What's up? To our Facebook update Trying to work this on. Hey. facebook lang I can't see. There you go Facebook Live. Patricia Crt How you doing Rashi Megan. How are you Donnie Vasquez Golden Child Tessa Jackson. How are you Patricia Crt Annette Jonesy, courage and wisdom. You. Bye. I wanna thank all of you for for tuning in to thank all of you. You think we'll be a part of what they're doing today. Our daily Facebook live updates We have a guest on today doctor Monroe Doctor Anthony Monro from Essex County College who is the eighth President of Essex County College previously served as President of College in Chicago and is held separately. That medical schools doctor Monroe just wanna give an update about some of the things that's going on in Essex County College. We give them a platform to do that please doctor Miro whenever you're ready. Thank you Mister Mayor. It is such an honor and a privilege to be here with you. Thank you for inviting me to your covid- 19 update program. Let me just take a moment to just thank you for your very strong leadership and that of your staff. Your staff have been incredible from your business administrator Erik Pennington to your chief of police Mister Henry that you all have been just absolutely phenomenal, especially during this very difficult time. doing this pandemic your leadership mister mayor is making a huge difference. so thank you. Thank you and I wanna thank you again for coming to Essex County College. I know a special place in your heart during our black. History Month celebration in February, folks are still talking about your powerful message that I want to tell you that you you brought the House down right your words of wisdom and insights. really, I believe change lives and change the way that many of our students think and so thank you for that. as you know as this County College has been around for over 50 years, we are a community College. We're a community a community asset, We are and four and of the community and in that we serve thousands of students each and every year, in fact over the past 5050 - one years we've had over a quarter of a million people come to Essex County College and call it their academic and their educational home, and I know you appreciate that because you're an educator about 60 percent of our students. Female Many of them are women of color, head of household and they're here they're here trying to make a difference in their lives. We are a predominantly black institution and a Hispanic serving institution. Those are two federal designations that we are the only County College in the state of New Jersey, with both designations. that says a lot about who we are as an institution and the community that we. we are accredited now they may have been some questions and some doubt about you know. are we accredited what's gonna happen? all that stuff is in the past We are fully accredited in fact, our programs are topnotch. We are one of the six community colleges that have a program with Nasa that we're training individuals to understand aerospace and aerospace engineering and dynamics Our nursing program. And our health science programs are nationally ranked our Stem program Science technology engineering mathematics are really strong. We're the number one feeder to Rutgers Newark and to NJ IT. So if you wanna get a solid academic education and save a lot of money, you come to Ssss County College first get your general education classes out of the way finish. Get that associates. Get that credential, which no one can ever take away from you and then go on and then move on to your next step, whatever and wherever that may be education is very important. It is the key to moving up in society. You know that and we really support that here at Essex County College. That's why we announced very recently our essential worker tuition waiver program. What does that mean if you are an essential worker? And you live in Essex County and many of our students come from the city of Newark, many of our students and many of our employees live here in the city of Newark, you can come to Essex County College starting this summer and pay almost next to nothing. There's some eligibility requirements. you can't make more than $65000 a year you have to enroll for at least six College credits. you have to complete a federal financial aid form and if you want. Information about this program this dynamic important program that recognizes the contributions and the sacrifices of our essential workers go to our website. Essex dot EDU Essex E S E X dot EDU, and you can get all the information there and we can get you enrolled and summer session. One starts May 20, - six and summer session two starts July thirteenth. So if you're thinking, oh, I can't do it. It's not enough time you can do it. Look at me, you know my history and I did well in high school in New York City couldn't go to my College of Choice Columbia University for financial reasons 14 years, and I told you this story several times May 14 years is what it took for me to finish my undergraduate degree 14. So don't think that you can't do it. It doesn't matter where you are. We will meet you where you are. That's why we believe in students first so come toss. College dot EDU take advantage of programs like our tuition waiver program for our essential workers, but we have other programs We have workforce development programs and we believe in get a skill, get a job and get going Gthree get a skill and we will train you for a good paying jobs. And get going we have training programs in the health care areas from CNA to certified nursing assistant to phlebotomy patient care technician home health aid a whole litany of programs we have over 75 programs that Essex County College and so you know we're here to partner with our community a good friend of mine