#NYC Leadership Academy

[lboogie1906]

Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III (July 19, 1949 - October 38, 2022). He served as Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York for over 30 years, and he served as President of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury for two decades.

He helped found and was the Chairman of the Abyssinian Development Corporation. He was instrumental in establishing the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, a public, state-of-the-art, intermediate, and high school in Harlem, and he is the visionary behind the Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School.

He reinvigorated one of the most diverse public college campuses in America to its largest enrollment ever, adding full-time faculty and expanding student support services. SUNY College at Old Westbury earned new accreditations and created its first-ever graduate programs, conferring graduate degrees in more than fifteen disciplines. He oversaw the College’s investment of approximately $150 million in capital projects, including technological advances, residence halls, a Student Union, and a major academic building.

He served as a member of the leadership board of New Visions for Public Schools. In September 2020, he was appointed President Emeritus of SUNY College at Old Westbury College and was Chairman Emeritus of the Board of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health, as well as a founding member of the organization’s Board of Commissioners.

He served as President of Africare NYC and was a member of the board of the September 11th Fund. He received honorary degrees from Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; the City University of New York/The City College of New York and many others. For his community activism, Dr. Butts received innumerable honors and commendations, including the United Negro College Fund’s Shirley Chisholm Community Service Award; The Medal for Distinguished Service from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Man of the Year, Morehouse College Alumni Association.

He was married and had three children and six grandchildren. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappalphapsi

[night-gay]

Into the Anthill pt 45 - Wasp and the Ant-Man

His biggest ideas usually involve cold, unfeeling machines, so it’s no wonder Hank isn’t the best when it comes to working with other people. He took the Avengers Academy kids to see Wicked, but then his scared straight field trip to The Raft was an obvious misstep (and a heavy-handed one at that). He built a fake heaven for Bill Foster but didn’t consider that being completely alone in paradise is its own kind of hell. Opening the battered womens’ shelters in Jan’s name feels like a universally good gesture, but seeing Eric O’Grady volunteer there and “accidentally” leave his phone number in a woman’s room left a bad taste in my mouth.

Hank never claimed to be perfect though, it’s just nice to see him trying. 

Not Eric though. Fuck that guy.

🐜🐜🐜

Avengers Academy vol 1 #3-6

On a “scared straight” field trip to the Raft, Hank sought Moonstone’s professional opinion on his new students. She offered nothing useful aside from the fact that Speedball was still harnessing pain as his power source. While the teens were meant to be interviewing some of the Thunderbolts, Hazmat used an EMP burst to knock out the lights so she, Veil, and Mettle could sneak away to interrogate Norman Osborn. They hoped to find a way to turn themselves back to normal or kill Norman, but neither plan worked like they’d hoped

After a guest lesson from Steve Rogers, Hank took his students to NYC to see Wicked on Broadway. On the walk home Whirlwind attacked, as obsessed with Jan as ever and furious that Hank was still calling himself The Wasp. The press saw everything and by the time they’d returned to the Infinite Mansion the new team was all over the news already. Hank had planned to keep them out of the limelight but Striker convinced him that at this point it would be better to take control of the narrative and have a press conference. After this, Hawkeye arranged a “Media Day” to get them used to interviews and Hank sent Reptil to visit Jessica Jones for a bit of therapy.   

Ant-Man and Wasp vol 1 #1-3

As another way to honor Jan’s memory and give back to the community, Hank opened the Van Dyne Centers For Women to support women and children who have suffered domestic abuse. He then moved on to helping Reed Richards prevent an Incursion from Earth-9939 while the new Ant-Man tried to bug him about a potential A.I.M. attack. Without realizing it Eric had been a pawn in A.I.M.’s plans, creating the opening Anesthesia needed to emerge from his mind and steal the Heaven Halo, a sort of artificial heaven hank created for Bill Foster. Despite his reservations, Hank agreed to team up with Eric. 

As the two of them entered the Mindscape (a pocket dimension that borders the thoughts of all sentients) to follow Anesthesia and find the Halo. Monica Rappacini, calling herself the Supreme Scientist, intended to auction Hank’s artificial heaven off to the highest bidder. As Hank and Eric infiltrated the base Eric made several attempts to impress Hank but nothing worked. When Hank told him he could do the job alone without any showboating Eric retaliated by talking shit about Scott Lang. This earned him a swift punch to the gut. Monica then arrived to stop them, injecting Eric with a toxin that inhibits the body’s ability to process Pym Particles. Hank grabbed Eric and the Halo and ran, finding himself a safe spot to work.

Hank sent Eric’s consciousness into the Halo so that he could work on removing the toxin without hurting him. Monica took this opportunity to trap Hank in a micromesh bubble and offer him a leadership position with A.I.M. She had only taken the Halo to get his attention and believed that the two of them were too alike to stand as enemies. He broke free from the bubble only to be caught in a new device, the 2nd of 157 traps Monica had constructed to keep him busy while she gave him her pitch. He freed himself from all of them while also figuring out where her base was located and how to call in backup. She attacked him with one more invention - an electric ham knife she’d created for her first science fair - after he’d cleared all of her traps. Naturally she couldn’t win with that either. After escaping the base, Hank sent it and everyone inside it to an alternate timeline where A.I.M. had destroyed the world and technological advancement had ground to a halt.

Minor/Cameo appearances from this period:

Captain America: Man Out Of Time vol 1 #1, 3-5

Thunderstrike vol 2 #1

[marlongreerworld]

God is great all the time! This weekend Focus Broadcasting Network, Chase Bank and New York Knick legend @allan_houston and his FISLL. organization launched our Youth leadership program called The Focus L.I.F.T(Leaders Inspired For Tomorrow) at the Eagle Academy of Staten Island. This was created to empower the young people of NYC. This is collaborative effort that focuses on Career Readiness, financial literacy and life skills which is an holistic approach to empowering all youth who participate. #EagleAcademy #flitv #Focusbroadcastingnetwork #chase #fisll (at Staten Island, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoUvZkBL3RK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Scenes from the student walkout today in New York City, January 11, 2022. #StrikeForSafeSchools

"Our school conditions are not safe right now... there's so many people sick & our mayor is not doing enough to protect us. We want the option to go remote. We want the choice to keep our bodies safe." - Felicia, Bronx Science

The administration at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School locked down the campus so that students couldn't join the walkout. This is the procedure meant for "active shooter" situations.

Partial list of schools participating: Brooklyn Tech (NYC's largest high school); Lower East Side Prep; STAR Academy PS63 Stuyvesant HS; NESTM; Columbia Secondary School CSS; University Neighborhood High School; Brooklyn Prospect Charter School; Heritage High School; HS for law, advocacy and community justice;  Bronx Science; Fort Hamilton HS; Digital Tech & Cinema Technology; The Young Women’s Leadership School Bronx; The Young Women’s Leadership School Queens; Sunset Park HS; WHEELS; Beacon; Art & Design; Mott Hall V; Talent Unlimited Manhattan Village Academy; BASE Bronx; Bronx Academy for Software and engineering; Fashion Industries; Belmont Preparatory HS

[nytech]

The NY Tech Alliance Welcomes 5 New Board Members

NY Tech Alliance - 25 Mar

We are pleased to add 5 new members to our board: Donnel Baird, Georgie-Ann Getton, Xian Horn, Shaun Johnson, and Jeff Lindor. The board now counts 19 members, reflecting the breadth of the NY tech ecosystem and the diversity of its members.

“I am so pleased that Donnel, Georgie-Ann, Xian, Shaun, and Jeff have joined us on the Board in our work in such a pivotal year, as New York City looks to rebuild from the impact of Covid 19 and prepares to elect a new mayor. These times require strong voices from across our tech community, and I know we have that in these five innovative leaders.” — Thatcher Bell, Chair of Board, NY Tech Alliance.

MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Donnel Baird joins the NY Tech Alliance Board of Directors with years of experience as a climate tech founder. Baird attended Columbia Business School, where he received his MBA in Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial studies in 2013. In that same year, he founded BlocPower, a smart buildings platform that markets, engineers, and finances renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies to buildings in underserved market segments. At scale, their technology can lead to a 2–7% reduction in US GHG emissions in the next 2–3 years. Baird is also a Second District Board Member at the New York Federal Reserve Bank and an Echoing Green Fellow.

Georgie-Ann Getton is an author, serial entrepreneur, community builder, speaker, and diversity in tech enthusiast. She holds a B.S. in Business Communications with a specialization in Graphic Communications from Baruch College and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship Essentials from HBX | Harvard Business School. Getton currently works as a Strategic Execution Consultant at GSD Solutions, a company she founded in 2018 that helps individuals and companies get more done by building simple, efficient, and impactful brands that drive organic growth. She enjoys learning as well as teaching new and creative ways to find solutions to problems.

