Tennessee Tribune Correspondent
I want people to know about Allan Michael ( 1958-2020 ), who broke new grind as one of the earliest maritime captains of tinge in New York Harbor, and as the inaugural black captain at New York Circle Line Sightseeing Yachts, in a career spanning 37 years. In one of the busiest larboard cities in the U. S., as he captained boats with 600 passengers at a time, he never had an accident. And on that fateful day—September 11, 2001—Captain Michael was among the audacious first gear responders, and used his Circle Line boat from morning to night, to ferry hundreds of panicky people from prime Zero to safety in New Jersey. His courage earned him a proclamation of gratitude from the mayor of NYC .
Allan Michael will be remembered for his see that aesthetic Realism, the education founded by the capital poet and critic Eli Siegel, is the cognition that can end racism. His cogitation of what Eli Siegel explained is the fight in all people between, contempt–the “ summation to self through the decrease of something else, ” and respect–wanting to know and be fair to the universe, was central to his achiever as a mariner .
In 2017, he gave the Keynote Speech for the annual Black History Month scholarship dinner of the Organization of Black Maritime Graduates ( OBMG ). Founded in 1994, OBMG ’ s mission is to advance educational possibilities for african American and minority students through scholarships, mentor, and forums on contributions of african Americans to the history of the Maritime Industry. Because of Captain Michael ’ second contributions, he was elected to their Board of Directors. He concluded his stirring keynote speech saying :
“ It is heavily to be black in this country and feel that department of justice is going to come your direction, because bootleg people have endured hideous injustice for years, from bondage to racial profile. This has made for enormous anger in our nation. ”
And speaking about the principles of aesthetic Realism and what he learned, he continued :
“ It was through the think of Eli Siegel, a white serviceman, that I was able to understand the deepest things in myself ; and this points to a cardinal hope for all races. In beautiful
prose, Mr. Siegel stated : ‘ It will be found that black and white man have the lapp goodnesses, the same temptations, and can be criticized in the same way. The skin may be different, but the aorta is quite the same. ’ Humanity will thank him as I do for teaching in Aesthetic Realism how all people can honestly see each early with depth, forgivingness, and respect. ”
The video recording of Captain Michael ’ mho 2017 keynote, is on YouTube at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.youtube.com/watch ? v=QTSBCaktUiI
captain Michael ’ s address was greeted enthusiastically. “ He kept everyone on the edge of their seat as he told his story, ” stated the OBMG newsletter. And on his pass this year, OBMG Founding Board Members, Captain Richard Cook and Captain Howard Whyche, wrote a moving tribute to Captain Michael :
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“ His love, quietly courage, kind heart and inimitable spirit are a model to be emulated
and will be sorely missed…He wrote important articles on how racism can change through the report of Aesthetic Realism. With his wife, educator and populace loudspeaker Monique Michael, he has taken part in nationally performances of the stirring anti-racism production by Alice Bernstein, “ The People of Clarendon County ” –A Play by Ossie Davis, & the Answer to Racism. “
This year, Lori Colavito and I had the privilege of attending the February 27th, OBMG Black History Month scholarship awards dinner, hosted by the cultural Club at SUNY Maritime
College, where 13 scholarships were awarded. It was profoundly moving to hear narratives by young men and women who, in the face of income inequality and racial prejudice, are determined to succeed in the rare career opportunities OBMG offered to them. The reaction of mentors, students, cadets, teachers, and families was joyous .
Stirring tributes were given by cadets to honor die mariners : bahamian Captain Philip Thomas, who perished survive September during Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas ; L
Antonio Litman, founder of Virginia ’ s House of Hope, providing scholarships to underprivileged youths for nautical careers through their Tugboat Program. And Cadet
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Claudia Zieba ‘ 22 ( from Poland ) read Captain Michael ’ s official OBMG bio, which tells of his cogitation of Aesthetic Realism. ( Ms. Ziega is foremost woman from right in uniform ) .
At the conclusion of the flush, Cadet Joshua Burris, in the first place from Louisiana, told me, “ I want to learn aesthetic Realism like the captain did. ”
Alice Bernstein is a journalist, historian, and Aesthetic Realism Associate. Link to her work: www.allianceofethicsandart.org; link to Aesthetic Realism Foundation: www.aestheticrealism.org
