Sonny Carson was a founder of the Committee to Honor Black Heroes and was instrumental in street naming to honor Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and Marcus Mosiah Garvey. All of these Heroes and Shero, at one time or the other, were ridiculed as anti-white, by defenders of white privilege and status quo; do you see some similarity in your conduct Speaker Quinn? Going by your reasoning, we should remove the street signs that now honor these individuals.
PUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; what’s wrong?
You say you want to one day become mayor of New York City? As John McEnroe used to say, “You cannot be serious!�
You launch your campaign by abusing the memory of Sonny Ababudika Carson, hero to so many Black people? Why would you oppose the co-naming of Gates Avenue in Brooklyn after Sonny Carson, considered a freedom fighter by many in the Black community?
Moreover, the Bedford-Stuyvesant community residents followed the letter of the law to the dot: thousands of signatures were obtained to support the petition as required; the Community Board 3 voted in favor; and, their elected representative, Councilman Al Vann introduced and sponsored the move.
The community followed the democratic process; yet you came at the 11th hour and subverted the people’s will by shifting the goal post. Your acolytes on the City Council’s Parks commission voted to have Carson’s name removed from the list of 52 individuals for street co-naming. You are so very wrong.
Even children detest those who change the rules in mid-game. Who does not remember that kid who, whenever an opposing team was about to tie the score or take the lead, suddenly developed a stomach ache, grabbed the game ball he owned, and ran home?
You say Sonny Carson was “divisive� and “anti-white.� The lawyer who defended the City against a lawsuit for the right to co-name Gates after Carson even went as far as to say “Would anyone want to honor Don Imus� with a street name? You are so very wrong.
Moreover, aren’t you the one who sponsored one Al Jolson to be honored by a street co-naming? Are you trying to tell us something Speaker Quinn? Al Jolson was famous for performing in black face. One can’t get any more anti-Black than that, unless one dons white sheets.
You must certainly be aware that Sonny Carson played a critical role in diffusing racial tensions during the combustible Ocean hill-Brownsville school empowerment struggle in the 1960s; you must know, or should know, that Carson played a role in the creation of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, and the creation of Restoration Plaza; you must know, or should know that Carson was one of the first Black activists to conduct raids against crack houses; you must know, or should know, that Carson was a founder of the Committee to Honor Black Heroes; and, that he was instrumental in street naming to honor Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
All of these Heroes and Shero, at one time or the other, were ridiculed as anti-white, by defenders of white privilege and status quo; do you see some similarity in your conduct Speaker Quinn? Going by your reasoning, we should remove the street signs that now honor these individuals.
We as a people are a good people; we are an accommodating people; we are a humanitarian people; we are a forgiving people – many would say to a fault. Even after enduring the slavery, torture, oppression and massacres of Apartheid in South Africa, there are still cities named Pretoria, Johannesburg, Pitermariztburg, Bloemfontein, Pietersburg; and many such other names, after colonizers, looters, oppressors, and murderers.
Please don’t push the people too far Speaker Quinn. Don’t usurp the people’s right to co-name Gates Avenue after Sonny Ababudika Carson.
Black Star News Readers Please call Speaker Quinn and tell her to do the right thing by Sonny Carson. Her City Hall office (212) 788-7210; her District office (212) 564-7757
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“Speaking Truth To Empower.�
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