Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey

defended members of the United Steel Work-

ers of America, Local 8751, Boston School

Bus Drivers’ Union, during a demonstration,

last June, against a labor contract proposed by

First Student, Inc., the private bus company

that operates the City of Boston’s school bus

system.

Several elements of First Student’s labor

contract have been labeled by the union as anti

-union, and discriminatory.

Councillor Yancey told the crowd of nearly

200 union supporters that they deserve a con-

tract with decent benefits, and that they should

continue to fight against all forms of injustice

and exploitation. “The very people we trust to

transport our most precious resource, our

young people, seem to be treated like second-

class citizens. I believe that all working people

need to be treated with dignity and respect,” he

said.

A strike was thwarted after the School Bus

Drivers’ Union and First Student agreed to

continue with summer negotiations.

Other union supporters included the Greater

Boston Labor Council, Massachusetts AFL-

CIO, UNITE-HERE Local 26, the Women's

Fightback Network, and the International Ac-

tion Center.

Councillor Yancey called for a moment of

silence to honor those who have lost their lives

fighting for the right to organize, so that orga-

nized labor may exist in the City of Boston,

the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the

United States of America. Y2011Y2011Y2011

Yancey 2011

Do the Write Thing honors champs

Yancey favors DOC Commission

Outside Movie Night returns

Boston celebrates 25th Book Fair

Native American Culture honored

Yancey welcome s Urban League

CEO, Mark Morial, to Boston

Yancey salutes Jah Jah Drummers

Boston entrepreneurs showcased

Yancey pays tribute to veterans

William E. Carter Post is revitalized

Yancey 201120112011

Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey Dean of the Boston City Council

Volume 13, Issue 5

Yancey backs union members in contract dispute

Members of the Yancey family pose for a photograph during the 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair last July in Roxbury. Pictured

above are (l-r) Sarah Yancey, Stephen Charles Yancey, Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey, Marzetta Yancey, Derrick Yancey Jr., Der-

rick Yancey, Sr. and Ashley Yancey (See pages 4 and 5)

August

Councillor Yancey demonstrates with mem-

bers of United Steel Workers of America, Lo-

cal 8751, Boston School Bus Drivers’ Union.

Councillor Charles C. Yancey and USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Driver’s Union or-ganizer, Steve Kirschbaum, rally against First Student, Inc.’s proposed labor contract, which union members called oppressive, anti-union, and discriminatory.

Yancey staffer, JaVonica Latson, and her 4-

year-old niece, Aaniyah Kinn, attend

Charles C. Yancey’s 25th Book Fair last July

in Roxbury. See pages 4 and 5.

2

2

3

4

6

6

7

7

8

8

Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey’s

office recognized winners of Do the Write

Thing (DtWT) Challenge last May at the Uni-

Page Two Yancey 2011, August

“Do the Write Thing” recognizes winners in Boston

Yancey favors creation of Commission to oversee DOC

versity of Massachu-

setts/Boston.

DtWT is an initiative

of the National Cam-

paign to Stop Violence,

a non-profit organiza-

tion composed of com-

munity, business and

governmental leaders

who have come togeth-

er to reduce youth

violence in communi-

ties across the United

States.

Over one million

students have partici-

pated in the DtWT

Challenge, since its

inception. This year,

over 2,000 6th, 7th,

and 8th grade students

from Boston participat-

ed in the DtWT Challenge. It provides middle

school students with an opportunity to exam-

ine the impact of violence on their lives in

classroom discussions and in written form by

communicating what they have seen to be the

causes of youth violence as well as solutions to

help decrease violence in their communities.

The writings of participating students were

reviewed by a panel of volunteers recruited by

a DtWT committee established for participat-

ing localities. Theses panels of volunteers then

selected as a boy and girl from each school

who submitted the most responsive entries as

“school ambassadors.”

The two winners from each city receive lap-

top computers and a trip to Washington, D.C.,

with one parent or guardian, during the Na-

tional Recognition Week, July 16-20, 2011.

The National Campaign to Stop Violence

publishes and places in the Library of Con-

gress a book containing the writings of all the

national finalists.

Councillor Yancey and the Boston City

Council commended the National Campaign to

Stop Violence for empowering students to

reduce violence in their own homes, schools

and neighborhoods. Y2011Y2011Y2011

Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey last

June testified during a Massachusetts State

House hearing in favor of House Bill 1559,

legislation introduced by State Representative

Kay Kahn to create a Massachusetts Correc-

tions Commission as a permanent independent

oversight commission for the Department of

Corrections (DOC).

