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From the moment a bagpipe brigade led the procession into the service of Renewal & Healing at Union Baptist Church in Harlem on Saturday during a Harlem Week celebration, it signaled a special occasion. Clergy leader Rev. Jacques A. DeGraff made it clear in his opening remarks, telling the congregation that they were about to witness “powerful preaching and soul-stirring gospel,” and the words were hardly out of his mouth when the Coaxner Ensemble lived up to that promise.
They delivered a rousing chorus to the event’s theme, Choose Healthy Life (CHL), setting a musical interlude for a message from Grace C. Bonilla, president and CEO of United Way of New York City. She began by stating how proud she was of the accomplishments made by her organization and the “unique partnership of United Way in addressing the New York City health disparities,” saying they’ve reached over 50,000 New Yorkers.
Underscoring the theme of healing, the Rev. Dr. Demetrius S. Carolina of the First Central Baptist Church of Staten Island chose as his text Jesus’s healing of a blind man at Bethsaida. He recited some passages from Mark noting how Jesus spat upon the blind man’s eyes twice and, on the second time, asked him, “What do you see?”
“I see everything,” the man said. “Today, we need more healing than ever,” Carolina said. He was perhaps referring to Jesus’s method when he said, “There is a process by which you can be healed.”
Jesus not only made the blind man see, but he also calmed the storm, said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. “Jesus, wake up. We are perishing,” Sullivan repeated in a call and response with the audience. What Jesus had miraculously done in the past was needed now, the prelate begged in the wake of Covid-19. “Our children need a parachute,” he said. His plea was given additional ballast when the ensemble sang “Mary Don’t You Weep,” and it also served as a spirited segue to Debra Fraser-Howze’s scripture from Mark, where Jesus frees a girl from a demon. Frazer-Howze, the founder and president of Choose Healthy Life, gave Jesus’s miracle an updated version in her own way of bringing calm to a person in need.
She stated that Jesus knew his purposes, and Fraser-Howze knows hers, especially in her capacity at the helm of CHL, as she noted in the program handout with heartfelt praise for the late Rev. Calvin Butts III: “He moved mountains with a single touch and the community is safer because he lived,” she wrote. “While his presence and leadership are sorely missed …his service continues to be an inspiration for all of us.”
The Rev. Lawrence Aker III of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn rocked the joint, much in the manner of the Hip Hop referenced, saluting their 50th anniversary. His text was taken from Mark and his account of Jesus walking on water. He, like the previous ministers — and those who followed him — connected the past with the present conditions plaguing Black America, particularly, as he observed, “in our battle against racism.”
His energetic sermon was matched by Rev. Dr. Travis Boyd of Canaan Baptist Church and often brought members of the audience to their feet with resounding applause. He is a pastor who knows how to take the passage from Mark and make it tangible for us today, citing Jesus’ healing of the paralyzed. “Justice is not served,” he said, alluding to the uprising on Jan. 6. And he concluded his stirring address by declaring, “The God I serve makes a way out of no way!”
When Rev. Brian D. Scott, the pastor of Union Baptist, made his Altar Call, nearly everyone in the church assembled, and he continued in words that he had possibly heard from the choir’s version of “I’m Willing to Wait.” Among those gathered at the altar were a number of police officers, members of the Fire Department, and a host of first responders. The relative calm that had settled in the church was aroused when Elder Michael Adolphus of Amen Ministries, Inc. was at the podium, though it was hardly a place where he was anchored during his exhortation. His leading piece of scripture came from Luke, where Jesus heals ten lepers. We can’t be sure what remedy Jesus used to heal them, but Rev. Adolphus insisted that we “deal with the source of the sickness rather than the symptoms,” and there was an inference that this process was applicable to all our illnesses, be they biological or social.
The church, which I had not attended since my former student, the Rev. Ollie Wells, presided, was lifted by Rev. Adolphus and soared even higher when a vocalist from the choir presented a sustained version of “Never Grow Old,” and there was little left to do after this but take a deep breath and here the benediction from Rev. DeGraff. He ended the event or service in the same insightful way he began, once again offering a salutation to Fraser-Howze and her unwavering dedication to CHL, saying, “We cannot return to yesterday’s ‘normal,’ we died in ‘normal.’ We see and are working towards the bright sunshine of a new day of wellness and equality in the land.”
