Challenger Community News January 28, 2021

MASK UP! Practice Social Distancing! The Vaccine Alone Will Not End the Pandemic!

January 28, 2021 | FREE | thechallengernews.com | Community News

She Rocked the Nation!

National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman Stole the Show at the Presidential Inauguration.

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City’s Open Container Law and Racial Disparities Page 10

“Dear Kamala”

Local Author/Educator Dr. Peggy Brooks-Bertram Launches New Book of Letters to Vice President Kamala Harris. 20 Buffalo Women Among Those Featured. Page 9

Is $20 Harriet Tubman Bill Finally on the Way? Page 11

Rochester’s Monroe Community College Gets First Black President Page 2

CONGRATULATIONS BUFFALO BILLS, AFC EAST CHAMPIONS, ON A GREAT SEASON!!!

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INSIDE ROCHESTER

President DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna Will Be First Person of Color to Lead Monroe Community College Dr. Burt-Nanna has been appointed the new president of Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. She will take office on May 21 becoming the first person of color to lead the school in its 60-year history.

She is currently Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs for South Central College, a state school in Minnesota. Before that she spent nearly 20 years in various roles at Baker College in Michigan.

Monroe Community College enrolls more than 11,500 students. African Americans make up 21 percent of the student body.

“Monroe Community College is a beacon of educational excellence and opportunity that is nationally known for its commitment to student success, innovation, and its significant impact on Rochester, Monroe County, and the Finger Lakes Region,” said Dr. Burt-Nanna. “I am honored to be selected as MCC’s next president and will work with MCC faculty, staff, and stakeholders to extend MCC’s legacy of educational excellence, innovation, and strong community partnerships.”

Dr. Burt-Nanna holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership, all from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

Rochester NAACP Restarted But Chapter President Had Some Explaining To Do...

The reactivation of Rochester's long-dormant NAACP chapter took place during a recent virtual swearing-in ceremony.

It was praised by Hazel Dukes, longtime president of the New York state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "Rochester is back in the family."

However hours later there was confusion in the ranks.

In a statement sent via email less than two hours after his installation, NAACP President and Monroe County Legislator Ernest Flagler-Mitchell acknowlFledger-Mitchell edged sending a photo "intended for my wife to an individual I was working with."

The 43-year-old married pastor admitted to sending 19-year-old LaKaya Sinclair a photo back in November of his genitals. Flagler-Mitchell who apologized to the woman, claimed the disturbing image "mistakenly" sent through Facebook messenger was for his wife.

Now, community members and activists are calling for the politician to resign. The Board of Ethics and law enforcement are investigating the incident. In a statement released pubicaly, Flagler-Mitchell claimed politically connected people are blackmailing him in an attempt for him to abandon the Black and Asian caucus. According to supporters, the information was conveniently released the day Flagler-Mitchell announced his presidency of the NAACP's local chapter and as the politician gears up for re-election. The Monroe County District Attorney's Office is investigating, Flagler-Mitchell, too, is asking law enforcement to investigate.

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

Despite a Winning Season, Chiefs End Bills Super Bowl Dream With a 38-24 Win

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he glass slipper has finally been removed by a very talented Kansas City Chiefs football team last Sunday with a 38-24 win.

They outclassed a Bills team that could not stop a potent offense when needed. Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott made a pregame error by not activating veteran receiver Kenny Stills instead of going with Gabriel Davis, who was a shell of himself due to a high ankle sprain. I asked McDermott after the game why he stuck with Davis, he said,” We gave it a long and hard consideration especially during the week and listened to our medical team, thought Gabe was ready to go and at the end of the day. I appreciate the hard work Kenny has done since he has been here and wanted guys that played here during the season given an opportunity to play.”

That’s what you call a players Coach and what most players like about Head Coach McDermott. You could have considered sitting wide receiver John Brown, who has also been a shell of himself due to a knee injury. Brown has been playing hurt for most of the season and wide out Duke Williams could have replaced him.

What happened to Bills the mantra Next Man Up? The Bills running game was effective but Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll kept going away from it in order to put the ball in Josh Allen’s hands. This was a game for a running attack against a defense that was weak against the run. Especially with Allen realizing he’s Josh Allen and not having the where with all to get rid of the ball and not take sacks of 23 yards or more. Allen has taken sacks of 23 yards or more in all three playoff games. Your QB making such mental errors is almost unheard of. I have said it all along- Allen’s downfall will be his LOW football IQ. He’s just not smart enough to play the position at this level. The game is too fast for him to make quick decisions and it must be an acquired skill rather than a learned one. A game like this one should have been run the ball the majority of the time and use play action passing off the run-in order to beat the Chiefs. Hopefully Allen’s football IQ can rise up enough for Bills to be successful in packed stadiums once the pandemic is over or its going to be sad times for the Bills organization. Allen could end up like Baker Mayfield in Cleveland being a game manager instead of making changes at the line of scrimmage.

OC Brain Daboll makes you scratch your head with some of the play calls or lack of calls; like not using Isaiah Mackenzie in motion, and running back TJ Yeldon should have been playing all season long. The short comings of OC Brain Daboll was on display for the entire world to see. Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver should be moved to edge rusher to use his quick feet and aggressive style of play.Oliver at 287lbs is too small to be going up against offensive tackles 300 pounds or more each week in the trenches (line of scrimmage. I would consider moving Tre Maine Edmunds to an outside linebacker position and drafting

or using Free Agency to find a Middle linebacker, who can stop the run at the point of attack rather than down the field.

Bills safety Micah Hyde told me about Chiefs Tyreek Hill’s speed,” You watch on film and he’s running a different speed live and we tried to get our hands on him but very difficult to bring down.Travis Kelcie is a possession receiver, who uses his body to box you out and doesn’t matter if you hit him at the line of scrimmage.” Micah also talked about the challenges of this season due to COVID 19 which made it extra difficult to play this season. “There were a lot of things we did not know about (Media) like my wife and son were quarantined for most of the season and could not do most normal things throughout the season.” I will give you my Super Bowl LV predictions next week as we prepare to cover the game.

P L U S Follow me on Social Media: FACEBOOK, Twitter: Hosted by Georgeradney@georgeradThe Radman man, RADIO: Pro Talk Plus, (George Radney) & on WLGZ -HD2 105.5 FM The Beat of Rochester, EvThe Mighty O’Ba ery Saturday Morning from (Patrick Freeman) 7 AM – 8 AM, Live call-in show 585 595 1055, What’s 105.5 FM “The Beat” Going on The Experience, Rochester Every Sunday Morning, 8 AM – 9 AM on WHTK FoxEvery Saturday sports 1280 AM, Rochester, 7AM – 8AM NY “Taking you to the locker (Read full article on room and beyond!” thechallengernews.com)

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Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

AREA BRIEFS

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The Police Department’s “Velcro” Policy

Department Reverses Policy, Will Now Require Officers Beaty Among List of Potential Candidates To Display Names On Uniforms…Most Of The Time… for Erie County Sheriff

Kimberly Beaty, a former Deputy Commissioner and Buffalo Police Department district chief, is reportedly among a field of candidates seeking to run for Erie County Sherriff this year. She is currently the Canisius College Director of Public Safety, the first woman in the college's history to hold that title.

Beaty, was a respected member of the Buffalo Police department for 31 years before she retired and took the job at Canisus. Prior to leaving the force she sought to become BufOfficer Beaty falo’s first female police chief.The mayor’s failure to appoint her was a huge disappointment to many in the Black community.

Bernard “Bernie” A. Tolbert, a former Democratic candidate for Erie County sheriff, said Monday that he will not seek the post again this year. A former special agent in charge of the Buffalo FBI, Tolbert narrowly lost to Howard in 2017.

Are You Behind on Your Rent or at Increased Health Risk From COVID 19?

A lot of people can't pay rent. And landlords are pressuring everyone to pay money they don't have.

In order to get protected, you have to fill out a simple “hardship declaration” that says you were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, or that you are a health risk.

The moratorium that was passed a few weeks ago require tenants to fill out the form to get protected and we are trying to make sure every tenant who needs this information gets it.

We need your help to make this happen. Here’s what you can do to support!

