The AmsterdamNewsassumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Photographs and manuscripts become the property of The Amsterdam News. Published weekly. Periodicals Class postage paid at New York, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to NYAmsterdamNews,2340 Frederick Douglass Blvd., New York, NY 10027.
More than a $2.90 subway fare led to disastrous Brownsville police subway shooting
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
This week, the NYPD released camera footage of a police officer in a subway car shooting 37-year-old Derrell Mickles, a shooting which also injured two bystanders and another cop on Sept. 15.
Fierce debates on fare-evasion enforcement sprung from the incident as transit patrol officers Edmund Mays and Alex Wong followed Mickles into the station after he allegedly hopped a turnstile at Brownsville’s Sutter Avenue Subway Station, which services the L Train. As the cops turn him away, CCTV footage shows two other people climbing over the turnstile.
Mickles allegedly attempted to farebeat again, this time by walking through the exit door. The footage shows him allegedly holding a foldable knife. Mickles continues walking away, keeps his hands behind his back and pleads with officers to leave him alone.
The train arrives during the confrontation and he backs into the car, where the cops tase him, to little effect. A few passengers are seen sitting. Mickles exits the car and is shown running at Mays through the officer’s body-worn camera. He freezes when the guns come out. The officers fired a combined nine shots.
Dr. Christopher Mercado, a retired NYPD lieutenant and adjunct assistant professor at John Jay College, believes focusing the shooting simply on fare evasion is reductive. He points to outdated NYPD firearms training and the need for officers to interact with clearly-distressed individuals.
“Nothing we can do, people fare-evade all the time, that’s not [the] issue,” Mercado said. “I hate when folks go, ‘well, he got shot for $2.90,’ that’s banal and surface-level.”
Additionally, he believes the five days between the shooting and the camera footage release was “a mistake,” saying how critical transparency is after such a shooting.
Even during the press conference on the shooting, Chief of Transit Michael Kemper credited fare evasion stops for more than 20 gun arrests and 490 knife recoveries this year.
Black New Yorkers are significantly more likely to be arrested for thefts of services — the misdemeanor term for fare evasion — than white New Yorkers based on New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services data obtained by Police Reform Organizing Project founder Robert Gangi. Yet, white New Yorkers are significantly more likely to have a weapon during a stop than Black New Yorkers based on 2013 research from the Office of the Public Advocate.
Longtime NYPD critic Gangi believes fare evasion is a problem rooted in income inequality rather than crime.
that are essentially social or economic in nature, not by the use of the police department, but by providing sufficient funding and support to programs and services that are going to help people who are living below the poverty line in New York City,” Gangi said.
Mercado, on the other hand, believes such incidents would be better resolved if officers were better trained in mental health responses to prevent escalation.
“New York City cops get paid pretty well, we have a nice insurance package — let’s leverage that,” he said. “Let’s really be selective in the cops we get. And [cops are] de facto crisis counsel, whether you want to be or not. A lot of policing has a huge mental health component. I think we dropped the ball on that.”
evasion enforcement by armed police is necessary. Of course, funding the MTA’s services remains a concern. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani called current fare enforcement practices “ham-fisted” and pointed to a reduction in violence through a free bus pilot he helped push.
“Fare-free transit is safer transit,” Mamdani said in his statement. “In the fare-free bus pilot Senator Gianaris and I spearheaded last year, assaults on bus operators on fare-free routes dropped by 38.9%.”
2
“We need to find responses to problems
There’s also the question of whether fare
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
Sutter Avenue subway station. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Rep. Velazquez introduces Mel’s Law at the federal level
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez has introduced the idea for a new nationwide bill that would guarantee posthumous degrees to college students who pass away before completing their required coursework.
Velázquez designed the bill to resemble New York State’s recently enacted Mel’s Law, the legislation named in honor of Melquain (Mel) Jatelle Anderson, a former John Jay College of Criminal Justice student who was shot to death near Downtown Brooklyn’s Farragut Houses.
Though Mel’s life was cut short, his mother, Michelle Barnes-Anderson, and his aunts, Rev. Dr. Xenia Barnes and Khadedra Miller, fought to create legislation to honor his legacy.
“This Wednesday, on Na -
tional Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims, I will be introducing federal legislation modeled after New York’s Mel’s Law,” Rep. Velázquez said at a press conference in Downtown Brooklyn. She stood accompanied by local elected officials Senator Jabari Brisport, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, and members of anti-gun violence groups. Velázquez explained that the new federal version of Mel’s Law will require colleges and universities that receive federal funding to have an established policy for awarding posthumous degrees to students who pass away before completing their required coursework.
In New York state, Mel’s Law was introduced by Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and Senator Jabari Brisport and signed into law in 2023 by Governor Kathy Hochul. The law requires SUNY and CUNY schools to have an established posthumous degree policy.
The murder of Melquain (Mel) Jatelle Anderson on Oct. 25, 2017, is still a haunting moment. The young John Jay College of Criminal Justice student was shot to death by a stranger near Downtown Brooklyn’s Farragut Houses.
The 27-year-old Melquain was Barnes-Anderson’s only child.
After his murder, she and her sisters created the Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation (MJAF), a nonprofit that provides emotional and financial support to families who have suffered from gun violence.
“As a survivor, as a mother of a forever 27 year old, I just want to say I stand here and I feel like I’m standing for a thousand mothers,” BarnesAnderson told those in attendance at the press conference.
“The day that I woke up and I went to go get his degree, I just heard a song singing,” she said. “It felt so good, and I thought, other mothers should have that — they have to have
More confusion and folderol for voters
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
From now on, at 43 days until the presidential election, voters can expect countless polls with favorable and unfavorable opinions vacillating between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Just the other day, a New York Times/Siena College poll indicated that voters gave Harris a 4% advantage over Trump: 49 to 45. A few days later, though, the former president got some good news, especially across the Sun Belt, where he gained the lead in three key states: Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Keep in mind this poll was taken in these three states from September 17 to 21, immediately underscoring just how tight this contest is as it tumbles toward the finish line on November 5.
Results from the polls seem to mirror the current domestic and international turbulence, and such factors as the war in the Middle East, which seems to have taken a sharp uptick with the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalating, to say nothing of the apparent second attempt on Trump’s life. Even so, the economy, abortion, and immigration will continue to be critical issues, particularly for that large percentage of potential voters still undecided.
that because we should not have to look at the death certificate [of our child], we need to look at their degree because that’s their legacy. Their legacy is supposed to be there for their family, for their children, for their descendants to follow.”
The federal version of Mel’s Law will require all colleges and universities that receive federal funding to create a standard procedure for awarding posthumous degrees.
“If this deal is enacted into law,” Rep. Velázquez said, “we can provide thousands of grieving American families some solace and cement the legacies of young people whose lives were tragically cut short. I believe this is the least the federal government can do for families that have suffered so much. After all, it has been the federal government –– and the U.S. Congress –– that have failed so many people in this country.”
Back to the latest poll where North Carolina, which has not voted for a Democrat since Obama in 2008, is up for grabs — Harris trails Trump by just a narrow margin. Many pundits have concluded that if Trump loses Pennsylvania, he has to win North Carolina to stay competitive. According to one pollster, there is the possibility that both candidates can receive 269 electoral votes, each falling a vote short of victory.
The battle for North Carolina has taken a dramatic turn with reports around the controversy of Mark Robinson, the Black Republican candidate for governor. His posts in a pornography forum where he called himself a “Black Nazi,” his encouragement of slavery, and his disparaging words about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., have troubled the Trump team, forcing them to take a step away from endorsing him. It’s to be seen what impact this will have on the presidential and gubernatorial races.
Each day, like the polls, brings more fodder and folderol for voters to sift and comprehend, which only adds to the accumulated confusion. When the candidates were contacted about another debate, Harris was ready but Trump had declined — perhaps the best decision he has made during this unpredictable presidential race.
Anti-gun violence supporter Monique Favard holds a copy of Melquain Jatelle Anderson’s college degree while standing alongside Michelle Barnes-Anderson, Rev. Dr. Xenia Barnes, and Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)
Congress bill historically enshrining Rucker Park passes the House
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Congress got the ball rolling on H.R.6852
— a bill to designate Harlem’s Holcombe Rucker Park as a national commemorative site — and the legislation passed through the House of Representatives this past Tuesday, September 24. If made into law, the bill would federally enshrine what is arguably the world’s most famous public basketball court.
“That legislation is more than just a symbolic gesture,” said sponsoring Rep. Adriano Espaillat over the phone. “It’s really a commitment to recognizing the historical and cultural significance of one of Harlem’s most cherished landmarks, Rucker Park. Back in the ’50s, Holcombe Rucker, a World War II veteran, had a vision for Harlem’s youth, and he sought to create this space for young people as a refuge from the streets, and for them to push not only their basketball skills, but to push people toward higher education.”
Rucker organized street basketball tournaments around Upper Manhattan throughout the mid-1900s, ultimately drawing some of basketball’s biggest stars, like Wilt Chamberlain and Harlemite Lew Alcindor, best known today as NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Through hoops, more than 700 athletic scholarships sprung from his events by the ’50s.
While performances on the park’s hardtop
court, now named after another prominent tournament organizer, Greg Marius, do not count on an NBA statline, they remain piv-
otal to basketball lore. Kobe Bryant lives on through oral accounts of his 2002 appearance, down to the sunglasses and chain he
wore.
From contemporary international superstars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant to New York-bred talent like Jamaica, Queens’ Rafer Alston and Coney Island’s Stephon Marbury, Rucker Park allowed legends to grow even taller.
But while Rucker Park served as a staging ground for NBA players, it was a proving ground for streetball legends. Notably, Harlem’s Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond is said to have put up 50 points against Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving during a tournament.
A national commemorative site designation recognizes a place’s contributions to American history on a federal level. It also allows the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to partner with local organizations to drive educational initiatives for the park. Partnerships could range from schools to nonprofit organizations to the NYC Parks Department, according to Espaillat.
Espaillat added that he hopes such a designation will provide more opportunities for the surrounding community, particularly the NYCHA developments, which often have some of the best seats in the house for tournaments.
“First, there will be a federal plaque (installed) recognizing the park,” he said. “Second, it leaves the book open to educational activities [that] could be developed around the park, between the Department of Interior and [potentially] the New York
Staten Island African American burial ground named after Frederick Douglass landmarked
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
The New York City Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC)has officially designated Frederick Douglass Memorial Park on Staten Island as a historic landmark, due to housing one of the city’s only existing cemeteries built by and for Black New Yorkers.
“This recognition is long overdue and will solidify Frederick Douglass Memorial Park’s place in our city’s history,” said Councilmember Kamillah Hanks in a statement.
“Landmark status will provide the necessary support and resources to maintain and enhance the park, allowing it to continue serving as a place of reflection, remembrance, and celebration of African American heritage. By (having it achieve) landmark status, we ensure that future gen-
erations recognize and honor the contributions of African Americans to our city’s rich history.”
The memorial park, founded in 1933 by a Harlem funeral director named Rodney Dade, encompasses nearly 15 acres along Amboy Road in Oakwood Heights, Staten Island. Dade recognized the need to provide a sacred burial site for Black people in the city at a time when racism and racial segregation were rampant.
At white cemeteries during the time, Black families’ deceased were buried in the “least desirable” land plots, separated from others, and their visitors were made to use side entrances, according to the LPC. Dade teamed up with businessperson Benjamin Diamond and attorney Frederick Bunn to make the park happen, commissioning architect James Wallace Higgins to design it,
See STATEN ISLAND on page 25
See RUCKER PARK on page 25
Bill sponsor Rep. Adriano Espaillat (center) visits Rucker Park. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Congressman Espaillat)
Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Entrance (Photo courtesy NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission)
Kultivated Hair Care founder Greg Shepherd
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
Firefighter and entrepreneur Gregory Shepherd, 38, is the founder of Kultivated Hair Care, a natural hair care brand created with Black men, women, and children in mind.
“For me, when I’m going into the firehouse and leaving the firehouse, I want to look my best,” said Shepherd. “I want to smell and feel good, wash all that grime off from a long day and reset. That’s my way of resetting mentally.”
Kultivated products contain all-natural ingredients meant to promote length retention, smooth and soften strands, define curl patterns, and lock in moisture. The brand is plant based, vegan friendly, and handmade with no parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, sulfates, or petroleum.
Shepherd grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn. As a young child, he had a dream of being a firefighter. “It kind of ties into growing up into a less [well]-to-do neighborhood,” said Shepherd. “I would always see the firefighters in action, unfortunately. There were always fires in Crown Heights and Flatbush.” His path to becoming a firefighter wasn’t direct though. Shepherd took to working at a Chase Bank to make ends meet before attending college in Bowling Green, Ohio to study sports management. After his graduation, he decided a sports career was no
longer for him and returned to banking. A chance encounter with a FDNY battalion chief at the bank one day inspired him to return to his childhood dream. He studied and trained for the city’s arduous firefighter test and passed at age 28.
He’s been a firefighter for the last decade and is currently stationed at Brooklyn’s Engine 234, the firehouse with the highest number of Black firefighters in the city.
Shepherd said he’s never lost his entrepreneurial spirit through his years of saving the city. But he decided to pursue a hair care business specifically for his grandmother, Monica Alleyne, who was struggling with her own hair maintenance.
“She was allergic to a lot of different things and it was hard to find products that would work for her hair. So I started toying around with all-natural ingredients, trying to see what would work as well as not cause her a reaction. I formulated my hair butter and my hair oil,” said Shepherd. “From there it grew into 20 other products.”
Shepherd said that his first responder colleagues helped Kultivated become what it is today by testing and buying his products. His goal is to grow his business enough to be in larger retail establishments. Eventually, he wants to own a haircare storefront.
Kultivated Hair Care products can be found at www.kultivatedhaircare.com/ store and on Etsy.
THE URBAN AGENDA
By Frederick A. Davie
Mayor Adams: Respect Mayor Dinkins’ Legacy
Every mayor rightfully sees the safety of New Yorkers and the people who visit here as a top priority. Safety should include both smart policing and transparency and accountability, which requires serious civilian oversight of the police that is both supportive and corrective. It also requires objectivity and fairness.
But there seems to be too little daylight between Mayor Eric Adams and the NYPD to effectively achieve these dual outcomes. That’s not too surprising for a former police captain who ran for mayor on a law-and-order platform and has enthusiastically brought police officers into his leadership circle.
Unfortunately for the mayor, he is finding out that his uncritical allegiance to the police is not without its consequences. Facing multiple federal criminal investigations that have ensnared top officials in his administration, resulting in the untimely resignation of his hand-picked police commissioner, his chief counsel and that threaten to derail his re-election bid before it even begins, Adams is experiencing the most fraught period of his mayoralty.
At times like this, when the mayor feels unfairly criticized about his stewardship of the city, he invokes the name of the city’s first Black mayor, the late David N. Dinkins, who arguably was held to a much higher standard than white politicians of his day. And when the mayor resorts to this tactic, it’s calculated; he’s messaging to the city’s Black citizens that he, like his predecessor before him, is treated differently by the mainstream media because of both explicit and implicit racial bias.
But there is a glaring irony, however, to this mayor comparing himself to David Dinkins, considering how he has used his authority to weaken and undermine one of the former mayor’s most important and lasting achievements.
The Fight for An All-Civilian Complaint Review Board
Earlier this month, ProPublica reported that under former Police Commissioner Edward Caban, nearly 60 percent of all citizen complaints filed against NYPD police officers this year with the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), and substantiated by the oversight agency, were “killed” by the police commissioner without even reviewing the evidence. Among the complaints “killed” by the commissioner were allegations of illegal searches of homes and vehicles, use of excessive force and unconstitutional stopand-frisks, which coincidentally have soared under this mayor.
While his police commissioner was cavalierly dismissing hundreds of complaints lodged against police officers simply because he could, the mayor was using his power to push out the former chair of the CCRB for essentially doing her job, and freezing funding to the already understaffed agency.
I was a member of the Dinkins Administration when a mob of off-duty police officers stormed City Hall on September 16, 1992. They were protesting Mayor Dinkins’ support for the creation of an all-civilian complaint review board, independent of the police department, to review complaints against the police. That day, thousands of officers descended on the streets around City Hall, blocking traffic, damaging parked cars and spewing racial slurs about the mayor. Their outlaw behavior made an overwhelming case for why civilian oversight of police authority was needed.
In 1992, Eric Adams was a transit cop and a vocal police reform advocate. Standing only a few feet away from the assembled mob of officers near the steps of City Hall, Adams vehemently condemned the behavior of the cops that day, calling them a “drunk racist lynch mob.”
Thirty years ago, you likely did not have to convince Eric Adams that the city’s Black and Latino New Yorkers, who are disproportionately harmed by police abuse and already have a deep mistrust of institutions controlled and operated by police officials, deserve to have their documented complaints of police abuse heard and taken seriously.
When rogue police behavior goes unchecked, it reinforces suspicions within the city’s minority communities that law enforcement is indifferent to abusive treatment of Black and brown citizens. At the same time, when acts of police misconduct are swept under the rug or dismissed with a mere slap on the wrist, it taints the reputation of all police officers who conduct themselves with integrity, while giving abusive officers license to act with impunity.
An independent, respected and fully funded CCRB is essential to holding law enforcement accountable for their actions and reassuring the public that when an officer decides to make an arrest, detain a person or search someone’s home or vehicle, their actions can be subjected to independent oversight.
As the mayor navigates the current crisis engulfing his administration, my hope is that he will begin changing the way his administration, especially the NYPD, engages with the CCRB. That would help show the city’s Black and brown communities that while he may be wired to defend the police, he also respects and cares about the rights of everyday New Yorkers.
By doing so he would emulate one of David Dinkins’ greatest qualities: respect for the people he served, especially those most impacted by police misconduct.
Let’s lead the nation in accountable, transparent, and effective policing. That would be a legacy worthy of invoking the name of David Norman Dinkins.
Greg Shepherd. (Photo courtesy of subject)
Black New Yorker
City Comptroller’s new employment violations dashboard shames city’s biggest labor law violators
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Through a new dashboard on employer labor violations, the New York City Comptroller’s Office called out the city’s worst workers’ rights offenders through an inaugural “wall of shame.” Eleven companies were listed, including fast food chains Chipotle and Panda Express, rideshare services Uber and Lyft, and e-commerce giant Amazon.
Beyond massive corporations, Comptroller Brad Lander also pointed to a litany of local home healthcare companies on the blacklist as some of the worst wagetheft offenders, a crucial issue given the impact to a workforce composed primarily of Black and Brown women.
“The Wall of Shame is built on this broader employer violations dashboard, which is in different categories,” Lander said in a phone interview with the AmNews. “We look at companies that steal their workers’ wages through wage theft. We look at companies who put their workers’ lives at risk as measured by OSHA violations. We look at companies who commit unfair labor practices and violate their workers’ rights to organize, as determined by the National Labor Relations Board. We look at companies who don’t pay workers the prevailing wages they’re owed on city projects.
“What the wall of shame really is is the companies that were the worst in the different categories on the dashboard,” he added. “For example, Chipotle Mexican Grill, had the highest number of unfair labor practices [ULP] in New York City in 2023, and each company on the list was unfortunately top of one of those categories — and in some cases, they actually had violations across multiple categories.”
Chipotle earned a spot on Lander’s “wall of shame” for the highest number of unfair labor practices in the city with seven violations largely involving coercion and retaliation in response to union-organizing. In fact, the burrito bowl behemoth owed more than $350,000 to more than 9,000 employees when accounting for all violations recorded in the dashboard.
Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft paid out a combined $328 million, the biggest wage and hour settlement in the Office of New York State Attorney General prosecutorial history, after both companies allegedly deducted earnings from their drivers. Amazon faces the most amount of open ULP charges in the city. And Panda Express
paid out $3.45 million in the largest Fair Work Week and Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law settlement in the Big Apple last year.
Luxury brand Gucci also made the “wall of shame” due to a settlement with the NYC Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) over allegations that two store employees sexually harassed a colleague over a five year span, which the company was allegedly aware of. The $300,000 payout is one of the largest in NYCCHR history.
Lander stressed the fact that employers documented in the dashboard makeup just a small minority of the businesses operating in New York City. But he encouraged the public to dive into the database,
which he hopes will serve as a resource to job-seekers, consumers, and even the offending companies themselves. Currently, the dashboard tracks labor law violations from 2020 to 2023 that have been investigated by government agencies.
The “wall of shame” is partially inspired by other blacklists like the worst landlords watchlist started by the Village Voice and now carried on by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. The shaming tool led to direct accountability with city’s “worst” landlord Daniel Ohebshalom, who was court ordered to repair his units and subsequently held on Rikers Island after failing to. Initially, the slumlord listed his properties under proxy Jonathan Santana.
“By tracking these types of violations, we can better protect workplace safety, prevent wage theft, and ensure fair treatment, respect, and the protected right to organize for all workers,” said New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez in his statement. Neither Chipotle, Amazon, Uber, Lyft, Panda Express, or Gucci responded by press time.
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1
Union organizers protest Chipotle in 2021. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)
FDNY recruitment day
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
New York State Assembly Member Al Taylor will sponsor an FDNY Recruitment Day event:
Thursday, September 26
3 p.m. to 6 p.m. 2541 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (on 7th Avenue)
Assembly Member Al Taylor is sponsoring the event in partnership with the FDNY and Council Member Yusef Salaam.
This in-person recruitment event is designed to answer all questions about joining the New York City Fire Department, help guide applicants through the process, and give them information about upcoming testing. The FDNY test happens once every four years, so be sure to take advantage of this information session. Participants must attend the event in person.
AmNews Roving Camera
By SIYAKA TAYLOR-LEWIS Special to the AmNews
Q: What’s your go-to bodega order?
Ant, 31
Markram, 22
Brooklyn I work in a deli, I make the orders.
Brooklyn A Veggie Delight: Peppers, onions, avocados, tomatoes on a hero. When I walk in, they shout, “Veggie Delight!” Eggs, avocado, tomato, ketchup, hash browns on a croissant for breakfast.
The most common orders are chopped cheese, grilled cheese, and Philly cheesesteak. The top drinks are vitamin water, ginger ale, and Dr. Pepper.
Diamond, 24
Dawun, 24
Brooklyn Chopped cheese with everything, extra mayo, no ketchup. Iced coffee, extra sweet.
Brooklyn Bacon egg and cheese with ketchup and mayo on a roll. Iced coffee, light and sweet.
