Sister Sol Year End Celebration
On June 9, Sister Sol celebrated the end of the year collectively with a gathering at our brownstone. Alumni and current chapters convened to commemorate the passing of another successful and challenging year together. Sister Sol's newest chapter, seventh-graders based at Community Health Academy of the Heights, presented its name to the collective: SOMOS, which simply means "we are." Current members were given awards to highlight their participation in the Rites of Passage program, as well as the exemplary qualities they bring to their chapters and the organization as a whole. Alumni members were honored with their gifts: black hoodie sweatshirts that boast the individual members' names as well as their chapters, and a quote by Assata Shakur emblazoned on the back. Chapters will be meeting during the summer, but the Year End Celebration was a great opportunity to close out the year. Check out some more photos from the event here.
Unity Day 2010
Friends, family, neighbors, current and alumni members and staff of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol gathered together this past Saturday at Riverside State Park for our annual Unity Day Celebration. Unity Day is an opportunity for us all to bond together and celebrate the end of programs, and the beginning of the summer. We barbecue, play games, bask in the sun, and catch up on our experiences throughout the year. To view more photos from Unity Day and other Bro/Sis events, go here!
Tweeting Teens: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
by LaShae Adams
I was exposed to different social networks at a young age. I didn’t think anything of it, and just made accounts because my friends had them. Little did I know I would be using them nonstop just a few years later. At first, posting pictures of myself on the web just didn’t seem right to me. I thought that I would get into trouble if my parents found out. But my parents reacted differently than what I thought they would. They were ok with me having social network accounts as long as I was careful and didn’t do anything to jeopardize my life.
Facebook is a social network website founded by Mark Zickerberg. It has been around since September 2006 and is used by people around the world. Facebook is designed for adults, but anyone over the age of 12 with an email address can create an account, and most children and teens have them. Users can find and add friends, send messages to people, and update their personal profiles with whatever they’d like to share.
Twitter is another social network that lets people share and discover what’s happening with their friends in the moment. Twitter was also created in 2006, and is very popular worldwide. Users are allowed up to send and receive messages that are known as “tweets.“ Each tweet has a 140-character limit, forcing users to shorten their messages to a single phrase or sentence. There are different topics people can tweet about on Twitter. They are known as “trending topics.” For example, #youremember is a trending topic where people share what they remember and ask friends if they remember it too.
Both Facebook and Twitter can be accessed from mobile phones as well as computers. A recent study showed that Facebook was the most used social network, followed by MySpace. Between November 2006 and January 2007, the number of daily page views rose from fewer than 20 million to around 50 million per day.
The Good
There are a bunch of benefits to being a member of Facebook. A lot of people use Facebook as a way to stay in touch with family and friends. Most people live far away from their loved ones, and Facebook is the only way they can actually keep in touch. People use Facebook to reconnect with old classmates as well as favorite teachers. Also, Facebook can be used to get some positive feedback and build self-esteem by expanding your network. Oftentimes, people may be going through something serious and may need some help and support with their problems.
Facebook also helps you organize. Posting events on Facebook is a lot easier than sending out invitations through the postal service. You have to worry about having the correct address and whether the other person received it. With Facebook, you don’t have to worry about that. A lot of celebrities have Twitter accounts. Many of their fans and people they connect with follow them on Twitter. Also, upcoming artists use Twitter and Facebook for publicity.
The Bad
There’s always a negative or downfall to social networks. Sometimes people post things on Facebook that are about other people. It can either be direct or indirect, leaving people to wonder who’s being talked about. Also, the kinds of pictures people post can either be attractive, or can be the sort that makes you to want to report the person. [You can report images that are sexually inappropriate or racially offensive.]
A lot of colleges check Facebook to see the kind of profile potential students have. If they come across something that they find unpleasant, that might effect whether or not they allow the student to attend their school.
Facebook and Twitter do have an effect on students’ grades. Most teens are easily distracted when it comes to social networks. Being that Twitter is fun to be on and a lot of people have accounts, most children are on Twitter all day everyday. Students tweet while they're in school and in classrooms. That means work is not being done. This causes low grades on exams and report cards. The majority of my friends fail their classes because of the amount of time they spend on these sites.
