The U.S. Postal Service on Jan. 30 celebrated the iconic New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint (1938-2015) as the 48th honoree in the Black Heritage stamp series. As a virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer, Toussaint played a pivotal role in shaping the unique sound of New Orleans music and introducing it to a global audience.
A dedication ceremony for the stamp was held at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center in New Orleans.
“The United States Postal Service is deeply honored to dedicate a stamp to the incomparable Allen Toussaint,” said Gary Barksdale, the Postal Inspection Service’s chief postal inspector, who served as the dedicating official. “His profound musical contributions have enriched the world with their soulful melodies and vibrant rhythms. The stamp serves as a lasting tribute to his extraordinary talent and enduring legacy.”
Joining Barksdale for the ceremony were Norman Robinson, former journalist and master of ceremonies; Quint Davis, Festival Productions, Inc. CEO; Elvis Costello, singer-songwriter; Irma Thomas, vocalist; and Toussaint’s children, Clarence Toussaint, and Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux.
“His music has touched the hearts and homes of so many, and now, through the release of a commemorative U.S. Postal Service stamp, his image will continue to inspire and connect with those same people in a deeply meaningful way,” said Toussaint-LeBeaux on behalf of the Toussaint family.
Toussaint, a true son of New Orleans, possessed a unique musical talent that transcended genres. His career spanned nearly six decades, during which he collaborated with a diverse range of artists and produced countless hits. His songs — including “Fortune Teller,” “All These Things” and “Southern Nights” — have become timeless classics, covered by numerous artists and featured in films and television shows. He seamlessly blended elements of R&B, funk, soul and jazz, creating a sound that was both deeply rooted in the city’s rich musical heritage and yet undeniably original.
He received numerous accolades throughout his career. In 2013, President Barack Obama recognized Toussaint with the National Medal of Arts. Previous honors included induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2012, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2022, the New Orleans City Council renamed Robert E. Lee Boulevard in honor of Toussaint, who lived on the 4-mile-long thoroughfare during the last years of his life.
Toussaint left an indelible mark on the world of music and his legacy continues to inspire.
The stamp features a photograph of Toussaint at the piano, elegantly dressed in black, with a black background set off by purplish lighting, and his name in red lettering at the lower edge.
Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using an existing photograph by Bill Tompkins taken in New York in 2007.
The Allen Toussaint stamp is a Forever stamp issued in panes of 20. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
News about the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #AllenToussaintStamp and #BlackHeritageStamp. A video providing more information and insights into the stamp will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages at facebook.com/USPS and twitter.com/usps.
Map courtesy National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Three survivors of 'Wanderer' (L-R) Cilucangy (Ward Lee), Pucka Geata (Tucker Henderson), Tahro (Romeo)
1857 mess kettle used to feed 'Wanderer' slaves on Jekyll Island. Photo by William B. Minuse
By Beverly C. Tyler
A few years ago, on the eve of the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday, my wife and I watched the DVD movie “Amazing Grace,” based on the story of how a few dedicated men and women in England, at the beginning of the 19th century, ended the British slave trade. As dramatic as the story was, I was equally impressed by one of the special features, a tour of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of their on-line exhibits notes, “The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration of people…which brought millions of Africans to America.”
One of the main concerns of the Freedom Center is that around the world, “there are estimated 21 million to 45 million people trapped in some form of slavery today… more than at any other time in human history.” A film, special feature or website is no substitute for an actual visit to the Freedom Center and other museums and historical societies that tell stories of our history, culture, diversity and the challenges we face.
There is a darker side to the diversity of our community. It has many facets, including stories of our enslaved people and our community’s part in the slave trade. One story begins here in East Setauket, along Shore Road, overlooking Setauket Harbor.
Joseph Rowland built theschooner-yacht “Wanderer” in 1857 for Colonel John D. Johnson, a member of the New York Yacht Club and a wealthy sugar planter from New Orleans. Johnson raced the schooner and won every race until the yacht club disallowed “Wanderer’s” participation due to her size and speed. Angered, Johnson and “Wanderer” left New York in late spring 1858 for a tour of the south, including Charleston and Savannah. At every port “Wanderer” was widely acclaimed.
During that tour Johnson sold “Wanderer” to William C. Corey and soon after she appeared in Port Jefferson. She was fitted out for the slave trade, probably at the yard of J.J. Harris. With installation of large water tanks and the appearance of the schooner “Charter Oak” outside the harbor with more supplies for “Wanderer”, S.S. Norton, surveyor of the port, became suspicious and notified federal officials in New York. The revenue cutter “Harriet Lane” intercepted “Wanderer” off Old Field Point and took her in tow to New York over Corey’s loud protests.
Corey glibly talked himself free and “Wanderer” was allowed to leave for Charleston, SC where the real owner Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar surfaced. Lamar, staying in the background because of his previous connection with slavers, obtained customs clearance for her. They completed fitting out for the slave trade and sailed for Africa.
