AfAm Point of View

AfAm Point of View Point of View is a monthly news magazine that started in 2003 by its owners, publisher Frederick A. Hurst and editor Marjorie J. Hurst
(21)

Specialties

As originally conceived, Point of View was an African American newspaper. It is now shared by a much broader community. Writers come from many different ethnic groups as do its readers. The transition of Point of View to a more general newspaper came about naturally over time as it became clear that other ethnic groups shared the same hunger for a different point of view. Our distribu

tion will soon reach 30,000. Additionally, with the development of our new website, we are now an on-line newspaper. Those who prefer to read Point of View electronically need only visit our website and with one click begin reading an exact electronic replica. And, of course our website adds another level of exposure for our advertisers, whose ads in our newspaper will also be in our web paper. Advertisers may also pay an additional fee to advertise on available space on most pages of our website, which we are continuing to upgrade. History

Established in 2003. Point of View is a bi-monthly news magazine started in 2003 by its owners, publisher Frederick A. Hurst, both of whom are attorneys. Point of View is distributed free to select locations in Western Massachusetts and throughout Connecticut. We charge a $30.00 annual subscription fee for those who prefer to have it delivered by mail. The motivation to start Point of View came from the desire of its founders to open up the world of journalism to include the viewpoints of a wider variety of people and to provide readers with information different in format and content from that which is typically provided by the mainstream media. Our articles are written by educators, lawyers and financial planners, doctors and other health personnel, traditional journalists, poets and musicians, business people and more. They are people who have something to say that other people want to read.

LIZ CHENEY ON TRUMPI could never vote for Liz Cheney but I would certainly embrace her and welcome her into the human ra...
11/12/2022

LIZ CHENEY ON TRUMPI could never vote for Liz Cheney but I would certainly embrace her and welcome her into the human race. Her selfless service on the January 6 Congressional Committee is alone impressive as has been her condemnation of those involved in planning the insurrection, including the Republican former president who she has sworn to do everything in her power to keep out of future office....

LIZ CHENEY ON TRUMPI could never vote for Liz Cheney but I would certainly embrace her and welcome her into the human race. Her selfless service on the January 6 Congressional Committee is alone im…

STCC student Kissandra Hernandez of Springfieldchecks out the exhibit in the STCC library. SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield...
11/05/2022

STCC student Kissandra Hernandez of Springfieldchecks out the exhibit in the STCC library. SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Technical Community College library opened an exhibit that puts a spotlight on book banning, which has been on the rise in recent years. The exhibit features a “Periodic Table of Banned Books,” which includes titles of classics such as “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,”...

STCC student Kissandra Hernandez of Springfieldchecks out the exhibit in the STCC library. SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Technical Community College library opened an exhibit that puts a spotlight …

36 COURT STREET SPRINGFIELD, MA 01103 413-787-6170 FAX 413-787-6833 PRESS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, October 14...
11/05/2022

36 COURT STREET SPRINGFIELD, MA 01103 413-787-6170 FAX 413-787-6833 PRESS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, October 14, 2022 Contact: Justin Hurst, City Council(413) 374-5844, [email protected] Contact: Tracye Whitfield, City Council(413) 221-4443, [email protected] Contact: Zaida Govan, City Council(413) 301-2533, [email protected] Inequitable Distribution of American Rescue Plan Act Funding City Councilors Justin Hurst, Tracye Whitfield and Zaida Govan are calling on Mayor Sarno and the city’s finance team to resolve the inequities that have resulted in the initial awards of over $76 million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding....

36 COURT STREET SPRINGFIELD, MA 01103 413-787-6170 FAX 413-787-6833 PRESS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, October 14, 2022 Contact: Justin Hurst, City Council(413) 374-5844, justinhurstace@yaho…

By Timothy Oppenheimer, Esquire Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson(Photo by Fred Schilling) This topic is front and center ag...
11/05/2022

By Timothy Oppenheimer, Esquire Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson(Photo by Fred Schilling) This topic is front and center again as a result of cases brought against Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC). A brief history of major affirmative action cases before the Supreme Court is in order: Bakke (1978) – The main legal takeaway from this case is that a state school is prohibited from having racial quotas....