•If you’re behind on rent or at increased health risk from COVID-19, fill out the hardship declaration form and get protected from eviction. After you fill it out, share it on your social media using the hash-tag #EvictionFreeNY! •Join us to get the word out! RSVP for our Statewide Day of Action on February 1st! We’ll tell our neighbors about the hardship declaration form, and we’ll call in our State leaders to Invest in Our New York For more information contact John Washington : #HomesGuarantee #WakandaAlliance 716-704-8843 DID YOU KNOW…Leading up to and before the Civil War, the slave states thought that Abraham Lincoln was out to eliminate slavery, the basis of their livelihood in their states, but, in fact, he ran for President in 1860 on a platform of eliminating it in the federal territories, not in the places where slavery already existed.

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n Monday (Jan. 25) Buffalo police Commissioner Byron Lockwood announced that the Buffalo Police Department is reversing its policy and will now require officers to display their names on their uniforms.

It’s close to being an “about face” since September when Lockwood and the mayor announced that that officers were only required to show an ID number and not a name badge.

Under the reversed policy, police officers names will be on Velcro patches that can be removed but ID numbers have to be displayed at all times. Officers who do not display their names on uniforms, Lockwood said, will face “progressive discipline.”

The only time names will not be required to be displayed is during "civil unrest." ID numbers must still be displayed.

However this summer all too many peaceful protests apparently fell into that category.

And it is during such demonstrations when authorities tend to unleash their abusive authority on unarmed demonstrators.

Advocates who were opposed to the decision to remove officers names from their uniforms in the first place still see a problem with transparency in this "reversed poicy."

“I think it’s unfortunate it (the reversal) didn’t go further,” said Attorney John V. Elmore, co-chairperson of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York’s Criminal Justice Task Force.

Others agree, suggesting that a name tag should be a permanent fixture on an officer’s uniform at all times.

“I strongly believe that Buffalo - the second largest city in the state - and its Police Department, should use best practices,” Elmore added.

Last September the Minority Bar’s Criminal Justice Task Force issued seven recommendations for reform including strengthening civilian oversight of the Police Department, opening police disciplinary hearings to the public and making sure officers turn on bodyworn cameras.

Attorney Elmore noted that theTask Force has also advocated for legislation modeled on the Syracuse Right to Know law and that he testified on this issue in front of the Common Council twice.

We actually presented a law in written form - applicable to Buffalo and it was tabled both times - we were very disappointend.”

Elmore acknowledged those community groups who supported and stood with the Minority Bar in their efforts, including The Urban Think Tank, the WNY Cocerned Clergy, the Stop The Vilolence Coordinating Committee and others.

“There shouldn't be a need for community pressure when it comes to the Police Department utilizing the best practices,” said Elmore.

From Atlanta to Michigan Ave.: Faustina Morrow is on The Move!

Faustenia L. Morrow drove 16 hours from Buffalo to Atlanta on Monday, January 5th to join and help out on U.S. Senator-Elect Rev. Raphael Warnock's Campaign. While helping to "Flip the Senate," she was asked by Power 96.5 radio station to go live and give daily updates from her experiences throughout the day. Ms. Morrow visited numerous polling sites in downtown Atlanta; she encountered a woman who was refused the right to vote and called the campaign for help then drove the woman and her two 7 year old daughters to the polls to cast their vote. "It has been an extraordinary experience to make history, by helping to, Flip the Senate!" Faustenia said as she watched the re-election results come in until the wee hours of the morning.

-Honoring Dr. KingUpon her return to Buffalo, in honor of the Dr. MLK Holiday, she joined the Biden Inaugural Committee's call to organize volunteers across the country to do community service projects in hopes of reaching one Million volunteer hours in one day.

Faustina, who was scheduled to attend the Inauguration in DC, canceled her trip, partnered with the Presidential Inaugural Committee and put together a clean-up on the City of Buffalo's East side on Michigan Avenue in the historic African-American Heritage Corridor.

Great job Faustina!

Enslaved Africans Built The White House...And A Few Other Things Too...Part 2 •The Smithsonian Institution, built between 1847 and 1855, is made from red sandstone, which was quarried by enslaved Africans.

• Trinity Church (in lower Manhattan) used rented enslaved Africans to build the church. The Africans helped construct the first version of the church, which was finished in 1698 and burned down in 1776. The slaves' owners were paid for the work done. * The Fraunces Tavern was built in 1719 s one of the oldest buildings in Manhattan. The New York Historical society says it was built by slaves, along with New York's first prison and hospital.

•Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

Fort Sumter is an artificial island that was built in 1829 — from bricks that were made by enslaved Africans.

In 1864, during the Civil War, the Confederate Army made slaves repair the fortress while it was under attack, and at least 20 slaves died.

•Monticello: Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home in Charlottesville was built by slaves. They quarried limestone, made bricks, and built the house's frame.

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Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

BUILDING COMMUNITY AMID MASK UP! Vaccines Alone Will Not End the Pandemic Positive Examples of Working Together Within Our Communities To Support Ourselves And Our Neighbors During The Covid-19 Crisis

Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson Honors Elizabeth Triggs as Citizen of the Month

Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson honored Ms. Elizabeth Triggs as the very first Citizen of the Month for 2021 during the Erie County Legislature’s January 21st Session held over Zoom. As the Legislator from the 1st Legislative District, Johnson offered numerous kind words regarding Triggs’ selfless dedication to providing food and other nourishment to her community during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Ms. Triggs is the founder of None Like You/We Care, an organization that works on community beautification with highrisk youth throughout the City of Buffalo. Her group focuses on environmental justice, educational outreach, and food insecurity as their main issues. For over 35 years, she has dedicated herself to providing support for those needing it most throughout the City of Buffalo.

Legislator Howard Johnson said, “Ms. Triggs has the kind of legacy throughout this City we should all aspire to attain.

She has left generations of young people in much better places than they’d be without her love and guidance. I’m honored to present her with a proclamation for all of her good work, and especially that which she’s continued to do during these most difficult times.”

An East Side resident, Ms. Triggs was able to appear safely to accept her proclamation virtually and was graciously thanked by the entire Legislative body.

A report in Tuesday’s New York Times (Jan.26) makes it plain.

The arrival of highly effective vaccines in December lifted hopes that they would eventually slow or stop the spread of the disease through the rest of the population. But vaccines alone are not enough, the model shows. And if precautions like working remotely, limiting travel and wearing masks are relaxed too soon, it could mean millions more infections and thousands more deaths.

Social distancing, masking and other measures should remain in place until late July, “and that may be optimistic,” said Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at Columbia. Otherwise, yet another resurgence of the virus is possible.

Did You Visit The Dentist at Least Once Last Year?

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hen it comes to oral health, patients need to understand that oral health is more than just brushing your teeth. Many ailments start in your mouth.

In addition to diagnosing cavities, a routine oral exam can also identify developmental abnormalities, syndromes, oral cancers, mental health issues, oral effects of various medications and even medical problems such as diabetes.

Dentists provide important education.

Young people, especially teenage girls who opt for tongue rings in their mouth to “look pretty”, do not realize that there is a slow process of bone loss happening in Dr. Shilpa their mouth due to the constant force of the KAPOOR tongue ring when they talk. This can lead to tooth loss. Good oral health is especially important for them and I can make them aware of this very real risk during a routine dental exam.

Many people are hesitant about seeing their dentist during the current pandemic. You do not have to suffer in pain because you are afraid to come in for a dental visit because of COVID-19. During this period, patients can expect the dentist and dental assistant to use all safety measures. We work fully protected, fully barriered for both the patient and our own protection. We wear N-95 masks, eye googles, face shield and some even wear surgical caps. Social distancing is also employed until the exam begins.

If you are still reluctant to come for an in-person visit, you can schedule a Tele-Dental visit. From a computer screen examination, I can tell a patient if it is an emergency or not. I can determine if we can wait a month, or if you need to come in as soon as possible. I can also determine if the situation can be treated with antibiotics or another medication.

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“There are people who are going to want to relax the controls we have in place,” Dr. Shaman said. “If we start thinking, ‘We’ve got a vaccine, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, we can stop in a couple of months’ — that’s way too soon.”

The coming months are critical in the race to reduce new infections and deaths.

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The First Fruits Food Pantry Is Open!

Offering Healthy Food Options Free To The Community

NEW TIME! Tuesdays 4-6 PM & Saturdays From 10 A.M. To 12 NOON Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church, 641 Masten @ Northland

The best way to protect your health is to see a dentist twice a year. At the very least, during COVID-19, patients should make an appointment for Tele-Dental. For more information and to schedule an appointment, please contact the Community Health Center of Buffalo at 986-9199.

