n Saturday,
December 20th, song, dance, drumming, spoken word performances
and more will fill the gym at 1150 Carroll Street in Brooklyn from 4 pm
til midnight. There will also be an extensive African market. These are
all part of the annual Kwanzaa celebration held by the Medgar Evers
College (MEC) Student Government Association, the People of the Sun -
Middle Passage Collective, and Akeem Productions.
This year's festivity will be in tribute to Cheryl Byron, Richard
Bartee & Councilman James Davis, all of who joined the ancestors earlier
this year.
Cheryl
Byron, who passed on in June, was an esteemed member of the MEC faculty.
She began as a visual artist in her native land, Trinidad and Tobago,
and for 25 years was a community activist, artist and humanitarian. She
was especially dedicated to the children, who she believed are society’s
most important investment.
She was perhaps best known as the Founder and Executive Director of
Cheryl Byron and Something Positive, an African Caribbean performance
arts organization dedicated to the art and culture of the African
Diaspora.
Stated
Akeem, "Her cultural commitment to the community was tremendous, and we
miss her very much. We felt that the least we could do was pay tribute
to her and keep her memory alive."
Richard Bartee, the second honoree, was a poet who, according to
Matthew Paris, decades before rap and hip-hop, attempted to weave an
elegant and witty rhyming rhetoric out of common street talk.
For many years, this author of poetry, songs and slogans, rode the D
train from the Bronx to Brooklyn, bringing his poetry directly to the
people. This earned him the title "The D Train Poet." Bartee was also
known for his slogan, "More hugging, less mugging" as well as "Black Is
Dutiful" - wordplay based on "Black Is Beautiful."
Bartee was a Christian in the highest sense of the word. He saw in
the life of Christ the value and power of charity and healing. He talked
with everybody, from the indigent, to criminals, to scholarly
intellectuals.
Earlier in
his life, Richard Bartee had been a police officer in Syracuse, New York
- until he refused to join in on brutalizing a young Black prisoner but
instead intervened on his behalf. For this, Bartee was harassed and
eventually fired for insubordination.
This antipathy to police brutality and the courage to stand up
against it were traits he shared with the third honoree, Council Member
James Davis, who fought this scourge both as a civilian and as a member
of the NYPD. Davis also became an instructor at the Police Academy,
where he taught officers from all backgrounds the proper procedures for
arrests and how to interact with people of different racial and ethnic
backgrounds.
In 1990, Davis founded "Love Yourself, Stop the Violence" to deal
with the growing violence in urban communities. He waged war against
guns, drugs, teen pregnancy and school delinquency.
Before meeting his untimely death last July at the hand of a
political rival, Davis was nearing completion of his first term as a
Council Member representing the 35th District of Brooklyn. It was a huge
loss to his constituents and to the city, for Davis was a bold
legislator who never hesitated to speak his mind and vote his
conscience.
"He was a wonderful human being, and we want to lift up his name and
keep his memory in our souls," said Akeem. "We felt it was appropriate
to pay tribute to this important humanitarian."
At
the celebration there will be a special performance by Bigga Haitian
(Charles Dorismond), who was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After
immigrating to New York City in 1975, he lived among Jamaicans in the
Flatbush section of Brooklyn where his exposure to the pulsating rhythms
of reggae music inspired him to study and pursue this style of music. He
became the first Haitian reggae artist to compose and voice his own
lyrics. His most recent CD is titled "Binghi Mon."
Also appearing will be Something Positive, which continues under the
direction of Michael Manswell, as well as Shanto, Crown Heights Youth
Collective, Kowteff, Positive for Children and the MEC Dancers.
If possible, please bring an unwrapped toy for the Christmas toy
drive. These toys will be given out on Christmas to children at the
dinner for members of the community in need, which will be served from
12 noon to 6 pm in MEC’s cafeteria, also at 1150 Carroll Street.
The contribution of warm coats, hats and gloves are also welcome.
For additional information, call Akeem at [718] 270-4902 or [718]
659-4999 or email him at akeem827@yahoo.com. You can also contact
MEC’Student Government Association at [718] 270-4984.
Transportation: take the 2, 3, 4, or 5 subway to Franklin Avenue or
the B49 bus to Crown Street.
