By Gloria Dulan-Wilson Hello All: This will be a great opportunity to get up close and personal with Philadelphia's Own Bob Bogle. Don't miss it!! Stay Blessed Gloria
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The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries and Dr. Ione D. Vargus Lecture Series presents
Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 2:00 pm Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
Sullivan Hall, 1330 Polett Walk
Join us for the first program of the Dr. Ione Vargus Lecture Series. Robert W. Bogle joins radio personality W. Cody Anderson for an intimate and open-ended conversation about his life, career, and insight into one of the nation’s oldest African American newspapers, The Philadelphia Tribune. Bogle will also discuss the role and importance of The Philadelphia Tribune and African American media in general. Click here to register.
The Ione Vargus Lecture Series is made possible through the support of the Dr. Ione D. Vargus Program Fund.
Programs offered by Temple University Libraries are accessible to people with disabilities. Please contact Richie Holland, Director of Library Administration, at richieh@temple.edu or 215-204-3455 for more information, to request an accommodation, or with questions/concerns.
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Leslie Willis-Lowry Archivist Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson Hello All: OMG! 90 years? Wow!! Wonderful!
There are so many personal memories of the Uptown Theatre! When I was a student at Lincoln University, and later, when I was in Graduate School at Temple U, I used to catch some of the best acts there: Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Captain Jack McDuff, Lou Rawls, Wes Montgomery, Sly and the Family Stone - you name it, I saw it at the Uptown! As did so many of my friends from Philly and surrounding areas. And when I moved to New York, if there was a show we wanted to catch, we'd jump on the train and make a Philly run to catch it. As much as we loved the Apollo, we loved the Uptown. It was hard to learn that this veritable relic of Black entertainment history had been allowed to go dark, and had been so for at least 3 decades, despite efforts of locals to resurrect it and make it viable again. Unfortunately, they did not have a Percy Sutton, like the Apollo had, who invested his personal income to do the renovation - the Apollo had also been allowed to fall into disrepair, but was resurrected in the Mid-1980s because of the impact it too had had on Black entertainment history in New York, and worldwide. So, get yourself together to come out and support this wonderful event - and let's start strategizing on how we can help Linda Richardson and the rest of the committee make the resurrection and ongoing viability of the UPTOWN THEATER a fait accompli -in the Black community in particular, and Philadelphia in general.
Philadelphia Uptown Theater Celebrates 90 Years with Masquerade Gala!!
Uptown Theater Celebrates 90 Years!
OCTOBER 21, 2019 – PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Philadelphia Uptown Theater celebrates their 90th Anniversary!! Founded in 1929, The Uptown has continuously pushed the music and education culture through various programming held at the offices of The Uptown and surrounding community. On Saturday, October 26, 2019 starting at 6:00 PM a VIP Reception will be held in the lobby of The Uptown for VIP ticket holders. From 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM The Uptown Theater will host their annual fundraising gala at the lavish Berean Auditorium located at Broad and Diamond St, Philadelphia, PA 19132.
Themed: Masquerade Ball in honor of our Chairman Emeritus chairs, Corbitt D. Banks, birthday. This amazing gala will be filled with Philadelphia dignitaries, community partners and Uptown Theater supporters. Hosted by our current Chair, Michele Gordon, it is with great honor to present this year’s Honorary Chairmen and women: Congressman Dwight Evans, Senator Sharif Street, and Urban Affairs Coalition President Sharmain Matlock Turner.
To add to the celebration, a local entertainment company JNST production and WJYN Radio presents “The Uptown Review”! This full out production will take you on a musical journey through the lens of Ms. Linda Richardson, President of Uptown Entertainment and DevelopmentCorporation. Bringing you hit songs like “Just My Imagination”, “Heat Wave”, “No Where to Hide”, “Mister Postman” and many more. Richardson’s vision to keep the core mission of The Uptown will always be represented when celebrating The Uptown Theater of Philadelphia. The event will also present the next three years of activities for the Uptown Theater. “The Uptown Theater has historically been a hub for cultural and economic activity in North Philadelphia and throughout the Philadelphia region. I am pleased to be able to marshal resources to assist in the reImagining of this iconic space on North Broad.” Sen. Sharif Street, 3rd District
The Uptown Entertainment & Development Corp. (UEDC) is a community development corporation, incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1995, received its 501c3 tax-exempt status in 2002, and registered with Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations since 2004. UEDC has identified the historic Uptown Theater, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as its first acquisition and revitalization project. Development plans include renovating the theater as an entertainment venue, creating a museum dedicated to preserving Black music, developing a technology center, and providing commercial leasing space in the proposed Entertainment and Education Tower. For More information, contact, Linda Richardson at 215-236-1878
The following press release was sent to me from the office of Pennsylvania State Representative W. Curtis Thomas - and is a problem that appears to be rife throughout Philadelphia - as a subsequent consequence of closing down 29 key schools in areas where they were sorely needed, under the guise of budgetary constraints.