The art of DOING, with serial entrepreneur Georgie-Ann Getton-McKoy

Xian Horn is an advocate, speaker, blogger, and exemplar for the AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge in the creation of Assistive Technology. Horn has Cerebral Palsy and has been a fierce advocate for those with disabilities, making sure they have equitable inclusion and opportunities in all parts of life with her aim being to serve and connect humanity as a whole. Horn is the Founder and Executive Director of Give Beauty Wings, which offers self-esteem programs for all ages that are tailored to individual and organizational needs, providing mentoring, vocational support, educational and media outreach. Most recently in 2016, she founded Changeblazer, Inc, an advocacy, vocational, and leadership consultancy working with organizations looking to diversify and focused in aiding the underserved, especially those who have disabilities. In addition to managing her advocacy and consultancy companies, Horn is a contributor to Forbes Women, writing on leadership, empowerment, and disability.

“The past year has accelerated our efforts to make the NY Tech Alliance more inclusive, broadening the scope of our events and introducing new programs such as the NY Tech Volunteer Corp. I’m looking forward to the energy and ideas our new board members will bring to our work together.” — Andy Saldaña, Executive Director of the NY Tech Alliance.

Shaun Johnson is an experienced entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working across the fields of technology acceleration, early-stage development, and ecosystem development. He has extensive experience in the entrepreneurship sector, working as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Georgetown University, the Associate Director for Fordham University’s Fordham Foundry, the co-founder at Startup Institute, and as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at The New School’s Parsons School of Design since 2019. Most recently, Shaun has been working as a leader at Venwise, a membership for C-level executives in high-growth companies with a mission to build a peer community that promotes learning. He also works in Operations at Blockgraph — a blockchain-enabled software that allows TV and media companies to control, connect, and safely activate their data at-scale.

Teaching Entrepreneurship with Shaun Johnson

Jeff Lindor brings many years of experience finding solutions that enhance the lives of people of color across the globe to the NY Tech Alliance Board. In 2014, Lindor received his master’s degree from The New School in Urban Policy Analysis & Management. In the time since, he has founded multiple companies. In 2016, he founded GroomedSuccess, a minority-owned business that provides professional development services for young men and boys of color. Some of their clients include the NYC Department of Education, NYC Administration for Children’s Services, NYC Department of Correction, and the City University of New York — Fatherhood Academy. Most recently in 2017, Lindor founded and is currently the CEO of The Gentlemen’s Factory, a workspace and community designed to enhance and connect men of color, providing them with the space, resources, and connection to help maximize their potential.

Click here to learn more about all of our Board Members.

[picturethisphotographynyc]

Everything can change in a New York Minute

Looking back, it was like watching the trailer to a surreal movie in slow motion unable to find the stop button March 2020. The week leading up to lockdown was definitely showing bizarre signs of what lay ahead without us all knowing it and as we all avidly followed the news updates it became very apparent that this impending virus was steam-rolling day by day, then hour by hour. It was not going away and was all my team & students could talk about: they were, rightly very concerned.

In-between leaving work on Friday and returning Monday morning the whole world changed and I had no idea what to do. I was the Executive Director of 2 Cosmetology Schools in NYC and responsible for a team, student body & facility. I stayed glued to the TV and social media all weekend in disbelief as one-by-one whole infrastructures announced closures as per Governor Cuomo's Executive Order & non essential workers were advised to work from home as emergency state mandates were announced.

Side Note: Regardless of what lay ahead for Cuomo I firmly believe that NY would have fared much, much worse without his strength, leadership, firm directive and daily briefings which became the highlight of the day to New Yorkers.

Not sure what to do I did what I did every day and went to work, not really sure what I would find. I had recently moved from living within walking distance to work in SoHo NYC to commute from outside of Manhattan. The journey that morning was filled with tension & empty seats as I had no idea what lay ahead. One-by-one my team apologetically called out for the day filled with fear of commuting and being around others in our School & Academy, I told them I would be in touch asap with a plan when I had met with our owner. Surprisingly 10 students showed up where I promptly sent them home and told them we would be voluntarily closing today ahead of the start of the enforced shut down scheduled from tomorrow in order for all to stay safe, I would be in touch later in the day and see them in 2 weeks (famous last words!)

It was determined our locations would close and we would see how the week played out. Everyone was scared of the unknown however it really was an unwanted taster of the impending shock & absolute disbelief that would consume the next few weeks before real life fear kicked in. Living in NYC for 12 years at that time I thought I had seen it all; hurricanes, floods, black-outs and so much more but this was like nothing else ever imagined in my lifetime.

As time went on and it became apparent this was not going away and was increasing daily, our lives became consumed with the purpose of our collective new mantra of "flatten the curve." I continued to go to work for the remainder of the week to work on next steps & monitor the situation stopping only to watch The Governor's daily briefing showing the latest increase in numbers & spread while his Instagram posts became the only ones in my feed of any value.

We had 100+ current students studying Cosmetology, Barbering & Esthetics, classes scheduled to graduate, new classes scheduled to start, kits scheduled to be delivered, schedules planned, a new program to implement & get accredited, an impending inspection visit, weekly advanced and on the road classes and so much more. Then the carpet was well and truly pulled from under our feet so by Friday our small skeleton team had tricked home & finally I went home not knowing when we would return and see each other again.

Although the Training School was not my business I treated it as if it was: I had started the school, got it licensed & accredited, written all the programs, hired & trained all the staff and purchased every piece of furniture & equipment, I did not want to see it shut down never to reopen but literally at the time it was impossible to continue safely so we paused and waited. I had no idea at this time of the future worldwide extent of the pandemic and from a personal level the hoops I would have to jump through to for the School to adjust direction to fight to remain in business and to keep myself & our team employed.

In hindsight we had absolutely no idea the pandemic would still be around and potential cause for concern 2 years later as we aimed to get through every day safely the best we could and make it to the next day. I write this now March 2022 to remind myself of the severity of the situation & emotions we all went through on a daily basis and how it actually felt at the time as our outlook now is very different than it was then: during the darkest times I really thought it was the end of the world and I may never see my family & friends again.

To distract myself I began to walk around the empty streets just to check the world was still there and I was not the only survivor in a real life disaster movie At first it felt weird taking my camera so I just took my phone and felt guilty for every photo I took: like I should not be there without purpose but gradually felt more comfortable and my walk was the only normal in life and the thing to look forward to. As a landscape/cityscape photographer I was used to walking around empty streets early morning to gain a different perspective however this was like nothing I had ever experienced, as all the people had literally disappeared and the streets simply stopped.

Living overseas for an extended time has provided me with amazing benefits that I couldn't possibly list here and having lived in 2 additional different countries than my UK home for over 20 years I highly recommend it to all however living alone, overseas during a global pandemic is not something I could have ever imagined or planned for. My work was my daily focus and after being furloughed for 2 weeks it became apparent that if I was to keep myself and our team in their jobs then I would have to develop a temporary distance learning system that had value for the students, fulfilment for the teachers and was results driven not just time-filler and distraction. It was a big job however I knew I could do it & more importantly had to do it for the benefit of all, not least, myself.

Prior to March 2020 I would never have considered integrating, hosting or attending any type of Online/Distance learning as I personally could not see the significance yet it has now become so normal and part of every day life that I have personally learned to embrace & value.

Everything really can change in a New York Minute!

For more reading see "Developing an unexpected Temporary Distance Learning system for practical programs"

[echthr0s]

can't play FFXIV (patch maintenance) so I'm. cleaning out my email inboxes instead. :V here's a not-comprehensive gallery of emails that made me sad

from when I went back to the City to get Sigma, in 2016.

there's just a lot of feelings wrapped up in this one.

tickets for Coheed and Cambria's last Neverender tour for me and Sigma. we were so fuckin stoked but we didn't actually get to go because we couldn't secure transportation to Chicago.

Easton Mountain Leadership Academy. Easton Mountain was a queer space in upstate New York that hosted camps and, later, this leadership academy, for homeless queer youth in NYC. I did a lot of stuff up there and this was the last event I got to attend because at this point I was no longer a New Yorker and frankly the fact that I got to go to this one was because I was grandfathered in and people liked me. this was also my last time with Phoenix (a boy of complex significance).

all the way back in 2015.

also, not pictured: a fucking avalanche of "welcome to our rewards program!" emails from restaurants, all on the 28th and 29th of May 2015, because of that time Sigma looked up all the places that did free food for birthdays and signed me up for all of them and we ate like kings for a day lmao

now here's one that made me laugh

DO Y'ALL REMEMBER when Idris Elba did that thing where you could enter a contest to be his valentine LOL LMAO

I did get a "pound my yams" t-shirt out of it (bc that was the meme this all started with, I think) but idk what happened to it :(

[rose---child]

a joke about sailormoon bringing openness to queers lead me to this thanks wikipedia

1903 – In New York City on 21 February 1903, New York police conducted the first United States recorded raid on a gay bathhouse, the Ariston Hotel Baths. 34 men were arrested and 12 brought to trial on sodomy charges; 7 men received sentences ranging from 4 to 20 years in prison.