who lives in Maryland. A few minutes ago sent me a. A video clip of us of a powerful song by Bishop Paul S Morton. Don't do it without me we truly believe in partnering with our students so that they understand that we're there with them. so we're not gonna do it without you just come on Essex and we will help you get to that next level. do they have to do this? this is gonna be done online right. It's all the classes are online, but those are distancing. Everything is online, so we can help you get registered and get going so that you can continue with your education. get that credential man don't wait any longer. Let's get it done and move on and move up and so you know we know that there are opportunities out there and there's an opportunity that we're presenting to individuals to help our students. Many of our students have been negatively impacted because of the. Pandemic We started the the Student Emergency fund and if you can see it in your heart to make a donation, please do cuz it'll help our students get a good education. Essex dot EDU is the website mister Mayor. I don't wanna take much more of your time. There's so much that we could talk about but you know one Organization that I'm very familiar with and truly put a lot of. In is is focus on go to high school go to College if you're in high school don't think that this pandemic has stopped your dreams to go to College. We're here we will help you come to us and we'll get you prepared so that when you're ready for your bachelor's degree and beyond, you are in a solid footing and I'll just close out saying mister mayor you're the man you're strong leader. is what we need at this time during this crisis. we are here to partner with you as you navigate this very choppy waters. we're here to buckle our seat belts and buckle down and get the work done. We know that this pandemic has exposed many issues that have plagued our communities for many years and many generations from health, disparities and economic disparities. you name it, let's close the it. Educational disparities We have too many people in our community that do not have a College education. The more you learn the more you can earn and that's a College is the way to go. Thanks doctor Monro glad to have you on all the employees that are out there make under $60000.06 565. make sure you sign up to be a part of Essex County College. We need that to happen and I wanna thank doctor. You're doing a lot of things for coming on our show and talking to the residents here in the city of Newark. I wanna get to these numbers. I know a lot of folks you know they want to get right to it. I wanna get to these numbers so people know what's going on in the city. We got a few things to talk about first in Newark. we have I mean you can hang out with us If you want that. If you have to go, you know we don't wanna keep you gotta run gotta run but keep up the great work. We've got. thank you. alright and vote everybody get out there and vote. get your senses done a vote. less people is a whole. People vote people is a hopeless people get out there and vote please so we have 6460 - two positive cases yesterday we had 6430 positive cases which means that we have an increase of 32 increase of 32 cases in the city, 3030 - two which is you know not bad. We we still see those numbers go down. We want them to continue to go down. We have 520 deaths 520 yesterday, we have 511, which is an increase of nine increase of nine. We have to stay at this rate. This is I'm gonna talk about this, but we know we're not out of the Woods. We are not out of the Woods at all. I don't want you to start thinking that you know people telling you and doing all these things that we all do. We are not all good. That's County has 15970 - three positive cases ssss County has. Hundred deaths, New Jersey has a hundred and 40 - 1627 cases with 9708 days East Orange has 1699 cases a hundred and 62 deaths Irvington has 1230 cases with a hundred and 34 deaths and Orange has eight hundred and five cases with 62 deaths, and it's important for us to know that I want everybody today well tomorrow cuz it might be too late. I don't know go to the States. Website and pull up their Corbett 19 so you can see the state of New Jersey. I just want you to look at the state of New Jersey and in 19 and be able toh and be able to tell me what what does that say is happening in New Jersey as it relates to the 1140 - 1627 cases and 9708 deaths. We've got the New Jersey. 19 they have the same data dashboard. We have a data dashboard that they have a data dashboard. Look at it. Look at it. Look at it look at North Jersey versus South Jersey. Look at it be careful look at the counties that have the most cases look at the counties that have the most deaths look at the cities in those counties. look at all that stuff pay attention to what's going on and then you can understand the. And the dynamic that's happening in the state and what's happening in the country. Those maps look the same in the country has the same kind of feel right. So if you look at it carefully you'll see in northern New Jersey the predominance of cases in Bergen County, Essex County Hudson County and look at the city's in those counties. Newark is the largest city in the County and the largest city in the state and look at the deaths in Newark in comparison to the deaths around the state look at the positive. Hello folks that have contacted the virus in Newark versus those throughout the state right and and and and look at that. look look carefully at that right and and then weigh your decisions. I'm telling you this because there are a lot of things that are happening and they're happening very fast. weigh your decisions for your family and for yourself you don't wanna listen to the man. you don't believe what I'm saying. Look at those maps where