Griot Man, Alhassan Susso: 2018 New York State Teacher of the Year
Written by Herbert Norat / Photos by Herbert Norat
Observed on the cover page of the Inspiring Teens’ Futures Program Book
“Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills.” Jim Rohn
In the poorest congressional district in the United States, Alhassan Susso urgently arrives at work before school begins and leads zero period, or, the Inspiring Teens’ Futures program. Alhassan teaches his students about leadership, professionalism, and communication skills. But, it’s Alhassan’s mastery of communication that allows him to clearly connect with his pupils: “The more you learn and understand the world, the better you can see.” he says. Mr. Susso, who is legally blind and has lived with 20/80 vision in one eye for most of his life due to retinitis pigmentation (a rare disease that blinds by working its way from the periphery to the eye’s center), doesn’t let any obstacle stand in his way. Alhassan wakes up at 4:00 am every morning to travel four hours to and from work in the South Bronx. Alhassan’s relentless commitment to his students has been formed by personal hardship, tragedy and, most importantly, perseverance.
As the son of one of Gambia’s most renowned Griots, Alhaji “Papa” Susso of the Mandinka tribe, Alhassan knows the importance of communication, more specifically, the power of storytelling. “Griots have a long history dating back to the Mali Empire during the 13th Century. They were important to leaders as they helped them maintain power” says Alhassan. The Griot storyteller is responsible for preserving and orating the stories of West African families in order to keep the culture and traditions of their people alive. As a history teacher Alhassan helps his students better understand where they are in their own particular stories and how to create a vision for what they want in life. Mr. Susso often guides his class in creating Dream Boards (paper boards featuring magazine and print out clippings pasted onto them) to illustrate what students want to achieve and how to begin developing their goals and accomplishing them. This “show and tell” subtly allows Alhassan to teach his students the ways of the Griot, a reality they may not even be aware of.
“The future belongs to those with a clear sense of direction.”
At Bronx International High School all of the students are immigrants, like Alhassan once was, newly arrived and unsure of their new environment. To be admitted into the school, students must not have lived more than four years in the United States, and with sparse parental involvement in their daily lives (as many of them work multiple minimum wage jobs), assimilation can be tough. On a recent class trip to Philadelphia funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Alhassan’s students were able to bond and develop camaraderie. “The trip really serves as the culmination of the things we learned in class,” says Alhassan “they become much closer than ever before and over the weekend they shared personal struggles and realized they’re in this together.”
When Alhassan arrived in America from Gambia at the age of sixteen, he enrolled at Poughkeepsie High School. It was there, under the tutelage of Alhassan’s favorite teacher, Ms. Felter, that the young man developed the skills that have propelled him to write a memoir, obtain a masters degree in education, and become the 2018 New York State Teacher of the Year. Among other things, Ms. Felter laid the groundwork for the Inspiring Teens’ Futures program by helping Alhassan find shelter when he was homeless and welcoming him to Poughkeepsie High with open arms. Ms. Felter‘s warmth and dedication to her students is visible to this day in Mr. Susso’s teaching methodology, as her practices of allowing students to keep their coats securely stowed away in her classroom and meeting with students before and after class to have one on one conversations, are some of the things that Mr. Susso often does. Ms. Felter’s belief in treating her students with respect and dignity allowed Alhassan to embrace his importance as an individual. Alhassan relates one of his favorite quotes to his favorite teacher “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants, well, my giant was Ms. Felter.”
In 2008, Alhassan and his family fought to bring his sister, Binta, to the United States after she had contracted Hepatitis B, to properly treat her disease. Two conditions needed to be met in order for Binta to receive a visa to travel to the United States. First, a doctor and a hospital would need to be pre-arranged for Binta’s treatment upon her arrival in America. Secondly, proof of $25,000 for Binta’s treatment would need to be raised and presented to the American embassy in Gambia. Alhassan was able to arrange both requirements. Bronx Lebanon Hospital would host Binta and Dr. Umana (another Gambian in Alhassan’s journey) would treat her. The money for Binta’s treatment was lent to Alhassan by his boss Mark, the owner of the Stop and Shop where he bagged groceries at. After a seemingly well interview, Binta returned home enthusiastic about the impending visa she would be granted, but she never received the visa and to this day Alhassan doesn’t know why. “We provided everything that they had asked for and Dr. Umana even had a connection with the visa counselor. But they denied it.” says Alhassan.