No Forms To Fill Out, No Proof Of Income Or Residency Etc. Just The Blessing Of Good Food!

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Dr. Shilpa Kapoor, DDS, MS, BDS, is Lead Clinical Dentist/Interim Dental Director for the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc.

“Fighting Food Insecurity & Meeting the Needs of The People.”

EAT TO LIVE!

Rev. George Nicholas, Pastor, Lincoln Memorial UMC Rita Hubbard Robinson, Coordinator, First Fruits Food Pantry

COVID-19 TESTING Monday-Saturday 8:30AM-Noon & 1-4:15PM • Call (716) 986-9199 Ext. 5907

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Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

Buffalo’s Charter Schools Come Together to Create Single Application In previous years, parents looking to enroll their child in one of Buffalo’s high-performing public charter schools would need to submit individual applications to each school in the hopes of securing a seat. Now, thanks to a new initiative championed by the New York Charter Schools Association, there is one singular application available that nearly all of Buffalo’s charter schools accept.

Gladys's Nook

Margie (l) and Jackie

Gladys’s Nook and Marge’s Soul Food: Two Good Reasons to Shop the Broadway Market

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recent visit to the Broadway Market yielded two pleasant surprises: Gladys’s Nook and Marge’s Soul Food!

Gladys’s Nook, with its attractive display of scrubs and apparel, is one of the first businesses you see when you enter the Market. The shop’s personable young proprietor, Robyn Miller, is an RN who has been in nursing for 20 years! She said she opened her business to provide healthcare workers quality uniforms at affordable prices.

Scrubs start at $20 a set or $40 for designer styles. Individual tops or pants start at just $10. The shop , which she named after her grandmother, is open daily and even offers home delivery on Sundays! Running her business, (which she opened during the pandemic!), work- Robyn and her cousin Franklin ing as a nurse (independent) and go- Dunn ing to school (majoring in Psychology at UB), Robyn is an entrepreneur on a mission! (716-908-3697 or email gladyssnook@yahoo.com Find her on facebook or check out her website at gladyssnook.com) Not far from Gladys’s is Marge’s Soul Food.

Margie Hawkins, proprietor, has been in the Broadway Market for some 20 years. The long time cook for the former McKenzie’s, she’s been the owner of Marge’s Soul Food for the past four years.

Proud of her Southern roots, Margie serves breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring all the traditional deliciously prepared soul food dishes and deserts .And the price is right! So whether you’re in the Market or in the area, Marge’s is conveniently located , where she’s always serving food for the soul!(716-322-1748).

Robyn and Margie ar.e the only two Black-owned busiFrom The Law Office of nesses inside the Broadway DARIA L. PRATCHER, PC Market.

The application, which is free and available in both English and Spanish, is accessed on the Enroll Buffalo Charters website (www.enrollbuffalocharters.org). In addition to the single user-friendly application, the site features basic information on the local participating schools, including performance data from the state, which can be filtered by grade and location. The application deadline for the 2021-2022 school year is April 1, 2021.

This effort was made possible by the participation and partnership of 18 Buffalo charter schools: Buffalo Academy of Science #1, Buffalo Academy of Science #2, Buffalo Collegiate Charter School, Buffalo Commons Charter School, Buffalo Creek Academy, Buffalo United Charter School, Charter School of Inquiry, Elmwood Village Charter School-Days Park, Elmwood Village Charter School-Hertel, Enterprise Charter School, King Center Charter School, Health Sciences Charter School, Persistence Preparatory Academy Charter School, Primary Hall, South Buffalo Charter School, Tapestry Charter School, West Buffalo Charter School and Westminster Community Charter School. Families can learn more about and apply to each school by visiting www.enrollbuffalocharters.org.

“The Association is proud to have facilitated this collaborative effort between Buffalo’s great public charter schools,” said Yomika S. Bennett, Executive Director of the New York Charter Schools Association. “It is our hope that this platform increases access to and knowledge of the area’s charter schools and simplifies the application."

According to Janique Cury, community engagement manager for the charter association, there are currently over 12,000 students enrolled across 23 charter schools in the region, most of which are in the City of Buffalo.

Charter schoolsl are public schools but are run independently to provide families and children an alternative to "traditional" public schools.

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Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

St. John Baptist One of Only Eight Churches Across the State Selected to Administer Covid-19 Vaccine

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n Monday (Jan. 25) St. John Baptist Church, pastored by Rev. Michael Chapman, was one of eight churches across the state to hold a one-day clinic offering the COVID-19 vaccine to members of its Goodell Street congregation. A reported 250 vaccinations were administered. It was part of a state campaign to get people to trust the COVID-19 vaccine.

In response to the question as to why the state was conducting the clinics amid widespread shortage of the vaccine, Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, who visited the site, said it was designed to “build confidence” in the vaccine in communities of color where there was widespread mistrust skepticism due to historic injustices.

“As an African American I can tell you that we’re trying to do some myth busting,” Executive Director of Community Health Center of Buffalo Lavonne Ansari told Channel 2 News.

“We’re no different than anyone else in that we want to be educated about the vaccine, and that once we are educated, we can make the decision of whether we want to take the vaccine or not for ourselves.”

-Video MessageNew York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent a video message to Black churches across the state last weekend urging members to get vaccinated.

Back in September Gov. Cuomo called the safety and effectiveness of t he vaccine - which at the time was being promoted by the rump administration under Operation Warp Speed

into question.

He has since changed his tune. “We all need to trust the vaccine,” he said in his prerecorded message.

In a related press statement he assured: "We will not allow communities of color and lowincome neighborhoods in healthcare deserts to be left behind when it comes to the COVID vaccination effort. Churches and cultural institutions are critical partners in this effort, and these eight sites will help get the vaccine to more eligible New Yorkers faster even as we contend with the federal government's supply shortages."

“Faith On the Hill” The Pew Research report, titled “Faith on the Hill”, analyzed the religious affiliation of the 117th Congress, which at the time of publication was 531 members.

Pew found that 88 percent of 468 Congress members were Christians compared to 65 percent of the general American public. Additionally, 55 percent of lawmakers in the 117th Congress identify as Protestant whereas 43 percent of American public describe themselves likewise.

Congress is also found to be more heavily Catholic than the overall U.S. population (30 percent to 20 percent). Baptists in the 117th Congress (12.4 percent) are less than the American public (15 percent).

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Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

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Entertainment

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

Ujima’s Next Production: PLAYLAND!

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jima is back with a new production and is excited to present their latest stageplay, Playland, by Athol Fugard - the first in a 3 play One Act Series.

The play is directed by Phil Knoerzer, Ujima Company alumni member, featuring Ujima Company members Gerald Ramsey and Ben Caldwell.

The production will be live Streaming January 29 and 30 at 8p.m. and January 31 at 4p.m.

Purchase tickets now at https://www.onthestage.com/.../ujima.../playland-970693 Playland is set in 1989 on New Year’s Eve in a traveling amusement park. Two strangers meet in the dead of night in the heart of rural South Africa. With the country in the grips of the brutal apartheid regime, Playland promises an evening of thrills and laughter that never materializes.

This is a play about guilt, self-loathing, and the elusive nature of absolution in a racially divided world. Martinus Zoeloe, a Black South African, the amusement park's night-watchman meets Gideon La Roux, a White Afrikaner and ex-serviceman who comes along looking for a fun night out. They find themselves face to face and their encounter is charged with history and danger.

There are, of course, subtexts of racial prejudice, as one would expect from Fugard, but the true underlying concern in this masterfully written production, is about how we come to terms with the ghosts (and sins) of our pasts.

Special Series Deal- Watch a show for FREE!* Purchase a ticket for all three shows and pay the price of two! (Single Show - $15 / Three Shows - $30 *Save $15*) More info at www.ujimacoinc.org/virtual-season •In March Ujima presents the literal and allegorical biographical play, “BIOP-see” written by one time Buffalo resident, Tatiana De La Tierra about one woman’s solo journey through her diagnosis of lupus.