your decisions today they opened up the beaches from. Day they opened up South Jersey the shore because those people are your towns that the economy that's how they make money. They want you to come in and visit the Beach. they have to practice social distance. they have to wear a mask. I don't know how in God's Green Earth. They're gonna practice social distance at Belmar Beach. I pray that they do. I just don't know how it's going to happen. What I am afraid of is that all of our happy folks and Newark are gonna get in it. And VN down to those beaches and come back with something that you did not leave with and bring it back to Newark. We're just beginning to start stabilizing numbers just started testing in and and high numbers just starting to do contact tracing. We just started now with this thing now chase this enemy out of our homes out of our neighborhoods out of our blocks chasing it out of our senior citizens homes chasing it out of our long-term health care facilities. Chasing it out of buses protecting our essential employees driving down from a hundred and 200 a week to to to 2030 4050 a week right we're going from people positive contract in the cases from average of a hundred and 50 to 200 cases to to average of 30 to 50 cases come on. We're in the fourth quarter here, we're down by 12 points. We have the ball do not give the ball. The other team and watch them drive the score back up. We were losing by 30. We got the score down to 10. We have a fourth quarter. There's about three or four minutes left on the clock. We have the ball do not give it away. do not give it away. Do not give it away. Do not give it away. That's what I'm telling you and I'm passionate about it because spent two months in our House. We spent two months social distance and most of us did not all of us. Some of us out here doing we wanted to do, but by the grace of God, the majority of the city held the line we stayed in the House. we were in our mask. We're practicing social Justice. We protecting our babies cuz now our children are getting our our our babies and I have a baby in my own House. We're protecting our babies seven months two months, A- four year-old girl in New Jersey who has died. We've been holding a lot we've been we're gonna be impatient standing in line at the hardware store at the supermarket. We've been taking it easy stores have been closing down there. There's small businesses in Newark who may not get a chance to open up. We've lost money and barbershops and beauty palace and nail salons and and and and law firms and and and medical professions And Spas, and all these faces that have shut down to save other people's lives. We can't risk all of the stuff that we did for nothing to watch these cases go back up to see the work we're doing. In vain and for now we are not in here in Newark and 07108 07012071040710310212. We do not have the luxury that they have in Ocean County. We do not have the luxury they have in Cape May County. We don't have the luxury of these people have we do not live in these open spaces. We don't have a Beach we could stroll on. We can't afford to be in a crowded group of people on the Beach and come home to out of. In a two bedroom apartment. We can't afford it do not go. I'm telling you this do not go It is not time for us to go to the Beach. just a couple of weeks ago, we were pulling dead bodies out of buildings. It's not time for us to go to the Beach Y'all. It's not time for us to party. It's not time for us. It is not time and I'm telling you to use your common sense. I can't make you not go to Beach. I can't override a state executive order. I'm telling you to use your common sense. I'm telling you to protect your own. That's what I'm telling you to do do not do it don't even go down and do the curbside stuff like don't do it don't do it. We're not ready to do it. We are not ready. the cases are going down, but we are not ready. We're not ready. We're not ready and people can say I'm being I'm being hard. it's a hard learner. A business is gonna go up all these things I don't care. They can say listen, I do not care. I'm not doing this for approval rating. I'm doing this because it saves peoples lives. My mother lived here. My family lives here. I have a baby in this community. My friends live here, My people that I grew up with living in this community. Listen. We're not ready. We're not ready not in North not in the predominantly black and Brown city full of immigrants. We don't we we. We're not ready Y'all. It's too many of us. We can't open pools. I was on a call. They're gonna put partitions in the pool so kids can swim separate from one another. Can you imagine us doing that Lyons Avenue. What about the rotunda or JFK come on y'all? We get tens of dozens and dozens of kids that come to the swim, not 1011 to not Milburn. This is new and I'm not saying that in a negative way, I'm saying that, in fact you in a matter of fact in a pragmatic way, I'm telling you we have to be serious and be thoughtful and careful about how we do this. There's certain threats right we have to figure out. is it possible to practice social distance in this place. Is it possible to have social distance and it is it even plausible to have it is it designed to structurally set up so social distancing is real. Can we win Mass at these places? and if we missed Mass, we'll help us well everyone we're a mess. What is the probability that you will get sick at these places? That's what you have to think before you open up and before you go to these places right, we're gonna color code some stuff. We do I open it up. We're gonna color code a few things if you see a Red circle at some places, it's gonna say highly contagious in this area. Don't go Jello medium level threat Green open right so you can use your common sense about where you're going and