Ant
Markam
Diamond Dawun
(Siyaka Taylor-Lewis photos)
VOCAL-NY Gala for Healthy & Just Communities honors NYC Speaker Adams and other longtime advocates
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
The Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) Gala for Healthy & Just Communities celebrated the organization’s 25th anniversary of advocacy last Thursday, September 19.
At a lively gathering at the Roulette Intermedium in downtown Brooklyn, community advocates and leaders came together to celebrate their collective mission to improve the lives of low-income New Yorkers impacted by HIV/ AIDS, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and homelessness.
“I’m so excited to be here tonight to celebrate VOCAL New York’s 25th anniversary. We are so proud and grateful to be building on the legacy of our community organizing, our services that we’ve created together since 1999,” said VOCAL-NY Co-Executive Director Alyssa Aguilera.
For the last 25 years, the organization’s advocates have been instrumental in pushing criminal justice-focused legislation like the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act, the Fair Chance Housing Act, the Public Bathroom Reporting bill, the Homeless Sweeps Reporting bill, Daniel’s Law, and City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) voucher reforms. In recent years, it has expanded to include satellite offices in Kentucky in 2022 and Texas in 2023. This year they also launched a national chapter called VOCALUS. “This is just one of the many milestones we’re celebrating here tonight,” Aguilera said. “Some others include celebrating our first year and our new permanent home that we own, which has allowed us to dramatically expand our drop-in center and the lifesaving harm reduction services we provide to low income people
who use drugs every day.”
The gala’s honorees included New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Chief Chris Alexander, and longtime HIV/AIDS advocate Tracie Adams with their Justice, Compassion & Love awards. The awards are named after VOCAL founders Joe Bostic, Joe Capestany, and Jennifer Flynn. Speaker Adams, who received the Compassion award, was praised for standing up to Mayor Eric Adam’s administration and backing advocacy-led initiatives in the face of immense pushback from City Hall. She’s helped pass the CityFHEPS program reforms, affordable housing, and the passage of the How Many Stops Act and the city’s ban on solitary confinement in jails.
“VOCAL, we’ve come a long way and I’m just going to speak from the heart just to let you know that
we do what we do in this first women-led majority in the city council in the history of the City of New York,” Speaker Adams said in her acceptance speech. “We lead very, very differently. We lead from the heart first.”
She briefly discussed the fight for elected officials to legislate from lived experiences as constituents themselves.
“The speaker is still fighting with us,” said Elizabeth Mackey, a leader with VOCAL-NY’s Homelessness Union, “as we’re fighting to ensure that the current Adams administration implements the laws that we pass.”
Alexander, who suddenly resigned as head of the state cannabis agency this May, was given the Justice award and received thunderous applause. Tracie Adams, 58, who has been a leader with VOCAL-NY’s Rochester chapter and has been living with HIV for 20 years, received the Love award.
“I’ve worked with VOCAL for years. I worked closely with the leadership to help secure the new headquarters and have been involved in many [of their] big fights,” said Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who attended the event. “What inspires me about VOCAL is that they represent directly impacted New Yorkers, people who were formerly incarcerated, people who are living in our shelters, people who are struggling with substance use issues. VOCAL is them. And as the people who are directly impacted, they are closest to the issues. They are closest to the problem and they are best positioned to guide us on the right solutions.”
During the gala, organizers also took time to remember VOCAL members who have passed recently like Carl Stubbs, Felipe “Flip” Rodriguez, Curtis Jones, Craig ‘Primo’ Mack, and Greta Allen.
Speaker Adrienne Adams at the VOCAL-NY Gala on Sept. 19.
VOCAL Director of Organizing Jawanza James Williams (right) and his partner (left) at the gala celebration in Brooklyn.
Former New York Office of Cannabis Management Chris Alexander accepts an award at the VOCAL-NY gala. (Ariama C. Longe photos)
Speaker Adrienne Adams (left) presented an award at the gala event.
The stakes of an election have never been greater
Union Matters Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, on what the future holds
The entrance of Kamala Harris into the presidential race has created a level of excitement, enthusiasm, and energy we haven’t seen since at least 2008. Maintaining this grassroots momentum through Election Day, November 5, will be essential to overcoming the big-moneyed interests backing the Trump/MAGA agenda. It is not hyperbole to say that our freedoms, livelihoods, and democracy itself hang in the balance.
The Biden-Harris administration has been — unequivocally — the most pro-worker in U.S. history. They inherited a disastrous situation when they came into office in January 2021, with an economy in dire straits thanks to a completely mishandled pandemic response. Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires had caused our national debt to skyrocket by $8 trillion while he routinely opposed minimum wage increases, weakened overtime protections, and gutted workplace health and safety rules.
By contrast, Kamala Harris has championed workers’ rights while fighting the price-gouging that is driving inflation. As president, her plan is to lower costs by reducing the price of childcare and prescription drugs, forgiving student loan debt, stopping big landlords from increasing rents by more than 5% a year, and combating the corporate greed that is fueling high costs of living.
In the realm of healthcare, she will preserve the Affordable Care Act, which saves those who buy health insurance $800 a year, and defend Medicare and Medicaid from cuts. She will build on her legacy as vice president, in which she has been a key partner in the successful fight to lower the prices of prescription drugs, including capping the cost of insulin for 4 million seniors at $35/month. She will maintain the progress of closing racial disparities in healthcare through minimum staffing standards in nursing homes and in maternal care, and extending Medicaid coverage for a year after childbirth, and she will fight vigorously to restore the reproductive freedoms that were taken away from millions of Americans by Trump’s extremist Supreme Court appointees.
Harris’s bold vision of progress stands in complete opposition to Trump’s bleak and regressive agenda, embodied by “Project 2025.” This 900+ page document, which Trump is now trying desperately to disavow because it puts in writing exactly how he and fellow MAGA Republicans plan to seize and wield power, must
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
Voting is taking place right now for the election of the next president of Teamsters Local 237. With the counting of votes set to take place Oct. 8, Local 237’s President Gregory Floyd spoke with the AmNews about some of the initiatives he’s worked on over the years to keep the nation’s largest local Teamsters union relevant.
Floyd has served as president of Local 237 since 2007. He says that over the years he has worked with various governing boards to increase union members’ salaries, implement programs like longevity pay, and maintain the member’s vaunted $5 co-pays for medical visits.
“We’ve managed over the last 30 years, including during my 17 years, to keep our prescription co-pays to our members at a minimum. While prescriptions have gone up, we’ve managed to maintain that cost. We’ve also managed to negotiate increased annuities for our members, which remains in a separate account for them, and they get interest on it so that when they leave work, they’re leaving with, I would say, tens of thousands of dollars each.”
Floyd touts his ability to negotiate with the various entities that play a role in the functioning of his union members’ jobs. He says it has given Local 237 the ability to forge contracts that keep members safe and able to work. Local 237 has
more than 24,000 members. They work as public hospital police, elevator mechanics, school safety agents, custodians, cooks, NYCHA caretakers, water use inspectors, civil service attorneys, and cement masons/mason helpers. When union members have job issues, dealing with them often means negotiating with several different entities.
Contract negotiations can be challenging. “I wouldn’t say it’s combative,” Floyd said. “But in the public sector, there are factors that are involved. What are the factors? We have to look at what is the pattern and how do we get close to the pattern. How do we structure a contract that is, I would say, conducive to the needs of our members? Those are the factors.
“When you negotiate a CUNY contract for example –– a City University of New York contract –– you’re negotiating with three entities. It’s CUNY; it’s the city of New York, because twoyear colleges are funded by New York City; and you’re negotiating with the state because the four-year colleges are funded by the state. All three entities have to agree. That’s why CUNY is the most difficult contract to negotiate and the state pattern tends to be less than the city pattern, yet the city pattern has to be taken into account and so does the state’s. So that’s why it ends up as a blended rate, CUNY got less, a little less than the city employees, because of the state contract.”
Floyd is this year on the ballot against Mohamed Alshami, a City University of New York (CUNY) peace officer. As Local 237’s president, Floyd says he can do more for his membership. “When we go into negotiations [for healthcare prescription co-pays], we offset a lot of the costs by negotiating with the city to get additional money for our benefits. The second thing is we invest the money we get and through investments, we’re able to extend the cost. We also look for subsidized discounts in our prescription plan that allow us to get rebates. So with all that combined, it allows us to keep the cost down for our members, and keeps it at the same price that we have had now for 30 years.”
Floyd’s challenger’s claims that he would come into office and try to change the way Local 237 functions is not realistic, he said.
“If he happened to win, he doesn’t have control of the executive board. So how would he accomplish any of the things that he says he wants to accomplish? The bylaws state, you can make recommendations, but you have to get the approval of the executive board, which he does not have.”
President Floyd says he is expecting more progress with the upcoming contracts he and the board are currently working on for union members. The challenge from Alshami, who he still says he has never physically met, has come out of nowhere.
Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, poses with School Safety Agent union members. (Teamsters Local 237 photo)
GEORGE GRESHAM
New York Proud photo campaign showcases local immigrant stories throughout city
By TANDY LAU
Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Harlem-based artist Mayowa Nwadike normally captures the immigrant experience through his own brushstrokes, but he immediately agreed to be the subject matter himself when asked to participate in the New York Proud Campaign. The campaign tells the story of more than 25 first-generation New Yorkers through portrait photos placed throughout public spaces. The Nigerian-born painter calls the project an extension of his own artistic vision.
“To get to a new country and all the changes that come with that — such representation of us immigrants is encouraging,” said Nwadike over the phone. “Also, it’s really encouraging to be yourself.”
The pop-up exhibitions hit Times Square and Downtown Brooklyn earlier this month and stem from a collaboration between nonprofits the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and Photoville. Another installation currently runs in Queens until October 18 at Hunters Point South (between Center Blvd. and 51st Avenue). The
campaign will also show up on the city’s subway platforms. Venezuelan photographer Oscar Castillo snapped the portraits.
“The ‘New York Proud’ campaign is a beautiful testament to immigrant communities and their value to our society,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement. “The ever-expanding collection of portraits and narratives honors immigrants as not just a part of our history, but as an integral part of our city’s fabric and future.”
NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh told the AmNews that the series intends to “bring New Yorkers back to what really unites us,” as well as push back on anti-immigrant narratives. Portrait subjects feature new Americans, ranging from a librarian from Haiti to a fruit vendor from Côte d’Ivoire.
“We recruited the participants through our member organizations, through our staff and their partners, and reached out to certain people we wanted to include in the campaign,” said Awawdeh. “Everyone who we reached out to is incredibly eager and proud to join the campaign. [We hope] this is going to be a multi-year effort. Next year,
we’ll have another round of people and continue to highlight the importance of all of us[who] make New York, New York.”
Awawdeh said the campaign’s reception has been entirely positive, with many of the subjects getting long-awaited recognition outside their communities. He recounted excitement among those tattooed by artists featured in the campaign and celebration of an Albanian composer who is famous among the city’s Balkan residents. Nwadike said he also got the
chance to engage with other cultures through participating in the campaign. “I’ve also learned a lot about so many other places and the struggles, and what could drive people from [those] different places,” said Nwadike. “By working with the photographer, I’m having those conversations about the struggles of different countries and the politics. It just makes me see it’s really universal. People from different places — we all have a common thing that we all go through.”
Head and Neck Cancer Screenings in Harlem
The campaign arrives as anti-immigrant sentiment remains entrenched in both national and local politics, most recently with false claims targeting Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio by Republican officials.
“When you are constantly being inundated with divisive and dangerous and racist rhetoric, it really does harm people,” said Awawdeh. “That becomes mainstreamed in a way in which it shouldn’t. And the reality is that we’ve seen people who’ve been elected to office here in New York City and elsewhere, who continue to propagate misinformation and disinformation trying to scapegoat immigrant communities for their own failures as elected officials, and we’ll continue to see that.
“But what we want to do in this campaign is really unite the public.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
New York Proud Campaign wheatpaste (NY Proud Campaign photo)
Desegregation is not done!
We are constantly and importantly reminded of the struggle to desegregate our society. Often, that fight is massive with tumultuous marches and rallies, but there are countless lesser known incidents that are just as significant in bringing about the end of segregation.
Several days ago at Michigan State University in East Lansing, a ceremony was held to induct the 1965-66 football team into the college’s hall of fame. The event centered on the first fully integrated college team in the country that was a national champion for two years in a row. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Coach Duffy Daugherty and the school’s president John Hannah, 20 Black players recruited from the south, in effect, integrated the gridiron.
What Daugherty and Hannah did was labeled an underground railroad movement because of what predecessors had done a century or so before to facilitate the passage of African Americans fleeing bondage. The Spartans scaling the racial barrier in college football complemented the heroic efforts that transpired elsewhere during the Civil Rights Movement.
Writer Eugene Meyer in his blog, praising a new documentary, touched on another even lesser known desegregation moment in the nation’s capital 65 years ago at Glen Echo Amusement Park. As Meyer explains, Blacks had been barred from the park until a coalition of Black students from Howard University and largely Jewish residents of nearby Bannockburn mounted “a successful months-long protest.”
Meyer wrote that “After the arrests in 1960 of five Black students who dared to ride the carousel and an unrelenting desegregation campaign, the park owners opened its doors to everyone. Ultimately, the park closed and was purchased by the National Park Service, which still owns and operates a vast variety of activities there for the community at large.”
The annals of American history are full of these often forgotten mini-struggles and to a great extent the battles continue, and the lesson from all this is that the word desegregation may sound old and archaic, there is still much to be done to completely integrate our society.
Climate Week is a chance to make the next economy work for us
By BEN JEALOUS
The next economy – the clean energy economy – is here. The transition has begun. And we must seize the opportunity to shape our clean energy future.
That is why Climate Week happening right now in New York City is such a big deal. It is a chance to build relationships and grow the movement to tackle the climate crisis, as well as enlist more corporate partners and business leaders. It’s also a time to make sure all our partners, from both the public or private sectors, are centering environmental justice as we build and lead the next economy.
It is not the threat of climate change alone that is driving the clean energy transition. It is also being driven by market forces. Clean, renewable sources of energy are more resilient than fossil fuels. They are also less expensive and are getting even cheaper.
The clean energy transition can mean a windfall for communities across this country. Beyond reducing consumer costs for energy, Black communities will see a larger share of the health benefits by doing away with fossil fuels because we are currently among the most impacted by fossil fuel pollution. As Black people, we are more likely to live near coal plants and other sources of industrial pollution, as well as congested highways. That means more cancer, more asthma, increases in heart attacks and high blood pressure, and even lower birth weights.
tal and Climate Justice Program. One of the first things that program did was produce a report mapping the places most likely to be impacted by climate-related disasters — low-income communities and communities of color regardless of income level. The current national president of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, has continued the important work of that program. He has said:
new clean energy jobs created in the two years since passage of the IRA. If we build domestic supply chains for all this clean energy production, storage, and distribution, for every one direct clean energy job we create, we can create another four new jobs in areas like manufacturing and construction.
trees and green spaces in all our communities.
I have been on a national tour with USDA Under Secretary Homer Wilkes promoting the administration’s historic $1.5 billion investment in urban forestry. On average, parks in communities of color are half as large as the ones in white communities, and parks in low-income communities are a quarter the size of parks in higher income communities. This creates urban heat islands that make it as much as 10 degrees hotter on the blocks where people of color and lower-income people live. Adding trees also cleans the air. The National Recreation and Park Association found that trees in U.S. urban parks remove 75,000 tons of pollution per year. More trees also improve mental health, kids’ performance in schools, and even help reduce crime. Research has shown neighborhoods with 10% more tree canopy cover experienced about 12% less crime.
We also tend to live in more climate vulnerable areas – places more susceptible to extreme weather like flooding and dangerous heat waves. When I was national president of the NAACP, we created the Environmen-
“We care about the education of our children, but if the children are in unhealthy environments, we know that it impedes their learning. We care about health and access to health care, so we must care about the decisions that create mega health impacts.”
In addition to health benefits, the green jobs boom that will come from leading the next economy can mean a new age of equity in the workforce. Policies like the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are already spurring unprecedented investments by the private sector. There have been over 300,000
As new green industries become the foundation of our next economy, we have an opportunity to ensure women and people of color start on an even playing field. Where certain people and communities were left behind by previous economic booms, we can make sure that does not happen this time. But all the players – from the government to the companies making the goods and employing the workers – must do their part to make sure the clean energy transition is just and equitable. This is just one of the conversations I will be having with industry leaders during Climate Week.
Another important conversation is about the need for
Adding parks and trees to America’s cities is work being undertaken by community organizations, not just the government. And there is no shortage of corporate sponsors for this important work or ways for more businesses to get involved. There is room in every aspect of the climate movement for more people, more companies, and more industries to get involved and it can be good for their bottom line. At the Sierra Club, we have created a Green Ventures and Partnerships department specifically to increase this outreach and make our movement more inclusive. The transition is happening. Having partners that understand how to make it just and equitable will create a tide that truly lifts all boats.
Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ben Jealous (Christopher Jason Studios photo)
Fierce love on the way to the election: can we handle the truth?
REV. DR. JACQUI LEWIS
FIERCE LOVE
“What we have witnessed from Trump over the last few weeks is something new. Trump has clearly crossed into the domain of Nazi ideology openly.”
― Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
George Orwell
“Telling the truth about a lie is not spewing hate. Calling the truth ‘hate’ is a clever lie.”
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
I am a Christian clergy, and I know my Bible. Lying lips? That is an abomination. Bearing false witness? The Ten Commandments say cut that out. But my mother is the reason I get nauseous if I think about lying. “Do not lie” was her most important rule. Do not lie, she taught, because then you must keep lying and might even forget what the truth sounds like. Raised in the Black Church in Mississippi, there was no room for lies in Mom’s ethical universe — no lie too small to corrupt your soul, no situation so dire that it merited untruth. If you lied, she would not trust you. I could not bear the idea of losing her trust.
Is Trump an Authoritarian, Hitleresque Leader?
Some people are angry with me right now because I compared Donald J. Trump to Hitler. Yes, I did. So did J.D. Vance.
Vance wrote privately to an associate on Facebook in 2016, “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful), or that he’s America’s Hitler.”
So many people and news sources I respect agree. I am not the first and I will not be the last to liken Trump to Hitler, because there is validity and truth to the comparison. Patterns, behaviors, and words out of Donald Trump’s mouth tell the truth about this. Calling immigrants vermin in the same way that Nazi propaganda demonized Jews as rats or parasites. Spewing hate speech about blood being tainted, also like Hitler. Trump said Hitler “Did some good things.”
Lately, he has been lying about peteating Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. He knows it is a lie, and he doubles down. He is strategic about these lies. Because if he can get us all talking about immigration (and we are) he thinks he can win the election. And if he can get us all thinking about Haitians as people who eat pets, we can begin to think of them as less than human. And when he is ready to begin his mass deportation, we will have already “thingified” them, to use a term from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When they are thingified, they will be easier to deport, easier to despise, easier to disparage, and easier to destroy.
This pattern of lying, demonizing minorities, and outsiders, and promoting aggressive and violent behavior is an essential part of fascist and authoritarian regimes. I am not trying to insult, or be unkind, or anger Trump supporters. I am trying to teach, to raise an alarm, to say to people of good will and moral courage that this is a dangerous time, and Trump is behaving in dangerous ways. Good people have been here before, faced with leaders who have wielded a steady stream of vitriol and lies to dehumanize a group of humans — Jews, Muslims, gays, Roma, LGBTQIA folk, Indigenous folk, Black folk, Asian folk, poor people. We are seeing the signs. And in times of turmoil and stress, the human spirit is vulnerable to a strongman leader who suggests that he alone is the way out of difficulty — and that bigoted and horrible acts are courageous.
Politics (not) as
CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.
For those of you paying attention to New York City politics, you may be asking yourself, “Just what in the world is going on?”
Never in the modern history of the city have we seen the resignation of two police commissioners. We have not seen federal police raids on the mayor’s friends and inner circle at this scale. Nor have we seen a persistent and growing circling of sharks in the water, aka federal indictments, at this increasing speed.
The Truth Might Save Us
Being truthful is not just about what we say, but about how we move in the world and how we are. While lying trips us up, the truth liberates. The energy that is bound up in hiding, pretending, and lying can be used for love of neighbor and of self. This is another thing Jesus taught. He calls us to be truth tellers and truth seekers.
Sadly, as we seek the truth, lying is deeply embedded in our politics. The tacit norm is: If a lie is repeated often enough, reported often enough, quoted often enough, it becomes the truth. This was the biggest rally ever. This was the largest inaugural crowd ever. The election was stolen. Immigrants are criminals and rapists. Millions of people are coming to eat your dogs, eat your cats. These lies are dangerous.
Lies about a stolen election led to a violent insurrection, where people were killed.
Lies about pets being consumed by Haitian immigrants have led to bomb threats against children in school. Children.
What We Must Know
I am inviting you to be a student with me, dear reader.
Educate yourself and your community. Read about rising race hatred by members of Congress, as reported by an alliance of eight anti-hate groups. These members adhere to the “great replacement” theory — a belief that shadowy, often Jewish actors are orchestrating
See FIERCE LOVE on page 25
With all that is happening around Mayor Adams, it is still unclear whether our mayor has done anything wrong at all. He maintains his innocence and thus far, the clouds of smoke billowing around him have not amounted to any fire … for him. We do know time reveals all things and ideally for the citizens of New York, the mayor is only guilty of his loyalty to somewhat shady and unsavory friends. It is my sincere hope that we (survive and thrive during the November 5 election) and then enter the New York City municipal elections with clear minds and clearer information about how we would like to proceed with the leadership of our city.
There are several questions about the mayor’s level of competence, organization, judgment, and work ethic. That’s a tall order of critiques from many of his challengers, of whom there are currently four — and I suspect that number will grow, depending on how many more indictments are handed down and resignations are handed in. Thus far, those who have officially thrown their hats in the ring to chal-
lenge the mayor for the top job are former Comptroller Scott Stringer, current Comptroller Brad Lander, Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie, and Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos. The NYC election season next year will be one to be involved in, for sure. As of now, even former Governor Andrew Cuomo is sniffing around at a possible run for mayor, among a crowded field of candidates discussing truly important issues that affect our lives about everything from education to how we integrate migrant populations into our communities, from controlling the rat population to helping to think of ways to make the city more affordable and more safe. In recent years, participation in municipal elections has been embarrassing and downright abysmal. New Yorkers are not turning out to help make decisions about their own local futures. For a city that has more than a $100 billion budget and uses our tax money for myriad resources, it would behoove us to pay attention and participate in our own governance and democracy. I know many people are preoccupied with the presidential election, but it is time for us to walk and chew gum at the same time. Let’s begin to think about the 2025 primary election and become involved in the future of our city. It’s time to do some homework.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.
The Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft, Middle’s justice and organizing minister, alongside Middle Church member Joey Morelli at the church site in New York, recruiting volunteers for National Voter Registration Day (Photo by Patrick Mulcahy)
Caribbean Update
Kenya ramping up numbers in Haiti
By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews
After recent visits by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kenyan President William Ruto, it appears that the multinational force deployed to Haiti to help fight heavily armed gangs terrorizing citizens will significantly increase in size and strength with the planned arrival of 600 more Kenyan police officers in the coming weeks.
At the weekend, the Kenyan head of state made a diversion to Haiti on his way to the United Nations General Assembly to meet with Haitian government officials, Kenyan police officers, and other para- and military personnel on the ground, declaring that “our next batch, another 600, is undergoing redeployment training. We will be ready for the mission in a few weeks and look forward to the necessary support to enable their deployment. There are many people who thought Haiti was an impossible mission, but today they have changed their minds
because of the progress you have made.”
Once deployed to parts of Port Au Prince (the Haitian capital), the Kenyan contingent would be at full strength in keeping with a promise by the cabinet to send 1,000 police officers. As for the other dozen or so nations that have promised to send personnel, Jamaica has landed 20 soldiers and four police officers, the Bahamas five soldiers, and Belize two senior officers, to work with the command structure. Suriname is the other Caribbean Community (Caricom) member that has firmly pledged to do likewise, but nothing much has been communicated about this in recent weeks.
However, even as friends of Haiti are continuing efforts to ramp up numbers on the ground, the foreign minister of Benin, who has promised to send 2,000 soldiers when the time is right, said he foresees huge problems with the command structure, because he knows of no situation involving combat where highly trained soldiers are led and commanded by police officers, as is the case with
Kenya as the lead force on the ground.
“You cannot ask the military to be led by police officers,” Minister Shegun Adjadi Bakari told the Miami Herald, which is known for its exceptional reporting on Haiti. “This has never happened anywhere in the world. You need military personnel to lead military personnel. That’s where we are today — we said we cannot send our military to Haiti to be led by police. There is a diplomatic meeting planned with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later this month, and Benin plans to raise its concerns again. Our position is simple. We are ready. Our people are trained, they have all the authorizations, but at the same time, the United States, Canada, France, and other countries must commit in terms of funding.”
Ruto also complained about insufficiency of funding, noting that the numbers on the ground are way below what is required to fight off the gangs. He also said that “we do not have enough equipment.”
The Kenyan contingent arrived in June and July, while those from Caricom were deployed to Haiti mostly in September.
One way of improving funding for the mission, according to Brian A. Nichols, assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere, might be to convert the multinational security support system to a full-fledged peacekeeping mission, which would make it easier to attract funding. “A peacekeeping operation is one of the ways we could accomplish that. But we are looking at multiple ways,” Nichols recently told reporters.
The wider 15-member bloc of Caricom, of which Haiti is a full-fledged member and the last nation to join, is continuing its assistance to the interim government to prepare for general elections by early 2026. Officials said that if accomplished, that would result in the first elected government in several years, because the mandate for most elected officials has long expired. The gangs have emerged in numbers since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Conservative editor’s racial slur exposes MAGA’s deep-rooted fear of Black immigrants
In a shocking moment that went viral recently, Rich Lowry, the so-called editor-in-chief of the conservative National Review, had what can only be described as an honest moment, giving a window into the raw, racist undercurrent that fuels much of the MAGA movement and its “God,” former President Donald Trump.
During an appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Lowry used the n-word to describe Haitian migrants. He hastily caught himself and replaced the word with “migrants.”
Once critics started slamming him on social media, he quickly backtracked and falsely claimed he had said no such thing. But this momentary slip-up offered a glimpse into what many MAGA supporters truly feel, especially toward Black Americans and immigrants in the U.S. Lowry’s remark on video is clear. But his comfort in using the slur, especially in conversation with Kelly, hints at what these individuals may say in private and how they truly view Black people, immigrants or not.
Even more disturbing is the context in which Lowry’s comment came — while defending Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s false claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, allegedly abducting and eating pets. These baseless rumors have already been debunked by local officials, but that has yet to stop Vance and his supporters from pushing the narrative, further stoking anti-Black immigrant sentiments.
Vance himself admitted the rumors were false, but justified his actions by claiming he had to create stories to get media attention.
Trump continues to spread lies at his rallies on the heels of those he attempted to proclaim during the presidential debate. And the racist attacks haven’t stopped at lies about pet-eating. Donald Trump, Jr. has gone so far as to suggest that Haitian immigrants are inherently less intelligent than others, an assertion with no factual basis, but one rooted in long-standing racist tropes. In an interview with conservative host Charlie Kirk, Trump Jr. said, “If you import the developing nations into your country, you’re going to become the developing nations,” as if human worth can be reduced to geography and IQ scores. Then, in Northern Kentucky, speaking at a political rally on a farm owned by disgraced
former lawyer and past gubernatorial candidate Eric Deters, he said “pets are now being grilled.”
The reality is that MAGA’s strategy relies on fueling these racist ideas. A recent poll by YouGov found that a staggering percentage of Trump supporters — over half — believed Vance’s false claim about Haitian migrants in Ohio.
The purpose behind these fabrications is clear: dehumanize Black immigrants and create a sense of fear and disgust within the white voter base to help Trump win again.
At the heart of this wave of racist rhetoric is a deeper fear — the growing presence and influence of Black immigrants in the U.S. Black immigrants now make up 8% of the U.S. immigrant population, with many coming from the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. This demographic shift, coupled with the rising influence of Black and Latino voters as a block nationally, has clearly unsettled many in the MAGA camp, who see their vision of a predominantly white America slipping away.
At the core of this fear is the recognition that the Black population in America is growing, and with it, their political power. The thought of Black and Latino communities playing a larger role in shaping the future of the country has
terrified many within the MAGA movement. This is why they cling to these harmful lies so desperately — because the alternative, a more diverse and inclusive America, is something they simply cannot accept.
It is little wonder why House Speaker Mike Johnson is now linking the funding of the federal government for the new budget year with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.
Lowry’s slip of the tongue, whether intentional or not, revealed a rare glimpse into the true motivations behind the racist rhetoric embraced by MAGA leaders. Even though he tried to walk it back, the damage was done, exposing the deep-rooted racism that underpins much of their political agenda. This isn’t simply a case of misspeaking — it reveals a deep fear of change and the extreme measures taken to maintain white dominance. Immigrant and Black supporters of Trump need to wake up and recognize that they are being exploited for political gain.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news on the Black immigrant communities of the Caribbean and Latin America.
FELICIA PERSAUD
Black students face new barriers to elite colleges
By QUINTESSA WILLIAMS Word In Black
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end affirmative action, Black high school seniors are facing a new college admissions reality — particularly at some of the nation’s most elite institutions.
Predominantly white, elite institutions such as Amherst College, Tufts University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have all reported notable drops in Black student enrollment for their incoming classes. At Amherst, the percentage of Black students in the incoming freshman class plummeted from 11% last year to just 3% this year. Similarly, Tufts University saw a drop from 7.3% to 4.7%, while the percentage of Black students in the MIT freshman class dropped from 15% to 5% in just one year. In addition, the Brown Daily Herald recently announced that Brown University’s Black freshman enrollment dropped by 40%, dropping from 15% to 9% this year.
These reductions suggest that the removal of race-conscious admissions had an immediate and negative impact on Black student
Princeton University, Duke University, and Yale University showed little to no decrease or small increases.
Experts have been confused about why some institutions have shown an increase in Black enrollment, attributing it to changes in how colleges identify students or weigh application elements, such as the essay. However, many elite institutions saw significant decreases after the affirmative action ruling.
“Their decision moved the nation backward and upended decades of precedent that allowed America’s colleges and universities to build diverse environments,” said White House Press Secretary Karine JeanPierre during a recent press conference.
Indeed, the declining Black student enrollment at elite colleges and universities is more than just a statistic — it signals that the pathway to these institutions may be narrowing. This shift in college demographics is not only reducing the racial diversity of students at prestigious universities but also affecting K–12 education.
Ripple effects on Black K–12 students
In predominantly Black K–12 schools, where resources are often limited, Allison
to those opportunities means there will be fewer Black students with access to that network,” Wiltz told Word In Black. “Black K–12 schools receive significantly less funding, and research has demonstrated there is a connection between funding, grades, and test scores.”
Black students are more likely to attend underfunded schools with fewer experienced teachers and academic resources. “They can’t be expected to have grades and test scores that compete with those of students who received more funding,” Wiltz said.
The surge in HBCUs
At the same time that predominantly white colleges and universities are becoming less accessible to Black students, there is a renewed interest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — institutions that have long provided a supportive and culturally affirming environment for Black students.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, HBCU enrollment has risen by 4% this fall. In 2024, several HBCUs have experienced record enrollment increases: Bethune-Cookman University saw a 24.13% jump in enrollment, growing
tions for the incoming class of 2,500 freshmen, a 12% increase from the previous year, and Florida A&M University has seen applications nearly double over the last two years.
Angela Nixon Boyd, associate vice president of enrollment and dean of admission at Hampton University, emphasized the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision on Black students.
“I think that many students recognize that this ruling impacted them personally, and so they, again, want to be in an environment where they feel welcomed, feel safe, and … feel that they will have an opportunity for success,” she told WAVY in early September.
Where we go from here
Although the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions has introduced a new barrier to higher education for college-bound high school students, Kiara Wilson, a high school guidance counselor in Atlanta, Ga., said there are solutions.
“Educators and administrators must work to foster an environment where Black students continue to see higher education as an attainable goal,” she said. “This includes addressing the psychological impacts of seeing fewer
Alma E. Rangel, a social worker who championed senior citizens, passes at 94
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
Whenever former Congressman Charles B. Rangel talked about his beloved wife, Alma, he talked about the Savoy Ballroom where they met. That meeting occurred in the mid-to-late 1950s when she was Alma Carter, a social worker, and he was a decorated veteran of the Korean War. They cruised across the floor with the same assurance and movements that characterized their long relationship. He recalled their loving partnership in a statement, announcing that she had passed on Sept. 16.
“To those who had the pleasure of knowing my beautiful wife, Alma, let me take this time to thank you for sharing your condolences and sympathy for our family’s loss this week,” he wrote. “We have been so fortunate to enjoy Alma’s love, affection, and support over these many, many years that we can only thank God for having her with us for so long. On behalf of my children, Steven and Alicia, and my family, let me sincerely thank all of you for your words of support during this time of our loss. Your thoughts are sincerely and deeply appreciated.”
Moreover, he added, “I have received my share of accolades for spending half my life in public service, but without Alma beside me and behind me, I would not have been able to achieve all that I did. Her partnership was indispensable. No Alma, no Charlie.”
Among the first to extend their condolences were her Charlie’s colleagues and associates at City College, where he is the statesman-in-residence. “Mrs. Rangel was passionate, socially conscious, and driven in all her endeavors. She was a woman of great vision whose long meritorious service included founder and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses; president and CEO of the Ralph J. Rangel Foundation, which provides scholarships to students; and vice chair of the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens’ board of directors. Her hard work in the latter position resulted in the construction of the Alma Rangel Gardens, an 89-unit apartment building that provides housing and support services for low, and middle-income seniors in Harlem. Mrs. Rangel will be fondly remembered for her strong commitment to her family, and community, and as an inspiration to many,” the statement read.
In 1964, a year after Charles launched his political career under the stewardship of J. Raymond Jones, the “Harlem Fox,” the couple was married. And three years later, after Charles won election to the New York State Assembly, she began to gather a better notion of what it meant to
be the wife of a politician. An even deeper understanding of their companionship arrived in 1970 when Charles defeated Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. for Harlem’s congressional seat. Setting up residence in the nation’s capital was no easy task. In his autobiography “And I Haven’t Had a Bad Day Since,” Charles confessed that he had no particular vision for the family, and that “Alma would supply the vision.”
When they found a dilapidated house on Colorado Avenue in the so-called “Gold Coast” section of the city, Alma immediately went to work to get it in shape. “Alma converted the house into a magnificent mansion,” Charles recalled.
A raft of condolences was delivered to the press about Alma, including this one from a close associate: “I will miss my dear CBC Spouse sister of 53 years. She was a productive chair of our sister group leaving those of us who are still here with wonderful memories. I will miss our phone chats and her sincere wishes for me to visit her in New York. May she rest peacefully, I sorely will miss her, affectionately Leola ‘Roscoe’ Dellums.”
A memorial service for Alma E. Rangel is set for 10 a.m., Oct. 19, 2024, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, located at 219 West 132nd Street in Manhattan.
Alma E. Rangel with husband Charles B. Rangel
Alma E. Rangel (Photos courtesy of the Rangel family)
Arts & Entertainment
New book reflects on Malcolm X’s relationship to Harlem
By JULIAN MICHAEL CALDWELL Special to the AmNews
A new academic book edited by Harlem native Najha Zigbi-Johnson gathers a mix of essays, poems and visual art to reflect on Malcolm X’s political and cultural legacy in Harlem. Released on Sept. 13, “Mapping Malcolm” features contributions from artists, community organizers, and scholars like author and TV personality Marc Lamont Hill, visual artist Nsenga Knight, and author Joshua Bennett.
“Malcolm spent a lot of time organizing in Harlem,” Zigbi-Johnson said. “He came to Harlem to help establish mosques as part of the Nation of Islam. He spent a lot of time making friends, listening to music, [and] being an everyday person. But, particularly for this book project, I’m interested in the political and religious spaces that Malcolm helped to shape in Harlem.”
Zigbi-Johnson teaches at The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York, and until early 2023, spent more than two years as the director of institutional advancement at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree in comparative religious studies from Guilford College in 2017, and master’s of theological studies from Harvard Divinity School in 2020, where she also explored the history of Black social movements.
“Growing up, as someone who’s lived in Harlem my whole life, how I understood Harlem was through Malcolm’s legacy,” Zigbi-Johnson said. “Growing up on Malcolm X Blvd, passing Temple No. 7 [relocat-
ed since Malcolm X’s passing], watching people sell bean pies or copies of the Final Call. How I understood Malcolm was how I understood Harlem.”
Zigbi-Johnson spent two years curating “Mapping Malcolm” and began first by consulting with elders she’s encountered throughout her years as a community organizer for names of people whose voices would be welcomed in the book.
“I also was really interested in approaching a new set of people who may not always be connected to Malcolm’s scholarship. I wanted to include emerging scholars, Black and Brown voices, Muslim people, [and] women. People who have in their own disciplines been informed by the legacy of Malcolm X, and also the legacy of the Black radical tradition.”
“Mapping Malcolm” includes an essay from Marc Lamont Hill about his personal relationship to Malcolm X’s philosophies, which he was introduced to by his older brother. Nsenga Knight contributes an art piece on the last rites and rituals that were a part of Malcolm X’s muslim funeral services. Late actor Ossie Davis’s son, Guy Davis, hand wrote his father’s famous eulogy for Malcolm X, in which he called the activist “our shining black prince,” and added his own reflections on his father’s speech.
“It is a scholarly project, but the book is meant to be engaged in a lot of ways,” Zigbi-Johnson explained. “You can read a poem and then close it, you can look at a piece of art. It’s meant to offer a range of entry points to think through the legacy of Malcolm in a new and more expansive way.”
The book is published by Columbia Books on Architecture in the City, a subsidiary of Columbia University Press, a nonprofit press part of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. While participating in a fellowship at the graduate school, Zigbi-Johnson held a lecture called “Reframing Power” that used Malcolm X’s legacy as a guide on how to restructure the relationships between institutions like Columbia, and the communities that they’re in.
The April 2022 lecture sparked a conversation with the school’s affiliated publisher, which led to the creation of the book. Zigbi-Johnson doesn’t shy away from the belief that Columbia University’s development and presence in Harlem is at odds with her values.
“I was exploring the relationship between Columbia and Harlem, and the way that the institution has been a gentrifying force,” Zigbi-Johnson explained. “The people who run the press have a deep understanding of community development and sovereignty that’s rooted in our collective flourishing. Rather than trying to shy away from the fact that we are also attached to this institution which has not done right by our community, and not done right by its students, there are still voices of moral clarity in the institution, and that press represents one of them.”
“Mapping Malcolm” is a collection that brings together commissioned works created specifically for the book, in addition to pieces selected by Zigbi-Johnson that had already been created previously. Some of the works are more indirectly related to
Malcolm X and his work, like an essay on the architecture of the Harlem home of activist and Malcolm X’s friend Yuri Kochiyama, which was a gathering place for organizing work in the 1960s.
“This book and the work that’s in it is not biographical,” Zigbi-Johnson said. “It’s not a biography of his life or [of] the Shabazz family. It’s a reflection of what a range of people think when they remember and invoke Malcolm’s spirit in the work that they do.
“This is for my generation to continue to think about Malcolm. To continue recognizing that places like the Shabazz Center exist, that the Theresa Hotel has this incredible history. People like Malcolm X were struggling and building, and being powerful every single day right on this [Lenox] avenue.”
“Mapping Malcolm” is available online on Amazon and at cup.columbia.edu.
(Book images courtesy of Ayem Design and Columbia Books on Architecture and the City)
The Whitney's ‘Edges Of Ailey’ presents the essence of Alvin Ailey
By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews
“Edges of Ailey” is the Whitney Museum’s stunning, groundbreaking, exhibition dedicated to the brilliant, mold-shattering choreographic genius Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) which runs from Sept. 25 until February 9. It is the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, and enduring legacy of the visionary artist and choreographer whose global impact on dance is undeniable.
While the word “exhibition” itself often conjures up images of brilliant paintings hanging on a gallery wall or imposing sculptures demanding our attention and whispered admiration, this undertaking performs the magical feat of capturing lightning in a bottle, making it extraordinary.
The exhibition is a dynamic interdisciplinary showcase that takes a 360 degree look at the scope of Alvin Ailey’s personal and creative life and the world that gave birth to both bringing together visual art, live performances, music,
and, of course, a treasure trove of archival material, in addition to a multiscreen video installation drawn from recordings of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater repertory. The Whitney exhibition offers a robust program of over 90 live dance performances, classes, and engaging talks as part of the exhibition. Presented in the museum’s third-floor theater, this series of programs will accompany the exhibition’s in-gallery component, which includes works by more than 80 artists and neverbefore-seen archival materials.
As the Whitney Museum exhibition curator Adrienne Edwards told the Amsterdam News during a recent interview, “In some ways, ‘Edges of Ailey’ is three exhibitions in one.”
She continued: “In the gallery space you have the video, which is a little under an hour, that takes you from Ailey’s beginnings in Rogers, Texas. We sent filmmakers down there to record the landscape and to talk to the people, and visit the church he referenced often, as well as this lake that he talks about being inhabited by this
ancient alligator. Then we turn towards the archive and you’re able to spotlight key dances, like ‘Cry’ and ‘Revelations,’ and it culminates with Ailey at the Kennedy Honors, introduced by Cicely Tyson. Also, there is the video that longtime Ailey dancer, the late Dudley Williams, made when Ailey was hospitalized. It is so moving. That’s one experience. Then you could come back to the museum and spend all the time you want in the archival section of the exhibit — a whole section dedicated to the people that influenced Alvin Ailey, who he was in conversation with. It’s not just what we found — photographs, correspondence, and ephemera. It’s also the music of Duke Ellington, the work of Langston Hughes, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Lester Horton, Ted Shawn, and more. Then, there are his notebooks where you can see him writing on different topics. That’s one experience. Then you have the visual artworks, another and very important experience.”
The impressive scope and scale of the exhibition is made even
more magnificent thanks to the invaluable collaboration and input of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and such luminaries as Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison, Executive Director Bennett Rink, Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, former Artistic Director Robert Battle, former Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, and Ailey Archivist Dominique Singer. They and others who knew and loved Alvin Ailey and danced or worked with the company have added flesh to the skeleton and breathed life into the body of the Whitney project. By sharing their incredible wealth of knowledge, these long standing associates are responsible for helping to breathe life into this remarkable exhibition. For instance, Alvin Ailey’s notebooks were discovered by Sylvia Waters and Masazumi Chaya when assembling material that would form the Ailey archive following his death. Now, they offer an invaluable glimpse into the mind of the genius. “Every page turn was literally a page turner,” Waters said of the note-
books which are among the treasures on display at the Whitney exhibition.
“The exhibit delves into corners of Alvin’s life where you are getting the essence of who he was and why he did what he did and what compelled him, motivated him, and inspired him to do this,” said Waters, who not only danced with the company but was the founding artistic director of Ailey II and served as executor of the Ailey estate. “The breadth of it to me is amazing and what you’re struck by when you go in is the film footage, larger than life, of all these women doing ‘Cry’ (the iconic 1971 work Alvin Ailey choreographed as a tribute “For all Black women, everywhere – especially our mothers” and which catapulted the mesmerizing Judith Jamison into a dancer’s stratosphere.). It’s brilliant the way they put that together,” Waters added. The film is yet one more indication of Ailey’s prescience because, Waters notes, the company had just come off of a whirlwind tour when Ailey took
Continued on next page
Normand Maxon, Alvin Ailey, c. 1950-1960 (Images courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art)
(From left) Carmen De Lavallade, Adrienne Edwards, and Ben Vereen. (Jason Lowrie/BFA.com photo)
Installation view of Edges of Ailey. (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025)
them to the Harlem School of the Arts where the dancers videotaped many of the works in the company repertory, leaving this invaluable visual record.
Presented at the museum in multiple parts, the in-gallery exhibition also features the work of artists, a mix of Ailey contemporaries and young artists, some who made works for the exhibit. The list is an impressive one that includes Jean-Michel Basquiat, Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Alma Thomas, Jacob Lawrence, Rashid Johnson, Kevin Beasley, Kara Walker, and many others. “Edges of Ailey” also includes a weekly roster of live dance performances, talks, and workshops in the museum’s theater. This includes the AILEY organization in residence at the Whitney for one week each month, for a total of five weeks, and over 90 performances. When AILEY is not in residence at the museum, a series of dance commissions by leading choreographers and their collaborators will take place.
The Whitney dance performances will include: Sept. 25–29: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II; Oct. 4–6: Trajal Harrell; Oct. 10–12: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE; Nov. 1–3: Matthew Rushing; Nov. 7–9: Yusha-Marie Sorzano; Nov. 16: Bill T. Jones; Nov. 20–24: Ailey II; Dec. 13–15: Will Rawls; Dec. 18–22: Ailey II; Jan. 9–11: Sarah Michelson; Jan. 17–19: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar; Jan. 22–26: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School; Feb. 6–8: Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born; Feb. 7: Ralph Lemon and Kevin Beasley.
