Wilbert Tatum 76 Activist Publisher dies

Spirit of Sankofa expresses.....

Much honor and respect to a great and courageous brother..
A deep brother that stood against police brutality, redling and other manifastations of discrimination. One of Harlems FINEST.
Our thoughts and our prayers go up for his wife and family. We should all strive to remember the sacrifices made for the community as a whole.
For brothers like him shown us the way.

We are so glad he passed this way.

Wilbert Tatum, 76, Activist Publisher, Dies

By DENNIS HEVESI

Published: February 27, 2009

Wilbert A. Tatum, the often provocative former publisher and editor of The New York Amsterdam News, whose name became almost synonymous with that of the oldest and best-known of the city's black newspapers, died Thursday while on vacation with his wife in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He was 76 and lived in Manhattan.

The cause was multiple organ failure, said Mr. Tatum's daughter, Elinor Ruth Tatum, who took over as publisher and editor of the weekly paper in 1998. Ms. Tatum said her father was diabetic, but added that the specific cause had not yet been determined.

The Amsterdam, as it is often called, was founded 100 years ago. Mr. Tatum bought it in 1971 with a group of prominent investors that included Percy E. Sutton, the former Manhattan borough president, and H. Carl McCall, the former New York State comptroller. Mr. Tatum assumed control of the paper in 1983; he bought out the last investor in 1996 and remained chairman of the board until his death.

With editorial offices in a fourth-floor walk-up on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 125th and 126th Streets in Harlem, The Amsterdam News primarily covered what it called "a small town in a metropolis." It reported on Harlem's galas and local residents' achievements, weddings and deaths. But it also focused, particularly under Mr. Tatum, on issues of police brutality, redlining and other manifestations of discrimination. Although the paper's circulation fell significantly during Mr. Tatum's tenure - it was 58,907 in 1977 and 25,962 in 2000 - its imprimatur was always coveted by many politicians.

As Mr. Tatum clacked out editorial after editorial on his typewriter (he barely made the switch to computers), The Amsterdam was both cheered and vilified. Critics accused Mr. Tatum of fanning the flames of racial tension and of sometimes taking an anti-Semitic stance.

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Boycott N.Y. Post and affiliated Fox News

Spirit of Sankofa expresses.......
It was outrageuos that this happened ..let alone during Black History Monrh. This type of thing has gone.the distance. NY Post Fox News its parent affiliate has always had a certain sway of racism for people of color. I believe its time to boycott and not support any company that published this type of childest garbage. We have the power to shut it down. Much respect to Al Sharpton and Charles Barron for staying on the tront lines in NYC. Many want to discredit your good works. Just Keep It Pushing.