Yancey said a Commission could lead to the

improvement of public safety for inmates and

employees in Massachusetts prison facilities

and for Massachusetts neighborhoods and

communities with regard to successful re-

entry. He also said a Commission could imple-

ment policies to decrease recidivism rates in

Massachusetts. “Human beings are released

from prisons more dangerous, more disabled,

more wounded, and less prepared to assume

the role of responsible adults than prior to their

incarceration,” he said.

Leslie Walker, executive director of Prison-

ers’ Legal Services in Boston, called the pro-

posed Commission an inexpensive way to

insure that, “Light shines in the dark corners of

Massachusetts’ prisons. It will let legislators

and taxpayers know where their tax dollars are

going. The current system of warehousing as

opposed to treating, training, and educating

prisoners has resulted in public safety concerns

and inexcusably high recidivism rates,” she

said.

Pace University Law School Professor Mi-

chael Mushlin called independent, external

oversight of conditions in correctional facili-

ties an essential tool for protecting human

rights in a closed institutional environment. He

Do the Write Thing winners (l-r) Billy Santana, Arianna Pires,

Radames Ventura, receive awards and recognition from Steve Neville,

who is coordinator of Do the Write Thing, during the organization’s

awards ceremony last May at UMass/Boston in Dorchester.

YYYANCEYANCEYANCEY 2011 2011 2011 AAAUGUSTUGUSTUGUST, V, V, VOLUMEOLUMEOLUME 13, I13, I13, ISSUESSUESSUE 555

PPPUBLISHERUBLISHERUBLISHER Boston City Councillor

Charles C. Yancey

CCCHIEFHIEFHIEF OFOFOF SSSTAFFTAFFTAFF Lynnette Frazier

WWWRITERRITERRITER/E/E/EDITORDITORDITOR Kenneth W. Yarbrough

CCCONSTITUENTONSTITUENTONSTITUENT SSSERVICESERVICESERVICES Ernest “Duke” Bennett &

Lorraine Fowlkes

OOOFFICEFFICEFFICE SSSUPPORTUPPORTUPPORT Edith Monroe

IIINTERNNTERNNTERN Javonica Latson

Anastasia Walker

TTTELEPHONEELEPHONEELEPHONE

617 635-3131

FFFAXAXAX 617 635-3067

EEEMAILSMAILSMAILS

ccyancey@aol.com or

charles.yancey@

cityofboston.gov

called the lack of oversight a situation that is

not a healthy state of affairs for either the in-

mates held in prisons, most of whom will re-

turn to their communities, for the staff who

work in prisons, or for the public whose tax

dollars are used to operate these systems.

Publisher and community activist Jamarhl

Crawford, in a telephone interview following

the hearing, called the Massachusetts prison

system broken and in need of improvement.

“There’s an epidemic going on,” he said, cit-

ing problems such as food deprivation, internal

corruption, smuggling of contraband, and sex-

ual and physical abuse inside the prisons.

Boston Phoenix staff writer, Chris Faraone,

whose six-month investigation of the Massa-

chusetts correctional system yielded a highly

acclaimed article, Trouble over Bridgewater,

testified that he had spent a lot of time, in-

tensely investigating the DOC. “I came to

understand the lack of oversight as the biggest

most shameful thing in Massachusetts, and it

goes unmentioned,” he said.

Others who testified included Reverend Wil-

liam Dickerson of Greater Love Tabernacle

Church; Joanne Miranova of Press Pass-TV;

Darrin Howell, ED of Drive Boston and for-

mer volunteer community advocate for DOC;

and former DOC Commissioner Kathleen M.

Dennehy.

Councillor Yancey said he supported and

encouraged swift passage of H.B. 1559 as is

currently written. “Without the help of govern-

ment, what are communities to do to address

and reverse the hopelessness, mental illness,

untreated anger, and the self-hatred that con-

tinues to lead to bullying, suicides, and ran-

dom violence by those who have been exposed

to a prison culture of intimidation, brutal vio-

lence, rape and murder,” he asked. Y2011Y2011Y2011

Boston City Councillor

Charles C. Yancey, B.O.L.D.

Teens, and the Codman

Square Neighborhood Coun-

cil presented Codman

Square’s third annual Outside

Movie Night this summer at

the Second Church of the

Nazarene in Dorchester. The movies, which were

shown every Friday at 8:00

p.m. at 600 Washington

Street in Codman Square,

included Wall-E on July 22,

Peter Pan on July 29, and

Despicable Me on August 5.

