HCZ 18th Annual Peace March

HCZ President & Ceo Geoffrey Canada

By Ryan Ngala

[Harlem, New York] – With the overall students and staff members in this community based program at the Harlem Children’s Zone, they were ready to prepare themselves in this movement event that can stop the end of violence not only in the streets of New York but also in our homes, but at this event could end the violence of many loved ones whose lives have been lost forever and hopefully that it’s send a message to many New Yorkers that violence must be stop once and for all. 

It was a gorgeous sunny day, as me and the CSO (College Success Office) group had left the building at 3:45, to wait for further instructions as we headed out and off we went to go to 134^th Street the CSO group was walking their way there throughout park avenue, Madison avenue, and 5^th Avenue at 135^th street as soon as they got to their destination on 134^th Street and 7^th Avenue between the site building of HCZ’s Truancy Prevention and Project Class and Learn to Earn program site.

We was the last group on the line behind Learn to Earn, ETC (Employment and Technology Center) and many other HCZ site group who were above us, when the peace march rally had started to begin some young teens were on the sidewalk so I thought that this was not what the CSO group had in mind, they were supposed to be marching in the street, but not on the sidewalk so they wanted to start all over as they have them to do it all over again, so when the march rally was about to start, we started to walk.

“Let’s go, CSO” said Kim, I was from behind many students so that I know where I was going and I won’t get lost, as we walk to the scene as we turn on 134^th Street and 7^th Avenue at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and as they walk to 136^th Street they begin to chant with their big high voice as they possible could as they started to said “Were gonna shout it out, Peace is what it’s all about”, “We are the future, Don’t you agree?, Stop the violence on kids like me!!!”, “Money for Schools, not for jails.”, and “Marching through the zone to save our own!”.

They started to chant all the way as they were headed to the Harlem Armory as banners, and posters were being held up high and once they were waiting to be letting students inside of the armory, they must have their peace march t-shirt on or otherwise they can’t come in without having it to come off, so as they went inside the armory and up the steps they go as they climb through the stairs from the first floor waiting for many HCZ students and staff to get pass by until they were able to find a seat, as I spotted my site group from CSO and also Tina who put water bottles in a pack of ice so that it can stay cool, the ceremony was about to begin in 5 minutes and as everyone were about to sit down, the ceremony was about to begin.

In the auditorium, when people saw their program logos coming up on a big projector screen, they shouted out the name of their own site group among the different HCZ programs such as ETC (Employment & Technology Center), CSO (College Success Office), Countee Cullen Community Center, Truce Media, Truce Fitness, Learn To Earn, and many more. The shouting continued as audience members started to shout out the names of different HCZ programs represented by individuals who were starting to perform on the big stage.  Booker T. Washington reps were doing the salsa on stage and many flags were being waived by the staff members of Booker T., After their performance, the audience gave them a big round of applause. Some HCZ participants were busy taking great pictures including Will Weeks and me. The event was a great show with some great performers representing Learn to Earn, Truce Media, ETC (Employment & Technology Center) and many others.

But what really did struck me was a performance by the group from Countee Cullen: they performed a cover song to Eminem's "I'm Not Afraid." Their message was about decreasing violence and promoting world peace in this community; they mourned the victims who have lost their lives because of gun violence. Another impressive performance was by the group from the Learn to Earn site program; they did a cover up to a song of Meek Mill's "Amen", adding their own version of the lyrics that told of the violence that is going today. They also mentioned of the HCZ programs in their lyrics.

When the performances were completed, the winners among the students of each HCZ programs were announced. These were students who had participated in a 3 day event of the HCZ summer games. The winners were Promise Academy 1 and 2, Peacemakers North and South, Countee Cullen Community Center, A Cut Above and Booker T. Washington. Next it was the time for a moment of silence for the fallen victims who have lost their lives in the violence era; they are gone but not forgotten. Finally, HCZ President and CEO Geoffrey Canada spoke on behalf of the fallen victims including young ones like Scotty Scott and many others. HCZ staff members held up their candles high up in their hands for the victims who have been lost to violence. They are sorely missed; Many students at the rally wrote on a piece of paper the names of the fallen victims they missed the most.  When the HCZ peace march event was all over, every HCZ site group saw the names of each two fallen victims projected on the big screen.