By Timothy Oppenheimer, Esquire Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson(Photo by Fred Schilling) This topic is front and center again as a result of cases brought against Harvard and the University of North …

11/05/2022
By Frederick A. Hurst “POWER” AND THE SPRINGFIELD POLICE COMMISSIONSome people quiver when they hear the word “power” us...
11/05/2022

By Frederick A. Hurst “POWER” AND THE SPRINGFIELD POLICE COMMISSIONSome people quiver when they hear the word “power” used in a political context, especially when it is used by a Black person. And it’s especially been that way since the sixties when the political meaning of the term was reinvented by organizations like the Black Panthers and individuals like the late Stokely Carmichael who wrote a defining book on the term “Black Power.” Stokely and those like him scared the hell out of White people and caused many reputable and lesser-reputable Black folks alike to cringe....

By Frederick A. Hurst “POWER” AND THE SPRINGFIELD POLICE COMMISSIONSome people quiver when they hear the word “power” used in a political context, especially when it is used by a Black person. And …

By Rev. Dr. Atu White On September 13, 2022, the St. John’s Congregational Church members called Rev. Dayhige Wright to ...
11/05/2022

By Rev. Dr. Atu White On September 13, 2022, the St. John’s Congregational Church members called Rev. Dayhige Wright to serve as its pastor. We had the opportunity to ask Rev. Wright a few questions.WHO AM I?Though I am the one who knows myself best, it is still difficult for me to talk about who I am; however, I’ll give just a few words....

By Rev. Dr. Atu White On September 13, 2022, the St. John’s Congregational Church members called Rev. Dayhige Wright to serve as its pastor. We had the opportunity to ask Rev. Wright a few question…

The StillCan Band, a 55+ concert band at Community Music School of Springfield, is hosting an Open House and Ice Cream S...
10/18/2022

The StillCan Band, a 55+ concert band at Community Music School of Springfield, is hosting an Open House and Ice Cream Social! This event will give interested parties a chance to try some new instruments, ask questions, socialize, and see if the class is a fit for them. Potential class participants may attend this FREE event on Wednesday, Oct 19th from 2:00-3:00 PM in the Robyn Newhouse Hall at Community Music School of Springfield, 127 State Street....

The StillCan Band, a 55+ concert band at Community Music School of Springfield, is hosting an Open House and Ice Cream Social! This event will give interested parties a chance to try some new instr…

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Celebrating National Coming Out Day, Springfield Technical Community College presents a live virtua...
10/01/2022

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Celebrating National Coming Out Day, Springfield Technical Community College presents a live virtual event Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. titled “Beyond the Cage of Our Stories: A Carberry Conversation with author and journalist Putsata Reang.” The LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (LGBTQ+ERG) in collaboration with the Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery are presenting the event. First celebrated on the one-year anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights, National Coming Out Day on Oct....

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Celebrating National Coming Out Day, Springfield Technical Community College presents a live virtual event Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. titled “Beyond the Cage of Our Stories: A Carber…

Submitted by Mary Ann Burns, Communications Director, Connecticut & western Massachusetts, American Heart Association Th...
09/17/2022

Submitted by Mary Ann Burns, Communications Director, Connecticut & western Massachusetts, American Heart Association The consequences of heart disease often don’t show up until someone is well into adulthood. Why should busy parents be thinking about it in their kids?“Because it’s probably way easier to prevent the development of cardiac risk factors than to try and get rid of them once they’ve developed,” said Dr....

Submitted by Mary Ann Burns, Communications Director, Connecticut & western Massachusetts, American Heart Association The consequences of heart disease often don’t show up until someone is well…

Anxiety on the first day of school isn’t a rarity, but itcan often be prevented by just talking with your child. SPRINGF...
09/03/2022

Anxiety on the first day of school isn’t a rarity, but itcan often be prevented by just talking with your child. SPRINGFIELD – While most children returning to school are excited to be going back and seeing their friends and teachers once again, others like first-time kindergarteners or those transitioning to high school may feel nervous or even a little scared....

https://www.afampointofview.com/back-to-school-anxiety-tips-to-copeand-who-has-it-worse-the-child-or-parent/

Anxiety on the first day of school isn’t a rarity, but itcan often be prevented by just talking with your child. SPRINGFIELD – While most children returning to school are excited to be going back a…

By Frederick A. Hurst Springfield’s recent Ward 5 special election to find a replacement for Marcus Williams, who unexpe...
09/03/2022