The movies that were cho-

sen for this year’s Outside

Movie Night all incorporated

themes that were related to

Louis D. Brown Peace Insti-

tute’s Seven Principles of

Peace, which include Love,

Volume 13, Number 5 Page 3

Councillor Yancey joins members of B.O.L.D. Teens and the

Boston Police Department during Outside Movie Night last year

in Codman Square.

BOLD Teens and Yancey present “Outside Movie Night”

Yancey delivers keynote speech for New Mission High graduates

Councillor Yancey poses with New Mission

High School staff and students moments be-

fore delivering the keynote speech at New

Mission’s graduation ceremony last June in

Boston. Pictured (l-r) are Dorotea Manuela,

chairperson of New Mission’s Governing

Board; Headmaster Naia L. Wilson; Salutatori-

an Margaret Wogbeh; and Valedictorian

Sermisha Darius. Yancey told graduates to

have gratitude toward their teachers, adminis-

trators, and families. “You studied hard, you

focused, and you have overcome many, many

odds,” he said. Yancey praised New Mission’s

Boys Basketball team, the Titans, for winning

the Massachusetts Division 2 State Title for

the past two years, even without gym facilities

at the school. Yancey urged students and ad-

ministrators to reach out and fight for what is

needed in the community. “I don’t want you

walking around with your heads down, beg-

ging for what your community needs. I want

you to demand it,” he said. New Mission,

which is located at 67 Alleghany Street in

Roxbury, has a strong emphasis on social jus-

tice and preparation for college entrance.

Councillor Yancey, pictured with Dr. Deborah

Dancey, principal of Channing Elementary

School and Steven Sullivan, headmaster of the

John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and

Science, provided remarks for graduating sen-

iors during the John D. O’Bryant’s 115th com-

mencement exercise, last June in Boston. Sul-

livan told students that he took special pride

and satisfaction in all that they had accom-

plished. “You have made your entire commu-

nity proud,” he said. Dr. Dancey, the first fe-

male graduate of the John D. O’Bryant (Then

Boston Technical High School) told students

that graduating does not mark the end of their

journey. “It’s not over. It does not end here,”

she said. Dancey served as an educator, a civil

rights leader, member of the Army’s special

forces, and the first female headmaster at Mad-

ison Park School. The keynote address was

provided by Dr. Joan Y. Reede, dean for Di-

versity & Community Partnership at Harvard

Medical School. She talked about the im-

portance of finding one’s promise. “Each has a

promise but it’s up to you to find out what

your promise is,” she said.

Yancey addresses John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science

Unity, Faith, Hope, Courage, Justice, and

Forgiveness.

Evaluations distributed following the screen-

ings invited spectators to describe their own

perception of how these various themes of

peace are embodied in the films.

Councillor Yancey noted that Outside Movie

Night is intended to entice members of the

community to come out for a joyous and

peaceful occasion.

Alexandra Chery, program coordinator of

B.O.L.D. Teens and manager of Codman

Square Farmer’s Market, said Outside Movie

Night provides a safe atmosphere that attracts

people to participate. “It feels good to see

people you’ve never seen before. People really

love coming out,” she said.

Cynthia Loesch, vice president of Codman

Square Neighborhood Council, said B.O.L.D

Teens and the Neighborhood Council are hop-

ing to expand the concept of Outside Movie

Night to other neighborhoods throughout the

community. “It’s super exciting to see a movie

night in Codman Square,” she said.

The Second Church of the Nazarene provides

space on the side of its building for the mov-

ie’s projection and for community members to

sit on the grass. In case of rain, movies will be

shown inside Great Hall across the street.

B.O.L.D., which stands for Breath of Life

Dorchester, is a youth-led organization that

focuses on environmental and social justice

issues impacting the health and safety of local

communities.

B.O.L.D. Teens started with four youth in the

community that had personally been impacted

by tobacco related illnesses within their fami-

lies. A few of its many achievements include

persuading the Boston Globe to stop advertis-

ing tobacco products, banning the sale of to-

bacco products in all Boston pharmacies, and

creating tobacco warning labels to inform the

community of the toxic chemicals found in

cigarettes and other tobacco products.

B.O.L.D. focused much on the impact of

tobacco and alcohol advertisements on young

people in the City of Boston. The Teens

worked with local merchants to reduce tobacco

and alcohol advertisements. They also devel-

oped a campaign to reduce advertisements in

magazines that appeal to youth audiences. In

addition, the Teens worked with the Massa-

chusetts Banding Together Against Alcohol

Advertisements Coalition to reduce alcohol

advertisements on the City of Boston’s public

transportation system, where thousands of

youth travel everyday in Boston.

