My own list of kudos and sham( e)
Like most people, I have my own personal list of people and organizations that I believe do genuinely good things to help people and their communities.
And, if you are like me, you also have a list of people and organizations that are really a sham in the sense that they talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk — and that makes it or them a sham( e).
As we head into the winter months of this presidential election year, there will be plenty of time to write about the myriad issues we will face as a nation going forward.
So, for whatever it’s worth, I am going to take this opportunity to hand out my own list of kudos and sham( e) to the deserving.
Here we go.
Kudos
ShopRite Milford: Kudos to Harry Garafalo and the staff of ShopRite Milford for taking steps to make the shopping experience better for all people.
I met with Garafalo following an incident at the self- checkout lane in his store where I felt I had been discriminated against due to the color of my skin.
Garafalo promised me he would take steps to ensure it would not happen again.
And apparently, he is true to his word.
It is my understanding that during the last two weeks, all employees of
Shop Rites owned by Garafalo, including management, have undergone hours of extensive sensitivity training.
That was good to hear. Bad things will happen but it doesn’t do any good if nothing is done to correct them.
So, let’s give credit where credit is due.
Community gardens: Kudos to Eliza Caldwell of Gather New Haven and Alexander Morales of the Green Village Initiative in Bridgeport.
Between the two, they have a hand in operating 62 gardens.
Eating healthfully isn’t cheap, no matter what dietitians, nutritionists and other proponents of healthful eating say. You only need to peruse the prices at supermarkets to know that fruits and veggies take a huge bite out of the food budget.
And that is where community gardens pick up the slack for low- income people by not only providing lowcost fruits and vegetables but teaching people how to grow their own and eat healthfully.
As Alex pointed out on my podcast, “who would have thought there was a farm in Bridgeport?”
Yale doctors: Kudos ( for the moment) to the group of infectious disease doctors at Yale University’s School of Medicine who are part of an invigorated effort by the medical community to break down the mistrust between them and Black and brown communities.
This effort is just beginning so time will tell whether it will stay on track or become another sham( e).
I think it is safe to say, when the bodies and minds of all Americans are healthy, America is much stronger and more united.
October is the month that highlights two important issues that primarily affect women: domestic violence and breast cancer.
And as we leave October behind us, let’s not forget the groups who are supportive of women in their time of need.
Linda White- Epps: Kudos to the late founder of the New Haven- based breast cancer survivor group “Sister’s Journey,” and the women who continue her work.
Sister’s Journey is a faithbased support group dedicated to helping Black women overcome the obstacles along with the reality of being diagnosed with breast cancer.
As breast cancer survivor Lolita Bonilla Brooks of Stratford told listeners of my podcast, “they were there at the right time. They lifted me up.”
Let’s hope they keep going strong.
Move Inc.: Kudos to West Haven resident Corrinna Martin, who founded “Mothers of Victim Equality,” a nonprofit to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Two of Martin’s daughters and a granddaughter were murdered in domestic violence incidents.
I talked with her after she spoke at a virtual event held by the National Association of Colored Women.
As she told listeners of my podcast, “we must build a staircase as a way of lifting them ( victims) up.”
And speaking of staircases that provide a leg up, there are people and organizations that purport to be doing this but fall woefully short. They deserve the sham( e).
Nursing homes: I am not going to regurgitate my disgust of nursing homes, but as I wrote in a previous column, nursing homes have been a horror show for seniors in 2020.
Hopefully, there will be more assistance for senior citizens like the Connecticut Adult Family Living program, which gives seniors a choice to stay home and be cared for by a family member or loved one
Men: What a sham( e) men have become.
While many will don pink in an explosion of support for breast cancer, I don’t see a sea of purple flooding the streets to support women against domestic violence.
More men must rise up and take a stronger, more united and visible stand against this sickness.
I keep wondering, where are all the brothers, male cousins, uncles and male friends of the women who are being beaten and killed every day from domestic violence? Your voice is needed.
Debates: What a sham( e) the televised 3rd District debate turned out to be — at least to me.
The whole debate was a farce. There wasn’t a single idea from any of the candidates that wasn’t generated from the campaign book of rehashed mumbo jumbo of the last 100 years.
I didn’t need to hear Rosa DeLauro tell me “one more time” that she is the daughter of immigrants who realized the American dream; I didn’t need to hear a doctor tell me the rich need to pay more; and I certainly didn’t need a landlord who allegedly made millions off others to tell me we need to work together.
Robots are replacing jobs; maybe they should replace politicians. I think it’s pretty clear that they’re already preprogrammed.
And there you have it folks; my first Kudos and Sham( e) list.
I have plenty more that I could have added to either category — and I know come Sunday morning I am going to smack my forehead about someone or some organization that should have been on my first list.
And I am sure readers could flood my email with their own lists of worthy mentions that fit into either one of these categories.
And they should feel free to do so.
But whoever or whatever they are, every now and then, we should take the time to hand them kudos for making life better for people.
Because we know without them, what we’re left with too many times is a sham( e).
James Walker is the host of the podcast, Real talk, Real people. Listen at https://anchor.fm/real-talk-real-people. He can be reached at 203- 605- 1859 or at realtalkrealpeoplect@gmail.com. @thelieonroars on Twitter