While many Americans are familiar with black slavery in the South during the 19th Century and its role in igniting the nation’s great Civil War, less attention has been paid to the black experience in northern cities such as New York, where so-called “freedmen” lived.

Now, a new book, “Black Gotham,” by University of Maryland Professor Carla Peterson, shines a light on their remarkable stories.

Much of the history of black 19th-Century New York has been lost, in part because it was eclipsed in the popular imagination by the saga of southern slavery. Additionally, mostly-white academic historians minimized the contributions of African-Americans. And no comprehensive archive of black life existed until the 20th Century, when the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture was established.

Peterson’s ancestors were distinguished members of the city’s black elite and she felt theirs was a powerful story that needed to be told. She spent 11 years researching and writing her book.

John T. Consoli’Black Gotham’ author Carla Peterson

“Writing this book was very important to me,” says Peterson. “It was a journey of hard work, but also of love and passion.”

Led by free blacks such as clergyman Alexander Crummell, newspaper editor Charles Ray and businessman George Downing, members of New York’s black elite tried to establish themselves as full Americans, not merely as “Africans” or “coloreds” as black slaves had once been called and called themselves.

Like members of outsider groups before and since, this African-American elite considered education to be the key to full citizenship. They also embraced values of character and responsibility.

“A good, upright moral citizen, valuing temperance, a Protestant ethic of hard work, sobriety and all those kinds of inner values. Respectability then is the outward manifestation of character,” says Peterson. “It’s in your appearance, how you dress, how you comport yourself, especially when you’re out on the streets of New York, and especially with whites. No loud, boisterous behavior but being utterly respectable and respectful.”

‘Black Gotham’ explores the history and contributions of New York’s black elite during the 19th Century.

That didn’t mean the status quo went unchallenged. Peterson’s book describes salon-style meetings in the back of James McCune Smith’s pharmacy. Smith, who was one of antebellum New York’s most important black leaders, hosted lively debates about voting rights for blacks and the abolition of slavery.

Alliances with whites were often forged. And like white New Yorkers, many in “Black Gotham” also wanted to be rich – but success could be fleeting.

“You see black New Yorkers make tremendous gains and then lose. Gains in terms of entrepreneurship, finding a trade, finding a profession, setting down roots, buying property, and feeling they were at last becoming a genuine part of city life. They would refer to ‘color-phobia’ as ‘fast disappearing in our city.’ But then there would be a loss.”

Racial violence was also an issue. Peterson cites a riot in 1834, which began in a chapel where both black and white choirs were scheduled to rehearse at the same time.

“And the white choir went nuts. It was only a pretext, but a race riot broke out, and a lot of black property was damaged. Saint Philip’s Episcopal Church, which was the church of my family, was desecrated.”  

The Draft Riots of July 1863, during the height of the Civil War, were an especially low point in the history of black New York.  When President Abraham Lincoln instituted a military draft, many immigrants, especially the Irish, thought they were being asked to fight and perhaps to die in a war being waged for the benefit of blacks. Angry mobs set out to destroy the dwellings and businesses of the city’s prosperous African-Americans.

But there was also some goodwill between the races. Peterson’s great grandfather owned a pharmacy in a largely Irish neighborhood. He was known as a kind man who gave free medicine and clothes to the poor.

“So they came to see him as a pillar of the community. So at the time of the Draft Riots he was warned to leave. A group of white merchants in the area came to him and said ‘You’d better get out. Your pharmacy is going to be attacked.’ And he said, ‘As many men who are going to come and attack me, there will be as many who come to defend me.’ And that is exactly what happened. His Irish neighbors protected his pharmacy.”

Then as now, New York was an ethnic melting pot, and Peterson says many black New Yorkers saw themselves as citizens of the world. Her own ancestors had roots in England, Haiti, Jamaica, Venezuela, American Indian territory as well as Africa.

She points out that more than a century later, many American blacks still lack the educational and economic opportunities that the mainstream enjoys. But Peterson adds that she has been gratified to learn that many black groups are inspired by the struggles and incremental successes of 19th-Century “Black Gotham.”

Many processed food products today are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.  But concerns that corn syrup might be contributing to obesity has led many food manufacturers to turn to organic brown rice syrup, believing it to be a healthier alternative to the high fructose corn syrup.  