•June brings “Big Butt Girls and Other Fantasies/The Remix,” written by Marsha Estell, a critically acclaimed, multiple character, one woman play about a young woman who longs for her childhood on the South Side Chicago when all she cared about was James Brown music, dancing with her father and developing into a “Brick House.” Follow Ujima Inc. on social meida @ujimacoinc and visit them online at ujimacoinc.org for more information.

pictuted l/r Rosemary Sadlier Saladin Allah Rochelle Bush

Niagara Parks to Host Dynamic Virtual Speaker Series on Black History and Culture in Canada Held on the last Wednesday of January, February and March of this year, The Niagara Parks Virtual Black History Speaker Series will feature three leading historians and commentators and their diverse perspectives on Black History and culture in Canada.

The speakers include: Rosemary Sadlier, author, international speaker and renowned social justice advocate speaking on Blacks in the Military January 27.

On February 24, Saladin Allah, writer, radio personality, youth advocate who is also commissioner for the Human Rights Commission in Niagara Falls, speaks on The power of Cultural Competence.

On March 31, Rochelle Bush who is a Public historian and owner/ primary guide of Tubman Tours Canada, will speak on Self -Liberated and Famous-Fugitive Freedom Seekers Escape to Niagara.

The Series is delivered as a live streamed digital event.

Tickets grant access using any computer tablet or mobile device for the live interactive sessions and priced $15 per event or $35 for all sessions.

All sessions begin at 7 p.m. go to niagaraparks.com for more info on speakers and to reserve tickets.

from top: Jaq and Jen on their recent and popular IG live chat

Who’s On “Live”?

Jaq and Jen’s

Online Urban Bookstore url: Jaqandjens.com Instagram @jaqandjens We recently found two wonderful young ladies spreading black girl magic on Instagram during one of their recent live conversations on @JaqandJens ! What a breath of fresh literature they are! They talk news, culture, goals, current readings and more. This IG page is a must follow.

Founded by Ja Quoria (Jaq) and Jenny (Jen) the two started their effort back in 2018 where they organized brunches bringing together groups of women to discuss literature. (JaQ&Jens Urban Book Club) Eventually those purposful literary gatherings inspired JaqandJens.com, their online bookstore that concentrates on supporting mainstream, self-published and other works by minority authors. A statement on their page says: "We have a strong belief that by spreading the love of literature we have the ability to change lives.”

Check out their spirited “Live” chats only found on Instagram @jaqandjens or stop by their user friendly website for books and more jaqandjens.com - staff writer

9

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

"Dear Kamala"

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Local Author/Educator Dr. PeggyBrooks-Bertram Launches New Book of Letters to Vice President Harris: 20 Buffalo Women Among Those Featured

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r. Peggy BrooksBertram, author, educator, social historian and community activist who is also President and co-founder of the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research and Education on Women, Inc. will be virtually launching her latest book and definite must haveDear Kamala: Women Write to the New Vice President on February 2.

lation of 100 heartfelt, and emotionally moving letters to America’s first Black and Woman Vice President, a project she began working on when Biden announced Harris as his running mate.

"It’s so important to have a means by which ordinary people can have a chance to express themselves about this extraordinary person,” she said in reference to the book.

Compiled and edited by Dr. Bertram, Dear Kamala (published on Indiana University Press/Red Lightning Books) is a dynamic compi-

In Dear Kamala Dr. Bertram bridges the gap, bringing women of all ages, races and nations who, as she notes are “living at different

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“It’s absolutely incredible.

One can only remark on how historic an occasion this is; that this woman is one breath away from the Presidency, that African American women who have been maligned for centuries in this country from slavery, even after slavery and to the present time, today can proudly say one of our own has achieved one of the most important positions not only in the USA but in the world.”

She continued, “young Indian, Latino, Mexican and Native American women can also stick their chest out with pride recognizing that they are part of this tradition of Black women working day and night to be able to serve their country and serve their people.”

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The book shares generational thoughts, concerns and feelings written to Vice President Harris. It shares the writers hopes, fears, desires, advice and support as well as their personal stories and the all-too familiar tales of racial injustices suffered.

The letters have also been described as a call to action for those who will be at Vice President Harris’s side through the next four years.

As the unbreakable bond of solidarity for Harris continues to grow larger than some may even realize, Bertram is excited to see and be part of this long overdue moment in history.

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points in their lives having had very different experiences together in one book telling their stories letter by letter.”

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Phone: __________________________________________________ PLEASE MAIL YOUR PAYMENT AND COMPLETED FORM TO:

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Email: __________________________________________________ Credit card payments are accepted by calling (716) 881-1051.

We sincerely value your business! Please advise us immediately at email editorial@thechallengernews.com or call (716) 881-1051. If you experience any problems or delays with delivery. If you move please contact us so that we can update our records. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

While working on the book, Bertram was able to use the power of social media and zoom chats and other avenues of communication during the process to connect with writers and other support organizations that have changed her forever. Groups like Black Women Gather, Black Women for Kamala Harris, and millennial organizations like Black Girl Nerds among others. “We were all talking to one an-

Dr. Brooks-Bertram "...Known voices from the Buffalo community... include: Sharon Amos, Crystal Barton, Sandra Williams Bush, Louise B. Carey, Patrice Cathey, Eva Doyle, Veronica Golden, Betty Jean Grant, Nina Heard, Sharon Holley, Mary Kapisak, Celeste Lawson, Marnetta Malcolm, Joyce Nixon, Jennifer Parker, Vonetta T. Rhodes, Shirley Sarmiento, Sandy White, Joan Simmons and Uncrowned Queens..." other, supporting each other, sharing relevant photos, information and stories. We learned so much from one another during this process, I’ll never be the same as a result of it.” said Dr. Bertram.

Out of the 100 letters, there are twenty known voices from the Buffalo community, among them: Sharon Amos, Crystal Barton, Sandra Williams Bush, Louise B. Carey, Patrice Cathey, Eva Doyle, Veronica Golden, Betty Jean Grant, Nina Heard, Sharon Holley, Mary Kapisak, Celeste Lawson, Marnetta Malcolm, Joyce Nixon, Jennifer Parker, Vonetta T. Rhodes, Shirley Sarmiento, Sandy White, Joan Simmons and Uncrowned Queens; all who took immediate action to participate and support Bertram’s mission.

“I was delighted and very pleased to have these women believe in this project.” she joyfully recalled.

One letter in particular she received was from Johnnetta Cole, the first female president of Spelman College, who helped her spread the word through The Black Women’s HBCU and other Legacy youth and millennial

groups.

“What was exciting about her letter is that it’s representative of 12 Black women’s organizations nationwide with a membership of over 2.2 million people; Black women in particular who represent legacy organizations, women we depended on ,who laid the groundwork for us. I’m so happy to see so many Black women welcome Vice President Harris in this new position!”

Dr. Bertram will be celebrating the launch of Dear Kamala Tuesday February 2 with a virtual event hosted by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library at 7 p.m.

She will be in conversation with many community leaders, and contributors from around the world who will read selections from their letters. The event is free and open to the public.

Go to Eventbrite.com and type in DEAR KAMALA to find the event and register.

Find more on Facebook: TheHarrisLettersProject Dr. Brooks-Bertram is coeditor a previous book of letters titled, Go, Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the New First Lady’ (2009) -staff writer

10

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

SHE ROCKED THE NATION!

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Is Open Container Law a Symbol of Buffalo’s Racist Past or Racist Present? Only the Common Council Can Decide

THE HILL WE CLIMB By Amanda Gorma

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resident Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's January 20th inauguration ceremony was a starstudded affair, but amidst such fanfare, a relatively unknown figure managed to steal the show and rocked the nation with her poem “The Hill We Climb.” Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history at age 22. A poet speaks...

When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.

We've braved the belly of the beast, We've learned that quiet isn't always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn't always just-ice.

And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished.

We the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes we are far from polished.

Far from pristine.

But that doesn't mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true, that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we'll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.

If we're to live up to our own time, then victory won't lie in the blade.

But in all the bridges we've made, that is the promise to glade, the hill we climb.

If only we dare.

It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it's the past we step into and how we repair it.

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour but within it we found the power to author a new chapter.

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert,

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be.

A country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.

We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.

Our blunders become their burdens.

But one thing is certain, If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children's birthright.

So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left with.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west.

We will rise from the windswept northeast, where our forefathers first realized revolution.

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.

We will rise from the sunbaked south.

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful.

When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it.

If only we're brave enough to be it.

Who is Amanda Gorman?

•She was born March 7,1998 in Los Angeles and was raised by a single mother, an English teacher named Joan Wicks.

•She’s a twin. In addition to an older brother, Spencer, Gorman has a twin sister Gabrielle, a filmmaker and activist.