New York Post Racist Cartoon Slanders President Obama-Boycott the Post

City Wide Emergency Protest Demonstration
Thursday, February 19, 2008 at 12 Noon
New York Post Offices
1211 Avenue of the Americas (between 47th & 48th Sts)
New York, NY
The New York Post maligned President Barak Obama in an overly racist cartoon depicting two police officers, one is pointing a smoking gun at a large chimpanzee, lying on the ground clearly shot dead. The caption reads "They'll have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill."
The cartoon in Wednesday's (2/18/09) edition on the infamous "Page Six," is a crass distortion of a recent horrific incident in which a 200 pound pet chimpanzee mauls a woman and police shoot and kill him.
NYC Councilman Charles Barron has called for A City Wide Emergency Protest Demonstration. The protest will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 12 noon in front of the New York Post main offices at 1211 Avenue of the Americas (between 47th and 48th Streets) New York, NY.
"The clearly racist tone is outrageous," said Colette Pean of the Women of Obama. "We are in support of Councilman Barron and we must let the New York Post know this will not be tolerated by the people in this city."
Invited speakers joining Councilman Barron include Reverend Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, NYC, State Senator Bill Perkins, State Assemblywoman Inez Barron, Viola Plummer of the Women for Obama, Monica Moorehead of the International Action Center, and representatives of the Committee to Eliminate Media Offensive To African People (CEMOTAP),20December 12th Movement, NAACP-Jamaica Queens, Harriet Tubman, Black Men's Movement, and many others.
__________________________ ____
Women For Obama
c/o Sistas Place
456 Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Phone (718) 398-1766
Fax (718) 623-1855
Here's a special note from Harlem rap star Priest...
Ok so I don't know if you heard about this but this is a cartoon that they placed on Page Six of the New York Post. The back story to this cartoon is that there was a wild chimpanzee that attacked an older lady and as a result of this, had to be shot and killed by police the other night. This is the cartoon that ran in the post the next day.
Needless to say, it is not only racially insensitive, it is indicative of how the NY post has historically maintained an position of constantly printing articles that are demeaning to people of color.
With that said I am calling on all people who find this cartoon offensive to boycott the NY Post. Do not purchase it, do not read it and encourage others to do the same. If you must read the New York Post then do so only to make a list of the companies that advertise in the New York Post and let them know that you will no longer be supporting them if they continue to advertise in the New York Post.
I am specifically calling on all Hip Hop websites, blogs and radio programs to address this issue with the same fervor with which they address the "Rick Ross vs 50 Cent" beef or whatever incessant nonsense it is that they spew under the guise of giving you "Hip Hop News" . I watched Curtis Silvia of the "Guardian Angels" sit on NY1 News tonight and say that he thought there was nothing wrong with the cartoon since rappers say worse things when they are making fun of each other. Let's show them that we can address issues more serious than the "Chris Brown - Rhianna" situation. If the Hip Hop media cannot take a position on this then they need to be held accountable as well.
It is sad that during a such historic time in our nation that we as African Americans are still having to fight these kinds of battles on a DAILY basis. If we are truly to affect change then that begins with us being the change that we want to see. To make a long story short, its time for us to let our voices be heard in regards to this issue. Its time that we boycott this newspaper and let them know in a language that they will understand. The language of economics.
DO NOT BUY THE NY POST NEWSPAPER!!!
Priest

At a date in time where Obhama has had numerous threats on his life and police have been trigger happy shooting or tasing to death Black men from coast to coast-what was this about? Time to boycott everything owned by Fox-from the NY Post to American Idol

Obama warns of need for stimulus urgency*

Obama warns of need for stimulus bill right away

Print 13 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video CNBC – An Overexposed Economy
Slideshow: Economic Stimulus Plan Play Video Video: Tapper on Obama's Executive Salary Cap ABC News Play Video Video: Obama: 'time for action is now' AP AP – President Barack Obama speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009. … WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says the time for talk on an economic recovery package is over and "the time for action is now."

Speaking at the Energy Department, Obama made a fresh plea for the stimulus plan that the Senate is debating. He cited the latest bad economic news of jobless claims as another reason for quick action.

He said: "The time for talk is over, the time for action is now."

Republicans and some Democrats have expressed reservations about the growing price tag of the package — more than $900 billion. Senate Democratic leaders hope to have a bill completed by Friday.

Senate moderates from both political parties worked to cut up to $100 billion from economic stimulus legislation and clear the way for the bill's passage as Obama urged lawmakers to "rise to the moment."

Senate Democratic leaders said they hoped for passage of the legislation by Friday, and prospects appeared to hinge on agreement to a series of changes that would trim the size of a bill costing well over $920 billion.

Senate centrists met privately, and emerged saying they had made progress toward an accord.

"The president made a strong case for a proposal that would be in the neighborhood of $800 billion," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who met with Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

Earlier today, Obama warned that failure to pass an economic recovery package could plunge the nation into an even longer, perhaps irreversible recession, as senators searched for compromises to whittle down the enormous bill.

Obama painted a bleak picture if lawmakers do nothing.

In an op-ed piece in The Washington Post, the president argued that each day without his stimulus package, Americans lose more jobs, savings and homes. His message came as congressional leaders struggle to control the huge stimulus bill that's been growing larger by the day in the Senate. The addition of a new tax break for homebuyers Wednesday evening sent the price tag well past $900 billion.