By Frederick A. Hurst Springfield’s recent Ward 5 special election to find a replacement for Marcus Williams, who unexpectedly and abruptly resigned from Springfield’s city council, revealed some unpleasant things about Black politics in Springfield.As with so many others I’m sure, the first thing that came to my mind when Williams made his surprise announcement was “Who might be the best person to replace him?” I must admit that my idea of “best person” will not be shared by everyone, certainly not by the cadre of Black opportunists and politicians who “suck up” to White politicians for a pittance while so many of the needs of the Black community remain unmet, as is the case with several of our existing elected officials....

https://www.afampointofview.com/what-happened-to-the-unity/

By Frederick A. Hurst Springfield’s recent Ward 5 special election to find a replacement for Marcus Williams, who unexpectedly and abruptly resigned from Springfield’s city council, revealed some u…

By Frederick A. Hurst JAKE OLIVEIRA FOR STATE SENATEState Representative Jake Oliveira’s State Senate campaign has recei...
09/03/2022

By Frederick A. Hurst JAKE OLIVEIRA FOR STATE SENATEState Representative Jake Oliveira’s State Senate campaign has received the endorsement of State Representatives Carlos Gonzalez, Bud Williams, Orlando Ramos, and Mike Finn, as well as Springfield City Councilors Zaida Govan, Tracye Whitfield, Justin Hurst, Victor Davila, Malo Brown and Maria Perez; Springfield School Committee Members Chris Collins, Denise Hurst, Barbara Gresham, LaTonia Monroe Naylor, and Joesiah Gonzalez; former State Senate Majority Leader Linda Melconian; and former City Councilor Bill Foley....

https://www.afampointofview.com/af-am-news-bits-september-2022/

By Frederick A. Hurst JAKE OLIVEIRA FOR STATE SENATEState Representative Jake Oliveira’s State Senate campaign has received the endorsement of State Representatives Carlos Gonzalez, Bud Williams, O…

By Willette H Yarbrough Johnson Legend Honoree Tracey Thomas, Presenter Regina Evans, LegendHonoree Emurriel Holloway an...
09/03/2022

By Willette H Yarbrough Johnson Legend Honoree Tracey Thomas, Presenter Regina Evans, LegendHonoree Emurriel Holloway and Presenter Willette Johnson. It’s not every day that one gets to give public commentary about an individual in their life who has blessed them with a healthy, inspired friendship. Today, I get to share a part of my story about my friend, Mrs. Emurriel Holloway....

https://www.afampointofview.com/sisters-who-are-legends-part-i/

By Willette H Yarbrough Johnson Legend Honoree Tracey Thomas, Presenter Regina Evans, LegendHonoree Emurriel Holloway and Presenter Willette Johnson. It’s not every day that one gets to give public…

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (...
08/20/2022

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to send a letter to President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, following up on previous requests that the administration use its authority to deschedule cannabis and pardon non-violent cannabis-related offenders....

https://www.afampointofview.com/senators-warren-sanders-markey-and-gillibrand-urge-administration-to-deschedule-cannabis-and-pardon-nonviolent-cannabis-offenders/

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to…

SPRINGFIELD – Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease and Chief Medica...
08/20/2022

SPRINGFIELD – Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease and Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, says the United States is no longer in the pandemic phase of the spread of COVID-19, but what does that mean? Numbers are higher this summer than last year. Why is the BA.5 subvariant causing concern? What about boosters?...

https://www.afampointofview.com/your-newest-questions-on-covid-19-answered/

SPRINGFIELD – Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease and Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, says the United States is no longer in the …

By Frederick A. Hurst “THE PRESIDENT WHO STOOD STILL” If you haven’t yet heard about the above-titled editorial in The W...
08/13/2022

By Frederick A. Hurst “THE PRESIDENT WHO STOOD STILL” If you haven’t yet heard about the above-titled editorial in The Wall Street Journal trashing former President Donald J. Trump, you should look it up on the Web and read it. It is the first major departure of a Ruppert Murdoch organization media outlet from the Trump “Big Lie” that has left so many foolish Trump acolytes convinced that he actually won the 2020 election and that President Joe Biden is an illegitimate president....

https://www.afampointofview.com/afam-news-bits-august-2022/

By Frederick A. Hurst “THE PRESIDENT WHO STOOD STILL” If you haven’t yet heard about the above-titled editorial in The Wall Street Journal trashing former President Donald J. Trump, you should look…

By David Maynard, Chairman of the Association of Black Business & Professionals The annual promotion “Dine Black” return...
08/13/2022