Rep. W. Curtis Thomas
The so called SRC -School Reform Commission - which is a loosely formed school quality review committee - though it is dubious as to whether they would know quality if it walked in on two legs and sat down beside them - has closed down the schools in 2013, leaving several communities without essential neighborhood schools, and requiring many students to be bused across several communities in order to continue their education.
Since their inception in 2001, to replace the school board, their so called reforms have resulted in lower performing schools, increased confusion among faculty, staff, administration, as well as students and their parents - practically the entire community of Philadelphia. There are five members on the SRC Commission - three appointed by Gov. Corbett (a Republican) and two by Mayor Nutter (Democrat). Corbett's appointees serve for 5 years; Nutter's appointees serve for 4 years. The unfortunate truth about the entire lot of them is that the educational future of Philadelphia is tied up in the hands of apparently incompetent people. Additionally, it's rather disingenuous to place the future of an entire city's educational system in the hands of people who apparently have no real interest in, or understanding of, the needs of the community.
What has followed has been a major land grab of the remaining physical assets, and an attempt to sell off the schools to private developers, without regard to many legal requirements that should be adhered to, and blatant disregard for the communities who never wanted the schools to be closed in the first place. Additionally, what is to be the distribution of those funds, once the properties are sold?
This kind of chicanery is no doubt being played out in cities throughout the US, especially in predominantly Black neighborhoods, where moves are being made to render them null and void; marginal and expendable. This indicates that we need to be banding together within our communities, but across the nation, to assist each other in these challenges, and outright assaults on our communities by forces whose only interests are that we no longer are viable or empowered to determine our own destinities. The very educational lives of our children are at stake here.
Mayor Michael Nutter, in a speech given before the OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Center) stated that "what is happening {in Pennsylvania} to the education of our children is a crime and an embarrassment, and must not continue ..."
Well this appears to be the case in this situation. Along with a heaping dose of egregious greed, and a blatant and total disregard for the needs of the community they purport to serve.
Dr. Martin Luther King said,
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere
ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Now that you know, what are you going to do?
Stay Blessed & ECLECTICALLY BLACK Gloria Dulan-Wilson
{NOTE: Of course you know that the color and bolding are my emphasis of the Rep. Curtis' statements}
William Penn High School, Philadelphia PA
STATEMENT
State
Rep. W. Curtis Thomas:
Sale
of William Penn is Illegal
June
24, 2014
I
am increasingly angered by the blatant disregard of the interests and
wishes of the residents of the communities East of Broad Street
regarding the closing and illegal sale of William Penn High School to
Temple University. In 2001, Mayor John Street and Governor Mark
Schweiker reached an agreement that transferred control of the School
District of Philadelphia to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
According to the law that established the SRC, the
governor appoints three of the SRC members, while the mayor of
appoints two members of the commission.
Four
years ago, the SRC concluded that there was a need to keep William
Penn High School open, but would have to close the school temporarily
to address capital needs. The consensus was that it would reopen in
2014 as a career technical school. Members of the William Penn
Development Coalition have met consistently with School
District Superintendent William Hite who assured them as recently as
May, that William Penn was not on the disposition list of schools to
be sold. To my
knowledge, there has been no formal resolution to reverse that
decision or to turn the property over to the city. That’s why it’s
troubling to me that on June 12, the Philadelphia Industrial
Development Corporation contacted the William Penn Coalition, and
told them to put $15 million on the table by June 13 or their
proposal would be dismissed. That is unheard of and illegal,
especially since Temple University was the only other party
interested in acquiring the William Penn property. Although the
coalition submitted their proposal for the reopening of the school as
an educational center and building trades program in a timely manner,
the fix was obviously in for Temple to win the bid.
First
of all, PIDC and the city have no legal right to sell property that
doesn’t belong to them. State control of the school district also
includes their property. The SRC must comply with the PA Public
School Code in all matters pertaining to the school district. The PA
School Code requires that hearings be held to allow a period of
public comment before a school is closed and sold. That was never
done.
