Following 52nd Black Solidarity Day – Vote 110th mayor
Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams. Photo by Stefano
Giovannini
Caribbean Life, OCTOBER 22-28, 2021 11
“Black Solidarity Day is celebrated
to remind the nation of
the collective strength and political
power of the Black community.”
CUNY Newswire Oct.
30, 2014
Created by Panamanian activist
Carlos E. Russell in 1969,
Black Solidarity Day was created
as a demonstration of Black liberation.
Celebrated on the first Monday
in November, its genesis was
to institute a 24-hour memorial
period when Blacks could exercise
the impact of their presence.
Inspired by “Day of Absence,”
a fictional play by Douglas Turner
Ward who envisioned a society
void of participation from a
resistant segment, Russell, a historian,
activist, immigrant and
intellectual tailored his Black
consciousness day to a myriad
of observances.
Russell encouraged pride in
Blackness, acknowledgement
of power, privilege, oppression
and white supremacist view
that suppresses Black wealth in
America. He also advocated an
economic boycott, dissuading
shopping, riding the subways or
spending money.
Marked by cultural and heritage
festivals, initially, students
were particularly drawn to the
ideals proposed. Intellectuals
and activists also embraced the
agenda.
Many hosted forums on campuses,
discouraged attendance
to classes and held a moratorium
on capitalist activities
deemed business as usual.
In time, the commemoration
broadened universally to attract
Blacks of every ilk.
Mostly Russell wanted to
highlight the disparity between
advantaged whites and disadvantaged
Blacks.
The historian exposed pervasive
racism which he said inhibits
fair elevation in corporate
enterprises.
The annual commemoration
precedes the election of mayors,
senators, congressional representatives
and presidents on the
very next Tuesday.
This year following BSD,
Brooklyn Borough President
Eric Adams is poised to rewrite
history becoming the second
successful Black mayoral candidate
— since David N. Dinkins
emerged the 106th in 1990.
If elected Adams will be the
110th.
A former NYPD captain, he
emerged the favorite after a
heavily-contested ranked voting
primary election he championed
over seven worthy Democratic
candidates.
Since winning he has been
talking proposals to reform the
NYPD, re-energize the economy,
restore faith in government,
implement affordable housing,
healthcare, childcare and completely
revolutionize the quality
of life here.
Adams’ arguments have been
mostly rebuffed by Republican
rival Curtis Sliwa who describes
himself as an avenging Guardian
Angel with a proven record
of fighting crime in the streets.
Sliwa’s main aim is to “refund
the police,” a mantra he adopted
against Mayor Bill de Blasio’s
advocacy for a “defund the
police” program initially proposed
by the Blacks Lives Movement
after a Minnesota police
officer casually pressed his knee
against the neck of George Floyd
for nine minutes and 29 seconds
until there was no more breath
in his body.
Sliwa has placed his record on
the line repeatedly reminding
potential voters that wearing a
red beret while patrolling the
subways with an army of volunteer
Guardian Angels did not
deter him for being targeted for
murder and shot.
In fact, there’s truth to his
assertions.
The ambitious Angel boasts
the fact he recruited volunteers
willing to walk unarmed
through danger zones in the
city.C
atch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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