So far so good, as October is now in full swing. Although I haven’t smelled fall in the air yet, I do expect the leaves to turn from green to orange, red and yellow. One strong gust of wind and they will all fall from the trees, making it official.
It is still a rough time in the old town. One young, unlucky driver made a wild and reckless right-hand turn at 5 a.m., one recent morning and smashed into the bus shelter at the corner of 132nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Damages include the bus shelter’s glass, which was completely shattered, and a car parked directly adjacent to the shelter. The car was totaled. Unbeknown to anyone awakened by the loud crash, there were at least 10 police cars, obviously nearby, because they responded within two minutes of the incident. After a brief moment of silence, a young lad suddenly emerged from the car that caused the crash and took off on foot, or as the old timers would say, “like a bat out of hell.” Several foot patrolmen went in hot pursuit, with one of the officers tripping on the curb and falling. Luckily the officer’s gun didn’t go off and shoot him or her in the foot.
Still running like an Olympian, the young man made it across the street and halfway down the block before making a sharp right-hand turn into the Lincoln Projects. Disappearing into the darkest part of the night before dawn, neither the driver nor the police chasing him were seen again. Later that morning, a police tow truck came to impound the suspect’s vehicle. Two days later, the bus shelter workmen came to sweep up the glass and restore the shelter, as if nothing had happened. The only remnant was the parked vehicle, yet to be claimed.
It has been brought to my attention by “The Sister,” owner and operator of the clothing boutique located on Lenox Avenue between 132nd and 131st streets, that there is an active campaign to shut down radio station WBAI. The reason is that this station is the only station that reports the atrocities that occur to our Black brothers and sisters who are either impoverished, imprisoned or incapable of understanding how to live in today’s fast-paced, high-strung society. Whereas the station’s monthly rent for the transmitting tower is approximately $7,000, an increase in rent would double the fee to approximately $14,000, much more than the station can afford. Protest, protest, protest.
Are any of the New York athletic teams who abstain from recognizing the national anthem before games going to organize a fund of some sort to support the station and keep it on the air for our use and education, as a constructive means of showing the world we intend to support our own? I’m just asking.
The last vestiges of the summer Martha’s Vineyard crew descended upon the island for the annual end of the season bash. Traditionally known as the time when all owners gather to batten down the hatches for the winter, everyone now uses it as a perfect reason to continue meeting, greeting, relaxing in the rays of the warm October sun and, yes, trying to get some work done. Of course it wouldn’t be a gathering without a party. Last year more than 300 people gathered over the extended weekend, as there were a lot of goodbyes to be said. This year promises to be the same, as many have extended their stay to include the Columbus Day weekend. Next thing you know there will be a Halloween parade down Circuit Avenue, and if you stay that long, why not throw in Thanksgiving dinner? After all that’s a four-day weekend. Any excuse will do to remain on the island where fairy tales still exist and dreams come true.
Tuesday, Oct. 18, PBS’s “American Experience” will feature a documentary on Nikola Tesla, the lessor known half of the duo who invented the alternating current electrical supply system. With an eye and vision of the future, Tesla worked feverishly along with Thomas Edison to create alternating current that we use every time we flip the light switch or charge our cell phones. To be even more specific, Tesla’s predictions for the future made more than a century ago shaped the wireless networks of the 21st century.
But wait a minute! We can’t mention Tesla, Edison or anyone else connected with electricity, especially Con Edison, without mentioning the name of a Black man, Lewis Latimer. The son of George and Rebecca Latimer, two runaway slaves, Latimer was born in Chelsea, Mass., Sept. 4, 1848. At age 15 he joined the U.S. Navy and fought in the Civil War. After his discharge from the Navy, he took an office job that paid $3 a week. His attentiveness, innate skill and dedication led to his promotion to draftsman, earning a raise in salary to $20. Becoming well-known for his craft, he was summoned by Alexander Graham Bell to help draft and patent his invention, the telephone.
Along the winding road, Latimer’s path eventually led him to embark on improving Thomas Edison’s newly invented light bulb. Whereas Edison’s light bulb only lasted a few hours before burning out, Latimer’s created a longer-lasting light bulb. Shortly thereafter, Latimer was chosen to lead the team in improving and installing lights across major cities such as Philadelphia, New York City, Montreal and London.
In 1890, Edison hired Latimer to serve as the chief draftsman and patent expert at the Edison Electric Light Company. During his tenure there, Latimer wrote a book, “Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System.” Latimer became one of the charter members of the Edison Pioneers, a distinguished group of people deemed responsible for creating the electrical industry. The Edison Electric Lighting Company would eventually evolve into what is now known as the General Electric Company.
According to Blackinventors.com, “Throughout the rest of his life, Latimer continued to try to devise ways of improving everyday living for the public, eventually working in efforts to improve the civil rights of Black citizens within the United States. He also painted portraits and wrote poetry and music for friends and family. Lewis Latimer died Dec. 11, 1928, and left behind a legacy of achievement and leadership that much of the world owes thanks.”
If and when you watch the PBS documentary on Tesla, be sure to think of Lewis Latimer, an American hero.
Until next week…kisses.