1906 – Potentially the first openly gay American novel with a happy ending, Imre, is published

1910 – Emma Goldman first begins speaking publicly in favor of homosexual rights. Magnus Hirschfeld later wrote "she was the first and only woman, indeed the first and only American, to take up the defense of homosexual love before the general public.

1912 – The first explicit reference to lesbianism in a Mormon magazine occurred when the "Young Woman's Journal" paid tribute to "Sappho of Lesbos[7] "; the Scientific Humanitarian Committee of the Netherlands (NWHK), the first Dutch organization to campaign against anti-homosexual discrimination, is established by Dr. Jacob Schorer.

1913 – The word faggot is first used in print in reference to gays in a vocabulary of criminal slang published in Portland, Oregon: "All the faggots [sic] (sissies) will be dressed in drag at the ball tonight".

1917 – The October Revolution in Russia repeals the previous criminal code in its entirety—including Article 995.[8][9] Bolshevik leaders reportedly say that "homosexual relationships and heterosexual relationships are treated exactly the same by the law."

1919 – In Berlin, Germany, Doctor Magnus Hirschfeld co-founds the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute for Sex Research), a pioneering private research institute and counseling office. Its library of thousands of books was destroyed by Nazis in May 1933

1921 – In England an attempt to make lesbianism illegal for the first time in Britain's history fails

1922 – A new criminal code comes into force in the USSR officially decriminalizing homosexual acts. 

1923 – The word fag is first used in print in reference to gays in Nels Anderson's The Hobo: "Fairies or Fags are men or boys who exploit sex for profit."

1923 – Lesbian Elsa Gidlow, born in England, published the first volume of openly lesbian love poetry in the United States, titled "On A Grey Thread."

1923 – The word fag is first used in print in reference to gays in Nels Anderson's The Hobo: "Fairies or Fags are men or boys who exploit sex for profit." 1923 – Lesbian Elsa Gidlow, born in England, published the first volume of openly lesbian love poetry in the United States, titled "On A Grey Thread." 1923 – The word fag is first used in print in reference to gays in Nels Anderson's The Hobo: "Fairies or Fags are men or boys who exploit sex for profit."1923 – Lesbian Elsa Gidlow, born in England, published the first volume of openly lesbian love poetry in the United States, titled "On A Grey Thread."

1937 – The first use of the pink triangle for gay men in Nazi concentration camps.

1938 – The word Gay is used for the first time on film in reference to homosexuality

1941 – Transsexuality was first used in reference to homosexuality and bisexuality.

1945 – The Holocaust ends and it is estimated that between about 3,000 to about 9,000 homosexuals died in Nazi concentration and death camps, while it is estimated that between about 2,000 to about 6,000 homosexual survivors in Nazi concentration and death camps were required to serve out the full term of their sentences under Paragraph 175 in prison. The first gay bar in post-World War II Berlin opened in the summer of 1945, and the first drag ball took place in American sector of West Berlin in the fall of 1945.[26] Four honourably discharged gay veterans form the Veterans Benevolent Association, the first LGBT veterans' group.[27] Gay bar Yanagi opened in Japan

1946 – Plastic surgeon Harold Gillies carries out sex reassignment surgery on Michael Dillon in Britain.

1951 – Greece decriminalizes homosexuality.

1956 – Thailand decriminalizes homosexual acts.

1957 – The word "Transsexual" is coined by U.S. physician Harry Benjamin; The Wolfenden Committee's report recommends decriminalizing consensual homosexual behaviour between adults in the United Kingdom; Psychologist Evelyn Hooker publishes a study showing that homosexual men are as well adjusted as non-homosexual men, which becomes a major factor in the American Psychiatric Association removing homosexuality from its handbook of disorders in 1973. Homoerotic artist Tom of Finland first published on the cover of Physique Pictorial magazine from Los Angeles.[36]

1965 – Vanguard, an organization of LGBT youth in the low-income Tenderloin district, was created in 1965. It is considered the first Gay Liberation organization in the U.S

1967 – The Advocate was first published in September as "The Los Angeles Advocate," a local newsletter alerting gay men to police raids in Los Angeles gay bars

1970 – The first Gay Liberation Day March is held in New York City; The first LGBT Pride Parade is held in New York; The first "Gay-in" held in San Francisco; Carl Wittman writes A Gay Manifesto;[56][57] CAMP (Campaign Against Moral Persecution) is formed in Australia;[58][59] The Task Force on Gay Liberation formed within the American Library Association. Now known as the GLBT Round Table, this organization is the oldest LGBTQ professional organization in the United States.[60] In November, the first gay rights march occurs in the UK at Highbury Fields following the arrest of an activist from the Young Liberals for importuning.

1974 – Chile allows a trans person to legally change her name and gender on the birth certificate after undergoing sex reassignment surgery, becoming the second country in the world to do so.[86] Kathy Kozachenko becomes the first openly gay American elected to public office when she wins a seat on the Ann Arbor, Michigan city council; In New York City Dr. Fritz Klein founds the Bisexual Forum, the first support group for the Bisexual Community; Elaine Noble becomes the second openly gay American elected to public office when she wins a seat in the Massachusetts State House; Inspired by Noble, Minnesota state legislator Allan Spear comes out in a newspaper interview; Ohio repeals sodomy laws. Robert Grant founds American Christian Cause to oppose the "gay agenda", the beginning of modern Christian politics in America. In London, the first openly LGBT telephone help line opens, followed one year later by the Brighton Lesbian and Gay Switchboard;[citation needed] the Brunswick Four are arrested on 5 January 1974, in Toronto, Ontario. This incident of Lesbophobia galvanizes the Toronto Lesbian and Gay community;[87] the National Socialist League (The Gay Nazi Party) is founded in Los Angeles, California.[citation needed] The first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to any political office in America was Kathy Kozachenko, who was elected to the Ann Arbor City Council in April 1974.[88] Also in 1974, the Lesbian Herstory Archives opened to the public in the New York apartment of lesbian couple Joan Nestle and Deborah Edel; it has the world's largest collection of materials by and about lesbians and their communities.[89] Also in 1974, Angela Morley became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Academy Award, when she was nominated for one in the category of Best Music, Original Song Score/Adaptation for The Little Prince (1974), a nomination shared with Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, and Douglas Gamley. The world's first gay softball league was formed in San Francisco in 1974 as the Community Softball League, which eventually included both women's and men's teams. The teams, usually sponsored by gay bars, competed against each other and against the San Francisco Police softball team

1977 – Harvey Milk is elected city-county supervisor in San Francisco, becoming the first openly gay or lesbian candidate elected to political office in California, the seventh openly gay/lesbian elected official nationally, and the third man to be openly gay at time of his election. Dade County, Florida enacts a Human Rights Ordinance; it is repealed the same year after a militant anti-homosexual-rights campaign led by Anita Bryant. Quebec becomes the first jurisdiction larger than a city or county in the world to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the public and private sectors; Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Vojvodina legalise homosexuality.[citation needed] Welsh author Jeffrey Weeks publishes Coming Out;[99] Original eight-color version of the LGBT pride flagPublication of the first issue of Gaysweek, NYC's first mainstream gay weekly. Police raided a house outside of Boston outraging the gay community. In response the Boston-Boise Committee was formed.[100] Anne Holmes became the first openly lesbian minister ordained by the United Church of Christ;[101] Ellen Barrett became the first openly lesbian priest ordained by the Episcopal Church of the United States (serving the Diocese of New York).[102][103] The first lesbian mystery novel in America was published; it was Angel Dance, by Mary F. Beal.[104][105] The National Center for Lesbian Rights was founded. Shakuntala Devi published the first[106] study of homosexuality in India.[107][108] Platonica Club and Front Runners were founded in Japan.[95] San Francisco hosted the world's first gay film festival in 1977.[109] Peter Adair, Nancy Adair and other members of the Mariposa Film Group premiered the groundbreaking documentary on coming out, Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, at the Castro Theater in 1977. The film was the first feature-length documentary on gay identity by gay and lesbian filmmakers.[110][111] Beth Chayim Chadashim became the first LGBT synagogue to own its own building.[78] On March 26, 1977, Frank Kameny and a dozen other members of the gay and lesbian community, under the leadership of the then-National Gay Task Force, briefed then-Public Liaison Midge Costanza on much-needed changes in federal laws and policies. This was the first time that gay rights were officially discussed at the White House 

1980 – The United States Democratic Party becomes the first major political party in the U.S. to endorse a homosexual rights platform plank; Scotland decriminalizes homosexuality; The Human Rights Campaign Fund is founded by Steve Endean; The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.[120] Lionel Blue becomes the first British rabbi to come out as gay;[121] "Becoming Visible: The First Black Lesbian Conference" is held at the Women's Building, from October 17 to 19, 1980. It has been credited as the first conference for African-American lesbian women.[122] The Socialist Party USA nominates an openly gay man, David McReynolds, as its (and America's) first openly gay presidential candidate in 1980.[123]

1987 – AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power(ACT-UP) founded in the US in response to the US government's slow response in dealing with the AIDS crisis.[142] ACT UP stages its first major demonstration, seventeen protesters are arrested; U.S. Congressman Barney Frank comes out. Boulder, Colorado citizens pass the first referendum to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.[143][144] In New York City a group of Bisexual LGBT rights activist including Brenda Howard found the New York Area Bisexual Network (NYABN); Homomonument, a memorial to persecuted homosexuals, opens in Amsterdam. David Norris is the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in the Republic of Ireland. A group of 75 bisexuals marched in the 1987 March On Washington For Gay and Lesbian Rights, which was the first nationwide bisexual gathering. The article "The Bisexual Movement: Are We Visible Yet?", by Lani Ka'ahumanu, appeared in the official Civil Disobedience Handbook for the March. It was the first article about bisexuals and the emerging bisexual movement to be published in a national lesbian or gay publication.[145] Canadian province of Manitoba and territory Yukon ban sexual orientation discrimination.

