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Newsletter of Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey
Citation preview
Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey
defended members of the United Steel Work-
ers of America, Local 8751, Boston School
Bus Drivers’ Union, during a demonstration,
last June, against a labor contract proposed by
First Student, Inc., the private bus company
that operates the City of Boston’s school bus
system.
Several elements of First Student’s labor
contract have been labeled by the union as anti
-union, and discriminatory.
Councillor Yancey told the crowd of nearly
200 union supporters that they deserve a con-
tract with decent benefits, and that they should
continue to fight against all forms of injustice
and exploitation. “The very people we trust to
transport our most precious resource, our
young people, seem to be treated like second-
class citizens. I believe that all working people
need to be treated with dignity and respect,” he
said.
A strike was thwarted after the School Bus
Drivers’ Union and First Student agreed to
continue with summer negotiations.
Other union supporters included the Greater
Boston Labor Council, Massachusetts AFL-
CIO, UNITE-HERE Local 26, the Women's
Fightback Network, and the International Ac-
tion Center.
Councillor Yancey called for a moment of
silence to honor those who have lost their lives
fighting for the right to organize, so that orga-
nized labor may exist in the City of Boston,
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the
United States of America. Y2011Y2011Y2011
Yancey 2011
Do the Write Thing honors champs
Yancey favors DOC Commission
Outside Movie Night returns
Boston celebrates 25th Book Fair
Native American Culture honored
Yancey welcome s Urban League
CEO, Mark Morial, to Boston
Yancey salutes Jah Jah Drummers
Boston entrepreneurs showcased
Yancey pays tribute to veterans
William E. Carter Post is revitalized
Yancey 201120112011
Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey Dean of the Boston City Council
Volume 13, Issue 5
Yancey backs union members in contract dispute
Members of the Yancey family pose for a photograph during the 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair last July in Roxbury. Pictured
above are (l-r) Sarah Yancey, Stephen Charles Yancey, Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey, Marzetta Yancey, Derrick Yancey Jr., Der-
rick Yancey, Sr. and Ashley Yancey (See pages 4 and 5)
August
Councillor Yancey demonstrates with mem-
bers of United Steel Workers of America, Lo-
cal 8751, Boston School Bus Drivers’ Union.
Councillor Charles C. Yancey and USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Driver’s Union or-ganizer, Steve Kirschbaum, rally against First Student, Inc.’s proposed labor contract, which union members called oppressive, anti-union, and discriminatory.
Yancey staffer, JaVonica Latson, and her 4-
year-old niece, Aaniyah Kinn, attend
Charles C. Yancey’s 25th Book Fair last July
in Roxbury. See pages 4 and 5.
2
2
3
4
6
6
7
7
8
8
Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey’s
office recognized winners of Do the Write
Thing (DtWT) Challenge last May at the Uni-
Page Two Yancey 2011, August
“Do the Write Thing” recognizes winners in Boston
Yancey favors creation of Commission to oversee DOC
versity of Massachu-
setts/Boston.
DtWT is an initiative
of the National Cam-
paign to Stop Violence,
a non-profit organiza-
tion composed of com-
munity, business and
governmental leaders
who have come togeth-
er to reduce youth
violence in communi-
ties across the United
States.
Over one million
students have partici-
pated in the DtWT
Challenge, since its
inception. This year,
over 2,000 6th, 7th,
and 8th grade students
from Boston participat-
ed in the DtWT Challenge. It provides middle
school students with an opportunity to exam-
ine the impact of violence on their lives in
classroom discussions and in written form by
communicating what they have seen to be the
causes of youth violence as well as solutions to
help decrease violence in their communities.
The writings of participating students were
reviewed by a panel of volunteers recruited by
a DtWT committee established for participat-
ing localities. Theses panels of volunteers then
selected as a boy and girl from each school
who submitted the most responsive entries as
“school ambassadors.”
The two winners from each city receive lap-
top computers and a trip to Washington, D.C.,
with one parent or guardian, during the Na-
tional Recognition Week, July 16-20, 2011.
The National Campaign to Stop Violence
publishes and places in the Library of Con-
gress a book containing the writings of all the
national finalists.
Councillor Yancey and the Boston City
Council commended the National Campaign to
Stop Violence for empowering students to
reduce violence in their own homes, schools
and neighborhoods. Y2011Y2011Y2011
Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey last
June testified during a Massachusetts State
House hearing in favor of House Bill 1559,
legislation introduced by State Representative
Kay Kahn to create a Massachusetts Correc-
tions Commission as a permanent independent
oversight commission for the Department of
Corrections (DOC).