Councillor Yancey praised the successful

efforts of B.O.L.D. Teens and the impact that

the group of teenagers has had on the entire

City of Boston. “Their dedication and perse-

verance has improved the quality of life for

many residents of the City of Boston,” he said.

Y2011Y2011Y2011

Page 4 Yancey 2011, August

Bertram Alleyne attends Yancey’s 25th Anniversary Book Fair

Diverse lineup of entertainers per-forms at Charles Yancey Book Fair

Bertram S. Alleyne, II, who was born and

raised in the City of Boston, has attended the

Charles Yancey Book Fair every year since the

book fair’s establishment in 1987. Councillor

Yancey and his wife, Marzetta, launched the

book fair as a means of promoting literacy and

love of reading among Boston youth.

Alleyne said he loves to see the children

smiling. “That’s why I come every year. The

smile on their face is irreplaceable,” he said.

Councillor Yancey said the book fair’s goal

has always been to attract community youth

into learning and becoming excited about life’s

vast opportunities. “The importance of reading

may not always be evident. But one common

denominator shared by many successful peo-

ple is aspiration for reading and learning.

Without exposure to knowledge, we become

encapsulated in a shallow world and blocked

from opportunities around us,” he said.

This year’s theme, 25 Years of Traveling the

World Through Books, accentuated the global

knowledge readers can obtain simply by read-

ing.

Two West African drummers receive assis-

tance on the microphones from radio personal-

ity Charles Clemons of Boston’s Touch 106.1

FM. Clemons served as master of ceremonies

during the 25th Anniversary of the Charles C.

Yancey Book Fair. Participants this year were

entertained by a diverse lineup of entertainers

that included teenage rap sensation, Breje;

Agina’s West African Dancers; author and

storyteller Robert Peters, Ritmo En Accion, a

Latin youth dance group; Celtic music provid-

ed by the Bay State Pipers; Gund Kwok, an

Asian women’s lion and dragon dance troupe;

12-year-old author and poet, Rebecca Noelle

Vama; and Swaggo Inc., a dance troupe orga-

nized by actor, dancer, and choreographer

Kaili Turner. Others who played a role in the

Yancey Book Fair included Reverend Arthur

Gerald of the 12th Baptist Church who provid-

ed prayer; Disc Jockey Gary Marion who pro-

vided music and operated the sound system;

and Squadron Commander Carlton Jones who

led a Civil Air Patrol presentation and the

pledge of allegiance.

Councillor Yancey introduces Gund Kwok, the

only Asian Women Lion & Dragon Dance

Troupe in the United States. The troupe, which

provided entertainment for Yancey Book Fair

spectators, was established in 1998 to give

Asian women an opportunity to express their

creativity, power and strength through per-

forming the lion and dragon dances. The lion

and dragon dances are art forms which require

martial arts discipline, endurance, flexibility

and creativity. The Chinese Lion Dance is

customarily performed during Chinese New

Year to herald in the new year and bring pros-

perity, good luck and peace. It is also per-

formed at other celebratory events to bring

peace and good fortune. The dragon dance, a

form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, is

a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations

held worldwide in Chinatowns around the

world. Gund Kwok, which means heroine in

Chinese, symbolizes women's power and

strength. Traditionally, women's power,

strength and intelligence have been

unacknowledged and hidden from public view.

Matthew Phelps of the Bay State Pipers plays

traditional Celtic music on the bagpipes for an

inspired audience during the 25th Anniversary

of the Charles C. Yancey Book Fair. Phelps,

who has been performing on the Highland

Bagpipe since the age of eight, also plays the

Scottish smallpipes. Phelps has performed at

hundreds of events throughout New England

as well as in Canada, Panama, and Italy. He

also provides instruction for the Boston Police

Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums and is the

Pipe Major of the Stuart Highlanders Pipe

Band(Grade IV) of Wilmington, Massachu-

setts. He is a member of TRI, a trio that plays

Cape Breton music in the Boston area as well

as at festivals across America. He is also a

professional member of the Eastern United

States Pipe Band Association. Councillor

Yancey said the diverse array of entertainment

provided at this year’s book fair reflected the

theme, 25 Years of Traveling the Globe

Through Books. “We featured performances

from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and West-

ern Europe.