Additional performances and programs will also be added throughout the exhibition For more info, visit www.whitney.org.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Janet Jackson’s fake apology, new music and film from Whitney Houston estate
According to multiple reports, Janet Jackson did not apologize for comments about a false conspiracy theory about Vice President Kamala Harris’s race, despite a statement that claimed she was apologizing. A man named Mo Elmasri, who claimed to be Janet’s former manager, issued an apology on her behalf after the award-winning songstress/actress questioned the presidential nominee’s Blackness, in an interview published in The Guardian on September 21. Us Weekly confirmed via Janet’s real representatives that Elmasri has never been affiliated with the superstar and that her brother Randy Jackson has been her manager for years. However, the jury is still out about why Janet made the false statement about Harris to The Guardian and when she will apologize for it herself.....
The city of Newark, New Jersey, celebrated its own native son, brand maker Angelo Ellerbee by renaming Treacy Avenue & Madison Avenue “Angelo Ellerbee Way” on Sept. 19, in recognition of his incredible contributions to the arts, culture, and the community. The legendary publicist and mentor is also the bestselling author of “Before I Let You Go,” which has taken Amazon by storm. The afternoon was hosted by fashion icon June Ambrose and Rev. Louise ScottRountree, councilmember-at-large. Meanwhile, crooner Jeff Redd and his wife Theresa O’Neal Redd are hosting a book signing for “Before I Let You Go” on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 3-6 pm at Reimagined BK Boutique in Brooklyn, New York......
Hot on the heels of his newly-released singles “Together” and “3,333,” Chicago native and three-time Grammy Award-winning musician and humanitarian Chance the Rapper teamed up with Raising Cane’s for a $100,000 donation to his youth empowerment charity SocialWorks. Founded by Chance in 2016, SocialWorks helps thousands of youth each year through education, mental health, homelessness, and performing and literary arts. While he was at the restaurant, Chance greeted fans and served up a Box Combo for his brother Taylor Bennett before departing for Michele Clark Magnet School, where he served students from the Raising Cane food truck....... Trafalgar Releasing and Sony Music Entertainment, in partnership with the Estate of Whitney E. Houston, The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and Primary Wave Music, recently announced the 30th Anniversary celebration of Whitney Houston’s historic South Africa Concerts with a fully-remastered worldwide theatrical release Oct. 23 & 27. The limited theatrical screenings will feature the never-beforereleased concert from Durban, South Africa, which has been remastered in 4K with remastered audio. The new live album, The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban), will be released on Nov. 8....
Geoffrey Holder, Portrait of Carmen de Lavallade, 1976. (Images courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art)
Jack Mitchell, Alvin Ailey (forefront) with Carmen De Lavallade, Bruce Langhorne, and Brother John Sellers in “Roots of the Blues", 1961.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey.
Hugo Arellanes Antonio: Photos of Black pride in Mexico
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
When Hugo Arellanes Antonio moved from his rural hometown of San Juan Bautista Lo de Soto to his nation’s capital, Mexico City, in 2014, he hadn’t planned on staying in Mexico City.
Scheduled for only a few days of vacation, Arellanes found he liked the city, and after being offered work as a wedding photographer, he decided to stay.
The Mexican capital was different from his southwestern hometown. Arellanes said he hadn’t always been able to get work as a photographer back in San Juan Bautista Lo de Soto because photography was often not valued as real work. “It’s like it’s not considered a job: It’s like a hobby,” Arellanes explained. “For the people in my community, working means that you’re going to sweat, that your hands are going to hurt, that you’re going to suffer.”
Tourists often visited his hometown, but few contributed to the local economy. Most purchased their tourist trinkets in the region’s larger cities — places like Oaxaca, Acapulco, and Puerto Escondido. Tourists only come to smaller locales along the state of Oaxaca’s Pacific coast to take their own, stylized picturesque photos.
Arellanes said that in San Juan Bautista Lo de Soto, most people would photograph houses that might be in disrepair or a young
child whose clothes looked a little shabby. In his predominantly Afro Mexican and Indigenous town, the people were being characterized by photos that portrayed them as poor and illiterate. Given a camera by his parents, Arellanes had begun taking his own photographs to show his community in a new light. When he brought his love of photography to Mexico City, he also brought his desire to widen knowledge about the nation’s Afro Mexican communities.
Arellanes has some of his documentary and conceptual photographs on view through December 2, 2024, as part of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture’s “Visibility & Resistance: New Acquisitions, Contemporary Afro-Mexican Photography” exhibit. He leads Huella Negra (Black Footprint), an organization that pushes for the recognition and civil rights of Afro Mexicans —– particularly those living in Mexico City. “I had already started Huella Negra on the coast,” he said. “What we wanted to do was to make it clear that Afrodescendants exist in Mexico because very little is known about our history –– our history has been made invisible, or never been told. And for us, it was important to start telling it.”
Enslaved West Africans came to Mexico via landing sites in the ports of Veracruz, Campeche, and Acapulco. From there, they were dispersed throughout the coun-
try. By the mid-17th century, Mexico’s African population was larger than its enslaving European population; according to anthropologist Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán, it had increased from 0.6% to 2%, while Europeans barely amounted to 0.8%.
The African influence took sway over Mexican food, dance, and culture, but acknowledgment and appreciation of the African presence in Mexico were not widely promoted. Mexico’s Black heritage was not chronicled in the nation’s history books. Even in Black communities, activities like African drumming were banned by entities like the Catholic Church.
That strong cultural tradition had to be transformed into zapateado: foot-tapping, a form of tap dancing or making drum sounds, but with the feet. Black Mexican communities have used the zapateado to perform Africanbased musical traditions called sones, which, according to oral traditions, were dances used to celebrate freedom from enslavement and the symbolic trampling of Spanish oppressors.
In the Costa Chica region, Arellanes said, people dance the Son de Artesa; in Veracruz there is the Son Jarocho; and in various other regions, there are the Son Calentano and Son Tixleco — sones created in the Tierra Caliente zone.
Other than these types of zapateados, most Afro Mexicans had
little understanding of their African heritage. One person who has had a tremendous influence in helping people learn about their heritage is Father Glyn Jemmott, a Roman Catholic priest originally from Trinidad and Tobago who was assigned to minister to a parish of a dozen Costa Chican villages in 1984 and couldn’t fathom why the community was so out of touch with their heritage.
Alongside his Catholic ministry, Jemmott began conducting workshops with community members, particularly local children. “... for us, it was a way to begin to say that we were Afrodescendants. We could begin to say, for example, when we would use a color to paint ourselves, we would use a color that is our skin color. We no longer chose pink; we chose brown, or black, a softer color,” said Arellanes.
“That was a way for us to discover that we were not the same [ethnicity] as other parts of Mexico. It also gave us a sense of pride — we no longer felt ashamed, because my parents, my grandparents, obviously knew in some part that they were Afrodescendant people, but they didn’t want to talk about it, because they felt –– they were made to feel –– ashamed for being Black, because Black people have always been discriminated against.”
Mistreated, underemployed, living in poorer communities: Afro Mexicans felt the brunt of the na-
tion’s racism but would not acknowledge it, so they had no way to confront it. Mexico had promoted itself as a mixed/mestizo “cosmic race,” a place where European, Indigenous, and African races had joined as one. “Here they started to talk about the so-called bronze race, which were the Mexicans, and everyone thought we were mestizos, but the truth is that we are not,” Arellanes said.
“There are many populations where there are still many Black communities, but they do not want to talk about it, because it is still difficult for them. Now, with all of the activism we have done to sensitize people to our existence, people are now saying, ‘Ah, I am also Afro.’ But before, they did not talk about it; the less they talked about it, the better it was for them.
“The problem is that these issues have only been discussed within the activist world or within the world of academics. Very little of this information has been brought to the people, so in that sense, people still need to understand that being Afrodescendant is not bad. Blackness has always been associated with bad in Mexico. What we are doing now is to raise awareness and to say, ‘Afro is not bad, Afro is good, too.’ What I do with my photos is to photograph positive references and print those images, so that the children, the young people who see them, say, ‘Ah, I want to be like him or her.’”
Karen Juanita Carrillo with Hugo Arellanes Antonio at Brooklyn Bridge Park (Hugo Arellanes Antonio photos)
(Photo by Cory Clark/NurPhoto via AP)
Union Politics & Power: Labor activists are organizing to impact the election
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
“We get on the bus early in the morning, and put on our purple gear so everyone knows that we are 1199,” says Brookdale Hospital patient service associate Dianne Dixon. “We get in groups, and we go to neighborhoods and knock on doors and then speak to voters, reminding them of the importance of getting out there to make a difference.”
Dixon is a member of 1199SEIU’s Weekend Warriors –– union members who voluntarily canvass various neighborhoods, and sometimes other states, to help boost voter education and registration for the upcoming elections.
Local unions like 1199 recruit volunteers and bus them to battleground states in ongoing efforts to encourage voter participation. Union members say they are compelled to get information to voters about this year’s candidates and what the results of this presidential election could mean to union families.
Dixon addresses the person opening the door she just knocked on with “Hi! How are you today? We’re here reminding our community that it is important to vote and we’re speaking about Kamala Harris. Have you heard of her?”
She’ll get a few people who say they’ve never heard of current Vice President and presidential candidate Harris, so she and her fellow Weekend Warriors will try to talk about Harris and what she’s done for the community. “We usually get a good response — a few negative ones, but usually good.”
Most labor activists are out canvassing in support of the Democratic Party ticket. Once President Joe Biden ceded his presidential ambitions to a Harris candidacy, labor movement activists were quick to voice support for the new candidate and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The United Auto Workers (UAW), AFL-CIO, United Federation of Teachers (UFT), and various other unions immediately announced they would back the ticket.
The only major union that does not support Harris is the Teamsters. According to an internal electronic poll, 60% of the Teamsters membership was eager to endorse Donald Trump. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ executive board, which has backed every Democratic presidential nominee since Bill Clinton, has refused to issue a presidential endorsement to its membership for the first time since 1996. Critics have blasted the executive board for forgoing an endorsement and not guiding its members with crucial
information about this year’s election.
At the regional level, some sub-councils have broken rank, announcing that they are supporting Vice President Harris, including the Teamsters National Black Caucus; councils in swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada; and here in New York City.
“Local 237 members are overwhelmingly Kamala Harris supporters,” said Gregory Floyd, president of the 25,000-member Local 237 Teamsters. “We just don’t agree with Teamsters throughout the nation who’ve decided to remain neutral. We stand for a fairer America. We stand with Vice President Kamala Harris for president.”
The economy, healthcare, Social Security Candis Tall, vice president and political director of SEIU 32BJ, told the AmNews that her unit has been talking to its members about this upcoming election for some time now.
“We actually started early in the summer, going out and talking to our members at their work sites about what issues were important to them in this election,” she said. “We surveyed over 12,000 of our members across all of our states about what they care about, and of course, it’s not a surprise to know that it’s the economy, it’s healthcare, it’s Social Security, it’s immigration, it’s cli-
mate safety. These are the issues that our members care about, which is very similar to the issues the rest of Americans and New Yorkers care about.”
Tall said that leaders use those insights to reiterate the importance of voter registration and relaying where candidates stand on those issues.
Unions in New York are also making it a point not to educate voters solely about the presidential ticket. They are also emphasizing that congressional races and the fact that the ability to win back the House of Representatives in D.C. are going to fall on New York and California.
“We’re running a multi-pronged approach,” said Deborah Wright, political director for RWDSU-UFCW. “We are clearly focused on the top of the ticket — the presidential race — but we are also really focused on the congressional seats right here in New York. And we’re also focused on some of the lower ballot races in the State Senate and the Assembly, so we’re trying to really make a difference in several different areas.”
Union canvassing has meant talking to union members and the larger public about the importance of electing pro-labor candidates. The push for the union vote during this year’s national elections has been a Continued on page S5
Brooklyn 1199 Members getting ready to knock doors in Long Island. (Photo courtesy from 1199SEIU)
The healthcare workers of 1199SEIU applaud the Amsterdam News on decades of outstanding labor journalism!
We congratulate this year’s Labor Award recipients:
Mario Cilento President
New York State AFL-CIO
Vincent Alvarez President
NY Central Labor Council AFL-CIO
welcome surprise for labor activists. Neither Republicans nor Democrats had prioritized prominent labor union concerns over the last few decades, but with one in every five voters –– some 20% in swing states –– being a union worker, both presidential and local candidates have been courting union support this year.
Union presidents were prominently featured at this year’s Democratic National Convention (DNC). AFSCME’s Lee Saunders, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President April Verrett, Laborer’s International Union of North America (LIUNA) President Brent Booker, Ken Cooper of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Claude Cummings Jr. of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and Liz Shuler of the AFL-CIO joined together during the DNC to say they would support the Harris-Walz ticket because even before Biden walked the picket line with striking United Auto Workers (UAW) in 2023, Harris had marched alongside McDonald’s employees when they picketed for a $15 minimum wage in 2019.
As vice president, Harris supported crucial labor-friendly legislation like the American Rescue Plan of 2021; when she was a senator, she voted for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Harris even led the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, which was designed to make it easier for workers to form unions.
Labor activists expect the pro-labor BidenHarris policies to extend to a Harris-Walz administration: fair pay for a hard day’s work, lowering unemployment rates, supporting project labor and collective bargaining agreements along with higher standards of living, health care, retirement security, and the free and fair ability to join a union.
The current climate for labor unions is promising. Activists want this political atmosphere to grow and not face the headwinds of another anti-union administration.
The link between labor and civil rights Biden used his economic agenda, Bidenomics, to empower workers and show himself as what he termed “the most pro-union president in American history.” The BidenHarris administration was the first in years to tackle the 40-year U.S. decline in unionization by embracing the labor movement and making workers’ interests once again a part of the daily discourse.
The previous Trump administration dismissed labor’s concerns by appointing an anti-union lawyer, Eugene Scalia (son of former right-wing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia), to head and dismantle the Department of Labor. Under former President Barack Obama, labor unions were dismayed to watch the gig economy grow with few workers’ rights regulations.
In the past, pro-labor activism worked alongside civil rights activism to counter corporate power and push for the rights of
"Those will come together and in places where there's not common ground, we'll fight again. Because that's what we do, you know, we're a labor union. And we believe in fighting for the rights of our folk and we'll continue to do that.”
—Candis Tall , SEIU 32BJ Executive Vice President
the U.S. working class. As early as 1929, the AmNews was writing about the initial joining of A. Phillip Randolph’s historic Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) with the American Federation of Labor. Together, the two organizations had been exposing how African American railroad car porters and maids were being intimidated by the Pullman Company.
Once the BSCP was granted a federal charter to join the AFL, union members felt more empowered. Randolph told a meeting of Harlem union members that the morale of BSCP members across the country increased 100% with the new charter: “At the next convention of the American Federation of Labor,
office. The Act’s seventh amendment made it illegal for employers for the first time to not hire someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Elections affect jobs and lives
Having a job is one thing, but reinforcing awareness of why union workers have and can keep a job –– particularly in guaranteed health and safety benefits, and which contracts dictate how salaries are paid — is all part of the worker education efforts labor activists put together.
In this political season, labor unions want their members to understand how political elections will affect their jobs.
According to RWDSU-UFCW’s Wright, “The international office, based in New York City, is working directly with the local presidents, creating programs for them to not only just make sure that their members are registered to vote. We have opportunities there for members to check their registration status, even if they believe they are registered to vote — sometimes they move and sometimes they forget to actually change their registration status, so we’re trying to make sure that we pick up any of those types of issues. But then, also for members who haven't registered to vote yet, we make sure that they have all the information and help they need to be able to do that so they actually can vote.”
Door-knocking, phone-banking by calling every listed union member and every registered voter, reminding folks about voting deadlines, making Facebook and Instagram posts, sending text messages and emails ––everything is being used to get the word out about the candidates labor unions have endorsed. Activists say they will be working up until Election Day to keep voters informed about the election.
No matter who wins, SEIU 32BJ’s Tall added, labor unions will move on after the election to the next phase of their work.
“Listen, we are working people,” Tall said.
a Negro will take the floor for the first time,” he said. “The Brotherhood will reorganize, establish locals, and fight for the Negro in every industry in an effort to break down union prejudice.
“All railroad employees are now unionized for the first time in railroad history. The Brotherhood is now affiliated with them all.”
By the 1960s, union power was strong enough to garner promises from presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. He promised concessions to both labor unions and Civil Rights Movement organizers during his presidency. JFK’s successor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law during his first year in
“We are Black and Brown and immigrant. Our members speak many different languages. We know [that] no matter who wins this election, our fight is not over. It’s never over, right? So the question is, do you want to fight in an administration that is more prone to have the same belief system as you and want to do the right thing or do you want to fight against someone who is oppositional to all of the major issues that you hold dear?
“We are going to have to fight regardless. If Trump wins, we’re in a full-blown fight and we have to fight to protect our standards, our way of living. And we’re not a stranger to that; we’ve been fighting for equity and justice and fairness on the job and beyond since we’ve come together as a labor union. But if we have a Harris administration, we know there are a lot of places where there’s common ground. Those will come together and in places where there’s not common ground, we’ll fight again. Because that’s what we do, you know — we’re a labor union. And we believe in fighting for the rights of our folk and we’ll continue to do that.”
Dianne Dixon knocking doors in Long Island's Third Congressional District. (Photo courtesy from 1199SEIU)
YOU GET WHAT YOU CAN TAKE:
The Fight to Make the Skilled Trades Representative
“AT THE BANQUET TABLE OF NATURE, THERE ARE NO RESERVED SEATS. YOU GET WHAT YOU CAN TAKE, AND YOU KEEP WHAT YOU CAN HOLD. IF YOU CAN’T TAKE ANYTHING, YOU WON’T GET ANYTHING, AND IF YOU CAN’T HOLD ANYTHING, YOU WON’T KEEP ANYTHING. AND YOU CAN’T TAKE ANYTHING WITHOUT ORGANIZATION.” - A. PHILIP RANDOLPH
an Amsterdam News article told readers in the summer of 1963, when community and labor activists, as well as clergy, had had enough of discriminatory labor practices on local construction sites.
In Brooklyn, the structures that would become SUNY Downstate were rising from the ground, but Black and Latino construction workers were nowhere to be found. Demonstrations co-sponored by the Negro American Labor Council, Urban League, NACCP, Congress of Racial Equality, and Southern Christian Leadership Council began picketing and eventually blocking access to the worksite, leading to the arrest of more than 40 activists, in-
form 35 [percent] of [the] New York City population.”
The protests continued throughout June and July with increasing numbers of protesters and hundreds of arrests, and even attracted a young leader named Malcolm X. They were demanding something simple: that the workforce building the hospital look like the community in which it was being built. Eventually the protest leaders came to an agreement with then-Governor Nelson Rockerfeller and construction resumed. But the protest at SUNY Downstate wasn’t the first of its kind nor would it be the last. But why was it needed at all? Why, in one
lowed and of the hard work by Americans of color and their allies to force our nation to live up to its own ideals.
This series will explore the roots of discrimination that led to the summer of ’63 protests in Brooklyn and many others like it around the nation, and how activists, community, and union members worked over decades to force change. It will also explore how high schools and apprenticeship programs are, in the 21st century, helping to ensure that everyone who wants one has an opportunity to access jobs that are often called the “ladder to the middle class.”
Before emancipation, enslaved Blacks were often trained in skilled construction, especially
tinued to be pretty important in the skilled construction industry in the South until the
certed effort by white workers to drive Black workers out of the skilled trades and unions often included racial bars on membership. And that persisted into the 1960s,” Jones said
The end of Reconstruction coincided with the ”Long Depression” of the 1870s, as well as the rise of organized labor, both of which helped to put pressure on African American skilled laborers. While some of the new labor unions became more inclusive, according to Jones, the backlash was not long in coming.
By the late 1880s and 1890s, “a lot of unions, particularly the very skilled trade unions, turned inward and make the decision that the the best way to maintain themselves [was] to focus narrowly on the interests of white male workers,” said Jones. “This is the period in which a lot of unions adopt[ed] in their constitution, race and Continued on page S3
Continued on page S10
Mitchell Ayers, 2 1/2, carries a sign protesting employment practices at the Downstate Medical Center construction site in Brooklyn on August 8, 1963. His mother, Eunice Ayers, 27, also took part in the demonstrations. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff)
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 237, New York State AFL-CIO, Carpenters Contractors
Alliance Metropolitan New York (CCA), New York City Central Labor Council
AFL-CIO, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists | AFGE, CSEA Metropolitan Region 2, Utility Workers Union of America UWUA Local 1-2, IUOE International Union of Operating Engineers Local 94, Laborers Local 79, IBEW District 3, Teamsters Local 294, and SEIU Local 246
National Coalition of Labor Union Women CLUW, 32BJ SEIU, UFA Uniformed Firefighters
Association IAFF International Association of Fire Fighters Local 94, CUNY AFT Local 2334, ATU American Transit Union Local 1181, UA-NY Pipe Trades Association Local 13, Colleran, O’Hara & Mills, LLP, Transport Workers Union 100, RWDSU Local 338 UFCW, AFGE Local 2440 American Federation of Government Employees, AND CWA 1180
gender exclusionary language, [and] they restricted their membership to white men.
“If you can prevent people from getting access to these skills, you can…corner the market on the number of people who are car penters, or who are skilled masons. [Then] you can drive up wages and improve work ing conditions for those few workers by ex cluding the majority,” he added.
The cruelty of Jim Crow and lack of eco nomic opportunity for Black Americans in the former slave states helped prompt the Great Migration, which brought millions of African Americans northward. Skilled workers, or those seeking to join those pro fessions, often found the same kinds of roadblocks in places like New York and Chi cago, and during the early decades of the 20th century, the organized push for rep resentation and access to the skilled trades began in earnest.
The Great Depression and World War II provided fertile ground for the passage of federal labor legislation and Black labor lead ers like A. Philip Randolph began to push for the implementation of these laws without regard to race.
In the summer of 1941, Randolph, along with leaders from the NAACP, Urban League, and many others, threatened a “March on Washington” to protest the discrimination that federal contractors had been allowed to get away with in seeming impunity. In response to these demands, which threatened military production as the nation was preparing to potentially enter World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that prohibited discrimination in the defense industry.
