First A.M.E Church: Bethel 12th Annual Back To School Celebration & 132nd Street Praise Party

By Ryan Ngala

[Harlem, New York] It was a beautiful day at First A.M.E Church – Bethel. It was the morning for the back to school service, the twelfth year of the event that brings together young children and their parents around the first school day in the month of September and provides each child with a new fully-loaded backpack.

Many parents, along with their children, had gotten up early in the morning to stand in line outside the church for the back-to-school celebration. While they were waiting, many First Bethel staff members had brought out program registration cards and pens for the parents so that they could register their children and write the grade level and other information on the forms. Meanwhile the clock was still ticking and the line still moving; it was almost time to start the service and all parents and their children were about to enter the sanctuary.

As they got inside the church, many people filled in the rows of each pew in the sanctuary. When the service began, first up was the First Bethel Praise Ensemble singing “And We Are Glad” by Joe Pace. This song lifted everyone to their feet; all members of the congregation were moving their bodies as they sang worship songs to the Lord. Next there was an opening prayer and welcoming words by Toni Santos and LeShawn Bridgewater, respectively; Alex and Nia Moore read scriptures from Romans, chapter 8, verses 16-18:

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.”

And from Psalm, chapter 55, verses 22-23:

“Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you.

He will never allow the righteous to be moved.

23 But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction.

Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days,

but I will trust in you.”

The choir then sang another song and there was also a praise-through-dance performance by Omar Ingram. After the performance, Pastor Henry A. Belin III delivered the inspirational message to the many students starting back to school in a brand new year. Pastor Belin’s words gave the youth strength to make it possible for them to work hard, study hard, make new friends, make good grades, and pray to God for the ability to learn and succeed in life.  Next, the congregation and the Ensemble sang “Hallelujah”, everyone started to rejoice and enjoy a good time. In his closing remarks and benediction, Pastor Belin urged the church to work to end violence in Harlem and take back their neighborhood.  Following the service, it was then time now to distribute backpacks to all age groups; Pre-Kindergarten - 1^st grade, 2^nd - 5^th grade, 6^th - 8^th grade and 9^th - 12^th grade. Students in each row went up and got a backpack and then exited from the church.

Finally the praise party began. Refreshments were served including hamburgers, hot dogs, corn and watermelon; the DJ was playing music so that everyone could listen to the sounds and dance to the rhythms. There were awesome rides for the kids to play on, and of course there were icies, cotton candy, and popcorn. The youth also turned on the sprinklers at the fire hydrants. Some of them rode on a trackless train. Clearly, everyone had a really fun time.

New Pressure on Zuckerberg After Stock Sinks To Record Low

By Ryan Ngala

  

Facebook stock prices have fallen steadily since the company’s much anticipated public debut three months ago. Now some are asking whether Mark Zuckerberg is the best person to lead the company. Last week, Facebook hit a new trading low, and now some are wondering if founder Mr. Zuckerberg is in over his hoodie and if it’s time for him to step aside as CEO.

Facebook made few friends on Wall Street last week, Friday, when its stock price fell below twenty dollars for the second day in a row. This was the latest blow in what some are calling one of the most disastrous initial public offerings in a decade, “Just ninety days since the IPO in May, the stock has fallen by half its value. So the drop has not just been dramatic in terms of size it’s been so rapid”, said Sam Hamadeh, CEO of Privco.

  

Facebook, the social media giant boasts approximately nine hundred million users worldwide, when news broke of the impending IPO, there was much anticipation globally. “So let’s do this” said Mark Zuckerberg, when the company went public on Friday May 18^th. Many investors have clamored for Facebook shares, including many private investors like San Diego sandwich shop owner, Herman Hitachi, “I got two hundred and fifty shares at forty dollars” he said. Now Hitachi patiently waits for better days, “We will go through up’s and downs, no question about it” he added.

  

A recent NBC Today Show podcast revealed that the Facebook trading deal might be problematic “The Facebook IPO was plagued with problems from the very beginning. Technical glitches delayed the opening and led to trading confusion. Investor’s lawsuit follow and the stock price started falling from an opening high of $38.23 to Friday’s low of $19.05, now some wonder if it’s time for founder Mark Zuckerberg to step aside as ceo, questioning his readiness for the job. The 28 year old upset many on Wall Street by showing up to his first investor meeting this spring wearing sneakers and a hoodie.”

  

Brent Wilsey of Wilsey Asset Management stated, “His company; he’s not doing the right things to have this company make money. What I would tell Mark Zuckerberg is: ‘You’re a smart guy, you’ve created this great product called Facebook, but now the game has changed.” The other significant development at Facebook recently is that a group of Facebook investors has filed a class action suit against the company and the investors that underwrote the initial public offering.