Yancey said a Commission could lead to the
improvement of public safety for inmates and
employees in Massachusetts prison facilities
and for Massachusetts neighborhoods and
communities with regard to successful re-
entry. He also said a Commission could imple-
ment policies to decrease recidivism rates in
Massachusetts. “Human beings are released
from prisons more dangerous, more disabled,
more wounded, and less prepared to assume
the role of responsible adults than prior to their
incarceration,” he said.
Leslie Walker, executive director of Prison-
ers’ Legal Services in Boston, called the pro-
posed Commission an inexpensive way to
insure that, “Light shines in the dark corners of
Massachusetts’ prisons. It will let legislators
and taxpayers know where their tax dollars are
going. The current system of warehousing as
opposed to treating, training, and educating
prisoners has resulted in public safety concerns
and inexcusably high recidivism rates,” she
said.
Pace University Law School Professor Mi-
chael Mushlin called independent, external
oversight of conditions in correctional facili-
ties an essential tool for protecting human
rights in a closed institutional environment. He
Do the Write Thing winners (l-r) Billy Santana, Arianna Pires,
Radames Ventura, receive awards and recognition from Steve Neville,
who is coordinator of Do the Write Thing, during the organization’s
awards ceremony last May at UMass/Boston in Dorchester.
YYYANCEYANCEYANCEY 2011 2011 2011 AAAUGUSTUGUSTUGUST, V, V, VOLUMEOLUMEOLUME 13, I13, I13, ISSUESSUESSUE 555
PPPUBLISHERUBLISHERUBLISHER Boston City Councillor
Charles C. Yancey
CCCHIEFHIEFHIEF OFOFOF SSSTAFFTAFFTAFF Lynnette Frazier
WWWRITERRITERRITER/E/E/EDITORDITORDITOR Kenneth W. Yarbrough
CCCONSTITUENTONSTITUENTONSTITUENT SSSERVICESERVICESERVICES Ernest “Duke” Bennett &
Lorraine Fowlkes
OOOFFICEFFICEFFICE SSSUPPORTUPPORTUPPORT Edith Monroe
IIINTERNNTERNNTERN Javonica Latson
Anastasia Walker
TTTELEPHONEELEPHONEELEPHONE
617 635-3131
FFFAXAXAX 617 635-3067
EEEMAILSMAILSMAILS
charles.yancey@
cityofboston.gov
called the lack of oversight a situation that is
not a healthy state of affairs for either the in-
mates held in prisons, most of whom will re-
turn to their communities, for the staff who
work in prisons, or for the public whose tax
dollars are used to operate these systems.
Publisher and community activist Jamarhl
Crawford, in a telephone interview following
the hearing, called the Massachusetts prison
system broken and in need of improvement.
“There’s an epidemic going on,” he said, cit-
ing problems such as food deprivation, internal
corruption, smuggling of contraband, and sex-
ual and physical abuse inside the prisons.
Boston Phoenix staff writer, Chris Faraone,
whose six-month investigation of the Massa-
chusetts correctional system yielded a highly
acclaimed article, Trouble over Bridgewater,
testified that he had spent a lot of time, in-
tensely investigating the DOC. “I came to
understand the lack of oversight as the biggest
most shameful thing in Massachusetts, and it
goes unmentioned,” he said.
Others who testified included Reverend Wil-
liam Dickerson of Greater Love Tabernacle
Church; Joanne Miranova of Press Pass-TV;
Darrin Howell, ED of Drive Boston and for-
mer volunteer community advocate for DOC;
and former DOC Commissioner Kathleen M.
Dennehy.
Councillor Yancey said he supported and
encouraged swift passage of H.B. 1559 as is
currently written. “Without the help of govern-
ment, what are communities to do to address
and reverse the hopelessness, mental illness,
untreated anger, and the self-hatred that con-
tinues to lead to bullying, suicides, and ran-
dom violence by those who have been exposed
to a prison culture of intimidation, brutal vio-
lence, rape and murder,” he asked. Y2011Y2011Y2011
Boston City Councillor
Charles C. Yancey, B.O.L.D.
Teens, and the Codman
Square Neighborhood Coun-
cil presented Codman
Square’s third annual Outside
Movie Night this summer at
the Second Church of the
Nazarene in Dorchester. The movies, which were
shown every Friday at 8:00
p.m. at 600 Washington
Street in Codman Square,
included Wall-E on July 22,
Peter Pan on July 29, and
Despicable Me on August 5.
