June 2021

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Juneteenth Activities interview with Chiquita Williams

Friday

Juneteenth + “High on the Hog” Docuseries coordinated by Jessica Connie and Laura Anne Walker with support by Chiquita Williams.

In this virtual documentary, “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” demonstrating how Black food is American food, Chef and writer Stephen Satterfield traces the delicious lines from Africa to Texas. A fun and fabulous discussion followed.

“Celebrating Juneteenth” Museum of the City of New York presents FREEDOM SONGS featuring Shanelle Gabriel coordinated by Julia Milken.

In honor of Juneteenth 2021, the Museum of the City of New York invited Shanelle Gabriel, a poet and singer from Brooklyn, to create a poem for FREEDOM SONGS. It was an afternoon of song and spoken word reflections celebrating freedom and commemorating the ending of American slavery. The planning of this event was Julia’s baby.

Freedom Ride: An African American + Enslavement Trolly Tour coordinated by Chiquita Williams and Dina Percia of the Communications Unit.

This tour of lower Manhattan sites related to slavery and emancipation started at the Alexander Hamilton Custom House where they were able to view a number of statues. Discussions included the inferiority pushed forward regarding indigenous people and African people and that the first enslaved people were indigenous until that plan failed, due to sickness and desertion, before they turned to the enslaving of African people.

The trolly visited a number of sites that gave them an opportunity to discuss slavery as it relates to the development of the early republic. This included that George Washington owned over 600 slaves and that during his first inauguration at Federal Hall on Wall Street, his slaves waited on him as he was sworn into office as the first President of a Nation based on liberty and freedom and that 41 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were slave owners. In another example, she explained that they discussed how while Alexander Hamilton publicly opposed slavery, he actually bought and sold slaves for his family. This was indicative of the relationship founders had with slavery while preaching freedom, justice, and liberty for all and fighting a war for that effort while holding black people in bondage.

They visited Fraunces Tavern the headquarters of George Washington during the revolutionary war where they talked about how black people fought on both sides. The British promised freedom for all black soldiers that fought on their side. As a result, at the signing of the peace negotiations of 1781 using a ledger called the Book of Negros, 3000 black people who fought for the crown were given their freedom and sent to Canada.

They visited the marker for the New York City Municipal Slave Market where for many years in the 18^th century was the second largest slave market in the country. The market itself was on Wall Street between Pearl and Walker streets. Slaves were bought and sold like commodities. Many people who started the Stock Exchange were slave owners and many companies had a vested interest in slaves including business still being traded today such as JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank, Brooks Brothers, AIG, Aetna Insurance, and more. The wealth of America both in the South and the Industrialized North was heavily reliant on the slave trade economy and built the history of this country. But we don’t talk about that, just like we don’t talk about the fact that Wall Street got it’s name because the Dutch, using enslaved people, built a wall from what is now Broadway all the way to the East River as a barrier to keep the British and the Lenape warriors trying to reclaim their stolen land, out. The wall was also cleared by enslaved people creating what is now Wall Street. They also talked about the massacre of African American’s during the Draft Riots of 1863 because the Irish didn’t want to fight in the Civil War. The riots started at the South Street Sea Port among other places.

The last stop was an African burial ground. In 1991, the archaeological study, of a piece of property identified for a possible federal building site, discovered the remains of 15,000 enslaved people buried here from 1690's to 1794. When it had fallen into disuse, people forgot about it and the city just built over it. After the discovery, many community activists got involved with the Federal Government and Howard University to preserve the space and the legacy of the people buried there which resulted in it becoming a part of the National Parks Service. Inside, they have space dedicated to education about what happened at the site. Outside is the National Historical Monument and a grassy area representing the space of the burial ground. The group held a vigil at the site which included an accent indigenous practice of calling in of ancestors, a grounding exercise, and did various interfacing prayers for the ancestors at the site as well as their own personal ancestors. As part of the ritual, they laid flowers and poured libations at the site. It was a beautiful ceremony and a great way to wrap up the tour.

Saturday

Schomburg Literary Festival – Words Like Freedom coordinated by Gytis Simatis

As a member of Schomburg, Chiquita suggested the festival be included in the events for Juneteenth.

The festival – Words of Freedom celebrated Juneteenth providing a lineup of incredible authors from across the globe, including Farah Jasmine Griffin, Ben Okri, Desmond Meade, and Yaba Blay, whose works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry celebrate and interrogate the freedom’s song in our everyday lives. This all day event went from 11 am to 5 pm with Fountain House members coming going all day.

