New York Amsterdam News Issue #6 Feb.9-15, 2023

NYPD SEEKS DIVERSITY

(See story on page 6)

Immigration Coalition, Clean Slate activists unhappy with state budget

(See story on page 3)

First Rikers detainee dies in 2023

(See story on page 3)

Blake at Gallery, Crouch Tribute, Grammys for Joy

(See story on page 24)

(Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit photo) (Pexels by Karolina Grabowska)

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell delivered her State of the NYPD speech at Cipriani 42nd St on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

(AP/Chris Pizzello)

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INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Page 17

» Astro Page 20

» Books Page 19

» Jazz Page 24

Caribbean Update .........................Page 14

Classified Page 32

Editorial/Opinion Pages 12,13

Education Page 28

Go with the Flo Page 8

Health Page 16

In the Classroom Page 26

Nightlife Page 9

Religion & Spirituality Page 30

Sports Page 40

Union Matters Page 10

International News

‘COBALT RED’ PORTRAYS DEGRADATION OF LIFE FOR CONGOLESE MINERS

the landscape of the DRC, he added. Millions of trees have been cut down, the air around mines is hazy with dust and grit, and the water has been contaminated with toxic effluents from the mining processing.

“Cobalt is toxic to touch and breathe,” he said, “and there are hundreds of thousands of poor Congolese people touching and breathing it day in and day out. Young mothers with babies strapped to their backs, all breathing in this toxic cobalt dust.”

GHANA TO ESTABLISH ‘WAR COLLEGE’ AS FEARS OF TERRORISM GROW

maritime awareness and surveillance capabilities.

An advisory from the British government recently warned visitors to Ghana to be aware of indiscriminate attacks, including in places visited by foreigners.

POPE FRANCIS ENDS AFRICAN JOURNEY WITH CALL FOR JUSTICE AND END TO GUN VIOLENCE

(GIN) — Some might call it a vision of hell.

To others, the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where thousands of miners toil in vast open pits, are “a hellscape of craters and tunnels, patrolled by maniacs with guns.”

It was a “lunar wasteland,” a “devastated landscape” that “resembled a battlefield after an aerial bombardment.”

Now, after a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Siddharth Kara, a researcher of human trafficking and modern slavery, has produced a book, “Cobalt Red,” that is by turns chilling and shocking.

His journeys through the Congo’s jungles and mines are reminiscent of the country’s 19th-century explorers as he treks where few have dared, all to witness the shocking labor and environmental practices accompanied by “vacant statements on zero-tolerance policies and other hollow PR” in pursuit of cobalt.

Kara, who is with the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard, has been investigating modern-day slavery, human trafficking and child labor for two decades. He says that although the DRC has more cobalt reserves than the rest of the planet combined, there’s no such thing as a “clean” supply chain of cobalt from the country.

In “Cobalt Red,” Kara writes that much of the DRC’s cobalt is extracted by “artisanal” miners—freelance workers who do extremely dangerous labor for the equivalent of a few dollars a day.

“People are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions,” he said. “They use pickaxes, shovels, stretches of rebar to hack and scrounge at the earth in trenches and pits and tunnels to gather cobalt and feed it up the formal supply chain.”

The mining industry has ravaged

“The reader senses that the author has been left shell-shocked, not from the carnage but from seeing thousands of people mining by hand, hammer and shovel in vast open pits hundreds of feet deep, most of the pits arrayed with hand-dug tunnels,” the Wall Street Journal observed.

Kara reported visiting a typical mine where more than 3,000 women, children and men shoveled, scraped and scrounged . . . under a ferocious sun and a haze of dust.”

Why cobalt? asks a reviewer from a local paper. “Because today’s smartphones, laptops, leaf blowers, toys and so much more owe their revolutionary portability to the advent of cobalt-infused lithium batteries.”

Meanwhile, artisanal miners are regularly mistreated, said Papy Nsenga, president of a union of miners in Kolwezi, in an interview with FRANCE 24. “What happened here is unfortunately a tragedy that we see every day. The artisanal miners are regularly mistreated by the management of the mining companies. They are beaten savagely by the mine’s security agents.

“We don’t have the right to mine in the mining projects that are authorized to other companies, but we don’t have our own sites. For a long time, we’ve asked for artisanal mining zones, but neither the Congolese state nor the province has granted us a space.

“All the mining sites have been leased to foreign mining companies. We have no choice but to [work in] these mining areas to make a living and feed our families.”

As the demand for rechargeable batteries grows, especially in the green technology sector (electric cars and wind and solar storage sites), so does the danger for Congolese children. “The ‘clean energy revolution’ risks having as deleterious impact on Congolese children as the technology revolution of the late 1990s had in the scramble for coltan,” Nsenga said.

(GIN) — The Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF) is looking to establish a war college to train future military strategists and leaders.

President Nana Akufo-Addo revealed the plans at the Ghanaian Armed Forces end-of-year West African Soldiers Social Activities (WASSA) celebrations in Accra. The institution will be established with seed capital from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), and is expected to be the capstone of Ghana’s military education system.

The country has been taking significant steps to improve on its warfighting capacity as terrorism makes rapid gains across the region, officials said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed concern that jihadist violence could spread south and west to affect coastal countries in West Africa.

“It started in Mali, it went to Burkina Faso, Niger and now, when we speak with the presidents of Ghana, Benin, Togo and Ivory Coast, they say that terrorism is coming to their borders,” Guterres said at a recent regional counter-terrorism conference in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.

“I totally believe we are not winning the war against terrorism in the Sahel and that the operation should be strengthened,” he said.

Last April, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia launched joint venture companies under the Defense Industries Holding Company (DIHOC), and commissioned construction equipment worth US $18 million to support the military’s operations. Benjamin Kweku Acolatse, deputy chief executive officer at the country’s petroleum corporation, said the equipment, costing about $400,000, and support for the commission had become necessary to scale up security in the country’s maritime domain.

The Ghanaian Navy has begun operating drones to improve its

(GIN) — Pope Francis departed from South Sudan, along with more than 70 journalists, aboard the papal plane bound for Rome, marking the conclusion of his sixday Apostolic Journey to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

His first public words in the DRC set the tone for his visit: “This country, so immense and full of life, this diaphragm of Africa, struck by violence like a blow to the stomach, has seemed for some time to be gasping for breath,” he said.

More than a million people celebrated with him in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital, and some 100,000 faithful gathered with him in Juba, about a fifth of the population of South Sudan’s capital.

While in the stadium, several Congolese faithful took the opportunity to call for swift action for two of Africa’s martyrs, Anuarite and Bakanja, who have been waiting for canonization as saints of the church since 1985 and 1995. Believers carried large signs reading “Saints at Once” (Santi Subito in Italian) as the pope spoke.

The pope also referenced Saint Kizito, the youngest martyr, slain by King Mwanga II of Bugandam and canonized on Oct. 18, 1964. He is considered the patron saint of children and primary schools.

The church of the DRC is also awaiting the beatification of Christophe Munzihirwa Mwene Ngabo, the Congolese Jesuit Archbishop of the Bukavu Diocese, who was killed in 1996.

The pope made an impassioned plea to South Sudan’s fractious leaders to turn their backs on violence, ethnic hatred and corruption that have stopped the world’s youngest country from achieving peace and prosperity.

Francis said South Sudan was blessed with abundant natural resources but these should be shared, not restricted to a few through corruption. “The inequitable distribution of funds, secret schemes to get rich, patronage deals, lack of

(GIN photo)

Immigration Coalition, Clean Slate activists unhappy with state budget

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Metro

Westbury Arts set to host 6th annual Black History Month Jubilee Celebration

Amsterdam

News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Governor Kathy Hochul released her $227 billion executive state budget last week and despite its many “bold” investments, it notably dropped provisions for Clean Slate legislation and further healthcare for immigrants, said advocates.

Hochul said in a statement that she stands by her goal to make New York a safer and more affordable place while “maintaining solid fiscal footing in uncertain times.” Among other things, the budget puts $1 billion into a comprehensive mental healthcare plan, at least $250 million into

building 800,000 new homes over the next decade, $337 million into reducing gun violence, $400 million in the MTA, $5.5 billion into climate action, $7.6 billion into child care and $34.5 billion into schools. There’s also $24 billion in a “rainy day” fund.

Advocates and electeds have long championed the Clean Slate Act, which provides bail reforms and wipes old conviction records that present barriers to jobs and housing. Clean Slate was not included at all in the budget.

“New Yorkers deserve real solutions to create stronger, safer communities,” said Katie Schaffer, director of advocacy and organizing at the Center for Community Alternatives (CCA). “Ahead of the

final budget, we urge the governor and the legislature to increase investments for community-based programs and to pass the Clean Slate Act, which will allow New Yorkers to support themselves and their families and break cycles of poverty and criminalization.”

Schaffer said funding reentry programs and alternatives to incarceration in the state budget is important but that it is unacceptable to “weaken” bail reform laws. She said the budget would remove the standard for judicial decisionmaking.

The budget does include the unprecedented numbers of asylum seekers, but the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) said that

City Council candidate and Exonerated Five Member Salaam meets at Harlem Old YMCA

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Dr. Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five announced his official candidacy for City Council’s District 9 in Harlem at an event at the Old YMCA building on West 135th Street this past Saturday. He was joined by his family, children, and supporters.

Putting feelers out last November, Salaam has steadily built his City Council campaign since his move back to the district. He has raised $3,252 in private funds so far, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB). Other major opponents in the race include incumbent Councilmember Kristin

The event at the Old YMCA building began with a prayer from Imam Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid and Reverend Conrad Tillard. “Oh God, we ask that you don’t allow him to run this race in vain,” said Tillard.

Salaam’s backstory has earned him worldwide recognition as a justice advocate. As a 15-yearold youth, he and his friends were wrongfully convicted in the Central Park Jogger case in the 1990s. Their convictions were overturned in 2002 after they spent between seven and 13 years of their lives behind bars. He is now a decorated author, speaker, and family man with 10 children.

“Everything that happened to

me, everything that happened to us—some of my younger children weren’t even born yet to experience the nightmare that we were awakened to,” said Salaam. “But we are here now to chart a new path forward and with you behind me, we can move mountains.”

His mother, Sharonne Salaam, has been a long-standing prison and human rights advocate at Justice 4 the Wrongfully Incarcerated because of her own son’s false conviction. She recalled that many other young people other than Salaam who were incarcerated didn’t have visitors or advocates to assist them, which ultimately led her to a life of service.

“Yusef [and family] have always been a very strong and impor-

First Rikers detainee dies in 2023

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Marvin Pines is the first person to die in Department of Corrections (DOC) custody this year.

The 65-year-old was pronounced dead at the North Infirmary Command (NIC) on Rikers Island this past Saturday, Feb. 4, at around 6:18 a.m.

“Any death in custody is a tragedy,” said DOC Commissioner

Louis Molina. “We sincerely send our deepest condolences and sympathy to Mr. Pines’s family and loved ones. As with all deaths in custody, we are working with our partner agencies to conduct a full investigation.”

Pines entered DOC custody last August, according to a department spokesperson. His attorney Javier Damien could not be reached by the Amsterdam News by press time, but reportedly said his client suffered from

Westbury Artsis set to host their sixth annual Black History Month Jubilee Celebration, “African American Culture: Connecting the Community Through the Arts.” During this day’s jam-packed event there will be a variety of family-friendly live arts performances like storytelling, dance, spoken word, song, and cultural expression. The diverse line up includes the Praise Dancers of Shiloh Baptist Church of Rockville Centre, Danse Xpressions, and the award-winning Rhythm of the Knights – Uniondale High School Show Choir. The day will be led by City College of New York’s award-winning fiber artist Dr. Alicia Evans.

The Westbury Arts Board Director, Pat Jenkins Lewis has worked alongside her daughter Angela Jenkins in collaboration with Westbury Arts to arrange this year’s annual event. Lewis and Westbury Arts are once again proud to lead the Black History Month celebration for the community to enjoy…“Through dance, song, and spoken word, we will educate as well as entertain. Our mission is to share the history, heritage, and achievements of Black people in the arts.” This family-oriented event kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 3 p.m until 5 p.m and will be located at Westbury High School.

Join NYC Parks for the Black History Month tribute: His & Her Story

NYC Parks continues to commemorate and celebrate Black History Month as they host a variety of special guest artists during their Black History Month Tribute: His & Her Story on Saturday, Feb. 11. During this educational and fun event, artists get to take the stage and share their original songs and choreographed routines that are rooted from areas like the Mother-Land and parts of America. These expressional performances are cultural reflections as they hone in on their previous experiences that helped shape them into who they are today, while also sharing what this month means to them.

Brother Jerome Hunter of LaRocque Bey School of African Dance and Theatre will kick off this free event on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m, and will continue the festivities until 2 p.m at the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center located at 8 Mount Morris Park West, New York, N.Y. 10027. This event is only open to adults 18 and older. Participants attending the event will also get to learn an exciting African Dance that will be lead by instructor Lorry Francois.

seizures. The NIC typically holds those “with acute medical conditions and require infirmary care, or [who] have a disability that requires housing that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act” in such accommodations, according to the city’s website.

And while the New York City jail annual death count reset last month, last year’s high total is still fresh in the minds of advocates

BP Gibson

recognizes Riverdale/Kingsbridge’s Black-owned small businesses

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson got the community involved for Black History Month as she kicked off the February celebrations at The Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation by giving support to seven Black-owned businesses from the Kingsbridge/Riverdale section of the Bronx. These businesses included Lloyd’s Carrot Cake, Ground Up Coffee Club; One Yoga for All; Clarity and Wellness Mental Health Counseling, PLLC; Jerry’s Barber Shop; The Gummybear Foundation and Kinesadelic Physical Therapy.

During Black History Month, it is important to get involved, learn about important Black accomplishments, and to offer loads of support to Black communities. BP Gibson is delighted to recognize the community’s Black-owned businesses and to acknowledge their constant hard work and dedication to their craft. “As we celebrate the first day of Black History Month, I am proud to recognize and acknowledge the faces and names behind these amazing small businesses that are making a difference here in the Bronx and beyond,” Gibson said. “It is a difficult time for business owners of color, but despite immense adversity, our Black-owned small businesses continue to persevere and provide quality service to our residents and families throughout the Borough. Their perseverance is a testament to our ancestors who paved the way for us to be where we are today and as the first African American elected Bronx Borough President, it is my honor to recognize these businesses for contributing to Black history right here in the Northwest Bronx.”

--compiled

Richardson Jordan, Assemblymember Inez Dickens, and Assemblymember Al Taylor.

by Morgan Alston

Biden’s State of the Union: “Let’s finish the job!”

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

“Let’s finish the job” was a line repeated again and again Tuesday evening during President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address. He applied the line to all the ongoing legislation and promises made since he took office, including finishing the job of rebuilding the backbone of America, the infrastructure, the economy, expanding Medicare, and ending corporate loopholes that allow the wealthy to pay less income tax.

Biden said, “Let me be crystal clear: I said at the very beginning, under my plans, as long as I’m president, nobody earning less than $400,000 will pay an additional penny in taxes. Nobody. Not one penny. But let’s finish the job. There’s more to do.”

Nowhere in the speech did those words strike a more current concern than when he referenced the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis by five African American police officers. As he cited the need to finish the job on police reform, the television cameras focused on Nichols’s mother, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney RowVaughn Wells, who were among the invited guests.

“Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols…who had to bury Tyre last week,” Biden began. “As many of you personally know, there’s no words to describe the heartache or grief of losing a child. But imagine, imagine if you lost that child at the hands of the law. Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter came home from walking down the street, play-

ing in the park, or just driving a car. Most of us here have never had to have the talk… that brown and Black parents have had to have with their children. Beau, Hunter, Ashley—my children—I never had to have the talk with them.

“I never had to tell them if a police officer pulls you over, turn your interior lights on right away,” the president continued. “Don’t reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Imagine having to worry like that every single time your kid got in a car. Here’s what Tyre’s mother shared with me when I spoke to her, when I asked her how she finds the courage to carry on and speak out. The faith in God, she said. Her son was, quote, ‘a beautiful soul, and something good will come of this.’ Imagine how much courage and character that takes. It’s up to us, to all of us.”

From this tragedy, it was an easy segue to his remarks about finishing the job on police reform. “With the support…of the families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act. Let’s commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre’s mom true: Something good must come from this. We can’t turn away. Let’s do what we know in our hearts that we need to do. Let’s come together to finish the job on police reform.”

In effect, the president has a full agenda of jobs to finish. To this end, he repeatedly called on assistance from the Republicans, emphasizing how often the two

parties have worked together. But when he touched on the times in which members of the GOP have intimated reducing Social Security and Medicare, there were hoots from hecklers.

“Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage unless I agree to their economic plans,” Biden said. “All of you at home should know what those plans are. Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”

Among the vociferous responses, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was perhaps the loudest, shouting to Biden that he was a “liar.” Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared to nod in agreement.

As expected, Biden commented about cancer, COVID, climate, and China. Rather than assailing China and the recent downing of a spy balloon, he talked about the quest for mutual accord and a commitment to work with China. “But make no mistake about it: As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” he stressed.

A few curious things occurred in the chamber: Was Sen. Bernie Sanders wearing the only mask and Paul Pelosi with the only hat?

These were of less concern than noting Biden’s improvements on the economy, particularly with unemployment at 3.4 percent; a raise for teachers; and the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act).

Even so, as he repeated more than a dozen times, “Let’s finish the job.”

Murder of N.J. councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour remains unsolved

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO

Amsterdam News Staff

New Jersey state buildings flew their flags at half-staff on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in honor of Eunice Dwumfour, the Sayreville councilwoman who was shot and killed outside her Central New Jersey home on Feb. 1.

Members of the Dwumfour family held a memorial service for the slain councilwoman at Sayreville’s Epic Church International on Wednesday evening, with the city’s Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick and N.J. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin delivering condolences to the family.

The 30-year-old Dwumfour was shot

some 10 to 13 times while she sat in her white Nissan SUV. She had just returned to her Camelot at La Mer townhouse home in the Parlin section of Sayreville and was reportedly seen talking to a man standing outside her car on Check Ave. near Samuel Circle. The shooter––a man dressed in a hoodie––opened

Congress members introduce Black History Bill amid “attacks” on education

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

On Thursday of last week, U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, in partnership with Representatives Kweisi Mfume from Maryland and Joyce Beatty from Ohio, announced three bills highlighting and preserving Black history in classrooms “under attack.”

“The Republican party and Ron DeSantis, do me a favor? Pick up a book and read

a book,” said Bowman at a Washington, D.C., press conference on Capitol Hill. “We know that you are trying to erase that history because you don’t want Black people to have knowledge of self. You want to keep us dumb, deaf and blind so that you can oppress, suppress and control us.”

The federal bills respond directly to a wave of state laws that intend to censor discussions and books about race, accurate depictions of Black history and even gender. In states like Florida, under Repub-

lican Governor DeSantis, the college board stripped an advanced course on Black History studies last week.

Bowman sponsored the African American History Act with Senator Cory Booker co-leading. He said that Black people as a collective would not go back to ignorance and oppression in his speech while quoting rapper Nas: “Get up out of here with your nonsense.”

New York City’s Department of Education

Woodbridge Township celebrates Black History Month

Woodbridge Township is honoring Black History Month with the first annual flag-raising ceremony in front of Town Hall in February and several other events all month long.

The Human Rights Commission has an informative display in the lobby of Town Hall available for viewing any time between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Woodbridge Public Library will host two Black History centered programs: “A. Philip Randolph, Walter Reuther and the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” on Feb. 7 at 3:30 p.m. and “A Look at Black History Through Jazz” on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Call 732-634-44550 ext. 7120 for more information.

The Barron Arts Center will host “An Evening with Langston Hughes” one of America’s most renowned Black Poets on Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and will be sticking with the theme of writing, the Municipal Council, Human Rights Commission and the Woodbridge Township Board of Education partnered to judge the annual MLK Elementary School Essay Contest. The winner(s) of this event will be announced at the Acacia Center (95 Port Reading Ave.) on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m.

“Continuing our tradition of highlighting Township leaders and trailblazers in our community, we are calling on residents to nominate someone that inspires you by sending their photo and a short description of what makes them outstanding to: wbmayor@twp. woodbridge.nj.us. Their vignette will be featured on our social media pages.”

Elsie Foster is new Highland Park mayor

Elsie Foster will now serve as Highland Park’s new mayor. Foster was elected on Jan. 24 during a special Borough Council meeting, and will now be the mayor of Highland Park located in Middlesex County, N.J. until the end of 2023. In late December, Highland Park’’s former mayor, Gayle Brill Mittler, resigned from the role.

Elsie Foster, who is originally from Trelawny, Jamaica, has held the position of council president and acting mayor since early this year. She had previously served several years on the borough council. Her credentials also consist of holding the role of the legislative liaison to the New Jersey Civil Service Commission, as well as being the cofounder of JamPhil Consultants, LLC. Foster continues to make an impact on her community as she is the current president and chief executive officer of the international student housing organization, Aunt Elsie’s Homestays, which offers a “home away from home” experience to students who are studying abroad, families that are traveling, and individuals who have traveled to America to study English, vacation, or to integrate within U.S. society.

Foster expressed that she is looking forward to working with her future colleagues who have trust in her abilities, skills, and visions for the future as the new mayor.

