Goodbye, Sylvia. July 19, 2012 Jill A local hero and an all-around awesome lady. Sad to hear she’s gone.
Aw. I went to my post-prom breakfast there. On the less “aw” side, though, I seem to recall her giving a platform to an anti-semite in…1998? 1999? I don’t remember who, though. Let me see if I can find out. Ah. This guy, who held press conferences there. Who referred to “Jew mothers” and “Jew youth” and felt he had to make anti-semitic statements so that young black people knew “who their oppressors were.” Jews, obviously, whom he had also turned “bloodsuckers.” Repeatedly. So there’s also that.
EG I don’t think he was invited to speak there. http://articles.nydailynews.com/1998-09-03/news/18085922_1_harlem-hospital-peaceful-march-mayor-giuliani Those were bad times in the city for sure.
He held press conferences there…that implies some kind of arrangement, does it not? Or can you just invite a bunch of reporters and stuff anywhere you want? (That’s a genuine question–I assumed that if you commandeer a place like that, you’ve got to clear it with the owner first.)