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The Wisconsin Sikh Temple Attack: The Gunman being identified by authorities kills 6 people in a temple church, Including himself

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By Ryan Ngala

Oak Creek, Wisconsin – With the news that arrived this afternoon that there have been another terrible outburst of violence, a shooting, a very bad one, inside a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee, there was a lot of confusion initially as police responded and the first victims were airlifted out. Tonight the details have become clear and this incident is initially being treated as an act of domestic terrorism; that description comes from local authorities.  The FBI is now on the scene as well and law enforcement officials telling NBC News details about this alleged gunman.  They said he’s a man in his thirties, he was wearing tactical gear during the attack, and he was armed with a single hand gun.  Officials are now searching what they believe is his home, looking for clues about his motive.

The 911 calls began at 10:25am.  There was gunfire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. Worshippers said one service had ended and another was about to begin; families where gathering with small children. “Our officer 20 year veteran, was ambushed, shot multiple times, he is currently at the hospital undergoing surgery, we expect him to recover” said Chief John Edwards of the Oak Creek Police Department. The officer was rushed to Milwaukee hospital along with at least 9 other wounded victims. “And another officer, who was unseen, was engaged by the suspect, our officer did engage that individual, and that individual was deceased” Chief Edwards added.

Authorities said they found 4 people dead inside the temple and two more bodies outside. In the chaos, many people hid throughout the building. For hours police combed through the Temple bringing out survivors.  For family members outside, it was an agonizing wait. “Well my mom, she was one of the ladies that was hiding in the pantry and she called us around eleven, and she told us, she called us very quick and she whispered, she said don’t come she’s like there’s a shooting here” one victim said. Some of the children attending services were as young as 4 years old, “My kids are like 5, we were late today, you know we were just like 10 to 15 minutes late you know, otherwise my kids would be dead in there too” one man said.

Others in the local community who are Sikhs rushed to the scene looking for answers, “Biggest question, we have is just a hate crime, I mean what did we do wrong, since 9/11 we have small attacks on the community” one victim said. There have been incidents nationwide were Sikhs have been mistakenly targeted by anti-Muslims groups, “This is such a tragedy, and hopefully we can use this event to educate Americans about our seek religion” the same victim added. Tonight for the second time in a little more than two weeks, both President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are expressing their condolences to the families of the victims of another mass shooting.

Sources From FoxNews.com reports Officials said the gunman, whom they identified as Wade Michael Page, walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on Sunday and opened fire with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun as several dozen people prepared for morning services. The victims ranged in age from 39 to 84, authorities said. Three others were wounded and remain in critical condition, including 51-year-old veteran police officer Brian Murphy.

Wade Michael Page, 40, turned his 9mm semi-automatic handgun on himself after being shot in the stomach by a police officer who responded to the scene in Oak Creek, Wis. Authorities had previously had said Page was killed with a rifle shot from an Oak Creek police officer after he refused to put down his weapon and fired at the officer. Teresa Carlson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Milwaukee, said investigators reviewed videotape that showed Page died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

India Blackout

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By Ryan Ngala

It was by far the largest blackout in world history, as it peak today nearly 9.5% of the world’s population was without power it happen in India where just under six hundred and seventy million people and that’s twice the size of the U.S. population, found themselves plunge into darkness and grid lock and this involves something that is a bit of an issue in the U.S. an aging and often overwhelmed power grid.

Imagine being caught in a blackout the size of America, and then double it, traffic lights, hundreds of trains, and subways all grinding to a halt, in a written statement saying

“Due to power failure from northern grid Metro will be delay as per actual time. Sorry for inconvenience Caused.”

That’s the kind of chaos that people in India as many as six hundred and seventy million of them faced over the past two days, as half of the national power grid shut down.

So did an electric elevator in a mineshaft in West Bangkok trapping some two hundred coal miners for hours, and with summer temperatures breaking down 100 degrees, air conditioning even fans stop in many hospitals. “I pay for an x-ray” said the patient, “But because of the blackout, I can’t get it now”. Monday’s outage was bad enough but as switches tripped across the country of two thousand miles route from the border through China to Pakistan that was plunge into darkness.

Officials overwhelmed blame the state for using more power than they were allocated by the national government, but analysis say record blackout was bound to happen as an out dated grid just can’t keep up with the appetite of an emerging economic super power. Shereen Bahn of CNBC says “There’s going to be a lot of tough questions to answer, because this has been the worse that we actually seen in over a decade”. 

India is used to blackouts most key faculties like airports and power plants have dedicated generators, but the added costs of fuels that run them hurt struggling Indians, “We need electricity, our machines don’t work and generators aren’t that helpful, everyone’s in trouble” one Indian resident said, tonight power has return to the capitol of New Delhi, but across the world’s second most popularize nation tens of millions remain in the dark. 