The movies that were cho-
sen for this year’s Outside
Movie Night all incorporated
themes that were related to
Louis D. Brown Peace Insti-
tute’s Seven Principles of
Peace, which include Love,
Volume 13, Number 5 Page 3
Councillor Yancey joins members of B.O.L.D. Teens and the
Boston Police Department during Outside Movie Night last year
in Codman Square.
BOLD Teens and Yancey present “Outside Movie Night”
Yancey delivers keynote speech for New Mission High graduates
Councillor Yancey poses with New Mission
High School staff and students moments be-
fore delivering the keynote speech at New
Mission’s graduation ceremony last June in
Boston. Pictured (l-r) are Dorotea Manuela,
chairperson of New Mission’s Governing
Board; Headmaster Naia L. Wilson; Salutatori-
an Margaret Wogbeh; and Valedictorian
Sermisha Darius. Yancey told graduates to
have gratitude toward their teachers, adminis-
trators, and families. “You studied hard, you
focused, and you have overcome many, many
odds,” he said. Yancey praised New Mission’s
Boys Basketball team, the Titans, for winning
the Massachusetts Division 2 State Title for
the past two years, even without gym facilities
at the school. Yancey urged students and ad-
ministrators to reach out and fight for what is
needed in the community. “I don’t want you
walking around with your heads down, beg-
ging for what your community needs. I want
you to demand it,” he said. New Mission,
which is located at 67 Alleghany Street in
Roxbury, has a strong emphasis on social jus-
tice and preparation for college entrance.
Councillor Yancey, pictured with Dr. Deborah
Dancey, principal of Channing Elementary
School and Steven Sullivan, headmaster of the
John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and
Science, provided remarks for graduating sen-
iors during the John D. O’Bryant’s 115th com-
mencement exercise, last June in Boston. Sul-
livan told students that he took special pride
and satisfaction in all that they had accom-
plished. “You have made your entire commu-
nity proud,” he said. Dr. Dancey, the first fe-
male graduate of the John D. O’Bryant (Then
Boston Technical High School) told students
that graduating does not mark the end of their
journey. “It’s not over. It does not end here,”
she said. Dancey served as an educator, a civil
rights leader, member of the Army’s special
forces, and the first female headmaster at Mad-
ison Park School. The keynote address was
provided by Dr. Joan Y. Reede, dean for Di-
versity & Community Partnership at Harvard
Medical School. She talked about the im-
portance of finding one’s promise. “Each has a
promise but it’s up to you to find out what
your promise is,” she said.
Yancey addresses John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science
Unity, Faith, Hope, Courage, Justice, and
Forgiveness.
Evaluations distributed following the screen-
ings invited spectators to describe their own
perception of how these various themes of
peace are embodied in the films.
Councillor Yancey noted that Outside Movie
Night is intended to entice members of the
community to come out for a joyous and
peaceful occasion.
Alexandra Chery, program coordinator of
B.O.L.D. Teens and manager of Codman
Square Farmer’s Market, said Outside Movie
Night provides a safe atmosphere that attracts
people to participate. “It feels good to see
people you’ve never seen before. People really
love coming out,” she said.
Cynthia Loesch, vice president of Codman
Square Neighborhood Council, said B.O.L.D
Teens and the Neighborhood Council are hop-
ing to expand the concept of Outside Movie
Night to other neighborhoods throughout the
community. “It’s super exciting to see a movie
night in Codman Square,” she said.
The Second Church of the Nazarene provides
space on the side of its building for the mov-
ie’s projection and for community members to
sit on the grass. In case of rain, movies will be
shown inside Great Hall across the street.
B.O.L.D., which stands for Breath of Life
Dorchester, is a youth-led organization that
focuses on environmental and social justice
issues impacting the health and safety of local
communities.
B.O.L.D. Teens started with four youth in the
community that had personally been impacted
by tobacco related illnesses within their fami-
lies. A few of its many achievements include
persuading the Boston Globe to stop advertis-
ing tobacco products, banning the sale of to-
bacco products in all Boston pharmacies, and
creating tobacco warning labels to inform the
community of the toxic chemicals found in
cigarettes and other tobacco products.