Second,
there was no official notice of a marketable appraisal of the William
Penn property. Third, there is a conflict of interest when you have a
Temple University official sitting on the Board of PIDC.
At
what point does the interest of the students and the community come
first? Once again, I am opposed to the marketing and sale of schools
to entities that are not operating in the interest of the community.
There
are 650 homeowners and 500 seniors that reside within blocks William
Penn. Have they been consulted about Temple’s plan to establish
athletic
fields and recreation space for Temple students? No! These are
hardworking people who pay taxes to support higher education, pay
additional sales tax and will pay an additional cigarette tax to
support public education. Shouldn’t they have a say so? Has Temple
president Neil D. Theobald met with the state legislators that
represent Temple – a state-related university that receives
funding from the commonwealth? He hasn’t met with me or the
community even though they contribute to his salary.
According
to the PA Public School Code, 2PACS, Chapter 5, Subsection N, the
secretary of education upon receipt from the majority of the SRC, may
issue a declaration of dissolution 180 days prior to the end of the
school year, which shall be effective by the end of that school
year.
While
it is too late to dissolve the SRC before September, it can be
dissolved during the next school year. To that end, I am saying to
members of the SRC, if you are not prepared to comply with the PA
Public School Code, the PA Independent
Regulatory Review Commission, the PA Department of Education and the
Governors’ Budget Office, then you need to dissolve the SRC.
Our
children’s education should not be sold on the auction block for
selfish interests to developers and those who don’t respect or care
about the needs of the community. This sale was hostile, illegal,
arrogant and disrespectful. This
transaction must be reversed.
Pennsylvania
State Representative W. Curtis Thomas represents the 181st
Legislative District that includes William Penn High School and
Temple University.
-30-
Contact: Marilyn Kai Jewett
215/560-3261
mjewett@pahouse.net
Again, I ask:
NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Some people just don't know when
they're well off; or when they're sitting on “Acres of Diamonds”
– which is the title of a famous speech delivered by Temple University's
founder and first President, Russel H. Conwell.
Dr. Anthony Monteiro
It appears that the Dean of Liberal
Arts, Teresa Soufas might well have studied this little 16 page
missive before taking on the apparently stupid task of getting rid of
Temple University's Star Professor of African Studies, Anthony
Monteiro. In a move that can only be described as “shooting
yourself in the foot” she decides to terminate Monteiro by not
renewing his contract for Fall 2014.
I originally received the news in January from Pam
Afrika while covering a wonderful tour de force with comedians Dick
Gregory and Paul Mooney. But clearly this was no laughing matter.
It was just prior to the homegoing services for Amiri
Baraka, which was held in Newark., NJ.
I had hoped to have had the
opportunity of sitting down with Dr. Monteiro after Baraka's services to
find out what was going on. However, the immense crowd made that
impossible. Reaching him later by phone, he verified the fact that
his contract had not been renewed, which essentially meant he had
been fired. When I asked him if I could post an article on this in
my blog, I was advised to hold off until he had had an opportunity to
meet with the Dean and find out what his options were.
Soufas, apparently, is no stranger to
stupid moves, having put her foot in it in 2012 when she appointed a
white woman to head up the African American Studies department, after
the retirement of the department chair at that time. Monteiro
confronted her about the move, stating that it was disingenuous, and
through a series of demonstrations and negotiations was able to have
Molefi Asante declared the new Chair of the Department. And for a
while, it appeared that all had been right with the world. It's apparent, however, that Soufas is
known for making dumb decisions – and this is yet another in a long
line of them.
Not only is Monteiro one of the star
professors in Temple's African American Studies department, he is both
nationally and internationally known for his work. It is alleged
that because he is a non-Tenure Track(NTT) Professor, whose contract
is renewed annually, it makes him expendable – nothing could be
dumber, or further from the truth. In fact, on balance, one Anthony Monteiro is
worth ten other mediocre professors put together. Even in the
aggregate they wouldn't measure up. Individually or collectively,
they neither possess his knowledge, acumen, passion, compassion,
professionalism, or scholarship in the realm of African Studies, and
more importantly in the arena of the philosophical impact of WEB du
Bois. Additionally, Monteiro is perhaps one of the few professors in Temple's employ who is whole-soul devoted to the students and their success.
Harking back to Conwell's
aforementioned seminal address, “Acres of Diamonds,” Soufas is
guilty of going off on a tangent looking for diamonds elsewhere, not
realizing that she had them right there under her very nose, in the
personage of Anthony Monteiro, all the while.