Slavers were rigged to outrun the slave squadrons of Great Britain and America, both of which were trying to stop the now illegal slave trade. On the west coast of Africa, “Wanderer” took aboard some 600 enslaved Africans and sailed for America. They were laid down side by side alternating head and feet, chained wrist to ankle, and kept there for days without sanitation.
On the evening of November 28, 1858, “Wanderer” landed 465 Africans on Jekyll Island, Georgia. The rest had died during the voyage and were unceremoniously tossed over the side. Most of the Africans suffered from diarrhea, dietary deficiencies and skin diseases. They were sick, tired, needed rest, care and good food to recover, but had to be dispersed as soon as possible to avoid Federal questions about their status. A camp was set up and Dr. RobertHazelhurst, married to the sister of John and Henry DuBignon, owners of Jekyll Island, checked every African and none died in his care.
“Wanderer” was seized by Federal authorities, but the Africans, now on Georgia soil, a slave state, had been quickly sold at auction. There was outrage in the U.S. Congress but little, if anything, was done, less than two years before the start of the Civil War.
The real story of “Wanderer” is about the enslaved African people who survived and thrived. Cilucangy, (SIL-U-CANNY) who learned basket weaving from his mother was taken from field work when his talent was recognized. Ward Lee, his American slave name, and his wife and many of their descendants lived their lives in Aiken County, SC not too far from where he was first enslaved. They raised four children and many of their descendants moved north settling in New York and on Long Island. These included 87-year-old Ocea Lee-Barnes, a resident of Hempstead, Long Island when she was interviewed in 2008 at a “Wanderer” survivor reunion on Jekyll Island. Cilucangy told his story in 1908 to an anthropologist from the University of Chicago. He dreamed of returning to Africa and died ten years later without fulfilling his dream.
As of March 2024, the state of Georgia has identified at least 67 of the 409 captive men, women and children who were illegally smuggled aboard “Wanderer.” Cilucangy’s sons moved north, grandson William moved to Brooklyn. In the 1980s, his great-great granddaughters were named the Doublemint Gum Twins. Today the family includes teachers, lawyers, and guidance professionals. Margaret Higgins, another great-granddaughter of Cilucangy, lived in Nassau County and her grandson is named Alexander Cilucangy Valenti.
Many enslaved Africans from “Wanderer” remained in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia with a number being sold to plantations and individuals around Brunswick, Georgia and Jekyll Island. From December 1858 until the start of the Civil War, newspapers followed the destinies of some “Wanderer” enslaved Africans who were discovered in all the states of the lower south. Partly as a result of enslaved Africans landing on Jekyll Island, the Buchanan administration (1857-1861) strengthened the African squadron by adding steamers of war and permitting closer co-operation with the British.
In 1861, “Wanderer” was seized by the federal government and used as a Civil War gunboat. She was creditedwith capturing four prizes. After the war the U.S. Navy sold her to private owners who ran her aground on Cape Maisi, east of Cuba, on January 21, 1871 and she was a total loss.“The Last Slave Ships – New York and the end of the middle Passage,” a 2020 book by John Harris, tells the story of New York City’s extensive involvement in the slave trade.
Extensive research on shipbuilding in the Three Village area and Suffolk County was conducted over many decades by local writer and historian William B. Minuse (1908-2002). His research on “Wanderer” included a trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia where he was able to photograph items such as the mess kettle used to feed the enslaved Africans after they arrived on Jekyll Island.
Author Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket. Tel: 631-751-3730. http://WWW.TVHS.org
Continuing the kickoff for Women’s History Month in March, we have welcomed the Honorable A. Gail Prudenti, formerly the Chief Administrator of the Courts in New York State, to our podcast this week. And we are marking the passing of Black History Month, held annually every February, with a tribute to “the father of Black history,” the late Carter G. Woodson.
Prudenti distinguished herself early by graduating with honors from Marymount College in Tarrytown, then going on to law school at the University of Aberdeen School of Law.
Her career in SuffolkCounty began when she clerked for Surrogate Judge Ernest Signorelli, then worked for the Suffolk district attorney for two years. After a ten-year stint in private practice, Prudenti became special counsel for the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, then ran for public office. Elected in 1991 to the New York Supreme Court while still in her 30s, she served there for four years.
Prudenti then became the Suffolk surrogate judge, the first female elected to this position. Concurrently she was acting New York Supreme Court justice. Then, in 1999, she was appointed as the Tenth Judicial District, Suffolk County administrative judge, the first New York surrogate to serve as a district administrative judge.
After serving on the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, she was named presiding justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department, again the first woman in the position. She then became the designate judge on the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, and went on as the Chief Administrator of the Courts. She was in that position for four years.
