A LOOK BACK INTO  BUFFALO’S HISTORY (Continued from last month)

Community /

Buffalo is viewed as one of the most segregated cities in America. If one were to take a map of the city as it stands today and split it into four sections, it would be easy to identify which ethnic groups lived there. North Buffalo has been known as the predominantly Italian side with its own “Little Italy” running along Hertel Avenue. Many of the Italian families in North Buffalo had roots in the lower Westside, however, with the influx of newer immigration groups and better opportunities for second and third-generation Italian families, many families moved to the northern suburbs of North Buffalo.  The Westside is predominantly Latino, with Puerto Ricans making up most of that group followed by a scattering of Italian families left over after the Italian exodus. South Buffalo is the blue-collar-working-poor Irish part of town. Many of South Buffalo’s residents had ties to the steel and flour mills that dominated the industrial past of the city. The Eastside was a predominantly Polish section of the city, however over the years like the Westside, other groups moved in and made it their own. Although there are still many Polish families and influences in this part of town, with the name of parishes that still have Polish flavor, Buffalo’s Eastside is known as the black or African American part of town. Unfortunately, this section of town is perhaps the largest and yet arguably the poorest, due in part to many decisions made in the past which left the Eastside a forgotten piece of the Buffalo puzzle. The City of Lights Years before the 1901 Pan American Exposition took place within the city limits; Buffalo had already enjoyed growth due to its importance in the shipping industry.  Set some eighty-eight years after Buffalo was burned to the ground by the British during the War of 1812, the Pan-American Exposition was a celebration of the city and the area. At the time of the Pan American Exposition, the city of Buffalo had a population of 350,000 people, making it the 8th largest city in the United States.  Thousands of people from all over the world made their way to Buffalo during the seven-month-long Exposition. Many came to see Nikola Tesla give electrical demonstrations using electrical power fed from Niagara Falls which gave the city of Buffalo its nickname, The City of Lights.  Many others flocked to the city to see musical performances at the Temple of Music. The Pan-American Exposition was planned to take place years before, but due to the onset of the Spanish American War; those plans were put on hold. Following the war, as the United States further began to put its imprint on Spain’s former Latin American territories such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Pan American Exposition became a symbol of Pan Americanism, and the city of Buffalo became a national symbol of pride. To be continued in next month’s column. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports A BITTERSWEET NIGHT, LISTENING TO THE MUSIC OF “GITANAA July 6, 2023/No Comments On Saturday, June 24th, my wife and I joined a few friends and enjoyed a night of live Latin music Read More MAKING A MARK ON OUR YOUTH June 6, 2023/No Comments During my column last month, I wrote about having the opportunity to visit my childhood school, Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy, Read More IT STARTS WITH A BOOK May 12, 2023/No Comments IT STARTS WITH A BOOK On Friday, April 29th, I will have attended the 13th Annual Dia del Ninos y Read More Load More End of Content.

A LOOK BACK INTO  BUFFALO’S HISTORY (Continued from last month) Read More »

ECONOMICS, JUSTICE, LABOR, AND DEMOCRACY!

Politics /

This country’s economic prosperity was – and still is – built on the backs of workers. That included people enslaved and those barely paid or unpaid (e.g., farm workers, home health and domestic workers, caregivers); as well as those whose land was taken through violence and/or trickery. Without workers, there is no economic engine. It’s possible to live in a world where people’s work is justly compensated, their needs are being met; where resources are shared fairly, and activities are undertaken sustainably. That’s not the world we live in – yet. In Capitalism, the means of production are largely privately owned and run to make a profit. In Socialism, the means of production, their administration, and the distribution of goods and services are owned collectively and/or by the government. The US has facets of both systems. Yet do you sometimes feel you’re watching “Capitalism Gone Wild”? Per the conservative Rand Corporation, US government policies have shifted $50 Trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1% since 1975. While wages and subsidies to workers have increased lately due to the pandemic, this has been a drop in the bucket compared to the egregious situation of workers since 1975. It seems reasonable that the capital invested in the means of production requires enough of a return to cover set-up, maintenance, and replacement of assets plus a fair return for the use of the money. However, squeezing out as much profit as possible, and using those profits to ensure still more profits, has resulted in both the extreme concentration of wealth – worldwide as well as in the US – and an extreme concentration of political power. Thus lobbying, political contributions, and close-knit relationships between the politicians and the wealthy/capitalists (with overlap), all results in the elected and appointed decision-makers catering to the largest corporations and capitalists. It’s been called “Government of, for, and by the Corporations.” Labor is vital. During the pandemic, our much-lauded “essential workers”- OFTEN VERY POORLY COMPENSATED – risked their lives to do their jobs. Others care for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities without any pay. Meanwhile, a CEO today makes 300 times (you read that right) more than a worker. This is the reason for unions. Dolores Huerta said, “I think organized labor is a necessary part of democracy. Organized labor is the only way to have a fair distribution of wealth.”   Labor unions enlist our shared power! That power brought us the 40-hour work week, social security, the New Deal (Works Progress Administration, Rural Electrification Act, etc.), fairer wages, benefits, certain environmental and worker safety protections, and more, as well as a push-back against privatization of public goods/needs/services. It also models the power we need to enlist together as people –Democracy – to make sure that people’s needs are covered before billionaires’ excess profits to use in political donations and lobbying campaigns soliciting corporate welfare (aka tax breaks) and favorable legislation for the corporation(s). Many thanks to working people!! Solidaridad, Victory, Healing, Peace, and Love!! And Happy Labor Day!! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics A TRAGEDY July 4, 2023/No Comments LEADING TO AN ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN (a Community Responders Pilot and a Peace Ship for a Nuclear-Free Future) Hola, mis Amigos!!  Read More CAMP PEACEPRINTS 2023: HEALTHY LIVES MATTER June 4, 2023/No Comments ¡Hola, Amigos! Pronto sera el tiempo por los ninos para ir a campamentos de verano. We are excited to present Read More EMBRACING BUFFALO / HEALING MOMENTS May 10, 2023/No Comments EMBRACING BUFFALO / HEALING MOMENTS “No podemos dejar que la gente abra brechas entre nosotros… porque solo hay una raza Read More Load More End of Content.