Gund Kwok performs Lion & Drag-on Dance for book fair onlookers

Bay State Pipers provides tradition-al Celtic music for book fair crowd

Long-time Boston resident, Bertram S. Alleyne, II, achieves satisfaction observing the enrich-

ment and educational impact of the Charles C. Yancey Book Fair on Boston youth. Alleyne has

attended each book fair since Charles and Marzetta Yancey established the book fair in 1987.

Over 2,000 participants and volunteers packed

into the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center

for the 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book

Fair last July in Roxbury.

Far removed from the Boston street violence

that dictates attention of local main-stream

media, hundreds of ecstatic children received

back-packs stuffed with over 20,000 brand-

new-books.

Councillor Yancey thanked volunteers, spon-

sors and participants for making this year’s

book fair an overwhelming success. He also

thanked Richard Evans for organizing the

diverse roster of entertainment, and he thanked

Keith McDermott, director of the Reggie Lew-

is Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Com-

munity College, for providing a venue for this

year’s book fair.

Councillor Yancey said the Charles C. Yanc-

ey Annual Book Fair this year truly reflected

all neighborhoods of the City of Boston more

realistically than the persistent negative imag-

es portrayed in the mass media.

Volume 13, Number 5 Page 5

Boston celebrates 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair

Yancey receives recognition from Representative Gloria Fox

Councillor Yancey, standing next to Book Fair

Coordinator, Lynnette Frazier (right), receives

a citation from the Office of Massachusetts

State Representative Gloria Fox, during the

book fair. Gloria Fox has served the people of

the 7th Suffolk District since 1984. The cita-

tion was presented by Mary Tuitt (left), Repre-

sentative Fox’s chief of staff and also a candi-

date for Boston City Council’s District 3 seat

that is currently headed by Councillor

Maureen Feeney. In accepting the citation,

Yancey recognized the several organizations

that had purchased tables for distribution of

free materials at the book fair. “Your support

of the book fair is crucial to our ability to pro-

vide brand-new-books to Boston children year

after year,” he said. Those organizations in-

cluded NStar, MassVote, McDonalds, Nation-

al Grid, GBOS for Kids, NAACP, Codman

Square Health Center, Boston Police Depart-

ment, Healthy Baby Healthy Child, Chez Vous

Roller Skating Rink, Boston United for Stu-

dents, Generations Incorporated, and the Boys

& Girls Club - Yawkey Club of Roxbury.

Councillor Yancey is joined by Boston City

Councillor Matt O’Malley (left) and Boston

City Councillor Tito Jackson (right), during

the book fair. Other officials present included

Boston City Councillors Michael Ross, Rob

Consalvo, and John Connolly, and State Rep-

resentative Russell Holmes. Rep. Holmes said

reading is fundamental. Councillor Consalvo

called the book fair a great thing for reading

and literacy in the City of Boston. Councillor

Connolly, who said the success of Boston

Public Schools starts with reading at home,

announced that he supports Councillor Yanc-

ey’s efforts to build a new high school in Mat-

tapan. Also present was Marchelle Raynor,

vice chair of the Boston School Committee.

Raynor, who also serves as a Head Start pro-

gram director, congratulated participants for

making the choice to attend the book fair.

“This is real violence prevention. This is what

keeps our children safe,” she said. Retired

State Representative Willie Mae Allen and

Boston City Council at-large candidate Wil-

liam Dorcena also attended the book fair.

Several members of the Boston Police Depart-

ment participated in the Yancey Book Fair,

providing not only sponsorship and supervi-

sion in crowd handling, but also enthusiastic

interaction (as seen above) with the youth. Other Yancey Book Fair sponsors this year

included publisher Tony Rose of Amber

Books, Comcast, Walgreens, Massport, NStar,

Verizon, TJ Maxx, Stop & Shop, Houghton

Mifflin, Citizen’s Bank, Sovereign Bank, NE

Vending, IBEW, Prince Hall Grand Lodge,

Shaws Supermarkets, Blacks In Government,

Red Sox Foundation, Suffolk Construction,

Clear Channel Outdoors, Mt. Washington

Bank, One United Bank, BJ’s Wholesale

Club, BEVCO Associates, Boston City Coun-

cil, Boston Teachers’ Union, New World Se-

curities, McDonald’s Corporation, Mayor

Thomas Menino, Attorney Donald E. Green,

Boston Private Bank & Trust, AOL Time

Warner Books, Coca-Cola Corporation, Radio

Touch 106.1, Reggie Lewis Track & Field

Center, and Sundance Newbridge Educational

Publishing.