News of the lawsuit has led some to ask the question, “Is Morgan Stanley really to blame for the Facebook IPO scam?” Morgan Stanley, along with other leading banks, underwrote the Facebook IPO. The plaintiffs alleged that Morgan Stanley hid vital information from the public that would have reveal that the stock was overpriced. Sources cited in an online article on the Gawker’s webpage described the anger of some facebook investors. “They're pissed over reports that Facebook hid worrying financial numbers from the public before the IPO, while working with banks to tip off preferred investors.”

HCZ 18th Annual Peace March 2012

Reported, Typed & Written By Mr. Ryan Ngala 
Edited By Mr. Rico Speight

[Harlem, New York] – With the overall students and staff members in this community based program at the Harlem Children’s Zone, they were ready to prepare themselves in this movement event that can stop the end of violence not only in the streets of New York but also in our homes, but at this event could end the violence of many loved ones whose lives have been lost forever and hopefully that it’s send a message to many New Yorkers that violence must be stop once and for all.

It was a gorgeous sunny day, as me and the CSO (College Success Office) group had left the building at 3:45, to wait for further instructions as we headed out and off we went to go to 134^th Street the CSO group was walking their way there throughout park avenue, Madison avenue, and 5^th Avenue at 135^th street as soon as they got to their destination on 134^th Street and 7^th Avenue between the site building of HCZ’s Truancy Prevention and Project Class and Learn to Earn program site. 

We was the last group on the line behind Learn to Earn, ETC (Employment and Technology Center) and many other HCZ site group who were above us, when the peace march rally had started to begin some young teens were on the sidewalk so I thought that this was not what the CSO group had in mind, they were supposed to be marching in the street, but not on the sidewalk so they wanted to start all over as they have them to do it all over again, so when the march rally was about to start, we started to walk.

“Let’s go, CSO!!!” said Ms. Kimi Kang, I was from behind many students so that I know where I was going and I won’t get lost, as we walk to the scene as we turn to on 134^th Street and 7^th Avenue at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and as they walk to 136^th Street they begin to chant with their big high voice as they possible could as they started to said “Were gonna shout it out, Peace is what it’s all about”, “We are the future, Don’t you agree?, Stop the violence on kids like me!!!”, “Money for Schools, not for jails.”, and “Marching through the zone to save our own!”.

They started to chant all the way as they were headed to the Harlem Armory as banners, and posters were being held up high and once they were waiting to be letting students inside of the armory, they must have their peace march t-shirt on or otherwise they can’t come in without having it to come off, so as they went inside the armory and up the steps they go as they climb through the stairs from the first floor waiting for many HCZ students and staff to get pass by until they were able to find a seat, as I spotted my site group from CSO and also Tina who put water bottles in a pack of ice so that it can stay cool, the ceremony was about to begin in 5 minutes and as everyone were about to sit down, the ceremony was about to begin. 

In the auditorium, when people saw their program logos coming up on a big projector screen, they shouted out the name of their own site group among the different HCZ programs such as ETC (Employment & Technology Center), CSO (College Success Office), Countee Cullen Community Center, Truce Media, Truce Fitness, Learn To Earn, and many more. 


The shouting continued as audience members started to shout out the names of different HCZ programs represented by individuals who were starting to perform on the big stage.  Booker T. Washington reps were doing the salsa on stage and many flags were being waived by the staff members of Booker T., After their performance, the audience gave them a big round of applause. Some HCZ participants were busy taking great pictures including Will Weeks and me. The event was a great show with some great performers representing Learn to Earn, Truce Media, ETC (Employment & Technology Center) and many others. 

But what really did struck me was a performance by the group from Countee Cullen: they performed a cover song to Eminem's "I'm Not Afraid." Their message was about decreasing violence and promoting world peace in this community; they mourned the victims who have lost their lives because of gun violence. Another impressive performance was by the group from the Learn to Earn site program; they did a cover up to a song of Meek Mill's "Amen", adding their own version of the lyrics that told of the violence that is going today. They also mentioned of the HCZ programs in their lyrics. 

When the performances were completed, the winners among the students of each HCZ programs were announced. These were students who had participated in a 3 day event of the HCZ summer games. The winners were Promise Academy 1 and 2, Peacemakers North and South, Countee Cullen Community Center, A Cut Above and Booker T. Washington. Next it was the time for a moment of silence for the fallen victims who have lost their lives in the violence era; they are gone but not forgotten. 


Finally, HCZ President and CEO Geoffrey Canada spoke on behalf of the fallen victims including young ones like Scotty Scott and many others. HCZ staff members held up their candles high up in their hands for the victims who have been lost to violence. They are sorely missed; Many students at the rally wrote on a piece of paper the names of the fallen victims they missed the most.  When the HCZ peace march event was all over, every HCZ site group saw the names of each two fallen victims projected on the big screen.