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Obama Vs. Romney: The Battle For The Economy

[Evan Vucci/AP Photo]

NBC's Peter Alexander reports about the Obama Vs. Romney battle campaign of who has what it takes to turn this economic climate change around before the election in November.

By NBC News

In the sharpened rhetoric between president Obama and Mitt Romney will speak at the NAACP convention a little later today over the state of the economy.  The NAACP is the nation’s oldest civil rights organization. Romney can expect to face a skeptical audience here, Four years ago then candidate Obama won 95% of the African-American vote but Romney is hoping this community will take a listen to his policies today.

Meanwhile the president and Romney have been going back and forth exchanging fire over everything from taxes to who is most to blame for shipping jobs overseas.

“We tried it their way through multiple last decades, and it didn’t work” President Obama said.

President Obama campaigning in the battleground state of Iowa,

“This old style liberalism of bigger and bigger government and bigger and bigger taxes has got to end and we will end it in November.” Mitt Romney said.

Mitt Romney campaigning in the battleground state of Colorado, new polls show the race is dead even. Romney chose Colorado where the unemployment rate is 9% to dismiss the president’s call to let the bush era tax rates expire, for Americans making more than $250,000 dollars a year.

“So at the very time the American people are seeing fewer jobs created than we need, the president announces he's going to make it harder for jobs to be created.” Romney continued. The President chose Iowa where the unemployment rate is well below the national average at 5.1% to defend his proposal.

“To give me another tax break, or to give Warren Buffett another tax break, or to give Mitt Romney another tax break, that would cost - that would cost about a trillion dollars.” President Obama continued.

And President Obama continued to raise questions about Romney’s business record at Bain capital.

“Governor Romney has experienced owning companies called pioneers in the business of outsourcing.”

But for the first time Tuesday Romney pushed back calling Mr. Obama’s claims false and tried to shift attention to the President’s record. 

“This president has been outsourcing a good deal of American jobs himself. If it’s an outsourcer in chief, it’s president of the united states, not the guy who is running to replace him.” said Romney.

Meanwhile the President’s half brother, George Obama, who lives in a poor neighborhood in Kenya makes a film debut and soon to be released documentary by a harsh critic of the president, tries unsuccessfully to get George Obama to talk critically about his famous half brother.

“The theme of the articles was that Obama had not done anything to help you” he asked George Obama.

“I think he has a family of his own, He’s supposed to help his family, I’m of an age to help myself. He’s got other issues to deal with.” George Obama said.

“Taking care of the world but you shouldn’t start at home.” said the interviewer.

 “Yeah he’s taking care of the world, so he’s taking care of me. I’m part of the world” George continued.

Back to Mitt Romney now, there’s heavy speculation he would announce a running mate as early as this month, well in advance of the republican national convention. The thinking being he would use that running mate to help raise money now to compete with president Obama in the general election. But yesterday he was asked that very question on the trail in Colorado and he couldn’t have been any more vague saying he will make that decision down the road. 

The Day After Election For Congress

From Left-to-right: Joyce S. Johnson, Craig Schley, Charles B. Rangel, Clyde Williams and Adriano Espaillat.

By Ryan Ngala

[Harlem, New York]

Tuesday was the biggest election of the summer season, and the candidates who ran for congress were just getting warmed up. For many people getting their chance to vote and letting their voices be heard as they endeavored to pick the strongest candidates for congress, Tuesday’s primary was their opportunity to get things right for this important community in the heart of New York City.

As the polls opened for election from 6 am - 9 pm, many voters scrambled from schools and office buildings to vote in the neighborhoods where they live. For many residents, exercising their right to vote indicates their courage and willingness to do what is necessary and best for their community during these tough economic times. But what do they really want for the congressional candidates to do in order to fix  things for the community? Usually, this community never expects to get this kind of media attention early in the week.  

This was my first time voting in an election, ever!, I was among the first voters to arrive at my polling place at Ps. 175 located at 175 W. 134th Street; that location is just two stops from where I live on 132nd Street. As I entered into the building, I walked all the way to the back where they were doing the voting. As I stepped into the gymnasium, one of the poll workers at the front desk asked me for my address and I told her what it was. Then she pointed to the 25th District table where I was to stand in line and wait while many other people received their green and white ballot papers. The names of the five candidates were listed: Joyce S. Johnson, Craig Schley, Charles B. Rangel, Clyde Williams and Adriano Espaillat. Each voter then decided which candidate they wanted to vote for; they inserted the green and white ballot paper slip into the ballot scanner; as they inserted the ballot, the machine it read, “Thanks for voting.”