B.O.L.D. focused much on the impact of
tobacco and alcohol advertisements on young
people in the City of Boston. The Teens
worked with local merchants to reduce tobacco
and alcohol advertisements. They also devel-
oped a campaign to reduce advertisements in
magazines that appeal to youth audiences. In
addition, the Teens worked with the Massa-
chusetts Banding Together Against Alcohol
Advertisements Coalition to reduce alcohol
advertisements on the City of Boston’s public
transportation system, where thousands of
youth travel everyday in Boston.
Councillor Yancey praised the successful
efforts of B.O.L.D. Teens and the impact that
the group of teenagers has had on the entire
City of Boston. “Their dedication and perse-
verance has improved the quality of life for
many residents of the City of Boston,” he said.
Y2011Y2011Y2011
Page 4 Yancey 2011, August
Bertram Alleyne attends Yancey’s 25th Anniversary Book Fair
Diverse lineup of entertainers per-forms at Charles Yancey Book Fair
Bertram S. Alleyne, II, who was born and
raised in the City of Boston, has attended the
Charles Yancey Book Fair every year since the
book fair’s establishment in 1987. Councillor
Yancey and his wife, Marzetta, launched the
book fair as a means of promoting literacy and
love of reading among Boston youth.
Alleyne said he loves to see the children
smiling. “That’s why I come every year. The
smile on their face is irreplaceable,” he said.
Councillor Yancey said the book fair’s goal
has always been to attract community youth
into learning and becoming excited about life’s
vast opportunities. “The importance of reading
may not always be evident. But one common
denominator shared by many successful peo-
ple is aspiration for reading and learning.
Without exposure to knowledge, we become
encapsulated in a shallow world and blocked
from opportunities around us,” he said.
This year’s theme, 25 Years of Traveling the
World Through Books, accentuated the global
knowledge readers can obtain simply by read-
ing.
Two West African drummers receive assis-
tance on the microphones from radio personal-
ity Charles Clemons of Boston’s Touch 106.1
FM. Clemons served as master of ceremonies
during the 25th Anniversary of the Charles C.
Yancey Book Fair. Participants this year were
entertained by a diverse lineup of entertainers
that included teenage rap sensation, Breje;
Agina’s West African Dancers; author and
storyteller Robert Peters, Ritmo En Accion, a
Latin youth dance group; Celtic music provid-
ed by the Bay State Pipers; Gund Kwok, an
Asian women’s lion and dragon dance troupe;
12-year-old author and poet, Rebecca Noelle
Vama; and Swaggo Inc., a dance troupe orga-
nized by actor, dancer, and choreographer
Kaili Turner. Others who played a role in the
Yancey Book Fair included Reverend Arthur
Gerald of the 12th Baptist Church who provid-
ed prayer; Disc Jockey Gary Marion who pro-
vided music and operated the sound system;
and Squadron Commander Carlton Jones who
led a Civil Air Patrol presentation and the
pledge of allegiance.
Councillor Yancey introduces Gund Kwok, the
only Asian Women Lion & Dragon Dance
Troupe in the United States. The troupe, which
provided entertainment for Yancey Book Fair
spectators, was established in 1998 to give
Asian women an opportunity to express their
creativity, power and strength through per-
forming the lion and dragon dances. The lion
and dragon dances are art forms which require
martial arts discipline, endurance, flexibility
and creativity. The Chinese Lion Dance is
customarily performed during Chinese New
Year to herald in the new year and bring pros-
perity, good luck and peace. It is also per-
formed at other celebratory events to bring
peace and good fortune. The dragon dance, a
form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, is
a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations
held worldwide in Chinatowns around the
world. Gund Kwok, which means heroine in
Chinese, symbolizes women's power and
strength. Traditionally, women's power,
strength and intelligence have been
unacknowledged and hidden from public view.
Matthew Phelps of the Bay State Pipers plays
traditional Celtic music on the bagpipes for an
inspired audience during the 25th Anniversary
of the Charles C. Yancey Book Fair. Phelps,
who has been performing on the Highland
Bagpipe since the age of eight, also plays the
Scottish smallpipes. Phelps has performed at
hundreds of events throughout New England
as well as in Canada, Panama, and Italy. He
also provides instruction for the Boston Police
Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums and is the
Pipe Major of the Stuart Highlanders Pipe
Band(Grade IV) of Wilmington, Massachu-
setts. He is a member of TRI, a trio that plays
Cape Breton music in the Boston area as well
as at festivals across America. He is also a
professional member of the Eastern United
States Pipe Band Association. Councillor
Yancey said the diverse array of entertainment
provided at this year’s book fair reflected the
theme, 25 Years of Traveling the Globe
Through Books. “We featured performances
from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and West-
ern Europe.
