On Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023, a significant program took place at Sistas’ Place coffee shop in Bedford Stuyvesant to celebrate Women’s History Month. The “Sistas Celebrating Sistas” gathering came together to lay down a blueprint of purpose and an action plan to deal with critical issues facing the community.
It was a grounding of conscious, grassroots activist leaders, local politicians, and everyday working class people discussing real issues and finding ways to resolve them.
“We are here to salute the ‘Sistas,’ and where else can we do that but Sistas’ Place,” said. Nayaba Arinde, editor of the Amsterdam News and principal organizer of this meeting of the minds. “I just want to start a conversation about anything. This is a safe place where you can talk about anything you want.”
The panel started with a conversation with Fela Barclift (Mama Fela), a lifetime resident of Bedford Stuyvesant, who created and founded the child care center Little Sun People (LSP) in Bed-Stuy in 1980, beginning with her own daughter Aaliyah and three pre-schoolers in her home.
“Growing up as a child, I had been influenced when I heard Malcolm X speak. It was like a light and it became clear to me that I was an African,” Barclift said. “I began to look at my own schools and the teachers who said we were ‘negroes,’ and we began to be ashamed. As I grew up, I wanted to teach our children to always be proud of themselves and know who they really are. Many grassroots activists, conscious people were seeking an African-centered grounding for our children and enrolled them at LSP pre-school.”
She established her preschool in Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy, fighting many struggles over the past 45 years as community support grew. Recent aggressive gentrification and developer economic pressures forced them to move and the preschool is now in Clinton Hill. They are working to educate kindergarten students and hope to include third-grade students under the leadership of Mama Fela’s daughter Aaliyah Barclift, her first student.
“[Aaliyah] is now the educational director, has gotten all her educational degrees, and is learning the ropes so she can take over as I retire within the next two years,” Barclift said. “She understands that the African-centered perspective is moving forward and will not change under any circumstances.”
Also on the panel was Rosalyn McIntosh, who leads the nonprofit organization Sisters Building Sisters in Brooklyn that supports women who have experienced domestic violence. She began workshops to give guidance to women and girls focusing on the empowerment of Black women and girls in self-esteem, self-love, and self-worth to help them build the courage to develop their own self-determination.
Bill Moore photos
“We take these amazing workshops to centers, shelters, schools, churches, mosques—to wherever we can…make a difference to women in marginalized communities,” McIntosh said. The organization has made a significant impact through grassroots hard work on the ground.
NYS Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman raised her concerns about the recognition of Black women’s struggle and accomplishments, and the need for the centuries-long collective community-based networking on fundamental life issues. Her main concern was legislation for education.
During Zinerman’s lead up, veteran human rights warrior Viola Plummer, chair of the December 12th Movement, the Harriet Tubman Fannie Lou Hammer Collective, and Sistas’ Place, entered the room. Nayaba said “We see you,” which is an African principle, and asked Plummer to take a place on the panel and speak.
Plummer started with her appreciation of Arinde’s contributions to the struggles through the decades. “When we came here (to Bed-Stuy), we said, this district where we live, will always be under the control of Black people,” she said. “Hopefully we will continue, if we stand up and fight for it.”
Plummer recognized the “beautiful Black children in the room, with love.” Then she explained, “Poverty is the child of capitalism, let’s be clear. None of us were born poor. We have been born into an existence that created these conditions, and that’s the way that we exist in 2023.”
Zinerman raised the issue of education: “Just recently, I attended a fireside chat with the City of New York Schools Chancellor David Banks and he said that 65% of the children in the city of New York do not read on grade level,” she said. “That didn’t sit well with me. ZIP codes dictate funds and we spend $30,000 per child on education with our tax dollars.”
Plummer responded, “If we start with the stats, the question is why do they exist? Particularly to David Banks, who led Eagle Academy successfully—his students were not at 65%. This is not about education. It’s about money and maintaining their jobs.”
The group participation segment of the event brought out many questions and answers about the way forward. “Never give up” was the tone.
Lookman Afolayan, chef and owner of Buka restaurant, joined the panel to talk about the food he brought to the event. He described his story as an immigrant from Nigeria who raised a family and has restaurants in Bed Stuy and on the Lower East Side. Afolayan said he has an initiative with the Department of Youth and Community Development where he takes African food such as egusi and fufu, jolloff rice and chicken, and puff puff for desserts to afterschool programs. The same dishes were happily devoured by the appreciative crowd.
Overall, the Sistas Celebrating Sistas Women’s History Month event was a tremendous success where the community came together to enjoy positive conversation and delicious food.