what you're doing right so you can make a decision on your own about what's good for your family and your community and your life. Yeah, you're gonna be hot. It's gonna be 80 degrees. Yeah. it's gonna be 85. Degrees or some we might even get to 90 degrees. That's how we're being tested. It's gonna be 90 degrees like a fiery furnace. It's gonna be 90 degrees and you're gonna take your butt and your family and your friends. y'all gonna go hang out or on the boardwalk or Woodbridge and you're gonna come back with something you didn't leave with. It is not time to go. I love all of those people down there man and it's not a political statement. Listen. I'm saying this for the care of the people in our community and I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just giving you the evidence and the facts. I tell you the numbers all the time so you can make a decision. let's go with the zip code. Let's let's let's go over to the zip codes 0710 230 cases 07103 742 cases 07104 1260 cases. Do you know we have more cases in one part of our There's some cities have all together. Also 7105 974 07106 663 - o - 71, - o - seven 1038 07108 537 0712 512 0714 250 - eight That's 0710220 - 507103906071041070710530 - 407106603. One - o - 712 is 40 - seven right 0714 is 21. now go look at the state data dashboard look at our numbers and see in some parts of our city. Our numbers are higher than the entire cities all together. That's why they're so cavalier about it and they put pressure on the government to put pressure on folks to do things right that that's gonna affect our lives. so it be as pressure and we as the government in the entire state he he's not. As the governor of Newark, he's the governor of all of the counties of Ocean County of Somerset County of Bergen County of Essex County of Hudson County. He's the governor of the whole state, but I am the mayor of this city of this one. so the decisions I make have to take into consideration the people in my city right so he has to govern everybody. I get it and and and I sympathize for me because it's on these are rough and tough and serious decisions that people make a lot of people on the sidelines who Monday morning quarterback and say this and say that. This should have been done that should have been done and he should have done this earlier. You should've did that Monday morning quarterbacking, but we'll never be able to take the pressure that he has to take right now. Certainly I know for a fact I know for a fact because I have to live it every single day they won't be able to take the pressure the criticism the sleepless nights to try to figure out what he's doing is the right thing to do right So. so while he makes a decision for the state, I'm gonna make a decision for the city and you better make a decision for your family. Hey. Do you understand what I'm telling you he made decisions for the state. I'm gonna make one for the city and you better make one for your family. You make a decision for your family. What's right and what's good for your family and if you know if you're only concerned about yourself and maybe you don't have anything to worry about. But if there are other people you're concerned about then you do you have a lot of to be concerned about what to be worried about. That's for sure please we're still doing testing apologize for my rent y'all I needed to get that off my chest we. Doing testing nine AM to three PM, we still testing we're testing out the branch Brook Park skating rink. Still there 97398 eight 51, but we're still we're testing at the CityPlex of Begay Springfield and we tested that 150 - five Mount Pleasant Avenue right now, we're gonna be testing out tested putting up new testing sites probably next week so stay on the look out for those to call for CityPlex in Mount Pleasant is eight 62570. 18 eight 62570718, 18 four WWW dot Sunrise Diagnostic Lab dot com. That's one word Sunrise Diagnostic lab is what we're WWW dot Sunrise Diagnostic Lab dot com. You can register for the test there and set up an appointment and please if you set up an appointment go because they're only testing a certain amount of people per day. So when you sign up and you do not go, you are a. Inhibiting somebody else who really needs to go from going there don't do that if you have something to do that day. This is not frivolous. This is serious and don't be scared to test. Don't listen to these people man. They are people. I tell you there are people who are getting there's a bunch of money coming into these communities. When things happen like this, These are the special interest group. There's this folks that are spending money and they they put on the payroll local people even local elected officials and I'm telling you they are local elected officials who get on the payroll to push concepts ideas and. And you think they're doing it because they believe in it, they're doing it because it's a part of their payment or they might believe in it and they get the bonus to get paid for it because they believe in it. At the same time, people are telling our seniors that they should not be tested. That's Unreal do not be afraid to get tested and the testing works if the test say you're positive, socially Quaran like guaranteeing yourself socially distance. That's that's what it says if if it says it's possible if it says it's negative. You're not sure try to get tested again. But if I say you're positive, you better believe that you're positive and act like you're positive. Do not listen to the. People who are telling you don't get tested the only way we can fight this thing is if we know where it is and part of knowing where it is is the ability to get tested tested go get tested. They they can't make you move from your. It's a senior, you say, are they gonna remove or they forced us out of the House. If we