But to add even more insult to injury,
when it was pointed out to her that such was the case, instead of
graciously admitting the oversight, she sought to bring in cohorts via the board to back her up,
under the rubric that there is strength in numbers. But who wants to back a dumb move when it is
the height of stupidity? And while there may have been some who
sought to get along by going along, it's pretty hard to pretend that it's a dumb move, and to sweep it under the rug. It's like trying to bury an
elephant by covering it over with a few shovels of dirt, and
declaring that the deed is done and irrevocable.
It's like saying, “pretend you don't
see that diamond there, we're going to go somewhere else and hunt for
them in other fields,” that one's not big enough. But Anthony Monteiro's diamond is
shining right there in front of your face, and you can't ignore his
brilliant brightness, no matter how many blinders you put on, or how you tell your cohorts to look away - the light just keeps coming through.
Philadelphians know this; the people
in the community surrounding Temple University know this; the
students at Temple University know this; the faculty and staff know
this, though they're afraid to say anything for fear of losing their
jobs, or their tenure; the unions know this; the international
community knows this. But somehow or other this appears to have
escaped the Dean.
It makes no sense for Temple University to hold itself
out as an institution of higher education and opportunity, and then be shown to be
the total opposite. Sadly it appears that Soufas is the only
ignorant person in the whole group, who then wants others to back her
ignorance because she holds the title of “Dean.” To try to
pull the board and others in with her in a co-conspiratorial farce in order to save face, makes
the board look irresponsible as well.
The preponderance of evidence makes
whatever rules they have conjured up look more like a joke than
anything else, not to mention being racist in the extreme. On the face of
it, it's a simple remedy – reinstate Anthony Monteiro's contract,
without prejudice, and place him on the tenure track with consideration for time
already “served” at Temple University. As Emerson stated, “a
foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of narrow minds.” So to
continue to say that “those are the rules, end of story,” as
though extenuating circumstances have not seen rules bent, broken, or
amended, especially when it's in the best interest of all concerned,
is to show that this decision is, in the main, is not only foolish,
but based on racism, as opposed to Monteiro's competence or
performance.
Indeed, Anthony Monteiro's position at
Temple University has been a drawing card and a motivator for other
students in the Philadelphia area, and beyond, to attend Temple and
seek higher education. Rather than ignore that fact, it should be
augmented and accentuated. He should be the poster child for a
Philadelphian, “born and raised,” who brought his skills,
talents, and abilities back home to his neighborhood, and has served
and continues to serve Temple well.
While Temple is to be commended for
housing the Charles Blockson Collection, it's interesting that the
locale for it is underplayed, and not open to the public at hours
that would make it conducive to for the surrounding community, which
is still 80% African American to have access to it. Instead, it
closes at 5:00PM, and is not available for students or community
groups to have evening hours.There is no signage even indicating that it exists - in fact Pollett Walk, where it's located, should have had an information plaque added to it quite some time ago.
It also appears that as a “good
neighbor,” Temple leaves a lot to be desired – with a student
body population that is more than 70% white, it is definitely not
working very hard to recruit or open its doors to students from the
immediate community – leaving that to colleges outside the
Philadelphia area. Perhaps this is why Soufas sits back and appears
to think that it's of no consequence to summarily dismiss Monteiro.
Perhaps her move is indicative of a larger issue with Temple
University in the main. Perhaps they have become so accustomed to
turning a blind eye to the “Acres of Diamonds” to be mined in
the surrounding community, that they don't know one when they see
one, even when it's right under their very noses.
Newly hired President, Neil Theobald
may well want to review how “liberal” the Liberal Arts department
and its education really is. And whether he wants to continue in a
mode that could very well set the college at odds with the
surrounding community, as opposed to working out some positive,
amicable solutions that would benefit all concern.
Rather than making it a win/lose
situation, forging a win/win resolution, would not only set his first
years as president on a positive and solid footing, but stand him and
Temple University in good stead, locally, nationally, and
internationally.
Anthony Monteiro has been a great asset
to Temple University and her students; the City of Philadelphia, the
Black community of Philadelphia as well as Black people the world
over. It's not only a good move in terms of “good will” it
makes good financial sense as well, with the increased grants and
underwriting that accrue to those programs that have viable
affirmative programs that foster education opportunities and options
for African Americans and people of color. Something that Monteiro
has been well versed in throughout his career.
One can only hope that President
Theobald knows a diamond when he sees one, and will make the wise and
prudent decision to reinstate Monteiro and move forward with his
mission to make Temple University one of the world's greatest
educational institutions.