She also shared her excitement about working with Highland Park residents to revamp the town’s affordability, sense of community, downtown development, and opportunities which she listed as a priority as mayor.

Lyne Lucien honors Mama Cāx in this week’s Google Doodle

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The Brooklyn award-winning artist Lyne Lucien was chosen to create the Feb. 8 Google Doodle that celebrated the late Haitian American model and disability rights advocate Mama Cāx

Cāx, born Cacsmy Brutus, was a New York-born, Haiti-raised fashion model. She was widely celebrated as an advocate for people with disabilities.

On Feb. 8, 2019, Cāx famously made her New York Fashion Week (NYFW) runway debut. “The model and advocate proudly strutted down catwalks on her prosthetic leg, often designed with colors and patterns,” said the Google Doodle blog post that accompanies Lucien’s drawing.

“I have the pleasure of having this be my second Google Doodle,” Lucien told the AmNews. “I had a very different approach this time. This time, it was Mama Cāx, who I personally knew. Not that I knew her in person, but that I knew of her. So, watching her journey and her growth, I was invested because I know people only have positive things to say about her

because her impact was so vast and you could just feel how sincere she was and genuine.”

Cāx had survived childhood cancer, but after unsuccessful hip replacement surgery at age 16, she had to have her right leg amputated. The Google blog post pointed out that, “At first, Mama Cāx was depressed and struggled to accept herself with a prosthetic leg, as she wanted it to look realistic and match her skin tone.

“As time passed, Mama Cāx began accepting and loving her new body. She started wearing stylish prosthetic covers with pride[,] incorporating it as part of her personal style. She also began expressing her love for fashion and style with colorful outfits, hair dyes and bold makeup. During this time of embracing her disability, Cāx also leaned into her athleticism and learned to handcycle—she went on to complete the New York City Marathon!”

As Cāx learned to take pride in her body, she became an advocate in the disability community and started pushing for the fashion world to include more varied body types in their standards of beauty. Her NYFW catwalk appearance in

Black

New Yorker

2019 was a breakout moment that lifted the voices of the disabled in the fashion world.

Cāx being such a powerful figure and also being Haitian gave Lucien more reason to bond with this Google Doodle project. “I found it as an opportunity to honor someone who really is a trailblazer of my generation.”

Lucien, who is also of Haitian

descent and also now a New York City resident, said she contacted others in the Haitian creative community and found that she knew many of the same people Cāx knew. They, along with members of Cāx’s family, were able to give her insights into Cāx’s character and beliefs.

“I wanted to approach this by trying to capture her essence as de-

scribed to me by other people who knew her—just hearing people talk about how far above and beyond she would go and how she would never let her disability get in the way of her doing or accomplishing any task,” Lucien explained. “I wanted to capture her vibrant spirit, so my strategy was to think about her heritage and think about what she represented in different spaces.”

Lyne Lucien created the Feb. 8 Google Doodle that celebrated late Haitian American model and disability rights advocate Mama Cāx

CCRB finds 146 NYPD officers involved in misconduct during George Floyd protests

By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) took 590 pages to tell the tale of NYPD misconduct during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. The official police watchdog’s report—published this past Monday, Feb. 6—substantiated allegations against 146 individual officers during the protests following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

“The Black Lives Matter Protests that occurred in the summer of 2020 were massive in scale, but not unprecedented in nature,” said CCRB Interim Chair Arva Rice in a statement. “Given what is happening across the country regarding reproductive rights, immigration, affordable housing and police brutality, people will continue to protest for their rights.

“It is key for New York to know how to best respond to protests, especially protests against police misconduct. It is also of the utmost importance that officers be held accountable in order to rebuild the public’s trust in the NYPD.”

The CCRB received more than 750 complaints over misconduct stemming from the George Floyd protests and that 226 of them have been fully investigated so far. Of those, 88 complaints carrying 269 individual allegations against the 146 officers were substantiated. More than half of the substantiated allegations involved excessive force, most with a baton or pepper spray. Rice later told the Amsterdam News such a report was essential for New Yorkers to feel safe about protesting police brutality without becoming subject to it.

“Being able to put together concrete cases of those times when there was misconduct that took place and to be able to put out a set of recommendations, I think is very strong for our city and we want to make sure that the police department hears us and is able to implement the recommendations that we laid out,” she said. Such recommendations include updating crowd control training, designating medical treatment areas and providing voucher cards when property is seized. In addition, the CCRB suggests commonsense practices like not taking action against protesters who are compliant and dispersing, and not interfering with outside observers and members of the media.

“Many of the demonstrations were so dynamic and shifted, and were hard to predict as far as how many people [there] would be, what strategies would be involved in some of these demonstrations,” said retired detective Marq Claxton. “You caught the police department [at] the heels, and I think a lot of individual police officers may have been overcompensating for being caught off-guard and being under-resourced.”

But even after a 590-page report, there are still loose ends in the CCRB’s investigation. Rice says there are 59 unidentified officers in the received complaints, in addition to potential unreported victims. She cites failures to log officer activity properly and enforce proper identification and body-worn camera use as major roadblocks to a complete picture of misconduct during the George Floyd protests.

“Not being able to see officers’ badges and covering their badges

[so] somebody couldn’t figure out who they were, the paperwork was sloppy, so we couldn’t figure out who was assigned to which march on any given day [and] the equipment wasn’t assigned correctly,” said Rice. “All those things made it hard, and all of this in the midst of a pandemic [make it moreso].”

Preliminary data from the protests show Black New Yorkers only made 12% of complaints about police misconduct during the George Floyd protests despite making the most overall complaints to the CCRB in 2020. While the CCRB stressed inconclusive findings, Rice recalls a 2020 rally led by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams she attended as the first Black Lives Matter protest with majority white participants. Claxton adds some organizations purposely put white protesters at the forefront to defend and protect their Black counterparts from police misconduct.

After the report, the CCRB can only make recommendations to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell for discipline, so the ball is now in the NYPD’s court. Of the 146 officers, 89 are recommended for charges and specifications, which are reserved for the most serious allegations of misconduct and can result in revoked vacation days, suspension or termination if the department finds them guilty, according to the city’s website. And the police are pushing back against the CCRB. The NYPD issued a response from acting Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters Carrie Talansky shortly after the report’s publication, claiming some of the findings and recommendations are obsolete or redundant. The letter says the

NYPD assessed its crowd control strategies in April 2021 and said most uniformed service members received amended training by the end of that year.

The Police Benevolent Association of New York City (PBA), the union representing most NYPD members, criticized the CCRB’s report and defended the officers’ actions.

“Once again, the anti-cop activists at CCRB are trying to pin the blame on individual police officers for management failures and the chaos created by violent agitators,” said PBA President Pat Lynch in a statement. “We are still awaiting ‘accountability’ for the city leaders who sent us out with no plan and no support, and for the criminals who injured more than 400 of our brothers and sisters.”

The NYPD similarly blamed the hostile conditions for officers during the protests, commending them for the low percentage of substantiated allegations in the complaints made.

Still, disciplinary recommendations by the CCRB are frequently waved off by the department. Only Daniel Pantaleo, who killed Eric Garner in 2014, was fired by the NYPD due to the board’s investigation. In 2020, the New York Times reported the department regularly rejects a majority of the CCRB’s disciplinary recommendations for serious misconduct.

“That is a challenge, because as a civilian complaint review board, we believe that we should be able to have a recommendation that is final,” said Rice. “The final arbiter for discipline in the NYPD is the police commissioner and we believe that [it] should rest with CCRB.”

NYPD seeks diverse talent in 2023 playbook

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced the department’s 2023 Strategic Plan at the annual “State of the NYPD” breakfast this past Jan. 25. This year’s playbook employs a four-fold “Step Forward” plan to ramp up recruitment efforts from “underrepresented groups,” as well as upgrade crime-fighting technology, further community engagement, and improve neighborhood

policing. New NYPD policies and objectives will stem from the quartet of goals.

“We must remain open of heart and mind to truly adopt this ‘Step Forward’ philosophy since, at its core, it requires us to never stop innovating,” said Sewell. “We can never accept what we have as final and we must always strive to exceed expectations. This is what the NYPD has been built to take on, and through its professionalism, experience, and willingness to meet any challenge, I know that this philosophy will become

[ingrained] in the culture of our great organization.”

She added that an internal department audit led to more than 600 recommendations to improve the NYPD, many of which will be implemented over the next two years.

While the strategic plan did not specify which “underrepresented” groups the department plans to seek out, Black New Yorkers are typically at the forefront of diversity recruitment drives like the “Be the Change” campaign, which reportedly saw the percentage of

The New York City Council also responded to the report, acknowledging some of the disciplinary measures made against the offending officers but demanded further accountability. It also mentioned NYPD responsibility for bodyworn camera failures and the lack of EMT support.

“The CCRB’s report outlines misconduct and obstruction with investigatory efforts that must be addressed,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Independent investigatory bodies need to have better access to body camera footage and compliance from the NYPD to investigate civilian complaints. The CCRB must play a vital role in police accountability that ensures public trust, and this will also require resolution of the agency’s understaffing. The Council will continue reviewing the report and consider legislative policy changes to help prevent these same issues from occurring in the future.”

The watchdog celebrates three decades as an independent agency this year. The CCRB was initially divorced from the NYPD by the city’s first Black mayor, David Dinkins, a decision met with a police-led riot—that included PBA leaders and Rudy Giuliani—that the city’s second and current Black mayor Eric Adams has likened to the Jan. 6 United States Capitol insurrection.

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and 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.

Black applicants nearly triple in May 2021.

But with recent findings of “broken windows policing” in low-income communities of color throughout last year by nonprofit watchdog Police Reform Organizing Project (PROP), will a more diverse police force actually help?

After all, the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols last month is still fresh on the public’s minds and the five Memphis officers fired and charged for the 29-year-old Black man’s death are Black themselves.

Marq Claxton, a retired detec-

tive and Black Law Enforcement Alliance’s Director of Public Relations and Political Affairs, said there’s certainly no harm with a more diverse force, but its application as a police reform tool is more complicated.

“There are significant questions, especially as a result of the killing of Mr. Nichols, about whether there will be any substantive movement away from police criminality if the police officers look more like the community in which they serve,”

See NYPD on page 35

Go With The Flo

In “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun,” philanthropist, attorney and author Loida Lewis delivers a candid tour of the ups and downs of her life’s journey. Beginning with her comfortable upbringing in the Philippines, to experiencing life as a new immigrant in New York City through her marriage to Reginald Lewis, who was the first Black billionaire and died at the young age of 50, the book sheds light on Loida’s need to have her own professional and personal identity as a wife, mom, immigration attorney, author, and business and civic leader.

Loida told Go With The Flo, “Katharine Graham wrote her autobiography when she was 75, which is when I started writing ‘Why Should Guys Have All the Fun’ with cowriter Blair Walker. Two years ago, I thought, ‘I’m getting ready to turn 80,’ and Wylie and Sons gave us an advance.”

Reginald wrote an autobiography called “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun,” so Loida got her title from her husband’s book after many people told her their lives were changed after reading it.

“Why Should Guys Have All the Fun” officially launches March 28. However, a virtual launch is currently going on where the book can be ordered. Loida’s goal is to presell 2,000 copies. After all, “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?” …

Bounce’s newest original series, “Act Your Age,” produced in partnership with MGM, will premiere March 4, with the first two episodes back-to-back starting at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.

“Act Your Age” stars Kym Whitley and Tisha Campbell, with special guest star Yvette Nicole Brown. Whitley portrays Bernadette, a successful, no-nonsense real estate developer. Campbell’s role is Keisha, the wild card of the group, who is always up to something, and Brown’s character is Angela, the former First Lady of Norfolk, Virginia, who is looking to redefine her life after being widowed by the death of her husband, a revered career politician …

The Fifteen Percent Pledge gala took place on February 4 at the New York Public Library (Fifth Avenue, New York City). The second annual event’s purpose was to encourage retailers to stock Black-owned brands in proportion to population data, according to Vanity Fair. This year’s gala included presenting fashion icon Bethann Hardison with the Pioneer Award. Not only was Hardison one of the first Black models to walk the runway, but she also owned her own modeling and talent agency. A documentary about her titled “Invisible Beauty” recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

The fashionable crowd included Veronica Webb, Ashley Graham and a pregnant Hannah Bronfman…

Second Stage Theater will host a Winter’s Ball fundraising event geared toward young professionals and arts patrons on February 27 at the Pierre Hotel in the Big Apple. The evening will feature three parts: an intimate cocktail party, followed by an exclusive performance by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael R. Jackson, and ending with a dance party hosted by Academy Award-, Grammy- and Emmy-winner Common, who is currently starring in the acclaimed production Second Stage of “Between Riverside and Crazy.”

All funds raised from the evening support Second Stage’s mission to produce a diverse range of plays and musicals from America’s most respected artists, as well as new works from emerging voices …

Africa Center exhibit examines the diaspora

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Harlem’s Africa Center led a media tour of its new exhibit “States of Becoming” last week. The Center’s new show displays the work of a select 17 African artists who have come to live in the U.S. within the last 30 years.

Curated by Ethiopian-born painter Fitsum Shebeshe, the exhibition is designed to look at how culture, geography and local customs guide the way African artists create art in the U.S.

The artists with work on display are: Gabriel C. Amadi-Emina, Kearra Amaya Gopee, Kibrom Araya, Nadia Ayari, Vamba Bility, Elshafei Dafalla, Masimba Hwati, Chido Johnson, Miatta Kawinzi, Dora King, Helina Metaferia, Nontsikelelo Mutiti, Yvonne Osei, Kern Samuel, Amare Selfu, Tariku Shiferaw and Yacine Tilala Fall. Shebeshe said their work can be divided into three categories: artists who have moved to the U.S. and whose work has conformed to U.S. cultural styles; artists who remain connected to Africa and travel back to the continent to bring African elements to their work; and firstgeneration artists born in the U.S. who are connecting with African art and artists.

Miatta Kawinzi, one of the exhibition’s artists who was in atten -

dance for the media tour, spoke about her two video installation pieces that combine film, poetry and found objects to confront ideas about the African diaspora. In her piece “SHE GATHER ME” (2021; HD color video & 16 mm color film transferred to video with two-channel audio, wood chairs, silver mylar floor), the artist has poetry and film of landscapes from Detroit, Johannesburg, New York City, Santo Domingo and Tulsa showing on screens set before large blue rocking chairs. Visitors are welcome to experience the work––which is titled after a line from Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved”––by sitting on the rocking chairs.

Kawinzi was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to a Liberian mother and a Kenyan father; she has lived in New York City for the past 13 years. “My work has been contextualized by thinking about first-generation American artists of African descent,” she said. “I really think a lot about this term of ‘African-hyphen-American’ and how, especially when I was growing up, that was the term for Black folks. It’s a very broad, general term that I’ve always felt does not really encompass the specificities of everyone’s various identities and histories and lineages, and so that’s something that I deal with in my work.”

“States of Becoming” curator Shebeshe, who is now based in the

Baltimore and Washington, D.C area, spoke about the challenges many African migrants to the U.S. face while living here. African migrants often find themselves having to accept a sense of otherness––of having come from nations where almost everyone is Black with only variations of skin tones, and now living in a place where you are not a part of the majority and may find yourself questioned about your presence in certain spaces.

It’s a new sensation that Shebeshe said he experienced at one point while living for a short period in a predominantly white neighborhood in Chicago. “I was really feeling a little bit suffocated because during my stay there, I happened to see only one Black person. It was a white neighborhood. You know, nobody tried to tell me that I’m Black. But it’s like the way you see yourself in an unfamiliar territory makes you feel like the location you live in makes you comfortable, or at the same time, a little bit discomfortable.” African artists making a new life in America are being challenged to look at how they see themselves, and how they identify.

The Africa Center is at 1280 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10029. “States of Becoming” is on view through April 2 on a “pay what you wish” basis. For more information, visit www. theafricacenter.org

(Bill Moore photos)

African artists Fitsum Shebeshe and Miatta Kawinzi

Brooklyn Nets to honor Black History Month during all February home games

The Brooklyn Nets will celebrate Black History Month during all February games at Barclays Center by honoring the worldwide collection of communities that make up the African Diaspora. Each game will have a special focus and include fan activities, elevated game entertainment and more.

The Black History Month games are part of the Nets Unite platform, an annual initiative that seeks to build unity, celebrate culture and foster equity by amplifying the rich traditions of our diverse community.

The celebration tipped off Saturday, Feb. 4, when the Nets took on the Washington Wizards. James Hall and gospel choir Worship & Praise performed both the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice & Sing.” During halftime, the Hampton University Marching Force performed with the Brooklyn Nets Beats Drumline. Several members of the Hampton University Marching Force are Brooklyn-raised and graduates of the Nets Beats Drumline.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the team honored African culture and its substantial history and cultural influence through food, music and dance. Members of Wula Drum performed at halftime with djembes. The djembe drum, a rope-tuned goblet drum played with bare hands, is originally from West Africa, where it is used to bring people together for many purposes, including to communicate, celebrate and motivate.

Written by David Goodson

The Apollo brings out hip-hop stars

If a new artist is honest and transparent when they enter the game, they’ll admit that at most, they’d like to have a good solid run of a year or two where they have star-level impact and influence in the music industry. The special ones, however, don’t just attain, but maintain star-level impact and influence over multiple industries for decades. That’s been the journey of the still-thriving career of one Kimberley “Lil Kim’” Jones.

In one lyric in 1998 from her debut album “Hard Core,” she name-dropped two particular actresses and boom, positive notoriety of the exploits of African American adult entertainers was under the spotlight. Thus in 2023, we see artist the likes of Kehlani and Shenseea joining the ranks of Lil Wayne, Doja Kat, Cardi B, and the Ying Yang twins as artists who have performed at the AVN Awards. In fact, for the 2023 addition of the ceremony, actress Kira Noir becoming the first African American actress to win Female Performer of the year can be attributed to the bridge forged by the work of Lil’ Kim.

On the other end of the spectrum, her presence as a fashionista was celebrated when the Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC) concert, the modern-day reimagining of the groundbreaking Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, kicked off with “The Jump Off with Lil’ Kim and Friends.” In addition to performing the biggest hits from her legendary catalog, the hip-hop and fashion icon curated an unforgettable evening of moments with a few of the most notable names in hip-hop and R&B in celebration of the culture.

Presented by INFINITI, the kick-off was held live at the legendary Apollo on Thursday, Jan. 26, commemorating the institution’s 89th anniversary since its inception on the same day in 1934. The evening also launched HFC’s partnership with the Apollo, which will extend to programming at the theater during the festival weekend in July.

Marking her first time headlining a show at the Apollo in her 30-year career. Kim promised before taking the stage, Lil’ Kim said, “It’s going to be a night to remember to help kick off the Harlem Festival of Culture’s road to the festival with some of my special friends. The Apollo

was like my backyard, and I played there so much and every time, it was always love. The crowd is always amazing!”

She ain’t lie at all. The Jump Off featured Grammy Award-winning R& B singer/songwriter Ashanti, with special guest appearances by hip-hop powerhouses Remy Ma, who brought along Terror Squadian Fat Joe, Mr. Cheeks, King Combs (son of one of her mentors, P Diddy), chart-topping rap star Fivio Foreign, Sisqo, Mobb Deep’s Havoc, and a family reunion with Jr Mafia brethren Lil Cease.

Delivering the goods and laying the groundwork for what the festival has in store later in the year was accomplished in spades. “As we prepared to start on this road to the launch of the festival, we realized that this was also a milestone year for hip-hop and knew that our first major event out of the gate had to be special and center around hip-hop and R&B,” said Yvonne McNair, HFC co-founder and technical & talent producer. “One of the tenets of HFC’s mission is to celebrate and preserve the cultural contributions of the Black Diaspora in music, media, art, fashion, and entertainment. Hiphop culture has touched every single part of society and there is no artist that better represents its far-reaching impact than Lil’ Kim.”

During the week leading up to the Grammy Awards, Mastercard launched a variety of “Priceless” engagements and shoppable activities to support Black women small business owners (SBOs), empower their communities, and inspire consumers to shop and support their businesses.

Under the title “She Runs This: Celebrating Entrepreneurship in Business and Hip-Hop,” Black womenowned small businesses in Los Angeles hosted invited guests for dynamic discussions about entrepreneurship for women in business and hip-hop. Lil’ Kim was a participant with fellow icons such as MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, and Yo-Yo, along with emerging artists such as Jozzy, Baby Tate, and Coi Leray, and a special appearance by Mastercard ambassador Jennifer Hudson.

That’s how you move in the game! Salute. Holla next week. ’Til then, enjoy the nightlife.

Shenseea (Dave Goodson photos)

Mr. Cheeks

(Bill Moore photos)

Union Matters

Operating Engineers will recruit apprentices in March

The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for Operating Engineers, Local Union #15, will conduct a recruitment from March 6 through March 17 for five Operating Engineer (Heavy Equipment) apprentices. The five openings for apprentices represent the total number for two recruitment regions: the Long Island and New York City regions of the state.

A form will be available online during the recruitment period at http://local15recruitment.org, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., to enter a lottery drawing to receive an application. Only one form can be submitted per person. Applicants who do not have access to a computer should visit their local library.

Local Union #15 will randomly select 50

individuals who have submitted the online form to receive an application. The lottery drawing will be held at 10 a.m. on March 22 at the Operating Engineers, Local Union #15 Training Center (the very south end of Lefferts Boulevard at JFK Airport, South Ozone Park, NY).