get tested that is not facts. That's a lie. No one can make you move from anywhere to go anywhere right and even if you're building is not quarantine in you properly the city may advise you to go that we have another place for you to quarantine, but we can't force you to do that. Hey. When you take a test, if you're positive, you quarantine where you live at right You quantity where you live at our issue is we don't want you to quarantine in a place where there's no way to quarantine and you get everybody else set. We want you to be able to go somewhere and quarantine, but that is not mandatory. We can't make you do that. We need you to go get tested. contact Tracy is a part of testing when you get tested like with the HIV and Aids epidemic right, the only reason that we've been able to stabilize and get a handle on HIV Aids. It's because people began to get tested the stigma of testing was pulled away. The stigma of testing was pulled. So we began to get tested and tested became more frequent and easier. so we gotta handle on it. right. We got a handle on it right. It's the only way and so this is the same thing with Corona virus you have to go get tested. you have to go get tested. go get tested. Don't be afraid of that right. I got tested. Right-I got tested why because there are people around me who were who tested positive. so I had to go get tested and I got tested that we part in the drive thru with the nasal a thing. My nose right-I got tested right there so and at the end of the day, go get yourself tested. Go get tested right don't believe that in contact racist. don't have your personal information don't even know your home address they get information from a medical or a disease investigator that tells them these are the four people you have to contact because they were in contact with somebody that was positive. They call those people and say hello mister Baraka. You are around somebody that was in fact, tested positive for covid-. 19. You have to quarantine yourself or you should probably go get tested. That's what they tell you. it's solid information you need to know it we need. The socially Dist to yourself until you figure out if you're positive or not why because we don't want you walking around the Street infecting other people. It's simple. There's there's stuff going around. Let's tell the people what they shouldn't wear a mask just Unreal you coffee like this, you cover your mouth When you sneeze you cover your face or or cover like this right. When you sneeze, you don't want people to get sick right and and if you what's the best way to to cover your do like this a cover your season and they tell you not to sneeze in your head the sneeze like this, but what's the best way to do? Have something over your face so you don't have to do all this that happens automatically when you talk particles come out of your mouth and get on people. we need something covering your face so the mask is not for you. The mask is for other people wear your mask and if you see people without you should encourage them to wear a mask and we are giving out Mass for free. We're giving out for free understand that right, we're still doing a rental assistance. go to. Northcott 19 dot com. Covid- 19 dot com. Fill out application for up to a thousand dollars in grants for rental assistance, obviously that the qualify for it but fill out the application Norine dot com and don't call don't fill it out. If you don't need it don't fill it out if you don't need it do it Covid- 19 dot com right support Brittany Timberlake bill so we can extend our rent payments extend our mortgage payments support that and and don't forget. Still live in metabolism, folks, you still have to pay your rent at some point. They're not telling you don't have to pay rent and they're not telling you don't have to pay mortgage. all they do is draw in over a period of time is suspending it for now and let you pay it over a period of time. Do not think that you don't have to pay. I don't wanna put you in a jam where you believe you don't have to pay at all and then you stuck so I need you to understand where we are and you still are gonna be responsible for your rent. You're still gonna be responsible for your mortgage and you're still at some point of responsible for your taxes. That it is serious right now. all we're doing is suspending it and let me give you opportunities to pay and the bill is not passed yet at the state side, so we need to support that bill. So what happens I just wanna give you the 100 percent facts and truth, so you're not thrown off by what in fact is taking place and is happening in our city. I want you to be smart. I want you to have the information. I want you to take the data right and I want you to make a decision for your family. Look the cases are going down. Yes we it''s. Drops and deaths in the city of New York. Yes, we've seen a significant drop in positive cases every day. Yes, we say significant drops of people crying out to hospitals. Yes, we see significant drops in those things in fact, the homeless the folks that we have tested in the homeless community, most of them the overwhelming majority of them coming back positive. I mean coming back negative excuse me. I'm coming back negative. They do not have the Corona virus right, so we do. there's a lot of there's a lot of people. From it, yes and yes again, and this only happen because we did what we supposed to do for two months. We are not ready to run outside and create mayhem so that everything we did can be reversed. We don't need that we have to be thoughtful. We have to be careful. We have to take our time. We have to do this the right way and I'm urging you in fact, I'm begging you to use your common sense and don't listen to all of people. that are telling you things that make no sense. use your own. Listen