Now, researchers say that brown rice syrup may be an unintended source of arsenic, a highly toxic metallic element that’s been shown to increase the risk of cancer when present in drinking water.

A researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire, Brian Jackson, says scientists were curious about the amount of arsenic in foods consumed by babies.

“Because of their low body weight, if they are exposed to arsenic, then they are exposed to a disproportionately high exposure rate on a high kilogram body weight basis,” Jackson said.

Jackson, who led the study, and colleagues randomly purchased more than a dozen baby formulas to test them for the presence of arsenic. He says almost all the formulas contained very low or trace amounts of arsenic, including those that had rice starch.

“And then I selected two other formulas that I found in a local supermarket, brought those back to the lab, tested them and they turned out to be 20 to 30 times higher than any of the other formulas that we tested. So when we get an anomalous result like that, we retested this and got the same results again.  And at that point I turned a jar around and looked at the label and the first ingredients in that label were organic brown rice syrup,” Jackson said.

Researchers found high levels of inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form, in soy based formula.

Jackson explains that growing rice needs a mineral in soil called silica.  But Jackson says arsenic is chemically a lot like silica, and the growing rice plant takes up both silica as well as arsenic, which is also in the ground. When the rice is fermented to make organic rice syrup, Jackson says the arsenic dissolves easily in the watery brew and becomes part of the syrup.

For this reason, Jackson urges parents to read the label on baby food products and to think twice before purchasing infant foods that contain organic rice syrup.

“I would recommend that.  Obviously the amount of arsenic –  it varies in rice depending upon the cultivar of rice, where the rice is grown — so you are going to get that same variation in brown rice syrups.  It’s true that rice as a grain takes up more arsenic than other grains,” Jackson said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a statement saying it is not aware of any baby formulas that contain organic brown rice syrup.  An agency spokeswoman said FDA regulators are studying aresenic in all rice and rice products and could issue recalls after the report is completed later this year.

An article on arsenic concentrations in baby food and other products is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

While a protest by religious leaders against last year’s botched presidential and legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been quickly suppressed, U.S-based analysts and activists fear for the country’s future.

The Carter Center issued a statement deploring the suppression of a Thursday march in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa.

Priests and nuns were arrested by tear-gas wielding police, while several radio stations were reported shut down.

The march had been planned to reject results from last year’s vote, which protest organizers said in no way reflected reality or justice.

Mvemba Dizolele from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies says unfortunately international powers brushed off major problems in the run-up to the still controversial 2011 vote. These included a rule change making it a one-round contest and faulty voter rolls.

“A lot of these issues were issues that we all had flagged before that come to now bite us. So at this moment, we have a crisis where the election results were proclaimed but you have (Mr.) Kabila claiming to be the winner, you also have (Mr.) Tshisekedi claiming to be the winner,” Dizolele said.

Congo’s electoral commission declared the incumbent President Kabila the winner with nearly 49 percent of the vote to Mr. Tshisekedi’s 32 percent.

But election observers reported gross violations from ballot stuffing and suspiciously high registration in pro-Kabila areas to polling stations being burned down and security forces tying people up and voting in their place in pro-Tshisekedi areas.

In the legislative elections, more than 300 results from a new 500-seat assembly are being contested in court.  

Pro-Kabila parties have been credited with winning 341 seats to 42 for Mr. Tshisekedi’s party.

Congo expert Jason Stearns from Yale University says a best case scenario of having a revote is being dismissed.

“If you talk to diplomats, if you talk to people in Kinshasa, they look at you as if you are in la-la land if you start talking like that,” Stearns said.

But Tony Gambino from the U.S.-based advocacy group Eastern Congo Initiative says if the fraudulent election results stand, he sees many possible doomsday scenarios.

“Congo could descend into a deeper humanitarian disaster, become unstable once again affecting all of Central Africa and beyond. Surely, we do not want to see this. That is what is at stake,” Gambino said.

Gambino also points out that the International Monetary Fund and World Bank contribute about half of Congo’s budget.

“Anyone who suggests that the West has no influence, that we cannot do anything, they are just blowing smoke. It is wrong,” Gambino said.