•She’s been in love with poetry since the third grade.

•She majored in sociology at Harvard.

•Before she became the youngest poet to deliver an inaugural address, she was named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017. Before that, she was chosen as the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles in 2014—at 16 years old! (She was also the first to receive that honor!)

•She was specifically chosen by the First Lady herself Dr. Jill Biden.

•She has a speech impediment yet in spite of it has become a phenomenal orator.

•She finished her inaugural poem in the wake of pro-Trump rioters sieging the Capitol building earlier this month.

•Her hero(ine), Maya Angelou, is one of her biggest inspirations—and she’s following in her footsteps by performing at a presidential inauguration. Oprah,is another of Gorman’s heroes.

•She’s founded a nonprofit to support youth education and expressioncalled One Pen One Page.

•She’s a United Nations Youth Delegate .•She’s written a children’s book, Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem, which aims to empower children to be hopeful and make change.

•She plans to run for president as soon as she’s eligible.

Ashe!

By Aidan M. Ryan

eople who’ve lived in Buffalo spend a lot of time thinking about the mistakes of the past. The evidence is all around us. There’s the convention center that landed like an alien spaceship downtown, destroying a beautiful, walkable street grid. There’s the Scajaquada Expressway that replaced an Olmstead Parkway and ripped a park and a multiple neighborhoods in half. There are the hundreds of historic buildings we’ve torn down and the cheap and uninspired new developments we’ve raised in their places.

We can’t fix mistakes like these. But other mistakes still fall within our power to undo.

One of these mistakes is Chapter 69 of the City Code, a law that makes it illegal to drink alcohol in public. Obviously, Buffalo police are selective in enforcing this law. Putting a bottle in a brown paper bag is sufficient to make cops look the other way—and few if any arrests happen on St. Patrick’s Day or Dyngus Day, when public drinking is widespread and celebrated. It may be less obvious, but pay close attention and you’ll see public consumption happening all the time, particularly in Delaware Park, Parkside, Allentown, and the Elmwood Village.

But arrest records reveal that Buffalo Police do detain and ticket some people for “open container” violations each year. Unsurprisingly, almost all of the people stopped are Black.

We need to get honest with ourselves and with each other: If a selectively enforced law impacts one group of people more than others, it’s working as intended.

All that we need to correct this injustice is a Buffalo Common Council representative to draft and submit repeal legislation.

But to date, no champion of repeal has stepped forward from the Council ranks.

Buffalonians must demand better from our councilmembers. Buffalonians must demand a champion of repeal.

-“Broken Windows” and Broken TheoriesIn New York City, which passed an open container law shortly after Buffalo, a councilmember actually admitted that the law was discriminatory by design.

“We do not recklessly expect the police to give a summons to a Con Ed worker having a beer with his lunch,” he told the New York Times. “This is for those young hoodlums with wine bottles who harass our women and intimidate our senior citizens.”

We know today what the councilmember meant by “young hoodlums.”

Clearly lawmakers intended from the beginning for police to enforce open container statutes selectively—and from the beginning this selective enforcement has been blatantly racialized.

- Criminalizing Open Containers: Redundant in Theory, Racist in PracticeThere are behaviors associated with open containers that residents and business owners lament: violence, vandalism, verbal harassment, and impaired driving, for example. But there are already laws addressing these behaviors.

Far from targeting genuinely criminal behavior, the law creates a presumption of guilt by the mere display of an open container, allowing police to question and ultimately arrest individuals.

As we reconsider the role of law enforcement and its relationship with communities in our city, we should be looking for opportunities to reduce needless adversarial interactions between residents and police. Removing the “presumption of Continued Page 11

VOICES

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

Credit Where It’s Due: Parents Are Responsible for BPS Progress

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h no they didn’t. Did a local news station just run a glowing, selfcongratulatory story about the phenomenal improvement of Buffalo Public Schools graduation rates - giving credit to everyone but Buffalo parents for this hard-fought accomplishment? Did a “Johnnie-comelately” school board member join this brazen attempt to hijack the fruits of our intense, impassioned, consistent labor? Did they really just casually list some of the factors that contributed to the turn around, without reporting that parent activism is responsible for… all of them? Oh no they didn’t.

The School Board member quoted in the piece invites the reporter to go Sis. Sabirah back further than the past four years of graduation rates, to say, 2012, as he MUHAMMAD marvels over a number that went from 49% to 76.3% during that period.

It’s incredible growth,” he says…as if Lafayette and Bennet, former failing schools, just decided one day to close and revamp themselves, as if “Say Yes” Officials chose Buffalo in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, and the graduation rate just kind of rose with global warming.

District Parent Coordinating Council Co-Chair Sam Radford was at least included in the piece, and his comments expressed concern about an inevitable skewing of the numbers because of cancelled Regents Exams. That’s because parents of the most underserved, most ill-prepared children in the nation want to know that graduates are actually ready for college, for careers, for life. For us, the condition of public schools is not a PR campaign…a highlight for a new brochure, or an opportunity to make the “inner city” appear less scary. Moreover, allowing others to usurp credit for our magnficent feat would profane the very maxim that made it possible: the steadfast conviction that our children are our responsibiility. We can’t afford to forget that now… to relinquish our progeny once again to the hands of those who assure us they’re the “professionals;” more qualified to steward our children than we are. We can’t afford to drop our guard again, and return to the crush of bills and the stresses of life, content that at least somebody else has this part covered.

So… we stoke the fires of our remembrance. We go back further than 2012 - to the 1960’s, when the mighty BUILD organization was stomping the yard at the School Board Meetings, fighting for “Parity,” equal funding for all schools. We reminisce with the CAO’s L. Nathan Hare at a 2009 Parents’ meeting, where he describes our schools when he was growing up as the “principle integrators of the community.” He tells us how parenting and non-parenting adults were integrated with each other around the locus of the school. Siblings attended the same schools as their own parents, and the same teachers who taught them were waiting on you when you got there. But “We killed that,” he said – “because somebody sold us a bill of goods. When we said that if you’re gonna spend $2800 in 1963 in a majority Caucasian school, then you gotta spend $2800 per student at School #53. We only asked that the money be made right. That’s the only integration we asked for. But they gave us forced bussing. And Magnet Schools. It destroyed 22 African schools that we had in the community.

Sadly, it would get worse. Much worse. By the time the Buffalo Local Action Committee and the DPCC picked up the baton in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, we took on a combative, recalcitrant district in shambles. Black and Brown boys, as well as ELL (English Language Learners) students had a graduation rate of 25%. Students were being suspended on a whim, especially around exam times. A policy of social passing routinely pushed functional illiterates out into the streets or into waiting jail cells, and the city’s schools, after White flight, served as cash cows with the singular purpose of feeding the surrounding suburbs. And that doesn’t scratch the surface. Right here on these noble pages, where this journey was chronicled as it was happening, we’ll remember. Because those who forget history…

OPEN CONTAINER LAW continued from page 10 guilt” that this law creates would, the data suggest, lower the number of adversarial interactions between police and residents who are predominantly Black and people of color. It would also remove the impetus for police to intervene in situations better suited to mental health professionals, as we are at last coming to understand. Finally, removing the blatant inequality created by selective enforcement of this law will be necessary for establishing trust between law enforcement and all of the diverse communities that constitute our city.

-Time For Repeal Is NowSince I first submitted an open letter to the council in March 2020, good government groups, social justice groups, and business groups have taken up and echoed the call for repeal including the Partnership for the Public Good and Legal Aid Buffalo, the local public defender’s bureau, joined the effort. In December 2020, Buffalo News columnist Rod Watson picked up the call for repeal, arguing it should be “an open and shut case.”

Since then, representatives of Free The People Coalition, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Buffalo, the Elmwood Village Association, and the Hertel Business Association have signaled support for repeal.

Notably—if unsurprisingly—no opponents of repeal have raised their voices. I pointed this out when I last spoke to the council Legislation Committee on December 29.

Now, the repeal effort lies in the hands of the Common Council of the City of Buffalo.

The Buffalo Common Council has the power to get rid of this law and make it once again legal to drink alcohol in public—for all people. If they act, the open container law will become a relic of Buffalo’s racist past. If they fail to act, their silence will be a resounding testament to Buffalo’s racist present.

11

A Message From The Juneteenth Festival Chair

Juneteenth 2021: We're Off and Running!

