Op-Led: Spread Love It’s The Mirabal Sisters Way

BY Led Black (@Led_Black)

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“It is a source of happiness to do whatever can be done for our country that suffers so many anguishes. It is sad to stay with one’s arms crossed.” Minerva Mirabal

Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina could not have known that he sealed his own fate when he ordered the brutal murder of las hermanas Mirabal. Trujillo had harassed, intimidated and even imprisoned members of the Mirabal family for years after Minerva Mirabal has rebuffed the dictator’s sexual advances at a party. On the night of November 25, 1960, Trujillo’s henchmen savagely beat 3 of the 4 sisters to death and then staged an accident to cover their tracks. Trujillo would be dead within 6 months.

The Mirabal Sisters could have easily put their safety over the fate of their countrymen. They chose the opposite. Even when their father prematurely died from the inherent stress of confronting a dictator they did not falter. When their husbands were imprisoned and tortured they did not give up their righteous struggle against a tyrant. It was the glorious example they set and their martyrdom that directly led to the downfall of one of the worst despots the world has ever seen. A darling of the United States, Trujillo led a barbarous authoritarian regime that ruled through sheer terror and systematically massacred thousands of innocent people. He ruled Quisqueya with an iron fist for over 3 decades but could not suppress the national revulsion engendered by the sadistic murder of las hermanas Mirabal.

The Mirabal Sisters have unequivocally proven that you can kill the resisters but you cannot kill the resistance. It is that valiant spirit that illuminates the path forward today. Tyrants are not to be tolerated and must be vanquished at all costs. Que Viva Las Hermanas Mirabal!

Pa’Lante Siempre Pa’Lante

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In Memoriam: El General Palominio Paloma

BY Led Black (@Led_Black)

Palominio Paloma - R2 Studios

(Photo: R2 Studios)

Uptown lost one of its most colorful characters recently. While his real name was known by only a handful of people, his self-chosen moniker was El General Palominio Paloma. I think most folks knew him as simply Paloma.

Paloma was an Uptown legend. For the last few decades he has been a fixture in Washington Heights, walking up and down the entirety of the neighborhood impeccably dressed. I mean sharp. You never saw Paloma without his suit and tie and his signature swagger. His clothes practically sparkled and were perfectly and perpetually pressed. It didn’t matter if it was a heat wave in the middle of August, Paloma always looked brand-new.

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Solutions Not Suspensions

by Alpha Diallo

The Liberation Program’s Speak Out had youth calling for an end to suspensions and demanding more mental health resources for NYC schools.

It was at the Brotherhood-Sister Sol where I got to reflect on the time I was suspended. As part of the Liberation Program, I work with other New York City youth to make change in my community. As youth activists and organizers we reflect on our experiences in our neighborhoods and schools. Two summers ago, New York State Senator Robert Jackson visited our building in Harlem. We learned that he sponsored the Solutions Not Suspension Bill, which looks for other ways to handle students misbehaving in schools. It turns out that it’s mostly Black and Latinx youth being suspended for normal teenage behavior. Learning about this bill and talking about my suspension with my facilitators and other youth members helped me understand what happened.

I was 14 years old and in the 9th grade when I was suspended because of a text message. One school day I wasvibing to “United in Grief” by Kendrick Lamar during my advisory class. Suddenly, my advisor pulled me out of the classroom and walked me to the fifth floor. We walked the hallway past the stinky bathroom. I made sure my steps matched the same color tiles. My advisor led me into the principal’s office. He closed the door and said the principal was on her way. My advisor walked out of the office when the principal entered.

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Studio178 Residency

Studio178 is a rotating 12-month residency for artists in one (or more) of four categories: immigrant artists, recent MFA graduates, late career artists, or artists in financial need. The $178/month rental fee is subsidized jointly by cornerstone STUDIOS and Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church.

Applications are being accepted for the 2024-25 Studio178 residency now through February 24, 2024.

Please email [email protected]. to arrange a tour and/or with any questions.

Studios have wood floors, shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, air conditioning, WiFi and storage closets (storage closets not available on 2nd floor). All studios have windows.

More Info: https://cornerstonestudios.nyc/applications

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Summer Multi Sport Camp Lottery 2024 

West Harlem Development Corporation (WHDC) is proud to announce the Riverside Park Conservancy 2024 Summer Multi Sport Camp Lottery. Selected recipients will be awarded three free weeks at the Riverside Park Conservancy 2024 Summer Camp at Riverside Park (W 96th – W 110th St). Exact locations depend on the sport selected*

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Little Lions Summer Camp Lottery 2024

West Harlem Development Corporation (WHDC) is proud to announce the Columbia University scholarships for the 2024 Little Lions Summer Camp.

Selected recipients will be awarded three free weeks at the Columbia University Little Lions Camp – Summer 2024 at the Dodge Fitness Center (3030 Broadway, Manhattanville).

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