Kwanzaa: Principles and Origins

The Year that Was: Teaneck Voices reviews 2021

Stop & Shop Update: Plaintiff and Defendants in Settlement Discussions

PSE&G Update: Town Manager adds 3.5 acres to Protected Teaneck Parkland

Unanswered Questions

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday celebrated for the week between the 26th of December and the 1st of January each year. The word "Kwanzaa" comes from the Swahili language and means "first fruits".

The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga.

The candle-lighting ceremony each evening provides the opportunity to gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa. The first night, the black candle in the center is lit (and the principle of umoja/unity is discussed). Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle. One candle is lit each evening and the appropriate principle is discussed.

Unity: Umoja (oo–MO–jah) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Self-determination: Kujichagulia (koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Collective Work and Responsibility: Ujima (oo–GEE–mah) To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.

Cooperative Economics: Ujamaa (oo–JAH–mah) To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Purpose: Nia (nee–YAH) To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Faith: Imani (ee–MAH–nee) To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Kwanzaa also has seven symbols–

mazao (crops)

mkeka (mat)

kinara (candleholder)

muhindi (corn)

kikombe cha umoja (unity cup)

zawadi (gifts)

mishumaa saba (seven candles)

-that are traditionally arranged on a table. Three of the seven candles are red, representing the struggle; three of the candles are green, representing the land and hope for the future; and one of the candles is Black, representing people of African descent.

Maulana Karenga, a Black nationalist who later became a college professor, created Kwanzaa as a way of uniting and empowering the African American community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts Rebellion. Having modeled his holiday on traditional African harvest festivals, he took the name “Kwanzaa” from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” The extra “a” was added, Karenga has said, simply to accommodate seven children at the first-ever Kwanzaa celebration in 1966, each of whom wanted to represent a letter.

Though often thought of as an alternative to Christmas, many people actually celebrate both. “Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one with an inherent spiritual quality,” Karenga writes. Kwanzaa, just as non-Mexicans commemorate Cinco de Mayo and non-Native Americans participate in powwows.

In order to avoid over-commercialization, gifts handed out to family members on the last day of Kwanzaa are often homemade. Alternatively, some participants buy books, music, art accessories or other culturally themed products, preferably from a Black-owned business.

The mission of Teaneck Voices is to achieve integrity, transparency, responsiveness, diversity, and social justice in Teaneck governance.

To fulfill its mission, Teaneck Voices has set goals to:

Throughout 2021, the focus of our group’s newsletter, Teaneck Voices, has been to provide residents with factual reports on local issues based on available evidence.

The growth of our readership this year has been a phenomenal 1500%! This is a clear indication that residents are interested in learning more about what happens in our Town from a fresh, critical, and inquiring perspective.

In 2021, Teaneck Voices put the spotlight on important stories that might otherwise have gone unnoticed; in many cases our coverage helped achieve better outcomes.

Ø BLM Mural. Critical pieces about the prolonged negotiations, delay, and details about the approved Black Lives Matter Mural.

Ø Holuba. In-depth coverage of Fair Share Housing principles and the Teaneck Holuba townhouse development approved by Council with segregated units. Led to a court order to redesign development plans so all units were integrated as required by Teaneck’s own laws.

Ø One Town One Vote. A series of articles about increased participation and diversity of voter turnout in November elections, concluding with support of One Town One Vote’s petition and successful court case to move municipal elections from May to November.

Ø Energy and Environment. Coverage of the advantages of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) for Teaneck residents – sustainable clean air and clean energy; support for the petition and successful lawsuit.

Ø Public Schools. 2021 BOE candidate statements and Letters to Editor endorsements.

Ø Women. A popular series on Notable Women of Teaneck, highlighting extraordinary accomplishments and civic contributions of the under-represented gender in Teaneck governance.

Ø Civic Education. About our municipal Council-Manager Form of Government and its major statutory and advisory Boards; about the importance of a Master Plan and an Open Space and Recreational Plan to guide development.

Ø Parks. Attention to Teaneck’s 23 parks; which are adequately funded; which are neglected.