There is no guarantee that everyone will receive an application.

All applications must be completed and received by Operating Engineers, Local Union #15 by April 5, 2023. For further information, applicants should contact Operating Engineers, Local Union #15 at 718-835-0400. Additional job search assistance is available at local New York State Department of Labor Career Centers (see: http://dol.ny.gov/career-centers).

Planned Parenthood faces racial discrimination complaint

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO

Amsterdam News Staff

Reproductive justice advocate Nicole Moore is suing her former employer, Planned Parenthood (PP), for racial discrimination.

In a lawsuit filed in October 2022 with the help of the feminist litigation firm Crumiller P.C., Moore, who was hired in January 2020 to serve as PP’s director of multicultural brand engagement, alleged that when she spoke up about racist behavior at the organization, and about how Black employees were overworked yet not being rewarded for their labors, “she was falsely accused of being negative, angry, difficult to work with, and chastised for her ‘tone’––complaints that had no basis in reality but comported with well-trafficked stereotypes about Black women,” Moore’s lawsuit contends.

PP’s executives’ efforts to reprimand and silence her led Moore to suffer such a severe panic attack that she wound up spending a day in the hospital. When she reached out to the company’s human resources department for support, Moore says she was fired.

The reproductive and sexual healthcare organization Planned Parenthood has faced other recent allegations of racism from Black employees. An August 2020 story published in BuzzFeed News claims that “26 employees at Planned Parenthood affiliates and the national office of NARAL, as well as 16 employees of other reproductive rights organizations, told BuzzFeed News that people of color, and especially Black people, were often stuck in lower-paying administrative roles, causing high turnover rates among staff of color and preventing nonwhite employees from rising to positions of power within the organizations. NARAL and Planned Parenthood are two of the most powerful reproductive rights groups in the U.S.”

The reproductive rights groups that receive the most funding tend to be run by feminist organizations that are predominantly white, and they are often rooted in white supremacist theories of organization and structure, Black feminists claim. Moore wrote a recent

editorial where she calls on reproductive rights groups to embrace unionization and collective bargaining, along with true diversity in their leadership ranks, if they want to be able to forcefully and forthrightly lead today’s reproductive rights fight.

Moore is a Harlemite who has been written about in the pages of the AmNews in the past, particularly for her Black Harlem Lives campaign, which looked to “endorse and recognize Black people and their stories in the Harlem community.” As a digital strategist, writer, and content creator, her work has deep roots in showcasing the contributions of Black workers.

Moore explained to the AmNews that, after she had worked at Planned Parenthood for a year, it was time for employee promotions. But she noticed that in the Communications and Culture (CNC) department she worked with, which was at least 25% Black, “not one Black person on the team was promoted. In my eyes, I felt like, as hard as we worked…the Black folks at Planned Parenthood and particularly and especially on the [CNC] team were saddled and burdened with a majority of the work and had lifted heavy loads—particularly in our outreach to Black and brown communities.

“For not one Black person to be promoted to me was definitely an indication of anti-Black racism.”

In her legal complaint, Moore also recalled that three weeks into her tenure as director of multicultural brand engagement, one of her supervisors had reprimanded her in a hallway, in front of 10 other employees, for having replied to a group email by putting herself forward to take on a project. The supervisor “loudly reprimanded Moore for taking such an ‘active role,’ instructing her instead to ‘listen more’ and ‘remain quiet and observe.’ Moore felt humiliated and confused,” the lawsuit states.

The Nicole Moore v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. lawsuit has currently been referred to mediation, Chloe Liederman, one of Moore’s Crumiller P.C. attorneys explained.

“The Southern District of New York referred us to mediation, which is what the

Southern District does for all discrimination employment cases,” Liederman said.

“They want everyone to try the courtsponsored mediation program and if that doesn’t resolve the case, the litigation will continue into the discovery phase, where

we have an exchange of documents, we take a lot of depositions, this sort of thing.”

The AmNews sent a request for comment about Moore’s lawsuit to Planned Parenthood, but did not hear back from the organization before press time.

Nicole Moore has filed a racial discrimination suit against her former employer, Planned Parenthood  (Photo credit: Todd Jones)

table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria.

Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME

Affordable Housing for Rent

RUBY

144 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 241 West 28th Street, New York, NY 10001

CHELSEA

Affordable Housing for Rent

RUBY

144 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 241 West 28th Street, New York, NY 10001

CHELSEA

Amenities: Two-level fitness center, Children’s Playroom, Club Lounge w/ kitchenette and TV, Library Lounge w/ meeting room and TV, Second Floor Outdoor Terrace, Rooftop Outdoor Terrace*, Rooftop Pool and Pool Deck*, Rooftop Amenity Lounge with wet bar and fireplace*, Roof deck with built in grills, Bike Storage*, Tenant Storage*, Communal Laundry Room, Pet Grooming Station, Outdoor Courtyard, Lobby lounge area, Washer/dryer, Dishwasher, Integrated Bosch appliances, Quartz countertop, Extra-wide built-in medicine cabinets, Keyless unit entry door hardware, Solar shades with blackout shades in bedrooms, Nest thermostats. (*Additional fees may apply).

Transit: 1/2/3/A/C/E

Amenities: Two-level fitness center, Children’s Playroom, Club Lounge w/ kitchenette and TV, Library Lounge w/ meeting room and TV, Second Floor Outdoor Terrace, Rooftop Outdoor Terrace*, Rooftop Pool and Pool Deck*, Rooftop Amenity Lounge with wet bar and fireplace*, Roof deck with built in grills, Bike Storage*, Tenant Storage*, Communal Laundry Room, Pet Grooming Station, Outdoor Courtyard, Lobby lounge area, Washer/dryer, Dishwasher, Integrated Bosch appliances, Quartz countertop, Extra-wide built-in medicine cabinets, Keyless unit entry door hardware, Solar shades with blackout shades in bedrooms, Nest thermostats.

(*Additional fees may apply).

Transit: 1/2/3/A/C/E

Who Should Apply?

No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: https://magpartners.com/projects/241west-28th-street/

This building is being constructed through the Inclusionary Housing Program and is anticipated to receive a Tax Exemption through the 421-a Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: https://magpartners.com/projects/241west-28th-street/

Who Should Apply?

A percentage of units is set aside for:

This building is being constructed through the Inclusionary Housing Program and is anticipated to receive a Tax Exemption through the 421-a Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Individuals or households who meet the income and household size requirements listed in the table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria. Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

A percentage of units is set aside for:

o Mobility–disabled applicants (5%)

Individuals or households who meet the income and household size requirements listed in the table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria. Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

o Vision/Hearing–disabled applicants (2%)

• Preference for a percentage of units goes to:

o Residents of Manhattan COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (50%)

o Mobility–disabled applicants (5%)

o Vision/Hearing–disabled applicants (2%)

• Preference for a percentage of units goes to:

o Residents of Manhattan COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (50%)

1 Rent includes gas for stove, hot water, and heat. Tenant responsible for electricity.

o Municipal employees (5%)

2 Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria.

3 Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income Income guidelines subject to change.

AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME

AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME

o Municipal employees (5%)

4 Minimum income listed may not apply to applicants with Section 8 or other qualifying rental subsidies Asset limits also apply.

How Do You Apply?

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001] Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than March 27, 2023. Late applications will not be considered.

What Happens After You Submit an Application?

After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to submit documents to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Applicants are usually contacted from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to submit documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income.

Español Presente una solicitud en línea en https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001]. En el

reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de [March 27, 2023].

简体中文 访问https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送至：[Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001]. 信封背面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日期之前在线提交申 请或邮寄书面申请 [March 27, 2023]

Русский Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001]. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее [March 27, 2023]. 한국어 https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를 [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001]으로 보내주십시오 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오. [March 27, 2023]까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이 찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다

Kreyòl Ayisyien Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001]. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat [March 27, 2023].

ﺔﯾﺑرﻌﻟا مدﻘﺗ بﻠطﺑ نﻋ ﻖﯾرط

2023].

Polskie Aby złożyć wniosek online, przejdź na stronę nyc.gov/housingconnect. Aby uzyskać polskie tłumaczenie tego powiadomienia oraz wniosek w wersji wydrukowanej, wyślij kopertę z własnym adresem: [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001]. Wpisz słowo POLISH w j. angielskim na odwrocie koperty. Wnioski muszą posiadać stempel pocztowy lub zostać przesłane online nie później niż [March 27, 2023].

Français Pour déposer votre demande en ligne, rendez-vous sur le site nyc.gov/housingconnect. Pour recevoir une traduction en français de cet avis ainsi qu’un dossier de demande papier, envoyez une enveloppe libellée à votre nom et votre adresse à l’adresse suivante : [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001Inscrivez le mot « FRENCH » au dos de l’enveloppe. Les demandes doivent être envoyées par la poste ou soumises en ligne au plus tard le [March 27, 2023], le cachet de la poste faisant foi.

1 Rent includes gas for stove, hot water, and heat. Tenant responsible for electricity.

2 Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria.

3 Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change.

4 Minimum income listed may not apply to applicants with Section 8 or other qualifying rental subsidies Asset limits also apply.

How Do You Apply?

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: [Housing Partnership, 253 W. 35th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001] Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Keep your foot on the pedal, Mr. President

In his last State of the Union address in 2022, President Biden gave most of his time to the war in Ukraine; in the latest iteration, Russia and Ukraine had to take a back seat because his focus was on finishing up a lot of tasks and jobs at home.

Other than recognizing Ukraine’s ambassador in the House Chamber, Biden only cited the war-torn country in the context of inflation, and how President Putin’s attacks have disrupted food and energy supply chains. But as Biden noted, the brutal war there continues and shows no signs of abating.

Black Americans must have been touched by Biden’s putting Tyre Nichols’s death into a race perspective, noting how Black and brown parents have to deal with the prospect of their children not coming home at night and the increasing prevalence of police indifference to their safety.

Of particular resonance were the words, “But imagine, imagine if you lost that child at the hands of the law. Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter came home from walking down the street, playing in the park, or just driving a car.

“Most of us here have never had to have the talk…that brown and Black parents have had to have with their children. Beau, Hunter, Ashley—my children—I never had to have the talk with them. I never had to tell them if a police officer pulls you over, turn your interior lights on right away. Don’t reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Imagine having to worry like that every single time your kid got in a car.”

It was a heartfelt commentary on the terrible prospect of losing a child to an agency assigned to protect them and ensure their safety.

His call for police reform and the passing of the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, which has been stalled in the Senate, was applauded, at least by the Democrats, and even a few Republicans.

Several of the things the president said he would like to finish—police reform, banning assault weapons, and reversing the damage to Roe v. Wade—are a triumvirate of difficulty, but just to get them mentioned in a House divided is a momentous step.

Now, Mr. President, keep your foot on the pedal.

Early support and ranked-choice voting—that’s how women of color win

By YVETTE BUCKNER

Black women in New York hold more positions of power than ever: a Black woman attorney general; the State Assembly’s firstever Black woman as majority leader; and the first Black woman speaker of the New York City Council, which is the most diverse City Council in the history of New York and for the first time, composed of a majority of women. But this historic representation can’t be our upper limit. It has to be the foundation on which we build.

While a women-majority NYC Council is an undeniable indicator of progress, we know that the power of incumbency is lower for women than for men and that women new to the political arena face steeper headwinds. For women of color, especially Black women, those headwinds are even steeper.

Research from the Brookings Institution has indicated that only 3.1% of Black women make up the country’s elected officials, and that Black women candidates as a whole are under-represented, making up only about 2% of the candidates who choose to challenge incumbents. Meanwhile, Demos found that “Black women are often deterred by a number of factors when they decide to run for public office” because of the social exclusion that comes

with their race and gender, including finding and fielding donors.

If we want to address that national gap and ensure more Black and brown women are elected, we need to act quickly—and early. That’s why we [the New Majority NYC] are leaning into endorsing early and consistently, protecting incumbent women on the Council who uphold our bottom-line issues, investing in our first-ranked candidates, and leaning into ranked-choice voting to further diversify our Council.

Early endorsements are a powerful tool in maintaining momentum and sustaining the progress we’ve made. That’s why the New Majority NYC (formerly 21 in ’21) endorses early—especially in primary elections—and supports women who run for office from day one. Other groups need to follow suit. According to findings from Represent Women, establishing early assistance and mentorship is crucial to political power-building for women. Simply put, early support helps women win—and because New York City’s races are so often won or lost in the primaries, it is critical to support candidates before the primaries.

In addition, ranked-choice voting is proven to work. The New Majority NYC exceeded its goal of electing 21 more women to the NYC Council in 2021 be-

cause we leaned into the promise of ranked-choice voting. We worked strategically with our sister organizations and our endorsees to leverage the best political outcomes while investing in petitioning, building a strong and early ground game, and connecting our candidates with mentors, voters, donors and networks. Strong, sustained networks; mentorship; and community helped provide Black women, Latinas and AAPI (AsianAmerican) women with the support they needed to run for office and win, and we’re excited to do it again in 2023. That has to be the blueprint for organizations that are serious about electing qualified, prepared and capable women who can represent and deliver for New York City.

This year, as redistricting reshapes district demographics, we need to fight even harder to protect and expand our women majority. We need to ensure that councilmembers representing Black, Latino and AAPI communities reflect the diversity of their neighborhoods. And we need to make sure that candidates of color, as well as voters of color, aren’t treated as a monolith.

Ranked-choice voting helps us achieve authentic representation, with candidates of color and communi-

See WOMEN OF COLOR on page 31

Inflammatory rhetoric and antiquated policies have fueled mass incarceration

By ROBERT ROOKS

As we celebrate the indelible contributions Black Americans have made to American life, we must acknowledge that we’re living through a troubling resurgence of inflammatory and counterproductive criminal justice rhetoric.

have to choose between keeping our communities safe, preserving families, and addressing our nation’s staggering incarceration rate. We can do all three. In fact, we already know a big part of the solution: probation and parole reform.

How did the United States end up as the most incarcerated nation on Earth?

got sent back to prison for riding a dirtbike. At REFORM Alliance, we’re working every day to change this broken system. We’ve helped pass 16 pieces of legislation in 10 states, creating pathways for 650,000 people to exit the system.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

Member

Alliance for Audited Media

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor

Nayaba Arinde: Editor

Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor

Damaso Reyes: Investigative Editor

Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising

Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus

Black Americans well understand where this kind of rhetoric can lead. And we know who’s most likely to suffer the consequences of it. We’re still incarcerated at much higher rates than our white counterparts, with effects that ripple through communities and families around the country.

This recent turn in the discourse is both predictable and unhelpful—especially because we know better solutions exist. We don’t

By sending a lot of people to prison and keeping them there for a long time. In the case of our probation and parole systems, we’re even sending people back to prison after they’ve been released. Nationwide, 42 percent of all prison admissions are due to supervision violations, and locking people up for these violations costs taxpayers billions of dollars.

We know that these systems affect Black America disproportionately, with Black people more than twice as likely to be on probation and nearly four times as likely to be on parole as their white counterparts.

Many Americans were awakened to the injustices of the system after Meek Mill

Proponents of strict probation and parole policies suggest that supervision violations are necessary to protect public safety. But rather than make communities safer, these antiquated policies criminalize poverty and drive racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Consider North Carolina’s reduction-in-incarceration punishments for supervision violations. According to an assessment by the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, incarceration resulting from technical violations fell dramatically. Moreover, North Carolina’s reforms helped eliminate the racial gap in incarceration for technical violations and allowed thousands of Black Americans to stay in See MASS INCARCERATION on page 31

Artificial intelligence: the perspective war

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

In 2022, a momentous event occurred that forever changed the trajectory of human history. OpenAI unveiled DALL-E and ChatGPT, two powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools that gave any person with an internet connection the gift of artistic expression and storytelling. With the power of these tools, people are no longer constrained by their physical or cognitive limitations, and can turn their wildest ideas into masterpieces with ease. But as with any revolutionary technology, there is a dark side to consider—the possibility that these AI tools, and those yet to come, will ultimately replace human creativity altogether.

These AI applications harness the power of machine learning to create stunning works that were once thought impossible for a machine. Prior to their release, AI-generated content was limited and simplistic. Now, it has passed the famous Turing Test and can answer just about any question you ask it.

As AI continues to evolve and permeate the world of art and writing, many artists and writers are understandably apprehensive about its impact on their livelihoods. So much so that lawsuits have been filed against AI applications for copyright infringement. I find it difficult to support efforts to outright ban or severely limit technology as it will likely come at the cost of the enrichment of future generations.

I empathize with artists and writers who may soon be out of a job. However, more dangerous than AI is the fact that there are groups of people willing to stifle innovation to protect their livelihoods. The concerns they have are not new, and they certainly will not be remembered fondly for their attempts to roll back change; history has shown us that innovation has always brought benefits to society as a whole, even if it meant displacement for some individuals. The car replaced the

coachman, the machine replaced the blacksmith and computers replaced, well, a lot of people.

However, artists and writers need not despair, for there is one aspect of AI that will forever elude it: the very essence of what makes us human. Every piece of art and writing is a reflection of the individual artist or writer and their unique experiences, emotions and worldview. To believe that AI could ever fully replace human creators is to misunderstand the very essence of artistic and literary creation. Would Van Gogh’s iconic “Self-Portrait” with Bandaged Ear hold the same emotional power if it were meticulously replicated by an AI, stroke by stroke? I think not. Even better, AI empowers those who have great ideas and stories to tell, but lack the artistic capability or financial means to make them a reality.

There are obvious concerns about AI that need to be addressed. The biggest right now is its use in schools.

ChatGPT has proven that it can pass a litany of professional exams such as those for medical licensing and MBAs. GPTZero is a recently developed tool that aims to fight back against the widespread use of AI in schools. This tool determines whether a given text was generated by AI by analyzing its average sentence “perplexity.” The website defines perplexity as “the randomness of the text.” While the intention behind the development of this tool is admirable, it ultimately proves to be ineffective and potentially more harmful than AI itself because AI detectors don’t have the unambiguous detection criteria that plagiarism detectors have, and the consequences of false positives are too great for academics and professionals, with one mistake meaning the end of a career. Developers of AI tools must understand that their endeavors will be in vain. As AI continues to advance, it will likely become more adept at tricking AI detec-

tors. Chances are, it already can. For schools, in-person exams remain the most effective means of preventing cheating. But the mass hysteria over its use in homework entirely misses the point. Homework should be a moment of teaching, not a “gotcha” moment to catch cheaters.

Teachers: All of your students, rich and poor, were just handed a free tool that can teach them your class’s content and convey it to them in their preferred format at any time. That’s powerful. That’s democratized education. So, why not encourage students to learn from it? Here are two solutions I have for teachers.

The first solution is that the teacher can assign a topic and require that students ask ChatGPT at least five questions about the topic. ChatGPT could then provide answers, and students could be required to discuss them in class in conjunction with the lesson plan, with students called on to ensure that everyone is engaging with the material. The second solution is that the teacher can administer a brief, 5-minute exam in class containing a single, randomly selected question covering the material, which would comprise 50% of the homework’s overall grade. I fully expect that teachers will adapt and use this technology to educate students further.

Change can be daunting, and I understand the fears that many of us share about the impact of AI on our society. But it’s important to remember that we are small players in the grand narrative of humanity, with new chapters being written every day. Our current concerns about AI may seem significant now, but they will eventually be insignificant. The immediate future of AI is uncertain, and there will be conflicts and controversies, but one thing is for certain: AI can be good or bad, it’s only a matter of perspective.

Armstrong Williams (@ARightSide) is manager / sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. www. armstrongwilliams.co | www.howardstirkholdings.com

Birds everywhere

Every February I celebrate Black History Month, but I also recently discovered that February is Bird Awareness Month. I don’t know if you are aware, dear reader, but I am a birder. I discovered the pastime during lockdown when I spent almost two months living in Delaware. One of my goals for 2023 is to learn a lot more about the diverse birds that surround us and the myriad ways they contribute to our ecosystems.

Whenever I tell people I bird, they quickly quip that the only birds in New York City are pigeons. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Whether you’re in Central Park, Prospect Park or strolling down the street, there is incredible bird diversity in New York City— just as diverse as the people and communities here.

I don’t know all of the different types of birds in the city, but I do know that because so much of the city is surrounded by water and there are also so many parks large and small, we have birds that prefer everything from marshlands to wooded areas.

I recently went birding with a dear friend in Central Park. As we strolled around the park discussing our families and our work, I thought of the millions of birds that migrate through New York City each year. I think of birds that fly for hours upon hours on end to make it to the American South, and even to the Caribbean and South America.

As I wandered through the park

with my binoculars, I couldn’t help but think of all of the people imprisoned at Rikers Island. Rikers is technically located in the Bronx and is situated on a 413-acre island that houses over 10,000 people each year. This island is directly in a migratory route and is surrounded by water that so many different types of ducks, sparrows and sea gulls call home.

I often wonder if the inmates at Rikers can look out of their small windows and see the beauty of nature just outside of their walls. I truly hope nature is a solace to so many people who are currently wrongfully imprisoned or imprisoned in inhumane ways by a city and state and country that is supposed to protect the sanctity of everyone within its borders. Rikers fails to protect men and women on a daily basis, and the hope of the jail closing seems like a distant memory.

