We had the time of our lives. Where? At Coney Island, where else? Between the end of school and camp, I always try to do at least one fun summer excursion. Last year, it was a ride on the Circle Line, still an all-time favorite. There’s nothing like sitting back with a few refreshments and learning about the land and waterways surrounding the isle of Manhattan while feeling groovy as you pass under the 59th Street Bridge. By the end of the trip you are relaxed and a little bit more informed than you when you started.
Getting back to Coney Island, it is good to know that some things never change. Sameness gives a sense of security. I think back to when my mother took me to Coney Island, and of the stories I heard of when her mother took her. So the place is special and fun and clean. Yes, the parks were clean, the boardwalk clean, Nathan’s was clean, people were having fun, everyone was behaving, the music was pumping. And the rides? Well, let’s just say there was something for everyone.
Divided into several sections, the best attractions for the best price are in Luna Park. For $35, children get to ride on all of the rides for four hours. Although some of the rides were strictly for thrill seekers—they turned upside down as they spin around, high in the air, at breakneck speed—others are for kids of all ages. As for myself, I was content just to watch. I get dizzy just looking at the merry-go-round. Taking time out to indulge in cotton candy, ice cream, pizza, crinkle-cut French fries, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and clams while gazing out on the water and watching the barges make their way out into the Atlantic, makes for a truly fun day.
Also having fun was Councilwoman Inez Dickens as she celebrated her birthday at Mist; the Tarrant family, up from Houston, Texas, here to celebrate the life and times of sister Zetty Beurie, who passed away earlier this year, in a memorial service; and Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, who hosted a gathering to welcome Democratic primary winner for the 13th Congressional District, Adriano Espaillat, to this side of the hood at her penthouse apartment.
Continuing to have fun were Antwaun Sargent, Christina Anderson-McDonald, Ibra Ake and Mary Grace Costello on the rooftop at the new Met Breuer, located at Lincoln Center, where a preview of “diane arbus: in the beginning” was on display. The exhibition features more than 100 photographs, including never-before-seen photographs from1956 to 1962 that together “will redefine one of the most influential and provocative artists of the 20th century.” Or so they say. Known for her idiosyncratic style and approach, Arbus has been globally recognized, praised, criticized and copied.
Staring at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park at 124th Street and Fifth Avenue was the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, which gave a rousing precurtain concert to Uptown Shakespeare in the Park’s “MacBeth.” If you have never seen or heard the YPC, then you must make it a point to hear and experience this magnificent chorus of youth, conducted by Francisco J. Nunez, artistic director and founder. The YPC, composed of preteens and early teens, will perform at the Festival Napa Valley, in Austin, Texas, on KUTX Radio, at an Austin Independent Schools District Workshop and then at the Paramount Theater Concert. I was fortunate enough to attend a YPC performance most recently at the Children’s Health Fund Gala.
Looking for a good book on inspiration when street life makes all seems lost? Check out “Street Soldier: From the Hood to the Good,” by Walter D. Smith. The story details Smith’s journey through the pit of hell, from dope dealing, a $100,000 drug addiction, a suspect in the rapes of three white women, conviction for robbery and wrongful conviction for rape. Smith was living his life at rock bottom. Sentenced to 84 to 216 years in prison, this former thug was determined to reform himself, prove his innocence and get out of prison. Through self-education and physical fitness (which creates a strong mind), with the help of a local news reporter and DNA testing, Smith walked out of prison after serving 11 years. On his release, he immediately began pursuing his childhood dream and became a five-time professional bodybuilding champion while spearheading a campaign to save our children from making bad choices and taking care of his mother. Today, he has worked with more than 5,000 youth in schools across America and has been credited with reducing homicides in his home city of Columbus, Ohio, to the lowest number in 15 years, all while hosting a weekly radio talk show called “Street Soldiers!” According to critics, there has not been a more compelling written story of a convicted felon’s redemptive reform inspired by faith, courage and purpose since the autobiography of Malcolm X.
To learn how Smith stopped brothers from killing each other and how he continues to inspire youth across the nation to not make bad choices, and to learn simple steps to get in great physical shape, visit his website at www.walterdsmith.com or contact 25th Dynasty Enterprise at 614-570-1906, or email at streetsoldierbook@gmail.com.
Congratulations to Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson of Milwaukee, Wis., a business executive installed as the 2014-2018 international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha comprises more than 265,000 members in approximately 986 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Africa.
Get ready for the third annual New York Black Expo, to be held Saturday, July 30 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the prestigious Sheraton New York Times Square, located at 811 7th Ave. at 53rd Street.
And stay cool.
Until next week … kisses.