~ February 2020

NEWSLETTER

CSEA 9200 EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS

Karen Pecora President

Hattie Adams 1st Vice President Union Representative

Tim Cronin 2nd Vice President Union Representative

John Infelice 3rd Vice President

Yazmin Hernandez 4th Vice President

Teri Rella Secretary

Elio Giuliani Treasurer

Juliet Aguiar Union Representative

UNIT OFFICE 112 East Post Road | 4th Floor-Suite 420 White Plains NY 10601-5113 914-995-2151

9200

from Our Co-Chairs ...

Volume 1 / Issue 2 FEBRUARY 2020

Multicultural Committee

CSEA 9200 Multicultural Committee is taking the time to recognize

Black Americans from the past and present. Please check out the wall

located near the 9200 Union Office.

February is Black History Month (BHM), a time when the U.S. reflects on

all the contributions Black Americans have made throughout the country’s

history. BHM has been celebrated in the U.S. for over a century. During

the month of February, schools and communities come together to

commemorate Black American culture, history, and achievements. Given

that racial tensions in the U.S. are now reaching critical levels, some say,

it is imperative that the country find ways to bridge the racial divide.

Although Black history should be studied everyday by everyone in

order for the country to grow, heal and evolve from past transgressions

like slavery, Jim Crow laws, redlining and Black codes, BHM is an

excellent time to shine a spotlight on Black history to pay homage and

create more opportunities for learning.

A quote from a wise man: “At the core, labor unions (we) are working men

and women, unified as one force. Despite any personal differences that

may exist between us, we have banded together to protect and improve

the lives of workers. We rise together for the greater good. We defend one

another like Family”.

Together Everyone Achieves More.

In Solidarity,

Elaine Glover-Payne, Co-chair

Hattie Adams, Co-chair

2 ~ February 2020

“Black History Month is important because it serves

as a reminder of the struggles, tribulations and achieve-

ments of black people both past and present. The reason to choose February to celebrate Black

History is that it was the birthday month of two individuals that greatly influenced African

Americans. Those two people were Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Racial and ethnic

diversity is an expression of God’s manifold beauty. No single race of its culture can

comprehensively display the infinite glory of God’s image, so He gave us our differ-

ences to help us appreciate His splendor from various perspectives.

Celebrating Helps Us Better Stewards of the Privileges and Creates Awareness for All People.”

We celebrate …

KEN JENKINS Westchester County's First African-

American Deputy County Executive

Deputy Executive Ken Jenkins takes his seat at the county exec’s

table on the heels of vast experience in politics. In addition to having

served as the president of the Yonkers chapter of the NAACP and the

chairman of the Yonkers Democratic Committee, Jenkins went on to

become the chairman of the County Board of Legislators.

We also celebrate …

DENISE BERKLEY newly elected CSEA Statewide Executive Vice President

Ms. Berkley is the chair of AFSCME’s Racial, Social and Economic Justice

Workgroup where she leads union members across the country in

addressing racism and injustice both in the labor movement and in

the larger national conversation. She is also currently running for CSEA

State Wide Election 1st Vice President.

3 ~ February 2020

The Dominican Republic’s Carnival is celebrated every year

during the entire month of February, culminating with the largest celebra-tion on Independence Day, February

27. The Dominican’s cultural identity

and creativity are on display through-out this vibrant month. The festivities in the Dominican Republic can be traced back to the 1500s, in the ruins of a town called La Vega, even before it was celebrated in the capital city of Santo Domingo.

Most towns will send their representa-tives to La Vega around Independence Day to march in the parade, dressed in a variety of costumes from around the country. Carnival in the Dominican Republic is an event in which everyone participates in and prepares for. Most Dominican towns commemorate

Carnival with slight differences from within their own traditions. These distinctions are reflected by the outrageous costume styles and masks, which represent many religious and traditional characters. Each town organizes groups to dress in the same costume or similar colors to symbolize a character representing their individual town. The most commonly known characters are the Diablo Cojuelo (Limping devil), the Calife, and Roba la Gallina (Steal the Chicken).