Gambino is calling for what he calls financial consequences from international banks and donors.

He also says upcoming provincial elections should be delayed so these can be better prepared.

The United States is Congo’s largest donor country, having contributed over $900 million over the past year.  

This week, a U.S. government statement said it was still closely monitoring the electoral process and that it was deeply concerned about multiple allegations of human rights abuses by Congolese security forces.

Vijay Nambiar, special adviser to the U.N. chief on Burma, made the appeal at the end of a five-day visit during which he met key figures including President Thein Sein and main opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

A U.N. press release Friday praised the changes underway, saying they have “attained an unprecedented level of initiative.”

The statement added that health, education and job creation remain key responsibilities for both central and local authorities in order to empower people to participate fully in the country’s development and growth.

The announcement comes a day after prosecutors requested Mr. Wulff’s immunity be lifted so they could investigate whether he abused his position as governor of the state of Lower Saxony.

Wulff faces multiple allegations including allowing a film producer friend to pay for his bills from two hotel stays and accepting a large loan from a wealthy friend’s wife.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who handpicked Mr. Wulff for the primarily ceremonial job in 2010, issued a short statement expressing what she said was ” deep regret” at the president’s resignation.

Chancellor Merkel says she wants to seek a consensus from main political parties on a new president.

She postponed a trip to Italy Friday, in anticipation of President Wulff’s resignation.

President Jackson and his administration used unethical methods, while dealing with Indians. About 500 Cherokee Indians, who were not the chiefs nor had they any actual power signed the treaty, which sold all of their lands for just five million dollars plus an entitlement of seven million acres out west, for the entire Cherokee nation. When a petition was quickly organized among the Cherokees, 16,000 Indians gave they signature against the treaty. President Jackson just ignored it, because the voices of those 500 were more suitable to him, than the cries of those 16,000.

            In essence, President Jackson did everything to remove the Indians and used both unethical and undemocratical ways to achieve that goal. A treaty, which was signed with the Creeks was broken, the government did nothing to protect them from white settlers, who cheated the Creeks of their land. And because the Creeks were forced to steal, Secretary of War ordered the removal of the Creeks as a military requirement. Similar situation was with the Chickasaws. The tribe signed a treaty, that would protect them until they moved, but the War Department backed down on its promise. US government didn’t hold their end of the deal, but expected the Indians to do so.

We all know about the current removal of the Cherokee nation. I don’t know how far they have reached, but seeing them leave, I was left astonished. The tribe, about 16,000 people, moved barefoot, including children and elders. They were basically robbed of their land and now, they are forced to travel hundreds of miles in inhumane conditions.

And now, seven years after signing the Indian removal act, President Jackson and his administration has removed 46,000 Native American people from their land east of the Mississippi. About 25 million acres of Indian land is now populated by cotton growers and other white settlers, who light heartedly cultivate the land, without knowing what heartbreak it had caused for numerous Indian tribes.

The public, if it is wise, has seen the error of its ways, slowing down the rates of growth and recovery from the Great Recession by splitting the House between Democrats and Republicans. Let not forget the ills the GOP has put the economy to over the past year – risking default and ominous tax situations, all in the bid to discredit the incumbent; let not forget the nominee-apparent, an exposed money-monger who would starve out several hungry families in order to make and keep a quick buck, who would not file or reveal his tax returns, and who would shamelessly proffer a bet on national television for an amount many American homes would not see (much less spend) in a year. Oust the GOP – from the House; keep the GOP – from the Office.

Thankfully, America is learning a lesson that has come long and hard, that looks beyond racial and economic disparity, past the ignorance of subscribing to the media, and past blind argument based on feelings. Thankfully, America is learning a lesson that allows her to vote for the person who is right and on the right track, not for a party or an ideaology, but for truth, justice and the American way. Thankfully, America knows what to do next.

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Vote not the Democratic Party nor the Republican; vote not for media propaganda or wealth and affluence; vote not with your belly or your worries about the future. Vote with faith and hope that the America that once was lives still and will rise again from the ashes of a crippling Great Recession.

The 2012 Presidential Race.