Juneteenth: Poetry (and more) in the Park @ Seneca Village coordinated by Samene Reid

This event brought about 8 members, as well as Chiquita, together celebrate Juneteenth with a picnic in Central Park at the site of what was Seneca Village. They had food, sang songs, read Orika poetry, and talked about the history of Seneca Village.

Founded in 1825, Senaca Village was a thriving community of predominantly African Americans, many of whom owned property, including homes, business, churches and more. The Village ran between 82^nd and 89^th Streets and Central Park West to the midsection of what now is the park. When plans formalized to create Central Park, New York City government used emanate domain laws to strip the land from the landowners in order to level the village to the ground. It became a vicious battle for many years with African American’s fighting for their rights in Federal Court on one side and their public image being degraded by the most prominent newspapers on the other. They described the villagers as vagabonds, drunkards, and terrible people that needed to be removed. All of this was untrue but was readily accepted by the general public. In 1857, villagers were striped of their land and Senaca Village was leveled to the ground to make way for Central Park.

The event was a beautiful time enjoyed by all.

Sunday

Celebrating Juneteenth coordinated by Dorothy Orr and Susan Lieblich, with support by Chiquita Williams.

At this final event, they wanted to celebrate the joy of freedom and emancipation. With the theme of Slavery and Freedom, this touching event included the reading of four enslaved people’s narratives and four poems by prominent African Americans of the 20^th Century. Creating an air of distinction, readers stood as they read these significant works. Some people participated via Zoom including Davida Kigore who read her article “Musing on Juneteenth” that was featured in the Fountain House Times issue released June 17^th.

The event also included a Double Dutch and jump rope contest that participants really enjoyed. Double Dutch is a game in which two long jump ropes are swung in opposite directions while one or more players jump simultaneously. Initially played by black girls in rural and urban America, it now extends globally with National and International tournaments. Some world champions are actually Japanese. A good time was had by all.

by Tara Sue Salusso

March-May 2021

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Trans Day of Visibility

Being trans is being iconic. Being trans is being powerful. Being trans is being brave. Being trans is being tenacious. You become a role model to some and inhuman to others. You start hearing about yourself as a demographic and not as an individual. You start thinking of yourself as a potential victim. You live in fear of becoming a statistic.

You are beautiful. You are handsome. You are strong. You are audacious. To be your authentic self, to lose cis privilege, is a pyrrhic victory. You suddenly stand out. You’re something that parents don’t think their kids can understand. Your right to exist becomes an opinion. You lose family. You lose friends. You see who in life truly cares about you. You will have to wade through a sea of other people’s negative reactions to cope with something they could never understand.

You find your community. You find your voice. You speak out to stop stigma and want better lives for your trans brothers and sisters. You march in Pride and feel absolute acceptance. You leave Pride and get catcalled on the train home. You put yourself in a spotlight.

You put yourself in a crosshair. When you come out as trans, you lay your soul bare for all to see. There’s more to you than how you dress. There’s more to you than how you look. You want to be seen for who you are. You are

you.

By M.M.J.

The Case for "Queer"

My name is Madelyn Melody Joseph. I identify as a polyamorous, panromantic, asexual, trans woman. If your eyes glazed over reading that, you’re not alone. Because of all of these labels (I even left out a few,) it can be hard for people to fully comprehend my identity, which can lead to my identity being invalidated by others. If you’re thinking “there must be an easier way to say all that,” you’re right. There is a single word that encompasses all of how I identify. It’s a very powerful word. It hfas a fraught history and was reborn a symbol of resurgence and togetherness. That word is: “Queer.” I am a queer woman. However, not having to explain my whole identity is only part of why it is important to normalize use of the word “queer.”

“Queer” is what is known as an “umbrella term.” It fits a wide range of people who may identify in unique ways. It is a way for people who don’t feel like any label fits them to identify. It is a way to avoid having to give very personal details about your identity when people ask you how you identify (People seem to think it’s their business.) It is a way to encourage togetherness. It is an inclusive term. It also simplifies a lot of complex terms that anyone would struggle to grasp.

I have seen a bunch of different acronyms, which can only encourage confusion in the people you’re trying to reach. LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+, QUILTBAG, LGBTQQPPAAID. They all try their best to be inclusive. However, by their nature, they end up excluding people. “Queer” is a word that includes everyone on that spectrum. The only way not to fall under the “queer umbrella” is to be cisgendered and heterosexual.