The Diablo Cojuelo is the most popular character seen throughout Carnival. It is viewed as a flamboyant costume and some suggest it symbolizes early colonizers of the Americas. The interesting history of Dominican Republic independence intertwined with their awe‐inspiring Carnival in February is an experience everyone should have at least once in his or her lifetime.

https://www.donquijote.org/dominican-culture/holidays/dominican-independence-day/

4 ~ February 2020

Most people think of Rosa Parks as the first person to refuse to give up their seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. There were actually several women who came before her; one of whom was Claudette Colvin.

It was March 2, 1955, when the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl

refused to move to the back of the bus, nine

months before Rosa

Parks’ stand that

launched the Montgom-

ery bus boycott. Clau-

dette had been studying

Black leaders like

Harriet Tubman in her

segregated school,

those conversations

had led to discussions

around the current day

Jim Crow laws they

were all experiencing.

When the bus driver

ordered Claudette to get

up, she refused, “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one

side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the

other side of me pushing me down. I couldn't get up."

Claudette Colvin’s stand didn’t stop there. Arrested and

thrown in jail, she was one of four women who challenged

the segregation law in court. If Browder v. Gayle became

the court case that successfully overturned bus

segregation laws in both Montgomery and Alabama, why

has Claudette’s story been largely forgotten? At the time,

the NAACP and other Black organizations felt Rosa Parks

made a better icon for the movement than a teenager. As

an adult with the right look, Rosa Parks was also the

secretary of the NAACP, and was both well-known and

respected – people would associate her with the middle

class and that would attract support for the cause. But the

struggle to end segregation was often fought by young

people, more than half of which were women.

Image: Claudette Colvin by Phillip Hoose

While Jewish and African

American communities have a

tumultuous shared history when it comes to

the pursuit of civil rights, there is a chapter

that is often overlooked. In the 1930s

when Jewish academics from Germany

and Austria were dismissed from their

teaching positions, many came to the

United States looking for jobs. Due to the

Depression, xenophobia and rising anti-

Semitism, many found it difficult to find

work, but more than 50 found positions

at HBCUs in the segregated South.

Originally established to educate freed

slaves to read and write, the first of the

Historically Black Colleges and

Universities was Cheyney University in

Pennsylvania, established in 1837. By the

time Jewish professors arrived, the number

of HBCUs had grown to 78. At a time when

both Jews and African Americans were

persecuted, Jewish professors in the Black

colleges found the environment

comfortable and accepting, often creating

special programs to provide opportu-

nities to engage Blacks and whites in

meaningful conversation, often for the first

time.

In the years that followed, the interests of

Jewish and African American communities

increasingly diverged, but this once-shared

experience of discrimination and interracial

cooperation remains a key part of the Civil

Rights Movement.

Image: Melrose Cottage, built in 1805, Cheyney University of

Pennsylvania. | http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-history-little-known-facts/

5 ~ February 2020

One in four cowboys was Black, despite the stories told in popular

books and movies ...

In fact, it's believed that the real “Lone Ranger” was inspired by an African

American man named Bass Reeves. Reeves had been born a slave but

escaped West during the Civil War where he lived in what was then known as

Indian Territory. He eventually became a Deputy U.S. Marshal, was a master

of disguise, an expert marksman, had a Native American companion, and

rode a silver horse. His story was not unique however.

In the 19th century, the Wild West drew enslaved Blacks with the hope of

freedom and wages. When the Civil War ended, freedmen came West with

the hope of a better life where the demand for skilled labor was high. These

African Americans made up at least a quarter of the legendary cowboys who

lived dangerous lives facing weather, rattlesnakes, and outlaws while they

slept under the stars driving cattle herds to market.

While there was little formal segregation in frontier towns and a great deal of personal freedom,

Black cowboys were often expected to do more of the work and the roughest jobs compared to their

white counterparts. Loyalty did develop between the cowboys on a drive, but the Black cowboys

were typically responsible for breaking the horses and being the first ones to cross flooded streams

during cattle drives. In fact, it is believed that the term “cowboy” originated as a derogatory term

used to describe Black “cowhands.”