ask questions. Check out the website so people keep asking me about HR 66. Look you don't have to ask me Google it go get the legislation read the entire legislation for yourself see if it says take people out of your House see if it says all the stuff they put on the Internet. It doesn't say any of those things none of them. read it. read it. and there's some things about the legislation. I don't agree with and I don't support. but at the end of the day, it doesn't say those crazy things. That people are putting on the Internet trying to scare scare you to death to make you do things that are gonna be detrimental to your own life. that's for sure we still giving out food so make sure you put your information up here and information people need for. We deliver it on Wednesdays. We deliver it yesterday. we're gonna deliver some more next week. so put your information up. We're gonna contact you and we're gonna continue to give out the food continue to do the senses WWW dot 20 - 20 Sisters dot com We still behind on. Since Y'all we're way behind on citizenss as a matter of fact, I just wanna do a couple of shout outs. I read this is this poem is live. You gotta stay on and listen to this poem. I Amy. Thank you for leading the babies man. Thank you for bringing them up in a way that they should go 118 1990 - Three. thank you brother sanitation Department. I've seen a disturbing video of one of our sanitation workers knocking down Bottles or something like that that person was suspended, but at the end of the day, those are not please do not take that as all of our sanitation workers. most of those folks out here getting sick, breaking their neck working hard cleaning out doing what they're supposed to do. once they recover. They come back to work. They are here working hard. I was sanitation, I DPW workers are doing a great and awesome job under the conditions that they have. We love them. We support them and we want them to continue to work and people who do things like that are outliers and they're gonna be disciplined in this city if they if they go out and behave the way they behave and the same thing with our public. You folks right-I public safety officials have been working hard doing this pandemic. We have not been doing the things that you see all over the country. We've been as a matter of fact the complaints in our in our police Department are down at all time low, right almost 80 percent less than a place where right we do so they have been working hard and training hard. I've been been following the we doing what they possibly can, but obviously they're gonna be a few people who do things that they should not do right so the gentleman who. Did whatever he thought that you should do in that condition and that situation right was was was removed temporarily taking off the Street. There's a full investigation going on right now, The prosecutor office has the investigation invested the city fans have the best investigations going on right now so we we I will report to you what happens at the end of that investigation. Trust me you know you know that we're not gonna just allow anything to happen in our city all. US have to have the discipline to control our behavior our temples in this very volatile time. we're doing in the community. we have we shouldn't be disrespectful, loud and crazy and be all out in the Street and police officers have to treat us with respect and care as human beings and and and and and and and and not take things as a Street fight right so that that that there are things that we have to do right and and we need to do that so shout out to crab for essential Thursdays shout out to hockey. Fitness shout out to who's still doing scholarships in the Middle of a pandemic. This poem is called who I am. I'm only gonna Xs from. It's from one of the great. A great poet named Sandra Mariah Stas. She's one of the new Eureka poets, one of the legends of the new rials Toya Mariam. I'm not gonna be the whole poem because it's a long and I've already been over my time on this thing. I am sondra child of Lolita, Juli and Clemente I am blu's Germans Madina Demun Camila, my words fly to the air to land in your ear, a magician with a paintbrush of sound and transform great realities into life. So I move here, I said our madha alam muos ammi demas I don't miss manos to Doss so in the vitas so for me. Pueblo I'm free spirit and choose the path I travel, but I Reserve the right to change my mind at any moment to keep the trees alive. my day-I spinning and reading with clean water for all. I am worried for what I believe in who I love protect my House with love and feel the kitchen with bounty and abundance, both serve and command the divine being within goddess mother nurturer been taught and Poe kt. Our business means better. so I'm the River. The never stop the never. Flowing right through the wind on a broomstick stallion inherited from my ancestors, I am the tree that stands firm in the flood holding Holy God against the soil. I am sondra now anyone else says. But who I say I am my roots are ancient temples carved The mountain peaks. I am nurtured by the divine Wisdom of planets daily weather random phone calls from the spirit, realm arriving and the speed of light, Lolita told us the meaning of sacrifice for what we believe she told us like Gandhi how to stand up and. The world's attention and defensive Just cause I am sondra of Julio and Clemente, who gave me their voices to find my own with the power of words, which matched the being who lives in me. Love is like the real the Grand of Louisa wide and strong sweet and clear I give thanks to those who paved the road and to those who support my path where there are always new lessons to be learned. I am sondra now tell me who are you to Maria Estes New-york Rico poet Y'all. God bless guys I'm out.