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 The US presidential elections are due in 2012.  President Obama is standing for a second term, but he faces innumerable challenges. In case Obama was a white skinned man then his victory would have been a foregone conclusion, but Obama is a colored man and as such his chances have dimmed by that much.

America elected Obama, but after his election the right wing realized that a colored man was the US president and that went under their skin.  Vociferous attacks were launched on him. He was accused of everything under the sun, of betraying the US constitution, The US army and undermining America as a communist. Some people even dug up his birth certificate. Wonder what they were doing before Obama sat in the Presidents chair.

Obama in real terms was saddled with the ills of the past 8 presidents. You can’t expect a man to clean the augean stables at one shot. He tried but the US economy aftre decades of overspending cracked. How is Obama responsible for it ?

Obama has his faults. He is not a war monger er. He has reined in Israel and that as per his opponents makes him anti-Semitic.  He saw through the perfidy of Paksitan, called teh US adventure to a halt in Iraq. Well friends one can’t work miracles in 4 years, but he is on track.

Obama however faces a formidable challenge and one of the reasons is the color of his skin. But I suspect the forces that propelled Obama into the White house may still work and perhaps he may yet romp home , though with a razor slim majority. But it will be good for America

Now, that I have officially resigned from the Republican Party and the American Conservative movement, I need my own movement.  I want this movement to be about honesty and integrity, not just electability.

I was forced to listen to Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh today.  There wasn’t anything else to do while I waited for lazy customers who can walk two blocks down the road.

The commentary on the three remaining republican candidates for the republican nomination is laughable.  Gingrich claiming to be a better conservative then Romney smites of the epitome of everything that is wrong with American conservatives.  Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman were better candidates then the 3 that are left.

I know I cannot keep repeating myself.  Before long I am going to bore myself.

However, we have to recognize that the safety and security of the human race is at stake.  The two commentators mentioned before have noted that Christian organizations are being denied their protected constitutional rights by the Obama administration.

You want to enslave people you have to first take away the god they serve.  Christians are being forced to hire lesbian and gay men.  Christians are being taken in to courts for sermons on homosexuality.   Catholics hospitals are being required to perform abortions under Obama-care.

We have also seen Obama and the Democrat political party attitudes towards hard work, prosperity, and wealth.  They want to overregulate investments and profits.  They want to remove the ties to personal responsibility and replace these ties with government dependency.

Their partners in crime are of course  the so called conservatives.   There is a consensus that states that the road to the White House is paved by pandering to African-Americans, Hispanics, and the Homosexual community.  The members of the Republican establishment want to keep their political niche.  Therefore, they need to pander to these groups.

I like many have been trying to understand the conflict between republican politicians and conservatives.  Well there it is people.  True conservative values are seen as obstacles to political victory.

Are the issues in this presidential election cycle only about the American economy?  The answer is no.  Yes, the economy needs to grow.  However, individual liberties are at stake.  The right of free speech, religion, to redress your government, against unreasonable search and seizure, to bear arms, and all the constitutional protections are under attack.

Your right to choose medical treatment has been taken away from Obama.  Companies will not be able to afford Obama-care and will stop offering health insurance to their employees.   You will end up in the substandard public health system.

If you have dreams of becoming rich, incorporate in to your plans having Obama take away 75% of your wealth to give to people not as devoted to personal success.  Obama believes that the 1% should fund all his political initiatives.  The reality is that this 1% does not have enough money to cover Obama spending, which is at 7 trillion and growing.

Therefore, you are going to end up as a salve to liberal policies.  You will not be able to speak out against Obama.  Your monetary power to fight him will be in his hands, leaving you powerless.

Again I am going to state that you conservative need to start getting educated on the issues.  There is no way that Romney and Gingrich are the best the conservative movement has to offer.  How in the world did the conservative movement get boxed in a corner where Santorum, Gingrich, and Romney are the only choices?

There is something seriously wrong with all of you who support these candidates.  For over two years these candidates’ flaws have been all over the modern media. Many of you conservatives choose to support these candidates in spite of their flaws.

Tell me how you trust a person who lies to you and/or changes his beliefs.  I know I cannot trust such a person.

It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that in a competition between Romney and Gingrich and Obama, Obama wins.  Santorum is probably the only one that has a chance against Obama in a national election.  I am not endorsing Santorum.  I have already stated that I will not endorse, nor work for, any of the three remaining candidates.