Ø Development. Exposé of how development is happening now in Teaneck. The trend toward higher density and "ratables". The advantages of prior public input. The disadvantages of designating too many Areas in Need of Redevelopment: increased opportunities for corruption, conflicts-of-interest, and avoidance of Master Plan guidelines.

Ø Council Etiquette. Coverage of verbal mistreatment and disrespect of residents by Council members during open sessions and online media, including attacks on the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee Chair and the Executive Director of the Teaneck International Film Festival; shutting off a resident’s zoom participation; ordering those opposed to Cannabis ordinance to “lower their hands” so they would not be heard; threats to critical media personnel.

Ø Stop & Shop. Coverage of Planning Board recommendation and Council’s designation of American Legion properties as a blighted Area in Need of Redevelopment and Stop & Shop’s legal challenge to that designation, possibly leading to Council’s current reassessment.

Ø Holy Name Hospital. Its history and value to the community; its liability for Teaneck property taxes as a not-for-profit; its expansion and the effect upon residential neighbors.

Ø Cannabis. Detailed analysis of Council’s Cannabis Ordinance and its possible ramifications for the Alfred Avenue neighborhood; for adjacent Englewood neighborhoods; and the character of Teaneck itself.

Ø Alfred Avenue. Raised questions about the wisdom of this high-density apartment complex and residents’ input into the plan; traffic and parking; adequate infrastructure support for sewage and runoff.

Ø Transparency. Articles about the trend to limit public participation and input; Council’s ordinance to close Advisory Boards to the public; the appointment of subcommittees of three so that their deliberations do not need to be publicly posted; failure to post agendas and minutes in a timely fashion; failure to honor the Open Public Records Act leading to another successful lawsuit; Selective lack of response to residents’ questions.

Teaneck Voices is proud of its contribution to community dialog and accountability in government. We look forward to increased coverage in 2022. Residents' comments, letters, and contributions are always welcome.

New Year 2022 will bring some tough but exciting challenges to all of us as Teaneck Residents. Here are some we anticipate:

Universal vaccination and boosters?

Vaccination cards and picture IDs required?

Care and support for the isolated?

Can use of 3-person subcommittees by Council be minimized?

Can minutes and agendas be made public and timely?

Should regular Council Workshops be Reinstated?

Can residents prevail upon Council to re-open all Advisory Board meetings?

Can a welcoming environment for public input be reestablished?

What can be done to increase public engagement and participation?

Can Town Halls be held on crucial matters that concern everyone?

Is it possible to transform the combative, dismissive, intimidating, and

rude tone characterizing some official-resident interchanges?

How can the segregating effects of public and private education

be ameliorated?

Will residents prefer to live and interact primarily or exclusively within

their own bubbles?

Will residents unite in accepting and celebrating the many unique

communities living here?

What steps can be taken to minimize divisiveness and bring together

a truly diverse community?

Will Planning Board and Council continue to uncover

more blighted areas in Teaneck?

Will new development ideas receive adequate public input

before plans are drawn up and ordinances are passed?

Will Teaneck opt for higher-density, more urban style of development?

Or will it demand that it remain residential in character,

preserving and enhancing its parks and green spaces?

Do residents desire follow-through on candidates’ campaign promises?

Do we have the will to monitor Council and Board actions and react to them?

Will residents unite around how the Cannabis facility evolves?

Will residents come together over developments in different neighborhoods,

like Alfred Avenue’s apartment complex, American Legion Drive, and

Holy Name Hospital expansion?

Will the candidates embody the values we want in our elected leaders?

Will candidates reflect the diversity of the town?

Will candidates have the required expertise to govern wisely?

Teaneck Voices was pleased to learn that just this past week Stop & Shop filed a request with Superior Court Judge Farrington on behalf of both itself and the Defendants. Based on progress made during settlement discussions with Teaneck, Stop & Shop requested that the trial date of March 4, 2022 be converted to a second Case Management Conference so the parties could "update the Court on the status of settlement efforts."

This filing may herald an amicable settlement in lieu of a court trial. Watch for continued coverage of development on American Legion Drive.

