Living in coronavirusworld 222: Building the Blessed City

 12/3

72nd Street Subway Station, Yoko Ono

Go to 72nd Street to visit my doctor. It took over three months to get an appointment for my annual check up. Maybe more, it’s hard to remember. I’m used to seeing him in normal work clothes but in coronavirus world, he’s wearing blue medical scrubs, a mask and full face shield. It feels strange. I get tested and am happy to learn that after five months, I still have Covid antibodies. 

 

                                                ****

The Interfaith Assembly holds a virtual “gala” honoring “Builders of the Blessed City.” As expected, the tightly planned one hour schedule slides over to an hour and a half. A subtext of the night is that three honorees have all been related to the controversy over housing homeless men in a boutique hotel, the Lucerne, in the Upper West Side. The old school liberal elite community rose up in arms to try and drive the men out and the “progressive” mayor DiBlasio quickly caved. But another group of local residents, One Heart Upper West Side, just as quickly came out and organized in support of the men.

Larry Wood, of Goddard Riverside, the neighborhood “settlement” house, is here to introduce one of the honorees. He worked to bring Goddard’s resources to the men and even had a day program set up but the mayor’s stalling closed off that possibility. Larry introduced Manhattan Borough President and former Upper West Side City Council member Gale Brewer, long time homeless advocate, showed up in person and brought the power of her office to the struggle. She helped find legal advocacy for the residents as the court battle waged back and forth. The removal of the men was forestalled at least three times and the mayor pushed back every time. A third honoree was Peter Cook of the New York State Council of Churches who was able to bring the faith community together to support the men in various ways.  Gale and Larry were happy to announce that the latest legal appeal was granted and the men will not be removed. (At least for now.) Meanwhile the hope is that enough funding can be brought together to purchase one of the boutique hotels devastated by the pandemic. 

The final honoree is one of the residents,Shams (Da Homeless Hero) DaBaron who has become  the public face…and voice…of the residents. He tells his story of childhood abuse and homelessness from teen age years until now. And what he has learned through this process. Most importantly that you can fight city hall. Through organizing. He is also living proof that we can be allies but we should never think of ourselves as speaking for those who have no voice. The work is to enable and empower people to speak for themselves and to stand with them. That above all is the beauty and power of this night. And why I have supported the Assembly, founded in 1985, since my arrival ten years later. It's the only organization I know that goes beyond the usual basic needs meeting for people who are homeless and works for transformation of the individual and society. And actually succeeds. (https://www.iahh.org)

But the work at the moment is nearly overwhelming.  The number of homeless is now a record 60,000. My friend and colleague Father Clyde Kuemmerle reports that due to the pandemic, the comic devastation and coming tidal wave of evictions when the moratorium ends, the number cold reach 100,000.

I introduce my friend Rabbi Steve who sings his song “Bridge to Hope” as a final blessing. Then he and my friend “Violizzy” Taub and vocalist Esther Ready and me share music while the silent auction continues. Six years ago, Steve, Esther and I performed live at the Assembly’s fundraising event. Along with three others, it was the first iteration of my band.(

                                                              concert 201

 Tonight we do what we can with the limitations of ZOOM, sharing Lizzy’s video and poem, Esther and I teaming on “Light of the Stable” and all of us sharing “Hard Times Come Again No More.” I seem to be  struggling a bit this week, musically. But all things considered, a pretty good way to spend my birthday, 

Living in coronavirusworld 188: The day begins and ends with music

 

10/14

heading out  to record

Spend most of the day in a recording studio in Queens. Recording my first collection of “topical” songs. One basically anti-trump, “We don’t roll that way;” one against walls, Berlin, the Rio Grande or Israel/Palestine; one about Covid 19 and another about Black Lives Matter. The hope is to get it done before next week’s “Vote” concert on Thursday night next week. I enjoy the process and Paul of Side Car Studios is bringing his own unique touch to the songs. It’s hard work, but as I listen to what we did, it’s getting  there. When I returned to writing music a few years ago, I didn’t write these kind of songs. Or sing them. I started feeling the need to start singing them with the 2016 Republican Convention. And this President pushed me into writing. Three this year. I feel more than ever the responsibility of artists to use their work in resistance to the power that stand in negation of beauty and truth. 

The President has called a halt to the census by which proportionate numbers of Congressional representatives are assigned. One more move dismantling democracy. Something new every day.