1990

Equalization of age of consent: Czechoslovakia (see Czech Republic, Slovakia)

Decriminalisation of homosexuality: UK Crown Dependency of Jersey and the Australian state of Queensland

LGBT Organizations founded: BiNet USA (USA), OutRage! (UK) and Queer Nation (USA)

Homosexuality no longer an illness: The World Health Organization

Other: Justin Fashanu is the first professional footballer to come out in the press.

Reform Judaism decided to allow openly lesbian and gay rabbis and cantors.[148]

Dale McCormick became the first open lesbian elected to a state Senate (she was elected to the Maine Senate).[149]

In 1990, the Union for Reform Judaism announced a national policy declaring lesbian and gay Jews to be full and equal members of the religious community. Its principal body, the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), officially endorsed a report of their committee on homosexuality and rabbis. They concluded that "all rabbis, regardless of sexual orientation, be accorded the opportunity to fulfill the sacred vocation that they have chosen" and that "all Jews are religiously equal regardless of their sexual orientation."

The oldest national bisexuality organization in the United States, BiNet USA, was founded in 1990. It was originally called the North American Multicultural Bisexual Network (NAMBN), and had its first meeting at the first National Bisexual Conference in America.[150][150][151] This first conference was held in San Francisco in 1990, and sponsored by BiPOL. Over 450 people attended from 20 states and 5 countries, and the mayor of San Francisco sent a proclamation "commending the bisexual rights community for its leadership in the cause of social justice," and declaring June 23, 1990 Bisexual Pride Day.

The first Eagle Creek Saloon, that opened on the 1800 block of Market Street in San Francisco in 1990 and closed in 1993, was the first black-owned gay bar in the city.

1993Civil Union/Registered Partnership laws:Repeal of Sodomy laws: Australian Territory of Norfolk IslandDecriminalisation of homosexuality: Belarus, UK Crown Dependency of Gibraltar, Ireland, Lithuania, Russia (with the exception of the Chechen Republic);Anti-discrimination legislation:End to ban on gay people in the military: New ZealandSignificant LGBT Murders: Brandon TeenaMelissa Etheridge came out as a lesbian.The Triangle Ball was held; it was the first inaugural ball in America to ever be held in honor of gays and lesbians.The first Dyke March (a march for lesbians and their straight female allies, planned by the Lesbian Avengers) was held, with 20,000 women marching.[156][157]Roberta Achtenberg became the first openly gay or lesbian person to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate when she was appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by President Bill Clinton.[158]Lea DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show.[159]In December 1993 Lea DeLaria hosted Comedy Central's Out There, the first all-gay stand-up comedy special.[159]Before the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy was enacted in 1993, lesbians and bisexual women and gay men and bisexual men were banned from serving in the military.[160] In 1993 the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy was enacted, which mandated that the military could not ask servicemembers about their sexual orientation.[161][162] However, until the policy was ended in 2011 service members were still expelled from the military if they engaged in sexual conduct with a member of the same sex, stated that they were lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and/or married or attempted to marry someone of the same sex.[163]Passed and Came into effect: Norway (without adoption until 2009, replaced with same-sex marriage in 2008/09)US state of Minnesota (gender identity)New Zealand parliament passes the Human Rights Amendment Act which outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or HIVCanadian province Saskatchewan (sexual orientation)

1998Anti-discrimination legislation: Ecuador (sexual orientation, constitution), Ireland (sexual orientation) and the Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island (sexual orientation) and Alberta (court ruling only; legislation amended in 2009)Significant LGBT Murders: Rita Hester, Matthew ShepardDecriminalisation of homosexuality: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa (retroactive to 1994), Southern Cyprus and TajikistanEqualization of age of consent: Croatia and LatviaEnd to ban on gay people in the military: Romania, South AfricaGender identity was added to the mission of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays after a vote at their annual meeting in San Francisco.[182] Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is the first national LGBT organization to officially adopt a transgender-inclusion policy for its work.[183]Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay or lesbian non-incumbent ever elected to Congress, and the first open lesbian ever elected to Congress, winning Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district seat over Josephine Musser.[184][185]Dana International became the first transsexual to win the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Israel with the song "Diva".[186]Robert Halford comes out as being the first openly gay heavy metal musician.[187]The first bisexual pride flag was unveiled on 5 December 1998.[188]Julie Hesmondhalgh first began to play Hayley Anne Patterson, British TV's first transgender character.[189]BiNet USA hosted the First National Institute on Bisexuality and HIV/AIDS.[190]

sorry its long just these i didnt know half of all this and thought we should all know 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_history,_20th_century

[ericazigelman]

NYCLA Helps Prepare Principals and Educators

After spending over 20 years with the New York City Department of Education, Erica Zigelman founded Middle School 322: The Renaissance Leadership Academy, where she serves as principal. Erica Zigelman is one of the graduates of the NYC Leadership Academy (NYCLA), a special training program for school principal candidates. NYCLA is a nonprofit organization that focuses on training educators to be effective leaders for all students, including those that face difficulties or limitations such as poverty or language barriers. The program was started in 2003 to address a need for qualified principals in the New York region, but it now works with schools all over the country to improve education as a whole. When NYCLA started, it worked well as an intensive program for a select group of individuals and included a yearlong paid residency. Demand for high-quality principal candidates is still high in New York, however, and so the program expanded to provide curriculums and consultations for related external programs and reduced its residency to six months. Some NYCLA graduates also provide mentorship services to potential school leaders to help get them on track. In addition, NYCLA added programs for educators to improve their skill sets without necessarily having to go on to become principals. This wide range of support and training is designed to help educators, and thus students, in all kinds of situations succeed.

[herphdjourney-blog]

What is “Inclusion”?

That question was the focus of this year’s Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Plenary at the Academy of Management (AoM).

Modupe Akinola, PhD, an Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School, said inclusion is: “Feeling like I can be myself and people are curious about my story.” Further, that “inclusion” is when people are not just curious about her identity but also about WHO she is and WHAT makes her who she is.

Derek R. Avery, PhD, the David C. Darnell Presidential Chair in Principled Leadership at Wake Forest University, said that inclusion is “when you can be exactly who you are and it’s OK.”

Other scholars shared insights on inclusion that I’ll touch on in future posts. I recorded the session so that I could cite them in my future work!

But first...under Modupe and Derek’s conceptualization of “inclusion,” let me introduce myself:

My identity:

I am an Afro-Latina, PhD student in organizational behavior, executive/life coach, entrepreneur, dancer, licensed Zumba instructor, traveler, and survivor. I’m from NYC and the daughter of 2 Central American immigrants.

WHO am I?

Hi! My name is Samantha and I am proudly multidimensional.

WHAT makes me who I am?

All of my life experiences these past 43 years.

Yes, I’m 43.

I started my PhD Journey at the age of 41 after 20 years of progressively advancing in nonprofit organizations doing fundraising and communications work on behalf of causes that I care about.

...after 10 years of teaching and performing Latin dance on stages around the world.

...after 2 bachelors degrees and 2 masters degrees.

...after several heartbreaks.

...after 2 near-death experiences.

...and after lots of world travel, including many visits to Costa Rica, where my mother is from, and Panama, where my father was from. He passed away but he was pretty awful during his lifetime (that’s a story for another post). My father’s awfulness & other grown men’s awfulness during my childhood led me to pursue the academic and professional experiences that shaped who I am today.

MY EDUCATION:

My undergraduate degrees are in Psychology and Women’s Studies. My 1st master's degree—was in Women’s History, which I earned in 2 years while working full-time. My 2nd master's degree was in Nonprofit Management. I earned that in 2.5 years while working full-time in an extremely demanding role. Toxic work environments led me to pursue training and certification in life/executive coaching. Now, I am pursuing a PhD in Organizational Behavior.

MY WORK:

I started working at nonprofit organizations during my undergraduate years. Besides the Help Center on my campus, where I volunteered for 3 years, my first off-campus job was an internship at a domestic violence shelter. 

Immediately after college, I worked at a civil rights organization, a homeless shelter for women, and a reproductive health clinic. 