By David Maynard, Chairman of the Association of Black Business & Professionals The annual promotion “Dine Black” returns in August. The promotion is designed to bring exposure to local black owned restaurants and food providers. The promotion works by offering a $100.00 Visa Gift card to the first ten people who visit five participating restaurants during the month of August, Black Business Month....

https://www.afampointofview.com/dine-black-returns-in-august/

By David Maynard, Chairman of the Association of Black Business & Professionals The annual promotion “Dine Black” returns in August. The promotion is designed to bring exposure to local black o…

By Rev. Catharine A. Cummings As an ordained faith leader, I value the constitutional and human rights of all people. I ...
08/13/2022

By Rev. Catharine A. Cummings As an ordained faith leader, I value the constitutional and human rights of all people. I respect a person’s religious liberty, which allows each individual to practice their own faith tradition freely and lawfully. Just as I value a person’s right to choose their own faith and religious practices, I also value a person’s medical and reproductive choices....

https://www.afampointofview.com/a-faithful-response-to-reproductive-choice/

By Rev. Catharine A. Cummings  As an ordained faith leader, I value the constitutional and human rights of all people. I respect a person’s religious liberty, which allows each individual to p…

WHY NOT NAME THEM THE “THOMPSON HEARINGS?” If you don’t live in a cave in the middle of nowhere, you must have heard of ...
07/01/2022

WHY NOT NAME THEM THE “THOMPSON HEARINGS?” If you don’t live in a cave in the middle of nowhere, you must have heard of the January 6th Hearings conducted by the January 6th Committee with Black Congressman Bennie Thompson as its Chairman. Whether or not you watched the hearings, you must have heard or read the media responses to them which have been overwhelmingly positive with the exception of the Fox “circus” channel, which is deliberately designed to dupe the already duped with misinformation and propaganda....

https://www.afampointofview.com/af-am-news-bits-july-2022/

WHY NOT NAME THEM THE “THOMPSON HEARINGS?” If you don’t live in a cave in the middle of nowhere, you must have heard of the January 6th Hearings conducted by the January 6th Committee with Bla…

By Lora Wondolowski I find myself now working for an organization with the word “peace” in our name and working to under...
07/01/2022

By Lora Wondolowski I find myself now working for an organization with the word “peace” in our name and working to understand what that phrase means to me. When I began interviewing for the position, the word peace felt a little precious and antiquated to me. I am not a baby boomer, so the anti-war and anti-nuclear movements are not part of my DNA-- but the work to further social justice does speak to me....

https://www.afampointofview.com/rethinking-peace/

By Lora Wondolowski I find myself now working for an organization with the word “peace” in our name and working to understand what that phrase means to me. When I began interviewing for the positio…

By Frederick A. Hurst I must admit to our readers that we had seriously considered ending the publication of Point of Vi...
07/01/2022

By Frederick A. Hurst I must admit to our readers that we had seriously considered ending the publication of Point of View by the end of this year (2022) or, at least, no later than early next year (March 2023), which would mark our 20th anniversary. And we may still do it. But after reading the Letters to the Publisher responses to our June article “To Dig a Ditch,” I was moved to rethink the idea....

https://www.afampointofview.com/twenty-years-is-hardly-enough/

By Frederick A. Hurst I must admit to our readers that we had seriously considered ending the publication of Point of View by the end of this year (2022) or, at least, no later than early next year…

$500 THOUSAND TO STONE SOUL!? I have nothing against the Stone Soul Festival or the people who organize and run it. But ...
06/04/2022

$500 THOUSAND TO STONE SOUL!? I have nothing against the Stone Soul Festival or the people who organize and run it. But when Mayor Sarno announced he was giving the organization $500,000 of federal government money to run what, for the most part, is a community festival (and a good and fun one at that), the first thing that came to my mind was that the money could be better spent spread among Springfield’s struggling Black businesses who, by their owners’ accounts, have instead received even less than the even much smaller amounts they expected....

https://www.afampointofview.com/af-am-news-bits-june-2022/

$500 THOUSAND TO STONE SOUL!? I have nothing against the Stone Soul Festival or the people who organize and run it. But when Mayor Sarno announced he was giving the organization $500,000 of federal…

By Frederick A. Hurst “IT IS NOBLE TO WORK AND ALL WORK IS NOBLE” (This is the 6th reprinting of this article since it f...
06/04/2022

