Special Commentary from Dr. James C. McIntosh, M.D. 

On the Black United Fund Tragedy

“Black United FUN!
Spitzer Gentrified Black Charity's Landmark Headquarters Turns Into A Yuppy Buppy Bar"

By James C. McIntosh, M.D.

The building at 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard is now a Bar called “Shrine.”  This same building that was once the stylish landmark headquarters of Harlem’s largest Black charity, Black United Fund,   is now the haunt of thoroughly gentrified Blacks and bored young whites out for a good time or a night of adventure..  The sign on the front of the building that used to read Black United Fund Plaza God Gets The Glory,” now reads "Black United Fun Plaza. God Gets The Glory." (A picture of the sign is the tongue in cheek centerpiece of Shrine's website and can be seen at http://www.shrinenyc.com/directions.html). The sign, the name and location of the bar all seem to mock the events which have led to this shrine to Black Dis-empowerment. How did all this happen, when in 2003, Eliot Spitzer the man who was the New York State Attorney General and  now sits as governor, promised that he was appointing a new board of directors  of Black United Fund to  "breath new life into BUFNY and help shepherd its finances?." 

This is how!  Real estate records reveal that in October of 2005 a little more than Two years after Spitzer ripped the charity from the control of its founder, Kermit Eady and  made his pledge of breathing "new life into BUFNY,"  the BUFNY HQ building  was  sold  right under the noses of a sleeping Black electorate for 3,435,854.00,  by an entity called BUFNY Houses Associates. The property was transferred via a Grant deed   to an entity called 2273 Realty LLC.  The mailing address of the owner was listed as 1987 7th Avenue. Records show that address is owned by Neighborhood Partnership Housing Development Fund Company with a mailing address of 80 5th Avenue. Records also show that The Neighborhood Partnership Housing Development Fund Company  has over the last few years been involved in over three hundred landlord tenant cases most of them eviction cases. Breathe new life? Partnership? Housing Development? Confused?  Don’t be. The answer lies in the wisdom of our ancestors.

The late Black psychologist, Amos Wilson, taught that in a system of white supremacy,   in order to find out an entity's purpose and meaning, simply reverse the name of the entity. The system responsible for mis-educating Black children is called the Education System, the system responsible for inflicting injustice on Black people is called the Justice System, etc . Likewise, under Governor Spitzer’s reorganization of Black United Fund of New York (BUFNY), William E. (Bill) Davis" a former Commissioner of Landmark Preservation, was appointed to BUFNY's Board of Directors.   Armed with this wisdom of Amos Wilson it should have been easy to figure out what Landmark Preservation would mean for Black United Fund.   If politicians and community residents were confused at the time, things should be clear in 2007 when the following facts are reviewed...

1. In 2003, Black United Fund was the largest charity in Harlem and was chaired by its founder Kermit Eady. It was involved in 40 million dollars of development, operated 400 units of affordable housing for Black folks as well as a radio station, two ATM machines and two technical centers with services similar to Kinko’s.

2. In 2007, both Black United Fund Technical Centers are closed.

3. In 2007, the radio broadcasting station purchased by BUFNY is now dismantled and silent

4.  In 2007, the two ATM machines operated by BUFNY are gone.

5. In 2007, the stylish landmark headquarters building of Black United Fund that was on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard Is Now a Bar.

6. As of the time of the publication of this article, there has been no mention by Spitzer or any of the Harlem Politicians to the public of what happened to that 3.4 million dollars that exchanged hands in the sale of the 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard Building.

7. Kermit Eady, the man who founded the Black United Fund of New York,  is out in the cold discharged without a dime of severance pay, never charged or convicted of anything yet never even permitted to return to the headquarters to retrieve priceless possessions saved over 25 years of his stewardship.

All this makes sense only if one applies Wilson's principle to the entire original statement of Eliot Spitzer's announcement of his takeover of Black United Fund.  Said Spitzer, "Our goal here is to help BUFNY flourish. The interim board -- comprising talented individuals with proven records of service -- will breathe new life into BUFNY, and help shepherd its finances and programs." Applying Wilson's principle, it is clear to see that Spitzer's word life means death, flourish means perish and shepherd means fleece or rip off.