I just want all you conservatives who caused this problem with your political blindness to know what you have created.  There is no way Romney and the current congress are going to work for die-hard-conservative issues.  Gingrich will be blocked out congress and have little to no success with his initiatives.  The same goes for Santorum.

Oh you forgot you were also voting for some new congressional representatives.  How have these republicans that came in to congress in 2010 been working for you?  If I remember correctly they have given Obama most of what he wants.  They have raised the debt ceiling.   They have given Obama more money to spend.  They have not made any noticeable cuts in government spending.

This same congress is the one the next president will have to work with in creating policy.  This is the congress of Obama-care and 7trillion in Obama spending.

In addition, there is not a big group of informed conservatives to stop the madness.  People with lots of money, with the help of politicians, created an economic environment with dangerous systems.  We are rats in their maze.

The deterrence is supposed to be an informed electorate.  There is a free copy of the Federalist Papers at archive.org on the internet.  Get a copy and read it.  Writers make salient points about unscrupulous people manipulating others with the intent of controlling the environment.

These same writers advice the readers towards involvement in saving freedom and liberty.  When I was reading these articles, I asked myself how Americans forgot the value of freedom and liberty.  I came to the conclusion that people cannot forget what they never knew.

The tasks at hand are enormous.  Liberal policies are Socialist enslavement.  Freedom and liberty can only exist if the power remains firmly in the hands of the people, not the hands of Obama and his kind-which includes republicans.

Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have all had their share of Republican debates. The poll ballots have been counted and each state picked a different winner as their choice for the Republican nominee. Some say these debates are splitting the vote too many ways as the process continues. Many are also saying the constant barrage of negative ad campaigns will tarnish the remaining candidates too greatly to gather enough support, but this is nothing compared to the onslaught which will be brought down on the Republican candidate who faces Obama in November. Your candidate needs to be prepared and these debates are helping him; whoever he is…including Ron Paul.

Now with the field narrowed; I’m sure you are beginning to rally behind “your” candidate. What will you do if “your” candidate drops out of the race? Many have ended their runs for president, leaving three strong candidates and Ron Paul. Many of the early drop outs in the process did so because of various pressures brought on by debate performance, poll results, campaign support or personal scandals. It seemed every week there was a new front-runner. This was a necessary process to help get the quality candidates we have today.

DO NOT RELY ON THE HIGHLIGHT REELS

The debates should be reviewed in their entirety in order to reveal which candidate you feel works best under pressure. This is a primary skill of the candidate who will perform best against Obama. One thing I hear often is only one candidate will beat Obama. That is not true. Anyone can beat Obama. We are in a far worse state since Obama became president. Even today, Obama blames anything but himself for the country’s continued economic decline. Obama’s Stimulus Plan has sunk this country into more debt quicker than any other president in history. Obama’s poor performance as a leader and the far-reaching polices which expand the tentacles of government into our lives need to stop if we want our children to have the same opportunities to succeed as we do. I could run against Obama with that kind of performance and I won’t need a teleprompter.

DON’T COUNT ON FLORIDA

Florida is just another step in the process just like South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa. Florida is not the best at reliable ballot counting practices either. Whichever candidate wins Florida will gain momentum until something else is brought to our attention by the media or the Democratic Party. We have to take these hits in stride. See how your candidate responds to criticism. See how your candidate handles pressure. One of the best performances I have seen to date was the exchange between John King and Newt Gingrich in South Carolina as John tried to throw Gingrich a curve ball by asking about a recent interview with his ex-wife. The response was priceless: Gingrich stood his ground confidently and did not show any sign of nervousness or backpedalling as he spoke. It is examples like these which you need to look for in your candidate

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

Remember what you and every other independent and Republican wants to do: beat Obama. Four more years of Obama will mean further borrowing without spending cuts, a smaller military force, full implementation of “Obama Care” and more government regulation of our lives. We are still a country of individuals who all have the opportunity to succeed. We cannot forget that and we must fight in order to keep it. If your candidate does not end up being the nominee to face Obama in November, know that any of the candidates would bury Obama in a debate; even Ron Paul.