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By Jennifer Strickland

reetings! I am blessed and humbled to be elected as the 4th president of Buffalo’s Juneteenth Festival, Inc.’s Board of Directors. And, because the Festival celebrates culture, history, freedom, and fellowship, it is important that the community is informed of our events that support our mission.

2021 will host our the 46th consecutive Festival. From our festive beginnings on Jefferson Avenue, June 19 -20, 1976; to our vibrant, cultured, world-renowned presence during Sankofa Days; on Fillmore Ave. and in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park; to the innovative Virtual Juneteenth Festival 2020; to our preparation for this year’s events, we have been what Buffalo, WNY, and so many other communities excitingly anticipate each year. We are thankful for the leadership of now, President Emeritus, Marcus Brown, who led this journey as president, for nearly 30 years.

The success of the Festival is largely dependent upon the support of our sponsors, community leaders, and volunteers, including committee chairs, members, and the Board. Our 2021 hardworking board of officers and appointees includes Executive Vice-President, Ras Jomo Akono; Secretary, Jeri Becton; Treasurer, Catherine Eberhart; Festival Coordinator, Carrone Crump; Sergeant-at-Arms, Zyiyadah Uqdah; Parliamentarian, PearlieMae Hargro; Historian, JoAnn Peters (Taliba Asante), and Cultural Community Coordinator, Dayatra Hasan. Watch for words about these and other MVVs (“Most Valuable Volunteers”) as we make “IT” happen for Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo 2021 and our Juneteenth 365 initiative.

I cannot close this message without thanking the Challenger, our community newspaper, for its continuous support and promotion of our message since the festival’s beginning.

This year’s virtual Festival, and if allowed, some aspects of our traditional festival, need willing workers on our technical and production teams, We have 20+ committees and if you’d like to volunteer, become a sponsor, or want to donate goods or services to the Festival, please contact us at 716 891-8801, or email your interest to JenniferStrickland@ juneteenthofbuffalo.com Peace and Love!

Local•National•World

Haitians Tell President: “Get Out by February 7”

"Warp Speed" for Harriet Tubman $20 Bill?

The White House has announced that the Biden administration is “exploring ways to speed up the effort” to unveil the Tubman $20 bill redesign. In May of 2019, the Trump administration’s Treasury Secretary announced that due to “counterfeiting concerns” and other technical issues, the redesign would be postponed. The claims of technical issues ran counter to a New York Times report that revealed the basic design of the Tubman $20 bill was essentially finished and could’ve been unveiled by 2020. The Times also reported that thre Treasury Secretary delayed the Tubman note by six years—basically until after Trump was out of office if he were elected for two terms—to prevent Trump from canceling the redesign altogether. As a presidential candidate, Trump called the plan to replace Jackson “pure political correctness.”

Protesters gather regularly in cities around the country to demand that Haitian President Jovenel Moise step down by February 7.

“Jovenel has been ruling by decree” in the absence of a legally constituted national legislature,” said Daoud Andre, an organizer with the Brooklyn, New Yorkbased Committee to Mobilize Against Dictatorship in Haiti. “ The United States and its allies continue to support Moise, because he does their bidding.” The “clear demand” animating protests is that “Jovenal Moise must go,” but also that there must be a change in “the system.” Haiti has been “turned into a shithole

by France and the United States,” who put a succession of puppets like Moise in power, said Andre.

12

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

LEGAL NOTICE ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

l/r: Senior Forward Malek Green leads Canisius in rebounding Senior Guard Theresa Onwuka from last seasons U.B. Women’s team. Senior Guard Majesty Brandon leads Canisius in scoring. photos A.Dorcely

College Basketball in WNY

by A. Dorcely

In the MAAC( Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) Canisius College is in 5th with a 3-3 record.

Niagara University is 8th place with a 4-6 record. On the women’s side the Niagara Women’s team is 8th as well with a record of 1-1 and the Canisius Women are in last place out of 11 teams with a record 0-4.

In MAC(Mid-American Conference) The U.B men are in 4th place with a record of 3-2. The U.B. Women are in 2nd place with a record of 5-1 out of 12 teams.

In the A 10(Atlantic 10) The St. Bonaventure Men are in 1st place with a record of 4-1 and the Women are in 11th place with a record of 1-4 out of 14 teams.

The #1 Men’s team in the country is Gonzaga with a 14-0 record and for Women’s basketball Louisville with a record of 12-0 . You can follow A. Dorcely on IG @buffalosportsworld

Preparing Small Businesses in WNY for Funding Opportunities Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) and SUNY BuffaloState College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) invite local small businesses to a free virtual workshop February 2 to help prepare for future funding opportunities by identifying and reviewing required documents and financial information for funding applications.

“Preparation will save you time and make you more competitive,” said Dr. Susan A. McCartney, Director of the Small Business Development Center at SUNY Buffalo State. “This is a ‘must attend’ program.”

The Funding Readiness 2021 workshop will be held: Tuesday February 2, 2021 – 9:00am 8:30am – Registration and virtual coffee 9:00am – 10:30pm – Program To attend please register here (https://forms.office.com/Pages/ ResponsePage.aspx?id=RIMYxx9iH02jxmUhzBLuopE3oZf WBN1AlT3KqAt61RBUQ05QS0VESEZHV1lHU1hUVjg5 TThDVzQxQy4u&wdLOR=c7B8FF3ED-E57C-B540-BB14CE60E4F6916A ) For more information, please call Congressman Higgins’ office at 716-852-3501, or contact SBDC Director Dr. Susan McCartney at Mccartsa@buffalostate.edu, phone: (716) 878-4030.

Assembly House 150 Recruiting for Work-Study Construction Skills Training 2021 Spring Term Assembly House 150 (AH150) has announced that it is accepting applications for enrollment in its SACRA (Society for the Advancement of Construction Related Arts) program.

A 12-week work-study training in carpentry and woodworking, SACRA provides skill-building, work readiness, and job placement services. Participants can earn money while learning con-struction skills under the instruction of highly talented craftsmen and tradespeople Classes will start on Monday, February 22. Learn more or set up interview call (716)-560-8170 or e-mail theath@assemblyhouse150.org

The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority will receive sealed bids for Site Improve-ments at Five Separate Developments: BMHA Job 20-05KF-CF Kenfield Homes; BMHA Job 20-05LBJ-CF LBJ Apart-ments; BMHA Job 20-05 MG-CF Msgr. Geary Apartments; BMHA Job 20-05ST-CF Schwab Terrace; BMHA Job 20-05VC-CF Villa Carolina The Prebid Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 10:00 AM local time, with a limited number of five potential bidders assembled in the Board Room at the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, 300 Perry Street, Buffalo, New York 14204; the project walkthrough may be held/scheduled after the meeting.

Sealed bids will be received until 2:00 PM, local time, Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at the Capital Improvements Office, 320 Perry Street, Buffalo, New York 14204. Bids re-ceived after the stated time will not be accepted. Bids will be opened and publicly read aloud virtually at 2:30 PM after the specified closing time. All bid forms must be filled out and returned.

Instructions for the virtual Prebid Conference and Bid opening are listed on the BMHA website at www. bmhahousing.com.

The BMHA reserves the right to reject any bid, which fails to conform to the essential items, required by the contract documents and to reject any and/or all bids submitted.

Dated: January 26, 2021 LEGAL NOTICE

The NFTA is soliciting bids for Project No. 12NA2001 NFIA - Airside Pavement Maintenance 2021 Bid No. E569 due on February 18, 2021 at 10 am. www.nftaengineering.com LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA) requests responses to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Comprehensive Auditing Services from qualifying General Accounting/ Auditing Firms.

The project scope, content of proposal, and vendor selection process are summarized in the RFP that describes the terms and conditions under which the BMHA will select a firm for these services. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00 pm (EDT), Friday, February 26, 2021.

If you are interested, please contact Arnitra Chester at rfpresponse@bmhahousing.com or BMHA Website at bmhahousing.com.

Dated: January 25, 2021 NAME CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that an order by the Supreme Court, Erie County, on the 2nd day of December, bearing Index Number I2020/600233, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 25 Delaware Ave, Buffalo NY 14202, grants me the right to assume the name of Matthew Edward Falkiner. The city and state of my present address are Cheektowaga, New York, the month of my birth is August, 2003; the place of my birth is Buffalo, New York; my present name is Matthew Edward Wolff.

