We met Tye on a very fun Saturday afternoon while waiting in line for the Statue of Liberty tour. He came with a friend of ours, Alex Shear.
AskaNewYorker: Hello, Tye. Is this your first excursion to the Statue of Liberty?
Tye: First time ever, yes! I’m excited.
AskaNewYorker: What are you expecting?
Tye: As I told Alex before, I was really interested to look at the Statue of Liberty up close because as a black male I’ve heard certain urban legends that she’s supposed to be portrayed as a black woman, originally. So I am interested to see it up close and see the museum and get a better sense of who Lady Liberty was supposed to be.
AskaNewYorker: Can you tell me more about those urban legends?
Tye: What I was told is that originally in the design, she was supposed to have a ball and chain and the chain was broken, to represent the North winning the war against the South, the freedom of slaves. That’s perhaps what she was to have represented. Now, of course, she’s taken on another meaning. I’d like to see the museum’s depiction of that. Also I was told she was supposed to be black, because that’s what it was, the breaking of chains of the black people, she was a lady of the black people. She’s green now because of the metal, but historically, I was told, she’s supposed to represent freedom for black people.
AskaNewYorker: Remember, this is just an urban legend.
Tye: Yes, but that’s what I’ve been told. They took the ball and chain away because Americans in general would have had a problem constantly being reminded that slavery existed here. So, they changed it and gave her the torch and the book, because America would not accept a constant reminder of what they’d done to their own people. Now we just have a green lady!
AskaNewYorker: Where are you from, Tye?
Tye: I’m originally from Tennesee.
AskaNewYorker: What do you do in New York City?
Tye: I came here to pursue the “American Dream”. I had just gotten out of the Navy and I was going to go into film, and so I moved to New York with the idea to pursue film and theater. But right now I’m the administrative coordinator for the Masters Program for Arts Administration at Teachers College, Columbia University, and I’m a graduate student studying English, getting my masters in teaching English as a second language for New York Public Schools. I also practice Sahaja Yoga meditation.
AskaNewYorker: What do you think of this website?
Tye: When I was looking at your site, I said to myself “Wow! This is what New Yorkers really need”, a place where you can ask questions and actually feel as if you’re getting a response not by some intellectual or some politician or some social agency that you feel sometimes like they don’t care. You are getting an answer from your neighbor! So, that’s why I like the site. The site is exactly what New York needs. And it’s really exciting because it comes from a grass roots area which turns around and can make the politicians, the intellectuals, and social agencies “ask a New Yorker”.
AskaNewYorker: Thanks, Tye! I appreciate your positive comments, and am glad you like the site. Here’s another question for you: If the Statue of Liberty was to play an instrument, which instrument would it be?
Tye : Hmmmm, probably a saxophone? Yeah, a sax! I can see her whaling off on a sax. There is something mysterious, yet calming and also reviving in it. Ms. Liberty would be able to hold her ground with any jazz musician, and challenge any marching band. She would be one awesome saxophonist. Yeah, that’s it! I know she would not be sitting around on an acoustic guitar complaining (he laughs).
AskaNewYorker: Sounds great! Anything else you’d like to share with us, Tye?
Tye : Just a quote…Integrity means living and acting in alignment with spiritual law and with our highest vision, despite impulses to the contrary. From the heart of integrity we recognize, accept, and express our authentic interior reality, inspiring others not with words, but by our example.
