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Saying goodbye to a great woman, Khadijah James

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Khadijah James (also known as Toni Jones) passed away last month. Her funeral took place at the River of God Christian Center on Wolcott Street, and it was a packed house.

Khadijah and I became great friends after I started this paper, and I knew her as an unbelievably friendly and caring person.
She welcomed me with open arms, and at the service I found out that she was like that with everyone. Rest In Peace Khadijah.
Photos and text on this page by George Fiala, publisher of the Star-Revue.

 

Khadija was a nurse and often volunteered at community events giving free blood pressure exams.
Here she is at another event. The woman in blue is our former Council member Sara Gonzalez.
And at yet another event giving free blood pressure readings. This was one of the Summit Academy’s health fairs.
Khadija with Karyn Broughton, then a staffer with Assembly member Felix Ortiz.

 

I went to Methodist Hospital to see Danny Cruz, a Red Hook resident who died of an asthma attack when the ambulance couldn’t reach him in time. Khadijah was already there comforting the family.
I always love it when people are reading the paper!
I’m not exactly sure where I took this photo, but it quite possibly was at an event held at the Red Hook Initiative, where the Star-Revue was once a welcome media presence. Khadijah was always a welcome presence everywhere.
How we will miss this face.
Our former representative in Congress Nydia Velazquez remembers Khadijah as a sweetheart. Here they are together at a Red Hook Old Timers Day at Coffey Park.
Here Khadijah is with Bea Byrd, an important Red Hook leader since the 1990s. This photo was taken at the Red Hook Initiative, where Khadijah often volunteered.
Speaking of the Red Hook Initiative, here she is in Coffey Park with Cheryl Nash-Chisholm, who also passed way too soon. She was an integral part of the RHI staff as well as well known in the theater industry. And like Khadijah, a great friend.
This photo was taken at the Red Hook library, at a heated community meeting discussing it’s possible downsizing. The plan was withdrawn and one result is the renovation that has closed it for a couple of years. Sitting next to Khadijah is another neighborhood icon – Henrietta Perkins.
The Star-Revue used to hold a summer festival outside of IKEA. That’s where this photo of Khadijah with Councilmember Carlos Menchaca was taken.
In the summer of 2011 Occupy Wall Street was all the rage, and many communities formed their own Occupy, including Red Hook. Here Khadijah is sitting with Wally Bazemore at the Star-Revue offices. where an Occupy meeting was held. where an occ

 

Author

  • George Fiala

    George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and fixes pinball machines.

    View all posts

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