The next Queen Afua Wellness Institute fasting shut-in, slated for March 21, 2009 at Harlem’s National Black Theater, will be a decidedly different event for the public. Promoted as the Economic Wellness Stimulus Package, this shut-in showcases the preliminary results of a twelve-week disease prevention and optimal wellness program, which is a collaboration between Queen Afua, holistic wellness care supervisor and Dr. Bernadette Sheridan, MD, FAAFP.
Since January 4, 2009, twenty-seven people have followed a regimen of nutrition, colon care, exercise, evidence-based aroma and herbal therapy and affirmations to cure such ailments as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, diabetes, asthma and hypertension. Dr. Sheridan, a family practice physician, explains, “To get someone healthy, you have to look at the family as a whole to understand the patient’s environment and support system.” Dr. Sheridan had been searching for a healthy interface between allopathic medicine and holistic lifestyle changes. When one of her patients introduced her to Queen Afua, last August, they both felt an instantaneous connection. Queen Afua explains that they “fell into each other arms.” Upon completion of a four-month Health Thyself program at the physician’s office, the two planned a twelve-week wellness program that would be scientifically tracked.
While Queen Afua supervises exercise, nutrition and affirmation activities, Dr. Sheridan oversees the weekly weight and blood pressure checks for everyone and the glucose monitoring for those with diabetes. Each month the twenty-seven, known as The Magnificent Ones, get comprehensive medical examinations including blood work, body mass index, and percentage of fat. In their ninth week, The Magnificent Ones have lost an aggregate of 180 pounds and one of the diabetic patients is off all medications. The twelve week study ends April 8, 2009. Thereafter, Dr. Sheridan must prepare a paper, inclusive of statistics, that must stand up to the scrutiny of the medical community.
The Economic Wellness Stimulus Package is free to the public. It features a testimony from one of The Magnificent Ones, the City of Wellness Reality Show and the usual round of tonics and water. Queen Afua will sign her latest book, The City of Wellness. For further information contact the Queen Afua Institute at 718 221 HEAL.
Labels: City of Wellness, holistic health, preventable diseases, Queen Afua
Link
Is There Joy in Your Jewelry?
Are you wearing jewelry or are you wearing joy-elry? Did you get your ring from an expensive Tiffany’s shop to proclaim your financial status or did you bargain with a street vendor for the lowest price for that cowry shell-festooned bracelet? Did you visit Studio of Ptah in Chinatown to get gold, silver or brass pieces that give respect and honor to the highest and advanced culture that flourished in the Nile River Valley? Master craftsman and central Brooklyn resident Baaba Heru Ankh Ra Semahj Sa Ptah creates joy-elry.
The joy-elry isn’t for fashion, though it’s lovely; it is functional. “The joy-elry (or Sa) gives a point of focus on principles that are powerful, uplifting and meditative,” explains Baaba Heru Ankh. He coined “joy-elry” after years of studying the ancient Egyptian symbols found on every piece he creates. These symbols encapsulate such principles as love, life, endurance, and truth. Knowing this brings joy to him and he founds the wearers also feel joy.
Within his shop at 55-59 Chrystie Street in Chinatown, customers select from over 3,000 models or describe their own faceting. Baaba Heru Ankh claims he has a greater collection of ankhs (the sign for “life”) than “found in all of Egypt today, inclusive of the world’s museum collections.”
This is a family business where Baaba Heru Ankh focuses on the craft and his son El-Aton is the proprietor. Prior to El-Aton’s management, his eldest son Everay assumed the duties. Even his granddaughter Niema Atkins worked in the shop. Now that’s training the child in the right way.
Baaba Heru Ankh’s father similarly trained his children in the right way. Garveyite and Christian minister, the father encouraged his children to learn about Kemet (or ancient Egypt). “My father reasoned the children of Ham were following their Shem uncles (Arabs and Jews),” remarks Baaba Heru Ankh. “In keeping with the Bible’s instruction to ‘honor thy mother and father,’ father said we ought to learn from our parents from Ham.”
He trained in gem and metal work started by watching an elder man who worked in the Diamond District and resided in East New York. The elder wanted his trainee to observe him at work in his home basement. This observation went on for one year until the elder looked at his hands and remarked, “You have artist’s hands.” The elder gave him tools. Baaba Heru Ankh has worked the craft for 38 years. His work became widely known due to his ankh designs for the International African Arts Festival’s Ankh Award Ceremonies. Ten years ago, he launched Studio of Ptah.
Being in business with a cultural aspect is a challenge. It takes tenacity, fine work, and marketing to thrive. El-Aton is responsible for marketing. He uses traditional marketing collateral like business cards and postcards and maintains the Web site,
http://www.soptah.com/. Studio of Ptah has Facebook, MySpace and Black Planet pages as well. The craftsman and proprietor exhibit the typical differences associated with artist-business manager relationships. Does one follow trends or stay true to a path? As long as Baaba Heru Ankh can make a mold and set the gems, he will stay in his niche that ‘brings the beauty of our culture to the masses.”