Being able to spend time in nature is a blessing, something we should not take for granted. Seeing a lone bird find a perch on a building, catching the sight of a hawk as it observes the people below or even seeing a mundane pigeon with a fresh set of eyes reminds us there is beauty just above us if we look up.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”, and the co-host of the podcast FAQNYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio.

CHRISTINA GREER PH.D.

Birds in Brooklyn, NY (Amanda Ulloa photo)

Caribbean Update

Canada deploys plane to Haiti; Caricom leaders to discuss crisis next week

By BERT WILKINSON, Special

to AmNews

Two weeks after Jamaica offered to contribute troops to a regional task force to help crisis-hit Haiti restore public order, the Canadian government has pitched in by sending a military plane with high-tech electronic equipment to disrupt the activities of violent gangs in the country, officials said.

The Canadian government announced the move at the weekend, saying it had secured permission to do so from the remnants of Haiti’s collapsed government system as the city and other parts of the country remain paralyzed by gangland and other forms of violence.

A government statement said the CP-140 aircraft, which is already in use, will conduct runs “to disrupt the

activities of gangs. For the security of the operation we will not make any further comment on this mission, which is done in collaboration and with the agreement of the government of Haiti,” the Canadian mission said.

Canada’s intervention at this level comes amid a spate of kidnappings in the city and various parts of the island. Local newspapers at the weekend reported that former security minister Pierre Buteau is among those who have been abducted by gangs in recent weeks. Police have reported on the slayings of more than 70 officers in recent weeks as gangs fight for control of various parts of the country.

Caribbean community leaders, who have witnessed decades of conflict and political troubles in Haiti, are to meet for their mid-year summit in the Bahamas next week.

The meeting will take place in the midst of efforts by the administration of Prime Minister Phillip Davis to cope with a Haitian refugee crisis, control and restrict the growth of Haitian shanty communities on tourism islands, and deal with court challenges to local laws preventing anyone born in the Bahamas to a foreign parent from obtaining citizenship. The citizenship issue is before the British Privy Council of law lords, the highest court for the Bahamas. A deci-

sion is expected shortly. Arguments were heard in London last month.

Bahamian officials say they will raise the Haiti crisis issue and hope for extensive discussion as the country “has a Haiti problem.”

Official estimates place the number of Haitians in the country at about 30% of the population of just over 350,000 people.

Last week, Attorney General Ryan Pinder asked the local courts for permission to demolish a Haitian shack city that is emerging on

Abaco Island, popular with tourists year round.

“The office of the attorney general filed a summons seeking permission to demolish the expansion of a shanty town in Abaco and at two locations in New Providence. I am coordinating a cross-government response with the senior leadership of the defense force, the ministry of Immigration, the police force, the ministry of works, and the attorney general’s office. In the coming days, I will outline further steps

on immigration, focusing on enforcement, protection of our borders and international cooperation,” Davis said.

Haiti is indeed expected to be a main agenda item for leaders coming in the wake of the action taken by Canada and the offer from Jamaica, which has so far not received much support from other members of the 15-nation Caricom bloc.

“Jamaica would be willing to participate in a multinational security assistance deployment to Haiti under the appropriate jurisdictional parameters to support a return to a reasonable level of stability and peace,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness told parliament last month, adding that security forces have already been informed to be ready if a final decision is made.

A light in darkness of U.S. immigration saga

FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER

On Friday night, Feb. 3, 2023, as temperatures shot downward to 4 degrees in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams showed what real leadership means and by so doing, became a light in the thick blackness that has become the U.S. immigration saga.

Whereas many are quick to show hate and judgment to downtrodden human beings who are willing to leave everything they know behind to venture into the unknown and suffer in unimaginable ways for freedom and a better life,

Adams showed love and real humanity.

Whereas the talking heads of Fox News speak from their multi-million-dollar studios and go home to their multimillion-dollar homes from behind tinted car windows, never daring to come close to the poor immigrants they relegate to less than, Adams was willing to share a cot next to hundreds of asylum-seeking men whose only shelter is now the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Manhattan.

Whereas Vice President Kamala Harris, the supposed immigration czar, has visited the southern border once and of course had no interaction with immigrants, New York City’s mayor was willing to share a meal with them, hang out with them

and sleep among them. She has also never once come out of her house when buses have dropped off migrants right outside in frigid conditions, including on Christmas Eve. Instead, from her warm, cozy office, she has simply falsely claimed that the immigration crisis is under control. This as the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network has rushed to the front of her house with blankets to help immigrants dropped off by buses sent by the Texas governor. Whereas President Joe Biden, for all the talk about caring for immigrants, finally made it to a border town last month for the first time since taking office in 2021 and also ignored the Big Apple’s spiraling $2 billion mi-

grant crisis later last month during a visit to tout $292 million in federal spending on a new rail tunnel, New York City’s mayor is willing to show them respect.

This as the Biden administration continues to follow the Trumpian policies to keep out most asylum seekers; has failed to pitch in with any aid to help the city with this mega crisis; and Biden never bothered to stop by the Terminal or the hotel where New York City is draining itself to care for more than 44,000 migrants to date.

What Adams, along with New York State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, did on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, should go down in history, so politicians and leaders everywhere can take a page

from their books.

Not only did Adams show up and hunker down on a cot, just like the ones provided for the immigrants on the floor of the terminal, but he also hung out with them, even playing a World Cup soccer video with one of the migrants, much to their amazement.

“We’re going to stay the night with our brothers and just let them know we’re all in this together,” Adams posted on social media, wearing an NYPD baseball cap and a black sweatshirt with the letters “GSD”—his acronym for “Get Stuff Done.”

“This is how you get through things,” he added.

And he is so right. But more importantly, as Adams rightly said: “I would never

ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t be willing to do myself.”

And so, he put “his money where his mouth is,” as the saying goes, and by so doing, won the respect of these asylum seekers. But his actions should also win the respect of all New Yorkers and those across the country. To quote Adam’s own words: It “gives new meaning to the words ‘love thy neighbor.’”

Adams’s love and leadership in a cold, dark world shines brightly as a beacon of what Lady Liberty and America once were. Shine on, Mr. Mayor, shine on!

The writer is publisher of

“Last week, Attorney General Ryan Pinder asked the local courts for permission to demolish

a Haitian shack city that is emerging on Abaco Island, popular with tourists year round.”

Health

For National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Electeds Call for More Rapid Testing

Community districts in the Bronx face the highest rate of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis, even though overall rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia have decreased citywide, added Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson in a statement.

“Healthcare is a human right, but not for marginalized communities that don’t have access to basic healthcare testing such as for HIV,” said Councilmember Lynn Schulman, chair of the Health Committee. “As someone who worked for the leading HIV/AIDS organization in the country, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, I know how much testing clinics and other HIV/AIDS services are needed, especially in Black and brown communities.”

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day continues to highlight the threat of HIV/ AIDS among disproportionately impacted Black people, despite significant advances in medical treatments. Councilmember

Pierina Sanchez and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams are spearheading a bill to increase rapid HIV testing and prevention in neighborhoods with the highest rates.

Sanchez, Williams, and other elected officials were joined at City Hall this Tuesday by a host of advocates backing the bill, Int 895. The bill would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to ramp up rapid testing for sexually transmitted infections in all boroughs, prioritizing communities in boroughs that have higher infection rates.

Williams said that consistent and persistent testing proved key to beating back the COVID-19 pandemic and essential to community health.

“Very often when we hear people talking that the crisis is over, they're talking about very specific demographics. And when you dig down deeper, for the people who are suffering the most, the crisis rages on. That is the case with HIV and AIDS,” said Williams at the press conference. “The Black and immigrant community in particular. The crisis is not over.”

C. Virginia Fields, president and CEO at National Black Leadership Commission on Black Health, said that one of their main demands is for the government and pharmaceutical companies to keep the “same consistency, determination, and energy” for the HIV/AIDS crisis as they had churning out vaccines for the COVID-19 crisis.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day began in 1999 as a grassroots education effort during the height of the epidemic. Nowadays, with advanced medications like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antivirals, an HIV/ AIDS diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. There is still no vaccine available though. Inequities in HIV and STI testing as well as access to treatment continue to persist along racial, ethnic, economic, gender, and sexual

identity lines, said Sanchez. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), statistics from 2020 show there were 18,489 deaths among adults and adolescents with diagnosed HIV in the U.S. The same year, the highest number of new diagnoses were identified as Black Americans at 12,827.

Across New York State, the Black community is statistically most impacted as well.

“The Bronx suffers from the highest rates of HIV across New York State’s 62 counties, and sexually transmitted infection rates are at unacceptably high rates among vulnerable groups in our city,” said Sanchez. “By making rapid testing services available throughout the City and educating New Yorkers, this bill will work to reduce infection rates and save lives. It is time to ensure everyone has access to the services they need.”

The Bronx has over 23,500 people living with HIV, said Sanchez, more than three times higher than the overall New York State rate and highest in New York City. These rates are highest among Black Bronxites. In 2021, the Bronx also had the highest rates of HIV/AIDS deaths, said Sanchez.

Caribbean Equality Project (CEP) Executive Director Mohamed Q. Amin noted that LGBTQIA+ Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean communities that intersect with HIV/AIDS communities also face stigma and harsh inequities. “Immigration status, socioeconomic background, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex should not be barriers to accessing health services in New York City,” said Amin.

These demographics are largely located in Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park in Queens, Flatbush, and Crown Heights in Brooklyn, and Castle Hill and Soundview in The Bronx. Amin said that LGBTQ+ immigrants from the Caribbean need specialized assistance navigating resources, including HIV and STI testing and care.

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://bit.ly/amnews1

NYC ending COVID-19 vaccination mandate for city employees

By KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City, which once had the nation’s strictest workplace vaccination rules for COVID-19, is ending one of its last such mandates, saying it will no longer require the shots for municipal employees, including police officers, firefighters and teachers.

The vaccine mandate, which led to the firing of hundreds of city workers who declined to get the shots, will end Friday, Feb. 9, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday.

Adams said that with more than 96% of city employees and more than 80% of city residents having received their initial vaccine series, “this is the right moment for this decision.”

City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said, “It’s clear these mandates saved lives and were absolutely necessary to meet the moment. We’re grateful that we can now, as we leave the emergency phase of the pandemic, modify more of the rules that have gotten us to this point.”

The vaccination mandate for city employees was one of the

last COVID-19 measures still in place in New York City. The city ended its vaccine requirement for employees of private businesses in November 2022, and masks are now optional in most public spaces, including subways and buses.

New York City’s private-sector mandate forced All-Star point guard and vaccine skeptic Kyrie Irving to miss most of the Brooklyn Nets home games last season.

Irving will no longer be affected by any changes in New York City’s coronavirus policies. The Nets and the Dallas Mavericks

reached a deal over the weekend that will send Irving to Dallas, according to a person familiar with the terms of the deal who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been finalized.

New York City’s municipal workforce of about 337,000 was one of the largest groups of government employees in the United States to be affected by a COVID19 vaccine mandate.

The vaccine requirement for the 1.3 million-strong U.S. military was lifted in December under an $858 billion defense

spending bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The approximately 1,780 New York City workers who have been terminated for failing to comply with the municipal employee vaccination requirement will not get their jobs back automatically but can apply for positions with their former agencies, city officials said. Unions representing some of the fired workers planned a news conference later Monday to demand their reinstatement with back pay.

February 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). City council members hold a press conference at City Hall. (Ariama C. Long photos)

Arts & Entertainment

Lincoln Center presents baritone Will Liverman & ‘Songs by Black Composers’

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

New York’s renowned performing arts venue, Lincoln Center, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera, presents acclaimed opera vocalist Will Liverman, performing selections from his Grammy-nominated album, “Dreams of a New Day—Songs by Black Composers.” On the album, Liverman is accompanied by pianist Paul Sánchez in performing compositions by Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Harry Thacker Burleigh, Leslie Adams, Robert Owens and more.

Liverman, star of last fall’s production of “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” at the Metropolitan Opera, will showcase a number of compositions from “Dreams of a New Day,” including Burleigh’s “5 Songs of Laurence Hope,” Damien Sneed’s “I Dream A World,” Richard Farana’s “Birmingham Sunday” and “Good-night,” an original piece co-written by Liverman with violinist Lady Jess.

We are living in times where the disparities of Black presence in the classical and operatic realms have made some strides in addressing the predominance of white and European prima donnas (with homage to Leontyne Price, Mattiwilda Dobbs and other trailblazers) and principal male voices such as Liverman’s predecessors, Thomas Carey and Anthony Anderson.

Liverman, now a modern role model to aspiring millennial and Gen Z opera singers, is a singular light whose voice will be cited as a rare principal Black operatic voice of the 21st century. He has achieved a noted career that denotes promise for greater success in the future.

The gatekeepers of our culture—those who can expand education, support, opportunities and stages to gifted minority voices—should be encouraged by the quality and ardor of such work.

Event details:

Lincoln Center Presents the Metropolitan Opera and “The Other Side of the Stars: Will Liverman”

Paul Sánchez, piano Starr Theater, Alice Tully Hall

Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 7:30 p.m.

For more info. visit www.lincolncenter.org.

(Adam Ewing photo)

(Jaclyn Simpson photo)

(Daniel Welch photo)

(Jaclyn Simpson photo)

Heading back for season 2 of ‘Harlem’

By MAGRIRA Special to AmNews

Does season 2 of “Harlem” get it right, again? I am not sure that the answer is yes. Season 1 arrived in 2021 as part of a small roster of shows that focused on young women searching for love and enjoying active and healthy sex lives in New York. But what made “Harlem” so special, aside from the perfect casting, was that it was guided by writer Tracy Oliver, who is a talent.

Season 2 picked up on the same night that Camille made a drunken house call to her prickly boss, Dr. Elise Pruitt (Whoopi Goldberg), quitting her hard-earned job at Columbia University, despite the efforts of Quinn (Grace Byers) to get her to stop. Note to self: Don’t drink and drive, text or Uber.

Quinn’s story opens with her exploration of her sexual identity and her first date with Isabella (Juani Feliz), admitting to the attraction despite being nervous about how to have lesbian sex.

Angie (Shoniqua Shandaiz) and Eric’s (Jonathan Burke) relationship is over because her actions got their first break—“Get Out the musical”—canceled after Jordan Peele and his team read all her communications. Angie continues to seek the best sexual companionship the city has to offer and goes home with the “bestlooking man in New York,” after receiving his expert pedicure. Once at his apartment, Angie pretends to be her own twin to have sex with his even more handsome roommate. Long live Angie.

Tye (Jerrie Johnson) has grown tired of her endless one-night stands and finds herself craving a solid relationship but wanting to start small. Later, she helps Quinn find some sex toys that will make her feel more confident with Isabella—the good deed that was most needed.

Camille tries to fix things with Pruitt and with Ian’s mom because let’s face it, this girl is messy at all times. When she sees the brokenhearted and embarrassed Mira (the jilted bride) she tells her to “f*** off”— which was kinder than messy-messy Camille deserved.

Let’s not forget that Ms. Messy has to deal with poor Jameson (Sullivan Jones), who is clueless about what happened between her and her ex. Again: Ms. Camille is messy.

I toss up the question again. Does season 2 of “Harlem” work? No, not really, but also yes, it does. If Tracy Oliver’s (“Girls’ Trip”) DNA wasn’t in the mix, I doubt the series would have gotten off the ground. The storylines are crazy enough to grab attention. I mean, it is New York and Harlem. “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” so crazy is our everyday.

These women are in their 30s and still single, which has its own signature of nuts. Trying to feel comfortable in your own skin and find someone with whom you actually want to spend your ohso-precious free ttime with is a compounded challenge. Maybe the pressure of being perfect on paper, for Camille, is the driving force for her messy behavior. Be-

cause sister-girl is the poster child for self-sabotage.

Season 2 still lives best when it is focused on the four friends chopping it up at their favorite restaurants or just being together. They are all so different and that makes for comedic conflict. It also highlights Oliver’s ability to construct complicated characters.

The character that has the most growth is Angie, with the actress Shoniqua Shandai peeling back layers of performance that deserves recognition. You might ask yourself, Is it the words on the page that make Angie sparkle? Or is it the powerful performance of Shandai? I float up my original question: Does season 2 of “Harlem” get it right, again? I offer this as an

answer: Yes, because watching Shandai is a reason to step into season 2 of “Harlem.”

“Harlem” following the lives of Harlem residents Camille (Meagan Good), Quinn (Grace Byers), Angie (Shoniqua Shandai)

and Tye (Jerrie Johnson) as they attempt to balance love, careers and the general expectations of life in the titular Harlem.

Season 2 of “Harlem” is now on Prime Video.

“Harlem” (Photos courtesy of Amazon Studios)

Must-Reads: ‘Blackgirl on Mars,’ ‘The Perfect Nine,’ ‘How to Say Babylon’

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

It has been an exciting first few weeks of the year with the comings and goings of Black authors and writers, crafting, learning, sharing and offering the world prose that permeates from the outer reaches of their subconscious. From the depths of this sector of the mind come stories and literature that nurture the oak and maple trees, the apple and lemon trees, and the bonsai and orchids of word formation.

This week, it is with grace

and humility that we highlight three books—one, an upcoming memoir of intercontinental modern life; another, a classical African epic; and a sultry Jamaican memoir; books that all promise great adventure, Black honesty, socio-emotional inner searching, the yearning for substance within the inner and outer world, and of course, beautifully crafted sentences. When books give life, we, in turn, are able to give love, healing, support and grace to others. When we are fed by the Black voice, the Black heart, we are nourished; mind, body and soul.

“Blackgirl on Mars” by Leslie Ann Brown | Repeater Books

The AmNews had had the pleasure of featuring Brown’s debut 2018’s “Decolonial Daughter: Letters from a Black Woman to Her European Son,” a visceral, touching book by a mother who shared her observations and wisdom to honor and acknowledge the evolution of her son’s life. Her long-awaited second book, “Blackgirl on Mars,” written while journeying through the United States during the height of the Black Lives Matters protests and finding herself in Trinidad and

Tobago to lay her grandmother to rest, Brown gives her account of the existential reality of the maintenance of her own Black life within the realms of gender, sexuality, cultural connectivity and self-awareness.

“The Perfect Nine: The Epic of G ĩ k ũ y ũ and M ũ mbi” by Ngugi wa Thiong’o | The New Press

This story is of G ĩ k ũ y ũ , M ũ mbi and their nine daughters as they travel through mountains, volcanos and grasslands filled with wildlife and the lineage of their spirits and

loins. It promises to be a classic in the coming decades as this work of epic proportion positively differentiates itself due to its soothing, spaciously and airily written voice.

“How to Say Babylon: A Memoir” by Safiya Sinclair | Simon and Schuster Safiya Sinclair courageously tells her story; a spellbinding account of her home life, living encased within the confines of her father’s oppressive patriarchal rule. She and her sisters, forced to wear long skirts and clothing covering their frames, headscarves’ and no accessories or adornments, watch their mother survive the violence of their father by staunch self-education. The only true source of power she possessed were the books she handed down to her girls, and the books she read to fortify herself to face her reality each day.

Sinclair spoke to “Literary Hub” about “Babylon”: “A forging of something else, someone new. The cover, which holds an immediate resonance for me, suggests not only a severing, a moment of power, but also a daughter’s reclaiming of her own narrative…The trajectory of my life, and of my family’s life, changed completely after this. Here is a breaking with a religious tradition, a turning away.”

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME

GODDESS KYA

February 9, 2023—February 15, 2023

Rebirth of a New Nation: A new agenda is coming down the pipeline with new laws, partnerships, contracts, principles, and things being revealed within a blink of an eye. A means to an end as we prepare for the paradigm shift that has already been in effect. Everything is in place right now to go viral and within our community. The word is out in the streets. The details are everything, and every club, membership, organization, affliction, and non- or political party is ready to strike. One thing is for sure, as stated by Will Smith in the movie “Independence Day,” it’s our victory dance but not till the fat lady sings. It’s time for takeoff by any means necessary as this shift is occurring. February and November are a sneak peek trail of humanity’s valleys traveling in 2024 into 2025 when the full peak of births presents itself of the Alpha & Omega. As the saying goes, “If you can’t figure out where you stand with someone, it might be time to stop standing and start walking.”

Rise to the occasion to surrender yourself to something good. What is your passion and what is on your mind that drives that spark of passion to ignite? Know your boundaries and get organized. Schedule time for “me” time, be it a bubble bath, massage, solitude, or meditation, and allow the body to send you instructions on what to do for healing and relaxation. Get grounded with your agenda and take the initiative. Opportunities to travel far or short distances are in your monthly forecast. In the days leading up to Feb. 16, patience guides your faith from within.

A quirky kind of week in areas of work, health, romance, and finances, as information flows in from left field, catching you off guard. As you complete the assignment you have given yourself, do not go back to the old you. Allow the rebirth to take place and bring news and a lucky time. Be still in the midst of everything flying in all four directions and do you. From Feb. 9 until Feb. 11, sudden events can start the preparation of something new and bizarre.

You need boundaries to free yourself to have fun in that limelight and in your life. There’s no fun when you want to control other people’s affairs. You speak for yourself and allow others to speak for themselves. Certain things can backfire on you when you are not honest and leave you stranded until you know you are the culprit. An awesome week to network, promote, and assist someone while understanding your mission from a deep point of view. From Feb. 11 until 8 p.m. on Feb. 13, do not blame others or point fingers; look within before criticizing others.