As reported in a previous issue, PSE&G paid Teaneck $1.9M in order to take some parkland from Votee and Windsor Parks to string needed wires. The Town Manager has now replaced the 3.5 acres with new protected properties, so Teaneck will soon be able to spend the $1.9M it receives from PSE&G.

Can you remember when you first heard about your dream job.

For Reverend Marilyn Monroe Harris it was 17 years ago, under the dryer at the hairdressers in Hackensack, NJ. At the time she was enjoying an internship at Bethany Baptist Church in Newark. Listening quietly to other patrons talking, she heard that First Baptist Church in Teaneck was in need of a pastor.

She was surprised, having heard that First Baptist had already decided on a new pastor – a man. She had been reflecting on the challenges of entering a traditionally patriarchal profession and had prayed to God that she could have an advocate, a sponsor.

Literally five minutes after she got home the phone rang. It was the Chair of the Deacon Board of the First Baptist Church of Teaneck, asking her to preach the following Sunday. “ She was stunned! "Are you sure you have the right person?" His warm voice came back, “If your name is Marilyn Monroe Harris, I’m calling you!”

To Reverend Harris, it felt like God had answered her, and stepped in to be her sponsor.

She preached that Sunday and was invited to return and preach again. Then she was invited to apply for the pastoral position.

In 2005, Reverend Harris was installed as the fifth Pastor and the first female Pastor of First Baptist Church of Teaneck.

Marilyn Monroe Harris was born and raised with a brother and a sister in Hartford, CT. She describes her childhood as wonderful. As might be expected, she often was asked about her name “Marilyn Monroe,” the blue-eyed film star. Born shortly after the passing of the famous star, and with a family name of Monroe, she assumes her given name popped into her parents’ mind. When people asked what she looked like, she smiled and with a twinkle in her eye, answered, “Brown hair, brown eyes!!”

Dr. Harris was raised in a home that valued education. Her mother had worked as a waitress, but went back to school, earned an Associate’s degree, and became a high school paraprofessional while also working at the Home for the Blind. She loved being in the classroom and transferred that love to her daughter. The Reverend’s father and uncle ran a successful beauty and barber supply company.

Marilyn Harris was awarded a scholarship to Simmons College in Boston, MA where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology (B.S.M.T.) with an A.S.C.P. (American Society for Clinical Pathology). She worked in healthcare – in the lab and in technology and pharmaceutical sales – in Bergen County. She received an MBA from Rutgers while continuing her clinical laboratory and sales career.

While she was successful at medical sales, young Marilyn was feeling that something was not quite right. Career counseling found her well-suited to a career in sales, so she decided if that was the case, the product she was selling was not quite right.

Nothing felt right until she entered New York Theological Seminary, achieving first a Masters of Divinity degree, followed by a degree as a Doctor of Ministry. She was awarded the Seminary’s highest academic honor, the Scholarship Achievement Award in Biblical Studies.

In 1995, she was licensed to preach by Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack under the pastorate of the Reverend Gregory J. Jackson, Senior Pastor and ordained to the gospel ministry in 2000 by Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, under the pastorate of the Reverend Dr. M. William Howard, Jr. Then, in 2005, she became Pastor at First Baptist.

Since that time, Reverend Dr. Harris has been a vibrant active two-career woman. Along with her pastoral duties, she is currently the Vice President of Ambulatory Services at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, an affiliate of RWJBarnabas Health medical community.

As a leader, preacher and teacher, Dr. Harris has initiated and implemented several ministries, which reflect the diverse membership of First Baptist Teaneck and the community-at-large. Started as a Caucasian church, First Baptist has grown to welcome a diverse congregation. Through her leadership, First Baptist Church of Teaneck membership and ministries have grown and flourished as she continues to serve the needs of all people.

Reverend Dr. Harris was the first African American to preach at the Shrine of the Black Madonna at Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain and was privileged to preach at the Kagiso Baptist Church, Johannesburg, South Africa. She is sought after as a preacher, facilitator and teacher of the Gospel, and continues to be called upon to preach and teach throughout the tri-state area.