POST YOUR AVAILABLE JOB POSITIONS CONTACT ADVERTISING@ THECHALLENGERNEWS.COM

LLC'S Notice of Formation of a Limited Liability Company

Name of LLC: Ethnic Lines LLC./ Art.of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/23/20./ Office: Erie county/ SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served. NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at: 2316 Delaware Ave #253, Buffalo NY 14216/ Purpose: Any lawful purpose January 14,21,28 February 4,11,18 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY FDEMKIDZ CLOTHING LLC Date of filing of Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York on 7/17/2020. Office in Erie County.

SSNY has been designated as the agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to 29 Girard Place, buffalo, NY 14211. Purpose: to showcase a diverse range of products for customers for different situations and seasons.

January 21,28 February 4,11,18,25 Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company JCB CUSTOM DESIGNS, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/22/20. Office: Erie County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, P.O. Box 426, Buffalo, NY 14240. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

January 21,28 February 4,11,18,25 Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company Name of LLC: Unique Peak Nutrition LLC. Date of filing of Articles of Organization with the NY Dept. of State: December 1, 2020. Office of the LLC: 905 Delaware Avenue, Apt 11, Buffalo NY 14209, Erie County.

The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. NYSS may mail a copy of process to the LLC at 905 Delaware Avenue, Apt 11, Buffalo NY 14209. Purpose of LLC: nutrition counseling.

January 21,28 February 4,11,18,25 Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company Addie Vinta, LLC filed Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State on December 1, 2020.

Its office is located in Erie County, New York. The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served.

NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at 365 Lakefront Boulevard, Buffalo NY, 14202. The purpose of the LLC is any lawful business or activity, with an initial focus of online retail.

January 21,28 February 4,11,18,25 Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company Walking Goldmine, LLC Date of filing of Articles of Organization with the NY Dept of State: October 6, 2020Office Of the LLC: Erie County The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at: 444 Westgate Rd, Kenmore, NY 14217. Purpose of LLC: any lawful purpose.

January,28 February 4,11,18,25 March 4

Notice of Formation of a Domestic Limited Liability Company Name of LLC: G. Wealthy Living, LLC Date of filing of Articles of Organization with the NY Dept of State: November 12, 2020 Office of LLC: Erie County The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served.

NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at: 1339 Borden Rd, Depew NY 14043 Purpose of LLC: Property Management January,28 February 4,11,18,25 March 4

LEGAL NOTICE SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No. 802905/2020 STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF ERIE SUN WEST MORTGAGE COMPANY INC., Plaintiff, -vs- THE HEIRS AT LARGE OF PATRICIA M. MLODZIENSKI, deceased, and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienors, heirs, devisees, distributees, successors in interest of such of them as may be dead, and their husbands and wives, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors of interest of all of whom and whose names and places are unknown to Plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; MICHAELENE STELLA; MARION MILLARD; MARILYN AMPUDIA; ANN MARIE ASHBAUGH; EDWARD BOZENTKA; LORRAINE COOK; BARBARA MCDADE; Defendants. Mortgaged Premises: 184 Cumberland Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14220 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the Plaintiffs attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. Your failure to appear or answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you, unless the Defendant obtained a bankruptcy discharge and such other or further relief as may be just and equitable. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer to the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. These pleadings are being amended to include the following individuals as possible heirs to the Estate of Patricia M. Mlodzienski: MICHAELENE STELLA, MARION MILLARD, MARILYN AMPUDIA, ANN MARIE ASHBAUGH, EDWARD BOZENTKA; LORRAINE COOK, and BARBARA MCDADE. These pleadings are being amended to remove reference to JOHN DOE and JANE DOE as the mortgage premise located at 184 Cumberland Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14220 has been found to be vacant. ERIE County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the mortgaged premises. Dated: November 19, 2020 Mark K. Broyles, Esq. FEIN SUCH & CRANE, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff Office and P.O. Address 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800 Rochester, New York 14614 Telephone No. (585) 232-7400 Section: 123.80 Block: 6 Lot: 31 NATURE AND OBJECT OF ACTION The object of the above action is to foreclose a mortgage held by the Plaintiff recorded in the County of ERIE, State of New York as more particularly described in the Complaint herein. TO THE DEFENDANT, the Plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action. To the above named defendants: The foregoing summons is

served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of HON. MARK J. GRISANTI, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, dated December 3, 2020 and filed along with the supporting papers in the ERIE County Clerks Office. This is an action to foreclose a Mortgage.

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of ERIE, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT, PIECE, OR PARCEL OF LAND with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the City of Buffalo, County of Erie, State of New York, bounded and described as follows: Being part of Lot No. 244 1/2, Township 10, Range 7 of the Buffalo Creek Reservation and according to a map filed in the Erie County Clerk's Office under Cover No. 449 is known and distinguished as Subdivision Lot Nos. 29 and 30, in Block "A", bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point in the northeast line of Cumberland Avenue 62.33 feet northwesterly from its intersection with the northwest line of Melrose Street; Thence northwesterly along the said line of Cumberland Avenue 32.33 feet; Thence northeasterly parallel with the northwest line of Melrose Street 120 feet; Thence southeasterly parallel with the northeast line of Cumberland Avenue 32.33 feet; and Thence southwesterly parallel with the northwest line of Melrose Street 120 feet to the place of Beginning.

Mortgaged Premises: 184 Cumberland Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14220 Tax Map/Parcel ID No.: Section: 123.80 Block: 6 Lot: 31 of the CITY of BUFFALO, NY 14220 69300 Jan. 14,21,28 Feb.4

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF ERIE TBG FUNDING LLC, Plaintiff -against- MAZEL ON MAIN LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 20, 2020 and entered on December 9, 2020, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Erie County Clerk’s “Closing Room”, located at 92 Franklin Street, 1st Floor, Buffalo, NY on February 26, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. premises to be sold in individual parcels or in bulk by the Referee: Said Referee shall offer Parcel I and Parcel II as follows: PARCEL I situate in the City of Buffalo, County of Erie and State of New York, being part of Lot No. 120 of the Stevens survey, described as follows: BEGINNING at a point of the intersection of the southerly line of Delavan Avenue with the westerly line of Greenwood Place; being a plot 65.40 feet by 74.50 feet by 56.84 feet by 75.00 feet.

Section: 88 Block: 83 Lot: 6-7 Said premises known as 277 WEST DELAVAN AVENUE, BUFFALO, NY PARCEL II: situate in the City of Buffalo, County of Erie and State of New York, being part of Lot No. 121 of the Stevens survey, described as follows: BEGINNING at the point of the intersection of the southerly line of Delavan Avenue with the easterly line of Greenwood Place; being a plot 80 feet by 100 feet by 80 feet by 100 feet. Section: 88 Block: 83 Lot: 5-1 Said premises known as 283 WEST DELAVAN AVENUE, BUFFALO, NY Approximate amount of lien $1,035,499.16 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 807975/2018.

DARIA L. PRATCHER, ESQ., Referee KRISS & FEUERSTEIN LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 360 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10017 Jan. 28,Feb. 4,11,18

13

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

EMPLOYMENT Student Affairs Operations Assistant Buffalo State, State University of New York, seeks candidates for the position of Student Affairs Operations Assistant.

Come Grow With Us!!

This position reports to the Director of Student Affairs operations, will be a member of a team-orientated staff that works towards improving the coeducational experience for students. As a member of the Student Affairs division, the candidate must be able to establish good working relations within the division and college. This position will play an important role in the creation and delivery of messaging to students via current and evolving technologies, including social media The candidate must have a familiarity with college software used in enrollment and used in a higher education setting. In addition, this position will also act in a support role as needed to other departments within the division.

•Teacher III: Bachelors or Associates degree in Early Childhood Education with 2-3 years’ experience teaching preschool age children.

•Teacher I II: A Child Development Associate (CDA) in infant development completed within one year from hire date is required (paid for by CAO). This credential requires a GED/High School Diploma prerequisite.

•Substitute Teacher: High School diploma or GED. Previous Head Start experience preferred.

•Principal: Bachelor’s Degree in Early childhood or Child Development with 3 yrs. teaching exp. OR Associates degree with 5 years teaching experience.

•Certified Teachers: Part Time evening opportunities. BS in Elementary or Secondary Education with one-year exp. working with school age children. NYS Teacher’s Certification.

•HR Benefits Specialist: Associates Degree, Bachelors preferred with 5 years’ experience in Benefits Administration.