Divine meeting and awakening is flowing through like a football player dunking his coach with a super waterfall from behind. Sudden insights as you are highly in tune to go to be at the right place at the right time. You have another creative project to complete and some woman of influence will play a role in a significant way. Most importantly, listen to the advice given and take what resonates or what gives you clarity about something in place. Around Feb. 13 till 12 a.m. on Feb. 16, visit a body of water as you wait in patience, putting the pieces to the puzzle together.

Life gets sweeter and sweeter the closer you are to fulfilling a mission and receiving a bonus with another task to complete. This week, the task isn’t over yet. As a matter of fact, when does it end? Do not overwork yourself going gangbusters; then the drought effect is felt more spiritually and physically taxing on your body. Take time to rejuvenate yourself. Handle any old affairs that show up like a reminder to fulfill your obligations. In the days leading up to Feb. 16, everything works when it does, and you will receive it when it’s due to you.

Lost for words as you do a double take of what is playing out in your life. You know you are going through a rebirthing process from the previous help when the north and south were in Gemini and Sagittarius. Now Mars is in Gemini and is cleaning, rebirthing, informing you, and gaining some kind of an inheritance. You have the vision, voice, and people to help you build a new beginning. The only thing: it’s not going to work unless you completely let go and are ready to swim across the ocean with faith; the same faith and willpower as when learning how to drive or ride a bike. From Feb. 9 through the evening of Feb. 11, take a back seat as all the stars are in motion.

How are you feeling? What are your spider senses telling you to tap into or move away from? Follow your gut instinct to guide you. It’s time to advance a new version of you as a death and reawakening process is occurring. I know you feel it in your bones, heart, mind, and soul to follow suit to what your life is going to be. You have a new agenda you are forming into action when ready to make you move like in a chess game . The afternoon of Feb. 11 till about 8 p.m. on Feb. 13, set some boundaries and get in position.

You are the Goddess, God of your destiny, only taking orders from the higher ups. You see the big picture now after traveling through the hard knock lesson to arrive where you are presently like a baby traveling through a mother’s birth canal for its arrival. A remarkable meeting with someone who ranks supreme to share a word with you or just the passing of each other is meaningful. Whatever you do or say, allow it to come straight from your heart and mind as the preparation takes place in the spiritual realm. Beginning Feb. 13 through Feb. 15, be you—your light will always shine, even in the midst of a storm.

There is a whole lot of 411 going through the grapevine and what you are learning, you see it play out in reality. It’s nice to recognize such a thing that is no longer a mystery. What are you going to do with the information given? You have traveled down the rabbit burrows with in-depth research. It’s time to disburse it into the universe, be it a lecture, a podcast, or a comparison. A cycle where your presence is felt and acknowledged by others. In the days approaching Feb. 16, a sudden meeting or departure arrives shortly after a conversation, you change your mind on an offer, or simply head in a new direction.

Can you say what in the world is occurring within your four walls in work, home, duty, and obligation as something occurs without notice? That is how the universe operates. It’s been in the making, marinating, on simmer, and now it’s ready. Timing is everything and this cycle week, a lot of pressure is on. Come up with something to bring to the table. This is the underlay for the overlay like water overflowing uncontrollably. Stand your ground with practicality and due diligence to see results as your results usher in an old-fashioned way. From Feb. 9 through the evening of Feb. 11, choose a new direction away from your past life.

Did someone leave the water on due to its rapidly raining diamonds like fireworks? Get what is bothering you off your chest to release for once. Allow your voice to be heard. You will find out what you need to know through the conversation or what kind of tone is being set. As details drip on in, you now have something of the full storyline. This is heaven-sent and an experience this week you can’t even fathom. From Feb. 11 through 8 p.m. on Feb. 13, rise to the occasion, follow your dream, and choose the path as you are discovered.

When you say nothing, you see and hear the actions of others. What motives are playing out while the movie is on and you’re eating the popcorn and watching every bit playing out? There is another side of you during this weekly cycle and that is changing your environment. What you think attracts you. A great time to do a makeover within yourself, your home, family, friends, love, and lastly your attitude. You have great knowledge within you and it’s time to advance it to a new level. No need for the boss’s permission; you grant yourself access like a genie in the bottle. From Feb. 13 till Feb. 16, actions speak louder than words so apply the footwork. Know your role.

Vinateria

Travel Unexpected hotel travel trends for 2023

Following the COVID-19 lockdown, outdoor and drivable destinations were in high demand for domestic travelers. As the country has reopened, Americans embraced the idea of getting back to normal and began traveling much as they did prior to the pandemic.

However, travel trends for 2023 suggest there is no normal when it comes to travel planning. Instead, individual interests are driving decisions about where to go and what to do.

“We see a detailed and robust picture of travel into 2023,” Expedia Brands President Jon Gieselman said. “We’re seeing a surge in trips to culture capitals, a new wave of interest in wellness retreats, and a spike in demand for outdoor destinations beyond just beaches and mountains. It’s not a new normal so much as people branching out to unexpected trends in what we’re calling the ‘no normal.’”

A close look at these trends suggests there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to travel in 2023. Insights sourced from the company’s first-party data, and from custom research of thousands of travelers and industry professionals across 17 countries, show value, alternative wellness options, and hotels that cater to evolving traveler needs are heavily influencing travel choices.

Consider these conclusions from the experts at Hotels.com:

3-Star Superstars

Travelers are seeking smarter ways to see the world without compromising on comfort or cool factor. In the U.S., nearly onethird (32%) of travelers are more concerned with value for money than ever before with data showing interest is up more than 20% globally in three-star hotels.

In 2023, 40% of U.S. travelers plan to stay in one-thre-star hotels, and 34% plan to book a vacation with added value inclusions, such as free parking or breakfast. Showing a shift in mindset from the post-pandemic bucket-list mentality and moving toward a more spontaneous approach, one-third of travelers would rather go on more trips in three-star properties than splurge on one big luxury getaway.

New Wave Wellness

According to the survey, more than half (53%) of Americans are seeking wellness breaks but cite boredom with traditional retreats and want to experience something more exciting in 2023. Millennials are the top drivers of this as 60% of 25-34-year-olds are seeking alternative wellness getaways. Most travelers want to explore new offerings in the U.S. However, Gen Z has a dif-

ferent view and would prefer to book an adventure to Norway, Turkey, Switzerland, Iceland, or Sri Lanka.

To capture this awakened market, some hotels are offering advanced rejuvenation programs and hands-on activities that encourage travelers to get up close and personal with nature. Sylvotherapy (forest bathing) and fruit harvesting are popular alternatives to cooking courses, sport holidays, and meditation sessions.

Hot Hotel Openings Around the World Hotels that cater to evolving traveler needs are opening around the world. These properties offer far more than a place to sleep with destination restaurants, coworking spaces, and beautiful interiors. From an art-filled social hub in London to unbridled luxury in Rome, these are some hotels to have on your radar for the year ahead:

* La Palma, Capri, Italy

* 100 Princes Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

* Ikos Odisia, Corfu, Greece

* Celestial Suites, Kefalonia, Greece

* 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Princeville, Kauai

* Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Tamarindo, Mexico

* Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, Maldives, Indian Ocean

* Six Senses, Rome, Italy

* Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

* art’otel London Battersea Power Station, London, Great Britain

Find more inspiration to take advantage of upcoming trends at Hotels.com.

Maldives (Image by linguafun from Pixabay)

Capri, Italy (Image by DEZALB from Pixabay)

5 easy ways to say ‘I love you’

If gift-giving isn’t your strong suit, occasions like Valentine’s Day are likely to bring on stress and worry, but procrastinating will only serve to elevate your unease.

Follow these steps to simplify your shopping. While you may not come to love the task of finding the perfect gift, your loved one will undoubtedly appreciate your effort.

1.

Browse for ideas online. Many retailers offer special promotions and gift idea sections on their websites, so finding inspiration can be as easy as visiting the sites of your loved one’s favorite stores. There are also dozens of articles online to help get the ideas flowing. Searches such as “gifts for horse lovers” or “Valentine’s gifts for a new boyfriend” will reveal a long list of ideas to peruse.

Keep it simple. Although the advertising industry works hard to convince consumers otherwise, Valentine’s Day isn’t really all about the bling. Sure, a pretty bauble is a welcome gift, but there are plenty of ways to show your affection that don’t require spending a month’s

2.

salary. A heartfelt card paired with a memento of a meaningful event or place in your relationship sends the same loving sentiment.

3.Make it a (different) date. For many couples, navigating the demands of work, kids and life makes

spending time together a luxury. Instead of fighting crowds at busy restaurants on the official date, celebrate your love on a day of your own choosing, when you can relax and enjoy the time together without the pressure to rush through dessert so your table can be flipped for the next waiting couple.

Valentine’s recipes you’ll love to share

If the way to your loved one’s heart is through the stomach, there’s no better way to start off this Valentine’s Day than with a homemade breakfast prepared with love.

Whether you’re whipping up a breakfast for a spouse with a sophisticated palate or trying to tempt the taste buds of your littlest loves, explore these ideas to get inspired.

• Red is the color of love, so build your menu around fresh strawberries or raspberries, which pair perfectly with French toast or crepes, and can even dress up a simple cereal.

• For a more sensible menu, opt for a fruity berry smoothie or a parfait layered with fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt and granola. Add a hint of loving indulgence by sprinkling dark chocolate shavings on top.

• Show your affection with a plate of these colorful CocoaKissed Red Velvet Pancakes featuring rich 100% cocoa, buttermilk and fresh berries. Heart-shaped cookie cutters lend a special touch to these fluffy, flavorful pancakes. Add sweet garnishes like powdered sugar and berries for a sensational way to say “I love you.”

Find more recipes you’ll love to share with your nearest and dearest this Valentine’s Day at Culinary.net.

4.

Give blooms a boost. A dozen long-stem red roses make a beautiful gesture, but unless your intended recipient is a strictly traditional type, try adding a little spice to your floral arrangement. Go for a bouquet in her favorite color, or have the flowers arranged in a practical vessel she can reuse to remember the occasion, such as a cocktail shaker or a watering can.

5.

Go ahead, gift yourself. It may seem counter-intuitive, but finding a gift you’ll enjoy may inspire an idea for your loved one. The trick is finding something you can share together, whether it’s tickets to a show or his-and-hers mugs for enjoying your favorite brew. Just be sure the item is something your intended will share your enthusiasm for, or you may as well go buy a blender.

Find more ideas to simplify every occasion at eLivingToday.com.

(Family Features)

Cocoa-Kissed Red Velvet Pancakes

Recipe courtesy of Nestlè Servings: 10 pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons Nestlè Toll House

Baking Cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup reduced-fat buttermilk or low-fat milk

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir well.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract and food coloring. Add to flour mixture; stir to combine. Allow mixture to sit 5 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush with oil or butter. Add about 1/4 cup batter to the skillet. Cook for about 2 min -

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon red food coloring heart-shaped pancake cutters or cookie cutters (optional) butter, for garnish (optional) powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

maple syrup, for garnish (optional) fresh berries, for garnish (optional)

utes, or until bubbles start to form on top. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned. Serve immediately with butter, powdered sugar, syrup and berries, if desired.

Tip: If using pancake or cookie cutters, be sure to coat with oil so pancakes don’t stick. Place cutters in skillet and pour batter into cutters. Remove cutters before flipping.

(Family Features)

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

‘10 Days in Watts’ speaks on how to turn a community around

By MAGRIRA Special to AmNews

New Yorkers could learn a lot by watching the new PBS docuseries ‘10 Days In Watts’ because gentrification for our communities is not exclusive to your city.

Created by actor and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Raphael Sbarge, the docuseries “10 Days In Watts” takes us into the urban garden named MudTown Farms (which is scheduled to open in Watts) that has been built and nurtured by dedicated residents who see more than economic hardship, social inequality and environmental racism in their future.

You really can’t talk about Watts and progress without giving credit to the Watkins family, and the series chronicles three generations of those activists. The four-part series also features students, farmers and other community leaders committed to healing past social injustices, of which there are many.

At the risk of sounding redundant, there are important lessons in how MudTown Farms, a project of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), came to life, and it was not without struggles. In Harlem in particular, there are many small community gardens and pop-up stands that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. This is essential because we all know we are what we eat, and in America, what we eat is toxic.

There is a plethora of studies that link a long list of health issues that are attributed to poor food choices. Poison in, poison out. Watts community leaders listened to the needs of the residents and MudTown Farms was conceived to be more than just an agriculture park. It also has open space for community gardens, orchards and reading gardens including a community center for teaching, training and events.

If you know local government, then you have an idea of just how difficult the journey was and is for this community. The MudTown Farms journey was beset with delays and cost overruns.

This series begins 10 days out from the Farm’s opening and at the center, the sage elder telling the story is Tim Watkins, president of the WLCAC, who shares a vision of a family’s dedication to their beloved community. As the farm moves toward its opening, a patchwork mosaic of resilience emerges, focused on honoring its citizens and determined to see the next generation thrive. Watkins is a superhero in my mind.

Sbarge, whose production company Wishing Well Entertainment is behind the docuseries, offered this: “We were given

an opportunity to speak with residents, many of whom had spent their lives in Watts. They shared their journey, stories filled with complex and difficult experiences, but they also expressed genuine gratitude that someone would be interested in hearing their stories.

“What I discovered was that the community was filled with extraordinary individuals, all committed to helping others, despite the many challenges they had faced. We gathered those stories that were shared with us in audio interviews, and then filmed over 10 days leading up to the opening of Mudtown Farms, and then a few days after. The farm’s very existence is rooted in a legacy story, and its significance within the community tells a story within a story of ordinary heroes.”

Here’s what Watkins had to share about “Ten Days in Watts,” which airs on Sunday, Feb. 12th. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

AMSTERDAM NEWS: I was sent the first two episodes and I was hooked. Your legacy in Watts, along with your family, is serious. Tell us about you

TIM WATKINS: Well, first of all, I am 69 years old, and a proud lifelong resident of Watts. I was born in Watts. I was raised in Watts and I intend to make my transition [in Watts] when I move on to what’s beyond.

AMN: Copy that.

TW: I’m never gonna move out. I love the community, for a lot of reasons, of course, because it’s where I was born to a very humble family, in 1953, as a result of the marriage of my mother and father, a Black man from Mississippi, who came here when he was 13 years old to escape a lynch mob.

AMN: And your mother?

TW: My mother, who was a white woman from San Francisco, and her family were survivors of the great earthquake when most of San Francisco burned. She was the descendant of Russian Orthodox Jews.

AMN: The pairing of those two, in that period of American history, is just—wow!

TW: Yeah, so I was the second born to that couple. I was born in the Palm Lanes Housing Project. And it was the poorest public housing in the area. Watts is home to more public housing than anywhere else west of the Mississippi. And they were there today, there are five major public housing developments within the immediate vicinity of Watts. Palm Lanes was the sixth housing development.

AMN: That definitely gives me an idea of your perspective.

TW: My background is humble. My father, Ted Watkins, founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee

and all of his achievements and developments that he accomplished in his lifetime gave rise to my burning need to extend his legacy.

AMN: What a tremendous legacy, indeed.

TW: It’s not my job to try to follow in his footsteps exactly, but certainly to extend the work that he did. And to continue to operate. We’re operating the same mission that we did when this was founded 57 years ago.

AMN: That’s inspiring me because a strip of land is just land without the vibrancy of the people.

TW: Along the way, what I fell in love with was the unfaded hopefulness of people, that the people of Watts continued to hope for and wish for and dream for a better way of life.

Join the conversation on social media using #10daysinwatts and @kcet, @pbssocal.

Tim Watkins, president of the WLCAC (Steve Porter photo)

BLAKE AT GALLERY, CROUCH TRIBUTE, GRAMMYS FOR JOY

The drummer and composer Jonathan Blake has come a long way since sitting on the bandstand as a teenager with his idol Elvin Jones. Since moving from his home of Philadelphia, he has become one of the proficient drummers of his generation, which means he’s monstrous. That’s why he is on jazz’s evolutionary record label Blue Note Records, which has boasted artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson and Horace Silver. He contributed to Dr. Lonnie Smith’s “Breathe” in 2021 and Kenny Barron’s “Concentric Circles,” in 2018 and has been a vital member of the latter for approximately 15 years.

On February 10–11, Blake will perform at the spot he calls home: the Jazz Gallery (1158 Broadway). His group TRION + 1 features tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and bassist Kanoa Mendenhall.

Blake’s drumming style is a complement of fast-paced fierceness while his brushes on ballads are as soft as a kiss. His repertoire rolls in straight-ahead with twists and turns bouncing off the edges with an intuitive group in hard bop swing mode.

Two sets each night at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. For reservations, visit the website jazzgallery.org.

The novelist, columnist, music cultural critic and NEA Jazz Master Stanley Crouch, who transitioned on September 16, 2020, is remembered for his quick wit and fiery criticism that often scorched the halls of jazz and Black culture (although jazz is the sound and interpretation of the Black cultural experience).

On February 13, Dizzy’s Jazz Club (10 Columbus Circle, 60th Street and Broadway) will pay tribute to the critical thinker with “Victory Is Assured: An Evening in Honor of Stanley Crouch.” There will be one show at 7 p.m. with a consortium of all-stars featuring Sean Mason, Christian McBride, Jeff “Tain” Watts, David Murray, Andrew Cyrille, Bill Charlap, Cyrus Chestnut, Peter Washington and Kenny Washington, among others. Wynton Marsalis will offer opening remarks, followed by words from Dean of Columbia Journalism School Jelani Cobb and Glenn Mott.

Marsalis, who is managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC), credits Crouch as co-founder of that program and playing an integral role in the organization’s direction and impact. “His teachings on jazz history, culture and literature continue to influence JALC content and education programs.”

Crouch was influenced by Ralph Ellison and Albert Murray, two elder critical thinkers who moved him in a direction less centered on race. Of Murray’s impact, he said, “I saw how important it is to free yourself from ideology. When you look at things solely in terms of race or class, you miss what is really going on.”

When Crouch arrived here in New York from California, he had intentions of continuing his career as a drummer. He played with multi-instrumentalist David Murray—the two shared a loft in the East Village above the Tin Palace, where they, along with other musicians, became part of the underground loft scene. He eventually became a writer.

Some of Crouch’s early fans still recall his days as a columnist at the Village Voice; his writings were brilliant. His is also acknowledged for “Notes of a Hanging Judge: Essays and Reviews, 1979–1989” and the “All-America Skin Game,” a collection of his reviews and writings on jazz; “Consider-

ing Genius” (2007); and “Charlie Parker, Kansas City Lightning,” a biography of the jazz alto saxophonist icon (2013). For reservations, call 212-2589595 or visit the website jazz.org.

What joy for vocalist Samara Joy. For the world of jazz, she was the belle of the ball last night. Well, in this instance, she was the belle of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. She was the elated winner of two Grammys: Best Jazz Vocal Album and New Best Artist (out of 10 nominees)—she accepted the latter onstage during primetime. A jazz artist hasn’t won in that category since 2011, when Esperanza Spalding won over the likes of Drake and Justin Bieber.

Joy, a Bronx native, was a rising jazz star even before she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019 and was named Best New Artist by Jazz Times for 2021.

Her performances are consistently refreshing and her creative source offers imaginative twists to storied standards like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Social Call” and “’Round Midnight,” all of which appear on her Grammywinning album “Linger Along” (Verve, 2022).

Ironically, the iconic pianist, composer and NEA Jazz Master Barry Harris introduced me to this young

singer when she was in high school. At that time, she was using her full name—Samara Joy McLendon. She did sing one song with Harris that evening, proving, as the master noted, she had that something. As Harris spoke with Joy and me, he predicted she was going to be a superstar and suggested I take her number because she would definitely warrant an interview at some point. Would you believe: The number is there with Harris as the reference.

While the jazz world was thrilled about Joy’s win, it actually brings up a few sore points of concern. In 2023, if jazz is an “American Treasure,” “America’s Home-Grown Music” and “America’s original art form” then why did it take 12 years for a jazz artist to step on that primetime stage to accept a Grammy?

It’s probably correct to say the average person, even a jazz fan, isn’t aware of the nine jazz categories for the Grammy Awards. Every year, many jazz artists are presented with awards earlier in the afternoon— before the primetime festivities, red-carpet interviews, paparazzi, limos, and—most of all—the cheers and applause from their many peers in all genres of music in the big auditorium. Nope, jazz artists aren’t there, but hey, don’t forget: Jazz, you are an American Treasure, America’s original art form.

Damn that! Jazz wants to hang out at the Premiere Ceremony.

Jazz would like to be sitting upfront with the likes of Lizzo, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Bad Bunny, Steve Lacey, Adele, and Queen Latifah. Jazz wanted to be there celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, another root of black music, just like jazz. How can jazz ever be recognized and accepted by the masses if the genre can’t be seen or heard during the largest music event of the year?

With Joy the only jazz musician accepting a Grammy on stage, no one there would know of the winners in other jazz categories, such as Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese (Best Improvised Jazz Solo); Terri Lyne Carrington for “New Standards, Vol. 1” (Best Jazz Instrumental Album); Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra featuring the Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective for “Fandango at the Wall in New York” (Best Latin Jazz Album). And although conductor Yannick Nezet-Sequin was awarded Best Opera Recording for “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” that recognition also goes to others on the team, including jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, who scored the opera.

The question is how long will the Recording Academy continue to ignore jazz as a mainstream genre when it comes to the premiere ceremony?

