Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral. (New York Times) While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid

“Although the court did not deny that voter discrimination still exists, it gutted the most powerful tool this nation has ever had to stop discriminatory voting practices from becoming law. Those justices were never beaten or jailed for trying to register to vote. They have no friends who gave their lives for the right to vote. I want to say to them, Come and walk in my shoes.” – Congressman John Lewis, reacting to the U.S Supreme Court’s Shelby v. Holder decision in 2013 Fo

The General Election this is November 3, 2020. There are three openings for Yonkers City Court Judge this year and Verris Shako would like you to cast one of those judicial votes for her. Verris has protected the rights of Yonkers residents. She has represented clients on matters involving criminal, family, and traffic law in Yonkers City Court as well as in many other courts in Westchester County. After years of practice, Verris started her own law practice in 2009. She

I get an ache in my heart every time someone who learns that I am a Vietnam veteran, says “Thank you for your service.” Even before I returned to the United States from my combat tour in Vietnam, I had decided that we were fighting an unjust war. More than 50 years later, watching Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” set off my internal alarm bells, warning against African Americans blindly participating in U.S. foreign policy. Lee’s latest movie is an excellent commentary on some of

YONKERS, NY -- Greyston announced recently that Jeff Henderson, the nationally acclaimed chef, author, and motivational speaker, has joined its board of directors. Henderson’s remarkable personal story and experience in motivating others will enhance the board’s ability to guide Greyston in scaling its social justice mission in Southwest Yonkers and beyond. Greyston is a nonprofit social justice enterprise working to create job opportunities and provide services that enable

In the third week of June, in the middle of the night, classic white racism struck again, burning a Klan-style cross in front of the house that was pushing the latest Black-liberation movement into their conservative, white-dominated town. No, this wasn’t the attack on Travon Brown’s family last week, in Marion, Virginia. It was 59 years earlier, far from the old Confederacy, when my 8-year-old self was awakened to a neighborhood panic. A fiery cross was burning in front

Great art will always stand the test of time. In the summer of 1989, Public Enemy released the most poignant protest song in hip-hop history in “Fight the Power” for Spike Lee‘s gut-wrenching film, Do the Right Thing. Thirty-one years later, the song speaks to a new generation of activists inspired by the killings of unarmed Black people such as Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks. During the 2020 BET Awards, which took place virtually during the

Ten Los Angeles Dodgers players have spoken out against racial injustice in a video released July 16 and committed to use their platforms to amplify the voices of Los Angeles social justice organizations. “For centuries, the Black community has lived in a different America,” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. “Instead of addressing racism, inequality, and injustice, many of us simply look away. “Silence is no longer an option. I’m fighting for my teammates, their families, and t