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The Wisconsin Sikh Temple Attack: The Gunman being identified by authorities kills 6 people in a temple church, Including himself

See the full gallery on Posterous

Photo Courtesy: AP

By Ryan Ngala

Oak Creek, Wisconsin – With the news that arrived this afternoon that there have been another terrible outburst of violence, a shooting, a very bad one, inside a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee, there was a lot of confusion initially as police responded and the first victims were airlifted out. Tonight the details have become clear and this incident is initially being treated as an act of domestic terrorism; that description comes from local authorities.  The FBI is now on the scene as well and law enforcement officials telling NBC News details about this alleged gunman.  They said he’s a man in his thirties, he was wearing tactical gear during the attack, and he was armed with a single hand gun.  Officials are now searching what they believe is his home, looking for clues about his motive.

The 911 calls began at 10:25am.  There was gunfire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. Worshippers said one service had ended and another was about to begin; families where gathering with small children. “Our officer 20 year veteran, was ambushed, shot multiple times, he is currently at the hospital undergoing surgery, we expect him to recover” said Chief John Edwards of the Oak Creek Police Department. The officer was rushed to Milwaukee hospital along with at least 9 other wounded victims. “And another officer, who was unseen, was engaged by the suspect, our officer did engage that individual, and that individual was deceased” Chief Edwards added.

Authorities said they found 4 people dead inside the temple and two more bodies outside. In the chaos, many people hid throughout the building. For hours police combed through the Temple bringing out survivors.  For family members outside, it was an agonizing wait. “Well my mom, she was one of the ladies that was hiding in the pantry and she called us around eleven, and she told us, she called us very quick and she whispered, she said don’t come she’s like there’s a shooting here” one victim said. Some of the children attending services were as young as 4 years old, “My kids are like 5, we were late today, you know we were just like 10 to 15 minutes late you know, otherwise my kids would be dead in there too” one man said.

Others in the local community who are Sikhs rushed to the scene looking for answers, “Biggest question, we have is just a hate crime, I mean what did we do wrong, since 9/11 we have small attacks on the community” one victim said. There have been incidents nationwide were Sikhs have been mistakenly targeted by anti-Muslims groups, “This is such a tragedy, and hopefully we can use this event to educate Americans about our seek religion” the same victim added. Tonight for the second time in a little more than two weeks, both President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are expressing their condolences to the families of the victims of another mass shooting.

Sources from FoxNews.com reports Officials said the gunman, whom they identified as Wade Michael Page, walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on Sunday and opened fire with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun as several dozen people prepared for morning services. The victims ranged in age from 39 to 84, authorities said. Three others were wounded and remain in critical condition, including 51-year-old veteran police officer Brian Murphy.

Wade Michael Page, 40, turned his 9mm semi-automatic handgun on himself after being shot in the stomach by a police officer who responded to the scene in Oak Creek, Wis. Authorities had previously had said Page was killed with a rifle shot from an Oak Creek police officer after he refused to put down his weapon and fired at the officer. Teresa Carlson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Milwaukee, said investigators reviewed videotape that showed Page died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

India Blackout

9.5% including 670 million people are still without power

By Ryan Ngala 
          
It was by far the largest blackout in world history, as it peak today nearly 9.5% of the world’s population was without power it happen in India where just under six hundred and seventy million people and that’s twice the size of the U.S. population, found themselves plunge into darkness and grid lock and this involves something that is a bit of an issue in the U.S. an aging and often overwhelmed power grid.

Imagine being caught in a blackout the size of America, and then double it, traffic lights, hundreds of trains, and subways all grinding to a halt, in a written statement saying
“Due to power failure from northern grid Metro will be delay as per actual time. Sorry for inconvenience Caused.”

That’s the kind of chaos that people in India as many as six hundred and seventy million of them faced over the past two days, as half of the national power grid shut down.
So did an electric elevator in a mineshaft in West Bangkok trapping some two hundred coal miners for hours, and with summer temperatures breaking down 100 degrees, air conditioning even fans stop in many hospitals. “I pay for an x-ray” said the patient, “But because of the blackout, I can’t get it now”. Monday’s outage was bad enough but as switches tripped across the country of two thousand miles route from the border through China to Pakistan that was plunge into darkness.

Officials overwhelmed blame the state for using more power than they were allocated by the national government, but analysis say record blackout was bound to happen as an out dated grid just can’t keep up with the appetite of an emerging economic super power. Shereen Bahn of CNBC says “There’s going to be a lot of tough questions to answer, because this has been the worse that we actually seen in over a decade”. 

India is used to blackouts most key faculties like airports and power plants have dedicated generators, but the added costs of fuels that run them hurt struggling Indians, “We need electricity, our machines don’t work and generators aren’t that helpful, everyone’s in trouble” one Indian resident said, tonight power has return to the capitol of New Delhi, but across the world’s second most popularize nation tens of millions remain in the dark.  

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