"This recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse," Obama wrote in the newspaper piece.

He rejected the argument that more tax cuts are needed in the plan and that piecemeal measures would be sufficient. His latest plea came on the same day the economy dealt with another dose of bad news: A big jump in jobless claims and another round of weak retail sales.

Initial jobless claims rose to 626,000, a 26-year high, the Labor Department said. And the number of claims by people continuing to apply for unemployment benefits reached a new record of nearly 4.8 million.

The housing tax break was the most notable attempt to date to add help for the crippled industry and gave Republicans a victory as they work to remake the legislation more to their liking.

"It is time to fix housing first," Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said Wednesday night as the Senate agreed without controversy to add the new tax break to the stimulus measure, at an estimated cost of nearly $19 billion.

Three swing-vote senators met with Obama at the White House on Wednesday to discuss possible cutbacks, but they declined to discuss details of their talks. Obama has made the legislation a cornerstone of his recovery plan.

For their part, Senate Republicans signaled they would persist in their efforts to reduce spending in the measure, to add tax cuts and reduce the cost of mortgages for millions of homeowners.

Officials figures were unavailable, but it appeared that the measure carried a price tag of more than $920 billion, making it bigger than the financial industry bailout that passed last year and as large as any measure in memory.

Despite bipartisan concerns about the cost, Republicans failed in a series of attempts on Wednesday to cut back the bill's size.

The most sweeping proposal, advanced by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., would have eliminated all the spending and replaced it with a series of tax cuts. It was defeated 61-36.

Democrats also upheld a so-called Buy American provision that requires projects financed by the measure to be built with domestically produced iron and steel.

But with Obama voicing concern about the provision, the requirement was changed to specify that U.S. international trade agreements not to be violated.

Additionally, Democrats turned back an attempt to strip out a provision that Obama has said was essential. It would provide a tax cut of up to $1,000 for working couples, including those who do not make enough to pay income taxes.

Isakson said the new tax break for homebuyers was intended to help revive the housing industry, which has virtually collapsed in the wake of a credit crisis that began last fall.

The proposal would allow a tax credit of 10 percent of the value of new or existing residences, up to a $15,000 limit. Current law provides for a $7,500 tax break but only for first-time homebuyers.

The provision was the second tax cut approved in as many days targeted to individual industries. On Tuesday, the Senate voted to give a break to consumers who buy new cars.

The House approved its own version of the bill last week.

Apollo Celebrating it's 75th: Has a great history*

January 27, 2009...11:19 p01
Apollo’s 75th Anniversary Kick-off it 75th!!




THE RESURGENCE OF THE 125TH STREET STRIP HAS BEEN
PEGGED TO THE RE-OPENING OF THE APOLLO THEATER -- A
HARLEM INSTITUTION THAT CAME TO SYMBOLIZE THE HEYDAY
OF JAZZ AND RELATED AFRICAN AMERICAN ART FORMS FROM
THE MID-1920S THROUGH THE 1950S.

PERCY SUTTON IS THE BIG CITY POLITICIAN, MEDIA MOGUL
AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST WHO BOUGHT THE SHUTTERED
APOLLO IN 1980 AND REFURBISHED IT IN THE OLD STYLE.
ACCORDING TO HIM, THE APOLLO'S INITIAL POPULARITY
AMONG BLACKS WAS DUE TO THE RACISM OF NEW YORK'S
ENTERTAINMENT WORLD DURING THE 1930S AND 40S.

"THE APOLLO THEATER HAS A GREAT HISTORY.
HISTORICALLY, IT WAS THE RESULT OF DISCRIMINATION. IT
WAS, TOGETHER WITH THEATERS IN SEVEN OTHER CITIES,
THE PLACE WHERE BLACK ENTERTAINERS COULD GO AND HONE
THEIR TALENTS AND WHERE BLACK PEOPLE COULD COME.
BLACKS COULDN'T GO INTO WHITE THEATERS. THEY HAD TO
GO INTO BLACK THEATERS. ** BLACK PERFORMERS COULDN'T
GO INTO WHITE THEATERS. THEY HAD TO GO IN BLACK
THEATERS."