By Frederick A. Hurst “IT IS NOBLE TO WORK AND ALL WORK IS NOBLE” (This is the 6th reprinting of this article since it first appeared as a Father’s Day Tribute to my grandfather in our June 1, 2004 issue. Although my eldest son believes everyone has read it at least one time by now, that does not negate its timelessness....

https://www.afampointofview.com/to-dig-a-ditch-2/

By Frederick A. Hurst “IT IS NOBLE TO WORK AND ALL WORK IS NOBLE” (This is the 6th reprinting of this article since it first appeared as a Father’s Day Tribute to my grandfather in our June 1, 2004…

Submitted by Mary Ann Burns, Communications Director, American Heart Association Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for a...
05/12/2022

Submitted by Mary Ann Burns, Communications Director, American Heart Association Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for all Americans, and stroke is also a leading cause of death. As frightening as those statistics are the risks of getting those diseases are even higher for African Americans. The good news is, African Americans can improve their odds of preventing and beating these diseases by understanding the risks and taking simple steps to address them....

https://www.afampointofview.com/african-americans-and-heart-disease-stroke/

Submitted by Mary Ann Burns, Communications Director, American Heart Association Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for all Americans, and stroke is also a leading cause of death. As frightening as …

CEE JACKSON AND THE DISAPPEARING CITY CONTRACT How strange. Ray Jordan passes and Cee Jackson mysteriously loses a Sprin...
05/12/2022

CEE JACKSON AND THE DISAPPEARING CITY CONTRACT How strange. Ray Jordan passes and Cee Jackson mysteriously loses a Springfield city contract to provide security service for the Mason Square library and the city parking garage. Even stranger is how it happened by way of some mysterious person named “Jason Ray” who has yet to be identified. He filed a complaint with the State Ethics Commission and made a public records request for the RFP (Request for Proposals) response submitted to the city by Cee Jackson as well as for a documentary history of his disclosure documents required by the State Ethics Commission....

https://www.afampointofview.com/af-am-news-bits-3/

CEE JACKSON AND THE DISAPPEARING CITY CONTRACT How strange. Ray Jordan passes and Cee Jackson mysteriously loses a Springfield city contract to provide security service for the Mason Square library…

By Zaida Govan Mothers are the only persons in the world who risk their lives to bring life into the world and then spen...
05/12/2022

By Zaida Govan Mothers are the only persons in the world who risk their lives to bring life into the world and then spend the rest of their lives defending, protecting and nurturing that life. They take risks when they adopt children not knowing who the child will be. Many times, sadly, mothers get negative feedback from the children they raised....

https://www.afampointofview.com/mothers-are-real/

By Zaida Govan Mothers are the only persons in the world who risk their lives to bring life into the world and then spend the rest of their lives defending, protecting and nurturing that life. They…

Make the B7, G2, and B6 PVTA Bus Lines Free for the Next 2 Years as a Pilot Program Sponsored by City Councilors Justin ...
05/12/2022

Make the B7, G2, and B6 PVTA Bus Lines Free for the Next 2 Years as a Pilot Program Sponsored by City Councilors Justin Hurst, Victor Davila, Tracye Whitfield, Zaida Govan and Kateri Walsh Why not free buses for Springfield residents as proposed by the five Springfield city councilors who rode one of the bus routes most traveled by those whose only access to necessary transportation is buses?...

https://www.afampointofview.com/other-cities-found-a-way/

Make the B7, G2, and B6 PVTA Bus Lines Free for the Next 2 Years as a Pilot Program Sponsored by City Councilors Justin Hurst, Victor Davila, Tracye Whitfield, Zaida Govan and Kateri Walsh Why not …

By Zaida Govan (Reprinted from July, 2021) I am in awe of the graduations that are happening this time of year this year...
04/12/2022

By Zaida Govan (Reprinted from July, 2021) I am in awe of the graduations that are happening this time of year this year. The last year has been challenging for all of us so I can’t even imagine what it has been like for those who have been in school this past year. I think of the children, like my granddaughter in kindergarten, and how they sat in front of a computer all year “in school”....

https://www.afampointofview.com/graduating-in-a-pandemic/

By Zaida Govan (Reprinted from July, 2021) I am in awe of the graduations that are happening this time of year this year. The last year has been challenging for all of us so I can’t even imagine wh…

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