My mother has been moved to  a rehab facility. For her its completely disorienting. We can’t be with her to help her adjust. Covid quarantine. 

I sat on the short wall on the street in front of the Newtown Presbyterian Church for an Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing ZOOM meeting. The mayor is determined to remove the persons housed in the Lucerne Hotel. And have them  moved to the Wall Street area. I thought this might  be happening when I was in the Wall Street area Saturday and saw recruiting posters for the  Guardian Angels to “protect our neighborhood.”  Just like they did on the Upper West Side. A NIMBY (not in my backyard) group is forming in the Wall Street area with more money than the UWS NIMBY group.  The homeless persons in need of shelter are not wanted in Manhattan. And probably every other borough as well. If the mayor couldn’t handle the Upper West Side, how will he handle Wall Street?  Where else will our people in need of safe shelter be shuffled? 

Timmy's back

The egret may have gone, but Timmy the trombone player is back again. 

After 6 months of no music, Michael Geffner, former Village Voice music critic and open mic impresario with his Inspired Word series, has finally gone virtual. His shows draw almost equal numbers of spoken word and songwriters. And maybe the most reflective of the city’s diversity of any of the mics. Michael himself was down for several weeks with Covid. He considers himself blessed in his recovery.  We keep moving on. But so does the virus. 

The day begins and ends with music.

Living in coronavirusworld 176: A day with no relief

 9/26

Make America Care Again: Live and let live

An over six hour Presbytery meeting on ZOOM can leave you feeling drained and exhausted .  I got to deliver my report on being a commissioner, a representative of New York City Presbytery to the first virtual assembly last June. I spoke of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good being how the grass roots had fought and organized to open up what was to have been an hermetically sealed Assembly dealing only with necessary and essential institutional issues.  Thanks to many of hours of hard work, we were able to produce a decent statement in support of Black Lives Matter and repenting of systemic racism,  and a statement on Covid 19 as well. The bad was the Assembly’s refusal to listen to the voices from the Black Women and Girls Task Force on the unique disparities of their experience. And the ugly was the commissioner who held up a preborn lives matter sign during an 8:40  memorial fro George Floyd.  My colleagues also reported. One spoke of learning the need to listen. Another of the possibility of reconvening Assembly and how she had already spoken to represntatiess of Eastern Korean Presbytery for their support. 

The moderator of that Task Force,  the Rev. Keri Allen, gave us an in depth overview of the report. Speaking of both the invisibility and hypervisibility of Black women and girls. (As per Brionna Taylor.) Adultification and sexualization of young Black girls. The experience of institutional and interpersonal violence. Rooted in toxic theology. The need for gender equity, to move from pro-choice to reproductive justice. And how the Assembly could not bring itself to explicitly name this exploitation. Rev. Allen also named the Presbyterian Church as having been the “most prolific” of slave holding churches, its colleges, universities and seminaries built on the backs of exploited  Black women and girls. Capital stolen from Back girls’ wombs. The highest murder rate of Black trans women. The overpolicing of Black bodies. Once again I was reminded of the breadth and power of that devastating report. 

The meeting itself descended into polity chaos as approving the minutes provided the opening for a two hour fight. At root were institutional issues clearly impacted by systemic racism. It was painful to see members of the Black community attacking  each other.  It becomes increasingly clear to me that an institution that is historically and intrinsically white in culture and structure, even when bringing BIPOC persons into leadership positions, will remain captive to white domination until there is a conscious an intentional project of deconstruction of the whiteness of that culture and structure. In fact, white privilege and power will be strengthened because now it will be legitimated by the presence of BIPOC persons. Still worse, these representatives will have been made accomplices in  their own oppression. I say that with  people I care for and respect in both sides of very emotional arguments. Some of would be  very upset to read this. But that’s how insidious white privilege is. 

Happy birthday

When it’s over, I need a walk to clear my head. I see its someone’s birthday. 

Ready for the vigil

I go to the Lucerne where the One Heart Upper West Side has decorated the scaffolding pipes in preparation for a vigil to protest the mayor’s removal of the residents. 

I finish at the Gate with two musician friends. The conversation is filled  with anxiety over continued lack of work and income and the upcoming election. 

It's a day with no relief. 

Living in coronavirusworld 174: Who is my neighbor?

 

9/24

Police drills....