ALL THE BLACK JAZZ GREATS, FROM BILLIE HOLIDAY TO
LOUIS ARMSTRONG, AND FROM DUKE ELLINGTON AND COUNT
BASIE TO THE GREAT LIONEL HAMPTON REGULARLY "PLAYED
THE APOLLO" AND CONTRIBUTED TO ITS FAME.

"IT WAS SO POWERFUL. IT WAS LIKE A BOMBSHELL! IT WAS
SO POWERFUL, THE WHOLE WORLD KNEW ABOUT IT... IT WAS
JUST SOMETHING THAT HAD TO HAPPEN. GOD WANTED IT
THAT WAY!"

THAT'S LIONEL HAMPTON HIMSELF. THE LEGENDARY "SWING
ERA" MUSICIAN WHO FIRST MADE THE VIBRAPHONE FAMOUS AS
A JAZZ INSTRUMENT IS NOW 89 YEARS OLD. STILL, HE
EASILY RECALLS WHEN THE APOLLO THEATER WAS GROUND
ZERO FOR HARLEM AND HARLEM WAS "GROUND ZERO" FOR
JAZZ.

"... WE HAD TO DO TEN SHOWS A DAY. BOY, I'M TELLING
YOU PEOPLE LINING UP AROUND SEVENTH AVENUE ONE WAY,
AROUND EIGHTH AVENUE THE OTHER [WAY]. AND THE CROWD
WOULD MEET ON 126TH STREET BEHIND THE APOLLO THEATER
AT THE BACK DOOR. THE CROWD WAS SO TREMENDOUS! IT WAS
JUST JOY ALL THE WAY."

THESE DAYS, IT IS RAP AND HIP-HOP, NOT JAZZ THAT
YOU HEAR ON THE STREET AND IN THE CONCERT HALLS OF
HARLEM. RAP AND HIP-HOP MUSIC LIKE THIS ARE CERTAINLY
THE MAINSTAY FEATURES OF ANOTHER VENERABLE APOLLO
TRADITION: "AMATEUR NIGHT" CONTESTS.

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT SEVEN SHARP, UNKNOWN LOCALS -- AND
THE OCCASIONAL FOREIGNER -- TAKE TO THE STAGE TO TRY
TO PLEASE THE FAMOUSLY TOUGH CROWD, HOPING FOR A
BREAK. *** MS. GRACE BLAKE OF THE APOLLO THEATER
FOUNDATION, SAYS THAT THE PERFORMERS LOVE TO STRUT
THEIR STUFF BEFORE THEIR PEERS.

"THEY ALL THINK THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE NEXT STAR OF
TOMORROW. LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON, HE PLAYED THE APOLLO
AT ONE TIME. AND LUTHER VAN DROSS. HE WAS BOOED OFF
OF HERE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE TIMES. SO THERE IS HOPE.
THERE ARE KIDS FROM GERMANY AND JAPAN AND ALL OVER
THE WORLD WHO FEEL THAT IF THEY CAN MAKE IT ON THE
APOLLO STAGE, THEY CAN MAKE IT ANYWHERE. "

DURING AMATEUR NIGHT, THE AUDIENCE IS THE JUDGE, AND
CONTESTANTS ARE RANKED ACCORDING TO THE APPLAUSE AT
THE END OF THE SHOW. UNLIKE THE ETIQUETTE AT THE MORE
STAID VENUES DOWNTOWN, THE MOSTLY TEENAGE APOLLO
AUDIENCE IS ENCOURAGED TO CHEER OR BOO AS LOUD AS IT
LIKES. STILL, MS. BLAKE SAYS SHE SOMETIMES FEELS FOR
THE HOPEFULS WHO COME ONSTAGE TO SING ONLY TO BE
SUMMARILY USHERED OFF IN A PANDEMONIUM OF LIGHTS AND
SOUND BY THE APOLLO'S RESIDENT CLOWN, C-P -- FOR
"CROWD-PLEASER" -- LACEY.