Gund Kwok performs Lion & Drag-on Dance for book fair onlookers
Bay State Pipers provides tradition-al Celtic music for book fair crowd
Long-time Boston resident, Bertram S. Alleyne, II, achieves satisfaction observing the enrich-
ment and educational impact of the Charles C. Yancey Book Fair on Boston youth. Alleyne has
attended each book fair since Charles and Marzetta Yancey established the book fair in 1987.
Over 2,000 participants and volunteers packed
into the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center
for the 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book
Fair last July in Roxbury.
Far removed from the Boston street violence
that dictates attention of local main-stream
media, hundreds of ecstatic children received
back-packs stuffed with over 20,000 brand-
new-books.
Councillor Yancey thanked volunteers, spon-
sors and participants for making this year’s
book fair an overwhelming success. He also
thanked Richard Evans for organizing the
diverse roster of entertainment, and he thanked
Keith McDermott, director of the Reggie Lew-
is Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Com-
munity College, for providing a venue for this
year’s book fair.
Councillor Yancey said the Charles C. Yanc-
ey Annual Book Fair this year truly reflected
all neighborhoods of the City of Boston more
realistically than the persistent negative imag-
es portrayed in the mass media.
Volume 13, Number 5 Page 5
Boston celebrates 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair
Yancey receives recognition from Representative Gloria Fox
Councillor Yancey, standing next to Book Fair
Coordinator, Lynnette Frazier (right), receives
a citation from the Office of Massachusetts
State Representative Gloria Fox, during the
book fair. Gloria Fox has served the people of
the 7th Suffolk District since 1984. The cita-
tion was presented by Mary Tuitt (left), Repre-
sentative Fox’s chief of staff and also a candi-
date for Boston City Council’s District 3 seat
that is currently headed by Councillor
Maureen Feeney. In accepting the citation,
Yancey recognized the several organizations
that had purchased tables for distribution of
free materials at the book fair. “Your support
of the book fair is crucial to our ability to pro-
vide brand-new-books to Boston children year
after year,” he said. Those organizations in-
cluded NStar, MassVote, McDonalds, Nation-
al Grid, GBOS for Kids, NAACP, Codman
Square Health Center, Boston Police Depart-
ment, Healthy Baby Healthy Child, Chez Vous
Roller Skating Rink, Boston United for Stu-
dents, Generations Incorporated, and the Boys
& Girls Club - Yawkey Club of Roxbury.
Councillor Yancey is joined by Boston City
Councillor Matt O’Malley (left) and Boston
City Councillor Tito Jackson (right), during
the book fair. Other officials present included
Boston City Councillors Michael Ross, Rob
Consalvo, and John Connolly, and State Rep-
resentative Russell Holmes. Rep. Holmes said
reading is fundamental. Councillor Consalvo
called the book fair a great thing for reading
and literacy in the City of Boston. Councillor
Connolly, who said the success of Boston
Public Schools starts with reading at home,
announced that he supports Councillor Yanc-
ey’s efforts to build a new high school in Mat-
tapan. Also present was Marchelle Raynor,
vice chair of the Boston School Committee.
Raynor, who also serves as a Head Start pro-
gram director, congratulated participants for
making the choice to attend the book fair.
“This is real violence prevention. This is what
keeps our children safe,” she said. Retired
State Representative Willie Mae Allen and
Boston City Council at-large candidate Wil-
liam Dorcena also attended the book fair.
Several members of the Boston Police Depart-
ment participated in the Yancey Book Fair,
providing not only sponsorship and supervi-
sion in crowd handling, but also enthusiastic
interaction (as seen above) with the youth. Other Yancey Book Fair sponsors this year
included publisher Tony Rose of Amber
Books, Comcast, Walgreens, Massport, NStar,
Verizon, TJ Maxx, Stop & Shop, Houghton
Mifflin, Citizen’s Bank, Sovereign Bank, NE
Vending, IBEW, Prince Hall Grand Lodge,
Shaws Supermarkets, Blacks In Government,
Red Sox Foundation, Suffolk Construction,
Clear Channel Outdoors, Mt. Washington
Bank, One United Bank, BJ’s Wholesale
Club, BEVCO Associates, Boston City Coun-
cil, Boston Teachers’ Union, New World Se-
curities, McDonald’s Corporation, Mayor
Thomas Menino, Attorney Donald E. Green,
Boston Private Bank & Trust, AOL Time
Warner Books, Coca-Cola Corporation, Radio
Touch 106.1, Reggie Lewis Track & Field
Center, and Sundance Newbridge Educational
Publishing.