The wartime order was weakly enforced and expired soon after the end of the conflict, but it began a drive that, in some ways, laid the groundwork of the Civil Rights Movement that followed, with leaders demanding that a permanent non-discrimination law be passed.
“There was this constant push to pass an equal employment law, and that was finally realized with the inclusion of Title Seven, in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That actually applied not just to federal contractors, but to any employer and any union, it made it illegal for them to discriminate on the basis of race,” said Jones.
THE STRUGGLE FOR ENFORCEMENT
There is a false belief among some Americans that we live in a “post-racial” era that began soon after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and culminated with the inauguration of President Barack Obama. But for those struggling to gain access to the skilled trades and construction jobs, nothing could be further from the truth.
In 2022, just 6.7% of American construction workers were African American, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while making up 13.6% of the population. In New York City, the numbers tell a similar story, with Black residents making up just 13.6% of
construction workers while being over 23% of the population, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
In the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Civil Rights Act, little changed on the ground. Yes, explicit racial roadblocks to entry to unions and employment on worksites was eliminated, but the social nature of employment in the skilled trades meant that barriers still existed.
Post-World War II investment in America’s cities also meant the growing require ment of union labor, according to Dr. Trevor Griffey, a lecturer at the University of California, Irvine. But these construction
and skilled trades unions were still largely excluding members of color.
This made the skilled trades “a flashpoint for protests in the sixties. And it had been long, long simmering because especially as African Americans gained increased access to the military, they gained the trades that they would not be able to get through racially restrictive apprenticeship programs. Then they would go apply to be dispatched and they couldn’t get jobs either through the
delphia Plan,” which began to force companies seeking federal contracts to take what was called “affirmative action” to ensure that these companies employed at least some Black Americans.
But laws and executive orders only went so far. When it came to ensuring that these new regulations were implemented, activists and community members, and even the media, were critical.
“What was really important was the ability to keep the mobilization going, so in places like New York, or Chicago or Detroit, [and] in some cases, in southern cities like Atlanta or Birmingham, where Black workers were sort of well-organized and ready to mobilize, they could force the issue and draw attention to it,” Jones said. “The Black press played a really important role in writing about and publicizing these issues,” he added.
It was this history of decades of mobilizations that set the stage for protests at SUNY Downstate in 1963 in Brooklyn and others that would continue through to the present day. Activists then and now deeply understand that enforcement is everything and ironically, it is those who do not make up the majority who bear the burden of ensuring America lives up to not only its lofty ideals but also its actual laws.
“The beneficiaries of a system cannot be expected to destroy it,” Randolph said decades ago. His wisdom would guide activists in the second half of the 20th century and beyond as they continued the fight to make sure that those working at construction sites looked more like the communities where those structures were being built.
The next part of this series will explore how activists began to force equal access to skilled and construction jobs.
This series was made possible by a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network. Brian Palmer contributed research and reporting to
Legendary labor leader A. Philip Randolph stands in front of the Lincoln Memorial at the March On Washington demonstration in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo)
A protest march by demonstrators at the Rochdale Village housing construction site in the Queens borough of New York City, July of 1963. Demonstrators carried on a city-wide series of protests against alleged discrimination in construction worker hiring. (AP Photo/John Rooney)
MAKING SURE THAT THE FIRST IS NOT THE LAST:
MAKING SURE THAT THE FIRST IS NOT THE LAST:
This story was first printed on Vol. 114 No.17 April 27, 2023 - May 3, 2023
DIRECT ACTION BEGINS TO DIVERSIFY CONSTRUCTION SITES
By DAMASO REYES AmNews Investigative Editor
In the oppressive summer heat of August 1963, the New York Amsterdam News ran a short story on page 7 of its August 10th edition: “Plumber To Be First In Union.”
Just a few hundred words long, the story highlighted “Edward Curry, the 25-year-old Negro plumber on the verge of entering the all-white Plumbers Union, Local 1 admittedly knows little of the reasons for the long well-publicized demonstrations at the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.”
For weeks, hundreds of clergy and activists had been arrested while blockading the site that our newspaper in other stories called “near lily white,” demanding that at least 25% of workers be “Negro or Puerto Rican.”
“It doesn’t mean too much to me,” Curry is quoted as saying of the demonstrations, but the timing of the announcement of his barrier breaking hiring was likely a direct result of the demonstrations that had, and would continue on and off for years, to
utive orders and laws were put into place, through the hard work of activists and or ganizers for civil rights, to ensure that the American workplace, including construc tion sites and union halls, became inte grated. But the laws and regulations were meaningless without enforcement and it
century, many of the unions that represented the skilled and highest paid trades like plumbers, electricians, pipe fitters and steel workers still marginalized Black
“A number of those unions were very militant, but also very racially exclusive. And then they fought against the inclusion of racial discrimination prohibitions in labor law,” Dr. Griffey added. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act, racial discrimination in hiring and employment was banned but construction sites continued to be bastions of de facto segregation.
“When an employer needs people, they often tell the people who are working there, ‘we need to hire some more people, go tell your friends, and tell your family’. And so if you have an all white workforce, that’s going to mean that the people who hear about those job openings are all going to be white,” said historian Dr. William Jones of the University of Minnesota, explaining why it was so difficult to diversify worksites despite the passage of Federal nondiscrimination laws.
While he believes that the building trades have made enormous improvements, Jeff Grabelsky, the Co-Director of the National Labor Leadership Institute at AmNews in an interview that “there was a time in New York City when some major unions, in a city that
was becoming majority minority... where there were local unions without a single
During this era, construction unions largely mirrored private industry which also excluded workers of color from the -
ing these construction sites in the sixties. It started in Philadelphia, quickly moved to New York, and then was nationwide. People occupied the arch in St. Louis as it was being constructed,” Dr. Griffey noted.
The threat of action during World War II led to the creation of an executive order which prohibited discrimination in the defense industry. Direct action also led to both the inclusion of Title Seven, in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and President Nixon implementing the “Philadelphia Plan” which began to force companies seeking federal contracts to ensure that they employed Black Americans.
But these hard fights for laws and regulations had their limits Mr. Grabelsky noted.
“Through legal action and community organizing, building trades unions were forced to bring in Black community members. And in some cases, six months later, they were all gone because nothing else changed in the union and they entered this hostile environment that made it exceedingly difficult for them to succeed.”
THEY SAY GET BACK, WE SAY FIGHT BACK
There was an intense backlash to what would become known as “affirmative action” that pushed back on what little progress was being made at the time.
“There are counter protests against affirmative action in ‘69, that look a little like hate marches,” said Dr. Griffey. In 1970, “a group of construction workers in New
Continued on page S5
Continued on page S14
York, descend on a peace rally and beat the shit out of the protestors, then march
A chain binds together the upraised arms of 14 picketers sitting in entrance to a hospital construction site in Brooklyn on July 25, 1963. A squad of New York City policemen moved in to remove the chain with wire clippers and arrest the demonstrators. (AP Photo/Anthony Camerano)
Three policemen secure themselves as they reach two civil rights protestors, Andy Young, 32, second from right, and Frank Anderson, 22, who chained themselves halfway up the boom of a construction crane at Rochdale Village construction site in Queens on Sept. 5, 1963. (AP Photo/Anthony Camerano)
GREGORY FLOYD
PRESIDENT, TEAMSTERS LOCAL 237 AND VICE PRESIDENT-AT LARGE ON THE GENERAL
EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE IBT
L OCAL 237’S EXECUTIVE BOARD
RUBEN TORRES-VICE PRESIDENT
DONALD ARNOLD-SECRETARY/TREASURER
JEANETTE I. TAVERAS-RECORDING SECRETARY
CURTIS SCOTT-TRUSTEE
BENEDICT CARENZA, JR.-TRUSTEE
CATHERINE RICE-TRUSTEE
Continued from page S12
to City Hall and protest affirmative action in the construction trades, [on the] same day,” he added.
Some organized labor officials also found ways to oppose the integration of their unions; and in one case, was rewarded with a cabinet position.
“These are long time Democrats. Many had never voted for a Republican in their lives. They're campaigning for Republicans on a law and order platform. And when they help with the landslide election of Nixon, [Peter Brennan], the head of New York City building trades is rewarded by being made head of the Department of Labor where he guts what remains of affirmative action in the construction industry,” said Dr. Griffey.
But right wing construction workers and their leaders weren’t the only ones taking to the streets in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. As large, publicly funded construction projects went up in New York and other cities, activists and organizers of color began to demand their fair share.
“There's these big public construction sites in Black communities, where Black workers aren't being employed. And so these protests are around the construction sites to get people employed in those jobs and to open up those jobs,” said Dr. Jones.
“The argument was: ‘Our tax dollars are paying for this construction. We should be able to get these jobs as well.’ And in that case, it was largely the construction, the skilled trades unions that shut Black workers out of these jobs,” he added.
Across the country in Los Angeles, Black workers have also been fighting for their share of the pie.
Janel Bailey, Co-executive Director of Organizing & Programs at the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, spoke to the AmNews about efforts her organization has undertaken to ensure that Black workers are represented on job sites. As L.A.’s mass transit system expanded into Crenshaw, the organization in partnership with other labor organizations negotiated an employment agreement with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority which they say increased the number of Black workers on the project from zero to 20% in 2015.
“Folks at our organization came together, with allies of course, to really step to Metro and asked them: ‘how you have all this money
coming through our neighborhood, but [its] not going to the workers and the families that are actually here? You need to hire more Black workers’.” Bailey said in an interview.
During their negotiations she said they encountered “the usual things of like, ‘Oh, well, we can't just say Black [workers] and we don't know any Black workers’. Which to be perfectly honest, I believe them when they say, ‘I don't know any Black workers.’ I believe them because the culture of exclusion that they've built set up their network such that it doesn't include Black people.”
Bailey is also critical of labor unions and the apprenticeship system in Los Angeles.
“This culture of exclusion didn't come up overnight and so I'm naming all these policies that broadly create a culture of exclusion,” she said. Apprenticeship programs are “wonderful for workers because it created a control of the market on labor, such that if you wanted to hire, to bring folks in to do that work, then you had to go through the union and you could set standards. Safety standards and wage standards for workers. Which is beautiful.”
But she went on to say that “the values of the folks who created and maintained that program were anti-Black. And so when they chose to create this wonderful pathway for workers, it was not inclusive of Black workers. And so what we're seeing today is the fruits of that legacy.
“That honestly, I think if you take it straight up on paper, the apprenticeship program actually is not problematic. I think it's actually quite brilliant.... However, applied with the values of the people who had the power to build that, it was anti-Black and it was built in a way that for some was deliberately exclusive. And so we arrive at this moment now where we have this incredible program that only benefits some workers and we're trying to figure out how to open it up, how to expand it so that it includes workers of color.”
"There is a history of exclusion,” said Grabelsky of the National Labor Leadership Institute at Cornell. “I don't think race and racism explains everything in our society, but I personally think nothing of any significance can be fully explained without looking at it through that lens.”
This series was made possible by a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network. Brian Palmer contributed research and reporting to this article.
A group of African American pickets outside the construction site for the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn on August 2, 1963. Picketing at the site continued in
AmNews Food
Oso: A hidden gem in Harlem serving authentic Mexican flavors
By MAGRIRA Special to AmNews
The most important ingredient for any restaurant to be successful is that people want to be there.
Food is as personal as religion. In Harlem, I finally had the opportunity to step into Oso (meaning bear in Spanish), a Mexican restaurant owned by Matthew Trebek and his business partner Nodar Mosiashvili.
For over five years, like many eateries, it had been under scaffolding, and although I walked by it hundreds of times, I never realized what a jewel was just down the street.
Living a Los Angeles bicoastal lifestyle, I believe my palate has been educated in Mexican cuisine, and having spent time in Mexico (on a film project) and being Afro Mexican, my expectations were in full force. I admit it. I walked in with prejudice and walked out very happy, and here’s why: Oso’s staff, head chef, and other cooks make you feel welcomed. Not pushy. No hovering. They let you breathe.
My favorite spot is a nook of stools positioned in front of the cooking station where I can watch Chef Jose Aguilar’s magic happen.
Relaxing and zen — there’s something calming about watching perfectly ripe avocados get scooped out of their skin and added to a growing green mountain.
Hands fly across knives — just like in all those addicting kitchen shows — chopping cilantro, dicing onions and juicy tomatoes, and transforming them into a perfect salsa that needed no salt.
The star of the show is the mole, a dish so light but profoundly memorable, it’s used on appetizers like the Calabaza con mole. Their al pastor — spit-fired pork, guajillo, piña, onions, and cilantro — is so perfectly married that it’s in a category all its own.
Other popular offerings include bistec y camarón and my personal favorite, the braised chicken enchilada. And don’t be afraid to ask for a very dirty martini with double olives. It’s not on the official menu, but their bartender whips them up for the regulars.
That’s just one example of the charm of Oso and why it’s a neighborhood favorite.
We caught up with Matthew Trebek, and here is what he had to say about owning Oso with his business partner, Nodar Mosiashvili.
AMSTERDAM NEWS: I’ve lived on this side of Harlem since 2011 and just noticed your lovely joint Oso. When did you open it?
Matthew Trebek: We opened in 2016, but like a lot of businesses in the area, we were under scaffolding for about five years — a little over five years, actually.
AMN: Harlem has changed, making space for a growing and diverse Mexican community. As an Afro Mexican and producer of my first short documentary “Mexicans in Harlem,” I have kept a very close eye.
MT: Yes, you are right. The East side of Harlem has typically had a very dominant Mexican population, while the west side and Washington Heights were more dominated by Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. But here, for sure, there is a nice mix of everybody.
AMN: Matt, why Mexican food?
MT: Well, at the time, growing up in Los Angeles, I was always around a lot of Mexican food.
AMN: So, Mexican cuisine is comfort food.
MT: (Laughing) Yes, and that’s what we wanted Oso to feel like when you walked in.
AMN: Mission accomplished. I have never felt so relaxed and welcome, and that’s what motivated me to write this piece. Describe the food. It’s not heavy like some traditional dishes. It’s light but absolutely filling.
MT: Well, we wanted Oso to feel like a ‘nice restaurant’ with proper service, but by taking more street food dishes that we
would find in Mexico City or surrounding areas and transitioning those into a nice dining setting. We always aimed to have shared plates and just tried to take various dishes out with our chef at the time and keep the concept light, but still elevated.
AMN: Again, accomplished. And your head chef — he’s Mexican, right?
MT: Yes, [Chef] Jose Aguilar is, and he uses traditional family recipes from particular areas in Mexico.
AMN: So real and so, so, so yummy!
MT: Exactly. Very authentic. For more info, visit www.osoharlem.com.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Chef Jose Aguilar (MAGRIRA photos) Chicken enchiladas
SoHarlem holds annual fashion show & pop-up shop benefit
By RENEE MINUS WHITE Fashion & Beauty Editor
SoHarlem’s Fashion Week show and pop-up shop benefit, held last weekend in Manhattanville’s Factory District, was a complete success. This year’s honoree was fashion industry icon Bethann Hardison. With a successful career that has spanned more than five decades, Bethann Hardison is an advocate, documentarian, model, and muse. We met while I was working as a fashion copywriter at Essence magazine in the early 1970s. A hard worker, she’s one of the famous Versailles models who opened the Paris runway in the ‘70s for American designers, with such talents as Stephen Burrows, Halston, and others, while stirring fashion news in New York City’s Garment District. With her stylish individual runway presence, she starred and was sought after as a model in Europe and the U.S. Throughout her career, she has been a determined businesswoman. As a professional model, no one walked that runway or posed better. It was all about the walk, the clothes, the body, and the look. These were the attributes that every one of those 1970s Black models had, that was all their own.
One of the first Black models favored by European and New York designers, Bethann Hardison has also worked as a creative director and producer. She topped that and opened her namesake modeling agency in 1984 where she guided the careers of some of the most prominent models. In 1988, she founded the Black Girls Coalition, and in 2013, she spearheaded the launch of the Diversity Coalition, sparking an industrywide movement for diversity and inclusion. In 2018, she founded The Designers Hub to guide and empower Black designers, and the following year she became an inaugural member of Gucci’s Changemakers Council.
Jumping to 2023, Bethann made her directorial debut with “Invisible Beauty,” which she co-directed with Frédéric Tcheng. The documentary premiered at the Sundance
Film Festival, and has since been featured worldwide in more than two dozen film festivals. It is now streaming on Hulu and most major digital platforms. Hardison’s numerous awards include the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Founder’s Award, and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary Film. Currently, Bethann serves on the CFDA’s Board of Directors and as Gucci’s
Executive Advisor for Global Equity and Cultural Engagement. Being recognized in Harlem by SoHarlem is special, and something else for her to put on her shelf.
Talk about a fashion celebration: the fashion show was fabulous! SoHarlem’s Spring/Summer ’25 collections were colorful, stylish, and sustainable. Many of the works were created at SoHarlem’s studio on Amsterdam Avenue. The show “I’m
So Harlem” also featured design apprentice Walter Dixon. The models were superb.
In the fashion show and pop-up shop, Olivia Smashun designed one of the best dresses for her Blue Olive brand. For day or evening, Blue Olive’s v-neck caftan dress with a crisscross front looked fashionably comfortable. Fabrics are imported from Nigeria; color combinations and sizes vary. Depending on
the occasion, it can be worn with or without jewelry. Olivia, the designer, is a Harlem resident who moved to New York from Charleston, South Carolina. Her prices start at $195, and her line is available at @blueoliveresort on Instagram, and at www. blueoliveresort.com.
Javier Valencia, a Harlem designer from Ecuador, has lived and worked in Harlem since 1940. He creates high-end fashion that’s made to measure, ready-to-wear. For men and women, his custom-made digital print collection ranges from boldly printed men’s hooded jackets to detailed, elegant women’s cocktail dresses in fabrics imported from Korea. Javier’s printed fabrics are created from digital photos. Prices start at $60. His collection is available on Instagram at @Javiervelencia36.
Jewelry designer Donna Drew’s breathtaking jewelry was beautifully displayed at the pop-up shop in a glass showcase. With prices starting at $40 to $200, you must see these precious pieces. Her collection includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and several upcycled pieces. Her focus is sustainability. Find her line on Instagram at Triangle Designs, LLC. For more information, visit www.SoHarlem.org.
SoHarlem’s group photo featuring (front-center) Janet Rodrigues, founder of SoHarlem, in a print, standing with Bethann Hardison in black. (Daniel Vasquez photo courtesy of SoHarlem)
Designer Javier Valencia with his face dress design. (Renee Minus White/A Time To Style photo)
Jewelry designs by Donna Drew. (Renee Minus White/A Time To Style photo)
‘Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song’ is a hilarious, must-see delight
By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews
I have not laughed so hard at a production in quite some time.
“Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song” is a theatrical gem! It is hilarious and extraordinarily well put together by creator, writer, and director Gerard Alessandrini, and is playing at Theater555 (555 W. 42nd Street), and it is a must-see for any theater lover, whether you enjoy Broadway or off-Broadway or both, because Alessandrini makes fun of both types of productions.
It was amazing to be there with my daughter and hear the four brilliant thespians — Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Chris Collins-Pisano, Danny Hayward, and Jenny Lee Stern — sing with such power, humor, and perfect comedic timing. They not only joked about musicals, including “Cabaret,” “& Juliet,” “Great Gatsby,” “Back to the Future,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Outsiders,” and “SIX,” but also went after many famous thespi-
ans, including Eddie Redmayne, Daniel Radcliffe, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt, and more.
Nothing is off-limits — they also parodied the newest version of “Cats” and went after “Suffs.”
This musical has such a refreshing, unedited, and nontraditional way of breaking down many of
the shows we enjoy in a way that is extremely funny. The production asks many questions that we might ask ourselves as we experience various Broadway and off-Broadway productions. It also reinforces the idea that new musicals are often not new at all, but amalgamations of old musicals combined that one should be aware of.
Alessandrini has a marvelously entertaining way of viewing overthe-top theatrical performances by some of the most popular actors on stage. This show will have you in tears laughing. It is a fantastic evening at the theater. Make plans to go with friends to see “Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song.” In addition to the satire of the shows and actors, there is also delightful choreography by Gerry McIntyre that will have you in stitches. The four actors are also accompanied on stage by musical director/pianist Fred Barton, and he knows how to tickle the ivories just right. For more info and tickets, visit www.theater555.com.
Unpacking the darkness: Netflix’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’
By MAGRIRA
Special to AmNews
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” now streaming on Netflix, has already sparked controversy, with the Menendez brothers themselves claiming inaccuracies and creative liberties that they argue do not reflect the truth.
Co-written by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, David McMillan, Todd Kubrak, and Reilly Smith, and executive produced by Murphy and others, this limited series marks their second “monster” project for Netflix. It follows brothers Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch), who say that they were victims of severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their father, José (Javier Bardem), and mother, Kitty (Chloë Sevigny). They contend that this abuse drove them to murder their parents.
There is an unsettling quality to “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” extending beyond its factual foundation.
The series opens in October 1989, just two months after the deaths of Kitty and José, showing the brothers riding in a limousine to their memorial service. Lyle presents as cold and detached, while Erik is on the verge of emotional collapse,
sobbing uncontrollably. This stark contrast sets the stage for understanding their complex characters.
The narrative unfolds in a disjointed manner, jumping back and forth through time as it reveals the traumatic events that shaped the brothers’ lives. José is portrayed as utterly terrifying, while Kitty appears emotionally vacant — a shell
of a person who has long since surrendered to despair.
As for Erik and Lyle, the affluent brothers, there is a noticeable lack of empathy or compassion elicited from the audience. Perhaps this is intentional; I found myself unable to connect with them on any meaningful level. The graphic depiction of their
parents’ murders is not merely artistic license; it is a grim reality. The series also highlights the shortcomings of law enforcement in handling the case, initially considering it a mafia hit. However, Erik ultimately confesses to his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel (Dallas Roberts), which leads to their eventual confine-
ment.
Several intriguing characters populate the brothers’ lives, including Judalon Smyth (Leslie Grossman), Dr. Oziel’s former patient and mistress, who played a pivotal role in their arrest. Defense attorney Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor) delivers a nuanced performance that provides insight into the complexities of the legal system.
The series consists of five episodes, with the first half maintaining enough momentum to keep viewers engaged. Chapter five, “The Hurt Man,” features Erik discussing the abuse he endured at his father’s hands; this episode warrants a trigger warning due to its emotional intensity.