After an ensuing four month legal battle Alhassan received a phone call, while eating a slice of pizza, that changed his life forever. On November 21, 2008 at 7:33 pm (around 1:00 am in Gambia), Alhassan’s father phoned him and simply stated “Your sister is gone.” Alhassan fainted. When he woke and got his bearings Alhassan called his grandmother, Aminata, who lived in Gambia who consoled him and tried to make him feel better. “You’ve done everything that you could for your sister,” said Aminata “now it’s time to move on.” But three hours later Alhassan received another phone call, once again it was his father, this time he said “Your grandmother is gone.” Aminata Susso died of a heart attack. In the Muslim tradition of his people Alhassan flew to his homeland the following day, buried his sister at 10:00 am, and his grandmother at 3:00 pm. Today they rest side by side in Gambia.
The passing of Alhassan’s grandmother and sister are two of the events that have motivated him to help his students reach out and try to grasp the American dream, something that Binta was desperately trying to do. What gives Alhassan the greatest satisfaction as a teacher is the sight of his students on graduation day. “To see where they started, their daily progress, and where they are going brings me most joy.” says Alhassan. Whether it’s waking up early to attend Mr. Susso’s program or reading Victor Frankl’s, Man’s Search for Meaning in class, students are taught to never give up and to continue striving to obtain their dreams. Alhassan notes “Teens think their problems are cumbersome, but when they read about someone like Victor Frankl finding meaning in Auschwitz, they realize there is no problem they cannot solve.”
The foreseeable future looks bright for Alhassan and the students of Bronx International High. A trip to Massachusetts is being planned for the spring and Mr. Susso’s popularity has already attracted Department of Education officials to observe the Inspiring Teens’ Futures program for other schools. After all, the school’s graduation rate shot up from 31% to over 80% since Alhassan arrived at Bronx International High. But in the meantime, the 2018 New York State teacher of the year is able to help his students remember where they came from, who they are and focus on where they want to go. Day by day, during every 8:00 am zero period, a Griot in the South Bronx helps his students tell their own stories.
Baby It’s Cold Outside!: The Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop Up
Written by Jeannie Smith / Photos by Jeannie Smith
Although the summer season has ended, luckily, colder weather brings with it the winter edition of the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-Up at the New York Botanical Garden from 7–10:30 p.m. on select evenings. Patrons can experience this Bronx summer hit on a smaller (yet colder!) scale in the Leon Levy Visitor Center featuring a rotating seasonal selection of the market’s food favorites such as NextStopVegan, Empanology, and City Tamale.
The holiday pop-up coincides with Bar Car Nights at NYBG, a 21-and-over exclusive in which the garden grounds transforms into a wintry landscape and an after-dark viewing of the Holiday Train Show® as the evening highlight (an experience worth experiencing!). Throughout the garden, performers such as carolers and hula hoop dancers provide holiday entertainment along the various garden routes, adding to the night’s festive offerings. Fire pits are lit to warm the frigid, but the beauty of the evening in all its enchantment is warming enough. Below are select vendor highlights from my visit on November 17th 2018:
There are burgers and then there are BURGERS! This was definitely the latter!
The BX Burger Co. is a Bronx-based burger company aimed at “having The Bronx’s very own Burger company” intended to “contribute to its development by employing people that live here.” At the night market, patrons could select between their Caramelized Onion burger or Jalapeño and Cheese Infused burger. I ordered the caramelized onion burger and to be perfectly honest, I don’t remember eating it, let alone breathing while shoving my burger in my face!
Currently, BX Burger Co. can be found at pop up events around the Bronx as they move towards their long term goal to acquire a food truck and eventually into their own brick and mortar. To support their efforts, visit their fundraiser page on gofundme.com, but in the meantime, be sure to stop by their booth at the the market. And don’t forget to breathe!
Sweet Potato Cupcake from the Uptown Vegan Sweets and Treats
Since undergrad, I have been a fan of all things vegan sweets. I mean, what could be more healthy for you than vegan carrot cake? It has CARROT IN THE NAME!!
Uptown Vegan Sweet and Treats was founded by Bronx native, Drea, who learned to bake from her grandmothers. According to Drea on her website, “If you ask her the secret ingredient to making her cakes and cookies sooo delicious, you'll get a one word response: Love.”...that’s cool, Drea, but if you told cyanide, I’m quite sure I still would have bought the four sweet potato cupcakes I purchased without hesitation.
If you were out and about during the Bronx Night Market during the summer, than I’m quite sure you would have remembered seeing Uptown Vegan with their pink table cloth, and a line winding as far back towards the DJ booth. I can’t predict what the lines may be for this winter season, but in any case, I highly recommend braving the elements to get your dose of sweet potato goodness.