Elected officials appear at 25th An-nual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair
Boston Police Department provides enthusiastic assistance at book fair
Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey poses with some of the hundreds of children who
attended the 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair on July 9, 2011 at the Reggie Lewis
Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Councillor Charles C. Yancey
joined Native American Culture
Awareness (NACA) and members
of the Native American community
at a NACA-sponsored powwow
last May in Watertown, Massachu-
setts.
NACA’s mission is to provide
assistance to members of the Na-
tive American Community and to
citizens of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, and to teach tribal
beliefs, histories, spirituality, cus-
toms, as well as personal, family,
and community responsibilities.
NACA, during powwow festivi-
ties, expressed appreciation to the
City of Boston and the Common-
wealth of Massachusetts for elimi-
nating old laws that prohibited
Native Americans from entering into the City
of Boston, and that allowed citizens of old
Boston to shoot, kill or hang Native Ameri-
cans.
Page 6 Yancey 2011, August
Councillor Yancey celebrates Native American culture
President of the Republic of Cape Verde visits City of Boston
Native Chiefs and Medicine men at the Pow-
wow offered blessings to the land on which
Native Americans were previously banned.
Yancey, who had participated in efforts to
remove discriminatory colonial legislation
from city and state charters,
thanked NACA for organizing the
powwow and for
providing assistance to the Native
American community and educat-
ing citizens of Massachusetts about
Native American Culture and Tra-
ditions.
NACA is obligated to teaching the
respect of elders and neighbors,
medicine and healing circles, men
and boys mentoring circles, woman
and girls mentoring circles, the
avoidance of drugs and alcohol,
and the dispelling of myths pertain-
ing to Native American cultures
and traditions.
NACA, which was formed and
founded by George "Lone Wolf"
Thomas (of Pequot and Cherokee
inheritance) and other Native Americans, is
comprised of community members who teach
Native American culture, traditions, beliefs,
and history. Y2011Y2011Y2011
Councillor Yancey honors His Excellency
Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires, President of
the Republic of Cape Verde, and his wife,
Adélcia Barreto Pires, during their visit to
Boston last June. Pires was elected President
of the Republic of Cape Verde on February 25,
2001. The country, under his leadership, has
experienced substantial improvements in
health, education, quality of life, human devel-
opment, as well as significant improvement in
the defense of the environment. His early years
as a soldier, a mobilizer, and a military com-
mander positioned Pires as a pivotal player in
the elimination of colonial domination in Cape
Verde. In 1973, he was chosen to chair The
National Commission of the African Party for
Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
(PAIGC) for Cape Verde. In October 1974,
Pires returned to Cape Verde to lead the Cape
Verdean branch of PAIGC. Pires has also
served as member of Parliament of Cape
Verde, the first Prime Minister of the inde-
pendent nation of Cape Verde, and as Assis-
tant Secretary General of PAICV.
Councillor Yancey welcomes Urban League
CEO, Marc C. Morial, to the City of Boston
during the 2011 Urban League Conference last
July in Boston. Yancey presented Morial with
a resolution commending his tremendous lead-
ership in city and state government as well as
at the National Urban League. Morial has
served as a mayor, a state senator, an attorney,
and entrepreneur, and an educator. Morial, as
Mayor of New Orleans, was a popular chief
executive with a broad multi-racial coalition
who led New Orleans’ 1990’s renaissance, and
left office with a 70 percent approval rating.
Morial, as a Louisiana State Senator, was
named Legislative Rookie of the Year, Educa-
tion Senator of the Year, and Environmental
Senator of the Year, while authoring laws on a
wide range of important matters. Morial’s
creativity and leadership at the Urban League
has led to initiatives such as the Urban Youth
Empowerment program to assist young adults
in securing sustainable jobs, and Entrepreneur-
ship Centers in 5 cities to help the growth of
small businesses.
Councillor Yancey joined the Sierra Leone
Cultural Organization, Inc. last April in cele-
brating Sierra Leone’s 50th Independence
Anniversary during a flag raising ceremony at
Boston City Hall. Democracy in Sierra Leone
is slowly being reestablished after the civil war
from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of
thousands of deaths and the displacement of
more than 2 million people. Ernest Bai Koro-
ma has been Sierra Leone’s President since
September 17, 2007. The president in Sierra
Leone is elected by popular vote for a five-
year term. The new government's priorities
include furthering economic development,
creating jobs, and stamping out endemic cor-
ruption. Political stability has led to a revival
of economic activity such as the rehabilitation
of bauxite and rutile mining, which are set to
benefit from planned tax incentives. A number
of offshore oil discoveries were announced in
2009 and 2010. Sierra Leone Cultural Organi-
zation, Inc., was established in 1983 to pro-
mote Sierra Leonean cultures and the history
of the Amistad.