I worked at feminist organizations for a while but although they espoused diversity values, their lack of a racial analysis or an intersectionality framework in practice is what led me to move on to racial/social/reproductive justice organizations. 

My experiences advancing in those organizations is what led me to explore what “leadership” looked and felt like via additional education, workshops, books, blogs, conferences, etc.

Now--I am specifically interested in how people can thrive, not only survive, and I’m both fascinated and saddened by toxic workplaces...as well as by Jeffrey Pfeffer’s book, Dying For a Paycheck.

I study whiteness--not as a skin color but as a phenomenon of power and dominance. I also study thriving/flourishing, allyship, women’s leadership, courage/fragility, rage, love, intersectionality, CEOs, nonprofits, and philanthropy.

MY PASSION:

I have been dancing all of my life. As a kid, I also did gymnastics and cheerleading.

After graduating from undergrad, I also started dancing, teaching, and performing Latin dance around the world. I did that for 10 years until injuries and my intellectual curiosities channeled my attention back to nonprofit organizations and to my first master's degree.

MY DEFINING MOMENTS:

I had my 1st health scare in 2012: blood clots had traveled to both of my lungs from my left leg (a “pulmonary embolism”) but I had NO CLUE that was happening. All I knew was that it felt as though I was having a heart attack. I was hospitalized for a week but then put on blood thinners + watched over by doctors (and my guardian angels) for several years.

That was my 1st wake-up call.

I had been dancing all of my life but stopped and let the “work grind” take over my life. I had been relatively healthy all of my life, so I took my health/wellness/life/blood circulation for granted. My spirit and all of the cells in my body rebelled against me.

After that experience, I was so freaked out that I might die at any moment that I decided to pursue things on my bucket list, including more education and world travels...especially solo world travels, which freaked my doctors AND my Madrina (“godmother” in Spanish) out.

I had my 2nd health scare last year during the 1st year of my PhD Journey...a 2nd pulmonary embolism. You would have thought I had learned my lesson about the pitfalls of sedentary work life the 1st time around, right? 🤦🏽‍♀️ Now I am on blood thinners in perpetuity and more concerned about LIVING (literally staying alive) than I am meeting others’ conceptualizations of “success” in this “publish or perish” academic culture.

I bring all of the above into my PhD Journey, which is why so many of my social media posts are about wellness, self-care, and a #FitPhDJourney.

It’s not that I don’t “grind.” Folks only see the moments when I take a break to capture my life. Not when I’m interviewing research participants for my qualifying paper, analyzing data for my research fellowship, writing papers under huge looming deadlines, coaching clients, working on consulting projects, or laying on my couch depressed and unable to leave my apartment for entire weekends (yes, even coaches are HUMAN).

How do I deal with the stress of this PhD journey?

I try to find moments of peace, joy, and community. Those moments look different for all of us but for me, dance, travel, and adventures have always been my go-to stress relievers. And, since I recently decided to become a licensed Zumba instructor as an act of survival, I also post a lot about Zumba. 💃🏽 I’m aware that my mere existence in this world is resistance to what Max Weber described as the “iron cage” and what Barker & Thompkins described as “concertive control.”

So, circling back to the question of “What is Inclusion?” as I wrap up this very long post...

If we agree with Modupe and Derek’s definition of inclusion (and we should...BUT I will also share other scholars’ insights on other elements of “inclusion” in future posts, which may resonate in other ways with you), then I have questions for you:

Taking intersectionality into account when understanding the multidimensional nature of oppression, what are the implications for mentoring [PhD] students who have various racial, ethnic, gender, family, nationality, professional, academic, and life experiences?

How do we support [PhD] students in their various journeys in ways that challenge them and prepare them for the future THEY want without putting them in the aforementioned “iron cage” of “concertive control”?

If culture and socialization work as unconscious filters shaping our perceptions, how do you engage in reflexivity and mentor people who may or may not look like you...and may or may not want to BE like you “when they grow up” even though you’re amazing?

More to come on “inclusion” in future posts…

xoxo, Samantha

[kisofficial2019publications]

January Edition An Insider’s Perspective: What’s It Like To Be In A CBO?

CBOs (community-based organizations) are nonprofit organizations that seek to provide educational opportunities for students of disadvantaged communities. Examples include Prep for Prep, TEAK, De La Salle Academy, ABC, Oliver Scholars, and more. Following a rigorous academic program in middle school, CBOs place their students in independent schools such as Chapin, with the goal of both giving their students access to resources they otherwise would not have had and diversifying the environments that they enter. CBOs often provide college preparatory and career programs, ensuring that their students are supported after going to independent schools. These programs also create a community that their students are able to depend on throughout the independent school experience and even after.

The learning done at CBOs often go beyond the academic. Alisha, a member of Breakthrough New York who came to Chapin in ninth grade, discusses how her CBO was able to teach her skills that middle school didn’t offer. “If I had not gone to Breakthrough New York, my communication skills and interactions with my teachers would have probably been a lot different. I wouldn’t have had the confidence that I have today.”

Many CBO students also make significant contributions to their independent school community as a result of the lessons they learned at their organization. 

Romantica, who graduated from De La Salle Academy and came to Chapin in ninth grade, is a leader, manager, and active member of her clubs. De La Salle, she says, “encourage[s] students to take risks and opportunities in high school, which really helped me explore new interests.” Likewise, Alisha has been inspired to be co-found the new Interschool Black-Latinx Student Union because of what Breakthrough taught her. “My CBO is mainly people of color so going to a predominantly white institution, I thought that it was necessary to have a place where people who look  like me could come together and share experiences at a commonplace…Being a part of Breakthrough New York has taught me that starting things like this or trying something new is empowering and we should always try to add something to a community.”

While CBOs give students necessary leadership and academic preparation to enter private schools, the transition for students socially can give students difficulty. The move from CBOs to private schools can be a culture shock, as they enter spaces in which the majority of people did not look like them and/or have the same understanding of money as them. 

Catalina elaborates on this culture shock: “[Since the beginning of my Chapin experience,] I've slowly developed my sense of belonging, but at first I felt out of place. Especially in 7th grade, when most of the students of color hadn't come in yet, I felt like a perpetual guest.” The psychological impact students feel upon recognition of the disparity between the community they are from and the school community they have entered is difficult, and many CBOs don’t prepare their students for this. Romantica explains, “I wish that they [CBOs] would have told me to stay grounded to who I am.” Students must learn to perform emotional labor, dealing with microaggressions and constantly advocating for themselves and their identities. Though students have access to resources they’d never had before, the difficult transition brings up the question of whether putting students from CBOs into private schools is worth the struggle.

Alisha, however, believes the culture shock of being in predominantly white spaces is necessary to the CBO’s mission. “It’s important for Breakthrough New York to send me into Chapin because they prepare me for places where I know I’m not the majority and I’m going to be uncomfortable in. By sending me to the school, they’re putting me in a place of discomfort at an early age. So when I get into the real world, I’ll know how to handle certain situations because I’ve already experienced it at Chapin.”

Educational CBOs are founded on the idea that the integration of disadvantaged students into privileged communities is necessary in order to rectify the educational inequities in the NYC school system. Placing students in these privileged communities is also thought to benefit the independent school itself, as it brings diversity and new perspective into an often homogenous environment. Romantica says, “If private schools were only wealthy, white students (as they once were), there would be no diversity in perspectives, and students wouldn't be exposed to the many voices of America.”

Rather than allocating resources to all students of disadvantaged communities, the mission of CBOs is to provide opportunities for educational growth to only the most gifted students, limiting the number of people who can benefit. CBOs also believe students must have access to the same resources as their wealthy white counterparts in order to be successful; by extension, the process of placing students in predominantly white institutions (typically, independent schools) is core to the CBO’s mission. Romantica explains: “It's important for CBOs to send kids to schools like Chapin because it gives students with fewer opportunities a higher chance of achieving their dreams. Without Chapin, I definitely would not have the same opportunities that I have had here. There's a high chance I would not have the advanced courses or the variety of courses as there are in Chapin's curriculum.” But there is an inherent flaw in this mission of CBOs: it assumes that disadvantaged students must “escape” the public school system and enter independent schools, depending on the access that privileged students have in order to be successful.

Recognizing students from CBOs in the Chapin community is an acknowledgment of the educational gap in NYC and the impact that CBOs has had on this community. Catalina wants Chapin students to recognize that we are fortunate to receive a great education that not all students have access to. “Do not take your privilege for granted. Own it and be aware of it. Nothing hurts me more than hearing people spew such negativity about Chapin when I've worked so hard to get here. Knowing where I could have been and where so many gifted children unfortunately still are makes me so grateful to be here, and it's just offensive when people don't recognize that they are beyond blessed to be at Chapin. “

[rayzellenee]

Shouting Fire : Are your freedoms really free?