 Sounds of commotion on the street outside my window take me away form my work to see what’s going on. A woman is lying in the  street. The middle of 115th . Cars are backed up and honking their horns. A woman who has just left work at the school across the street persuades the cars to back up and clear the street, but the street starts to fill again. I join with a neighbor to move one of the heavy water filled street barricades into the center of the street to block traffic. The school volunteer tries to engage the woman. “ Ma’am, you got to get up an out of the street.””Why?”  "Because the cars keep coming and they come fast and they can’t see you and you don’t want to get run over.” “Why?” “Hey you're not safe here.” “Why?” Lots of neighbors are gathered around. Trying to figure out what she might be on. She raises to an elbow. ‘I need a cigarette” she says. The man next to me says “I got one. ” “Newport?” She says, “Gotta be a Newport.” ‘Sure,” he says, “that’s what I got.” I notice he’s got Marlboros, but I’m not about say so. “Bring it here” she says, “No, you gotta come get it,” he says. They go back and forth on this awhile and finally she drags herself to the sidewalk, The school worker gets her up to  the steps. The man gives her the Marlboro. She lights it and inhales, looks  at him with a scowl. But the drama is over. Took about half an hour or so. Every other week or so, I see someone out on the sidewalk, just laid out. Where I live, I see a lot of broken, troubled or in trouble people. Mostly Black. The homeless camp on the corner of Morningside and  110th,  mostly  Mexican. The vast majority of troubled people  I see are BIPOC, as they say these days. (Black, Indigenous, People of Color.) An objective  sign of our societal sin. A painful daily reality.

I go on to the bar around the corner to met a friend and share this  story. The weather is mild and overcast, I’m feeling the clouds. I’m tired of the Covid keeping your spirts up routine. It’s exhausting. Small disappointments, slights, grow in the way they weigh upon me. Just tired of it. Of everything. 

The Center Board meets and the focus is on how to be an arts producing organization in the midst of Covid. We’ve been cleared for video production in the sanctuary bu thats it. A virtual “season” of sort sorts being put together. A longtime arts administrator on the board repots that citywide, 62% of all cultural workers are out of work. Income down, building expenses rising, and still we go on.  One resident arts group is moving out, no longer able to afford rent to pay fo space they can’t use. We’re counting on a virtual “gala” to save the day.

The Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing has called together a community meeting of the faith community to talk about the continuing neighborhood controversy over homeless people being housed in boutique hotels. There are clergy, lay people, social workers, the Manhattan Borough President, the neighborhood’s State Assembly rep and just plain neighbors.  And homeless residents are here to speak for themselves.  In response to well funded NIMBY (not in my backyard, though we’re not supposed to use that  word) complaints, the mayor declared he would move the resident back to shelters. And began displacing people with disabilities to do that. Advocates struck back and stopped him in his tracks. Only  40 some removed. Over 200 remain. Things are at a stalemate.

As supportive  as we are of the residents, it’s  very clear that the mayor blew this. He moved people in the shelters into the hotel because of the reality  that the shelters were hot beds of Covid with no PPE to speak of or social distancing. But from the beginning of this  fiasco he had no coherent plan. You don’t move unprepared homeless people off into a gentrified neighborhood  without  telling them. Inviting the community to help solve the problem. The antis were first to respond with vitriol and money. As our Borough President pointed out, it’s not the first time. The best of supportive housing programs hav been met with pushback and hyperbolic reactions. Still, every action of the mayor has been wrong, strategically. Thankfully supportive people in the neighborhood organized as well. And stopped the move that would have displaced people with disabilities. Committed to  the project of working together  to improve the situation.

Project Renewal has been  organizing much  needed services for the residents. Neighborhood settlement  house Goddard-Riverside has been working on activities and serves. A grassroots organization, One Heart Upper West Side arose to show positive support and seek to develop rcaltonshio with the residents. And resident spokespeople like Shams da Homeless Hero have begun to emerge to give the residents a voice. Their own voice. Clergy from non-denominational  Christian churches and Jewish neighbors have come together to organize spiritual “walk and talks.” One church has adopted a hotel and begun a sermon series on “who is my neighbor?“ And given $10000 to Legal Aid. New ideas begin to flow. My old congregation would like to do something involving sharing meals together . Marc Greenberg of  the IAHH has done what he does best, drawing us all together to see what we can do. 

This is what is clear:

* Homelessness was at record numbers before Covid. The mayor had failed to come up with any effective response. 