Even for those of us who aren’t familiar with the various names and levels of the courts in our state, her rise through the system was clearly meteoric. Prudenti then went on to the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra in 2015, where she ultimately served as their 10th dean, and will step down as she joins Nancy Burner, our previous podcast guest, to form the Burner and Prudenti Law Group.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950, American author, historian and journalist, the son of former slaves, was the second Black man to earn a PhD at Harvard University, following W.E.B. Du Bois. He was the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and was one of the first scholars to study the history of the African diaspora. He strove to place people of African descent at the center of American history and the human experience. He noted that African-American contributions “were overlooked, ignored and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them. Race prejudice is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.”
Also a founder of the “Journal of Negro History,” in February 1926, he launched the celebration of “Negro History Week,” the precursor of Black History Month. His goal was to emphasize the “Negro in History, not the History of the Negro”. Since 1976, every President has designated February as Black History Month. Woodson’s remarkable life is worth knowing.
We hope you will tune in to our podcast this week, starting Friday afternoon, hearing a summary of the week’s news and commentary from Gail Prudenti, by going to our website, tbrnewsmedia.com, and clicking on the home page button, “Listen Now,” or catching us on Spotify.
Happy March!
P.S. Bio information above supplied by the internet.
Michael J. Winfield Sr. Photo from Marquis Who’s Who
By Aidan Johnson
Being a teacher can mean more than just helping kids learn arithmetic and reading. Teachers have the power to leave a lasting impression on the lives of their students. Such is the case with Michael J. Winfield Sr.
Winfield, who has been an educator for over 25 years, with teaching and administrative posts at Shoreham-Wading River, Riverhead and South Country school districts, among others across Long Island, currently serves as a sociology instructor at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip.
Though an accomplished educator and administrator, he did not originally intend to go into that field.
“I kind of backed into it,” Winfield said in an interview. “I was transitioning from my business … and I went back to school, and I was going to stay in security.”
While Winfield was working in the security sector, he wanted to get his master’s in sociology. However, after a deal for the security company to pay for his master’s did not pan out, he left and began working as a substitute teacher.
Although substitute teaching was supposed to be only temporary, he found himself enjoying the work.
Teaching was “something that I just kind of warmed up to,” Winfield said. “Before you know it, I was in my master’s program, and I was taking additional courses to get my teacher’s certificate.”
As an educator, Winfield knew it wasn’t just his job to know what to teach kids; he also needed to understand how to teach them. He described how if his students needed help understanding a particular subject or concept, he wouldn’t automatically fault them. Instead, he would ask himself what he could do better to help register with them.
“I think the students appreciated that because they needed those opportunities, those extra looks at things,” Winfield said. “I always learn from them how I can be a better teacher [and a] better person.”
While students may forget their teachers are still humans, they can still make mistakes. Winfield never felt afraid to admit or apologize to his students if he was having a lousy day.
But Winfield’s efforts continue beyond the classroom. While at Spring Valley High School, his supervisor tasked him with creating a Black History Month program that also included all members of the community.
To achieve this, Winfield focused the celebration on community member Edmund Gordon, a well-known psychologist and mentee of W.E.B Du Bois (an American sociologist, socialist, historian and Pan-American civil rights activist), and created a community service award for him and his wife, Susan Gordan.
Winfield also partnered with community-based organizations to bring his diverse community full of different ethnic backgrounds together during a single event.
“We just had so many different people that all came and participated, and really that’s the goal: to share the history with everyone,” he said.
While these types of celebrations can help expand a community’s knowledge of Black history in America, Winfield still feels that the U.S. slipped in instructing what Black people have contributed to American history.
“There are some periods of history, as you must be aware, that were not so good,” he said. “But we have to learn from them. We can’t hide them.”
“I think there are some people in the educational world that feel as though these things are divisive, and they’re not divisive,” he added. “They help us learn from it, and they help us grow because history is instructive.”
Winfield’s dedication to his career shows in his continued advocacy work. He still has students reach out to him and give him updates on their lives.
“I had a couple of students this year that sent me cards, and in one card, the student said that she thanked me for creating a safe space to learn,” he said.
Winfield, who has authored “Mentoring Matters: A Practical Approach to Fostering Reflective Practices,” a book that advises teachers in their formative years, among other books, has successfully left his mark on the community around him. For that, he is invaluable.
Michael J. Winfield Sr. is also listed in “Marquis Who’s Who.”
Artist Hulbert Waldroup with his painting, The Life and Legend of Pyrrhus Concer, at the Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor
By Tara Mae
Serving in one of the 19th century’s most profitable and perilous industries, Black mariners risked their lives, livelihoods, and liberty in the pursuit of a meager but available wage. The Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor’s new two year special exhibition, From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora, examines the too-frequently ignored Black heritage and contributions to the whaling industry.
Guest curated by Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director of Eastville Community Historical Society in Southampton, the exhibit opened on Feb. 15 and will run through 2024.
“This exhibit is focused on expanding and expounding on stories of Black mariners in maritime history and sharing the untold/under-told stories of whalers of African descent and whalers of color in our whaling history,” said Gina Van Bell, Assistant Director of the Whaling Museum.