Barbeque on a STICK
I’m kicking myself, even as I write about this: Barbeque on a Stick was the ONLY vendor I did not sample (if you misread above, I was busy CHOKING on caramelized onions and burger buns and drooling over vegan cupcakes. Cut me SOME slack!). Barbeque on a Stick is a homestyle Filipino barbeque catering company based in Queens, NY that prides themselves on preparing flavorful meals from fresh ingredients from local vendors: “We love to support our surrounding community by purchasing our ingredients from local vendors. Everything on the menu comes directly from the farm, to the table in front of you.”
Though not from the Bronx, the inclusion of Barbeque on a Stick rounded out the night’s menu options, a diverse palette of flavor for one to enjoy. As the line was long, I safely presume that the food was good, if one can use the length of a line as a measure of foodie goodness. Before the year is out, I will have their food (it is too late for 2018 resolutions?). But I charge you all to get in on what they’re serving!
As I wrote in my coverage for the Bronx Night Market this summer, the market doesn’t showcase all the diversity of food culture in the Bronx. To their credit, the space is tight, I can’t blame them. However, I encourage everyone to check the NYBG Box Car Night’s webpage for the vendor line-up throughout the remainder of the season. And come bundled up!
To learn more about Bronx Night Market, check out their website here. You can also follow their Instagram account for the latest updates
To learn more about Box Car Night’s at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, be sure to visit their website.
Remaining dates:
December 2018: 15, 21, 22, 28, & 29
January 2019: 5 & 12
Next Stop Vegan: Making Health the First Stop in the Bronx!
Written by Jeannie Smith / Photos by Dondre Green + Jeannie Smith
“I’m vegan TONIGHT!” I declared after taking a bite of my vegan chimiburger, NextStopVegan’s popular dish, a spin on the Dominican style burger.
“I can get jiggy with it,” my colleague, Dondre agreed after his bite of approval.
I’ve toyed with the idea of being a vegan, but I will admit that my love affair with cheese is hard to break away from (especially goat cheese!). Apparently, for Blenlly, co-owner of this Bronx-based vegan meal prep/food delivery service, I’m not the only one with “cheese deep” excuses to not fully commit. When new clients attempt to justify why they’re signing up, Blenlly quickly reminds them that this is not a transition process as much as the first step towards many health decisions.
“I tell them, ‘Don’t commit 100%! It’s okay! We’re not trying to transition you fully.’ But we do appreciate the steps [one] takes towards that, or, at least to be more conscious when [they] go out. A lot of times we hear people say, ‘Hey, thank you so much for this experience. I’m a lot more conscious when I go out’, or, ‘I realize when I cook at home, I’m a lot more creative.’ I don’t mind it because we give them a new perspective on food and veganism.”
“Of course when you’re a Domincan/Latino, you want to add the garlic and you want to add the sofrito, and the peppers, and I’m like, ‘This is too much work!’ I don’t like preparing it. So I used to be like, ‘garlic salt, garlic powder, powder everything’”, Blenlly laughed, until one day her mother snapped: ‘No no no! You need the fresh things! You need to peel the garlic! Chop it up! And smash it!’”
Unlike most ideas to start a restaurant or food business, NextStopVegan wasn’t born inside of a kitchen, at least one that was stateside. Thousands of miles away from the Bronx in South Korea, the beginnings of NextStopVegan started with Blenlly, who was an English teacher at the time, wanting to share vegan versions of Dominican style cuisine with her fellow colleagues and expats. At potlucks and food gatherings, Blenlly’s vegan appetizers and desserts were a total hit, being that Latin cuisine was such a rarity, to the point where her first client begged her to cook all of their meals for them until Blenlly left.
“The New Yorker in me was like, yeah, I can hustle here,” Blenlly laughed.
Towards the end of her tenure in South Korea, Blenlly had three clients, but the idea of starting a business back home didn’t fully stick until Ana, her sister, challenged her to meal prep and cook her meals. At the time, Ana was experiencing health issues and complications which Blenlly strongly believed a plant based diet would help alleviate. After being “hired” by her sister, Blenlly found new clients in two of her other aunts.
The stateside beginnings of NextStopVegan, Blenlly recalled, were rather exhausting. “I started shopping, and spending my money on groceries and would come back to my mom’s house to cook and prep.” Her mother was anything but convinced, seeing Blenlly’s latest endeavor as another “phase she’ll find herself out of.” She started cooking for her sister and her aunts at 1pm on a Saturday and was up until 6am the next morning still cooking her commissioned 15 meals. Yet, in seeing her daughter being committed and passionate about this, Blenlly’s mother was the first employee recruited to NextStopVegan. Ana later came on as co-owner to oversee the cooking, who jokingly judged Blenlly’s cooking as “bland” and “basic.”