The OK
For every social network, there is privacy protection of some sort. As for Twitter, you have the option of protecting your tweets, so that only the people you approve will receive your tweets. You will not appear on the public timeline. Also, you have the option of blocking someone, reporting them and unfollowing someone. If you do any of these things, the person will not be able to contact you on Twitter. Facebook has a complicated privacy system that is customizable for every friend you have.
I've come to realize that I need these social networks in my life. If I'm not on at least one of these websites every day, then there's a problem. I love to tweet and like to be on Facebook. Each and every day I post something different, whether it's something funny that happens throughout my day or whatever comes to mind. Even if Twitter or Facebook gets old one day, I know there will be at least one social network for me to say how I feel at the present moment.
LaShae Adams is a senior at Richard R. Green High School of Teaching. She is also a member of the Liberation Program and the Media Team. In years past, she attended the International Study Program to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. This year she will be traveling to Ghana.
Planting Day 2010
On May 19, 2010, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol celebrated our annual Planting Day. Planting Day is a time when the entire Bro/Sis family and the elders and children of West 143rd Street gather together in our community garden to engage in games, eat delicious BBQ, enjoy live performances for and by staff and program members. Most importantly, guided and assisted by Nando Rodriguez and Junauda Petrus, members plant herbs and vegetables such as mint, thyme, basil, and tomatoes that grow abundantly throughout the year. This year at Planting Day, Bro/Sis was visited by a reporter from City Limits. Check out the article here! To view more photos from Planting Day and other Bro/Sis events, go here!
The African Burial Ground National Monument
by Nijah Valencia Keye
On Saturday, April 20, myself and 9 other high school students from the Liberation Program traveled downtown to Duane and Elk Streets to visit the African Burial Ground National Monument. When we first arrived at the site, it did not register to me that we were there. When I think of a burial ground, I think of tombstones and grassy areas. What I saw was completely different from that idea. The site was mostly covered with marble. Over a dozen Adinkra symbols were carved into it, each symbol meaning something different. As I spiraled down past the symbols, I looked to the floor where I saw words engraved that named the enslaved African person that died, and their approximate age and gender.
The space has a very interesting history itself. Construction workers were digging in downtown Manhattan and found a human bone. They thought maybe there were more, so they continued digging. As they dug more, they found more bones. Later they noticed that the bones were in a row. That made them realize they were digging on a burial ground. When they found all the bones, they were just going to move them, and continue their construction. But news leaked out and local activists began to protest in order to keep the bones there as a memorial site.
I believe it is important to preserve the space so that we as African American people can recognize the history and legacy of slavery in New York and all over the country. It is important to have a physical place to honor our African ancestors. The African Burial Ground National Monument gives honor to more than 15,000 enslaved and free Africans who died in New York City.
The African Burial Ground National Monument is located at 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Nijah Keye is a senior at Mott Hall High School. She is also a member of the Liberation Program and the Media Team. This year she will be traveling to Ghana as a member of the International Study Program.
The Real, Version 2.0
Enjoy a new issue of The Real, produced by the Teen Pregnancy Committee of the Liberation Program. This springtime issue focuses on LOVE! The Real is real talk about myths, facts, and rights that young people should be aware of, especially if they are sexually active, pregnant or have a child. The members of the Teen Pregnancy Committee are Kailani C., Andeisha C., Eric D., Tanashia F., Zora H., and Adeola O.
Click here to check out the second issue of The Real, Issue Two!
The Brotherhood Spring College Tour 2010
by Alberto Alcantara
On April 1st, 2010, The Brotherhood traveled on a college tour. The two chapters attending were Strive 2 Thrive Cipher and United Warriors. Fifteen young men and their three chapter leaders and facilitators Enmanuel Candelario, DaMond Taylor, and Nando Rodriguez departed early on that Thursday morning in two vans to travel to Washington, D.C. to see four different colleges: American University, Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University.