Samara Joy McLendon and band at INNtöne Jazzfestival, 2022. [CQ - KFM] (Schorle (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samara_Joy_INNtöne_12. jpg), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)

Samara Joy at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (AP/Chris Pizzello)

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Remembering Dorothy Lee Bolden, founder of the National Domestic Worker's Union

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Perhaps the most unsung and underappreciated laborers in America are the Black women domestic workers. They were (and are) often referred to as housekeepers or day workers in Detroit back in the day, as they were probably called in many cities across the nation. These women were up at the break of day and often returned home at sunset.

In 1968, the visionary Dorothy Lee Bolden and seven other women met with the purpose of discussing an organization to represent domestic workers in Atlanta. Such an idea was in Bolden’s wheelhouse, so to speak, since she had worked as a maid for nearly 40 years. She came to mind the other day on reading the list of activists and scholars who had been removed from the Advanced Placement curriculum in Florida by the College Board at the insistence of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Bolden was mentioned directly—Darlene Clark Hine said it was from her book, “Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia,” which cited Bolden in an entry about the National Domestic Workers Union (NDWU). According to Hine’s profile of the organization, “The women continued to hold meetings at the Butler Street YMCA, and as the group grew, they moved to the Wheat Street Baptist Church.”

Although Bolden had in earlier years sought advice from organized labor representatives in Atlanta, “the group decided not to affiliate with any existing labor organization but to create their own group, the National Domestic Workers Union.”

Born on Oct. 13, 1923, in Atlanta, Bolden was the daughter of Georgia Mae Patterson and Raymond Bolden. Her mother was a housekeeper, which may have played a vital role in Bolden’s later activism, and her father was a chauffeur. Early visual problems hampered her educational opportunities; a damaged optic nerve delayed her vision until she was nine. With her sight regained, she began working as a domestic, an occupation that would absorb much of her later life.

She obtained only minimal education because of the need to sup-

port herself. Later, as a teenager, she traveled to Chicago and attended a school for dress design. But once again, her poor eyesight made it difficult for her to continue this craft.

It was during her work experience at Sears and the National Linen Service when World War II raged that she recognized a need for unionization and a fight for labor rights. Fortuitously, she lived near Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who became an influential person in her life and inspired her activist impulse.

While King would be a guiding light for her involvement in the civil rights movement, Bolden had already expressed a concern to speak out against unfair labor practices as early as the late 1940s. Once when asked by an employer to stay late and do some dishes, Bolden refused. Her boss called the police and had her arrested and placed in the county jail for a psychiatric examination.

“They told me I was crazy,” Bolden recounted during an interview in 1993, “because I had talked back to a white woman[,] and called in psychiatrists to prove it.” She said the assumption was that any Black

woman who refused the orders of a white woman must have been insane. “A white woman’s word was gospel,” she continued, “and two psychiatrists actually thought I was crazy…This was the way you got locked up…This was the system.”

King helped Bolden in her dream to build a union, and to expand her reach for potential members who were dissatisfied with 13-hour workdays at $3.50 an hour in the late 1960s. Eventually, she was able to gather 13,000 women from across the country and thereby helped to increase wages and working conditions. Soon she was deemed an icon in Atlanta and her leadership of the NDWU grew exponentially. (Much of the history of the union can be found in the Southern Labor Archives at Georgia State University.)

Bolden was instrumental in changing the working conditions of domestic workers, particularly in the increase of wages by 33 percent over two years. She also won workers’ compensation and Social Security rights for all domestic workers. Along with her commitment to the union, she was active in registering thousands to vote. Her

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

The Georgia State University labor archives contains volumes of information on Bolden and the NDWU.

DISCUSSION

What is the current disposition of the NDWU, its membership and leadership?

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Born in the 1920s, she lived into the 21st century with a roster of tributes.

prominence gained a plateau when President Nixon appointed her to an advisory committee on social services and welfare.

CLASSROOM IN THE THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Bolden married in 1941, but it ended in divorce. She later married Abram Thompson and they had six children together. She died in Atlanta on July 14, 2005.

“How can we honor Dorothy Lee Bolden and so many other Black women who have started desperately needed conversations in history?” Loftis Partners asked in 2021. “First, we can listen. Dorothy listened to her colleagues over and over again to learn about their lived experiences. Second, we can support Dorothy’s work. While the federal minimum wage lies in political debate, we can support cities and states that are making changes now...Finally, we can organize and advocate for living wages. If you work for a company, ask them how they calculate a living wage. If you give to a nonprofit, ask them if they pay their employees a living wage. People like Dorothy Lee Bolden have fought for some of the privileges we experience today. Let’s honor her.”

Feb. 6, 1898: Poet Melvin B. Tolson was born in Moberly, Missouri. He died in 1966.

Feb. 5, 1934: Baseball immortal Hank Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama. He died in 2021.

Feb. 6, 1950: Vocalist Natalie Cole was born in Los Angeles. She died in 2015.

A bronze sculpture of Dorothy Lee Bolden by David Alan Clark in Atlanta. Rev. Hosea Williams is portrayed at the right.

Immigration

Continued from page 3

was “limited and insufficient” at best.

“Every New York family deserves a chance to live without fear and thrive. Governor Hochul’s executive budget for FY24 makes some strides but does not go far enough to meaningfully support immigrant New Yorkers at a time of unprecedented need in our state,” said NYIC Executive Director Murad Awawdeh in a statement.

The budget includes upward of $1 billion in critical services coming for the arrivals, with a breakdown of $767 million toward a city shelter and Humanitarian Emergency Response

Salaam

Continued from page 3

tant part of my life,” she said. “They have given me a lot of strength to be able to stand and go through what I had to do as an unprepared mother. I am very pleased to be here today and to know that Yusef

Rikers

Continued from page 3

like Melanie Dominguez, a senior community organizer for the Katal Center.

“In 2022, Adams’s first year as the mayor, 19 people passed away on Rikers Island,” she said last Friday. “And this is the most since 2013, when the jail population was twice as large and violence on Rikers has escalated to record levels. What’s worse is we started off the new year and vulnerable populations are increasingly under threat.”

Dominguez references the gutting of the Rikers’ LGBTQ+ Affairs Unit, investigated recently by the City. A hearing on the treatment of gender-expansive individuals in DOC custody was held on Jan. 25, with Molina admitting to understaffing concerns being reported in the investigation. Shéár Avory, a New Pride Agenda organizer who sits on the city’s Board of Corrections TGNCNBI (transgender, gender non-conforming, nonbinary, and intersex) taskforce, said the unit was created to improve safety for queer and trans detainees.

“Rikers Island has proven time and time again to not be capable or adequate to address these issues and to meet the needs of the trans community or anyone who falls through the cracks of marginalization and so closing Rikers is a top line priority,” they said. “But we also must address the issues impacting folks on the islands until Rikers closes.”

A new calendar year also means another year closer to the upcoming, legally mandated closure of Rikers Island in 2027. Yet there is still a ways to go in reducing the

and Relief Center (HERRC), $137 million for healthcare for those who are eligible, and $25 million in resettlement funding.

Awawdeh noted that there is an increase in the budget for the Office for New Americans and immigration legal services, but said it wasn’t enough. “It falls short of ensuring ongoing support through a right to counsel for the integration and protection of New Yorkers, especially those facing the possibility of permanent separation from their families and communities in immigration court,” said Awawdeh. “Furthermore, her failure to meaningfully address the urgent need for expanded health coverage for all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status is a shocking omission,

has decided to move forward with his life. And not only move forward to help himself, but move forward to help others.” Salaam promised that he would fight to be the “voice” of Harlem at City Hall, hold city government accountable, ensure services are more accessible and effective, make streets and parks safe, and focus on mental health services for

jail’s population to the 3,300 detainees capped for the upcoming move to borough-based jails.

At another City Council hearing this past December, Molina said an internal forecast could see a rise of up to 7,000 detainees this year and doubted a pathway to 3,300 by 2027. Mayor Eric Adams reportedly referred to a “Plan B” when pressed about these comments last year, but recently promised to fulfill the legal responsibility—with the caveat that he won’t “do anything that’s going to impact public safety.”

“He needs to take into consideration investing into our communities and addressing the root problems of what is going on and how it correlates with crimes,” said Dominguez. “One of the things that needs to be done is truly investing in housing, healthcare, education and jobs.”

During Adams’s State of the City address on Jan. 26, elected officials and Campaign to Close Rikers proponents rallied outside to renew pressure to close the facility.

“City Council has charted a path forward, and we have the tools needed to responsibly decarcerate and build a more fair criminal legal system and safer communities,” said Council Committee on Criminal Justice Chair Carlina Rivera at the rally.

“This city is failing our people, and I stand in solidarity with the advocates from all over New York and this nation as we reject anything but a clear plan to close Rikers once and for all,” added Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

Another rally from Campaign to Close Rikers advocates will be held at City Hall today, Feb. 9, over Pines’s death.

considering the ongoing pandemic.”

Mayor Eric Adams had a similar outlook on the state budget. He said that while there were many clear victories, there were also “areas of uncertainty that will require deeper review.” Adams celebrated the funding for addressing mental illnesses, the housing crisis, and public safety and recidivism, but took issue with money for the asylum-seeker crisis and the MTA adding a bigger strain to the city’s resources.

“At the same time, our city continues to face significant fiscal and economic challenges that will require additional support from the state,” said Adams in a statement.

“I commend Governor Hochul for recognizing the need to provide state resources

to assist with the ongoing asylum-seeker crisis, and we look forward to reviewing her proposal in greater detail to ensure New York City gets its fair share of resources. As I’ve said previously, a national crisis requires a national response. We will continue to need our federal and state partners to do their part, and we look forward to working in partnership with them.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

the community.

“I will ensure any development that comes to our district advances the interests of those who have lived through the blight,” said Salaam. “Today begins Harlem’s campaign for change, and I look forward to working with you all as we lead our neighborhood into a new era of glory that truly provides liberty and jus -

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him

tice for all.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/ amnews1.

NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund

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Apply online at SBSopportunityfund.nyc

The NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund is made possible through public-private partnerships with the following:

CEC elections: Giving parents a voice in education

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

It may be a little-known fact that New York City doesn’t have school boards, but there is an equivalent called the Community Education Council (CEC). The upcoming CEC elections, which run from this February through May, are a chance for parents to make their voices heard in schools.

CEC elections aren’t exactly the downand-dirty wheelhouse of usual city elections. For starters, candidates are not encouraged to spend much money, solicit campaign contributions or accept endorsements from political parties.

“I think that this is an important vehicle for parent leadership and a place where voices, concerns are escalated and elevated. The councils represent their respective districts, so it’s a place to be heard and affect change in their local school communities,” said Schools Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement + External Affairs Kenita D. Lloyd.

What’s the job?

The CEC is essentially an advisory body of parents and students that helps the city review education policies, evaluate school programs, assess student progress, make recommendations for improvements in school buildings, approve zoning for new schools and closings, and provide input on hiring a superintendent, among other things. This is the group that also holds public meetings for parents and community members to air grievances.

“Some things are prioritized by that particular council for their district and they do that by submitting resolutions. It can range from school climate and culture or safety to resolutions about class size and

collocations. It’s about getting their voice on the record,” said Lloyd.

There are four overarching citywide CECs: the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS) represents grades 9 through 12, the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL) represents students in need of specialized assistance to learn English, the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) represents those who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and the Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75) represents students with disabilities who need a special district.

Under those, there are 32 school districts across the five boroughs and 325 seats in

NOTICE

Dated: Monday, February 6th 2022

total for the CECs. Each CEC represents current Pre-K through eighth-grade students. Each has voting members: two appointed by a borough president, 10 elected and one District 75 member. One non-voting high school senior sits on each council. Each member serves a two-year term.

Special education

The districts themselves are quite diverse in terms of backgrounds and ethnicities, which tends to be reflected in the parents who volunteer their time for these council seats. However, there has been a growing focus on special education in the city. The increased D75 and special education representation was added by law in 2022, said Lloyd.

Before D75, parents could only sit on the citywide CEC, but now at least one member can be elected for each individual school district, adding to the voices of education advocates in New York City who have insisted that special education programs and Independent Education Plans (IEPs) have been chronically underfunded for years, pre-pandemic and post.

Gloria Corsino, 54, a former parent leader from the Bronx, served on two citywide CECs for about 12 years. She was a surgical technician by trade, but chose to volunteer time to being a parent advocate for her kids instead. She had previously served on parent associations, school leadership teams (SLTs) and district leadership teams (DLTs) before she decid-

ed to run for a vacancy on the CEC. Corsino served on the CCSE, rising to the rank of president during that time, and the CCD75.

Corsino said that she was most proud of advocating for more privacy for students during therapy sessions and counseling— previously, students would have sessions in the hallways because of limited space.

“I learned from my colleagues how to be a cohesive voice,” said Corsino. “We came to some decisions working closely that helped improve the settings for our children.”

Corsino has three sons who all graduated from public school special education. Her eldest son is an occupational therapist, and the younger two are on-the-spectrum adults who aged out of the education system last June.

“When I was on District 75, one of the amazing things that I wanted and prayed for was help citywide. We were a citywide council but we were literally just 11 people representing parents all over the city. I sort of imagined we could get more voices on the council, and now here we are—all these years later the law has changed,” said Corsino. “We have more seats at the table and I tell parents let’s step up and fill them.”

The Department of Education (DOE) said it has expanded access to many programs for students with disabilities in all five boroughs. Last December, Banks announced an investment of $205 million in reimagining and prioritizing special education programs such as Sensory Exploration, Education & Discovery (SEED), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Nest and Horizon, and Path Programs.

Important dates

To be eligible to run, you must be the parent of a student who currently attends pre-K through eighth grade in a school in the same school district and CEC district. For the 2023 elections, the period to apply ends February 13.

Virtual candidate forums will be held so people can meet the candidates running for any given seat. Forums will run from mid-February through April 20. Registration to attend forums will open on February 15.

Voting will commence between April 21 and May 9. Winners will be announced in June and sworn into their seats by July 1. For more information, parents can go to schools.nyc.gov/elections2023.

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1

Photo of Deputy Chancellor Kenita D. Lloyd. (Contributed photo)

Pursuant to Section 104 Public Notice of the Open Meetings Law, and pursuant to Executive Order 202.1, this notice is to inform the public that the board of trustees of Democracy Prep New York School will hold a remote meeting by teleconference on

Continued from page 4

fire on her at around 7:20 p.m. and then is suspected to have escaped by running between two buildings and into a neighboring wooded hillside, in the direction of the Garden State Parkway.

By 7:22 p.m., a neighbor had phoned 911 to report that shots had been fired. Police arrived by 7:30 p.m. and found Dwumfour alone and inside her car, slumped over her steering wheel, dead. Her SUV had rolled 100 feet away from where it had been parked, and bumped into two other parked cars.

“Dwumfour had succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced [dead] on scene,” the Middlesex County Prosecutor said in a statement.

Child of Ghanaian immigrants

Dwumfour, a child of immigrants from Ghana, had just completed the first of a three-year term on the Sayreville Borough Council. Elected to the council in November 2021, she took her seat in 2022 at age 29. In her campaign for the council seat, Dwumfour spoke of wanting to “improve the lives of…residents” and being “fully dedicated to building a better, stronger Sayreville.” Sayreville is in Middlesex County, 40 miles south of New York City. Its residents are predominantly middle class and the city’s demographic mix, according to Data USA, is 49.4% white, 16.5% Asian,

12.7% white Hispanic, and 11.4% Black or African American.

Dwumfour was a Republican Party representative and served on the Public Safety, Recreation, and Water & Sewer/Environmental Standing committees and as a liaison to Sayreville’s Human Relations Commission, which aims to foster goodwill among the city’s ethnic groups.

Dwumfour was elected to office alongside the recently appointed Sayreville Borough Council President Christian Onuoha, a fellow Republican Party representative who is the child of Nigerian immigrants. Onuoha was also a close friend of Dwumfour and had in the past termed both of their political leanings as “moderate independent.”

Eunice was the oldest of five children born to Mary and Prince Dwumfour. Her parents say they are cooperating with investigators, but have yet to hear that any progress has been made in the search for their daughter’s killer.

Dwumfour graduated from Weequahic High School in 2010 and from William Paterson University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies and a minor in social justice. She and her 12-year-old daughter from a previous relationship had only been living in Sayreville for the past five years; Dwumfour had previously lived in the Washington, D.C.-area.

New councilwoman, newly married

The freshman councilwoman was also a newlywed, having just married her hus-

band, Eze Kings, in Nigeria this past November 2022. Kings is based in Nigeria and when he heard about Dwumfour’s murder, he took to Facebook to post photos of their wedding day and write an emotional birthday post one month and a day before what would have been Dwumfour’s 31st birthday: “4th March is your birthday happy glorious birthday in addy [in advance] my love.”

Police authorities have reportedly reached out to Kings’s church to get a breakdown on her position in that organization in Nigeria. Dwumfour was also a pastor and director of churches with the Newark-based Champions Royal Assembly USA Campus Ministry.

Investigators have not yet identified a suspect or motive for Dwumfour’s murder. Authorities have not held a press conference about the crime, stated if it was racially motivated or said whether the public is in danger since the suspect is still at large. FBI officials in the bureau’s Newark office say they are working on the case with Sayreville police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. The Sayreville Police Department has asked for anyone with video surveillance of the area to share their information with authorities.

“We are seeking assistance from residents of the Harbor Club and La Mer developments who may have video footage of the complex between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening. We are also seeking out anyone who may have traveled with a dashboard camera in

their vehicle during those times along Ernston Rd, Gondek Dr, or Point of Woods Dr.,” the police department wrote. “If you have any video footage please email it to CIBevidence@sayreville.com or call Det. Morales at 732-727-4444. All information can be kept confidential.”

Management at Camelot at La Mer has already submitted footage that shows someone running away from the scene of the crime at high speed in a hooded black sweatshirt.

Continued from page 4

(DOE) said that educators have access to African American history resources via WeTeach, including comic books and posters featuring historic figures like Jackie Robinson and Bayard Rustin. “We are deeply committed to uplifting and celebrating our students’ identities and experiences. We are in support of the African American History Act, and we look forward to sharing the museum’s resources with our educators,” said DOE’s Nicole Brownstein.

Mfume sponsored the National Council on African American History and Culture Act. He said that the constitution itself was compromised in its call to end tyranny by enslaving African peoples in the first place. “Everything that the founding fathers claimed then in the name of morality, they contradicted in their attitudes toward and their treatment of descendants of Africa and the native inhabitants of this land,” said Mfume.

Mfume’s bill would create a 12-person national council that advises the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) about how to amplify Black creators, strengthen Black history curricula and provide critical resources dedicated to preserving Black history. Maryland Senator Ben Cardin is coleading this effort and introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

“African American history is American his-

tory. For too long ,our history lessons failed to fully acknowledge the role of Black Americans. And it happens in far more places than schools — so much of what we have learned for generations about history, music, culture and more has diminished the role of African American creators, writers, musicians and beyond,” said Cardin in a statement.

Mfume credited Beatty for coming up with the idea of a joint effort to protect Black education. Beatty sponsored the Black History is American History Act, which requires the inclusion of Black history in grant programs from the U.S. Department of Education. If the law passes, grant recipients of Presidential and Congressional Academies would have to include Black history as part of American history workshops and teachings. The bill also encourages the integration of Black history tests in schools.

“To have a college board that would want to dictate or say that you can only read very conservative [writings] is very frightening to us. So as we continue to push this legislation, we will continue to push books, authors, Black leaders, that we want our communities to know about,” said Beatty.

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

ST. PIUS V SENIOR APARTMENTS

Beginning on 1/30/2023 our property at 105-10 Liverpool Street Jamaica, NY, 11435 will be re-opening its waiting list to the elderly ( head of household or spouse is 62 or older )

Qualifications and eligibility for the affordable apartments, which include units for the mobility impaired, will be based on Section 8 guidelines. terested persons may obtain an application:

Completed applications must postmarked by 2/15/2023 and be sent by regular mail to the PO Box listed on the application. The first 500 applications selected in the lottery will be added to the waitlist. All applicants will be notified of their status. If you have a disability and need assistance with the application process or any other type of reasonable accommodation, please contact: Sheena Williams at (718) 722-6155.

Eunice Dwumfour memorial poster (Borough of Sayreville: Julie Veloz)

Religion & Spirituality

Professor John H. Bracey Jr., esteemed scholar and architect of Black studies, dead at 81

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

To be in Professor John H. Bracey, Jr.’s presence was a learning moment, an experience of warm, compassionate, scholarly friendship. He was as gregarious and thoughtful as he was ready to dispense a fresh insight on a pressing issue. Memories of his camaraderie will have to suffice upon learning that he is now with the ancestors.

Bracey, according to a statement from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, died over the weekend. He was 81.

At the onset of the Black Studies movement in the late 1960s, Bracey was a vital and vibrant force, most notably during his long tenure at UMass, where he helped formulate one of the first doctoral programs in African American studies in the nation. Many of us, beyond the academic circle at UMass, where he was a faculty member in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies and chaired and directed the graduate certificate in African Diaspora Studies, learned of his formidable knowledge at various conferences and from his essays and books.

Rumors about his intellectual wit and profundity resonated with additional authority when “Black Nationalism in America” was published in the early 1970s and in seeing his name with co-authors August Meier and Elliott Rudwick.