Published in 2009 on HBO, Shouting Fire still holds pertinency in 2021. This documentary is an in-depth overview concerning the reality of the First Amendment in the United States. The film examines national, and global political events and the effects they had on U.S. citizens pertaining to Freedoms listed in the Bill Of Rights. The interviewees each provide a different perspective on the stories being shared, even that of the antagonist, giving the viewer a 360-degree view of understanding. These stories contain topics not short of academic freedom, character assassination, unlawful jailing, suicide, and even governmental violation of personal privacy. Real testimonies are shared from each case as well as the same unfortunate outcome of their first amendment not only being violated but being consequential as well. Activists, lawyers, professors, and students are all documented sharing their experiences involving their freedom of speech. The lines between right and wrong are crossed, morals of humanity are questioned, and the trust of the protection from the United States government is put to trial. Emphasis is largely placed on the development of the strong but simple words “Congress shall make no law...” and the power fear has over its relevance to this current day. It leaves you asking yourself what will you do to fight for your freedom. 

At three years old, Debbie Almontaser was full of hope that America was the land where all her dreams would come true as she moved seven thousand miles from Yemen to the United States. Sure enough, her belief that all things work together for good, gave her the strength to carry on in what would be considered one of the most trying periods in her life.

After fifteen years of being an educator in the New York City public school system, Debbie was offered a position of leadership as the head of a new dual-language school, Khalil Gibron International Academy (KGIA). At the time there were a total of only 68 dual-language schools in NYC, so she was very excited to be a part of orchestrating a well-needed pedagogy. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm she had was not shared with the media as opposing articles were published shortly after the official announcement in 2007. Daniel Pipes began to push his doubts and worries in multiple articles, about what he believed it meant to have an Arab/Muslim directing a school as he felt that there were hidden agendas. Pipes wanted everyone to acknowledge that there was a problem having to do with Islam. Joel Klien who was the chancellor of the NYC department of education made a statement saying KGIA was not a religious school by any means as he referenced it to a Chinese dual-language school. This did not stop the public from carrying Pipes’ concerns further as protests were formed against the school’s opening as well as a coalition titled “Stop the Madrassa”. Although Madrassa by definition means school in Arabic, Yale Center for the Study of Globalization claims it signifies schools that are anti -American and pro-terrorist centers. School officials stood on the fact KGIA was simply a public school yet the public continued to verbally attack Debbie and associate her with “Intifada” inferring she was in favor of violence. They would ask her questions about the involvement of Arabs in 9/11 and persecute her on national television for her response or lack thereof. Almontaser elucidates that she does not recognize the attackers as her religion because it does not accurately represent her way of life. She also goes on to explain the deep pain these accusations caused her as her son was activated on 9/11 to serve at Ground Zero for six months because he was a National Guardsman for the United States. Her words continued to be left and taken out of context in the media eventually causing her to resign from her position. After the papers were reviewed by an attorney to confirm if Debbie had a claim for libel it was decided everything wrote was protected under the law. Therefore she would receive no justice for the assassination of her character. Pipes’ response to Almontaser’s persecution was “Her first mistake was talking about it”. The school opened in September of 2007 with new principal Danielle Salzberg who does not speak Arabic. Not only does this case infringe on Debbie’s freedom, but it puts a question mark on the power or abuse thereof that Daniel Pipe had with his words. It is later is stated in the documentary “If you’re gonna defend free speech you have to defend it for people you hate”. Pipes’ freedom of speech took away the freedom of religion for Almomtaser. The New York Post as well as many other media outlets also used their freedom to diminish the livelihood of a citizen. This poses ethical questions like why must Muslim Americans must watch what they say. Under the veil of ignorance, Debbie Almontaser would be the principal of KGIA. 

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Official: “UTS Barrytown to be Sold” Hugh Spurgin

                                      This article has been updated.

“May 14, 2018 ... After considerable prayer, thought, discussion and due diligence, the UTS Board of Trustees has directed the Seminary administration to sell the Barrytown campus. UTS is no longer able to pay what it costs to maintain the property, while simultaneously fulfilling its educational mission in a changing world. Therefore, in consultation with the Family Federation (FFWPU) leadership, the Seminary has decided to place the Barrytown property on the market for sale.”

“...a huge building that is empty for most of the year ... The funds required to maintain a 125,000 sq. ft. building are overwhelming for a small school....”

“The Barrytown property is owned by UTS. Proceeds from its sale will be used solely to benefit our Seminary. Priority needs to be placed on ensuring the well-being of UTS as a fully accredited educational institution. Given recent reductions in funding from our sponsoring church, it became clear to our trustees that there is no other option than to sell Barrytown – if UTS is to remain viable. ...”

Hugh Spurgin

In May 2016 HWDYKYM apologized for publishing a ‘UTS Barrytown Sold’ message which we had received and posted without confirming the story with other sources. Now it is official – Barrytown is to be sold.

In May 2016, Dr. Hugh Spurgin, UTS President, issued a communiqué clarifying the then situation, which he said was ‘not sustainable’.

May 26, 2016

BARRYTOWN UPDATE

Let me assure you that, contrary to a rumor being circulated, Barrytown has NOT BEEN SOLD. However, it is clear that the current status of Barrytown is not sustainable. The future of the campus has been under study for 15 years in an effort to explore options for long-term sustainability.

It costs a huge amount of money to maintain Barrytown’s buildings and grounds…. more than $600,000 per year. Additional money has also been needed for capital improvements required by New York State. These costs fall fully on the shoulders of the larger movement. Income from conferences and rents covers only a small portion of the expenses to maintain the facility.

... For more than a decade, the leaders of UTS have been in discussions with various groups about how to ensure that the property is protected and sustained for generations to come. Ten years ago, True Father himself approved one proposal. However, because the interested party would not agree to our terms, the UTS Board declined the offer.

We have not been idle. We have been actively searching for partners who are interested in utilizing or developing the property. Ideally, that will be a person or organization with a vision that resonates with that of our Founders. Some investors have shown interest in the property and have presented their ideas. However, at present, there is nothing on the horizon that fulfills our desire that the property will continue to serve the founding vision.

For UTS, 4 West 43rd Street in NYC is the center of education, providing all of the Masters level programs. No students reside or study at Barrytown. The Doctor of Ministry intensives are held at Barrytown for a total of four weeks per year. The UTS locations in Manhattan and Maryland together with online learning suffice for our current accredited programs.

The 40th Commencement Ceremony will be held at Barrytown in the recently renovated chapel at 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 28. Everyone is invited to attend.

On another note, the Generation Peace Academy will have its graduation ceremony at Barrytown on June 18. Blessed Culture and Sports Festival will take place from August 10 through 14. Hopefully, other events will also be held this year, like the workshop for FFWPU District 2 members that took place last weekend.

This is a serious matter which needs to be dealt with prayerfully and in a timely manner. We welcome thoughtful feedback that is not anonymous.

I will continue to report developments affecting UTS, as they occur.

Sincerely,

Hugh Spurgin Ph.D. President, Unification Theological Seminary hdspurgin@uts.edu

May 2016 comment from Patricia H.

Well, it’s happening before our eyes. I’m sure there will be an “outcry” amongst current members when the news is known about Barrytown being sold. I’m sure we’ll hear all the quotes from “Father” about how Barrytown is a precious historical site for the church and should be preserved forever. It’s “historical” just for the fact that the Lord of the Second Advent walked its halls! And spoke in its auditorium! And probably prayed on its grounds!!!! Yet, there it goes. Maybe it will be torn down and something else erected in its place.

Can Belvedere and East Garden be far behind? They are even more historical, because the Lord of the Second Advent and His Family actually LIVED there. A good friend told me that he visited Belvedere several years ago. He used to be the bookkeeper there and worked in “the vault” in the basement. It was actually his office. The current staff couldn’t open it and asked him for help, so he went down to help them. He happened to look in some of the rooms in the basement and there were all these “coffins” there made of steel or some other strong metal. He asked what was in them. The brother proudly told him there were scores of “Father’s” clothes. His suits, his shirts, his shoes, even his underwear. All being preserved for future generations to see in some far-off museum. I wonder what will happen to those coffins if they sell Belvedere??? Will anyone be left to build that museum? Will anyone care to visit it to stare at Father’s empty clothes? I think the handwriting is on the wall. The UC is dying. The money to fund it is drying up. The membership is dwindling and what members are left cannot prop it up much longer. Someday books will be written about how it all went so wrong. Then again, maybe no one will care. Time moves on and religious movements that were once “new” and “different” fade away. Buh-bye Barrytown. I guess your time is over.

Survey Monkey from 2014

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8MRHPB3

What is the Future of Barrytown College of UTS in light of  the HSA-UWC November 25, 2014 mandates?

QUICK FACTS about Barrytown College and UTS in the Fall, 2014 semester: We have: • 35 enrolled and on campus undergraduate students this Fall, • 45 Masters students • 16 D.Min. students who took courses this semester • 3 second gen in the Graduate degree programs • 33 second gen enrolled in the undergraduate program

This semester UTS achieved 75% of the enrollment goal for the undergraduate college that was set up for us by the HSA leadership.