From Sea to Shining Sea exhibit at the Whaling Museum
The exhibit casts the African American whalers for what they were: main characters in their own lives, who took up whaling as a means of survival and, in many cases, transformed it into a stepping stone for other successes.
“We want people to understand the vastness of their lives, which is sometimes missed,” Dr. Grier-Key said. “We really wanted to focus on that, just going a little bit deeper and not stopping at the surface of BIPOC whalers and their lives, probing what they were able to do and what it meant in the context of the times. We want to offer more of a world view, a holistic look at whalers and their lives.”
Like a ship’s crew comprised of many individual roles, this exhibit consists of items from the museum’s own archives as well as items on loan from 10 different historical organizations. It honors the artistic pull the sea has had on creators throughout the centuries by incorporating art inspired by the water and maritime culture.
Awash with primary source documents, artifacts, and artwork, the interactive display explores what life was like at sea and ashore for non-white mariners while contextualizing the greater experience of people of color who in lived in coastal areas during the 1800s.
The story of one such Black man, Pyrrhus Concer, inspired local artist and Southampton gallery owner Hulbert Waldroup, whose oil on canvas painting The Life and Legend of Pyrrhus Concer (2022), is included in the show. This circular painting, reminiscent of the shape of a porthole, depicts in vibrant colors the nautical scope of Concer’s life, framed in repurposed boat wood rescued from a salvage yard.
A formerly enslaved Southampton man of African descent, Concer became a sailor after he was freed in 1832 (slavery in New York formerly ended in 1827.) He sailed aboard the whaling ship Manhattan, the first American ship to visit Tokyo, Japan, where he was greeted with wonder, being the first Black man many of the Japanese had ever seen.
“It was painted purely out of love and respect for Concer,” Waldroup said. Drawn to the stories of Black cowboys and whalers, who have traditionally been erased from popular lore, Waldroup was intrigued by Concer, whose career as a whaler enabled him to establish himself as a businessman and philanthropist on the shore.
Whaling and other maritime endeavors were often precursors for the precarious promise of more stable lives away from the water, but such pursuits were fraught.
Part of the Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora exhibit at the Museum.
“The first Black Americans who were treated as ‘citizens,’ in a way, were sailors. During the nineteenth century, working as a merchant seaman or whaler was one of the few occupations which offered free Black people a relative level of independence and self-sufficiency, along with the opportunity to travel the world with a Seaman’s Protection Certificate,” said Executive Director of the Whaling Museum Nomi Dayan.
From circa 1796-1940, American mariners carried this document as proof as citizenship. It was particularly vital to Black sailors, as they were not defined as citizens under the law until the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868.
African Americans took very big risks for mitigated reward when they sailed with whaling ships. When docking in harbors of the South, for example, they were subject to being jailed or captured and sold into slavery.
From Sea to Shining Sea features receipts for the imprisonment and release of Alfred Gall, an African American crew member on the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Company’s Tuscarora, whose captain had to bail him out of jail. His crime? Being a free Black man in a Southern port.
Yet despite the marine and manmade dangers, whaling was considered to be a viable, even comparably steady trade. The sea offered a sort of freedom to men who might not find it on land as long as the voyage did not kill them.
“Whaling employed the most diversified workforce among all other occupations at the time. Many whalers of color who endured hard work, poor pay, awful living conditions, and serious danger, chose to work at sea because work options on land were limited,” Dayan said. “African American whalers who faced work discrimination on land were more likely than other racial groups to continue whaling.”
Whaling records indicate that rank prevailed over the color of one’s skin. Recruiters did not record race, just complexion, which was a subjective categorization. Herman Melville, the white author of Moby Dick was even listed as “dark.”
Light-skinned African American sailors had more opportunity for advancement. And while Black whalers did encounter barriers to advancing their ranks and were relegated to service-based positions, they usually earned the same rate of pay as other men of the same rank.
“On these voyages, your life and your counterpart’s life depended on how well you did you job. So in that way, you were equal in the sense of doing the work … tough, backbreaking work that was dangerous — you could lose your life but could achieve financial success,” Dr. Grier-Key said.
This made whaling unique to other industries. Whaling could provide a sort of networking opportunity for the African Americans and other people of color. Ancillary jobs associated with the sea were also available to them, such as being caulkers and coopers. Wives of BIPOC whalers might be seamstresses for the captains’ wives.
Such a utilization of community building is a trait understood by the team behind this exhibit, for whom From Sea to Shining Sea is a labor of love and longevity, part of the Whaling Museum’s ongoing efforts to share the whaling tales generally omitted from the history books.
Dr. Grier-Key and Dayan served together on the board for the Museum Association of New York, and Dr. Grier-Key knew of Waldroup through her work in the Southampton community. Together with Van Bell, they coordinated an exhibit that the stories of BIPOC whalers are no longer submerged in the murky annals of time.