This was grist for the mill for the coterie of radical students at Wayne State University, and he gained a loyal and fervent following among labor activ-

ists as general editor of “Black Studies Research Sources on the Black Power Movement,” especially his discussion of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. He cited the League’s material as a “rich collection of manuscripts that increases access to documents essential for further research and analysis of one of the most influential African American labor organizations in the 1960s and 1970s…The League took the impetus for Black Power and translated it into a fighting program focusing on industrial workers.”

Bracey was born in Chicago and grew up in Washington, D.C., where his mother taught in the Howard University School of Education. He attended both Howard University in D.C. and Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he earned his BA in 1964. He performed graduate work both at Roosevelt and at Northwestern University. During a decade in Chicago (1961–’71), Bracey was active in the Civil Rights, Black liberation, and peace movements as a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Chicago Friends of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Revolutionary Action Movement.

On a personal note, I was privileged to participate in events with Bracey on several occasions, none more exciting than with him at UMass for a tribute to Yusef Lateef and later for Max Roach. His expertise in music—particularly jazz—was vividly expressed in his awardwinning essay about the music of John Coltrane. He concluded, “John Coltrane left a lot

more music than words. One quotation that I came upon a few years ago sums up my experiences: ‘The main thing a musician would like to do is to give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe.’ I was fortunate enough to witness some of the most magnificent and moving of John Coltrane’s ‘pictures’ as he painted them with sound. John Coltrane died in 1967, on July 17, my birthday.”

What he said of Coltrane of delivering soundscapes— wonderful images of things he knows of and senses in the universe, conforms perfectly to Bracey’s mastery of the written word, the stellar research so poignantly inspirational.

Two years ago, UMass Chancellor Dr. Kumble Subbaswamy established an endowed graduate fellowship in honor of Bracey. It coincided with the school’s Black Presence Initiative that sought to explore and document experiences of Black students at the institution, and it was an honor that personified Bracey’s dedication and devotion to the students and the academy.

During an interview with a reporter on the UMass student newspaper, Bracey said education is not vocational: “You don’t take my class to get a job. You take my class to learn something.” He explained that his definition of teaching “was to have people to use their minds, and to develop their minds, and to develop the ability to critically analyze the world around them, confront differences, and understand the complexity of the world and to figure out where they fit in and where they wanna go.”

Arthur Schomburg’s long-lasting influence

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews

Tuesday, Jan. 24 marked the 149th physical-day anniversary of Harlem Renaissance alumnus Arturo (Arthur) Alfonso Schomburg. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515 Malcolm X Blvd., Harlem) conducted its annual tribute to its namesake. The center was founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 2017. It is now a research institution of the New York Public Library.

Although Schomburg was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1874 and spent his youth there, he traveled the globe; began calling Harlem home on April 17, 1891; and eventually became a powerful figure who had an immense influence on several younger activists he aligned with.

In 1982, he became a Mason after joining the El Sol de Cuba Lodge #38,

a local Spanish-speaking lodge. That same year, he co-founded a political club, Las Dos Antillas, “committed to the goal of Cuban and Puerto Rican independence,” and served as its secretary for the next four years. In 1918, he was elected Grand Secretary of Harlem’s Grand Lodge of the Prince Hall Masons. That same year, his family relocated to 105 Kosciusko Street in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Throughout the “Roaring Twenties,” he aligned with several intellectual forces of the Harlem Renaissance.

Schomburg self-published his essay, “The Negro Digs Up His Past,” in March 1925, which later inspired a youthful Dr. John Henrik Clarke (born January 1, 1915) to seek him out.

“[Arthur Schomburg’s] first words to me have re-echoed encouragingly within me throughout the years,” Clarke once noted. “They were, ‘Sit

See SCHOMBURG on page 36

Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad’s Harlem history

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews

As we now look to commemorate his Feb. 17 transition, we also acknowledge that Jan. 12 marked the 75th physical-day anniversary of the “Black History hitman,” Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad.

The community looked into some of his experiences in Harlem to commemorate this occasion. Although he was born in Texas in 1948, he relocated to NYC during the 1980s and made Harlem his home throughout many of his later years.

As minister of Nation of Islam (NOI) Temple No. 7 when it was located at 2033 5th Ave., during the late 1980s–early ’90s, he helped provide some spiritual guidance for several innercity young men. The hip-hop generation was coming of age and he was a major influence on them. His “take no prisoners” attitude magnetized many who were enduring the rampant crack epidemic of that era.

After leaving the NOI in early 1994, he soon was appointed as chair of the New Black Panther Party and set up shop in Harlem, residing on W. 140th St. in Striver’s Row. He trained many young men in military-style combat, preparing them for any possible confrontations. “The Truth Terrorist,” as he was also known, struck fear in “community coons,” and religious figures posing as upright leaders who were primarily out for self-glorification.

“Khalid’s impact and influence on Harlem was seen by the way he drew the youth to him, and most of the politicians and clergymen away from him,” said Kem-Neter, NBPP’s former minister of information. “His charisma, clarity of our situation as a people, his intellect, wit and brutal honesty made him loved by the masses, and hated and feared by those under the political and religious power structures, as well as the

See HARLEM HISTORY on page 36

Mass incarceration

Continued from page 12

their communities and rebuild their lives.

The numbers, while important, don’t tell the whole story. How can you quantify the value of having mom and dad back at the dinner table, of having your friend back in the neighborhood, of having all your cousins at the family reunion?

I hear stories like these every day. I meet Black men and women whose lives have been transformed by those most precious things: a second chance, and a little dignity. These people remind me that the Black American experience, as James Baldwin wrote, “testifies to nothing less than the perpetual achievement of the impossible.”

Despite the extreme rhetoric, I am filled with hope this Black History Month. We

can draw strength from these stories, empowered to walk forward, in the words of the civil rights pioneer James Weldon Johnson, “full of the faith that our dark past has taught us…full of the hope that the present has brought us.”

Let’s resist the tendency to entertain false choices, realizing that rigid ideologies aren’t the answer. Let’s reject fear tactics wherever they’re deployed, and instead embrace practical, humane reforms. We don’t face a choice between justice and safety. Indeed, we can’t have one without the other.

Robert Rooks is CEO of REFORM Alliance, a national organization dedicated to probation and parole reform. He is the father of three sons.

Biya’s mental and physical state.

Women of color

Continued from page 12

ties of color benefiting from the process, and we’ll be making key investments in our first-ranked candidates to help pave a path to victory. A FairVote report found that historically, winning candidates of color grow vote totals at a higher rate than white candidates as ballot-counting gets further into the process. Districts with more voters of color tend to rank a higher percentage of candidates on their ballots. Why do we fight so hard for a diverse, women-led council? Because we know that authentic gender representation delivers better outcomes and policies that benefit everyone. This past cycle, the NYC Council delivered for our communities and acted as a bulwark against the mayor’s proposed

budget cuts to education and social services, and created a first-of-its-kind New York Abortion Access Fund. That’s why we’re unapologetically leaning into ranked-choice voting and investing early in protecting our incumbents: because we understand the power of organizing, and organizing early, for the women and women of color who seek elected office.

The NYC Council made history with its first-ever female-majority in 2021. Now, it's time to continue making a difference—and ensure that uplifting Black women when they run for office becomes our city’s norm.

Yvette Buckner is a board member of the New Majority NYC, an organization devoted to achieving authentic gender representation in NYC politics.

Continued from page 2

transparency: all these pollute the riverbed of human society,” he said.

South Sudan has some of the largest crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, but staggering amounts of money have been diverted from public coffers, the United Nations said in 2021.

Francis’s six-day visit to Africa—first to Congo, then to South Sudan—has had no shortage of challenges. The two countries stand out as trouble spots in the wide swath of majority-Christian Africa. Issues that Francis has regularly spoken out against, such as exploitation by external powers, the proliferation of weapons and environmental plundering—all playing out in both countries in devastating fashion, with violence worsening and peace deals teetering.

The pope closed with a call to action: “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa!” and “Stop choking Africa! It is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered. May Africa be the protagonist of its own destiny.”

AFRICA CONFRONTS AGED LEADERSHIP UNWILLING TO RETIRE

(GIN) — African leaders serving 20 or more years in office are drawing the attention of critics who question their ability to run a country after so many years.

Suspicions about the stability of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, age 89, were raised in a recent issue of the Ghana Business News According to some observers, Biya appeared listless, absent-minded, confused and unaware of his environment in a video at the US-Africa Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., last month.

“He kept asking his aides where he was, some observers said, and who was in the room[,] and when they told him and gave him his speech, he was flipping the papers and was asking more questions suggesting that he had no idea where he was nor what he was doing there.”

Biya has been head of state for more than 40 years and was a resident of Switzerland longer than he lived in Cameroon. Some now question

The case of Cameroon isn’t different from many African countries. In Zimbabwe, the late Robert Mugabe served as president until a very advanced age—when Mugabe died in 2019, he was 95 years old. He had ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, and was ousted by his own henchmen in 2017, when he was 93 years old.

In Gabon, 63-year-old Ali Bongo Ondima, the third and current president since October 2009, survived a coup d’etat in 2019. Among the stated reasons for the coup was an attempt to “restore democracy” after the 2016 election, which Bongo narrowly won amid accusations of fraud and acts of violence. He has hinted he would run again for re-election this year.

Other aging leaders include South Sudan President Salva Kirr, 71, who appeared on the Internet wetting himself while performing a public duty. Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, at 80, has been in charge of his country for 43 years, making him the longest-serving head of state in the world.

Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana is 78, and would be almost 80 by the time he ends his second term in office. The president of Cote d’Ivoire, 81-year-old Alassane Ouattara, changed his country’s constitution and extended his tenure in office at the expense of the lives of some of his citizens. Nigeria’s Mohammadu Buhari is 80 and as he nears the end of his tenure as president, two of the contenders to the office are in their 70s. Bola Tinubu is 70 years old and Abubakar Atiku is 76.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, 77, became president after the death of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2021 at 84 after running Algeria for 40 years.

At 78, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has been in office for 38 years and still counting.

“The age of the men running countries in Africa paints a gloomy picture of the continent, where the youth make up more than 60% of the population and [are] projected to reach more than 850 million by 2050,” said Emmanuel K. Dogbevi in a recent edition of NewsBridge Africa. “It is high time Africans put in the spotlight the subject of the age of people they hand the running of their countries to.”

Cameroonian Pres. P. Biya (GIN photo)

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This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy I Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, at

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Notice of Formation of 121 GREENE STREET LLC Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/20/22. 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 DLA Piper LLP, Attn: Bruce Saber, 1251 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Notice of Formation of 282 WEST 11TH STREET LLC

Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/21/22. Office location: NY County Princ. office of LLC: 207 W. 110th St., Apt. 4, NY, NY 10026. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC Purpose: Any lawful activity

Notice of Qualification of ARHC SPALBNY01, LLC Appl for Auth filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/12/23. Office location: NY County LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/12/23. 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 DE addr of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert of Form filed with Secy of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Own, rent, lease and manage commercial real estate

Notice of Formation of ATLANTIC AVENUE GP LLC

Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/31/23. Office location: NY County Princ. office of LLC: 7 Penn Plaza, Ste. 600, 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

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf v. TALEB AVWEROSUO TEBITE, Defts. - Index #850058/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 28, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00986400000% common interest in the vacation ownership interest timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $49,905.98 plus costs and interest as of January 28, 2022. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. RACQUEL JULIA STONE, DAVID CARMICHAEL STONE, Defts. - Index #850043/2019 Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 7,000/16,783,800 common interest in the vacation ownership interest timeshare known as Phase II of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY Approximate amount of judgment is $55,433.29 plus costs and interest as of January 23, 2020. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annua l maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf v. AUDREY MARIE-ANNE ABRAHAM, JORGE ABRAHAM, Deft. - Index #850086/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 5,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $40,974.74 plus costs and interest as of January 13, 2022. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenan ce fees and charges Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Stree t, Farmingdale, NY

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. BRIAN JOHNSON, CARRIE JOHNSON, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, Defts. - Index #850117 /2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 18, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.0450946335738578% common interest in the vacation ownership interest timeshare known as Phase II of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $36,010.01 plus costs and interest as of January 17, 2022. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf v. DANIEL NYAMEKYE-AMOATENG, Defts - Index #850178/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wed., March 8, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0450946335738578% common interest in the vacation ownership interest timeshare known as Phase II of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY Approx imate amount of judgment is $62,766.50 plus costs and interest as of August 4, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Stree t, Farmingdale, NY

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf v. AMANDA SALIH, BRIAN CORNES, Deft. - Index #850113/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $34,601.23 plus costs and interest as of January 12, 2022 Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY

Notice of Formation of ARMORY PLAZA HOUSING

CLASS B, LLC Arts of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/23/22. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 30 Hudson Yards, 72nd Fl., NY, NY 10001. 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. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Notice of Formation of CSA PRESERVATION MM LLC

Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/11/23. Office location: NY County Princ. office of LLC: 116 E. 27th St., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10016. 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.

Purpose: Real estate - Development

Built Ahead LLC filed Articles of Organization with the NYS Department of State (SSNY) on 12/15/2022. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the Company upon whom process against it may be served, and a copy of any process shall be mailed to 7 Lexington Ave., Apt. 4B, NY, NY 10010. Purpose: any lawful business.

AJL Construction and Management LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 12/17/2022. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served against it & shall mail a copy to: 40 Monroe Street, Apt FF6, New York, NY 10002. Purpose: Any lawful activity

AfroBeets, LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 9/19/2022. Office Location: Manhattan County SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served against it & shall mail to: 1740 Broadway, Suite 1500, New York, NY 10019

Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of DD ATLANTIC AVENUE LLC

Formation of CARNUTE LLC filed with the Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/1/2022. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The registered agent and address SSNY shall mail process to Corporate Service Bureau Inc., 283 Wash ington Ave., Albany, NY 12206. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial number 1345934 for RW Wine, Beer and Cider Liquor License, has been applied for by 130 Saint Marks, LLC dba Crispiano, to sell wine, beer and cider under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law at the premises located at 130 St Marks Place, New York, New York 10009.

GJV Enterprise LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 6/11/22. Office Location: NY County SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served & shall mail to: 208 West 119th St., Apt 5Q, NY, NY 10026. Purpose. Any lawful activity

Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/31/23. Office location: NY County Princ. office of LLC: 7 Penn Plaza, Ste. 600, NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the Corporation at the princ. office of the LLC Purpose: Any lawful activity 40 PLUS FAMILY LLC. Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 12/08/22. Office Location: Kings County SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served against it & shall mail a copy to: 765 Stanley Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11207. Purpose: Any lawful activity

FINE PRINT INK, LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 9/30/22. Office Location: NY County SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served & shall mail to: 120 W 97th St, #13J, NY, NY 10025. Purpose. Any lawful activity

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NEW YORK COUNTY

U.S. BANK NA, SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO BANK OF AMERICA, NA, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO LASALLE BANK N.A. AS TRUSTEE, ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE WAMU MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-HY6, Plaintiff against BRENDA GALLANT, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein, Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 19, 2021, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on March 15, 2023 at 2:15 PM. Premises known as 40 Sutton Place, Unit 2D, New York, NY 10022, 40 Sutton Place, Unit 2E, New York, NY 10022 and 40 Sutton Place, Unit 2F, New York, NY 10022. Block 1370 Lot 1005 and Block 1370 Lot 1007 and Block 1370 Lot 1006. All the certain lot, piece or parce l of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $1,785,016.43 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 850284/2017.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District's Covid 19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee.

Thomas Kleinberger, Esq., Referee SPSJC179

Notice of Qualification of LEGGETT AVENUE PROPERTY LLC Appl for Auth filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/21/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/11/22. NYS fictitious

name: 1175 LEGGETT AVENUE PROPERTY LLC

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 DE addr of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert of Form filed with Secy of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Notice of Qualification of OTCex Derivatives Holding LLC Appl for Auth filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/24/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/07/22.

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 122072543. DE addr of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Notice of formation of Limited

Liability Company Name: EC Central Hudson 2 LLC (“LLC”). Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (“SSNY”) on December 23, 2022. NY office location: New York County. The SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to EC Central Hudson 2 LLC, c/o Exact Capital Group LLC, 150 East 52nd St., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10022

Purpose/character of LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity

RADER COMMUNICATIONS LLC, Arts of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/28/2022. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served & shall mail process to: 250 West 94th St., Suite 15D, NY, NY 1002 5. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Tender Mountain LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 11/28/2022. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served against it & shall mail to: Alice Liang, 228 Park Ave S., #584754, NY, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #13578 44 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 3 Greenwich Ave., NYC 10014 for on-premises consumption; Thai Smile Restaurant Inc.

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Black History Month art exhibit in Paterson

Impactful Black figures like the late Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar, and the late Kobe Bryant have had a major influence on many including the Passaic artist, Malik Hill who envisions hope, change, and progress within art and expression throughout not only Black communities, but also their culture.

“Black art is very much necessary within my culture,” Hill told Pix11 News, “and it’s not seen enough.”

In Paterson’s Black History Month art exhibit, Malik Hill is one of the artists whose work will be featured in the exhibit that features historical Black figures and events from the past and present that have impacted the lives of many. Hill’s featured work hones in on a variety of impactful elements, including the importance of mental health, as he is an Army veteran who currently lives with PTSD.

“This painting in particular, I wanted to capture the multiple types of emotions that I go through on a weekly or daily basis,” Hill explained.

Christopher Fabor Muhammad, an art teacher who teaches at Paterson’s International High School shared that a few of his students’ artwork was featured throughout the exhibit’s gallery and acted as an outlet that allowed students to express themselves: “We still need art to be used as a way of expression, a way of healing and a weapon against many of the struggles we face, whether it’s internal or external.”

There is a significance behind sharing and acknowledging one’s cultural expression, reflection, and the messages that are artistically created by those in the black community…“It’s very necessary for both the artists and the Black culture as a whole,” said Hill.

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he said. “There’s always that question and challenge because you’re talking about not only the color or complexion of the officer, but which culture it is [that] he is being controlled by. Is it a toxic police culture that controls him? If that’s the case, then it doesn’t make a difference what color or ethnicity [if] his background is the toxic police culture controlling him as opposed to his own culture or his own exposure to other cultures.”

Claxton also pointed out a direct correlation between poverty and crime, and said officers from the most affected communities enter law enforcement with an enhanced understanding of negative police interactions and are less likely to engage in such practices.

But it’s harder said than done for cops of any racial or ethnic background to push back against a toxic police culture, said PROP executive director and long-standing NYPD critic Robert Gangi.

“If you’re a police officer, no matter what your race or ethnicity, no matter what your gender you are, to succeed, you have to get with the program,” he said. “And the program within the NYPD is ‘broken windows policing’ that targets primarily lowincome communities of color.”

PROP’s most recent report found New Yorkers of color were overwhelmingly ar-

rested for low-level crimes like fare evasion, “forged instrument” possession, and third-degree assault—in total, they were involved in 88% of misdemeanor arrests. The findings highlight a near 20% uptick in total arrests by the NYPD since Mayor Eric Adams and Sewell entered office last year. The report mentioned a notable increase in “forged instrument” crimes in Black and brown communities. Gangi told the Amsterdam News in August that such arrests are frequently about outdated or self-ad-

SO CAN YOU.

ministered license plates.

Along with recruiting outreach to underrepresented communities, the NYPD’s first strategic plan goal also mentioned further sensitivity training and supervisory oversight, in addition to improved mental and physical health resources for department employees.

There’s also an uphill battle for the NYPD to properly implement the other three goals: Plans to employ cutting-edge police tools and engage in outreach re-

cently backfired in Harlem after a viral tweet showing a community affairs officer filming Apollo concert attendees for a supposed department social media video caused a national stir over suspicions of facial recognition surveillance. While the concerns haven’t been substantiated and the performing act Drake is rarely tied to “gangster rap,” deep-seated mistrust stemming from the NYPD’s implementation of such technology in 2011 and alleged deployment of the Enterprise Operations Unit, better known as the “hiphop police,” to historically surveil rappers naturally led to such conclusions.

“When you lose the trust and confidence and faith of a community that you’re supposed to be providing a service to, it’s hard to get back,” said Claxton. “And when you don’t live on your word, then people don’t accept your work. They question everything in your movements and even you being in their proximity because they feel somewhat less than safe [with] you [just[ being in their proximity.

“That’s what toxic police culture really does. It destroys the relationship between police and communities.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and 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

Mayor Eric Adams attends NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell's State of the NYPD speech at Cipriani 42nd Street on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. (Michael Appleton/ Mayoral Photography Office)

Schomburg

Continued from page 30

down, son.’ Then he said, ‘What you are calling African history and Negro history is nothing but the missing pages of world history. You will have to understand more about world history in order to understand who displaced our people from its pages.’ He leaned forward and spoke almost confidentially although we were alone. He said, ‘Son, go study the history of your oppressor. Once you know the history of your oppressor and why he had to oppress you, you will also learn why he had to remove you from the respectful commentary of human history…’ Our relationship began that noon hour in 1934.”

Several years later, Schomburg also connected with Dr. Yosef A.A. ben-Jochannan (born December 31, 1918). The three progressive intellectuals would meet up at Schomburg’s Harlem home on a weekly basis and exchange ideas.