Central Brooklyn Ensures Due Process for Homeless Intake Center
Central Brooklyn elected, Brooklyn Community Board 8, Crow Hill Association, Crown Heights North Association and other community groups put their collective foot down, Sunday March 8, to ensure the City Department of Homeless Services complies with land use/fair share analysis, environmental reviews, and responding substantively to community concerns regarding converting the Bedford-Atlantic Shelter into the City’s homeless men’s intake center by retaining the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
The law firm’s retention was officially announced at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. In attendance included Council member Letitia James who made the announcement and introduced succeeding speakers; NYS Assembly member Hakeem Jeffries, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council member David Weprin and Jim Waldon, partner, and Randy Manstro of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. At issue is the logic of redirecting some 14,000 men to Brooklyn for intake assessment and shelter when 60% of NYC’s homeless men subsist in Manhattan. Many at the press conference believe the move to Brooklyn will put more homeless on the streets of Manhattan. Bedford-Atlantic Shelter’s notorious reputation as the worst DHS facility coupled with the recent closing of St. Mary’s Hospital and insufficient mental health services for the thousands of men requiring it appears to doom the move for failure. The current Manhattan-based men’s intake center is adjacent to the Bellevue Hospital Complex.
While Randy Manstro explained it is “premature to initiate litigation”, Assembly member Jeffries views the retaining as “the means to keep the Bloomberg administration within the law.” Borough President Markowitz quipped, “The move is not right for the homeless; not right for Brooklyn; and not right for Manhattan’s homeless.” Markowitz explained, “Manhattan’s male homeless population is larger than the combined numbers of the other four boroughs.”
Picture the Homeless Deborah Dickerson asked, “When are we going to give the homeless permanent housing? “ Dickerson believes it’s time to make feasible plans for permanent housing. Providing permanent housing rather than more temporary shelter that requires supportive services would bode well with Crown Heights Revitalization Movement Rachel Pratt’s observation that “northern Crown Heights has six times the median in social services in Brooklyn.”
Faye Moore, president of Social Service Employees Union, Local 371 brought attention to the plight of the some 200 employees at the Manhattan intake center who are scheduled to be laid off July 1, 2009. Rather than be laid off, these people are needed to continue managing and maintaining a homeless shelter. Moore stated, “The homeless don’t need to be wandering Brooklyn looking for help, it needs to be near them.”
Is the move part of a bigger plan? Could elitism be at play? The neighborhood wherein Bellevue shelter is located changed its socio-demographics in the last two decades. Rose Hill is now a more affluent community that had one developer want to build a hotel. Peter Katonah from St. Senator Eric Adams’ office questions whether “this is an attempt by the elite of Manhattan to rid itself of the homeless.”
Local 371 president concurs. Moore points to “80% of the City’s budget cuts are in social services.” Moore opines the cuts mean to destabilize the working families to a point where it’s not feasible for a middle-income to reside in NYC and two distinct classes will remain: the rich and the poor.
Labels: Brooklyn, community, homelessness, Letitia James
Roy Hastick, One Master of Networking
The founder of the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce (CACCI) is like most leaders astute, charismatic and controversial. Roy Hastick, Sr. migrated from Grenada to the US in 1976 with many plans, all of them fired by a want to dramatically improve his standing in society and do the same for others. Dr. Hastick is known for saying in a calm, steady voice, “You can lead a camel to water but you can’t make it drink.” This statement relates to assisting Caribbean and African-American people make more profitably sustaining business decisions.
His astuteness is shown through initially advocating for “West Indian concerns.” He was part of West Indians for Koch. One rationale for the backing being the city’s elected ought not assume blacks would automatically vote Democrat nor assume Republicans weren’t willing to address the needs of the West Indian community. By the time CACCI was birthed in 1985, Hastick’s consciousness widen to realize the West Indies were actually the Caribbean Basin and the Africans on this side of the Atlantic needed to join hands for their collective success. Make no mistake, while CACCI offers several business assistance services, runs a financial literacy program, gives Business Visionary Awards and holds networking events in New York, CACCI is a bi-national chamber of commerce with the mission of facilitating two-way trade between the Caribbean and the United States.
The controversy surrounding the man is his eye on God. His meetings begin and end with prayer. His predilection is Judeo-Christian tenets. Dr. Hastick included the announcement of his child’s acceptance of Jesus Christ as his savior at a past holiday meeting. His membership of approximately 1,500 sees the value of CACCI and Roy Hastick’s great business and government connections. Marcia Melendez owner of 25-year-old FlowerWorks and franchiser of over 150 Golden Crust stores Lowell Hawthorne are counted in that number. Maybe most follow Malcolm X’s suggestion to put your religion in the closet temporarily for the greater good of the people.