RELATED PROGRAMS:
Black History: Whaleboat Chat
Join the special edition of a Whaleboat Chat highlighting the Whalers of the African Diaspora exhibition on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at noon. Gather around the star of the museum’s collection, the whaleboat, and listen as a staff member shares the tale of the dangerous Nantucket Sleighride and the brave whalers. Free with admission. No reservations necessary.
Black History: Build-A-Boat Workshop
Drop by the Museum any time on Feb. 21 and Feb. 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. to learn about African American whalers who designed, built and worked on whaling ships in the 19th century and then imagine, design and create unique wooden vessel models out of a variety of materials in this open-ended workshop. Entry: Admission + $10 participant.
Beyond the Book
Join the Whaling Museum’s new book club! Read Whaling Captains of Color by Skip Finley at home andgo on new adventures through history. Then meet at the museum on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. to dive deeper into the story through connections with the Museum’s collection. Adults only. $15 per participant. Registration required.
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor is open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the winter months, and Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the summer. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors; $6 for children ages 4-17; free for children three years old and younger; and free for members. For more information, visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org or call 631-367-3418.
Louis Jordan's Typany Five, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948. William P. Gottlieb/Wikimedia Commons
Black History Month is celebrated throughout February, and for more than 50 years, has provided an outlet for people to remember and reflect upon African American history.
We see many examples of Black history right here on Long Island. Though not fully understood or preserved, the examples feature most prominently in the field of entertainment.
How many readers are aware of the Red Rooster club on Route 25 between Gordon Heights and Coram with its national Black celebrities and advertising a “complete floor show every night” through the late 1940s? How many can recount the contributions made by the Celebrity Club in Freeport in the 1950s and ‘60s, when R&B and soul reigned supreme?
Then there was East Setauket’s own Paula Jean’s club, where not only could one enjoy the top national and local blues artists at the turn of the new millennium but also the most authentic Cajun or Creole cuisine this side of New Orleans and south Louisiana.
Never heard of these clubs and their place in the Black hierarchy? That’s all the more reason why measures should be taken by the state, counties, towns and villages to recognize these sites with heritage plaques. These important and historic local institutions should be studied in local history classes from K-12, community colleges and universities.
In years to come, the investment of time and resources will be paid off in the form of enhanced Long Island artistic recognition, increased tourist traffic and greater cross-cultural understanding.
Today, the local club tradition is continued in honor of many top Black jazz legends at Tom Manuel’s The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook in live performances and at its museum which features pioneering stars such as Louis Jordan — arguably the inspiration for rock ‘n’ roll music — and balladeer Arthur Prysock.
The recently opened Long Island Music Hall of Fame is located on the site of the Dogwood Hollow Amphitheater behind Stony Brook Village Center. It was the place to be for international acts such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong until 1970.
Like The Jazz Loft, LIMHOF is another institution preserving the music history of artists and entertainers of all colors and stripes. Both organizations should be supported and patronized by local residents and tourists alike. But more recognition through plaques and other landmarks should be offered by our municipalities, as is done with music trails in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Months celebrating specific cultures such as Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month and more, are all helpful for reminding us that our country is what it is today thanks to people of all walks of life. Recognizing our accomplishments shouldn’t be confined to just four weeks out of the year.
Let’s think of better ways to share the stories of people from all walks of life, those who accomplished greatly whether in music, politics, the armed forces or other fields. Let us remember and honor their legacy by putting those ideas into practice. Here on Long Island, there is diversity in history from which we can learn so much for our future benefit and enlightenment.
To mark Black History Month, the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook Village will be highlighting wines specifically from Black winemakers and winery owners, for its Acoustic in the Main Room series. The series showcases small duos/trios in the Loft’s main performance room which will be set up to resemble an intimate living room, with spaced out seating. The concerts are conversational, engaging and intimate and a very special window into the heart and mind of the artists and each concert is paired with a special wine to celebrate Black History Month.
“This theme was chosen in an effort to elevate awareness and support the growth of African Americans in the wine industry,” said Director of Education Laura Landor, who selected the wine pairings. “Of the more than 11,000 wineries in the United States, less than 1 percent of them are Black owned or have a Black winemaker. We are excited to introduce these wines to our Jazz Loft patrons during Black History Month and hope to add a selection of them to our regular list of wines that are available by the glass or bottle.”
The Jazz Loft will offer tastings of a red and white selection during each performance with full glasses available for purchase.
“Our Acoustic in the Main Room series is a unique opportunity to hear some of the most talented singers and musicians that perform regularly at the Loft in a relaxed setting, reminiscent of the New York City Loft scene of the 1950’s which inspired the Jazz Loft’s name,” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “If you don’t know any Jazz performers personally to invite into your own living room, then this is the next best thing.”