Episode six, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” delves into José and Kitty’s relationship, revealing their own backgrounds of abuse. However, it becomes visually overwhelming as it jumps between flashbacks from earlier episodes. Ultimately, while there are commendable performances throughout, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” fails from act one, scene one. By presenting Erik and Lyle as monsters from the outset, it never allows them to evolve beyond that portrayal — and that’s how they remain throughout the series.
Scene from “Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song,” playing at Theater555 with (L-R) Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Danny Hayward, Jenny Lee Stern, and Chris Collins-Pisano (Carol Rosegg photo)
Erik (Cooper Koch), Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez), José (Javier Bardem) in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” (Miles Crist/Netflix photo)
Smoke, Smalls, Village Vanguard
Pianist and composer Christian Sands is creating his own fresh fluidity in the jazz forum, but one would not consider less from the mentee of the legendary Dr. Billy Taylor. Sands follows the jazz canon of hard bop but more subdued — his rhythms roar like a ferocious lion with a giant whisper, never overstated but more than enough to entrance any listener.
Sands, still a rising force, will celebrate the release of his new album “Embracing Dawn,” leading a quartet featuring guitarist Marvin Sewell, bassist Jonathon MuirCotton (Thursday and Friday), bassist Yasushi Nakamura (Saturday and Sunday), and drummer Ryan Sands at the Smoke jazz club (2751 Broadway) on September 26–29. This new album with its nine striking compositions represents another step in Sands’s evolution as an enduring pianist with so much more to accomplish.
“Embracing You” demonstrates Sands’s continued growth as an adventurous pianist consistently looking for new expeditions. Just listen to his earlier interpretation of the well-traveled “Autumn in New York”
(Furioso, M&I 2008) that dances with his piano solo, accentuating his qualities as a creative band leader. His style references a young Herbie Hancock during his “Blind Man, Blind Man” and “Inventions in Di-
mensions,” era, as well as the mesmerizing pianist Erroll Garner. Like his mentor Taylor, Sands can deliver the stylings of stride piano.
For reservations, visit smokejazz.com. or call 212-864-6662.
Since 1994, Smalls, the little jazz club in the West Village (183 W. 10th Street) has been a mecca for young jazz-inspired musicians to take to the performance stage to perfect their creative careers. Such performances have given audiences an opportunity to see some of these musicians rise to jazz recognition.
The club’s tradition with aspiring musicians continues with its regular Smalls Afternoon Jam Session and with hosts on September 27–29 at 2 p.m.–5 p.m. The opening jam will be hosted by bassist Kyle Colina, who will also perform with his trio, guitarist Panas Athanatos and drummer Errold Lanier Jr. On September 28, the host will be drummer Andrew Kushnir with guitarist David Rouke and bassist Marty Kenney. On closing afternoon, the host will be trumpeter Ryo Sasaki with pianist Steve Ash and drummer Steve Little, and featuring veteran bassist and author Bill Crow
See JAZZ NOTES continued on page 27
Third John Coltrane Jazz Fest held in Marcus Garvey Park
On Sept. 20 at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheatre in Marcus Garvey Park, iconic musicians Bill Saxton, Patience Higgins, Antonio Hart and John S. Mannan, James Zollar, Craig Harris, Nikita White, and others joined together to play the music of John Coltrane and celebrate his contributions to the culture.
The festival, a feature of “Jazz Appreciation Day,” is a part of the effort of New York State
Senator Cordelle Cleare to nurture and sustain the beginnings of a positive new cultural renaissance in Harlem and, beyond that, promotes community, dignity, and distinction. The free festival was hosted by Sen. Cleare and was produced by a sponsoring partnership of the Jazzmobile and New York Jazz Society, with additional support from the Jazz Foundation of America and the law firm of Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman.
Christian Sands (Anna Webber photo)
Antonio Hart Quintet
John “Satchmo” Mannan and Bill Saxton
Sen. Cordell Cleare and Robin Bell Stevens (Bill Moore photos)
Rucker Park
Continued from page 4
City Department of Education or Parks Department, or even places like the Polo Grounds and the Rangel houses, which are right across the park.”
Staten Island
from page 4
said the LPC. They chose Staten Island for its large swaths of undeveloped land at the time.
The park always included a memorial dedicated to abolitionist Frederick Douglass, but the Douglass monument wasn’t put up until 1961.
The park’s cemetery was built in 1935 and is still an active burial site. It provided “dignified burials” for Black citizens and their loved ones in natural landscaping that Dade intended for his community. Before this, enslaved and freed Blacks alike were often left in unmarked mass graves at the edges of the city or had their burial grounds desecrated and built upon, said historians. As of today, an estimated 60,000 interments of Black New Yorkers have been made in the park’s cemetery, including jazz singers Mamie Smith and Rosa Henderson, jazz trumpeter Tommy Ladnier, baseball players King Solomon “Sol” White and Elias “Country” Brown, and six incarcerated people who were killed in the Attica Correctional Facility uprising in 1971.
This year, the LPC voted to continue exploring the city’s history of slavery and abolition, and preserve historic places, by landmarking the park and cemetery.
“Frederick Douglass Memorial Park represents the enduring strength and resilience of New York’s Black community, who created a place of beauty in the face of in-
Fierce Love
Continued from page 13
mass immigration by people of color to break the dominance of white people in American society. The theory has been connected to racist massacres in El Paso, Buffalo and Pittsburgh in which Hispanic, Black and Jewish people were targeted, respectively.
Read for yourself articles like this one, on how Trump’s language echoes Adolf Hitler’s, comparing his political opponents to “vermin.”
If it is important to hear these truths not only from a learned Black woman, but also from a white, learned man, follow the Substack of Robert. P. Jones who recently analyzed an interview Trump had in the far-right website, The National Pulse, where Trump said immigration is “a very sad thing for our country; it’s poisoning the blood of our country.” From Jones:
While the DOI’s National Park Service has previously designated national commemorative sites, Rucker Park would not be placed under the agency through Espaillat’s bill.
The bill now hits the Senate floor. If passed, it goes to the White House for the president to sign into law.
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
justice and overcame racism and discrimination to ensure their loved ones had a dignified resting place,” said LPC Chair Sarah Carroll. “The landmark designation of this important site reflects LPC’s ongoing commitment to recognizing, protecting, and celebrating places of Black cultural and historical significance, and ensures that Frederick Douglass Memorial Park will be preserved for future generations to come.”
“This language of rooting out vermin — the reason why authoritarian leaders use that is because it does dehumanize their political opponents. The dehumanization of political opponents are the bricks that pave the road to political violence.”
Further, PRRI recently found that 23% of voters, including one-third of Republicans, agreed that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” That poll also found that 38% of Americans, including nearly half of Republicans, agree that the U.S. needs a leader who “is willing to break some rules if that is what it takes to set things right.” Jones sees this as a clear indication of authoritarian sentiment.
And if you want the truth from a learned white woman, read the work of American historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat on the growth of authoritarian leadership. She writes about the tactics of such leaders, “You need to get people to feel they have an existential threat facing them. And the more they feel uncertain and fearful, the more the strong-
State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said the designation of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Park as a landmark is an important achievement for the Staten Island community. “This cemetery offered a place where Black New Yorkers could be laid to rest with the honor they deserved,” she said in a statement. “Now, decades later, the ancestors of so many of my constituents remain buried here with dignity.”
men can appear and say, ‘I alone can fix it.’”
Follow people with whom you disagree.
Watch news on a channel representing views you oppose. Be curious about those self-interests as they relate to your own.
In Conclusion: Some Facts
Former President Donald Trump praised the genocidal Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler while he was in the White House, his former chief of staff and other top aides told CNN.
Trump has embraced some of the racist and dehumanizing rhetoric of Hitler on the campaign trail
Trump said, “Well, but Hitler did some good things,” to retired Marine General John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff from 2017 to 2019
Last week, Trump met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his Mar-aLago estate in Florida, one of Europe’s most authoritarian leaders, whom he praised on the debate stage.
Trump has said he will be a dictator for the first day of his presidency to enact draconian immigration policies, expand
The Staten Island Museum and the Staten Island Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (SIAAHGS) currently have free digitized archives of the people buried at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, available online.
“Being designated as [an] NYC Landmark is such a well-deserved and key status to achieve to help ensure that the Frederick Douglass Memorial Park site is well-preserved,” said Staten Island Museum President and CEO Janice Monger. “Thanks to Mayor Adams and the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the recognition of this incredible Staten Island site of broader significance.”
The program is under the park’s Access, Collaboration, and Equity in Genealogy Initiative (ACEGen), a partnership between the memorial park and SIAAHGS. The initiative is supported with funding from the New York Community Trust.
“I’m thrilled that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has given Frederick Douglass Memorial Park — the only African American cemetery in New York City — its rightful recognition and honor,” said Councilmember David Carr. “It is my hope that this landmark will remind New Yorkers that we are all equal in the eyes of God.”
Check out the burial archives at archive. org/details/frederickdouglassmemorialpark.
The museum is also calling for volunteers to help digitize new records. For more information contact www.statenislandmuseum.org/ sim-collections/family-history/.
domestic oil drilling, and free those imprisoned for proven crimes connected to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attempted coup. Those prisoners, which number in the hundreds and include leaders of white nationalist militias and fascist street gangs, have repeatedly been described by Trump as “hostages.”
If these facts horrify you, and they should, do not stay silent. Be a student. Share the news. Speak the truth,even when it is hard. Protest, organize, and vote.
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church in New York. Celebrated internationally for her dynamic preaching and commitment to building a just society with fierce love, Dr. Lewis champions racial, economic, and gender/ sexuality justice. The author of several books, including “Fierce Love” and the “Just Love Story Bible,” her work has been featured on NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, NPR and in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Ebony and Essence Magazines.
Photo of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park (Photo courtesy NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission)
CLASSROOM IN THE
Benjamin ‘Pap’ Singleton, leader of the Exodusters
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
Benjamin “Pap” Singleton was an activist and successful entrepreneur, but he is perhaps best known as a leading Exoduster — those early Black settlers who fled slavery and found a measure of relief in Kansas. Very little is known of his formative years, but he was born in Davidson County, Tennessee, in 1809, the son of a white father and an enslaved Black mother.
He trained as a carpenter as a youth and regretted that he never learned to read or write. While several early attempts to escape from bondage failed, he finally succeeded in 1846, fleeing across the border to Canada. After a brief period he returned to the States and spent a few months in Detroit. It was here he began to forge his stance on the abolition of slavery and was convinced that African Americans would never achieve equality in the white-dominated South. This viewpoint was pivotal during the Reconstruction era, inspiring his organization of thousands of Black people to join his crusade to venture west, thus the formation of the Exodusters.
Taking up residence in Kansas gave rise to other efforts by Black Americans to found all-Black towns in the Southwest, including several in Oklahoma such as Taft. Singleton’s outlook would later be part of the general Black movement for self-determination and nationalism. By 1869, he joined forces with Columbus M. Johnson, a Black minister in Sumner County, with whom he pursued independent economic progress and development.
Several years later, they founded the Edgefield Real Estate Association, mainly assisting African Americans in the acquisition of land in the Nashville area. When this effort was unsuccessful, they looked westward and in 1876 the two visionaries were in Kansas where their ideas gained traction.
A year later, Singleton led approximately 73 Black settlers to Cherokee County, near the town of Baxter Springs. He now had the land needed for his colony, but the discovery of rich deposits of lead created a mining boom that increased the cost of land. The only alternative for him was to plant his vision elsewhere.
His search led to available land in
what was formerly an Indian Reservation near Dunlap, Kansas that was located along the Katy Railroad, which extended from Kansas to Missouri. It was a marginal plot of land and just enough for Singleton and his hardy followers to board steamboats on the Cumberland River and hasten there. Within a year more than 2400 settlers were there, most of them from Nashville and Sumner County. This initiative proved formidable and soon the “Great Exodus” was in motion. The impact of migrants was felt not only in Kansas but also in Missouri and Illinois. Many arrived in the territory inspired by Singleton, though they were not affiliated with his movement; he, nevertheless, came to their defense when white Kansasans objected to the heavy influx of Black migrants.
Along with his defense of the new arrivals, Singleton even stood his ground against the U.S. Senate where he was requested to testify
on the causes of the Great Exodus. He rebuffed their efforts to discredit the movement and used his own life as evidence of the success of thousands of migrants. His bold assertions and brave stand against the attacks earned him the leadership of the Exodusters. Still, there was trouble ahead with the increased influx of impoverished settlers imposing a heavy financial burden on the settlement. After the Presbyterian Church took control of the settlement, Singleton ended his dealings with Dunlap.
At 72 years of age in 1881, Singleton was often referred to as “Pap.” He used what little remaining power of influence he had to help in the organization of Colored United Links (CUL). Created in Topeka, the CUL was the formation devoted to building Black-owned businesses and trade schools. It soon was a formidable organization with a little political clout, so much so that James B. Weaver of the Greenback
Party met with leaders hoping to merge their mutual concerns. But the idea was stillborn. In effect, it was another blow to Singleton’s aspirations for self-determination and equality. An even more ambitious plan of relocating to the island of Cyprus never materialized, either. Singleton’s next move was to Kansas City, now his dream was of Pan-Africanism, and in 1885 founded the UTS (United Transatlantic Society). Like Marcus Garvey, whose “Back to Africa” followed later, he never sent anyone to Africa. Now up in years and ailing, he made one last gasp in his proposal to make Oklahoma an allBlack state.
Pap Singleton, who had seven children, died on February 17, 1900, in Kansas City and was buried in Union Cemetery in the same city. One of his sons, Joshua, was a pioneer of another all-Black community called Allensworth near Tulare, California.
ACTIVITIES
FIND OUT MORE
Singleton usually gets at least a footnote in nearly all Black history books of any size and renown. Otherwise, he can be searched on the internet.
DISCUSSION
It is unfortunate that his ideas are often excluded from discussions about Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism.
PLACE IN CONTEXT
His phenomenal life stretched across almost all of the nineteenth century, ending at the dawn of the twentieth century.
THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY
Sept. 22, 1954: Actress Shari Belafonte was born in New York City.
Sept. 23, 1930: Singer and composer, Ray Charles, was born in Albany, Ga. He died in 2004.
Sept. 24, 1825: Author Frances E.W. Harper was born in Baltimore, Md. She died in 1911.
Benjamin "Pap" Singleton
be known by every voter.
Created by the far-right Heritage Foundation with the involvement of Trump’s closest allies, including six of his former Cabinet secretaries, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, his senior adviser Stephen Miller, his personal attorney Jay Sekulow, and dozens more, “Project 2025” is the road map for carrying out an authoritarian project to roll back decades of progress and strip away our rights. Its priorities include attacking women’s health and equality by eliminating all references to “gender equality” and “reproductive health” from every federal law and regulation (you can read it for yourself on page 3–4 of the document), taking away access to free emergency contraception (page 485), cutting overtime protections for workers (page 592), weakening child labor laws by allowing children under 18 to work in “inherently dangerous jobs” (page 595), eliminating the Head Start early
education program (page 482), and legalizing workplace discrimination against LGBTQ+ people (page 584).
Through their “Project 2025,” MAGA Republicans said the quiet part out loud. Never before have Americans seen an outline, in such excruciating detail, of how our rights will be systematically taken away through executive action.
Thus, the stakes of this election have never been clearer. Whatever it is that motivates you to get to the polls, whether it’s the excitement of a Kamala Harris presidency, the fear of another Trump one, or perhaps a combination of emotions, the important thing is that we do not sit this one out. We have a historic opportunity to build on the progress of the past four years, fix our democracy, defeat the authoritarians who seek to rule over us, and set our country on a path toward a shared prosperity for all.
George Gresham is president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union of healthcare workers in the nation.
Jazz Notes
Continued from page 24
(who played and recorded extensively with Gerry Mulligan and Stan Getz).
There is no cover charge and all musicians are welcome to play. For a complete schedule of live jazz shows nightly, featuring established and rising musicians, visit smallslive.com.
The saxophonist and composer Walter Smith III says he learned how to play melodies from the legendary drummer Roy Haynes. Between those treasured lessons and others, he stands as one of the brightest tenor saxophonists of his generation.
On October 1–6, Smith will lead an all-star quartet at Manhattan’s oldest jazz club, Village Vanguard (178 7th Avenue). The lineup features his longtime bandmates and collaborators pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland.
This engagement comes on the heels of his Blue Note-released album (September 27), “Three of us are from Texas and Reuben is not.” Smith pays homage to his hometown of Houston, Texas, along with his fellow Texans
Moran and Harland; Rogers hails from the Virgin Islands. Together, they play 10 Smith originals and one inventive version of Sam Rivers’s composition “Point of Many Returns.”
The quartet is more than likely to play music from this latest album, as well as music from their many collaborations. For reservations, visit villagevanguard.com.
Eric Adams Mayor
(Anna Webber photo)
Health
White House observes International Overdose Awareness Day
By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA
Special to the AmNews
The White House observed International Overdose Awareness Day on August 28, 2024 and hosted families who have lost a loved one to overdose, as well as advocates trying to prevent such tragedies. Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, spoke with the Amsterdam News for a Q&A about the efforts the White House has taken to combat the overdose epidemic.
AmNews: Please tell our readers about the current state of the overdose epidemic in this country and ways we can support individuals struggling with addiction?
Dr. Rahul Gupta: When President Biden and Vice President Harris took office in January 2021, the number of overdose deaths were increasing by 31% year after year. Earlier this year, Health and Human Services announced that overdose deaths decreased for the first time in the last five years. The latest data tells us that we have a 7.5% reduction in overdose deaths in the last 12 months ending in March 2024, so this is the largest decrease on record. The shift of the pendulum has been significant. If we do the math, that’s about a life being saved every hour around the clock and at the same time we know what works. What policies have helped make this turnaround happen and this is why it’s important to talk about it. First of all we’ve made Naloxone available over the counter. Over 600,000 lives have been saved because of that. We have made it easier to reach vulnerable communities, marginalized communities and underserved communities. We’ve also made treatment available through Medicaid expansion. All of these things have been impor -
tant while focusing on harm reduction and then making recovery possible along with prevention efforts.
AmNews: August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. Could you talk to us about why initiatives such as this are so important?
R.G.: We [recognized International Overdose Awareness Day on August 28, 2024] at the White House because we wanted to have families come from across the country and we had panels, we had so many families in the audience listening to families of lost loved ones. It was heartwarming, but at the same time you hear the stories of the
stigma that played a role in the passing away of loved ones. You really try to learn from what is working. Where we need to make sure we put more effort is so critical. It’s a public health issue because you’re also getting to the root of some of why people end up going down this road and so that’s vitally important for people to hear.
AmNews: Is there anything else you want to tell Amsterdam News readers, especially around how Black and Brown communities suffer from some of these issues?
R.G.: The Biden/Harris agenda continues to be focused on providing more resources to com -
munities including Black and Brown communities. We’ve expanded treatment, made lifesaving medications accessible while making sure that we look at saving lives as the North Star. For far too long we’ve locked people up and it has not worked and one of the things that we’re trying to do is make sure that people get the help they need when they’re suffering from mental health [problems] or addiction crisis as opposed to the alternative which hasn’t worked. This is very important because we have programs across the country. We have all kinds of programs, the whole idea is let’s take a compassionate approach where we are taking a treat -
ment first approach, a harm reduction approach, while at the same time making sure that those who are producing and trafficking drugs and up to no good preying on people are being held accountable.
If you know someone is struggling with addiction you can contact Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs (OOPPs) to obtain free Naloxone (Narcan). You can also go to this site for more information on free programs: https://nyc988.cityofnewyork.us/en/naloxone/. The New York State Office of Addition and Support also has information and resources: https://oasas.ny.gov.
(Mark Oniffrey via Wikimedia)
Education Harlem school’s registration drive targets would-be teen voters
By ANDY HARRIS Special to the AmNews
Election Day is less than two months away, and the Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem is taking it upon themselves to make sure the youth meet the moment by hosting an on-campus voter registration drive on Thursday, September 26.
This Central Harlem school is encouraging its senior students — many of whom are 18 years old, or will be by Nov. 5 — to vote in this election. Another mission of this drive will be to encourage local Harlem residents to register to vote on Nov. 5. This push to the polls has been
driven by athletic director and physical education teacher Jermel Collins-Day.
The 48-year-old Brooklyn native believes there is a major benefit to having young men in the K-12 space exposed to this initiative. “I think it’s imperative for them to have their right to vote… having the opportunity to be an asset to society is crucial,” he said.
This is the first time the school has had any event of this kind. Collins-Day added that many of the students were unfamiliar with a voter-registration event, much less the voting process.
“They said they didn’t know anything about how to vote or to go about voting. So this is a perfect segue for them to
become productive members of society,” he said.
Collins-Day, who is also a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, has been coaching and teaching at Eagle Academy for nine years, and says he is encouraged by the questions his students have asked about the factors of this election. “The interests stem from: what are some of the politics, to policies on how to become a president.”
Seeing a Black woman with an opportunity to become the next president of the United States has been incredibly motivational for the kids, he added.
The students are well aware of the potential history that could be made if Vice
President Kamala Harris — potentially the first woman, and only the second Black person — is elected, which CollinsDay says has been “huge” for the kids.
“If we can support her, it gives us hope for our future,” the coach said of the main response from the kids.
There will be a tent at the event on Thursday, which was planned to coincide with the annual parent engagement day, where students will be able speak to Harlem residents who come by. In the event of rain, Collins-Day said students will likely be moved to phone banking as a contingency plan for them to still reach the parents that aren’t able to attend.
Deconstruction zones: Campus racial healing program expands
By RENATA SAGO Word in Black
Now that students at four colleges in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are back on campus this fall, they will have access to a new resource for learning how to dismantle false beliefs about racial hierarchies.
Seven years after launching its Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation (TRHT) program in colleges, the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) has expanded the program, opening centers at Antioch University, Bard College, Cuyahoga Community College, and Elizabethtown College.
The new centers give professors, administrators, faculty members, and students a dedicated space to learn and guide discussions around race, gender, age, class, and spiritual beliefs as part of a concerted effort to bring healing dialogues throughout the United States in higher education institutions.
“We don’t dictate to any institution how they are implementing, how they will implement and realize the goals of TRHT, or how they would implement the TRHT areas within their institutional context,” said Tia McNair, a senior consultant with AACU. “They look at their strategic priorities, their student population, their community relationships, and partnerships to develop
what we call an action plan, so each institution does it differently.”
The campus centers began in 2017 as a concept that was part strategic, part organic. The 10 initial host institutions — a mix of public and private schools — introduced various approaches for dismantling racial bias on campus, including racial healing circles and special dinners intended to create safe spaces for sensitive dialogue.