Though a stroke hit him in January 2008, CACCI’s CEO was wise and ready for an interview done December 18. While others may panic over the current recession, Hastick is positive. “I see hope on the other had. Now is the time for small businesses to review their business plans, connect with other entrepreneurs and learn to access federal, state and city resources,” remarked Hastick. “Join business improvement districts, merchant associations and chamber of commerce. They’re here to grow commerce for the collective good. The SBA and Business Solution Centers have answers. In fact, the SBA has dedicated business assistance for veterans.”
What keeps CACCI afloat is the membership dues and corporate sponsors; therefore the organization isn’t constrained by the current lack of credit. “Most businesses rely on credit for their working capital, explains Hastick, “This is how leases, inventory, and employee payroll is paid.” There are such credit sources as NYS Business Development Corp and credit worthiness is paramount. Hastick stresses receiving mortgage counseling and reviewing one’s credit report throughout the year.CACCI is on the verge of closing a contract with NYC to purchase property in East Flatbush near Erasmus Hall High School. The undisclosed location is 2,800 s.f. that will be the home for the Caribbean Trade Center after renovation of a two-story building. Renovation is estimated to commence late 2009
PC Knowldege Base
Last week, I had one inciddent after the other with a Compaq Presarion 5200. Anyone with a little PC sense, knows the PC is outdated. Yes, but I hold onto it nonetheless. It gets less and less.
First the keyboard and mouse would freeze. I figured out that if I didn't touch the keyboard, the mouse worked indefinitely. Trouble is I can't write new email nor respond to email. The same is true for other applications.
For a couple weeks, I went between public spaces with a flashdrive to write. Imagine being on deadline and having to find a free PC to write and, then, send the material.
Two PC technicians explained that serial ports blow. Maybe that was the problem or maybe a virus was wreaking havoc. If so, just back up the harddrive, and reformat it. That's simple. Of course it's not simple. An external harddrive is required that must be formatted NTFS and the skill to know how to reformat the C:/ and D:/ drives.
Mind you, I'm not a computer geek, though I love to write about it. Apparently, I'm getting my geek certificate on the sly because I'm learning and doing. I had to talk to India four times but I'm learning.
Politicos are Just Public Servants for Sake of Recovery
US Representatives Yvette Clarke and Ed Towns packed Brooklyn Academy of Music with curious, hopeful Brooklynites, Saturday, April 4, 2009. The draw was learning what New Yorkers stand to gain from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—a/k/a Obama Money. Using the town hall model, news commentator Errol Louis emceed the cavalcade of satisfied Democratic leaders, deputy mayors, and state agency officials. Two key messages throughout the run down of agencies, funding allocations, Web sites and point persons were the time for relying on the government to handle things was over; now everyone is required to participate in the recovery. Most speakers described themselves as public servants.
State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said, “New York State will receive $24.6 billion that will keep needed programs operating and create 80,000 new jobs.” The billions is channeled through several public agencies and administered by various offices within each agency. The concern is moving the money from accounting spreadsheets and policy memos to shovel ready projects and programs that employ and serve New Yorkers as quickly as possible.
Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs explained the Mayor’s Office placed the streams of recovery funds into “five thematic buckets:” Safety Net, Infrastructure/Energy Efficiency, Public Safety, Neighborhood Stabilization and Economic and Workforce Development. Gibbs identified the streams that went into each bucket and the deputy mayor and his chief of staff who is accountable. In short order, Errol Louis had each deputy mayor, state agency representative tell their funding allocations and Web sites to learn more about the programs.
Some funding winners include child care, Head Start, Workforce 1 Centers, repairs to public housing, low income housing tax credits and MTA station capital projects. However, the city received only $400,000 for the arts. Representing NYS Council on the Arts, Danny Simmons questioned this miniscule allotment; given the city’s art scene has been an economic engine. Simmons pointed to Brooklyn’s newfound attractiveness is due to the abounding art and culture. Simmons sadly added the money came too late to save the Dance Theater of Harlem which recently closed its doors.
Whether it is a coincidence or divine order that so many African Americans have critically powerful positions in government during this economic downturn shall be revealed. As it stands the US President’s father is a Kenyan. New York’s Governor is African-American. New York State Senate Leader is African American. One US Representative’s family hails from maroon country in Jamaica. The other US Representative is a North Carolina-born African American.
To stay on top of the Obama Money’s dispersal and outcomes in New York State and the city, visit the following Web sites:
www.nyc.gov/StimulusTracker;
http://www.recoveryny.gov/ and www.arra.org.
Labels: Brooklyn, economic recovery, economic stimulus package, Ed Towns, Yvette D. Clarke
The next Queen Afua Wellness Institute fasting shut-in, slated for March 21, 2009 at Harlem’s National Black Theater, will be a decidedly different event for the public. Promoted as the Economic Wellness Stimulus Package, this shut-in showcases the preliminary results of a twelve-week disease prevention and optimal wellness program, which is a collaboration between Queen Afua, holistic wellness care supervisor and Dr. Bernadette Sheridan, MD, FAAFP.