ECONOMICS, JUSTICE, LABOR, AND DEMOCRACY! Read More »

BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS

People /

BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS One thing about lasting friendships, especially with those whom we consider our elders in the community, is that sometimes we can’t even remember how we met them. At some point, you grew fond of them, and they are more like family members. You may refer to them as brother or sister, or your children refer to them as uncles/tips, aunts/titi, Baba/grandpa, or Ummi/grandma. Upon reflecting on this I chose to honor Brother Kamau R. E. Fields to shine the community spotlight.  I found this article very challenging to prepare and write. As many other people as possible, I have pre-written what I wrote and followed it by having them review and edit. But with Brother Kamau, I wanted to try something different. Because his life experience is so extensive, I asked him to share what he wanted the community to remember of him. He shared this list with me: Buffalo Media Maker, Buffalo ComeUnity Worker, Father, Friend, Teacher, Thinker, East High School, and UB Alumni. This thing might help you know him a bit, but I needed something to CAPTURE you, my readers. I want you to FEEL the ESSENCE of Brother Kamau thru my article. I was driving Brother Kamau home not long ago when he told me of the time student riots broke out in the 70s while he was at UB. He and Brother Alberto O. Cappas shared neighboring offices; one that mainly Puerto Rican students used for organizing (which didn’t have an official name yet), and one that the Black Student Union used for organizing as well.  There was one student named Jameel Hassan (Harlem Prep, NYC), who helped Cappas decide on the name PODER (Puerto Rican Organization for Dignity, Elevation, & Responsibility) for the organization, as it means Power in Spanish. Kamau also remembered that during the student riots, the two organizations decided to bring down the wall that separated the two offices! In a way, symbolically and physically, taking down an imagined barrier that divided so-called brown and black students. I dare even to say similar artificial barriers exist even today! I see it repeatedly play out in our so-called “Black” & “Brown” organizations or agencies.  This division is blatant but ignored. While I can’t quite pinpoint it precisely, I sense it has a tinge of politics attached. Correct me, elders, if I’m wrong. One thing is for sure and two is for certain. I would like to see a reunion of these two student organizations. Kamau could only give me just a snippet of what he remembered at UB in the 1970s. He remarked that he has told Alberto that this story needs to eventually be told in full. As this article is limited, I would want to explore other options for getting that story out and hope to interview others who can shed more light on what they remembered. A symposium that can highlight the struggles during the 1970s and how we are different and/or the same to this day. I challenge the readers to appeal to others that may have been influential during this time to get this story to the forefront. This history is important and I for one long to know it so that maybe I can help further tear down the artificial barriers between our communities.  Brother Kamau has a poem and in it, he repeats “Working Together Works” which is so on point. Then he had another thing he says quite often when you are expressing a trial you are facing: “Hurt people, HURT PEOPLE!” Read that 3 times.  I’ll invite you to close your eyes and imagine just for a moment taking these two simple quotes to heart and mind. Then do that every single day. Imagine that these things can truly shift your perspective on all that troubles us as a community of many different cultures and backgrounds. Try it, you might like it! Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development People BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS September 13, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More LISTEN TO THE CHILD August 13, 2022/No Comments LISTEN TO THE CHILD Asheem Ali is a talented Homeschooled 10-year-old that keeps his momma (Me!) & older sister, AAliyah Read More “HEALING DIFFERENTLY” June 13, 2022/No Comments “HEALING DIFFERENTLY” At first, glance, if you haven’t met her and I’m not around you’ll be apt to begin a Read More Load More End of Content.

BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS Read More »

Scroll to Top