“Of course when you’re a Domincan/Latino, you want to add the garlic and you want to add the sofrito, and the peppers, and I’m like, ‘This is too much work!’ I don’t like preparing it. So I used to be like, ‘garlic salt, garlic powder, powder everything’”, Blenlly laughed, until one day her mother snapped: “No no no! You need the fresh things! You need to peel the garlic! Chop it up! And smash it!”
Investing more into the prepping process for her prepped meals, Blenlly and NextStopVegan found further success after featuring their vegan sancocho on their Instagram account, which later brought in their first non-family client. “When you have a stranger sign up and they are willing to pay, you’re officially a business,” Blenlly teased.
The success of NextStopVegan not only lies in the amazing food that comes out of their kitchen, the location of a former Chinese restaurant which currently operates as their prep space, but the philosophy and business logic of starting as a meal prep/delivery service. Blenlly, to her and her team’s credit, are also helping to redefine the food business as a whole in the Bronx. When asked about the decision to start a meal prep business over a stand alone restaurant, Blenlly quickly noted that the importance to a successful business is in presenting opportunities for customers, new and old, to get to know you and become loyal to you, particularly when you are challenging the notion of “healthy food” or vegan food “with a Dominican twist”, Blenlly states.
The Vegan Chimi Burger
“We get to be very creative without having to put in the additional labor of running a restaurant, in addition to having customers commit to us. If someone comes and takes out food, they’ll try it one day, they’ll eat it for lunch, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, it was good. Done.’ But if you have a 10-meal, or a 5-meal package, you’re committing to that experience for a whole week. So you’re eating one, two, three, four, five dishes and that can elevate your experience to the commitment level, where you’re like, ‘Wow, that was good.’ ‘This was mad good!’ ‘Oh my God, this is just everything!’ We wanted people to go on this journey with us, to commit, and if they are willing to not do it again, that’s okay, but at least they understand that this is possible. Vegan food is possible. They’re not just having a one time experience.”
“If you go to a restaurant and you have a good time, that’s great, but how often do you go back? Maybe every other month, depending on your finances and your commitment level, your experience with the waiters or waitresses. If they’re bad, then the service is bad, then the food is bad, and in your mind the experience is bad. And all of [this] can deteriorate from the vegan or plant based goal. So if [customers] can commit to this, they can commit to a longer, [healthier], long-term experience.”
NextStopVegan recently celebrated their one year anniversary. The summer brought in much success for the team as they were a part of the BronxNightMarket since the beginning, exposing the borough to not only delicious vegan Dominican style food, but to a philosophy that healthy living and eating right doesn’t have to come at a sacrifice. Their appreciation towards their clients is solid, as they frequently repost client stories on their Instagram, allowing followers to relive or capture the experience of receiving and unpackaging one’s meals for the week.
The future success for NextStopVegan will be an exciting thing to witness as Blenlly finds herself already with like minded company. “We are blessed to call this [location] our home. We’ve been impressed by how many people are vegan or vegetarian, or they know about it or they care about it. The least person you think, is already mindful. Every time I come out here or when people walk in, the person walking in, I’m like, ‘You’re vegan? Really? REALLY!? OMG GIVE ME A HUG!”
Blenlly believes NextStopVegan can be a space for many to identify and find their own healthy voice, particularly people of color who choose this lifestyle which is frequently associated with access to healthy food resources not predominantly made available in low income neighborhoods. “Our people are so beautiful, so knowledgeable. I want to [eventually] open this space for communication, one-on-ones, and intimate conversation.”
To learn more about NextStopVegan, be sure to follow them on Instagram: @NextStopVegan.
To learn more about their meal prep/food delivery service, you can email them at info@nexstopvegan.com
BXN RADIO - EP 26: Edwin Reyes
Design by Hoay Smith
For our twenty sixth episode, we spoke with talented Fashion Designer, Edwin Reyes.
BXN RADIO - EP 25: Ron Kavanaugh
Design by Hoay Smith
For our twenty fifth episode, we talked with Magazine Publisher of Mosaic Magazine & Literacy Activist, Ron Kavanaugh.
Press play below.
Bronx Field Day
Photos + Video by Dondre Green
We hosted a fun filled day for kids with activities and education on health and nutrition at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club - Lucile Palmaro Clubhouse. Many thanks to our partners: Chef Iliana Manganiello, Bronx Sole, EF Studios + Born Juice for partnering with us on this collaborative mission.