“Queer” is a polarizing word. It can be a person’s source of comfort or pain. The important thing to remember when using this word is that you can use it to identify yourself, but not others. Meaning, you can call yourself “queer” but you cannot call someone else “queer” if they have not indicated they use the term for themselves. In that vein, you cannot tell other people how they self-identify, so you can choose not to use the word “queer” but you cannot decide if others use it to describe themselves. In this day any age, we can use some togetherness. We gain that through mutual respect.

By M.M.J.

The Last of the Living Pies

Every stinking time I go to the supermarket for the one item I want the most- and I’m reminded of how I’m literally a contributor to the end of those times, the good old days when I could get my slice of pie in a pie store... I’m not talking about pumpkin, apple, or blueberry pies. I’m talking about the best of all pies- the pizza pie.

There’s only two pizzas left in this supermarket, I decided to buy one so the next moth could come and consume their rotten treat. The supermarkets took pizza parlors out of business about a year ago. I can’t help but feel resentment and guilt when I hear the cashier say “Your total is $3.95”. At first I was excited- a whole pie for under $4, now who could beat that. A family pizza night prepared in 23 minutes from the warmth of my own home oven.

Every once in a while we still stopped by the local pizza joint but it was never the same. We’d watch as the person working the dinner shift added every item to the cash register for charge- $3.75 for a pepperoni slice and $2 for a fountain drink. Imagine what this means for a family of five. Sure you could say that there are some places that offer deals- two slices and a can soda for $2.75. But these places were always so full we never had a place to sit. Also, these places never lasted long. They’d open for a short while then close down when the kids stopped flooding in from the local schools because it was summertime and they were no longer found in the area.

We decided to stop going to pizza places altogether until there were no more. Now we just have pizza night at home in a miserable state of dissatisfaction- compliments of our supermarket cater. Yeah, I never thought I’d see this day. I thought it was a fantasy my kids played out- the zombie apocalypse is actually happening. We who love pizza are the zombies, consuming the last of the living dough in this city. Sometimes it feels like we’re all tearing at the one and final box that’s left on the shelf at the market... I miss eating pizza by the slice.

By DestinedWriter

03/01/2021

Don’t Knock FH Work

International Clubhouse Standard 19: “ All work in the Clubhouse is designed to help members regain self worth, purpose and confidence; it is not intended to be job specific training.”

I was texting with a friend recently and he asked me what I was up to at the moment, so I told him that I was taking lunch and then returning to my Fountain House work.

“Are there others as dedicated to FH as you?”, he texted.

“Certainly.” I said.

“FH is fortunate to get such dedicated and free labor” , he wrote.

True, I thought, FH is fortunate to get free,dedicated labor; it’s cheap and keeps the House going day in day out, but what do I get out of it?

Well, first and foremost, from FH I get a job and with that job comes a sense of purpose and structure in my life. It’s an easy job too: I do what I want to do at FH, nothing more, nothing less, and I can pick and choose what I do at FH, because they are not paying me. I am a volunteer, thus my only obligation to FH is to contribute and FH’s only obligation is to me is to give me work. If I were a paid employee. FH would have to worry about whether I am worth my salary..am i doing everything in the House that needs to be done, is there someone who could contribute more than me for a cheaper price? Maybe someone else will clean the bathroom or mop the floors--things I avoid doing like the plague. I just read,write, think, and pontificate at FH- and go to meetings: you never see me cooking or watering plants or handling rent money--I’m just being myself: a bohemian slacker.

Secondly, I get the satisfaction of being a good activist--something which is important to me. I am contributing to the community,and to a world movement. Modesty aside, other members and even staff are inspired by my work. They are encouraged by my writings to work and to work harder, because they see that mentally ill people can work and even excel. They see that I am recovering and even growing at FH, thus it’s worth their time to be around me and FH.

Thirdly, FH has given me so much: the chance to be an administrator when I participated in programming meetings, the chance to publish my work in its publications, the chance to start my own publication, the chance to travel, to speak at conferences, appear in webinars, interact with social work professionals on a professional and personal level, a community of friends and colleagues both in New York and around the world. Though I receive a pathetic check from social security, at FH, I Iive like a king.

Sure, I could use some more money in my pocket and in my bank account and I intend to find paid work in the near future, but I did not come to FH for money--I came for a sense of purpose and belonging, a place where I could rebuild my confidence and discover and improve my skills.

Most paid jobs don’t offer that to people in my category, so I am a lucky duck.

So don’t knock FH work or volunteer work, in general: the benefits are worth the effort.