The Acoustic in the Main Room series calendar:
February 9-Featuring Mala Waldron on piano and vocals; with Mike Hall on bass; and Tom Manuel on cornet.
McBride Sisters Sparkling Brut Rose, Hawk’s Bay NZ
McBride Sisters 2020 Chardonnay Central Coast, CA
McBride Sisters 2019 Red Blend Central Coast, CA
February 10-Houston Person on tenor saxophone; Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet.
Brown Estate “Chaos Theory” 2021 Proprietary Red Wine (California)
Brown Estate House of Brown 2021 Chardonnay (California)
February 24- Buddy Merriam on mandolin; Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet
Longevity 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
Longevity 2019 Chardonnay (California)
February 25- Grammy-nominated singer Nicole Zuraitis, with Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet
LVE Signature Series 2021 Chardonnay (North Coast, California)
LVE 2019 Cabernet (North Coast, California)
All performances are hosted by Tom Manuel and Laura Landor.
Tickets will be limited to just 85 people and start at 7 p.m., and feature two sets with a brief intermission.
Tickets for all performances are $40 and start at 7 p.m. and can be purchased at https://www.thejazzloft.org.
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively jazz music. For more information, call 631-751-1895.
Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel puts the finishing touches on the new Louie Armstrong exhibit at the Jazz Loft.
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook Village will be marking Black History Month in February with special exhibits in the Loft’s museum celebrating jazz greats Louis Armstrong (Corona), Lloyd Trotman (Huntington), Ernie Royal and Benny Powell (Both who lived in New York City). The Jazz Loft’s museum contains more than 10,000 pieces of jazz memorabiliaand is open Thursdays to Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.
“In many ways every month is Black History month at the Jazz Loft,” said Founder and President Tom Manuel. “Jazz is a music and tradition that was born from the Black experience and African roots. This February we will be adding several new exhibits that focus on local jazz greats who had a connection to Long Island and New York.”
“The contributions by Black musicians, singers and composers to the art of Jazz are infinite,” said Manuel. “We are proud to be highlighting some of the leading ladies of song in February with our ‘Here’s to the Ladies’ Young at Heart concert. The artistry and impact of vocalists like Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald is everlasting.”
Mala Waldron
On February 9, Mala Waldron, daughter of jazz legend Mal Waldron, will kick off the Loft’s Acoustic in the Living Room series from 7 to 9:30 p.m. This jazz music series showcases small duos/trios in the Loft’s main performance room which will be set up to resemble an intimate living room, with spaced out seating. The concerts are conversational, engaging and intimate and a very special window into the heart and mind of the artists. The concert will feature Mala Waldron on piano and vocals; with Mike Hall on bass; and Tom Manuel on cornet.
Tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased here: Tickets
Rocky Point High School students helped create this mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Photo from Seth Meier
“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself — the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us — that’s where it’s at.” — Jesse Owens
After years of training and dedication, American athletes have been competing on the world stage in Beijing, China, through the Winter Olympics in front of a communist regime that is openly competing with the United States — not only in athletics, but for social, economic, political and military prowess — to be the top superpower.
Eighty-six years ago, during the beginning of German aggression in Europe, Jesse Owens, an African American track-and-field standout athlete competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In front of fascist powers that were bent on expanding their national power, this Alabama native was a highly regarded runner for the United States. In front of Adolf Hitler, Owen received cheers and along the way he shattered the myth of the Aryan race and the racial superiority of the Nazi regime.
Known as the Buckeye Bullet from his competitive days running at Ohio State, Owens won four gold medals and gained the respect of the global community that was on the brink of World War II. During the games, a fatigued Owens was told with Ralph Metcalfe to replace Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller in the 400-meter relay race.
At first, Owens was reluctant to run, he was tired, and believed that these men had the ability to win this race for America. While he continued to succeed at these games, he believed in the ability of these runners that had faced anti-Semitism at home and during these games. The American track-and-field athletes won 11 gold medals, six of them were earned by African American athletes.
Owens confidently represented the character and pride of the United States in front of the Germans, whose government sponsored racism and hatred toward minority groups. But when he arrived home, through the long-standing policy of segregation he was unable to gain the same rights as white citizens until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed.
Rosa Parks
Another native of Alabama that changed the scope of civil rights was Rosa Parks. While she was traveling home by bus in 1955 from her job at the Montgomery Fair Department Store, several Black people were told to leave their seats to make enough room for white riders. Parks refused to stand with the other Blacks, where she defiantly remained seated to oppose the unfairness of segregation. Like other Black citizens who lived in Alabama, she observed the fire department use of hoses to push back civil rights demonstrators, the police using German Shepherd dogs to assault crowds of protesters, and the use of force to physically carry away Blacks who were engaged in sit-ins that were waged at segregated areas such as restaurants, park benches and local businesses.
By refusing to leave her seat, Parks broke the Jim Crow segregationist laws, was photographed as she was arrested, fingerprinted and sent to jail. Her name has become synonymous for people of all backgrounds to oppose widespread civil rights abuses that have been seen within the United States.
