cuba, asked to see Fidel, robbed all the passengers and tried to give Fidel what they stole from the passengers. Fidel had them put in jail immediately, and they never got out again.
So they (hijackers) wanted to leave so we organized their return to the United States via Canada. Air Canada sent down a plane with most of the passengers being undercover Mounties. So, we got them all out to the airport and the stewardesses refused to fly with them. We had to abort the operation. Then, the Canadians spread the rumor that they had gotten to Canada and they (hijackers) were at large there. That didn’t work out. The Cubans thought it was ridiculous that an airline couldn’t transport some fugitives, and that the stewardesses could veto such an operation.
In any case, they were supposed to fly to Canada. Their plane would become an FBI charter and they’d fly to the U.S. where they would come under arrest, had it played out. But, we moved them via Jamaica a few days later with the same plan.
ePa: What happened after the hijackers arrived in the U.S.?
TH: They got back to the United States and then one of them said that I promised him that he would get off if he promised to go back. So, I got dragged up to Federal court but the judge believed me. They all came in and lied that I had enticed them to go to the United States…
ePa: When they got back here eventually, they were all arrested?
TH: Yes, exactly and sentenced to jail for periods of time. One of them was a Puerto Rican guy who hijacked the first 747 to Cuba. His name was Rivera, (R. Campos). These guys were on the margin of society…they didn’t work, and they were sort of malcontent.
He (R. Campos) was the one who said that I tricked him into going back. But, he sent me a Christmas card for years afterwards from jail. I don’t know where he got my address, but for years I got this card from Rivera.
ePa: Really? That didn’t scare you at all, considering that he claimed you promised him freedom when he got here?
TH: (Laughing) Yeah, well it worried me and he may still be after me, but I’ve forgotten him. I think he knows that I meant no ill will toward him…he just saw these other guys leaving and thought, well, you know, I’ll do it too.
ePa: Was he in jail in Cuba?
TH: No, he wasn’t in jail. Most of these hijackers were not in jail in Cuba. They were on the street. Only some very violent and means ones, who killed people in the process of hijacking the planes, went to jail.
ePa: As Consular, did you have a relationship with Fidel Castro, or had any direct dealings with him?
TH: I never dealt with Fidel directly, only very shortly after we got there. Nobody else had access to him either. I only had access to Fidel once in connection with a hijacking to Cuba of a Delta flight, where I went to the airport for our side and Fidel went for his side. I had pretty much the run of the airport, they knew me out there. I can always get in the back way and go in the secure areas but that day I couldn’t get in.
His car was parked out there, so I went to the normal places I usually go in and they wouldn’t let me in. They said, ‘what are you doing here?’ and I said, ‘I’m here for the same reason he’s here’. I said, ‘I came to look at the welfare of the passengers of this plane’, and he, the Director of Immigration, took me around to the VIP entrance of the tarmac, pushed me through the door, and there was Fidel.
So we sat down on a little couch, I asked him about who the hijacker was and he gave his little ditty about the hijacking group. We had a bilateral hijacking agreement, in which we agreed to return hijackers or punish them locally. The Cubans were hijacking boats and going North and the Americans were hijacking planes. Some Cuban planes had been hijacked too, but he (Fidel Castro) was just giving the reassurances that all of the United States should start respecting the terms of the hijacking agreement, which is in sustention, we’re going to abide by its principles in handling this case.
Then, we had to figure out how to pay for the fuel. The Delta pilot had a credit card he couldn’t use in Cuba. So, I had to commit to making sure that the Cubans got their money for Delta’s fuel. I said I would guarantee that this 15-thousand dollars worth of fuel would be paid for, which a Consular Officer is never supposed to do…is commit the U.S. government to payment. But, Delta lived up to their word. They transferred the money to us and we issued the check on to the Cuban Central Bank.
Those are some of the nitty-gritty operational details…
ePa: Can you talk about some of the political prisoners you dealt with?
TH: Larry Lunt, (Lawrence K. Lunt) was an ex-pat who was married to a member of the Belgium Royal House. He was C.I.A. He was in prison and I visited him every month. The Belgium Ambassador also visited him. The Belgium Ambassador was his wife’s cousin. So he was really well taken care of… I don’t think the Belgium Ambassador had anything else to do.
We had another guy who ran the American Club; we had another guy who worked for Look Magazine who parachuted into the country, just different guys who had U.S. citizenship but who were in jail for political crimes. They wore different color uniforms and were segregated from common prisoners. So, I visited them every month. They were an odd lot, (laughing).