Dr. Harris has received many accolades and awards and has been honored by the New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP Award for Pastoral Leadership and Excellence, and the NAACP Bergen County Edward P. Dixon Award for Community Service.

She was a founding member and Chaplain for Women of the Dream, Inc. and the founder of Clergy Women’s Alliance (Marilyn Monroe Ministries). She is President of the United Missionary Baptist Convention State of New Jersey, making her the 2nd female in the NBCUSA, Inc. history to be a State President.

She has served as the 2nd Vice Moderator of the North Jersey District Missionary Baptist Association, the Past President of the Black Clergy Council of Englewood, Teaneck and Vicinity, the Past Moderator of the Essex Association of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey and the first female African American Chaplain of the Teaneck Fire Department.

Dr. Harris currently serves as one of the chaplains for the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. Dr. Harris has also been featured in the Positive Community magazine.

When asked how she encourages her congregants and others to find faith in a world where there is so much doubt, Dr. Harris speaks about connection and community. She believes that people connect when they have trust and can share experiences. She feels that people need to talk to each other to find they are not alone; they must help and support each other.

As a pastor and a person, the Reverend Dr. Marilyn Harris believes that faith is communal. That belief makes her a perfect match for the community of Teaneck.

When will the Planning Board act on the OSRP?

Township Manager Press Release [excerpted]

TOWNSHIP OF TEANECK

OFFICE OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER

Paul A. Volcker Municipal Green | 818 Teaneck Road | Teaneck, NJ 07666

(201) 837 – 1600 | Fax (201) 837 – 9547

admin@teanecknj.gov

Township Manager

Deputy Township Manager

December 20, 2021

Over the past weekend, Teaneck registered ninety eight (98) new COVID-19 cases, a number that’s very alarming to me and to our local health officials. Despite very favorable vaccination percentages, Teaneck and the County of Bergen remain at a high risk level (Orange) for COVID transmission. Because of the significant uptick in positive COVID-19 cases in the Teaneck community, I have made the decision to close all municipal buildings to the public effective Tuesday, December 21, 2021. This action is just one measure that will be taken to help keep our community, workforce and families safe from the spread of the virus.

Although the buildings will be closed to the public, residents can continue to conduct business and communicate with the Township during normal business hours in the following format:

...The municipal buildings will remain closed to the public through Monday, January 17, 2022. We will reopen our facilities to the public on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 contingent upon data showing COVID-19 cases have declined to a safe level, and our health officer determines it’s appropriate to do so. The January 18, 2022 reopening date allows us to safely get through the Holiday season, and the fourteen (14) day post-Holiday incubation period.

...As a reminder, everyone 16 and older should get a booster shot at any vaccine location if it has been at least two months since their one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot or at least six months after completing their two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series.

At this time, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 16 and 17...

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC's recommendations allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.

COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. However, studies show that vaccination may become less effective over time, especially in preventing infection or milder illness and in people over 65 years old. Booster doses provide necessary additional protection against waning immunity. All eligible individuals are encouraged to get booster shots.

As I previously reported, The NJ Department of Health and Vault Medical Services have partnered to offer a free, at-home COVID-19 saliva test kit that is available to every New Jerseyan who thinks they need a test – even if you don't have symptoms. For additional information and to order a free test kit, visit https://learn.vaulthealth.com/nj/

Although there are no numerical limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings, I ask everyone to use good judgement to help save lives and prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the new Omicron variant is highly contagious. We are experiencing many breakthrough cases with the Delta and Omicron variant.

Remember you can be an asymptomatic carrier even when fully vaccinated so taking precautions protects you, your family, and the community.

COVID-19 remains a threat, particularly at indoor gatherings with unvaccinated individuals. Follow the safety tips from the CDC and the NJ Department of Health to protect yourself and avoid putting your loved ones at risk...

Dean B. Kazinci

Township Manager

~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Please read the full Press Release here

Teaneck Library Services and Schedule have been altered due to COVID: See updated schedule

SEE THE SCHEDULE

Monday, December 27, 2021 at 7:30pm

Public access by approval of the Chair only - contact Town Clerk.

Events at the Library: Click here