Elected officials appear at 25th An-nual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair

Boston Police Department provides enthusiastic assistance at book fair

Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey poses with some of the hundreds of children who

attended the 25th Annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair on July 9, 2011 at the Reggie Lewis

Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Councillor Charles C. Yancey

joined Native American Culture

Awareness (NACA) and members

of the Native American community

at a NACA-sponsored powwow

last May in Watertown, Massachu-

setts.

NACA’s mission is to provide

assistance to members of the Na-

tive American Community and to

citizens of the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts, and to teach tribal

beliefs, histories, spirituality, cus-

toms, as well as personal, family,

and community responsibilities.

NACA, during powwow festivi-

ties, expressed appreciation to the

City of Boston and the Common-

wealth of Massachusetts for elimi-

nating old laws that prohibited

Native Americans from entering into the City

of Boston, and that allowed citizens of old

Boston to shoot, kill or hang Native Ameri-

cans.

Page 6 Yancey 2011, August

Councillor Yancey celebrates Native American culture

President of the Republic of Cape Verde visits City of Boston

Native Chiefs and Medicine men at the Pow-

wow offered blessings to the land on which

Native Americans were previously banned.

Yancey, who had participated in efforts to

remove discriminatory colonial legislation

from city and state charters,

thanked NACA for organizing the

powwow and for

providing assistance to the Native

American community and educat-

ing citizens of Massachusetts about

Native American Culture and Tra-

ditions.

NACA is obligated to teaching the

respect of elders and neighbors,

medicine and healing circles, men

and boys mentoring circles, woman

and girls mentoring circles, the

avoidance of drugs and alcohol,

and the dispelling of myths pertain-

ing to Native American cultures

and traditions.

NACA, which was formed and

founded by George "Lone Wolf"

Thomas (of Pequot and Cherokee

inheritance) and other Native Americans, is

comprised of community members who teach

Native American culture, traditions, beliefs,

and history. Y2011Y2011Y2011

Councillor Yancey honors His Excellency

Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires, President of

the Republic of Cape Verde, and his wife,

Adélcia Barreto Pires, during their visit to

Boston last June. Pires was elected President

of the Republic of Cape Verde on February 25,

2001. The country, under his leadership, has

experienced substantial improvements in

health, education, quality of life, human devel-

opment, as well as significant improvement in

the defense of the environment. His early years

as a soldier, a mobilizer, and a military com-

mander positioned Pires as a pivotal player in

the elimination of colonial domination in Cape

Verde. In 1973, he was chosen to chair The

National Commission of the African Party for

Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde

(PAIGC) for Cape Verde. In October 1974,

Pires returned to Cape Verde to lead the Cape

Verdean branch of PAIGC. Pires has also

served as member of Parliament of Cape

Verde, the first Prime Minister of the inde-

pendent nation of Cape Verde, and as Assis-

tant Secretary General of PAICV.

Councillor Yancey welcomes Urban League

CEO, Marc C. Morial, to the City of Boston

during the 2011 Urban League Conference last

July in Boston. Yancey presented Morial with

a resolution commending his tremendous lead-

ership in city and state government as well as

at the National Urban League. Morial has

served as a mayor, a state senator, an attorney,

and entrepreneur, and an educator. Morial, as

Mayor of New Orleans, was a popular chief

executive with a broad multi-racial coalition

who led New Orleans’ 1990’s renaissance, and

left office with a 70 percent approval rating.

Morial, as a Louisiana State Senator, was

named Legislative Rookie of the Year, Educa-

tion Senator of the Year, and Environmental

Senator of the Year, while authoring laws on a

wide range of important matters. Morial’s

creativity and leadership at the Urban League

has led to initiatives such as the Urban Youth

Empowerment program to assist young adults

in securing sustainable jobs, and Entrepreneur-

ship Centers in 5 cities to help the growth of

small businesses.

Councillor Yancey joined the Sierra Leone

Cultural Organization, Inc. last April in cele-

brating Sierra Leone’s 50th Independence

Anniversary during a flag raising ceremony at

Boston City Hall. Democracy in Sierra Leone

is slowly being reestablished after the civil war

from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of

thousands of deaths and the displacement of

more than 2 million people. Ernest Bai Koro-

ma has been Sierra Leone’s President since

September 17, 2007. The president in Sierra

Leone is elected by popular vote for a five-

year term. The new government's priorities

include furthering economic development,

creating jobs, and stamping out endemic cor-

ruption. Political stability has led to a revival

of economic activity such as the rehabilitation

of bauxite and rutile mining, which are set to

benefit from planned tax incentives. A number

of offshore oil discoveries were announced in

2009 and 2010. Sierra Leone Cultural Organi-

zation, Inc., was established in 1983 to pro-

mote Sierra Leonean cultures and the history

of the Amistad.

