Ben Karlin Archives

After 16 Years Southampton Opens it’s First African-American Museum

This Juneteenth, the Southampton African-American Museum (S.A.A.M.) officially opened its doors to the public. Located on 245 North Sea Road, it is the first African-American site to be landmarked and historically designated in the village of Southampton. The mission statement of the museum says in part that it strives “to promote an understanding of African-American …

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New Club at Sag Harbor’s Pierson High School Highlights Asian Culture

Education, Lifestyle, News / By Benjamin Karlin

Over the past few weeks, local and national news programs have shown graphic videos of hate crimes against Asian-Americans in U.S. cities. It seems as if there is a new vicious attack every night. One study found that hate crimes have increased by 164% in 16 jurisdictions across the country compared with the same period …

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Evidence of Slavery on the East End of Long Island Lies in “Plain Sight”

News / By Benjamin Karlin

When Americans think of slavery, they probably have Southern plantations in mind. We are led to believe that slavery was a uniquely southern institution, occurring in the backwards, patriarchal societies of Virginia, Alabama and Georgia. Meanwhile, Northerners were thought of as better educated and more tolerant towards minorities. They were the great liberators, whose spilt …

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Long Island’s Past Includes the Underground Railroad in Sag Harbor (Op-Ed)

News / By Benjamin Karlin

Many long-time residents of Sag Harbor would be surprised to learn that evidence suggests locations in the historical Eastville community were stops on the Underground Railroad. Of course, traveling from the South to the East End of Long Island to further north is somewhat of a circuitous route. This made Eastville an unpopular destination on …

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A REAL Look Back at History and Why Black People Are Weary of COVID Vaccines (Op-Ed)

News / By Benjamin Karlin

Numerous polls have shown that Black Americans are more reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccines than any other ethnic group in the U.S. An Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from early February says Black Americans are less likely to say that they have received the shot or will receive it in the …

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Organization of Latino Americans of Eastern Long Island’s Important Work During the Pandemic

News / By Benjamin Karlin

Throughout the United States, minorities have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only nine percent of Hispanics and eight percent of Black people received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, 66% of white people have received their first shot. One of the …

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Brooklyn Nets Fans On the Harden Trade and the Future of the Nets

News, Sports / By Benjamin Karlin

The Brooklyn Nets shocked the sports world when acquiring James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Harden is an eight time NBA All-Star, six-time all-NBA first team member, and the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player. He joins fellow MVP honoree, Kevin Durant, and six-time All-Star Kyrie Irving in the borough. Although the talent is undeniable, many …

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Open House Forum Held with Freeport Police to Discuss Issues of Police Brutality

News / By Benjamin Karlin

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Village of Freeport Police Department hosted an open house for community members to discuss their police reform draft. In accordance with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 203, the department reached out to residents and community stakeholders to create a new police contract. The order states that, “the government has …

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Artist Analysis: Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and Drake’s Take On the Social Justice Movement (Op-Ed)

Entertainment, Music, News / By Benjamin Karlin

Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West and Drake are the rap triumvirate of this century. Apologies to the semi-retired Jay Z, and the rapidly declining, rather distasteful Eminem. Their music is listened to by millions of people. Their social media accounts are followed by millions more, and they’ve received a cumulative 153 Grammy nominations. With great power, …

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How East Hampton Schools Teach Race in the Classroom (Op-Ed)

Education, News / By Benjamin Karlin

school school The Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020 sparked many conversations about systemic racism throughout the United States. The impetus for the protests were, of course, the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmed Arbery and far too many other innocent Black lives at the hands of the police. Countless Americans were …

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After 16 Years Southampton Opens it’s First African-American Museum

New Club at Sag Harbor’s Pierson High School Highlights Asian Culture

Evidence of Slavery on the East End of Long Island Lies in “Plain Sight”

Long Island’s Past Includes the Underground Railroad in Sag Harbor (Op-Ed)

A REAL Look Back at History and Why Black People Are Weary of COVID Vaccines (Op-Ed)

Organization of Latino Americans of Eastern Long Island’s Important Work During the Pandemic

Brooklyn Nets Fans On the Harden Trade and the Future of the Nets

Open House Forum Held with Freeport Police to Discuss Issues of Police Brutality

How East Hampton Schools Teach Race in the Classroom (Op-Ed)

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