Bed-Stuy|News|
Today's Pride of Bed-Stuy: Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York City

Email: c.zawadi.morris@patch.com
Phone: 917-208-0756
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Bio: C. Zawadi Morris is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she earned a B.S. in business administration (minor in Spanish). She also has an M.A. in journalism from Northwestern University. Ms. Morris has worked as a writer and contributor for the New York Times Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Local and The Atlanta Post. Ms. Morris has served as a bilingual press secretary for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, a senior account executive at Shandwick Public Affairs and Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations, a grants writer and a consultant in non-profit development.
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Welcome to Bedford-Stuyvesant Patch! My name is Zawadi, but some know me as Clara. You may recognize me from my many years as a gym member and sometimes volunteer at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA. I am also a certified substitute teacher, so I am in and out of the local public schools. Or maybe you've seen me around town as a journalist, following a local elected official, trying to conduct an interview for a local news organ. Or perhaps, you just know me as Zawadi, the social butterfly, usually "laughing out loud" with friends, holding a coffee in one hand and a camera in the other.
I have lived in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community for the past 16 years, and I love this neighborhood. Furthermore, I am honored to be able to be a part of uncovering and documenting the rich history, vibrant culture and amazing profiles this community continues to produce.
So if you don’t know, now you know! Welcome to Bed-Stuy!
Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York City

Teacher layoffs, a book fair and a new play opens at the Billie Holiday Theatre
Mayor Bloomberg was busy this week with budget budget announcements, teacher firing plans and smoking bans
He sat at the helm of one of the largest media companies in the world, becoming one of the most powerful executives in the United States.
Here is a list of some fashionable boutiques worth checking in Bed-Stuy
A fearless civil rights activist reappears 60 years after his supposed death to face his greatest challenge: His great-great grandson.
The 79th Police Precinct held its monthly community council meeting
A philanthropist and lifelong leader committed to black enterprise
One of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time
Controversial billboard ignites abortion debate
The first African-American woman to become a doctor in New York State
A weekly roundup of news in the 79th Precinct
From The Desk of Al Vann: New animal laws and increased lending for small businesses
Justice Jackson is the longest-serving judge in the Civil Term of Kings County Supreme Court
According to New York Blood Center’s PreciseMatch Program, finding African American donors increasingly has been difficult
Lena Horne broke barriers as one of the first, highly acclaimed black actresses in Hollywood who used her status to speak on behalf of civil rights for all
This week: A police precinct meeting, a poetry slam and a storefront tour
What happens when your own community becomes your own worst "enemy?"
Yemeni American in Bed-Stuy shares his opinion about the recent popular uprising