In 2012, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, President Barack Obama (D) sat in the original bus seat and reflected on the strength of this little woman who was a giant toward the cause of civil rights.
Thurgood Marshall
In 1908, Thurgood Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to a mother who was a teacher and a father who was a railroad porter. At an early age, his father took him to local courtrooms to observe the legal procedures for the defense and the prosecution of local cases.
As he grew older, Marshall was concerned about the high death rate of African Americans within the streets of Baltimore and how Blacks were defended in the court of law. He was an outstanding student in high school and attended the African American equivalent to Princeton University at Lincoln University near Oxford, Pennsylvania.
While he was a brilliant student, Marshall enjoyed his social life and saw some trouble through a hazing incident within his fraternity. He realized the necessity of being more dedicated to his studies, as he joined the debate club and began to see law as his future calling.
During his college years Marshall lived through the tribulations of segregation, where he helped desegregate a local movie theater. Once he graduated, he began his pursuit of attending law school, but he was denied his first choice of University of Maryland Law School.
Through the unjust racial policies of this prominent school, he was refused admission to attain this degree, since he was Black. As a married student, Marshall graduated as a valedictorian at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., and later turned down the chance of attending Harvard University to begin his own law office in East Baltimore.
This emerging legal icon was interested in gaining positive changes to the civil rights laws that prevented the growth of rights for African Americans. Marshall was known for his devotion to fight against police brutality, unfair practices of landlords, and he also supported labor organizations and businesses.
Always with an eye toward helping others, he had two key cases that saw him fight for the rights of Blacks against segregation. First, he opposed the unfair “separate but equal” parts of the GI Bill that limited the rights African American veterans that served within every component of the Armed Forces at home and overseas during World War II.
In 1952, he fought against the government to overturn the segregationist policies that were established within the American educational system.
After excelling within many government legal positions, in 1967 President Lyndon Johnson (D) nominated Marshall to become the first African American associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a legal pioneer who always looked forward to change, through the positive beliefs that all Americans were able to get ahead in the United States, where they should receive all of the rights of the constitution.
Aretha Franklin
All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)
The legendary lyrics of “Respect” were sung by trailblazer Aretha Franklin in 1967. Born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, her father the Rev. C.L. Franklin was a famous Baptist minister and her mom Barbara was a gospel singer.
By the time Aretha was 14 years old, she had already recorded her first gospel single, in Detroit. In 1960, she was scouted for Columbia Records by New York’s John Hammond, who also signed Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to professional contracts. But it would take a few years before Franklin hit fame in the late 1960s through her association with Atlantic Records and its music savvy heads, Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler.
This was the beginning of her pursuit to consistently earn top 10 hits and gold records. Along the way, as the Queen of Soul, she sold millions of records such as with “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” and “Respect,” a No. 1 hit. Her music was adored by people of all races, as her records made it through the tumultuous moments of the 1960s. Franklin’s success was felt during this trying decade that saw major Vietnam anti-war and civil rights protests. After the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, ironically in her birthplace of Memphis, Franklin sang at his service in honor of this noted leader.
Many fans noticed the soulful feeling of sincerity when listening to the words of Franklin that always struck a chord with people that enjoyed music. Into the early 1970s, she gained big hits with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Spanish Harlem” but at this moment soul music tastes began to change with disco and hip-hop.
Her popularity never wavered on the national level as she performed at the inaugurations of Presidents Bill Clinton (D) and Obama, and she was given the Presidential Medal of Honor by George W. Bush (R) in 2005.
The musical grace and strength of Franklin was also recognized in 1987 when she was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1994, she was honored at the Kennedy Center and was given the National Medal of Arts in 1999.
Franklin represents the countless examples of African American accomplishments that added to the national character and pride of the United States during all periods of time.
Rich Acritelli is a history teacher at Rocky Point High School and adjunct professor at Suffolk County Community College.
In honor of Black History Month, Errol Toulon Jr. (D), of Lake Grove, is the first African American Suffolk County sheriff. Ever since his youth through the lessons that he learned from his father, Toulon has been motivated to achieve his duty and responsibilities.
As a kid, he asked his father, a longtime correction officer, what he did for a living. His dad replied, “We rehabilitate individuals that are incarcerated, we never throw away the key and we try to help these people safely return back to society.”
The story of Toulon Jr. began in the Bronx, where he was born in 1962, and he lived in the city until 1990.
Yankee batboy
Errol Toulon Jr. as a Yankee batboy. Photo from Errol Toulon Jr.
A talented baseball player who excelled as a center fielder and a leadoff hitter during his high school and college years, Toulon had the unique chance of being a batboy for the New York Yankees in 1979 through 1980.
He was in the locker room to observe the impressive leadership skills and character of the late Yankee great catcher Thurman Munson. In the Bronx, Toulon watched Billy Martin manage the baseball stars of Reggie Jackson and Bobby Murcer, and he also met boxing champ Roberto Durán.