Esther Jones was the real Betty Boop … The iconic cartoon charac-

ter Betty Boop was inspired by a Black jazz singer in Harlem. Introduced by cartoonist Max Fleischer in 1930, the caricature of the jazz age flapper was the first and most famous sex symbol in

animation. Betty Boop is best known for her revealing dress, curvaceous figure, and signature vocals “Boop Oop A Doop!” While there has been controversy over the years, the inspiration has been traced back to Esther Jones who was known as “Baby Esther” and performed regularly in the Cotton Club during the 1920s. Baby Esther’s trademark vocal style of using “boops” and other childlike scat sounds attracted the attention of actress Helen Kane during a performance in the late 1920s. After seeing Baby Esther, Helen Kane adopted her style and began using “boops” in her songs as well. Finding fame early on, Helen Kane often included this “baby style” into her music. When Betty Boop was introduced, Kane promptly sued Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation stating they were using her image and style. However video evidence came to light of Baby Esther performing in a nightclub and the courts ruled against Helen Kane stating she did not have exclusive rights to the “booping” style or image, and that the style, in fact, pre-dated her. Baby Esther’s “baby style” did little to bring her mainstream fame and she died in relative obscurity but a piece of her lives on in the iconic character Betty Boop.

Image: Bass Reeves, The first African-American US Deputy Marshal This and additional information can be found on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-history-little-known-facts/

Image: Esther Jones ("Baby Esther"), late 1920s by James VanDerZee This and additional information can be found on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-history-little-known-facts/

6 ~ February 2020

7 ~ February 2020

“SOME” OF THE CHARITIES

ACCEPTING DONATIONS:

FIREFIGHTERS …

• New South Wales Rural Fire Service:

https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/about-us/fundraising

• Victoria Country Fire Service:

https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supporting-cfa#donate-cfa

WILDLIFE …

• WIRES (WIRES is the New South Wales

Wildlife Information, RESCUE, and Education Service):

https://www.wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund

• Port Macquaire Koala Hospital:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-thirsty-koalas-devastated-by-recent-fires

PEOPLE & GENERAL …

• Salvation Army: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/donate/make-a-donation/donate-online/?appeal=disasterappeal

• Australian Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-donate

• St. Vincent De Paul Society: https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw

• The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR):

https://frrr.org.au/cb_pages/supporting_bushfire-affect-ed_communities.php

OUR HEART & SOUL GO OUT TO

EVERYONE TOUCHED BY DEVASTATION

Cares 9200

8 ~ February 2020

1

John S. Rock be-comes first African American to prac-tice before the US

Supreme Court - 1865

2

Ernest Just is first recipient of the

NAACP’s Spingam Medal - 1915

3

John Mercer Lang-ston, US Congress-

man, speaks at Alabama capital -

1868

4

Rosa Parks, civil rights pioneer, born

- 1913

5

Bob Douglas becomes first

African American elected into the

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame - 1972

6

Arthur Ashe, first African American

man to win a singles title at

Wimbledon dies -1993

7

Frederick Douglass and

African American delegation see

President Andrew Johnson at the

White House - 1867

8

Joe Black, first African American

pitcher to win a World Series

game, born - 1924

9

President Lyndon Johnson meets Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. at the White

House - 1965

10

Alex Haley, author of Roots, dies -

1992

11

Charles Langford, lawyer who

represented Rosa Parks, dies -

2007

12

National Association for the Advance-ment of Colored People (NAACP) founded - 1909

13

Absalom Jones, first African Ameri-

can Protestant minister, dies -

1818

14 VALENTINE’S

DAY

Richard Allen, founder of African Methodist Episco-pal Church, born -

1760

15

Henry Lewis named first Afri-

can American conductor of a

major American orchestra - 1968

16

Frederick Douglass appointed president of Freedman’s Bank

& Trust Co. - 1874

17 PRESIDENTS’

DAY

Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. hung in Georgio’s capital -

