The NY Post “Dead Chimp/Obama” Cartoon

What are the NY Post Editors/Management thinking? Hard to believe that the symbolism was not obvious to them.

Harlem NOW wants to know what you think…

Please post your comments here.

What Happens After Rangel?

The time has come to deal with the inevitable…  All good things will eventually come to an end.

Charles Rangel has honorably served the people of Harlem as its Representative for nearly 40 years. The dedicated public servant and decorated war veteran is the real deal. Charlie has made history and lived it.   He is an iconic political figure who by every measure will be remembered as one of the great politicians.

Congressman Rangel assumed office in 1971 and has won re-election every two years for 19 consecutive terms in office. Forget the controversy over the ethics investigation, forget his well-deserved stature and forget his power as the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.  After 40 years in office it’s just time to consider what happens next.

Let’s look at the district he represents.  The 15th Congressional District of New York is one of the smallest geographically and is comprised of the communities of Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood and a portion of the Upper Westside including the Columbia University Area.  The district is incredibly diverse and has approximately 650,000 residents from a wide range of ethnic, socio-economic, religious, and cultural groups.  Rangel is a master at doing what is necessary to remain in office even with the massive change that has transformed the district over the years. This is no small task considering the district is very different than the one to which he was originally elected.

Asking the question of what comes next is not an assault on our esteemed Congressman or a call to action against him.  Instead it is an attempt to address what has become obvious to many residents… Charlie Rangel will not be our Congressman forever.

HN

 

The 500 Ft. Principle in Harlem

The Power of “Hello”

 

Harlem is an area of stark contrasts.  A community where public housing and million dollar brownstones are situated right next to each other.  More than the obvious differences in property values are real differences in perception. 

The 500 ft. principle is a reminder to every resident of Harlem that we all live within 500 ft. of someone who has a completely different socio-economic reality than our own.  Neither is more or less important they are just different and these differences are insignificant compared to what we all have in common.  We also need to accept that we are all here to stay so we must to come together because we will be together for a very long time.

One of the more troubling aspects of the rapid change that Harlem is experiencing is what appears to be escalating tensions between residents.  The nonsense of black versus white or the haves versus the have-nots is unacceptable in theory and practice.  I am hopeful that as neighbors we can move beyond the issues that divide us.  But, first we must fully understand the causes of the escalating tension. How often do we pass a neighbor on the street and miss an opportunity to connect with them.  A simple “Hello” is a good start.  Personal interactions that build familiarity and a comfort between people who live in close proximity. 

There is more than enough blame to go around for the root causes of the divide, including some in or community who seem to thrive on the conflict as a way to reinforce their so called “Street Credibility.”  These scare tactics using words like “gentrification, displacement, us or them” serve to undermine the rare opportunity we have to come together as neighbors around a common purpose. 

HN

Generation ONE

The new perspective in the post Obama world

President Obama’s election changed everything.  For many there is the world before Obama and the world now.  We have great challenges ahead, but the good news is that generation one is up to the task.  There has been a significant change in how we approach problem solving.  This new perspective makes all things possible and creates the potential for the real change promised by our President.

Generation One is the first generation after the election.  It all starts NOW!

Anything is possible. 

We do not have any more excuses.

We do not have to measure success in terms of how much we are paid.

We have a hell of a lot of work to do so we better work together.

We value ideas over ideology.

We value people over special interests.

We can disagree but still compromise to reach a solution.

Saving the planet is priority number one.

Affirmative action has become affirmative inclusion.

Race matters less and less.

We will re-invent our educational system.

We need the rest of the world just as much as they need us.

We can achieve peace in the Middle East and other parts of the world.

We will invent new technologies to end our dependence on oil.

We will provide universal healthcare.

We will aspire to a renewed American dream.

We will celebrate love between consenting adults.

And, we do believe again.

HN