* Covid complicated the problem by making the shelters hotspots

* The mayor exacerbated the situation by basically dumping people in a gentrifying, traditionally politically astute neighborhood. 

* Already Covid weary people responded negatively 

* The mayor quickly buckled

* The residual good heart of a historically progressive neighborhood found itself and responded

* The Assembly brought together a potentially effective collaboration of neighbors, government, social services, faith community and homeless people speaking for themselves.

All this is many times more difficult in coronavirusworld, but. If there’s anyway to find an effective, workable solution, this is it. 

Living in coronavirusworld 168 : It continues to shape our lives

9/15

a gathering of turtles

 The biggest issue facing the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and. Housing right now is the ongoing controversy over people who were homeless taken from covid dangerous overcrowded shelters and placed in unused boutique hotels in the traditionally liberal elite Upper West Side. Aggressive backlash from entitled neighbors, even when countered by good hearted groups like Open Heart UWS, bolstered by hiring a former deputy mayor as their attack dog attorney, was enough to push a lame duck vanishing mayor into declaring their removal. This unfortunately meant setting off a domino effect, forcing people with disabilities from housing specially designed for them and then scattering them throughout the boroughs disrupting others’ lives. Thankfully, the Legal Aid Society stepped in. The exodus was halted. To date, 40 persons have been removed for the Lucerne Hotel and 240 still remain. Even though homeless advocates have raised owe $200000 to provide services for the hotel residents, the city will be spending over $100000 to litigate to get them out. This is happening when there was a record nearly 70000 homeless persons in New York City. And now there are already 14000 pending evictions in the system with another flood to come in 4-5 months. Yet another crisis brought on by the virus. We’ve got to try and rally a scattered faith community to try and bring more support for the hotel residents and their advocates over against those who just want then out. Sometimes in a crisis, in this city, we don’t take care of each other. 

New York City Presbytery, the governing body for Presbyterians in the city, is wrestling with the pressure for churches to reopen. To allow those renters to reenter because so many depend on the rental income for survival. Presbytery only has 40% of the income it did a year ago, Staff cuts would seem to be imminent, but those who would be most likely to be terminated are the BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) employees. Personnel committee recommends status quo, even without sufficient funds. The next Presbytery meeting is set to be all virtual. All on ZOOM. But the Black Presbyterian Caucus maintains this will disenfranchise people of color and low income persons who are less likely to be computer owners or tach savvy. That makes for the longest debate of the evening, We know from experience that phones just don't provide an adequate participatory experience , voting is not possible in ZOOM with a dial in phone. So many issues and conflict of values to sort this one out. Eventually, we decide that we  will seek to secure smart phones for those without computers and teach them how to use them. Easier said than done. 

 Taco Tuesday. The owner of Cantina tells me already 10 percent of restaurants have permanently closed. Even with limited capacity reopening scheduled for September 29, it still looks like 40% of our owners will go out of business. Two exhausting ZOOM meetings and even my dinner, all controlled or impacted by the virus. It continues to shape our lives.We step towards normal, but it’s way beyond what we can see.

Living in coronavirusworld 162: This isn't over

 9/8

candles for Mo

Cafeine decinsruction

I thought I would drop off my dry cleaning and the stop at Cafeine for one last cup of coffee on their last day. But as I pass, I see it’s already too late. Board by board  it’s already being dismantled. The coffee bar already gone. Glad I made it by yesterday for my last cup. The place looks barren. Deconstruction underway.  I have to walk three blocks north to another cafe.  

Timmy is out playing his trombone.

 Late afternoon, I need to go for a walk.  Outside the deli on Fredrick Douglass, I see memorial votive candles arrayed. I go inside. “Did someone die?” I ask. The counterman nods, shakes his head. “Yeah, Mo. Mohammed. Mo with the green eyes.” The day man. The man who greeted his Latin customers with “Habibi, Como estas?” Outside I see the votive  candle spell his name. I once asked a friend about the use of Catholic candles for non-Catholics. “It’s not about Catholic, mi hermano. We’re Latinos. That’s what we do.” And so they bring candles for their Muslim neighbor Mo. Mohammed. Mo with the green eyes. That's what we do. I notice the candles spell his name. 

Timmy is playing his trombone here and there. 

In the park, all the geese have gathered on he little island. It looks like a meeting has been called. 