Meanwhile, secret talks take place between Miami Cubans and the Cuban government, which the U.S. government did or did not participate in, where they agreed that the Cubans would release 3 to 5-thousand Cuban political prisoners, if we would take them. And we agreed to take them at a rate of 500 a month. The Cubans also agreed to give permission to leave the country to 15-thousand ex-political prisoners. So then, we started processing them.
The first group was a VIP group. One of them was Paulita Grauw. Paulita had been involved in an attempt to assassinate Fidel by putting a poisoned pill in a milkshake at the Havana Libre. She had delivered this poison pill to the guy at the Soda jerk and he had put it inside the freezer and it had stuck to the wall of the freezer and when he took it out the poison leaked out and he was unable to put it in Fidel’s milkshake. They somehow uncovered the plot and arrested them all. So, Paulita had this attempted murder rap and I had to do an advisory opinion to the department to justify sending her to the U.S. The people who cut this deal where the Miami Cubans. We agreed to do this for them because Carter was big on human rights and we wanted Cubans to release their political prisoners. This would meet one of our conditions for them to improve our relationship, and it would prove that Carter opening to Cuba actually brought some results.
ePa: Can you reflect on Fidel’s death, and what it means for U.S. Cuba relations moving forward?
TH: You know, I’m very torn because I obviously was, I mean, we were subjected to surveillance, bugging, harassing phone calls, break-ins. These security people were on us like flies on shit. They were on top of us all the time. It was an oppressive atmosphere, but I was there trying to do a job and I wasn’t really there to judge them. I was seeing these huge prisons full of people, listening to horror stories all day long, the injustices and the difficulties, the hardships people had gone through because of the revolution, so I was basically dealing with the malcontent of the revolution. But, I believe that the guy deserves some recognition for being the sob that he was, for noble purposes, even though his methods were very bad.
ePa: What are your thoughts on the future of the Cuban people?
TH: I have no idea. Raul is now in charge, has been since 2008. These guys aren’t going to let go. Hopefully they will get the message and start an incremental effort to open up the economy and open up the society in a gradual way. Maybe follow the Chinese model. They have a lot of enemies out there and a lot of people who celebrated Fidel’s death. I’m not sure that it’s that relevant to contemporary Cuba.
Raul has decided to open up diplomatic relations with United States. That’s pretty radical. But, now all bets are off because we have our own domestic problems to content with. We might break relations with Cuba and go back to square one.
If we continue on the path of dialogue and communication instead of posturing and playing fault, we’ll probably be able to move forward. Good things can come from communication and dialogue and dealing direct and nothing good usually comes from vitriol and exchanges of insults.
ePa: Do you think Fidel Castro has brought anything positive to his people and to the world in general?
TH: The guy was a brave man, a tough man, a brilliant man, a master politician, a master chess player. And, he managed to win the hearts and minds of millions of people in the third world. I don’t think you can deny his place in history.
Big Daddy’s Beauty Supply store on Genesee St., in Utica, NY is more than what it seems. It’s the go to hair place for most African Americans in the area. Andrew “Andy” Gambino, (no relation to the Gambino family, although he jokingly says he couldn’t tell you regardless) took over the store after his father, Russell A. “Big Daddy” Gambino, died suddenly at the age of 66, on August 15, 2009. Gambino relocated from Pittsburgh, PA to carry on his father’s legacy, as he would have wanted. His father had long paved the way for him to fill his shoes, not necessarily by selling groceries or hair products to people, but with his love for the people he served. The younger Gambino has fulfilled his father’s legacy, and continues to do so. Quietly and humbly.
What makes this story uniquely relevant to our collective American culture, is its deep rooted connection to the black community in Utica, and African American culture in general. Hair is an important part of our American culture and identity. For African Americans, especially, it is substantially more so, considering our long history battling our hair, and all the negative and positive stereotypes attached to it. For these reasons, and perhaps many more, Big Daddy’s has firmly secured its place as part of the unique African American experience. Although Big Daddy’s customers are varied and diverse, it is the main spot for African Americans to purchase the many products we use to maintain our hair, styles and all kinds of other products primarily used by black folks. There truly is no other hair supply store like it in the area.
This is Big Daddy’s story in honor of his legacy and service to the people in the region, especially African Americans.