As a young man in the Yankee Clubhouse, Toulon encountered a young boy, and asked him his name. It was Hal Steinbrenner, who now owns the team after his father George.
The former batboy ended up becoming the first African American sheriff of Suffolk County, and had a wonderful time being welcomed back by senior management of the Yankees. Players like Ron Blomberg and Mickey Rivers were pleased to see their former batboy who has always worked to protect his community. Still to this day, Toulon is an avid baseball fan who glowingly recalls his special time in pinstripes around the “Boys of Summer.”
City correction officer
Errol Toulon Jr., left, with Hal Steinbrenner, general partner of the New York Yankees. Photo from Errol Toulon Jr.
During those earlier years, Toulon took the city correction officer exam, after he completed an associate’s degree in business.As a 20-year-old, he became one of the youngest recruits within the New York City Department of Correction.
He observed the older jails that were built from the 1930s through 1960s, were cold, secured with steel, and lacking any of the advancements of the penitentiaries of today. Early in his career, Toulon was impacted by watching inmates hold few liberties and living in poor conditions.
There were dangerous moments during fights, riots and emergencies, that saw officers isolated and unable to see each other where their own safety was compromised. Over the years, Toulon has learned from these lessons to ensure the constant support of the current officers of his department.
As a lifelong officer, a captain and official, Toulon always follow the examples that were established by his father. Toulon Sr. was employed by the NYC Department of Correction for 36 years in positions ranging from officer to a warden at Rikers Island.
From his dad, he learned the value of attention to detail and always treating his staff with the utmost amount of respect. Whether it was his junior years as a correction officer or as the present Suffolk County sheriff, Toulon never loses focus on the evolving complexities of operating the county system of imprisonment. Over the past decades, he has been involved in hostage crisis, handling drug abuse, attempted escapes, and seizure of guns and contraband that were smuggled into jails by prisoners.
Suffolk County sheriff
Gov. Andrew Cuomo administers the oath of office to Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. during his inauguration ceremony in 2018. Toulon was joined by his wife Tina. File photo by Kevin Redding
Toulon has always believed in the necessity in analyzing the complexity of criminal justice problems that are always evolving. There was recently a major riot in St. Louis, where the inmates broke windows and set debris on fire. Always understanding the usefulness of information, Toulon’s Sheriff’s Office examines these situations by calling different corrections agencies around the country. They try to determine the root of local or national incidents and utilize these resources to be prepared to sufficiently handle these concerns in Suffolk County.
Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) has worked with him through their tenures in office.
“Sheriff Toulon leads a proud department of men and women dedicated to upholding the law and running the Suffolk County Correctional Facility,” she said.
There is always the major process of investigating prisoner grievances over health care, food, communication with family members, religious services and more. Toulon tries to improve these concerns before they materialize into a major crisis.
During his career, he has dealt with the Ebola and swine flu outbreaks and the health implications within the jail environment. Through the determination to always contain the strength of these sicknesses, protective measures were already established within the county jails before the first COVID-19 case hit New York in last March.
Due to the pandemic, new ways had to be developed to handle the services that were needed for the prisoners. Toulon’s office made a goal in always sharing current information on the threats and changes that COVID-19 presented to both the outside world and the jails. The virus prevented family visits, but prisoners were allocated two extra calls a week, pictures of loved ones were printed for inmates, and there were virtual substance and psychological programs.
Professional and educationalexperiences
Errol Toulon Jr. with Yankees Mickey Rivers and Ron Bloomberg
Education has always been an important part of Toulon’s life which he has incorporated into his many correctional positions. He has a doctorate in educational administration, an advanced certificate in Homeland Security Management and an MBA.
Since his election as sheriff, Toulon has spoken to many educational programs with local school districts to address the daily concerns that his department handles, always with a positive demeanor.
VFW Post 6249 Rocky Point Comdr. Joe Cognitore has always viewed Toulon “as an upstanding and an energetic people person that has always protected our residents, worked well with community leaders, aided veterans that have fallen on criminal times in jail, and he has helped create local 9/11 memorials.”
For two years, Toulon taught at Dowling College as an adjunct faculty member. He planned to instruct students at St. John’s University, but was unable to do so due to his present position.
Harvard University has invited Toulon to address its student body on his professional and educational experiences. While he enjoys his current position and is hopeful that he will be reelected to another term, Toulon enjoys teaching, and he would like to teach again. A leader with a tremendous amount of energy, there have been some personal battles that he has had to endure as a survivor of pancreatic cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Whereas Toulon is determined to have a secure prison system within the county, provide resources and support for his officers, he also wants to ensure that prisoners do not return. Through the Sheriff’s Transition and Reentry Team, known as the START program, correction officers help inmates find housing, jobs, medical services and food, and to become productive and safe citizens.