I walked out of the polling place and through the school building, I then walked across 125th Street and Lenox Avenue. I just wanted to see what was going on at Sylvia’s Restaurant; many news media had come there to cover the election story. News crews from NY1, CBS 2, and ABC 7 were amongst those gathered at Sylvia’s. Congressman Charles B. Rangel was expected to arrive soon; when he did, he was greeted by all of his supporters. They were happy for the opportunity to express their love and gratitude to him. He had promoted uplift and change, not only for Harlem, but also for the Bronx, and many people love Congressman Charles B. Rangel and call him “Charlie” as a nickname.  

The number of votes that had been counted by then was just over 8,000, but soon the count was boosted high to more than 12,800 votes. The people were surprised at the miraculous results!  It was a stunning victory that made him the projected winner of the 13th district. “Charlie, we love you!!!” a supporter shouted. At that point, Congressman Charles B. Rangel was being named “The Lion of Lenox Avenue!” His self – determination not only as a champion but also as a warrior has once again made him the trusted leader to the Harlem community.

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Congressman Charles Rangel attends Community Town Hall Forum at First A.M.E Church: Bethel

By Ryan Ngala

[Harlem, New York]

During a special event at the First AME Church - Bethel, Congressman Charles B. Rangel and many guests greeted members of the congregation, To the church they deeply love in the house of God. He discussed issues about the elections, upcoming events and what’s going on in  New York City. This program was a community town hall forum held to inform people about voting in the upcoming election.

The congregation applauded Congressman Charles Rangel as he arrived at the sanctuary of the church, He sat down and after he was able to get everyone’s attention,  he talked about his re-election campaign for the election primary on Tuesday June the 26^th, 2012. In addition, Joyce Johnson, Clyde Williams, and Robert J. Rodriguez are also running for election this Tuesday. 

During his visit to the church, he talked about housing problems, health concerns, and crime in the community.  He asked questions about what people thought is going on in the community, and he spoke about people who drink and party too much. The congressman also voiced criticisms of many news media and local newspapers that report negatively about the Obama administration and its handling of the economy. Charles Rangel said in a statement that “Many people may not like Obama, but they don’t like the company they keep”. 

Finally, Mr. Rangel urged the congregation of the church to get out and vote on Tuesday, June the 26^th, He also reminded young voters to make their voices heard; he emphasized. That this election is so important to this community and that its outcome could bring justice to the people of the congregation. He cautioned voters to choose wisely and select the candidate who is highly capable. When the community town hall forum ended, refreshments were served.

10,000 people march to end racial profiling in a movement event

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By Ryan Ngala

[New York] 

The people were on the streets of 110^th street and 5^th avenue to stop the massive police abuse of people of color and to end the city’s “Stop and Frisk” policy.  It was a broad based movement with the support of the NAACP, Communities United for Police Reform and many other community leaders; they all marched to end needless loss the innocent lives of many people who are being victimized by the “Stop and Frisk” practice.  Their goal was, once and for all, to show their unity and support and to try to make a difference in the New York neighborhood.

The “End Stop and Frisk March” kicks off with many people holding their posters, banners, and signs high.  Some of the slogans that could be read were:“NYPD: Hands Off The Homeless!”, “NYPD: Hands Off Our Dads!”, “NYPD Keep Your Hands Off Me.”, There were also many others including the posters from the NAACP that read “Stop Racial Profiling End Stop & Frisk” at the front side of the banner, and in the back, the poster showed three well known faces of people who have been stopped and frisked by the NYPD police: their names were Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo. 

As the protesters kept on walking, many had refreshments and bottled water just to cool themselves from the summer heat, It was a silent march, and as they started to walk on 5^th Avenue, there was reverence among the marchers. So they started walking downtown and there was some talking going on here and there as they began to enjoy a wonderful time being out there for a good cause.

The march route covered 31 blocks; once and a while, the marchers stopped because of traffic ahead, but otherwise they continued to their destination. 

During that time they kept walking until they arrived at the block of 5^th Avenue and 80^th Street. At that point, some of marchers and onlookers began chanting, and they started to gather in the front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but some of the marchers and protesters signal to the chanters to hush because it was a silent march, Soon all the marchers continued on their way.