Since then, schools have continued to embrace virtual and in-person conversations that provide gentle reassurance — and sometimes uncomfortable exposure — to past and present-day events that have shaped views of race in society.
The host institutions range from liberal arts colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to faith-based institutions and community colleges. The selection process for colleges includes training about how to speak the language of racial healing based on the Institute on Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation’s framework.
McNair, the former executive director of the TRHT Campus Centers, said the TRHT program is essential now more than ever.
“There are attacks happening on the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and our institutions within our communities, within our states, across the board,” said McNair. “I think that knowing that the growing majority of undergraduate
students in this country are from racially minoritized groups … is critical for us to maintain and expand resources to help the success of all students.”
In tracking of 196 campuses in 29 states, the Chronicle of Higher Education found that colleges throughout the U.S. have eliminated their DEI programs due to political pressure, establishing an “inconsistent and confusing landscape.”
The effects of these changes are unclear, which is why McNair, who is also a partner at SOVA, a higher education consulting firm in Washington, D.C., would like campus centers to create opportunities for personal and professional development for marginalized students.
“Whether you are the student who is coming into the environment (and) may not be fully prepared — not at a fault of your own, but just because of circumstances – and may not be fully prepared to succeed in the same way as others, then how do we help you? How do we make sure that we actually live our commitment? That we fulfill our commitment to you as being part of this educational journey so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive?”
When education reform takes place at the federal, state, or local level, it can have predictable consequences, undoing decades of important work. This is why McNair hopes that the campus centers will serve as a springboard for repairing old wounds and
sustaining supportive principles for community-building beyond campus.
The vision is to encourage ways of thinking that transcend the present political uncertainty, inviting ongoing dialogue and action.
“I think we as educators within higher education play a critical role in preparing the next generation of leaders to build more just and equitable communities,” said McNair. “This work is not about trying to get anyone to think in the same way we think, but to actually value each and every person’s human dignity, their contributions, their lived experiences in a way where we can transcend what has been causing division and conflict within our communities.”
For more information about the TRHT campus centers and their activities visit: https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/truthracial-healing-transformation-campuscenters
Rare book fair at City College to include Black culture objects
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
This weekend’s Empire State Rare Book & Print Fair will take place Sept. 27–29 at City College of New York and bring more than 40 rare book exhibitors to City College’s Great Hall (160 Convent Avenue and W. 135th Street)to display and sell rare books, photo prints and documents.
In an email interview with the AmNews , Pom Harrington, owner of the England-based Peter Harrington Rare Books, talked about what all the excitement is about.
AmNews: Does the Peter Harrington collection have a lot of items related to Black history in the U.S.? In England? In the Americas? (Around how many items do you have related to each location?)
AmNews: What are some of the oldest documents you have related to Black history?
Harrington: Many of our oldest documents pertain to slavery and abolition in England, including The Law of Retribution (1773–77) by Granville Sharp, one of the earliest campaigners for the abolition of the slave trade in Britain, and Thomas Clarkson’s An Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species (1786), which was instrumental in recruiting William Wilberforce to the abolitionist movement.
Two notably early items that will be on display at the fair include a first edition of the monumentally influential “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1852) and a striking image of a group of itinerant musicians in Cuba from around 1895.
AmNews: How much of this collection will be available for viewing this weekend?
Harrington: We will have a significant selection of material relating to Black history displayed at the fair, from an
Harrington: We have a significant amount of material relating to Black history in both the Americas and Britain, which is constantly being refreshed. Broadly speaking, we have more than 100 items pertaining to Black history, including portraits, posters, pamphlets, and books pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement.
extremely rare antislavery poem, published in London in 1797 (John Gorton’s “The Negro Suicide”), to the first U.S. edition of Chinua Achebe’s “Anthills of the Savannah” (1988), inscribed to Yvette Le Roy, the founder of Liberty House in Harlem, whose store promoted books by Black authors and sold handcrafts produced by the Mississippi Poor People’s Corporation.
Our showing at the fair spans literature (Toni Morrison, James Baldwin), music (a signed publicity photograph of Sister Rosetta Tharpe), and abolitionist and anti-apartheid writing (Alan Paton’s “Cry, the Beloved Country,” 1948).
Of particular note are two standout items by Langston Hughes, inscribed to a photographer who documented the Harlem Renaissance.
AmNews: Are other objects searchable, at least by title, on your website?
Harrington: All our catalogued stock that is currently available for sale is available on our website (www.peterharrington.co.uk). Some available items may temporarily be taken offline if held in reserve for customers who have ex -
pressed an interest in purchasing them, but in general, visiting our website would give you the most up to date access to our stock of rare and antiquarian books.
AmNews: Besides the historic and even monetary value of these items, what is a major reason you find customers come to rare book fairs? What could visitors to this weekend’s event expect?
Harrington: Rare book fairs offer a unique opportunity to see, hold, and acquire works that are touchstones of intellectual and cultural heritage. Whether it’s a first edition of a literary classic or a rare manuscript with an extraordinary provenance, there’s something deeply captivating about the tangible link to the past that these books represent. At this weekend’s Empire State Rare Book and Print Fair, visitors can expect a curated selection of rare works, each with a unique story. Beyond the books, they’ll engage with expert dealers who provide insights into the significance of the items. It’s a chance for collectors to explore, learn, and connect with a community of like-minded bibliophiles.
Religion & Spirituality
Haitians in Ohio find solidarity at church after chaotic week of false pet-eating claims
By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshiping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole.
This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever.
Their community is reeling — confused, frustrated, hurt — from false accusations that they are eating their neighbor’s cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.
“Jesus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield,” said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors leveled against their Haitian neighbors. They also demanded an apology.
“It is truth that a retraction of these rumors will help to restore peace in Springfield,” Ruby said.
“We respectfully call on all politicians and media figures who are promoting this rumor to help make Springfield great and safe again by speaking the truth about our community.”
Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of
Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, accepted Ruby’s invitation to worship together at Central Christian, and was grateful to be relying on his faith.
“It’s important to be here because we’re Christian — despite everything, we worship in good times and bad times,” he said. “I’m relieved that I’m in the presence of God. It’s therapeutic.”
And he had a message for Trump and Vance: “If they have the heart of God, they will think differently and speak differently.”
The rumors, spread on social media and by Trump during last Tuesday’s televised presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, have exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of the election in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000 where more than 15,000 Haitians now live and work.
Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the U.S.’s Temporary Protected Status program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said the federal government needs to do more to help cities like Springfield serve the influx of migrants. On ABC’s “This Week,” DeWine called the Haitians good, hardworking people who are in the U.S. le -
gally, and said the false rumors are a piece of internet garbage.
“There’s no evidence of this at all,” he said during the program.
Despite the governor and local officials debunking the rumors, Vance reiterated the conspiracy theory on Sunday’s “Face the Nation” on CBS while blasting Harris on her U.S.Mexico border policy.
At Central Christian Church, Ruby encouraged his congregation to help hand out thousands of cards around Springfield that had been printed in Creole and English with a message of support for Haitians. It reads “I’m glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I.”
As the service ended, Ruby praised parishioners for a beautiful moment amid what he called a storm of chaos. Looking at the Haitian members in the first pew and at the rest of his congregation, he asked them to come together in prayer: “Pray and think what it is to be a Haitian parent sending their child this week to school.”
One of those parents is Mia Perez, 35, an immigration lawyer whose 9-year-old daughter had to evacuate her school twice because of bomb threats to a nearby DMV this week.
“Kids in school are being asked by other kids: ‘How does the dog taste? How does the cat taste?’" Perez said, describing her daughter’s distress.
“She’s asking, ‘Are we the kind of Haitians who eat this kind of stuff?
Is it true? What’s happening?’”
“This is a conversation that I was not ready to have with my daughter,”Perez said. “I felt disrespected of our culture.”
On Sunday, Perez attended a service at Saint Raphael’s Catholic church, while a Springfield police officer stood guard outside. Attendance by Haitians was lower than usual, and Perez — after talking with others who did attend — said many from their community stayed away out of fears for their safety,
“This is emotional,” she said. “They made a statement of not being here. Catholic Haitian people have such strong faith — not even hurricanes can keep them away, but look at this here today.”
Another service was held at The First Haitian Church, located next to the Haitian Community Center.
“They feel the threat. They feel not welcome,” Bernardette Dor, 51, one of the pastors, said after the service. “Even in the school system sometimes, they feel different, not because of their skin color but because they’re Haitian. But the reality is that we’re beautiful and we’re blessed.”
Though she worries about repercussions of the false statements, she said gathering to worship with her community and feeling support from others in Springfield gives her hope.
“We are united. It is time for good to stand for good,” she said. “This time the city of
Springfield, Haitian people, asked the Lord to stay together to fight for good ... America is a great loving country, and American people care for people – it doesn’t matter if they are Haitian. We’re against lies.”
After the service, some parishioners gathered at Rose Goute Creole restaurant for a traditional Haitian meal of rice and beans, fried plantains and pork. One of them, Jacob Payen, said the restaurant has been transformed in recent days.
“We’ve been outnumbered — we have more non-Haitian guests here at the restaurant who are curious to know the culture and Haitian cuisine,” he said. “We feel that they’re sending a strong message: if they’re here eating with us because they trust us.”
Among those attending the earlier service at Central Christian was Rose-Thamar Joseph, 40, who works at the Haitian Community Center.
“I was praying for peace and protection — for the Haitian community and all of Springfield.” she said. “I just want Springfield to go back to what it was a couple of months ago.” AP visual journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Celebrating the life of Brother Leroy Baylor Muhammad
By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews
Associates and friends of native Harlemite Brother Leroy Baylor Muhammad reflected on his life and legacy during a memorial service at the Harlem Erudite Academy. Black Leroy, as he was affectionately known, joined the ancestors on June 1 at 83 years young.
Leroy was born at Harlem Hospital on April 25, 1941, the youngest of Emmett and Lillian Baylor’s four children. He lived on Eighth Avenue — Frederick Douglass Boulevard — between 148th and 149th Streets, and attended Resurrection Catholic Elementary School before graduating from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, where he ran track and was the secondfastest runner in New York City at the time. He earned a four-year scholarship to Manhattan College, where he was active social-
ly and acquired a B.S. in business. While there, he formed many alliances with that era’s urban Black progressives, notably Amiri Baraka.
Surrounded by the Nation of Islam’s presence in Harlem during the late 1950s, he witnessed Muslim minister Malcolm X deliver dissertations on Harlem’s streets, as well as listened to him on radio station WLIB-AM on Saturday mornings. He also heard the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s 30-minute radio broadcasts on Saturday afternoons on WNJR radio.
He eventually registered at the Nation of Islam Temple #7 in 1963, becoming known as Brother Leroy 23X. He met Minister Louis Farrakhan three years later and subsequently became his assistant, as well as that of Elijah Muhammad.
For the next several decades, Brother Leroy would be seen in the streets of Harlem, as well as at any prominent Black
function in the city, greeting all who came near with a smile and a warm “A salam alaikum,” while distributing Nation of Islam periodicals, getting the word out to the everyday people.
Understanding the power of the printed word, he had a career at the New York Times, from where he retired. He also began writing for several progressive Back publications, including the AmNews and The Final Call, among others. He later used the airwaves as a medium as well, where he was known as The Communicator. As the radio talk show host of The Communicators program on Harlem’s own WHCR, he tackled topics relevant to the local community such as gentrification, police brutality, and unemployment. He also shared some of his firsthand expe rience while in the streets of Harlem. He regularly featured progressive guests like Baraka, Shahrazad Ali, Dick Gregory, Alton
Maddox, Les Brown, Dr. Velva Boles, and Dr. Sebi, just to name a few. He also facilitated his Books that Matter program on Manhattan Cable Network, Various members from the Black community attended Brother Leroy’s Janazah Service (funeral) at Unity Funeral Chapel in Harlem in early June. An audio recording of Minister Farrakhan paying his respects was played.
It was noted that he was a father, husband, partner, grandfather, best friend, educator, storyteller, and man of faith. Mourners remarked that he was in service for Allah, the Nation of Islam, his family, and the community every day until the end. He was not a bitter man. He had a personality that kept you laughing, or crying, but it was always for good.
He is survived by his wife JoAnn Baylor, five children, six grandchildren, and other
CLASSIFIED ADS
RULES AND REGULATIONS
CANCELLATIONS must be made in writing by 12 Noon Monday.
The forwarding of an order is construed as an acceptance of all advertising rules and conditions under which advertising space is sold by the NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS. Publication is made and charged according to the terms of this card.
Rates and regulations subject to change without notice. No agreements as to position or regulations, other than those printed on this.
Til forbid orders charged for rate earned. Increases or decreases in space take the rate of a new advertisement.
The New York AMSTERDAM NEWS reserves the right to censor, reject, alter or revise all advertisements in accordance with its rules governing the acceptance of advertising and accepts no liability for its failure to insert an advertisement for any cause. Credit for errors in advertisements allowed only for first insertion.
CLASSIFIED
• Classified advertisements take the regular earned rate of their classification. Four line minimum on all ads except spirituals and horoscopes (14 lines).
CLASSIFIED DISPLAY
• Classified Display (boarder or picture) advertisements take the regular earned rate of their classification. Display (boarder or picture) advertisements one column wide must be 14 lines deep; two columns, 28 lines deep; 3 columns, 56 lines deep. Classified Display (boarder or picture) placed as close to classifications as rules and makeup permit.
CLASSIFICATIONS
All advertisement accepted for publication is classified according to the standard classifications. Misclassification is not permitted.
BASIS OF CHARGE
Charges are based on point size and characters per line. Upon reaching 15 lines the rate converts to column inch. Any deviation from solid composition such as indentation, use of white space, bold type, etc., will incur a premium.
NOTICE OF SALE
Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 850084/2022
Six Gramercy LLC, Plaintiff, v. Westside Units 17th Street LLC, et. al., Defendants.
TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered May 14, 2024, the undersigned referee will sell at public auction on October 2, 2024, at 2:15pm in Room 130 at the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY, the property located at 7 East 17th Street, Unit 3N, New York, NY 10003 (Block 846, Lot 1304).
The approximate amount of Plaintiff’s lien is $1,881,618.28 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold in one parcel and subject to provisions of the judgment and terms of sale.
Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee Law Offices of Tae H. Whang, LLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 201, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, Tel. (201) 461-0300, 415 White Oak Road, Palisades, NY 10964 (By Appointment Only).
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK ALBANY AVENUE PARTNERS, LLC., Plaintiff AGAINST UPTOWN GAMBIT, INC., MICHAEL T. JOHNSON, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 3, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on October 30, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 3-5 West 122nd Street, Units 1B, 2C, 3C, 4A, 6A and 6D, New York, NY 10027. Units as identified as 1B, 2C, 3C, 4A, 6A and 6D may all be put up individually for bid. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block: 1721 Lots: 1002, 1007, 1011, 1013, 1021, and 1024. Approximate amount of judgment $989,442.32 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850429/2023. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts. gov/Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Doron Leiby, Esq., Referee Law Offices of Alan J. Waintraub PLLC 125-10 Queens Blvd., Suite 311 Kew Gardens, NY 11415 UPTOWN GAMBIT 80998
NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, JOHNSTON COUNTY
In the General Court of Justice, Before the Clerk, Superior Court Division of Johnston County, North Carolina:
Margarita Hernandez v. Ramon A. Abreu 24 SP 000051-500
Ramon A. Abreu:
Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is: Petition to Partition real property located at 2370 Valley Drive, Clayton, NC 27520, and such other and further relief as Petitioner may be entitled.
You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than October 29, 2024, which is forty (40) days from the first publication of this notice, and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This, the 11th day of September, 2024.
Marcus C. Burrell Attorney for Petitioner P.O. Box 369 Selma, NC 27576 9/19, 9/26, & 10/3
NOTICE OF SALE
RFP No. EZ092024: Opportunity to license one or both freestanding retail units at MNR’s Croton-Harmon former Station Building, Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
RFP No. EZ092024A: Opportunity to license a freestanding retail unit at MNR’s Goldens Bridge Station, Goldens Bridge, New York.
RFR No. EZ092024B: Opportunity to license a freestanding retail unit at MNR’s Purdy’s Station, Purdy’s, New York. For information on the above RFPs, please go to https://new.mta.info/agency/real-estate/
LEGAL NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE, Supreme Court – New York County, WHITE WALKER HOLDINGS 1 LLC, Plaintiff v. 388 BROADWAY OWNERS LLC, et al. , Defendants, Index# 850264/2021. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale docketed on June 28, 2024, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in Room 130 of New York County Supreme Court, 60 Center Street, New York, New York 10007, on October 9, 2024 at 2:15 PM of that day, the premises known as 388 Broadway , New York , New York 10013, Block 195 Lot 3. The approximate amount of Judgment is $26,503,146.50 plus interest, advances, and expenses accrued from February 29, 2024 to the date of sale of the Premises. Premises will be sold subject to: (a) provisions of Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale docketed on June 28, 2024; and (b) the terms of sale. IF YOU ARE BIDDING AT THE AUCTION, YOU MUST BRING A CERTIFIED CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO THE REFEREE ELAINE SHAY , ESQ . IN THE AMOUNT OF 10% OF YOUR BID. If you have any questions, contact Attorney for Plaintiff: ANNA GUILIANO, BORAH, GOLDSTEIN, ALTSCHULER, NAHINS & GOIDEL, P.C., 377 Broadway, New York, New York 10013, (212) 965-2628.
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Ready Capital Mortgage Financing 2019-FL3, LLC , Plaintiff, vs . PB 151 Grand LLC , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Decision + Order + Judgment on Motion duly entered on May 14, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on October 16, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 158 Lafayette Street a/k/a 151 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 233 and Lot 17. Approximate amount of judgment is $35,289,017.65 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850041/2022. Mark L. McKew, Esq., Referee Duane Morris, LLP, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Multiverse Of Stuff LLC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/14/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 357 EDGECOMBE AVENUE APT 5D , NEW YORK, NY 10031. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Formation of MALHOTRA FAMILY 2024, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/26/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Vikram Malhotra, 168 E. 74th St., Apt. 4C, NY, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
CONSERVATIVERAP LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/15/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, 11 BROADWAY SUITE 615, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Blue Diamond Trading Company L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/31/2024 Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S #742246, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Dostar Marketing LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/09/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 330 East 38th Street Apt. 38L, New York, NY, 10016. Purpose: Any lawful act.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, -against-
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NEW YORK AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARIAN S. O’HARA, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York on May 16, 2024, wherein BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST is the Plaintiff and PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NEW YORK AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARIAN S. O’HARA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the NEW YORK COUNTY CIVIL SUPREME COURTHOUSE, ROOM 130, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on October 9, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 340 WEST 57TH STREET, UNIT 9-E, NEW YORK, NY 10019; and the following tax map identification: 1047-1096.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE, OR PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THEREIN CONTAINED, SITUATE, AND BEING A PART OF A CONDOMINIUM IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, COUNTY, CITY, AND STATE OF NEW YORK, KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS APARTMENT UNIT NO. 9E AT 340 WEST 57TH STREET TOGETHER WITH A .1080 PERCENT UNDIVIDED INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS OF THE CONDOMINIUM
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 850377/2015. Shari S. Laskowitz, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
Supreme Court-New York County – Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. v . Any unknown heirs to the Estate of CONNIE R. ADCOCK, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest, as well as the respective heirs at law, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the Plaintiff, et al., Deft. – Index # 850346/2018 . The foregoing supplemental summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 11 th day of September 2024 and duly entered the 13 th day of September 2024 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of 5,000/28,402,100 in the premises at Block 1006, Tax Lot 1302 located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of July 31, 2015, executed by Connie R. Adcock to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $15,750.00, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on October 11, 2011, in CRFN 2011000357147 . The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
Fillet Edge LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/06/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 435 W 31st St., Apt 8G, New York, NY, 10001. Purpose: Any lawful act.
BRUNSONCLINE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/29/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: United States Corporation Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY, 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. NYCTL 2021-A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN,
Plaintiffs -against- D.K.S LTD, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on May 14, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on October 23, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 1262 Lot 602 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map.
Said premises known as 62 WEST 47TH WEST 47TH STREET #608, NEW YORK, NY 10036
Approximate amount of lien $236,520.13 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 158712/2022.
GEORGIA PAPAZIS, ESQ., Referee Phillips Lytle LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs
28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614
NOTICE OF SALE
FURDONNAS CUSTOM CREATIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/08/2024 Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 2588 7TH AVE, BLDG 2, STE 6D, NEW YORK, NY 10039. Purpose: Any lawful act.
The Speech And Accent House LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 7/23/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: United States Corporation Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave. Suite 202, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT – NEW YORK COUNTY – WEST 45TH RETAIL LLC, Plaintiff v. ALANDALOUS PROPERTIES CORP. f/k/a PEOPLES FOREIGN EXCHANGE CORPORATION, et al., Defendants. Pursuant to an Amended Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision and Order on Motion entered on September 29, 2023 (the “Judgment”), I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder in Room 130 of the New York County Supreme Court, 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, on October 9, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., the premises known as 24 West 45th Street, Unit C-1, New York, New York. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in New York County and State of New York: Block 1260, Lot 1001, as more particularly described in the Judgment. Approximate amount of Judgment is $1,632,632.61, plus additional interest and fees. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #850207/2021. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee. Andriola Law, PLLC, 1385 Broadway, 22 nd Floor, New York, NY 10018, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Sport Temp LLC filed w/ SSNY 2/17/21 Off. in NY Co. Process served to SSNY - desig. as agt. of LLC & mailed to Yehuda Brown, 1472 E. 8th St, Brooklyn, NY 11230. The reg. agt. is Yehuda Brown at same address. Any lawful purpose.
CheKells Enterprise LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 6/7/2024. Office location: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 928 E 86th St, Brooklyn NY 11236 Purpose: Any lawful act.
In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in an action entitled NYCTL 1998-2 Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 1998-2 Trust v. Reginald Borgella, et al., bearing Index No. 156969/2018 on or about May 3, 2024 and Order entered on or about August 19, 2024, by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on October 16, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, Room 130, New York, New York 10007, the liened premises designated as Block 768, Lot 1217, in the City of New York, County of New York and Borough of Manhattan, State of New York and known as 134 Seventh Avenue, Garage Unit 6, New York, New York 10011 , directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The sale will be conducted pursuant to the Court’s Auction Rules and any COVID Restrictions. The approximate amount of the judgment is $10,374.32 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall be available at the time of sale.