Each college was different, in terms of the campus, the diversity of people, and the price of tuition. At American University, the campus was pretty big and it wasn’t very diverse, with mostly White students and only a few Black, Latino, and Asian students. At Howard, I was honestly surprised to see that the campus had a few issues with cleanliness, but it was nice to see the large population of Black and Latino students, due to Howard’s status as a historically Black university [HBCU]. Georgetown’s campus was enormous and very heavily populated by White and Asian students. The cost of tuition at Georgetown was almost double that of Howard’s. Finally, George Washington University had a middle-sized campus in the heart of D.C., and seemed to have a good mix of White, Black, Latino, Asian, and other students.
In my opinion, the most interesting schools that we saw were Howard and Georgetown Universities. At Howard University, there were many beautiful young women and the dorms are co-ed. The guys had a positive reaction to the social atmosphere at Howard. At Georgetown, although areas of the campus seemed pretty quiet, and the standard at the college is pretty high. It seemed like a school where you would be expected to stay focused on the task at hand.
During the college tour, The Brotherhood met with Eric Hoover, a journalist for The Chronicle of Higher Education. The publication was interested in doing a feature that focused on young Black and Latino men, and their experiences in higher education. Anthony Keller (from United Warriors) and I (from Strive 2 Thrive Cipher) were interviewed. The journalist asked us what we thought about the schools in Washington D.C., the city itself, and how it differs from the schools and city scenes we know in New York City. To tell the truth, D.C. was very different than we had expected. We all agreed that it seemed much more peaceful in Washington D.C. than it is here in New York, without all of the noise outside. Check out the article here!
Overall, the college tour was a great experience. It was wonderful to be able to get away from New York and be able to see new things and reflect on how different it is in other places. Everyone enjoyed their time over there, and I know I’m not the only who wants to go back to D.C. And although we do get lazy at times, we agreed that everyone from both chapters has to step his game up and make sure we get the grades that we know we are all able to earn. I’d like to say thank you to our chapter leaders Enmanuel, DaMond, and Nando for giving us that experience. I can’t wait for the next college tour.
Alberto Alcantara is a sophomore at Mott Hall High School. He is also a member of The Strive 2 Thrive Cipher and the Media Team.
The Brotherhood Winter Retreat
by Moussa Sidibe
The Brotherhood’s Winter Retreat took place in Pennsylvania on January 29th through January 31st. We were taken to Trout Lake, a beautiful place of wilderness surrounded by a lake. The Brotherhood members stayed in cabins on the campgrounds. Three current Brotherhood chapters went on the retreat: Strive 2 Thrive Cipher, United Warriors, The Brotherhood @ TMA, along with alumni members of older chapters. It was a chilly weekend, but everyone was in the mood for some fun.
We gathered in the boathouse to introduce ourselves. We have a new theme every retreat, along with a convincing and meaningful quote. This retreat theme was “Knowledge Is Power.” The quote was “It always seems impossible until it is done,” stated by Nelson Mandela. I like that quote because it’s really true, depending on how hard you try. We had a lot of activities that had to do with gaining knowledge. Everything we did over the retreat had a focus on the power of knowledge, and we talked about how it is the only thing someone can’t take away from you. Money, cars, fame, and women can be taken from you, but no one can ever take knowledge away, no matter what.
We played “Capture The Flag” on the first night of the retreat. That seems to get everyone hype about the retreat, and it’s funny to say, but everyone loves the beating they get. The game simply is everyone going to an area that is the size of a football field during the night, where all the stars and moon can be seen. We broke up into groups composed of cabin members, and the group on each side of the field must get the group’s “light” without getting tagged. Everyone loves the game and that’s just the first night…
We started doing more educational activities the next day, after all: “Knowledge Is Power!” The first activity of the day was with Nando. There were many papers on the floor. Nando would ask a question and we were supposed to read the packets to find the answer. The choices were to read, or do physical activities, such as push-ups, or running a lap around a long oval area. DaMond led the next activity, where we wrote or drew a timeline about important things that happened to us during our school years. Many people had some sad, crazy, and happy moments during their school years. Our next activity was with Juan and he started off by showing us an excerpt from a Chris Rock comedy show. He also said something that I never noticed. He explained how there are many comedians that are funny, but it’s just a stupid joke. He said that Chris Rock jokes could make you laugh, but also makes you think about political and social issues. Later on, we listened to and read some lyrics from Talib Kweli. It was a rap that makes you want to think. It became a little emotional in the room, but ended up being a good learning experience.