Yancey welcomes Urban League CEO, Marc Morial to Boston
Sierra Leone Cultural Organization cele-brates 50th Anniversary of Independence
Councillor Charles C. Yancey poses with members of the Native Ameri-
can community during a NACA-sponsored powwow last May in Water-
town, Massachusetts.
Councillor Charles Yancey praised members
of Jah Jah Drummers for preserving the Art of
African drummology in the City of Boston
during a special performance honoring the
group’s 15th anniversary last June at Unity
Sports and Cultural Club in Dorchester.
Jah Jah Drummers is an ensemble of accom-
plished percussionists of the Caribbean Afri-
can American Black Diaspora that has been
performing in the Boston area since 1996.
The group’s founder and president, Glen
Noel, is a native of Trinidad and Tobago, and
an accomplished African Congo Drum player.
Noel, a percussionist for 30 years, skillfully
Volume 13, Number 5 Page 7
Councillor Yancey recognizes Jah Jah Drummers
Boston entrepreneurs generate economic activity
leads Jah Jah Drummers in chants, spirituals,
and traditional Afro Caribbean songs .
The group has provided performances, lec-
ture demonstrations, and drumming instruc-
tions for countless occasions, including
Kwanzaa and Black History Month celebra-
tions, Haitian Independence observations, anti-
violence affairs, and various com-
munity events for children and
churches.
Its astonishing performances -
through stories, praise-songs, and
poetry - provide a primordial recol-
lection of the rich cultural roots of
slave ancestors, slave experiences,
and the rituals and traditions of the
mother-country, Africa. Jah Jah Drummers, during the
anniversary celebration, introduced
its new slogan, Drums not Guns,
which Noel calls an attempt to
eliminate the mentality that guns
should be used to settle disputes.
Jah Jah Drummers, as a means of
enticing youth away from the streets and help-
ing to expose them to a positive experience,
offers free drum lessons every Monday night,
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Unity Sports and Cul-
tural Club in Dorchester.
For more information about Jah Jah
Drummer’s free drumming lessons, call Glen
Noel at 617 888-6465.
Jah Jah Drummers holds Peace Walk
Jah Jah Drummers sponsored an anti-
violence walk, Drums not Guns: Walk for
Strength and Unity, last July. The walk started
at Dudley Station and ended at Franklin Park
Zoo, where participants gathered to hear
speakers and entertainment.
Councillor Yancey called the various efforts
of participating organizations helpful in dimin-
ishing future acts of violence in the City of
Boston.
Participants included Jah Jah Drummers,
Lion Entertainment, World Wide Culture Ser-
vices, World Cares Organization, Big City
101.3 FM, and International Support & Chari-
ty Association of Boston, Inc. Y2011Y2011Y2011
LaWanda McClorin (3rd from right), owner of Bag Lady Boutique, recently celebrated the opening of her business at 145 Washington Street in Dorchester. Born and raised in Bos-ton, McClorin, an administrator for the Depart-ment of Youths Services for the Common-wealth of Massachusetts, said she always wanted to open a women’s boutique and was following her dream. “I wanted something metro and modern where styles are unique,” she said. Councillor Yancey presented McClorin with a resolution congratulating the grand opening of Bag Lady Boutique. The boutique, which offers unique, one-of-a-kind clothing not available in other stores, is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thomas Edmund, owner of Ashley's Breakfast Shop at 260 Bowdoin Street in Dorchester, greets Governor Deval Patrick, one state sena-tor, two state representatives, and four Boston city Councillors last April at his restaurant in Boston. Edmund, who emigrated from Trini-dad in 1987, attained a job at 260 Bowdoin Street, washing dishes and mopping floors. He called himself a workaholic who worked day and night. But Edmund’s respectable work ethic created an excellent relationship with the former owner and he acquired the business in 1996, establishing one of Boston’s finest breakfast restaurants. Hundreds of customers have complimented Ashley’s food. “We love serving people and we enjoy all the compli-ments,” Edmund said.
