On Saturday, August 10, 2019, Pastor Bolling and the Community Baptist Church hosted Community Day. This joyous occasion proved to be insightful, as well as uplifting for the children and residents of this Yonkers, New York community. Prizes like free haircuts, gift certificates, and bikes were raffled off for all those who attended. Coordinator, Mark Corpas, lead the crowd in a spirit driven electric slide, as we all jammed out to gospel music. Although we embrace all types of music, gospel remains at the top of our playlists, especially when we look to connect ourselves for inspiration and spiritual healing. We were honored to participate, and look forward to supporting this event next year.
For more information on how to be apart of Community Day next year contact Mark Corpas at cbcchurchclerks@gmail.com.
This year we were honored to accept an invitation to the HASTAC Conference in Orlando, FL. The opportunity to share our social justice work with the HASTAC community was transcending. We are sending a special thanks to Cathy N. Davidson and Future Initiative. We look forward to participating next year in Canada.
I hope your summer is going well. We are looking to feature NEWpoetry, photography, music, and articlesas we enter the Fall 2019 semester. Please contact us if you have anything you would like to contribute to our publication. Remember, we are the voice of the community!!
I hope the New Year is producing positive and enlightening energy for you and your families. I had some space in my schedule to check out this interview dealing with current issues, in regards to black men & women in urban communities. Although I’m sure these issues are also surfacing in rural communities, it seems that our inner cities are forced to bear the brunt of these misguided views promoted by the media and our government about what we know as Black Culture. Check out this interview, form your own opinions, and let’s try to create positive platforms to share new concepts on the state of Black America. Although the answers may not immediately present themselves, creating open dialogue should provide some form of healing, as we work to do better for the future of our society.
In a time where so much emphasis is placed on what is considered to popular in order to determine what is good and bad, this prompt allowed me to really do some soul searching (as well as the rest of the course work). It’s impossible to not approach this from a Christian world view, well rather it was the most biblically correct way to approach this therefore; Jackie Robinsons chief accomplishment was proving that while being an African American, by taking personal responsibility and cultivating self-control that he too (and anybody then) could achieve great things and leave a legacy that others could follow, the most notably recent example is Colin Kaepernick, while I am not sure of his ethnic origins his actions are well appreciated by many.
On the opposite ends of the spectrum is Michael Jordan who has refused to involve his “brand”, (I say brand because it is after all the star power that gets the attention of the masses long before they find out whether or not you practice what you preach.) publicly in any way that would cause someone to make socio-political decision based upon his influence. Jackie Robinson went as far as too allow the African American community including his own son to ostracize and criticize him in order to maintain the integrity of his campaign to influence “America” to “play fair” again proving that a man’s character and work ethic should be what decides what kind of open doors and opportunities become available to him. Ever since Adam was influenced to bite the fruit in the garden, man’s intrinsic lack of worth and identity has caused him not only to enslave himself, but others too. Jackie’s message was clear, he walked quiet but carried a big stick, “Don’t call me n*gger!”
