Elmont activist honored at black history celebration

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The blues could be heard loud and clear and Caribbean food was in abundance at a Black History Month celebration hosted by St. John's United Methodist Church of Elmont on Feb. 12.  

It wasn't solely an evening to embrace African-American culture, however. It was also a time to honor one of the community's most ardent voices -- activist Tammie Williams, the volunteer project director for the Girls Pride Program at the African Center for Community Development and an Elmont Memorial Library trustee.

Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages, a Democrat from Elmont, was on hand to present Williams, who is the district director for State Sen. John Brooks (D-Seaford), with a Community Service Award.

As the Girls Pride (Providing Resources for Improvement, Dignity and Empowerment) director, Williams works to encourage girls of color to stay in school, receive job training and eventually find full-time employment, all in the hope of one day ending "the cycle of poverty."

"Long before community organizations were popular, she was out there doing the hard work," Solages said of Williams. "Staying 'woke,' staying involved -- it's especially important to do this now, as our country is going through so much. As we lift, we shall rise. Communities of Floral Park and Elmont benefit from her work."

Williams said she was surprised to receive the award. "It all began in 2013 when I got the League of Women Voters involved in our community affairs," she said. "People of Elmont and Valley Stream are voters, which is great. We have to keep going, so nobody can stop us."

The evening also included a panel discussion about how Elmont fared in 2016. Speakers noted that community opposition to video lottery terminals and a stadium for the New York Cosmos at Belmont Park led both proposals to eventually be rejected.

"When the Elmont Soccer Club wasn't supportive of the stadium, this was key for me," said Aubrey Phillips, the celebration's organizer and one of the two panelists, with Solages. "It wasn't useful to our youth. They were saying no and taking bold actions. Some people asked, well, if we rejected those plans, why would you prefer nothing to be in its place instead? To me, in absence of something, it makes no good common sense to just put anything there."

Solages said he would like to see a fully functional Long Island Rail Road stop at Belmont. That would make Elmont a more desirable community for homebuyers seeking a short commute into New York City. "We would need more track work to make Belmont a major hub," he said. "I would want a parking situation and the ability for commuters to get on and off the trains easily. To do this, we would need capital investment" by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"To me," Solages continued, "this is the best plan because it serves so many people and brings people to our community to live and work, also bringing with them many financial and educational resources."

The evening wasn't all business, however. The three-hour program included live music by the TK Blue Quartet and a spoken word recital by a local high school student. "We're going to be entertained and educated, and TK is uplifting us with our music," Phillips said. "Jazz is our music."

The quartet played tunes from their album "Amour." TK Blue, the band leader and saxophonist, regaled the audience with stories of his life in Paris and other parts of France, and spoke about the history of jazz. "A lot of great women emerged in jazz during World War II," he said. "For Black History Month, we should remember Melba Liston, a trombonist who rivaled the male jazz musicians of that era. When the men had to go fight during World War II, it was an opportunity for women to be listened to and recognized." 

Then Aaron Smith, an Elmont Memorial High School junior, took the stage to recite the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. It was an emotional high point of a positively charged evening. 

 Black History Month "is about understanding our struggle," Phillips said. "It's about successfully working together for the betterment of our community."

Solages and other local leaders have more Black History Month events planned. More information is coming.