•Youth Services Counselor: High School Diploma with one-year experience working with children.

•Program Coordinator: Associates degree, minimum 3 yrs. exp. supervising senior and youth sports activities (Pratt Community Center). MUST have valid NYS Driver’s license.

•Youth Services Site Coordinator & Program Coordinator: 1 or more of the following: Associates degree, Elementary Education, NYS Children’s Program credential, School Age Child Care credential, Preferred Bachelor’s degree. 2 yrs. exp. working with children, at least 1 yr. supervisory exp. in a childcare program.

•Maintenance Associate: Exp. in janitorial work, ability to learn handyman skills that would involve carpentry and plumbing. High School diploma or GED required.

Nutrition Associate: Good knowledge of the methods to preparing and cooking foods in large quantities and the health and safety involved. High School diploma or GED required.

Apply now on our website www.caowny.org

ILGR Health Homes Care Coordinator- HHUNY. Batavia. Provide care coordination services w/lead Health Home w/intent of decreasing highrisk medical and/or behavioral health costs for individuals being served in this Health Home. www.wnyil.org EEOC employment@wnyil.org.

Salary range $35,070 to $37,080

ICAN O/A Coordinator. Buffalo. Lead provider of technical assistance for HARP w/partner organizations and consumers through town meetings, presentations, and outreach. www. wnyil.org EEOC employment@wnyil.org $35K-$37K.

Customer Service Sales Representative

We are seeking a passionate, self-driven, natural born sales person with a desire to make a difference in people’s lives. As our newest Customer Service Sales Representative you will sell, market, and service our insurance products to existing clients and new customers. You will help individuals, families, and small businesses secure their tomorrows. Must possess a P & C license. Generating insurance quotes, Provide exceptional customer service, Multi-task, Be highly self-motivated, Strong work ethic and Successful sales background. Base Salary with Commissions.

Send resume to Tacs1@hotmail.com or Call for interview

716-583-9288.

Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree. Experience working with widely used hardware, software, applications, resources and technologies within a higher education setting.

Experience working in a team-focused environment. Demonstrated ability to work closely with others across functional boundaries and varying experience levels.

Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; and effectively present information to internal and external stakeholders. Demonstrated experience working successfully and empathetically with students from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience in facilitating the integration of technology into the educational environments experience with one or more education technologies; survey and evaluation systems, student information systems, video or multimedia systems, content management platforms, etc. Working knowledge of various college software (i.e. Slate, Banner, Blackboard Ensemble, Qualtrics, Taskstream, and Educational Advisory Board (EAB). Experience in developing web-based video content, CMS, and print materials.

Qualified applicants may apply online at https://jobs.buffalostate.edu.

Seeking Candidate Passionate About Social Impact!

The CAO Housing Development Office is recruiting a Healthy Homes VISTA to coordinate housing-related social impact projects on Buffalo’s East Side. Candidates will have the opportunity to build professional experience in the area, expand their network, and earn an education award to go to school or pay back student loans. This is a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA position.

Interested candidates should email resumes to dcanfield@caowny.org.

POST YOUR AVAILABLE JOB POSITIONS CONTACT ADVERTISING@ THECHALLENGERNEWS.COM

The Pike Company and LECESSE Construction actively encourage participation from M / WBE certified firms.

Contact Kathy Rooney, Diversity & Community Engagement Manager, to discuss potential opportunities.

1.800.264.7453 | www.thepikecompanies.com | info@pikecos.com

Buffalo State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and committed to respect for diversity and individual differences.

We Are Hiring Communications Assistant The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is a 501(C)(3) holding more than 900 different charitable funds, established by individuals, families, nonprofit organizations and businesses to benefit WNY.

Learn more at cfgb.org/about/careers

Email legals & classifieds to: advertising@thechallengernews.com • Deadline Fridays @ 5pm

14

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

community calendar

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ATTORNEYS PRATCHER & ASSOCIATES Franklin Muhammad (Pratcher) Attorney 1133 Kensington Avenue (716) 838-4612

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Charter School of Inquiry Board Meeting

The Charter School of Inquiry's Board of Trustees is holding its regular monthly business meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 4:45 pm. The eeting, which will be held via Zoom video conferencing.

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BOOK CLUB ZOOM! Join the Dorothy J. Collier Community Center for their Virtual Book Club where they will be having a read along & discussion on the book “White Fragility : Why It's So Hard for White People to talk About Racism” by Robin Diangelo with a forward by Michael Eric Dyson. January 22 & 29; Feb. 12 and 26.

If you haven't started reading the book in time for the meetings, no pressure... we'll be reading from the book during each Book Club meeting.

For information to register call (716)882-0602.

We look forward to seeing you soon on Zoom!

Follow us on our Facebook page. Donate to t he Friends Inc. @DJCCC

15

Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •Januar y 28, 2021

Gayles Family Singers And The Buffalo Bills!

T This Year Marks The Sixth Year Anniversary Of The UNIA-ACL Buffalo Division #433

A

long with celebrating this milestone, we look back at the past year with somber remembrance for those who are no longer with us. During these trying times, the local Government of the UNIA-ACL has remained steadfast in service to the people. The 433 Clean initiative provides hand sanitizers and soaps. The Black Buffalo Mobile App business directory and locator app has provided all with lion a direct link to local Black businesses.AdBLYDEN ditionally, this past year saw the promotion of this writer, Division President, Bro. Lion Blyden, to the position of UNIA-ACL Minister of Information, as well as the new 'Negro Voice' show on the 433tv YouTube page.

The biggest change for the local Division is the changing of the name. Now named the "Montgomery-Burrows Division 433," the local has chosen to honor two historical Buffalonian Garveyites, one male, one female in the interest of Ma'at and balance.

Named after UNIA-ACL Division #79 Lady President, "Rosa Montgomery, sister of Evangelist Henry Hall," who "was the first Black woman to become involved in politics in the mid-'20s" according to a historical article by T.C. Cool of the Buffalo Criterion. The article goes on to say, "She was an officer in the Criterion's Booker T. Washington GOP Club, and was one of the first leaders to turn Democrat in the early '30s." Mrs. Montgomery was involved in nominating the first Black politicians to run for office in Buffalo.

UNIA Capt. Howard B. Philips, who was the first to run for City Supervisor. John Reneaud who was later elected Fifth Division President, and lastly Sherman Walker. Mrs. Montgomery was the second woman to hold the position of Lady President, she was also President of the Empire Athletic Association and the National Hairdressers Association.

The second name, is to honor Percival Burrows, described in the Negro World newspaper as a self-made man. He was president of the Dining Car and Pullman Union and several othe runions here in Buffalo. He created the Voice of Buffalo newspaper in 1920 as the organ of the Division. This was likely the first Garveyite newspaper to be in print after the Negro World. Mr. Burrows was sent as a delegate to the UNIA-ACL conventions and later promoted to 1st Assistant Secretary-General and High Commissioner-General for Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Grenada, Brazil and Venezuela. He would be responsible for establishing twenty one Divisions in the Caribbean.

We hope to continue in these great ancestors footsteps, as we honor and remember them!

hirty-four years ago the celebrated Gayles Family Singers performed their very own rendition of the National Anthem, arranged by Edna Gayles Kee, before a crowd of 70,000 fans who cheered them on at Rich Stadium on Sunday, November 29, 1987.

They were later awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Bills organization "For Outstanding Entertainment During an NFL Game."

It was a great moment in the talented family’s singing career. “It will always be remembered,” noted Eleanor Gayles Davis. She is pictured above holding a poster featuring highlights of that memorable event including photos, newspaper clippings, and a $12 ticket to the Bills game.

“The Buffalo Bills won the game against the Miami Dolphins!” she recalled. The Buffalo Bills were “squishing the fish” even back then!

Go Bills!

Blanc Photographie

The Community’s Portrait & Event Photographer.

716.319.8979 • Facebook: Blanc Photographie • Instagram: @blanc_photographie

FREE THE BUFFALO 5! The community is asked to call D.A. John Flynn (716) 858-2424 Extension 1, and ask him to NOT oppose the Motion To Vacate Indictment 41-413.

16

Challenger Community News â&#x20AC;˘ t hec hallengernews.com â&#x20AC;˘Januar y 28, 2021

Andrew Cuomo, Governor â&#x20AC;˘ RuthAnne Visnauskas, HCR Commissioner

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