1974

18

Quakers are first to formally protest

slavery - 1688

19

George Bridgetow-er, violin virtuoso,

makes London debut - 1790

20

Frederick Douglass, statesman, publish-er, and abolitionist,

dies - 1895

21

Malcolm X assassinated - 1965

22

Salem Female Anti-Slavery

Society founded - 1832

23

W.E.B. Du Bois, schol-ar and founding

member of NAACP, born - 1868

24

Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes first African Ameri-

can woman to earn an MD - 1864

25

Hairam Revels,k representing Mis-sissippi, seated as

first African Ameri-can in the US

Senate - 1870

26 ASH

WEDNESDAY Andrew Brimmer

appointed first African American

governor of the Federal Reserve

Bank - 1966

27 DOMINICAN

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Charlotte E. Ray

becomes first female African

American lawyer - 1872

28

George Washing-ton answers

Phillis Wheatlley’s letter - 1776

FEBRUARY 2020

9 ~ February 2020

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10 ~ February 2020

11 ~ February 2020

Stop by and

take a look at

…

THE WALL

…

See it in it’s

true essence

12 ~ February 2020

… COMING TO A WESTCHESTER CITY NEAR YOU !!!

13 ~ February 2020

… COMING TO A WESTCHESTER CITY NEAR YOU !!!

14 ~ February 2020

… COMING TO A WESTCHESTER CITY NEAR YOU !!!

In the spirit of empowerment,

inspiration and encouraging

women across all boundaries

to recognize their own

potential, Westchester County

Executive George Latimer is

proud to announce the 2nd

annual Wow Conversations, a

women’s empowerment

event. The event, held on

Friday, March 13 in honor of

International Women’s Day at

Manhattanville College, was

created last year to bring

together women of different

backgrounds, professions and

experiences, to celebrate

community and the commit-

ment to supporting one

another.

For more information, visit ...

https://

www.westchestergov.com/

wow-conversations.

15 ~ February 2020

… COMING TO A WESTCHESTER CITY NEAR YOU !!!

AP

RIL

1

16 ~ February 2020

… COMING TO A WESTCHESTER CITY NEAR YOU !!!

17 ~ February 2020

The Committee

18 ~ February 2020

CSEA 9200 Multicultural Committee Co-Chairs: Hattie Adams & Elaine Glover-Payne

• Danielle Blackwell • Justin Gonzalez • Sheryll Brownlee

• Desiree Nieves • Lenore Sherrod-Higgs • Tenecia Williams

• Eustaquia Galan • Reni George • Tracy Alberto

• Jesse Prince • Richard Solensky • Yajaira Maldonado

• John Rahmer • Ronnie Cox

Committee Things to Come:

WESTCHESTER COUNTY MULTICULTURAL COOKBOOK - Westchester County & CSEA members are welcome to submit YOUR favorite family recipe

(& 1 or 2 family picture/s if you’d like) - Committee Contact: … more info to come

TRAVEL SIZE TOILETRY BOTTLES NEEDED - UNUSED Male & Female products: lotions, soaps, tooth paste, mouth wash, etc…

Committee Contact: Hattie Adams, re: Sample Bottles

DONATIONS WANTED: COLLECTING OLD EYEGLASSES Committee Contact: Hattie Adams, re: Old Eyeglasses

Desktop Publishing by: Sheryll Brownlee

Valentine’s Day Friday February 14 Presidents’ Day Monday February 17 Ash Wednesday Wednesday February 26 Independence Day (of Dominican Republic) Thursday February 27

St. Patrick’s Day Tuesday March 17 Palm Sunday Sunday April 05 Passover (Jewish) Wednesday April 08 begins at sundown Good Friday Friday April 10 Easter Sunday April 12 Ramadan (Muslim) Thursday April 23 begins at sundown Cinco de Mayo (Hispanic) Tuesday May 05 Mothers’ Day Sunday May 10 Eid al Fitr (Muslim) Saturday May 23 at sundown Memorial Day Monday May 25 Juneteenth Friday June 19 Father’s Day Sunday June 21 Independence Day Saturday July 04 Eid al Adha (Muslim) Thursday July 30 at sundown

More added each month … There may be other Observances that we would like to include ...

Please forward that information to Hattie Adams, Committee Co-Chair. Thank you

Important Dates Observed