This enrollment already brings in twice as much income as the entire graduate program.

The CFO estimates that even with tuition income based on this actual level of enrollment growth, within 1-2 years the undergraduate college can begin to help pay for the graduate seminary and Barrytown property expenses and thus to reduce HSA subsidies to UTS.  

In the Summer - Fall of 2013, UTS, in response to HSA demands, cut its staff salary expenditures by 25% and froze all construction on the Barrytown campus. Its sale of riverfront property in Barrytown in July, 2014 allowed UTS to resume construction and put back missing windows in the East Wing of the Main Building where the college campus is located.  

On November 25, 2014 the HSAUWC board of directors voted to reduce the current level of funding for UTS by 32% effective next month, January 2015. This level of funding will only be available if the UTS board agrees to 1) close the undergraduate college in Barrytown at the end of the current academic year in May 2015, 2) remove the current president of UTS, 3) form a joint committee with HSA after 1) and 2) have been done to figure out what the future of UTS should be and the level of HSA funding going forward. 

There were nine questions in the survey.

Washington, DC, Church congregation to leave the building by June 1st

The congregation of the Washington, DC Church on Columbia Road has been asked to remove itself from the building by June 1st. According to the letter from Rev. Richard Buessing, there are a multitude of safety issues.

[gordonwilliamsweb]

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink

This story also ran on The Guardian. It can be republished for free.

In his 17 years as an emergency medical provider, Anthony Almojera thought he had seen it all. “Shootings, stabbings, people on fire, you name it,” he said. Then came covid-19.

Before the pandemic, Almojera said it was normal to respond to one or two cardiac arrests calls a week; now he’s grown used to several each shift. One day last spring, responders took more than 6,500 calls — more than any day in his department’s history, including 9/11.

An emergency medical services lieutenant and union leader with the New York City Fire Department, Almojera said he has seen more death in the past year than in his previous decade of work. “We can’t possibly process the traumas, because we’re still in the trauma,” he said.

EMS work has long been grueling and poorly paid. New FDNY hires make just over $35,000 a year, or $200 more than what is considered the poverty threshold for a four-person household in New York City. (That figure is on par with national averages.) Employee turnover is high: In fiscal year 2019, more than 13% of EMTs and paramedics left their jobs.

But covid-19 has added a new layer of precarity to the work. According to Oren Barzilay, the Local 2507 union president, nearly half of its 4,400 emergency medical technicians and paramedics have tested positive for the covid virus. Five have died, though that figure doesn’t account for first responders who worked for private emergency response companies. Nationwide, at least 128 medical first responders have died of covid, according to Lost on the Frontline, an investigation by KHN and The Guardian.

The problem of EMS pay was in the spotlight in December, when the New York Post outed paramedic Lauren Caitlyn Kwei for relying on an OnlyFans page to make extra money. Kwei, who works for a private ambulance company, wrote on Twitter: “My First Responder sisters and brothers are suffering … exhausted for months, reusing months old PPE, being refused hazard pay, and watching our fellow healthcare workers dying in front of our eyes.” She added: “EMS are the lowest paid first responders in NYC which leads to 50+ hour weeks and sometimes three jobs.”

Almojera earns $70,000 annually as a lieutenant, but his paramedic colleagues’ salaries in non-leadership roles are capped at around $65,000 after five years on the job. He earns extra income as a paramedic at area racetracks and conducting defibrillator inspections. He has colleagues who drive for Uber, deliver for GrubHub and stock grocery shelves on the side. “There are certain jobs that deserve all your time and effort,” Almojera said. “This should be your only job.”

For Liana Espinal, a paramedic, union delegate and 13-year veteran of the FDNY, a sense of camaraderie and the opportunity to serve her fellow Brooklynites compensated for low pay and exhausting shifts. For years she was willing to take on overtime and even a second job with a private ambulance company to make ends meet.

But covid changed that. The department switched from eight- to 12-hour shifts last summer, leaving Espinal, a single mother of three, too exhausted to pick up overtime. Like many health care workers, she isolated from her children at the outset of the pandemic to avoid potentially exposing them to the coronavirus, leaving them in the care of her own mother; she described being separated from her 1-year-old son as “devastating.” Despite working round-the-clock to get the city through the early days of the pandemic, she often had to choose between paying rent on time or paying utility bills.

“After working this year, for me personally, it doesn’t feel worth it anymore,” she said. She is two exams shy of finishing a nursing degree she started studying for before the pandemic. She said the last year has only strengthened her resolve to shift careers.

The pandemic has disproportionately claimed Black and brown lives — Black and Hispanic people were significantly more likely than white people to die of covid — and those disparities extend to health care workers. Lost on the Frontline has found that nearly two-thirds of health care workers who have died of covid were non-white.

All five of the department’s EMS employees who died of covid were non-white.

They included Idris Bey, 60, a former Marine and 9/11 first responder who was known to stay cool under pressure. He was an avid reader who bought new books each time he got a paycheck.

Richard Seaberry, 63, was looking forward to retiring to the Atlanta area to be near his young granddaughter.

Evelyn Ford, 58, left behind four children when she died in December, just as the coronavirus vaccine became available to first responders in New York City. According to the City Council’s finance division, 59% of EMS workers are minorities.

Almojera and Espinal see a racial component to pay disparities within the FDNY. Firefighters with five years on the job can make more than $100,000, including overtime and holiday pay, whereas paramedics and EMTs cap out at $65,000 and $50,000, respectively. According to the City Council finance division, 77% of New York firefighters are white.

“My counterpart fire lieutenants make almost $40,000 more than me,” Almojera said. “I’ve delivered 15 babies. I’ve been covered head to toe in blood. I mean, what do you pay for that? You can at least pay us like the other 911 agencies.”

A spokesperson for the FDNY declined to comment on pay.

The last year has also exacted an emotional toll on an already stressed workforce. Three of the FDNY’s EMS workers died by suicide in 2020. John Mondello Jr, 23, a recent EMS academy graduate, died in April. Matthew Keene, 38, a nine-year veteran, died in June. Brandon Dorsa, 36, who had struggled with injuries from a 2015 workplace accident, died in July.

Family and colleagues told local news outlets that Mondello and Keene were struggling with trauma as a result of the pandemic. Last spring, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and first lady Chirlane McCray announced a partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and city agencies to help front-line health workers cope with the stress of working through the pandemic. But many EMS workers have said that the program has been difficult to access.

“There aren’t a lot of resources for people, so a lot of EMS internalize what they go through,” Almojera said. “It’s not normal to see the things that we see.”

Issues regarding pay and mental health challenges predate the pandemic: A national survey conducted in 2015 found EMS providers were much more likely than the general population to struggle with stress and contemplate suicide.

Almojera knew Keene and last spoke with him a week before his death. “You can’t say enough nice things about the guy,” he said. “I wish he had mentioned even a hint of [his struggles] on the phone. And I would have shared how I was feeling through all this.”

He said he has felt a mix of pride, exhaustion and resignation over the past year. “I’ve seen the magic that you can do on the job,” Almojera said. “And I’ve seen my brothers and sisters on this job cry after calls.”

Almojera is now representing his union in talks with the city to renegotiate EMS and paramedic contracts. He said he hopes that city officials will think of the hardships he and his fellow first responders endured over the past year when they come to the negotiating table to discuss pay raises. But early talks have not been encouraging.

“After all the sacrifices made by our members,” he said. “I don’t know whether to be angry, flip the table, or just shrug my shoulders and give up.”

This story is part of “Lost on the Frontline,” an ongoing project from The Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of health care workers in the U.S. who die from COVID-19, and to investigate why so many are victims of the disease. If you have a colleague or loved one we should include, please share their story.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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This story can be republished for free (details).

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[stephenmccull]

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink

This story also ran on The Guardian. It can be republished for free.

In his 17 years as an emergency medical provider, Anthony Almojera thought he had seen it all. “Shootings, stabbings, people on fire, you name it,” he said. Then came covid-19.

Before the pandemic, Almojera said it was normal to respond to one or two cardiac arrests calls a week; now he’s grown used to several each shift. One day last spring, responders took more than 6,500 calls — more than any day in his department’s history, including 9/11.

An emergency medical services lieutenant and union leader with the New York City Fire Department, Almojera said he has seen more death in the past year than in his previous decade of work. “We can’t possibly process the traumas, because we’re still in the trauma,” he said.

EMS work has long been grueling and poorly paid. New FDNY hires make just over $35,000 a year, or $200 more than what is considered the poverty threshold for a four-person household in New York City. (That figure is on par with national averages.) Employee turnover is high: In fiscal year 2019, more than 13% of EMTs and paramedics left their jobs.

But covid-19 has added a new layer of precarity to the work. According to Oren Barzilay, the Local 2507 union president, nearly half of its 4,400 emergency medical technicians and paramedics have tested positive for the covid virus. Five have died, though that figure doesn’t account for first responders who worked for private emergency response companies. Nationwide, at least 128 medical first responders have died of covid, according to Lost on the Frontline, an investigation by KHN and The Guardian.