Yancey welcomes Urban League CEO, Marc Morial to Boston

Sierra Leone Cultural Organization cele-brates 50th Anniversary of Independence

Councillor Charles C. Yancey poses with members of the Native Ameri-

can community during a NACA-sponsored powwow last May in Water-

town, Massachusetts.

Councillor Charles Yancey praised members

of Jah Jah Drummers for preserving the Art of

African drummology in the City of Boston

during a special performance honoring the

group’s 15th anniversary last June at Unity

Sports and Cultural Club in Dorchester.

Jah Jah Drummers is an ensemble of accom-

plished percussionists of the Caribbean Afri-

can American Black Diaspora that has been

performing in the Boston area since 1996.

The group’s founder and president, Glen

Noel, is a native of Trinidad and Tobago, and

an accomplished African Congo Drum player.

Noel, a percussionist for 30 years, skillfully

Volume 13, Number 5 Page 7

Councillor Yancey recognizes Jah Jah Drummers

Boston entrepreneurs generate economic activity

leads Jah Jah Drummers in chants, spirituals,

and traditional Afro Caribbean songs .

The group has provided performances, lec-

ture demonstrations, and drumming instruc-

tions for countless occasions, including

Kwanzaa and Black History Month celebra-

tions, Haitian Independence observations, anti-

violence affairs, and various com-

munity events for children and

churches.

Its astonishing performances -

through stories, praise-songs, and

poetry - provide a primordial recol-

lection of the rich cultural roots of

slave ancestors, slave experiences,

and the rituals and traditions of the

mother-country, Africa. Jah Jah Drummers, during the

anniversary celebration, introduced

its new slogan, Drums not Guns,

which Noel calls an attempt to

eliminate the mentality that guns

should be used to settle disputes.

Jah Jah Drummers, as a means of

enticing youth away from the streets and help-

ing to expose them to a positive experience,

offers free drum lessons every Monday night,

7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Unity Sports and Cul-

tural Club in Dorchester.

For more information about Jah Jah

Drummer’s free drumming lessons, call Glen

Noel at 617 888-6465.

Jah Jah Drummers holds Peace Walk

Jah Jah Drummers sponsored an anti-

violence walk, Drums not Guns: Walk for

Strength and Unity, last July. The walk started

at Dudley Station and ended at Franklin Park

Zoo, where participants gathered to hear

speakers and entertainment.

Councillor Yancey called the various efforts

of participating organizations helpful in dimin-

ishing future acts of violence in the City of

Boston.

Participants included Jah Jah Drummers,

Lion Entertainment, World Wide Culture Ser-

vices, World Cares Organization, Big City

101.3 FM, and International Support & Chari-

ty Association of Boston, Inc. Y2011Y2011Y2011

LaWanda McClorin (3rd from right), owner of Bag Lady Boutique, recently celebrated the opening of her business at 145 Washington Street in Dorchester. Born and raised in Bos-ton, McClorin, an administrator for the Depart-ment of Youths Services for the Common-wealth of Massachusetts, said she always wanted to open a women’s boutique and was following her dream. “I wanted something metro and modern where styles are unique,” she said. Councillor Yancey presented McClorin with a resolution congratulating the grand opening of Bag Lady Boutique. The boutique, which offers unique, one-of-a-kind clothing not available in other stores, is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Thomas Edmund, owner of Ashley's Breakfast Shop at 260 Bowdoin Street in Dorchester, greets Governor Deval Patrick, one state sena-tor, two state representatives, and four Boston city Councillors last April at his restaurant in Boston. Edmund, who emigrated from Trini-dad in 1987, attained a job at 260 Bowdoin Street, washing dishes and mopping floors. He called himself a workaholic who worked day and night. But Edmund’s respectable work ethic created an excellent relationship with the former owner and he acquired the business in 1996, establishing one of Boston’s finest breakfast restaurants. Hundreds of customers have complimented Ashley’s food. “We love serving people and we enjoy all the compli-ments,” Edmund said.