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By Harlem World Magazine In the heart of the vibrant 1930s, a constellation of brilliant minds sparked an artistic movement that transcended paint on canvas. The Harlem Artists Guild, a visionary African-American collective founded by leaders, legends, and trailblazers such as Augusta Savage, Charles Alston, Elba Lightfoot, and the bibliophile virtuoso Arthur Schomburg, left an…
On Friday, August 11th, 2023, a remarkable event unfolded as more than 300 children affiliated with the Police Athletic League (PAL) congregated at the PAL Harlem Center. These young participants hailed from various centers including Harlem, Polo Grounds, Duncan, and other locations across the city. The occasion was none other than Cultural Day, a vibrant…
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OP-ED: The PACT Act Fulfills Our Obligation to Veterans • By: Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn The United States has long been described as a nation of ideas. The founding fathers wrote that “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence…mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred
The National Council of Negro Women Inc. – Queens County’s Youth Section is sponsoring a Community Activity & Information Day.
The NCNW Youth Section will be in attendance with information about how to join their unit. Plus, there will be FREE health screenings, raffles & giveaways, back-to-school supplies, face painting, double dutch & games, Zumba, a photo booth, and more. This will be a wonderful fun-filled, and informative family event.
The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rush Temple A.M.E. Zion 119-48 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11434.
For more info, contact NCNW Health Committee via email at Health.NCNW.qcs@gmail.com
On Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, the city of Paterson saw the ceremonial renaming of Matlock Street as “Chairman John Currie Way.” Paterson City Council members had approved the resolution for the street renaming and took part in the ceremony, along with various government officials and Mayor Andre Sayegh.
“I’m sure we all agree that as far as his leadership is concerned, if we were to give him a grade, he’d get an A plus,” Mayor Sayegh told those attending the ceremony. “Why would he get an A plus? Well, he’s a chairman that is results-oriented. And a lot of the results, his record of results, speak for him. He gets an A plus for driving diversity: to make sure that the state, county, and the government reflect the people that it serves.”
“It’s not by might, it’s not by schooling, but it’s about having a heart for service,” Assemblymember Shavonda E. Sumter said, adding to the accolades. She spoke of Currie as an example of a person who came from humble beginnings and was able to achieve so much. “All of those who are touched by John Curry, he tells us all to make sure we take care of people first. It’s not about having a title.
“The other piece that’s important about today is not only is it his birthday, but it’s important for us to recognize our leaders while they’re here, to give them their roses so they can smell them and enjoy them. … As we look at the tenure and the tenor of the country today and what politics is, it’s important that we have a conscience and a moral compass. And John Currie is that moral compass and a Democratic Party that we have to fight for leaders who care about the things that we care about, which are people and taking care of our youth and taking care of our seasoned saints to be sure they have what they need. Today, we are going to unveil this sign, we are going to celebrate, we’re going to sing happy birthday at the brownstone, and we’re going to honor a legend while he is here to enjoy this moment.”
“Chairman John Currie Way” pays tribute to John Currie, who served as chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee (NJDSC) and was Democratic chair of the Passaic County Democratic Organization for 27 years. Currie was the second African American to hold the position of county chair in New Jersey and the first to hold that position in Passaic County.
New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way came out to celebrate August as Black Business Month during an event sponsored by the New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC).
“I am proud to lead a department that supports the economic vitality of our state,” Secretary Way said. “I’m grateful for the ways we can work together to ensure Black business owners and entrepreneurs are included in our state’s economic successes. The NJBAC is a valuable resource within my office that can help you navigate the state rules governing your business and provide potential resources, including financial support, to succeed in whatever your industry may be.”
NJBAC Executive Director Melanie Willoughby also spoke about the center’s mission, saying,
“The NJ Business Action Center exists to help New Jersey businesses navigate state government. We are dedicated to providing a wide range of services, including assistance with state tax certification, guidance to help businesses qualify for government contracts, and support in getting certified as a minority-owned business. By obtaining these designations, businesses can access various state programs and resources, opening doors to contract set-asides, supplier diversity programs, and opportunities in specialized programs such as the New Jersey Cannabis Training Academy, an initiative aimed at guiding social equity, legacy, Impact Zone license applicants through the legal cannabis marketplace.”For more information on the NJBAC, visit https://nj.gov/state/bac/ or call 1-800-JERSEY-7.