Princess Hair Palace at 1876 Dorchester Ave-nue in Dorchester recently expanded its hair-styling services to include massage therapy, nail-care essentials, skin care therapy, and professional makeup artistry. Councillor Yanc-ey joined owner, Princess Cedeno and friends during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last June. Cedeno emigrated from the Commonwealth of Dominica 30 years ago. She’s been a licensed hair stylist in the Boston area for the past 20 years. She enhanced services at the requests of her customer. “The neighborhood loves it,” said Cedeno. The solon’s hours are Tuesday (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), Wednesday (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Thursday (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), Friday (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), and Saturday (7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).
Members of Jah Jah Drummers accept a resolution from
Councillors Yancey’s office that praised the group for pre-
serving the Art of African drummology in Boston.
Councillor Yancey poses with Glen Noel, the
founder, president and artistic director of Jah
Jah Drummers. Noel, who is a native of Trini-
dad and Tobago, is an accomplished African
Congo Drum player.
Ashley's Breakfast Shop receives praise Princess Hair Palace now offers Spa services
Bag Lady Boutique opens in Dorchester
Yancey 201120112011
William E. Carter Post is revitalized
Councillor Yancey lays wreath for Boston veterans
Post No. 16, located at 1531 Blue Hill
Avenue in Mattapan, was chartered in
1919. The Carter Post is named after
multi-war veteran, African American
Army Sergeant, William E. Carter,
whose name is also memorialized by
the titling of the William E. Carter
School at 396 Northampton Street in
Boston, and the Sergeant William E.
Carter Playground, opposite 650 Co-
lumbus Avenue in Boston.
The Carter Post is one of approxi-
mately 14,900 American Legion posts
located throughout the United States.
Councillor Yancey, as respect for
veterans who made the ultimate sacri-
fice, urged the group to make Carter
Post the best in the country.
“Symbolically, the Carter Post repre-
sents the sacrifices made by countless
veterans,” he said.
The American Legion was founded in 1919
by veterans returning from Europe after World
War I, and was later chartered under Title 36
of the United States Code. Y2011Y2011Y2011
Councillor Charles C. Yancey solemnly lays
a red, white and blue wreath at the gravesite of
13,000 veterans buried at Mount Hope Ceme-
tery in Mattapan, during Boston’s annual Me-
morial Day Observance on May 30, 2011 in
Mattapan.
Yancey, who provided the keynote speech for
the annual observance that began in 1921,
noted that, historically, the ethnic and gender
makeup of soldiers greatly differs from the
biased image portrayed by Hollywood. “It’s a
one dimensional image where most soldiers
are depicted as white and male,” he said.
Instead, those who have sacrificed for the
principles for which the Nation stands, have
included women, Asians, Africans, Europeans,
Native Americans, immigrants and others, he
said.
“The first person to give his life for the estab-
lishment of the United States of America was
an African Native man, Crispus Attucks, who
sacrificed his life on March 5, 1770,” said
Yancey. Attucks became the first man to fall
in the American Revolution along with Samuel
Maverick, James Caldwell, Samuel Gray and
Patrick Carr.
Yancey also talked about the abusive treat-
ment of African American soldiers returning
home after World War II. The soldiers were
confronted by state and local Jim Crow laws,
which mandated de jure racial segregation in
housing, education, and public places. “The
African American soldiers returning from
Europe were no less patriotic than any other
soldiers that participated in defense of the
United States of America, but African Ameri-
can soldiers were treated worse than Nazi war
prisoners,” he said.
Today, the demographics for homeless veter-
ans in the City of Boston indicate that the pop-
ulation’s racial makeup is approximately 85
percent African American, 10 percent Cauca-
sian, and 5 percent Hispanic.
Councillor Yancey recently reintroduced a
bill he sponsored, ordering the Boston City
Council to convene a public hearing to discus
homelessness among African American veter-
ans.
Before leaving the podium, Councillor Yanc-
ey thanked all the families who have made the
ultimate sacrifice, noting that everyone in the
nation, including himself, has been a benefi-
ciary of the sacrifices made my veterans in the
United States. “We will never forget you and
your sacrifices,” he said. Y2011Y2011Y2011
Councillor Charles C. Yancey joined members
of the William E. Carter American Legion
Post No. 16, last May, to celebrate reopening
of the Post, which had been shut down for two
years for renovations.
Councillor Charles C. Yancey celebrates reopening of
William E. Carter American Legion Post No. 16, with
board members of the local post, last May in Mattapan.
“African American soldiers were treated worse than Nazi war pris-oners”
— Councillor Charles Yancey
August