Princess Hair Palace at 1876 Dorchester Ave-nue in Dorchester recently expanded its hair-styling services to include massage therapy, nail-care essentials, skin care therapy, and professional makeup artistry. Councillor Yanc-ey joined owner, Princess Cedeno and friends during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last June. Cedeno emigrated from the Commonwealth of Dominica 30 years ago. She’s been a licensed hair stylist in the Boston area for the past 20 years. She enhanced services at the requests of her customer. “The neighborhood loves it,” said Cedeno. The solon’s hours are Tuesday (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), Wednesday (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Thursday (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), Friday (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), and Saturday (7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).

Members of Jah Jah Drummers accept a resolution from

Councillors Yancey’s office that praised the group for pre-

serving the Art of African drummology in Boston.

Councillor Yancey poses with Glen Noel, the

founder, president and artistic director of Jah

Jah Drummers. Noel, who is a native of Trini-

dad and Tobago, is an accomplished African

Congo Drum player.

Ashley's Breakfast Shop receives praise Princess Hair Palace now offers Spa services

Bag Lady Boutique opens in Dorchester

Yancey 201120112011

William E. Carter Post is revitalized

Councillor Yancey lays wreath for Boston veterans

Post No. 16, located at 1531 Blue Hill

Avenue in Mattapan, was chartered in

1919. The Carter Post is named after

multi-war veteran, African American

Army Sergeant, William E. Carter,

whose name is also memorialized by

the titling of the William E. Carter

School at 396 Northampton Street in

Boston, and the Sergeant William E.

Carter Playground, opposite 650 Co-

lumbus Avenue in Boston.

The Carter Post is one of approxi-

mately 14,900 American Legion posts

located throughout the United States.

Councillor Yancey, as respect for

veterans who made the ultimate sacri-

fice, urged the group to make Carter

Post the best in the country.

“Symbolically, the Carter Post repre-

sents the sacrifices made by countless

veterans,” he said.

The American Legion was founded in 1919

by veterans returning from Europe after World

War I, and was later chartered under Title 36

of the United States Code. Y2011Y2011Y2011

Councillor Charles C. Yancey solemnly lays

a red, white and blue wreath at the gravesite of

13,000 veterans buried at Mount Hope Ceme-

tery in Mattapan, during Boston’s annual Me-

morial Day Observance on May 30, 2011 in

Mattapan.

Yancey, who provided the keynote speech for

the annual observance that began in 1921,

noted that, historically, the ethnic and gender

makeup of soldiers greatly differs from the

biased image portrayed by Hollywood. “It’s a

one dimensional image where most soldiers

are depicted as white and male,” he said.

Instead, those who have sacrificed for the

principles for which the Nation stands, have

included women, Asians, Africans, Europeans,

Native Americans, immigrants and others, he

said.

“The first person to give his life for the estab-

lishment of the United States of America was

an African Native man, Crispus Attucks, who

sacrificed his life on March 5, 1770,” said

Yancey. Attucks became the first man to fall

in the American Revolution along with Samuel

Maverick, James Caldwell, Samuel Gray and

Patrick Carr.

Yancey also talked about the abusive treat-

ment of African American soldiers returning

home after World War II. The soldiers were

confronted by state and local Jim Crow laws,

which mandated de jure racial segregation in

housing, education, and public places. “The

African American soldiers returning from

Europe were no less patriotic than any other

soldiers that participated in defense of the

United States of America, but African Ameri-

can soldiers were treated worse than Nazi war

prisoners,” he said.

Today, the demographics for homeless veter-

ans in the City of Boston indicate that the pop-

ulation’s racial makeup is approximately 85

percent African American, 10 percent Cauca-

sian, and 5 percent Hispanic.

Councillor Yancey recently reintroduced a

bill he sponsored, ordering the Boston City

Council to convene a public hearing to discus

homelessness among African American veter-

ans.

Before leaving the podium, Councillor Yanc-

ey thanked all the families who have made the

ultimate sacrifice, noting that everyone in the

nation, including himself, has been a benefi-

ciary of the sacrifices made my veterans in the

United States. “We will never forget you and

your sacrifices,” he said. Y2011Y2011Y2011

Councillor Charles C. Yancey joined members

of the William E. Carter American Legion

Post No. 16, last May, to celebrate reopening

of the Post, which had been shut down for two

years for renovations.

Councillor Charles C. Yancey celebrates reopening of

William E. Carter American Legion Post No. 16, with

board members of the local post, last May in Mattapan.

“African American soldiers were treated worse than Nazi war pris-oners”

— Councillor Charles Yancey

August