Dated: September 12, 2024 New York, New York Roberta Ashkin, Esq. Referee 400 East 70 th Street, Apt. 2205 New York, New York 100215392 (646) 779-8520
David P. Stich, Esq. Attorney for Plaintiff 521 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor New York, New York 10175 (646) 554-4421
Safari Atelier NYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/20/2023. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 900 W 190 ST #15B, New York, NY 10040. Purpose: Any lawful act.
OPDEE HOLDINGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/28/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 347 W 57TH ST, Suite 40A, New York NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Arrakis Ventures LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/06/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202 , BROOKLYN, NY, 11228, USA. Purpose: Any lawful act.
West Seneca Holding, LLC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/06/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: C/O West Seneca Holding, LLC,, 445 Park Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff AGAINST ELVIRA P. CHRISTI, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on October 16, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 520 West 112th Street Unit 4B, New York, NY 10025. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block 1883, Lot 1104. Approximate amount of judgment $392,131.52 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #116866/2009. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Allison M. Furman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18003305 81301
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , NYCTL 2021A Trust, and the Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021-A Trust , Plaintiff, vs . 187 Street Mazal LLC , ET AL., Defendant(s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated May 17, 2024 and duly entered on May 21, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on October 16, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 663 West 187th Street, New York, NY 10033. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 02170 and Lot 0031. Approximate amount of judgment is $46,350.43 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #159354/2022. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff
MATAURO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/22/10. Office: New York 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, c/o Matthew Klein, 375 Willowemoc Rd, Livingston Manor, NY 12758. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Stay Strong LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/02/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 400 West 43 Street 35R, NY, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE
Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 850087/2022
Six Gramercy LLC, Plaintiff, v. Westside Units 17th Street LLC, et. al., Defendants.
TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered May 17, 2024, the undersigned referee will sell at public auction on October 9, 2024, at 2:15pm in Room 130 at the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY, the property located at 7 East 17th Street, Unit 6C, New York, NY 10003 (Block 846, Lot 1310).
The approximate amount of Plaintiff’s lien is $1,443,159.80 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold in one parcel and subject to provisions of the judgment and terms of sale.
Georgia Papazis, Esq., Referee
Law Offices of Tae H. Whang, LLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 201, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, Tel. (201) 461-0300, 415 White Oak Road, Palisades, NY 10964 (By Appointment Only).
This Is Neatly LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/22/2024 . Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 275 W 96th St, 10025. Purpose: Any lawful act.
CEZI LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/07/2023 Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 557 Grand Concourse Suite 6005, Bronx, NY 10451 Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Formation of CARTOON PHYSICS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 207 W. 25th St. - 6th Fl., NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of MRA IVC MANAGER I, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Metropolitan Realty Associates LLC, 555 Madison Ave. - 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of 20 EXCHANGE PLACE OWNER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/12/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Stephen Benjamin, 729 7th Ave., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., No. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
AMALIER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/04/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 224 W 35TH ST STE 500, NEW YORK, NY, 10001. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Qualification of TH MSR HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/25/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Arizona (AZ) on 06/30/24. Princ. office of LLC: 1601 Utica Ave. South, Ste. 900, St. Louis Park, MN 55416. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Executive Director, 1300 W. Washington, 1st Fl., Phoenix, AZ 58007-2929. Purpose: Owning and managing mortgage servicing rights.
Notice of Qualification of WSC OPCO LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/13/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, c/o Winter Properties LLC, 9 W. 57th St., 47th Fl., NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Townsend & Bastien, LLP Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on July 19, 2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1350 Ave Of The Americas, Flr 2, #1068, New York, New York, 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #NA-0340-24133825 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 862 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10017 for on-premises consumption; Zara East Inc.
Notice of Qualification of COMVEST GROUP HOLDINGS LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/01/02. Princ. office of LP: 360 S. Rosemary Ave., Ste. 1700, W. Palm Beach, FL 33401. NYS fictitious name: COMVEST GROUP HOLDINGS L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. #101, Dover, DE 19904. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
SLAINTE ACUPUNCTURE
PLLC. Art of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/01/2024. Office: New York 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. THE LLC 114 W 73RD ST. APT 4A, NEW YORK, NY, 10023. Any lawful purpose.
676 Broadway LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect'y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/10/2020. Office: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Boddoohi & Friedlander LLP, 29 W. 125th St, 3rd Fl, NY, NY 10027. Purpose: any lawful act.
Notice of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Partnership Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP. Notice of Registration filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/27/2024. Office location: 575 Lexington Ave., Ste. 2310, New York, NY 10022, New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to: 700 N. Pearl St., 25th Fl., Dallas, TX 75201. Registration as LLP originally filed on 8/27/2010 with Texas Secy. of State, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711 Purpose: The practice of law.
Notice of Formation of MISCHIEF MERCANTILE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/16/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
STAU LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/21/2024
Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: SOHO WORKSPACES, INC., 447 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013, USA. The registered agent of the LLC is SOHO WORKSPACES, INC., 447 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013, USA Purpose: Any lawful act.
195 HELP WANTED 195 HELP WANTED
Occupational Therapist Priority Care Staffing. Full time. Bronx. 75,712/year (36.4/ hour) Evaluate patients’ conditions; Develop and implement treatment plans; Demonstrate exercises to help relieve patients’ pain; Evaluate results and progress of occupational therapy on patients; Educate caregivers and family members of clients on patient care. usotjobs@prioritycarestaffing.com
101 LEGAL NOTICES
195 HELP WANTED 250 MANHT FURN
ROOMS
Large kitchenette w/refig. Good heat & hot water. Nr all transp. Job refs checked. Also, small rooms avail. 118 W 121st St. Call 917.583.4968 or 917.500.8373
To display your Legal, LLC, and classifieds ads contact:
Shaquana Folks 212-932-7412
shaquana.folks @amsterdamnews. com
Or schedule your own Legal and LLC advertising by scanning the QR Code
The Mets face their old nemesis, the Braves, with a wildcard
By JAIME C. HARRIS
AmNews Sports Editor
It has become somewhat of a rite of passage that the Mets face their longtime National League East rival, the Atlanta Braves, late in the Major League Baseball season with the division title or playoff spot on the line.
On Tuesday, the teams, both in an intense and consequential battle for a wild card spot, began a three-game series in Atlanta. The Braves took the opener 5-1 and were breathing down the Mets’ necks with the Arizona Diamondbacks elbowing their way toward one of the two bids still up for grabs. The trio was each separated by only one-half game, with the Mets up on the Braves by a full game before Wednesday night’s MLB schedule.
The Mets held the second wild-card position at 87-70. The Diamondbacks, who played the San Francisco Giants, were right behind them at 87-71, and the Braves were practically even at 86-71. The San Diego Padres, 91-66 when they took on the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, have
already clinched the No. 1 wild-card spot.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Atlanta’s 26-year-old, 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee in May, and his younger brother, Mets’ 24-year-old rookie shortstop Luisangel Acuna, swapped jerseys in their first encounter as MLB players.
The younger Acuna has been filling in at shortstop admirably for Mets star Francisco Lindor, who has been experiencing back issues and has only played one inning since Sept. 13.
“If I play this year, I don’t think it’s going to be pain-free,” said Lindor following the Mets’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on Sunday. “And I’m OK with that. I just don’t want it to be constant pain where I can’t bend over. Then I put my teammates in a position where I’m not helping them as much as I can. That’s not fair to anybody.”
Lindor, who has 31 home runs and 86 RBI, leads the Mets in hits (163) and batting average (.271).
After the series finale tonight against the Braves, the Mets will close their regular season schedule with three games against
the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday. The Brewers have clinched the NL Central title.
The Yankees have also cemented a place in the postseason and will finish a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight in the Bronx. They fell short of clinching the AL East title on Tuesday, losing 5-3 to the Orioles, but hoped to celebrate last night with a victory. Baltimore’s victory on Tuesday earned them a wild-card invitation after they won the division last season.
The Yankees will play the Pittsburgh Pirates three games this weekend — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — before beginning the start of the postseason next week.
Josh Naylor’s breakout 30-homer/100 RBI season isn’t his end goal spot in the balance
By KEVIN MOORE, MLBbro Special to the AmNews
Josh Naylor has had an impressive year so far with the Cleveland Guardians. The 27-year-old outfielder/first baseman was selected to his first All-Star Game and will have the opportunity to make his third appearance in the postseason. Going into the Cleveland Guardians game versus the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, Naylor was hitting .240 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI.
His team was 90-67 and had clinched the AL Central division title. They were trying to catch the New York Yankees, which were 92-64 prior to facing the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, for the best record in the American League with the regular season ending on Sunday.
Naylor’s power display has been impressive. His 30-plus homers are a first for his career. The RBI total is also a career best after knocking in 97 last season. Now, as the playoffs are approaching, Naylor will have the opportunity once again to help his team make a run at a World Series title.
The Guardians clinched the American League Central Division this year and the last time they clinched was back in 2022, making that two times in the last three years. Cleveland’s last World Series appearance came in 2016 when they lost to the Chicago Cubs in Game 7.
Naylor is no stranger to the postseason. In 2020, he made a huge impact while only playing in two games. In those two games, he went five-for-seven at the plate with a home run and three RBI.
He saw more action during the 2022 playoffs, posting a .194 average in seven games. Time after time, Naylor has proved himself to be a threat at the plate this season. He has come up clutch in numerous situations to help put his team in a position to win games.
And his teammates love the energy he brings each and every day.
“Josh is our guy, that’s our heart and soul,” said Guardians right fielder Will Brennan. “He goes into demon mode like that, you’ve got to just let him do his thing.”
The Guardians manager also has praise for Naylor, noting him setting new standards in homers and RBIs. “What a cool accolade for him,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “It’s a huge milestone for players. It’s something special to have two guys in our lineup with 30 and 100.”
With Naylor and Jose Ramirez, the latter who had 37 homers and 112 RBI as of Tuesday, anchoring the Guardians lineup, Cleveland has two potent run producers. Irrespective of the individual success Naylor has achieved this season, he is more focused on the team.
“Team wins mean more to me,” Naylor said. “Just the production we have as a unit, that’s more important to me, and to get into the postseason.”
Mets rookie shortstop Luisangel Acuna has been an important late season addition for the team as he has filled for the injured Francisco Lindor. (MLB.com photo)
Cleveland Guardian All-Star outfielder/first baseman Josh Naylor is a key component of the playoff ballclub. (MLBbro photo)
The Liberty end the Dream’s season and advance to the WNBA semifinals
By LOIS ELFMAN
Special to the AmNews
As the WNBA moves toward expansion, with the Golden State Valkyries debuting next season and franchises in Toronto and Portland coming in 2026, the New York Liberty are the only remaining original franchise not to have won a WNBA championship. The team took one step closer on correcting this Tuesday night with a 91-82 victory over the Atlanta Dream at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, sweeping its series with the Atlanta Dream 2–0.
The Liberty will take on the Las Vegas Aces, the two-time defending league champions, in a semifinals matchup. The Aces defeated the Seattle Storm 2-0. Game 1 of the Liberty-Aces series will be Sunday at the Barclays.
Liberty point guard Sabrina Ionescu owned Game 2 versus the Dream, scoring 36 points in addition to netting nine assists and three steals. Jonquel Jones also put her imprint on the win with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
“Honestly, it’s just doing whatever it takes to win,” said Ionescu. “Understanding I’m capable of scoring, but knowing that getting my teammates open and good looks is a huge part of what I do and pride myself on. … Just continuing to kind of take what the defense gives me
while also being assertive and shooting the ball with confidence.”
In Game 1 on Sunday, Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich, in her first year with the team, continued her stellar play after earning a spot in the starting lineup mid-season, scoring a gamehigh 21 points. Breanna Stewart had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Sabrina Ionescu 17 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton 10 points and five assists.
The Liberty wrapped regular season play last Thursday with a loss to the Dream. Everything was on the line for the Dream, who were determined to secure the eighth spot in the WNBA playoffs. That night also marked a homecoming for Queens native Tina Charles, who joined the Dream this season. With 10 boards in the 78–67 win, Charles passed Sylvia Fowles to become the WNBA’s alltime leading rebounder. It was also a day in which Charles was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Postseason honors are starting to be announced. The 2024 WNBA Peak Performer Awards went to A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces (points), Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky (rebounds) and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever (assists). Wilson was named 2024 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, her third MVP honor since joining the league in 2018.
New head coach Fernando Colon heads the rebuilding of Saint Peter’s women’s volleyball
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
The women’s volleyball team at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City is feeling inspired. A win over New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) to open the season was the burst of energy the Peacocks needed as the team went winless in 2023. Now under the leadership of new head coach Fernando Colon, the team has a fresh sense of purpose. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play opens this Saturday when Saint Peter’s takes on Merrimack College, and players and coaches are eager to forge a new identity.
Colon is a native of Hudson County, New Jersey, so he feels at home at Saint Peter’s. When he was a high school coach, several of his players went on to play for the Peacocks. Over the past 17 years, he has built his coaching resume at New Jersey colleges. “I was up for the challenge to turn this program around,” said Colon. “Each college that I’ve coached at, I’ve brought them from pretty much the bottom to the top. That played a huge role in the [returning] players buying in. Saying it is one thing. It’s another when they see I’ve had success at the other colleges. From day one, the girls bought in and they’ve worked hard. I think we did a good job changing the culture.”
A key tenet to success is working hard with discipline, which will translate into results. That has led to a winning mindset and an optimistic beginning. The team has five freshmen, four of whom Colon recruited. Danielle Caligiuri received conference Setter of the Week honors last week. Colon said she is up for the challenge of building a new identity for the program.
“All the kids we brought in are super competitive and want to be part of history,” Colon said. “They want to cement their own legacy and be part of the players that turn this program around.”
He described the players on the team as a tight unit. They understand that unity is a key element to team success, and they embraced it. “We did a good job of establishing
a family environment,” said Colon. “That’s something you need, especially when you hit adversity.”
Being in the area where he was born and raised means Colon expects to see familiar faces when home matches get underway starting Oct. 2 when Saint Peter’s faces Rider University. “I think we’re going to have a big crowd at our games,” he said.
The 2024 Saint Peter’s University women’s volleyball team. (Photo courtesy of Saint Peter’s University Athletics)
Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (No. 13) and her teammates will move on to the WNBA semifinals after a 2-0 series win over the Atlanta Dream. (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty)
Season 10 of ’HBCU 101’ celebrates culture’s vibrant institutions
By LOIS ELFMAN
Special
to the AmNews
With Vice President Kamala Harris, a graduate of Howard University, running for the presidency, an additional spotlight is on the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Those wanting to know more about these institutions, whose alumni include such as Michael Strahan, Taraji P. Henson, and Lionel Richie, can check out the series “HBCU 101,” which appears on AspireTV and AspireTV+, a network that celebrates and reflects Black culture, life, and style.
“I wanted to create a positive space that tells success stories of famous alumni, like a Will Packer and a Terrence J; also those who are in the community [who] are teachers, doctors, lawyers, who make an amazing impact.” said Jahliel Thurman, creator of “HBCU 101,” which is in season 10, and a graduate of Virginia State University.
Sports are a vital part of HBCU life. Many HBCU schools are known for their marching bands, which are an essential part of all football games. Basketball is also a vital community-builder. The CIAA, a Division II athletic conference made up of HBCU schools, holds its annual basketball tournament in Baltimore to great fanfare.
“Within our news segment, we’re definitely pushing sports stories,” said Thurman. “Also, my business partner is from a brand-
ing company called HBCU Gameday, and they cover anything and everything sportsrelated when it comes to HBCUs, so there’s always a way for us to keep that prominent.”
Kellie Wells-Brinkley, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter hurdles and a Hampton University alumna, has appeared on “HBCU 101,” sharing her road to track and field success. Prominent football players with HBCU roots have also appeared.
“If there’s any way that we can highlight HBCU sports, we do,” said Thurman. “For us, there are always stories we like to tell from athletes who went to HBCUs because there are opportunities to go to an HBCU and be successful.”
Andres Martin, founder of HBCU Night, which has become an annual fixture at the Brooklyn Nets, has also appeared. “He’s brought a very dope element, in my personal opinion,” said Thurman, noting that there is a Divine 9 (five Black fraternities and four sororities) presence at all HBCU Night events. “Those different elements that you get at an HBCU, mixed in with NBA games.”
Daniel Dubois dominates Anthony Joshua to retain IBF heavyweight title
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
Daniel Dubois retained his IBF world heavyweight championship on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London with a dominant win over former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), who turned 27 earlier this month, sent Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) to the canvas in the first, third, and fourth rounds before ending the fight in the fifth with a powerful right. If Joshua, who turns 35 next month, wants a rematch, then that fight is probably too lucrative for Dubois to turn down. Still, Dubois and his promoter Frank Warren have another matchup in mind to avenge a loss 13 months ago.
“They are my targets,” Dubois said about the rematch of undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), who will defend his titles against Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) on December 21. Usyk became undisputed heavyweight champion with a split-decision victory over Fury in May. “I want to get my rematch and put the wrong right.” Dubois lost to Usyk last year, but a controversial punch that appeared to be on the belt was ruled a low blow.
“We will see what happens on the 21st of December in Riyadh,” Warren said. “See …
Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) returns to the Theater at Madison Square Garden to face Mexican Damian Sosa (25-2, 12 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout. Brownsville, Brooklyn, product Bruce Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) will face Sulaiman Segawa of Uganda (17-4-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight match. In the main event, Sandy Ryan (7-11, 3 KOs) will defend her WBO women’s welterweight title against former unified junior lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-round fight.
“Damian Sosa is a Mexican warrior who brings that work ethic, hunger, and drive to snatch this win from me,” Zayas said about his opponent. “He’s coming off a solid victory in his last fight against another Puerto Rican. I know he’ll come well-prepared, and that’s exactly what we want. We want the best version of Damian Sosa that night, and I think we’ll get it.”
The Puerto Rican pugilist is looking for his sixth win at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s exciting to be heading back to New York,” he said. “Every time, I can feel more of the love and support from the people who want to see me in the city that never sleeps. It’s something special.”
Tomorrow, Puerto Rican fighter Xander
the outcome of that fight — Tyson, I believe, will win it. I would love to see Daniel lace it up against Usyk again, because I believe that he should have won that fight and I still believe it wasn’t a
The fight will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Sports are significant part of fabric of HBCU culture.
low blow.”
Daniel Dubois watches Anthony Joshua fall to canvas after delivering blow to former heavy champion Anthony Joshua. (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing photo)
Jahliel Thurman (right), creator of HBCU 101, and guests discuss aspects of Black college life. (HBCU 101 photos)
Sports
QB Rodgers levels up and takes command of the Jets’ offense
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
“The next step is expecting to dominate,” four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after a commanding 24-3 win by the New York Jets over their AFC East division rivals, the New York Patriots, at MetLife Stadium last Thursday.
The win raised the Jets’ record to 2-1 going into Sunday’s NFL Week 4 matchup at home versus the 1-2 Denver Broncos. A week ago, Rodgers was 19 yards short of throwing for 300, as he was 27-35 for 281 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. As Rodgers’s self-confidence rises after missing all but four plays a year ago due a a torn left Achilles, he continues to build the team’s collective belief in themselves.
“I was feeling really good out
there. It felt good pre-game and I’ve been progressing,” said Rodgers after the Jets’ outgained the Patriots in total yards by the wide margin of 400 to 139.
“I said to you guys after Week 1, it is going to be a process. I’ve continued to extend plays once I feel more comfortable, and this was kind of the first step in playing like I know I’m capable of playing. I felt like I was, you know, myself quite a few years ago.”
The Jets’ defense was smothering, sacking the Patriots’ quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye seven times and holding New England to only 78 rushing yards.
“We feel confident in our ability to stop the run,” head coach Robert Saleh said after the win. “I said we will fix it and it’s not to say that it’s totally fixed because there are going to be games where things
pop open, but at the same time, I know our guys can stop the run.”
The Jets’ strong showing was achieved without having defensive captain C.J Mosley. The linebacker had started 47 consecutive games
before being sidelined versus the Patriots due to a toe injury.
“We are confident that he’ll be back in the Denver game,” said Saleh on Monday regarding Mosley’s status. “I feel like if this was
later in the year he would have been able to go, but it wasn’t worth it to make such a small injury worse. In the grand scheme of things, it probably wouldn’t be worth it.”
After their first win of the season, the Giants host the Cowboys on short week
By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
The Giants didn’t have much time to savor their first win of this season, an encouraging 21-15 showing against the Cleveland Browns on the road this past Sunday. Four days later, they are back home at MetLife Stadium to play a reeling and desperate Dallas Cowboys squad in a significant NFC East contest.
Both the Giants and Cowboys are 1-2. The team that leaves the field with a loss will have done severe harm to their postseason prospects despite the NFL schedule still being in its early stages. Since 1990, only 34 of 235 teams that have begun the season 1-3 have made the playoffs. So the odds are not impossible, but demonstrably improbable.
There were many aspects of the Giants’ victory over the Browns that were promising for a team that finished last season 6-11 and entered this season’s campaign with numerous unknowns, the most prominent among them the health and capacity of quarterback Daniel Jones, who sustained a season-end-
ing torn ACL in his right knee on November 5 in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was limited to just six games last season due to neck and knee injuries.
Jones didn’t fully answer these questions versus the Browns, but it was one of his best performances over his past nine games. Jones was 24-34 for 236 yards and two touchdowns, and even more telling, no interceptions. Both TDs were to electrifying rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who snagged eight catches for 78 yards. The Giants offense was aided by a dogged Giants defense that sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson eight times, led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence who had two.
Afterwards, Jones expressed more relief than joy in the team notching a victory. ”Yeah, I mean I think it always feels good to get a win, however it comes. First one is important, so we have to look at what we did well and build on it, and clean up the things
we didn’t do well.”
Now, the focus is on preparation and meticulously executing the game plan against the Cowboys.
“…You have younger coaches that go through things leading up to this game, it’s a short week. As play callers, you’re pretty honed in on who you’re playing that week,” said Giants head coach Brian Daboll on Monday.
“So, there’s a lot of catching up to do. We met after we got off the plane yesterday and did some things last night. We were here early… Some of the guys stayed here last night. Other guys got in pretty early, so we’re catching up. We’ll be caught up, but with these short weeks, there’s not much time. You need a lot of it. You need all the time you can.”
Giants rookie defensive lineman Elijah Chatman (94) celebrates his first career sack, one of the team’s eight against the Cleveland Browns in Sunday’s 21-15 win. (New York Giants/giants.com photo)
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the team to a 24-3 win over the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium last Thursday. (NewyorkJets.com photo)