"BECAUSE IT'S TOUGH! YOU COME AND YOU PREPARE AND YOU
PREPARE AND AFTER ABOUT THE THIRD NOTE IT'S
'ZOOOMMMM!' HERE COMES THE C-P LACEY TO TAKE YOU OFF
THE STAGE. C-P LACEY HE'S THE EXECUTIONER."

FOR AUDIENCE MEMBERS LIKE MERLINE AND HER PALS FROM
QUEENS, THE CLOWN IN THE MUTLI-COLORED WIG IS AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF THE DRAMA. BUT THERE ARE OTHER
REASONS FOR GOING TOO.

"Q: WHY'D YOU COME HERE TONIGHT? A: TO SEE AMATEURS.
Q: WHAT'S THE DRAW? A: BOOING PEOPLE. AND TO SEE WHO
GOT TALENT... GIVES PEOPLE A CHANCE TO START A
CAREER. Q: DID YOU EVER BOO ANYONE THAT EVERYONE ELSE
LIKED OR VICE VERSA? A: YEAH. YEAH YEAH. YEAH!"

NOT EVERYONE LOSES OF COURSE. ON THIS WEDNESDAY,
AMATEUR NIGHT FIRST PRIZE WENT TO A TEENAGE GIRL IN
RADIANT WHITE WHO SANG A SOULFUL SONG THAT PLEASED
THE CROWD. PERHAPS SHE WILL WIN THE SEMI-FINALS AND
GO ON TO FAME AS NINA SIMONE, ELLA FITZGERALD, GLADYS
KNIGHT, THE INK SPOTS AND NUMEROUS OTHER AMATEUR
NIGHT WINNERS HAVE DONE BEFORE HER.

BUT WINNING IS NOT THE MAIN POINT FOR BILLY MITCHELL,
AN ENTERTAINER WHO DOES DOUBLE DUTY GIVING TOURS TO
THE MANY VISITORS WHO COME TO THE THEATER HOPING FOR
A PIECE OF HARLEM HISTORY. FOR HIM, THE APOLLO'S
ILLUSTRIOUS PAST IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THIS YEAR'S
AMATEURS -- OR NEXT YEAR'S SUPERSTARS.

"... THERE IS A LOT OF TIMES AFTER THE CONCERTS, I
WILL GO INTO THE THEATER, THERE IS NO ONE HERE AND I
WILL SIT THERE AND I CLOSE MY EYES AND TAKE IN THE SPIRITS
OF ALL OUR ANCESTORS WHO HAVE PERFORMED HERE. ** I FEEL
THEIR PRESENCE. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY 'BILLY! WHAT
ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?' BUT I AM TAKING IT IN. WHEN
YOU HAVE A LOVE FOR A PLACE.... THERE IS NO OTHER
PLACE I WANT TO WORK EXCEPT FOR THE APOLLO THEATER. I
REALLY, REALLY LOVE IT HERE."




SPECIAL EDITION: 75th ANNIVERSARY AMATEUR NIGHT BIRTH DAY PARTY


To kick off its 75th Anniversary Season, the world famous Apollo Theater will present a special anniversary edition of its popular signature show, Apollo Amateur Night, on Wednesday January 28, 2009 at 7:30pm. In a salute to the community who has kept the Theater going for the last 75 years, tickets will be only $7.50 for the first 750 people who purchase tickets for the January 28 performance. Considering this Amateur Night, “the official birthday party” for the iconic Theater, producers have pulled out all the stops for this show. Hosted by KISS-FM Morning Show personality Talent, the evening will include a very special performance from Harlem native and super producer/rapper Ron Browz performing his monster hit “Pop Champagne” and his latest single “Jumpin’ Out the Window.” There will also be a cake and cupcakes, (provided by Harlem bakery Make My Cake), prizes, giveaways, a very unique rendition of Happy Birthday, and a chance for people to write messages to the Apollo. Tickets are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office- (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street. Ticketmaster at (212) 307-7171 or www.ticketmaster.com/venue/6 .