New Americans in the Bronx
Written by Herbert Norat / Photos by Herbert Norat
A walk down Westchester Avenue in the South Bronx reminds me of the countless stories that exist in our beautiful borough. The work-worn faces of the food vendors and artisans that line the avenue often belong to immigrants from Mexico, Ecuador, Nigeria, and other Latin American and African countries. Many of these people left their homelands in search of nothing more than a better life for themselves and their children. My mother is one of those “people who left home,” in search of hope and prosperity in the Bronx.
In 1987, my mother, Cynthia, left Nicaragua after a bloody surge in the country’s civil war. President Ronald Reagan's U.S. backed Contra forces had been combating the communist Sandinista government that had toppled the Somoza family's dynastic dictatorship after over forty years in power. This disruption of life and bloodshed propelled my mother to seek out coyotes, people that are paid to sneak immigrants into the United States by way of the U.S.-Mexico border, or, the "frontera." If it sounds ominous, it should. Our country's southern border with Mexico spans over 1,954 miles and its arid and harsh climate is tough on the skin. The possibility of getting lost while crossing is omnipresent for travelers. Then, if you successfully cross into the United States that's where the real “fun” begins. You have to secure passage into a local city, find a way to your final destination, and begin your life in the shadows.
My mother left behind her family, her job at a popular Nicaraguan bank, and her three sons. Juansito was the youngest of her children as he was only 2 years old when my mother left him behind. Everyday I wondered about the internal anguish mom must have felt when she hugged and kissed her baby, turned, and walked out the door towards America.
“We were always vetoed by Mom’s laments over not having ‘Los Papeles’, it was constant and depressing”
After staying in Miami for a few months Mom eventually made her way to the Bronx where she picked up work cleaning houses, babysitting and bartending. Subsequently, my father’s best friend brought him to his favorite pub to flirt with “a new beautiful bartender.” And just like that my parents fell in love and had me. By then her oldest sons and their father had made their way to Los Angeles and had begun American lives of their own. Only Juansito remained in Nicaragua after the civil war had ended. Mom’s quest for her citizenship was a long and arduous one. She had lost thousands of dollars on lawyers and “licenciados” that claimed they could help her, only to be duped. But then something happened that altered our lives forever, Juansito came to the Bronx. My mom secured a visa for Juansito and had his father fly him in. Mom and Juansito had finally been reunited. I spent countless hours teaching Juansito English and in turn he taught me Spanish. We played manhunt on Pelham Parkway with our friends, hopped schoolyard fences to play baseball, and visited all of the iconic New York City landmarks together.
After mom and dad had separated things became harder for us. Not only did we lose the one male figure in our lives who we looked up to, but we also lost the possibility of our parents getting married and providing Mom with “Los Papeles”, or, a green card. It seemed like every time we tried to do something fun or adventurous to escape the confines of our deteriorating home life we were always blocked by Mom’s legal status. By this time Mom was a temporary resident and her fear of being deported seeped into everything we wanted to do, especially travel. We were always vetoed by Mom’s laments over not having “Los Papeles”, it was constant and depressing.
Herb: Mom, can we go see Armando in California?
Mom: No, papa. Remember los papeles.
Juansito: Mom, can we drive to Canada like Berto’s family?
Mom: No, Juansitio. Los papeles.
I often think about my mother’s journey and wonder what life outside of New York City would have been like for our family. But, it’s the Bronx’s grit and toughness that allowed us to learn how to survive and become good honest men in the face of adversity. But, in Trump’s America a sense of fear and anxiety has overtaken our political discourse and permeates everyday life. Families visiting parks, schools, and libraries are afraid of Trump, ICE and the possibility of apprehension and deportation. It’s a scary time to be an undocumented immigrant in America. The same fruit vendors and artisans that are threatened by the government are our neighbors that are simply trying to make a livelihood to support the Juansitos of the world.
This is how Mom lived most of her adult life in the Bronx. In the shadows, afraid of opportunity and advancement, and constantly in fear of the government finding out she didn’t have “Los Papeles.”
BXN RADIO - EP 24: Amaurys Grullon
Design by Hoay Smith
For our twenty fourth episode, we talked with Co-Founder of Bronx Native, Amaurys Grullon.
Bronx Speaks: Day Party
We hosted our third Bronx Day Party in partnership with the Bronx Museum of the Arts, co-hosted by FunkNVibe.
Sponsored by Golden Krust, Beatsro, Gun Hill Brewery and Suna Na Saurauniya.
Thank you to everyone who came out, supported and enjoyed themselves.
BXN RADIO - EP 23: Daniel Lanzilotta
Design by Hoay Smith
For our twenty third episode, we talked with Environmental Artist and Chef, Daniel Lanzilotta.
Press play below.