Craig R. Bayer, 2/3/21

Tending to the Human Condition

It is with great pleasure that I get to express a few characteristics I grow with daily, the subject of Tending To The Human Condition is the matter. My purpose in writing the reader is to encourage a way of using sensory information along with mental strategies to create contentment and nourishment for self. The heading Tending To The Human Condition can be restated as Being Content-Nourishing our Human Life. The contentment and nourishment of our lives are dependent on a few points, they are:

· Awareness

· Acceptance

· Perspective and Gratitude

· Focus

We’ll start by imagining a walk along a path. Along this path, there are trees with leaves on them and birds singing. The path is smooth and we walk on level ground. There’s grass alongside us. We see the effects of yesterday's rainy weather as little puddles of water which reflect the sunlight of today. Ultimately, we are walking to a destination- our home. Once we get near our home we hear our loudest neighbors throwing a house party. We didn’t get much sleep last night because we worked overtime. We were hoping to catch up on some Zzzz’s but unfortunately, when we enter the house and close the door behind us, we can still hear the music being played across the street. It’s safe to say that on this journey to our home we encounter favorable and unfavorable circumstances.

Envision there are signs on your imaginary path and written on them are the five points. At different locations in your journey through life, it is appropriate to practice the points. The signs serve to guide us through the unfavorable and favorable circumstances we encounter on a daily basis.

The nature we encountered on the path becomes a favorable circumstance only to the extent that we breathe in and enjoy it. While we see the greenery, reflected sunlight, and hear the birds chirping, we might overlook it. Thus, our first sign of guidance is to become aware. We must become aware of what we are hearing, seeing, feeling, and smelling. The sun against our skin and the vision of its reflection, the music the birds play, the green trees and grass that surround us and let us breathe fresh air. Becoming aware is our key first step.

The next step is to adopt a spirit of gratitude. When we become grateful for the beauty that floods our souls along the path of life, our perspective begins to change. Instead of seeing just another ordinary day in time, we begin to live a moment. We start feeling joyful surrounding our situation and we see our circumstances as something to be appreciated and not overlooked.

So... We get home and our neighbor won’t let us sleep. Well, similarly as we used the signs of guidance to see an ordinary situation as favorable, we must use the signs to help ourselves in unfavorable situations. For some people, a noisy neighbor may be an everyday experience. The first step is to become aware. By becoming aware of how we’re feeling and what’s causing us to feel this way- namely, the noise our neighbor is making- we can use our stream of consciousness to prevent us from responding impulsively or in unethical ways such as becoming angry and yelling into our pillow.

The next step is acceptance. When we are aware that our noisy neighbor is making us angry because we are tired and need to sleep, and we are aware that we can’t control the behavior of others. We can move on to accepting parts of the situation as beyond our control and focus on the factors we can dictate. So we accept our own emotions and tiredness and do our best to settle our nerves and calm down.

Once we are calm, we can begin to shift our perspective around the situation. Initially, we may feel that the situation is a pain in the behind. We can’t stand our neighbors, after all, it is so inconsiderate that they are disturbing the peace in the neighborhood. Once we realize this perspective and understand that this is only fuel for an angry mind, we can change our perspective to a healthier one. We must say to ourselves, “I am a champion, there’s nothing I can’t handle. People have parties and enjoy themselves, there’s nothing I can do about it. This is just another obstacle. I’ll overcome it. I’ve lived every day of my life up until this point and I’ve made it this far, this is just another bad moment and it will pass me by like all the others.”

Once you learn to change your perspective at will, you may adopt a spirit of gratitude toward the noisy neighbor because you perceive that his posing an obstacle to your silence is actually helping you to grow in peace. You’re becoming stronger in the face of unfavorable circumstances and you’re growing into a warrior who can’t be defeated by bad moments because you know you can’t control others, but you can control yourself- mainly your awareness, acceptance, and perspective. Which leads me to my last point.

People spend a lifetime attaining a healthy mind which is always at peace. Mental hygiene is a daily practice that must be done one minute, if not, seconds at a time. You may start off struggling to follow the guidelines mentioned here, but the more you stick with them, the better you’ll get at implementing them in favorable and unfavorable situations that occur in your own life. The last point in cultivating a peaceful mind, which allows you to become content with your life situation and nourish yourself with ordinary circumstances, is to FOCUS. It’s not enough to read through this and think that you’re automatically going to do everything you need to do to be one with yourself. But always keep focused on the goals in life, to name three: Peace, Love, & Happiness. By focusing on these goals you’ll remember them when times are ruff and you’ll experience them when conditions are right. As long as you keep focused on being an optimistic person, you’ll find your own way. For now, I wish you luck on your journey.

-Sincerely, DestinedWriter