Later in the retreat, we had our traditional campfire. During the campfire, it is complete seriousness and you can share anything you want inside the circle. You hear something new every campfire: things that are sad or funny; issues currently happening; memories from the past, and many other things are shared in that cipher.
On the last day, Khary decided to test everyone to see if they had everything that was handed out to them. Most of us didn’t have it, and he explained to us how important it is to be organized. He gave a small treat to each person who had everything. Many complained, but later understood how irresponsible they were. At the end of the retreat, we took pictures and reflected on everything we learned on the retreat. On Sunday afternoon, we returned to Harlem on the bus and in a peaceful mood. We brothers all went our separate ways home, but in all our minds, the same phrase remained in all of our minds: “Knowledge Is Power!”
Moussa Sidibe is a sophomore at Mott Hall High School. He is also a member of The Strive 2 Thrive Cipher, Liberation Program, and the Media Team.
Women Are Powerful: The Sister Sol Spring Retreat
by Valerie Caesar
On May 21-23, 2010, Sister Sol went on its annual wilderness retreat. The chapters of Soul Apoyo, Soul + L.I.F.E., and the yet-unnamed Sister Sol @ CHAH, accompanied by five Sister Sol staff members and alumni from Eternal Sisters, Cherished Phoenix and EleLoLi: The Pages, visited Camp Louemma in New Jersey. This year, our theme was "Women Are Powerful Beyond All Measure," and was designed to highlight the strength of women of the Diaspora in general, and in particular share the history and legacy of three particularly powerful women that we admire: Assata Shakur, Frida Kahlo, and Harriet Tubman.
The retreat featured a host of activities including the initiation of a new Sister Sol chapter, an Oriki Museum, meant to explore personal stories of power, struggle and revelation, a writing and reflection workshop, an acting workshop that tested members' conflict resolution skills in real life situations, canoeing on the lake, a nature hike, and our traditional campfire. It was a wonderful opportunity to leave the city and bond with women of all generations, and continue to build our network of trust and support.
To view photos from The Sister Sol Spring Retreat and other Bro/Sis events, go here!
Valerie Caesar is a Chapter Leader and the Media Program Coordinator.
Free Young Minds
by Valerie Caesar | originally posted on March 30, 2010
In Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, families have been fighting for eight years to have a jungle gym with the word “JAIL” painted on it removed from the grounds of a preschool playground at the Tompkins Houses. Over the years, a few parents have taken the initiative to paint over the words, only to have them repainted by the New York City Housing Authority [NYCHA].
Students at the Elementary After School Program at The Brotherhood/Sister Sol spoke out recently about this issue.
I feel that the idea of making a playground that looks exactly like a jail was a bad one. I don’t think this is a good environment for us young black kids. The kids will start to think jail is okay and that it’s fun. For me it is not a good sight seeing black and brown kids playing in that playground. This is a bad influence for us black kids!
- Ariana Hammonds
I feel that if a “play jail” is put in a playground, I think you are sick. I can’t believe that you would even think of putting something like this in a playground. If you think it’s funny to see little black kids playing like they’re in jail. You are very sick. I am very mad as an 11-year-old black kid. Why did it take eight years to take this thing down? It should have taken one second to take that down. I hope you don’t make a mistake like this again.
- Jared Toussaint Bower
I am very disappointed that you wanted to have a park that looks like a jail. I think you’re sick because why would you make a play jail - that’s just wrong. I think black children deserve better.
- Armani Caldwell
Valerie Caesar is a Chapter Leader and the Media Program Coordinator.
Bro/Sis Photo@Random