Goose conference

Late breaking news. The city has decided to remove the homeless residents from the Lucerne Hotel. Moved there because  shelters were covid hot beds and hotels were empty.The reactive neighbors hired a former deputy mayor, former associate of Rudy Giuliani as their attorney to sue the city. It never even got the far. Mayor Di Blasio caved. He came into office as a seeming rising star progressive. Got caught up in a quixotic battle to remove horse carriages from Central Park. He has been vanishing ever since. Completely dismissed by Governor Cuomo. Alienated from the police who seem to have hunkered down in their precinct houses, not to be bothered.  Still somehow thought he should run for President. The homeless people  are headed back to the  shelters. They say, “This time there will be social distancing…” This once bastion of classic liberalism has become a gated community, even if the  gate is invisible. “This is a family neighborhood, they say. A pedestrian neighborhood. It just isn’t appropriate.” I feel very sad. I used to live there. 

As close as I will get to the Open this year

Later afternoon. After my walk, stop at a new outdoor bar for a shrimp taco (no drink without food)  and a "Honey Deuce...the official drink of the US Open. Keep the glass!" Every summer I spend a day at the Open with my friend Beppe watching tennis. Going from court to court to check out the action, Last year, for example, we saw Serena, Sharapova and Federer. I would always bring the glass home, winners listed on the side. This Honey Deuce is as close as I will get to the Open this year. 

Cafeine. Mo. This isn’t over.

Living in Coronavirusworld 152: Open Hearts

8/29

Neighbors

The threat of rain hovers over the day but aside from a few raindrops early afternoon, never happens.

Go to the farmers’ market at Morningside Park. Fresh ground family farmed Colombian coffee.  But to drink a cup, you have to “Step outside of the market.” Because no unmasked people allowed. 

at the Lucerene

'"Hope"

Housing Justice is racial justice

community support

Housing justice

Black lives matter

'Homeless can't stay home"

Open Hearts organizers

Walking to the Lucerne Hotel to join’s rally in support of homeless residents of the hotel.  Fredrick Douglass at the entrance to the Historical Society’s “…Hope…” exhibit.  

Hope wanted

Fredrick Douglass

A crowd has gathered at get Lucerne. Chalked messages of support on the sidewalk. Signs linking Black Lives Matter and housing justice.The event has been organized by Open Hearts Upper West Side, an organic grassroots effort of supportive neighbors. My friend Larry Wood of Goddard-Riverside speaks of their efforts to create a day space for residents to hang out in an enclosed patio of a currently unused, due to covid19,  Senior Center. 

Larry Wood speaks

When Larry rejoins me, a man comes over and begins to argue  with him about people destroying the neighborhood. Crazy people. Drug addicts. Larry reponds and also talks about the need for safe needle exchange sites. The man says, “Are you a radical Jew?” Larry looks at him in disbelief. “Are you. Jew?” Larry says, “Actually Episcopalian.” I step back, not wanting any part of the conversation. The man recognizes me and talks about “Twenty people shooting up” at West Park. I tell him “I haven’t seen that,” then see two people I recognize and excuse myself. Larry continues the conversation. 

My friends are long time neighborhood residents. They tell me in this virus world, they basically stay home except for grocery store trips and walks to the park. They saw a crowd and assumed it was “NIMBYs,” i.e. “Not in my backyard” They were moved to see it was a neighborhood support group.  I see my friend Pastor K from the church where we served meals  to the women’s shelter once a month. In BC time. K tells me most that most of his people are supportive. They are looking to join another church in supporting the hotel around the block from them. Just up the street from West Park. 

a resident speaks

Several resident speak, telling their stories. One lost his apartment wen the city ended its rent subsidy program. In the city’s upside down policy, it  pays over 3 times the cost of his subsidy to keep him on one bed in a shelter instead an apartment.  Another speaks of his recovery from addiction. Another his desire to get a job and  be back on his own.  My friend Marc Greenberg of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and  Housing is here  to promote programs to assist people in reentering society. Which the Assembly has done, year after year.  Some people are getting ready to distribute baga of food to those who might be in need. 

Pastor K and Marc

Rabbi Steve comes from across the street where people from “the anti-side” are filming the rally with their cell phones. We talk with K and Marc.  

Rabbi Steve and I 

He offers to treat  me to a gelato. We go around the corner, enjoying the vibe of the outdoor cafes, sparkling lights in the early evening cool. I share my worry that when I watch Fox News, I realize the depth of the President’s support and fear his reelection. 

There are violent confrontations in Kenosha and Portland. 66 days to go.