About Amateur Night
From its notoriously tough audience to the magic of the Tree of Hope, the Apollo Amateur Night story is the stuff that legends are made of–literally. Amateur Night has been the launching pad for countless world-class artists across generations and genres, including Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five and Lauryn Hill. Long before Ted Mack and the Amateur Hour and American Idol, the Apollo’s Amateur Night was, and continues to be, a primary source for discovering new talent and spotlighting up-and-coming artists, all hoping that the hallowed stage and the approval of the infamous audience will launch their careers in the entertainment world.

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role in the emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul and hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr., James Brown, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo’s stage. Based on its cultural significance and architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

About the Apollo Theater
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary Season in 2009-10, the Apollo Theater is one of Harlem’s, New York City’s, and America’s most iconic and enduring cultural institutions. The Apollo was one of the first theaters in New York—and the country—to integrate, welcoming traditionally African-American, Hispanic, and local immigrant populations, and headlining uniquely talented entertainers who found it difficult to gain entrance to other venues of similar size and resources. For that reason, the Apollo has been a pioneer in presenting the cultural contributions of black and Latino communities and has played a central role in the development of American music into the 21st century.

The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., was established as a nonprofit, charitable organization in 1991 and is dedicated to the preservation and development of the Apollo Theater. The Foundation brought stability to the Theater’s operations and focused its efforts on reinvigorating the Apollo legend. Recently, the Apollo has roughly tripled its operating budget, full-time staff, annual audience, and weekly programs. In January 2008 the Apollo announced a series of initiatives leading up to its 75th Anniversary Season in 2009-10, including an archive of historic documents, photographs, audio and video recordings, artifacts, and other memorabilia and ephemera as part of its ongoing mission of preserving and making available its legacy.

The Apollo’s mission is to honor the influence and advance the contributions of African-American artists and advance emerging creative voices across cultures and artistic media through the Apollo experience of world-class live performances and educational programs. The Apollo reigns as one of New York City’s premiere uptown attractions and is the cultural anchor of the current reinvigoration of the 125th Street corridor.

For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org.

http://harlemworldblog.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/apollo%E2%80%99s-75th-anniversary-kick-off/

Independence of Haiti*

January 1
Haitian Flag*


On this date in 1804, Haiti emerged as the first independent Black-led republic in the modern world. At the conclusion of the Haitian Revolution, was one of the most successful slave rebellions in history. Having shed the burden of slavery and French colonial rule, the revolutionaries of Haiti (formerly Saint-Domingue) inspired people of African descent around the world, particularly those who remained in slavery. Many White Haitians fled to the United States. Thirteen years earlier, in 1791, the revolution was initiated in a ceremony presided over by Boukman, a houngan and Edaise, a manbo (two priest), of Haiti’s African-derived Voodoo religion. According to Haitian legend, during the ceremony Boukman spoke of the will to be free. “Hidden god in a cloud is there, watching us. He sees all the Whites do … [and] our god that is so good orders vengeance; he will assist us. Throw away the thoughts of the white god who thirsts for our tears; listen to the freedom that speaks from our hearts.” Western historians have shortchanged Haiti and its importance to the history of the Americas because of the way it came into existence. The Haitian Revolution is seldom remembered or taught at United States universities. Haitian historians, on the other hand, often suppressed elements that were not in accord with the country’s pro-Western privileged in their attempt to achieve respectability in Europe and North America. Both positions have had a lasting impact in how Haiti is viewed in modern times. Reference:The World Book Encyclopedia. Copyright 1996, World Book, Inc. ISBN 0-7166-0096-X