The problem of EMS pay was in the spotlight in December, when the New York Post outed paramedic Lauren Caitlyn Kwei for relying on an OnlyFans page to make extra money. Kwei, who works for a private ambulance company, wrote on Twitter: “My First Responder sisters and brothers are suffering … exhausted for months, reusing months old PPE, being refused hazard pay, and watching our fellow healthcare workers dying in front of our eyes.” She added: “EMS are the lowest paid first responders in NYC which leads to 50+ hour weeks and sometimes three jobs.”

Almojera earns $70,000 annually as a lieutenant, but his paramedic colleagues’ salaries in non-leadership roles are capped at around $65,000 after five years on the job. He earns extra income as a paramedic at area racetracks and conducting defibrillator inspections. He has colleagues who drive for Uber, deliver for GrubHub and stock grocery shelves on the side. “There are certain jobs that deserve all your time and effort,” Almojera said. “This should be your only job.”

For Liana Espinal, a paramedic, union delegate and 13-year veteran of the FDNY, a sense of camaraderie and the opportunity to serve her fellow Brooklynites compensated for low pay and exhausting shifts. For years she was willing to take on overtime and even a second job with a private ambulance company to make ends meet.

But covid changed that. The department switched from eight- to 12-hour shifts last summer, leaving Espinal, a single mother of three, too exhausted to pick up overtime. Like many health care workers, she isolated from her children at the outset of the pandemic to avoid potentially exposing them to the coronavirus, leaving them in the care of her own mother; she described being separated from her 1-year-old son as “devastating.” Despite working round-the-clock to get the city through the early days of the pandemic, she often had to choose between paying rent on time or paying utility bills.

“After working this year, for me personally, it doesn’t feel worth it anymore,” she said. She is two exams shy of finishing a nursing degree she started studying for before the pandemic. She said the last year has only strengthened her resolve to shift careers.

The pandemic has disproportionately claimed Black and brown lives — Black and Hispanic people were significantly more likely than white people to die of covid — and those disparities extend to health care workers. Lost on the Frontline has found that nearly two-thirds of health care workers who have died of covid were non-white.

All five of the department’s EMS employees who died of covid were non-white.

They included Idris Bey, 60, a former Marine and 9/11 first responder who was known to stay cool under pressure. He was an avid reader who bought new books each time he got a paycheck.

Richard Seaberry, 63, was looking forward to retiring to the Atlanta area to be near his young granddaughter.

Evelyn Ford, 58, left behind four children when she died in December, just as the coronavirus vaccine became available to first responders in New York City. According to the City Council’s finance division, 59% of EMS workers are minorities.

Almojera and Espinal see a racial component to pay disparities within the FDNY. Firefighters with five years on the job can make more than $100,000, including overtime and holiday pay, whereas paramedics and EMTs cap out at $65,000 and $50,000, respectively. According to the City Council finance division, 77% of New York firefighters are white.

“My counterpart fire lieutenants make almost $40,000 more than me,” Almojera said. “I’ve delivered 15 babies. I’ve been covered head to toe in blood. I mean, what do you pay for that? You can at least pay us like the other 911 agencies.”

A spokesperson for the FDNY declined to comment on pay.

The last year has also exacted an emotional toll on an already stressed workforce. Three of the FDNY’s EMS workers died by suicide in 2020. John Mondello Jr, 23, a recent EMS academy graduate, died in April. Matthew Keene, 38, a nine-year veteran, died in June. Brandon Dorsa, 36, who had struggled with injuries from a 2015 workplace accident, died in July.

Family and colleagues told local news outlets that Mondello and Keene were struggling with trauma as a result of the pandemic. Last spring, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and first lady Chirlane McCray announced a partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and city agencies to help front-line health workers cope with the stress of working through the pandemic. But many EMS workers have said that the program has been difficult to access.

“There aren’t a lot of resources for people, so a lot of EMS internalize what they go through,” Almojera said. “It’s not normal to see the things that we see.”

Issues regarding pay and mental health challenges predate the pandemic: A national survey conducted in 2015 found EMS providers were much more likely than the general population to struggle with stress and contemplate suicide.

Almojera knew Keene and last spoke with him a week before his death. “You can’t say enough nice things about the guy,” he said. “I wish he had mentioned even a hint of [his struggles] on the phone. And I would have shared how I was feeling through all this.”

He said he has felt a mix of pride, exhaustion and resignation over the past year. “I’ve seen the magic that you can do on the job,” Almojera said. “And I’ve seen my brothers and sisters on this job cry after calls.”

Almojera is now representing his union in talks with the city to renegotiate EMS and paramedic contracts. He said he hopes that city officials will think of the hardships he and his fellow first responders endured over the past year when they come to the negotiating table to discuss pay raises. But early talks have not been encouraging.

“After all the sacrifices made by our members,” he said. “I don’t know whether to be angry, flip the table, or just shrug my shoulders and give up.”

This story is part of “Lost on the Frontline,” an ongoing project from The Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of health care workers in the U.S. who die from COVID-19, and to investigate why so many are victims of the disease. If you have a colleague or loved one we should include, please share their story.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[healingtheblackbody]

Spell Artist: Maria Bauman-Morales

Maria Bauman-Morales (she, hers) is a Bessie-Award-winning, Brooklyn, NY-based, multi-disciplinary artist and community organizer from Jacksonville, FL. Bauman-Morales is also a sought-after facilitator and public speaker on the topics of social justice practices within performing arts, embodied and arts-based leadership development, and racial equity in the arts. She creates bold and honest artworks for her company MBDance (www.mbdance.net), based on physical and emotional power, insistence on equity, and fascination with intimacy. Bauman brings the same tenets to organizing to undo racism in the arts and beyond with ACRE (Artists Co-creating Real Equity), the grassroots organizing body she co-founded with Sarita Covington and Nathan Trice. In particular, Bauman’s site-responsive dance work centers the non-linear and linear stories and bodies of queer people of color in multiple ritual settings. She draws on her long study of English literature, capoeira, improvisation, dancing in living rooms and nightclubs, as well as concert dance classes to embody interconnectedness, joy, and tenacity. Currently, she is an Urban Bush Women Choreographic Center Fellow and a BRIClab resident artist. She has also been Community Action Artist in Residence at Gibney Dance, Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and DiP Artist Resident under the direction of Eva Yaa Asantewaa.

Bauman-Morales’s art has been celebrated both formally and informally. She won a 2017 Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance with Skeleton Architecture. She is currently one of five national Fellows with the Urban Bush Women Choreographic Center Initiative, as well as being a 2019-20 Gibney Dance in Process resident artist.  She and her company were awarded a 2020 Dance Advance grant from Dance/NYC and a 2020 Brooklyn Arts Foundation creation grant. She was an Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Arts Exchange from 2017 to 2019 and was also 2017 Community Action in Residence at Gibney Dance. Bauman-Morales is also a mentor with Queer l Art. Some of the best recognition she has gotten is from teenagers in New Haven’s Black and Brown Queer Camp who, upon seeing her dance exclaimed “Ooooooooo! She baaaad!“

In New York, Bauman-Morales’s work has been showcased at  Harlem Stage, SummerStage NYC, Danspace at St. Mark's, BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center, Dixon Place, the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts,  WOW Café Theater, and more. Bauman-Morales and MBDance have also shared artworks across the U.S., in South Africa, and in Singapore.

Before founding MBDance, she was Associate Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women  (UBW) and danced with that company for many years. During her tenure with UBW, Bauman-Morales was also Director of Education and Community Engagement at the helm of the BOLD (Builders, Organizers, and Leaders through Dance) initiative. She continues to be an annual faculty member for the UBW Summer Leadership Institute, and she is part of the Summer Leadership Institute Advisory and Planning Council.

As a cultural organizer, Bauman-Morales has partnered with various kinds of groups to lift up important social issues and calls for justice via art. She and the other two co-founders of ACRE (Artists Co-creating Real Equity), a grassroots community organizing group dedicated to ensuring racial equity within the performing arts, were recently honored with  the 2018 BAX Arts and Artists in Progress Award for “the work you do to undo racism in our daily lives while lifting up the work and lives of your membership.” Bauman-Morales has facilitated community engagement workshops for El Puente, Chorus America, Ramapo College, Rider University, and has helped create cultural campaigns with various locals of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). She has been a keynote speaker and core facilitator for the 2018 Day of Learning on Equity & Inclusion, Camille A. Brown’s 2016 Black Girl Spectrum Convening, several Cultural Organizing for Community Change symposiums, and for NOCD-NY’s From the Neighborhood Up Roundtable. She is a Core Trainer with The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond working closely with them on Understanding and Undoing Racism workshops for arts communities, and is a WOW Café Theatre collective member (theater space by and for women and transgender artists). Bauman-Morales is a founding member of the Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts Working Group (NOCD-NY).



Learn more at www.desire.mbdance.net.