“The three of them recognized that they were unique in the sense of sharing the experiences of documenting the real history and heritage of Africa,” noted Dr. Georgina Falu, former director of CCNY’s Afro-Latino Studies program. “And based on that, they developed a camaraderie because they understood what it was to dedicate their lives [to researching] and respect the work each one was doing.”

All three individually produced insight-

VILLAGE

ful literature that preserved their decades of meticulous research.

“We owe them a lot,” Falu said. “[The Schomburg Center] has one of the largest Black libraries in the world, including in Africa. They were giants in documenting the African heritage, culture, and history so that African descendants could be proud and learn about our past because a historical crime has been committed throughout the institutions in the western world that the real history of us has not been revealed.”

A movement is underway to support co-naming the intersection of Kosciusko and Nostrand as “Arthur Schomburg Place.” To support this effort, go to Facebook.com/arthur.schomburg.

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Harlem History

Continued from page 30

policing agencies. He was a ‘wolf amongst sheep.’”

On departing from the NOI’s doctrine, he continued his studies and built personal relationships with such noted African scholar warriors as Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Yosef A.A. ben-Jochannan (born December 31, 1918), and Dr. Leonard Jeffries (born January 19, 1937), which helped feed his voracious appetite for knowledge of self.

He continued reading all types of literature, often stopping along Harlem’s 125th St. to purchase rare books from street vendors to prepare him for his speaking engagements. He presented several lectures at local churches, halls and schools, often touching on volatile subjects. He usually made profound impacts on younger generations.

“Khalid brought information to the local youths to uplift their consciousness,” said his colleague, Prof. James Small. “Khalid was a very courageous man. He never bit his tongue, whether he was debating a rabbi on the origins of Judaism and its relationship with the Black community, or against a Black preacher on the abuses of the Black church. He was courageous in telling the truth, pulling the cover off the hypocrites and imposters in our community so our people will have the chance

to see.”

On Sept. 5, 1998, he moderated the Million Youth March along Malcolm X Blvd. and fearlessly stood his ground when pressure came from the NYPD rushing the stage.

As time elapses, his legacy has continued to grow, especially locally. Due to social media, he has been exposed to a new generation.

“Khalid is almost like a god amongst young people because he stood up so strongly against oppression, colonialism, and imperialism,” said Small. “And he pulled off the cover of the hypocritical behavior of white and Black politicians; not only in America, but also abroad.”

OCCUPANCY STANDARDS

THREE (3) BEDROOM APARTMENTS. No fewer than five (5) persons, OR parent(s) or guardian(s) with two children of the opposite sex, OR a household of three adults with one child where at least one adult is the parent or guardian of such child, OR a household of one parent or guardian and his or her three children shall occupy a three bedroom unit.

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• Applicant/Head of household must be at least 18 years old at the time of the lottery.

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• ONE REQUEST ONLY PER APPLICANT. Any applicant placing a duplicate request will not be entered into the lottery. An applicant can only submit a paper entry or an on-line entry. If applicants enter on-line and also mail in a letter or postcard, they have submitted a duplicate request and will not be eligible for the lottery.

• An applicant whose name is selected in a lottery cannot be included in the family composition of any other applicant who is selected in the same lottery for that particular housing company development. Failure to comply will result in the disqualification of both applicants.

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A $75.00 non-refundable application fee will be required only for applicants that are selected from the lottery. Waiting list will be established by a limited lottery. There will be a limit of 50 applicants drawn from the Three Bedroom Lottery.

HOW TO APPLY: ONLINE You can now apply to a lottery online through Mitchell-Lama Connect. Applying is fast, easy and you will be able to check the status of your entry to see if you have been selected. To apply on line go to: https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/lottery.html#ml-home

HOW TO APPLY: BY MAIL Mail post card or envelope by regular mail. Registered and Certified Mail will not be accepted. Clearly print your full first and last name, current address and last 4 digits of your social security number. If you do not include the last 4 digits of your social security number or bedroom size, you will not be entered into the lottery. Do not include the application fee with your entry. If selected in the lottery, the application fee will be requested. Mail post card or envelope to:

*Based upon the number of persons in household. **Subject to change. DEADLINE: Requests must be received by: MARCH 1, 2023

YOU CANNOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT

I asked what kind of family Amina wanted. She said, ‘A family like yours.’ That’s when I knew I had to adopt her.

Denise, adopted 17-year-old Amina

Arthur Schomburg (Public Domain photo)

Khalid Abdul Muhammad (Azim Thomas photo)

Pickney-Forrest named to Class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

One of the greats of Columbia University women’s basketball, Shawnee’ PickneyForrest (class of 2001), has been named to the Ivy League’s 2023 Class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball who will be formally honored at the upcoming Ivy League Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments.

More than two decades after graduating, Pickney-Forrest’s still name stands out in the Columbia record books. As a student-athlete, she received multiple honors, including All-Ivy First Team. “It was a teamfirst mindset all the time,” she said.

“Columbia was ideal for me because it afforded me the opportunity to have the best of both worlds,” said Pickney-Forrest, who appreciated the chance to have a positive impact on the women’s basketball program while attending a great university. After her time as a student-athlete, during which she earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and sociology, she remained at Columbia to earn a master’s degree in public education policy.

Recruited by several universities, PickneyForrest was a highly focused student and valedictorian at Washington Prep High School in Los Angeles. At Columbia, she was pleased to see two Black women in Columbia’s athletic department who became her mentors.

“During my tenure, all of the teams that we had were getting progressively better,” said Pickney-Forrest. “We were able to gather some players who were serious about the craft and were prideful about wanting to put in a good effort.”

Pickney-Forrest brought her understanding of team dynamics into her career. “It’s the camaraderie, the coordination aspect and it’s building rapport,” she said.

After Columbia, she taught for several years, and then went into social services, where she was an education consultant for youth and families in foster and kinship care. “You’re working with kids, so you have to have an understanding of what it’s going to take to motivate them…to do what they needed to do academically,” she noted.

“You also had to have that understanding of different people needing different things, which you learn as a teammate.”

Pickney-Forrest subsequently became an auditor, working in several positions, including serving as principal performance auditor for the San Diego Office of the City Auditor. Now, she’s advisory senior manager with MGO, a CPA and business advisory firm. That requires looking at each department, client or person individually and understanding individual and collective needs.

“You’re working as a teammate to make progress on any respective goals they’re trying to accomplish,” she said.

LeBron James breaks Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

It was ironic and apt symmetry.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James made history during Black History Month on Tuesday night when he broke the inimitable Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record. With the 75-year-old Jabbar in attendance at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, James hit a fadeaway jumper from the left elbow with 10.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter of his team’s matchup with Oklahoma City Thunder to surpass the former Milwaukee Buck and Laker great.

Jabbar’s mark of 38, 387 points was established on April 5, 1984, eclipsing the remarkable Wilt Chamberlain, another Laker. It stood for nearly 39 years. The 38-year-old James, who in his 20th season in the league, now has 38,390 and counting. The closest active player to James on the all-time scoring list is the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, who at 34 years old is No.14 with 26,864 points.

James was showered with adulation by the sellout crowd with his mother, wife, children, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, among others, taking part in the celebration. The 7-foot-2-inch Jabbar raised the record-setting basketball high in honor of the 6-foot-8inch James before presenting it to him. It is a footnote that the Akron, Ohio, native’s accomplishment came in a 133–130 Lakers loss,

dropping them to 25–30 and 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference.

“I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful,” James said. “You guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem—it’s very humbling.” His recognition came during a roughly 10-minute break in play after he set the record.

The subjective debate as to who is the greatest basketball player ever perpetually and superfluously rages on social media, in barbershops, in high school cafeterias, and on sports talk shows. It is irrelevant and unprovable. It is borderline asinine to argue that Bill Russell, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson would not be dominant in today’s era because of how they played. The game was vastly different in the 1960s and 1970s than it is in 2023, and common sense dictates the trio would have evolved and adapted.

More profound and significant than the basketball comparisons between Jabbar and James, who both were child prodigies and exceeded the lofty expectations placed upon them, is the impalpable social and cultural threads that connect them. Jabbar, a son of Harlem, distinguished himself as an intellectual and racial justice activist as a young man.

His formative years coincided with the radical Black Power Movement and seminal Civil Rights Movement, and were shaped by a spiritual conversion to Islam in 1971 at age 24. The six-time NBA cham-

pion and six-time NBA MVP renounced his birth name Lew Alcindor and became Kareem AbdulJabbar, meaning “the noble one, servant of the Almighty.”

James has used his global platform to speak out against injustices, such as the murders of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland in 2014, and 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in 2020. In 2018, he founded the I Promise School in Akron, an elementary school serving at-risk children. He is also a co-founder of More Than A Vote, an organization advocating for the voting rights of African Americans.

The legacies of Jabbar and James will extend far beyond scoring records. Both have endeavored to improve society as much as they have the game of basketball.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James playing against Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 31, broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record on Tuesday night (Bill Moore photo)

Shawnee Pickney-Forrest in her playing days at Columbia (Columbia Athletics photo)

Shawnee Pickney-Forrest today (Photo courtesy of Shawnee Pickney-Forrest)

The Knicks need more support for Randle and Brunson

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Knicks will be playing beyond their final regular season game on April 9 as long as Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson remain healthy. If Randle and Brunson are on the court for all or most of the Knicks’ games left on the schedule, the team will win enough to be one of the top 10 seeds in the Eastern Conference and, at worst, make the Play-In Tournament. Ideally for them, they would finish no lower than the No. 6 spot and earn an automatic bid, averting the play-in.

What happens before today’s NBA trade deadline can ultimately alter the standings in the East and in the league’s entire landscape. The Knicks

are 30--26 and were the No. 7 seed in the conference as of last night (Wednesday). They will be in Philadelphia tomorrow to face the 76ers again after defeating them 108–97 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks followed up with a 102–98 road win against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

What has become increasingly evident is the Knicks are heavily reliant on Randle, the team’s leading scorer (24.7) and rebounder (10.9), and Brunson, who is posting 23.2 points on 47.6% shooting and 6.2 assists.

Randle was named to his second All-Star team last week. Brunson was not selected as one of the seven East reserves, but had a strong case because he has arguably been the NBA’s best free-agent signing this season. After

Randle and Brunson, RJ Barrett is theoretically the Knicks’ third-best player, but the fourth-year guard has not established himself as the effectual twoway player the team needs to rise above mediocrity.

Barrett’s 20.1 points per game average is misleading since his overall (43.1%) and 3-point (32.8%) shooting percentages are well below the league averages of 47% and 36% as of last night.

Defensively, Barrett has regressed and has a concerning 116.9 rating despite Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s dismissal of those analytics.

“Quite honestly, I look at some of those numbers and they’re meaningless to me,” asserted Thibodeau on Sunday before the Knicks hosted the 76ers. “I haven’t seen a good ratings system de -

fensively, and I think I’ve studied pretty hard for a long time. I don’t buy into it the way some people treat it as gospel. You ask them what does it mean, and they can’t explain it.”

The eye test can. On Saturday at the Garden, the Los Angeles Clippers offensive sets frequently sought to isolate Barrett to defend wing players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Clippers guard Norman Powell also attacked Barrett in the Knicks’ 134–128 overtime loss. The game magnified the Knicks’ need for a highly capable wing defender who is also a reliable 3-point shooter, such as the Toronto Raptors’ OG Anunoby, who has been a subject of trade rumors for months.

The Knicks will host the Utah Jazz on Saturday at MSG and the Nets on Monday.

The Nets and Kyrie Irving finally have a contentious divorce

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Kyrie Irving is gone.

And so are the Nets’ realistic hopes they can compete for an NBA championship—unless something earth-shattering happens before today’s NBA trade deadline.

The latter is unlikely.

Irving demanded a trade and was granted his wish by the Nets this past weekend, dealt to the Dallas Mavericks along with forward Markieff Morris for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie—who was a Net from 2016–2021, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029. The acrimonious divorce comes at a time when Irving was playing as well as any guard in the league and the Nets had legitimate championship aspirations.

Irving spoke with the media on Monday and was clear that there is no love lost between him and the Nets organization.

“I just know I want to be places where I’m celebrated and not just tolerated or just kind of dealt

with in a way that doesn’t make me feel respected,” Irving said on Tuesday in Los Angeles, where the Mavericks were preparing to play the Los Angeles Clippers, whom they faced last night.

“There were times throughout this process when I was in Brooklyn where I felt very disrespected and my talent. I work extremely hard at what I do. No one ever talks about my work ethic, though. Everyone talks about what I’m doing off the floor, so I just wanted to change that narrative, write my own story, and just continue preparing in the gym, and now that I’m in Dallas, just focus on what I control.”

What’s next for the Nets, who are 32–22 heading into tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls at the Barclays Center?

They are the No. 5 seed in the East, waiting for Kevin Durant to return from an MCL sprain sustained on January 8 versus the Miami Heat. He hasn’t played since and is now pondering life without Kyrie.

The Nets cannot compete with the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, or Philadelphia 76ers—

the East’s No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds respectively—without Durant having another bona fide top-20 player by his side. The No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers are also demonstrably superior to the Nets after Irving’s departure.

The Nets are still are playoff team, but how long will Durant—still one of the game’s best players—want to squander the remaining prime years of his career knowing he has no chance to win another title with Nets as currently constructed?

The emergence of second-year guard Cam Thomas, who has scored 44, 47, and 43 points in the Nets’ past three games, isn’t the answer. Thomas is a valuable component moving forward, but Irving is special and, along with Durant, placed the Nets among the league’s best teams.

When the Nets signed Irving and Durant as free-agents in July 2019, there was justifiable excitement and optimism in the organization and among the fanbase that a championship was a near certainty. Now the Nets’ immediate future is dubious and uncertain because the Irving-Durant era was an abject disaster.

Nets acquired Spencer Dinwiddie in trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas Mavericks while second-year guard Cam Thomas puts up three-straight games of 40 points or more (Bill Moore photos)

Spencer Dinwidee

Cam Thomas

Knicks could benefit from adding another impact player before today’s NBA trade deadline to support Julius Randle (pictured), Knicks’ lone All-Star Game selection, and point guard Jalen Brunson (Bill Moore photo)

St. John’s women’s basketball player accepted into prestigious coaching program

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

The women’s basketball team at St. John’s University is working hard to make its return to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Thus far, it’s been an outstanding season for the Red Storm, which amassed its longest-ever winning streak. Regardless of how far the team advances in the tournament, graduate student forward Danielle Patterson will be in Dallas, site of the Final Four, taking part in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s So You Want to Be a Coach. Now in its 20th year, the program increases understanding of the skills necessary to get a coaching job and succeed.

“It’s taking my next step, knowing this is my last season of eligibility. I want to stay around the game as long as possible. If I choose not to continue with a playing career, teaching and being in that realm is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Patterson.

Patterson’s journey in college basketball has been longer than she initially envisioned. The Brooklyn native started at Notre Dame, but after two years transferred to Indiana, where she sat out a year due to

transfer rules in effect at that time and then played one season cut short by injury, completing her bachelor’s in broadcast communications. She decided to finish her college playing days close to home and has made good use of her time at St. John’s. Not only has she taken her game to a new level, she earned a master’s degree in sports management and is currently working toward an MBA in strategic management.

“Coaching is kind of the next step,” she said. “From each of my coaches I’ve had in college, I’ve learned different things. I can use all those things and hopefully one day mold myself to be the coach that players want to play for. Helping these kids become young women the same way I had the chance to do it.”

In her courses, there is conversation about the business side of coaching and collegiate athletics, which Patterson believes will help her in her career. “This game provides me with so many different outlets, and I have a lot of options going forward,” she said.

Of course, Patterson is enjoying being part of the Red Storm’s winning season. “A lot of it is the work we put in every single day,” she said. “For a lot of us, this is our last season. We want to end in the right way.”

History-making Winter Olympian creates opportunities for women and girls

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to

the AmNews

As Simidele Adeagbo is training and improving her skills in the monobob (one-person bobsled), she is also actively involved in helping fund the dreams of other elite female athletes through her SimiSleighs Foundation, launched last fall. The foundation recently announced its Athlete Grant program to address the funding disparity between men and women, particularly in Olympic and Paralympic sports. With funding from the Marks Family Foundation and other contributors, the Athlete Grant program provides financial support for training and competition expenses as well as personal and professional development. Adeagbo’s life would make a great movie. A track and field athlete at the University of Kentucky who tried out for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, she was a Nike marketing executive in 2017, nearly a decade removed from athletic competition, when a friend encouraged her to take up the sport of skeleton. Several months later, she was part of the first-ever team of athletes from Nigeria (her parents’ homeland) to compete at the Olympic Winter Games. For the 2022 Games, she switched to the monobob, but despite a successful season, she did not qualify for the Olympics in Beijing.

“Skeleton will always be a first love,” said Adeagbo. “I still think I have a lot of potential in skeleton that never got fully realized, but for now, I’m focusing on monobob and seeing where that can take me.

“I have a long-term strategy and vision for how I see my growth and development leading up to [2026],” she added. “I felt that this year was a really good opportunity to challenge myself by getting on new tracks, put more emphasis on training, and having quality opportunities to learn and grow in my skills as a monobob pilot.”

Adeagbo, 41, hopes to inspire women not to be defined by age or gender. “I’ve chosen to explore a path that is very unconventional, a path that I never really expected to be on,” she said. “Once I got on that path, I fully embraced it and wanted to explore it more and more to see where I can take it. The path has always been rooted in purpose.”

That purpose has deepened with the SimiSleighs Foundation. Its Athlete Grant Program is a one-year program for athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic movement who have established themselves in their sports. Later this year, the foundation also plans to launch a leadership program for adolescent girls that uses curricula to build confidence and courage.

“Our mission is clear: We want to build a better world for girls and women through sport,” said Adeagbo.

Simidele Adeagbo is honing her bobsled skills this season (Photo courtesy of Simidele Adeagbo)

Danielle Patterson of the St. John’s Red Storm (St. John’s Athletics photo)

Hurts and Eagles confidently head into Super Bowl LVII

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The two best teams in the NFL this season—the NFC’s No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles and the AFC’s No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs—are three days away from kickoff in the United States’ preeminent sporting event. Well over 100 million people are expected to tune into Super Bowl LVII this Sunday, both diehard and casual football fans, with the halftime show and ads that cost a record $7 million for a 30-second spot becoming as big an attraction as the play on the field.

The Eagles have been the most impressive team this postseason after going 14–3 in the regular season, the same record as the Chiefs. They steamrolled the Giants 38–7 in the divisional round, followed by a 31–7 trouncing of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

The Eagles’ offensive and defensive lines were arguably the best in the league this season and have been central to their success. They will be critical against the Chiefs in dictating the terms of how the game will materialize. The Eagles want to

run the ball—they gained 148 yards on 44 carries versus the 49ers—to open up the passing game.

On the other side of the ball, their relentless pass rush, which had 70 sacks in the regular season and eight in the playoffs, knows they must disrupt the Chiefs’ potent offense. With five more sacks, the Eagles will break the 1984 Bears’ record of 82 combined regular season and postseason sacks.

The Eagles-Chiefs matchup features a superstar and rising star playing the most important position in sports.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is already being compared to some of football’s all-time greats. He will be playing in his third Super Bowl despite being just 27 years old. Mahomes is 1–1 in his previous two appearances.

The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts is making his Super Bowl debut at 24. The game’s outcome could come down to which ultra-talented QB has the ball last.

The duo has already broken new ground as the first Black quarterbacks to start against each other in the Super Bowl.

“To be on the world stage and have two Black quarterbacks start in the Super Bowl—I

think it’s special, and I’ve learned more and more about the history of the Black quarterback since I’ve been in this league,” said Mahomes last week. “The guys that came before me and Jalen set the stage for this, and now I’m just glad we can kind of set the stage for the kids that are coming up now.”

Hurts, who like Mahomes is a product of the legendary Texas high school football system, echoed his counterpart’s sentiments.

“I think it’s history,” Hurts said. “I think it’s something that’s worthy of being noted...I think it’s come a long way…To be the first for something is pretty cool. It’ll be a good one.”

The game should indeed be gripping. In the end, the prediction here is Hurts and the Eagles come away with a 30–24 win.

Mahomes believes he’s ready for the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII

By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews

The Kansas Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are making final preparations for their Super Bowl LVII matchup this Sunday in Arizona. One of the leading storylines is that this is the first-ever Super Bowl with two Black starting quarterbacks: the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.

At 27, Mahomes is a Super Bowl champion (LIV), Super Bowl MVP (LIV), and the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year in 2018. He’s also a five time Pro-Bowler who played in all 17 games during the regular season and led the Chiefs to a 14–3 record, throwing for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns. A concern for the Chiefs is his high right-ankle sprain, suffered against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round. He played through it in defeating the Jaguars and then Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship, but was clearly still hobbled.

Referencing his ability to play in Sunday’s game, the last and biggest one of the year, Mahomes said during a media session this week, “I’ll play through all injuries that the

trainers will let me play through. As long as the trainers are OK for me to get out there, I’m going to play through it.”

In describing the health of his ankle this week, Mahomes was somewhat evasive. “You won’t know until you get out there in the game,” he said. “I’m gonna push it. I’ll try to leave it all on the line.

“I think you all saw that in the last game that I played. But it’s about relying on your teammates, and not trying to do too much,” Mahomes noted. “But I’ll definitely be in a better spot than I was last game.”

Sunday will also be the first time brothers play on opposing teams in the Super Bowl. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his older brother, Eagles center Jason, are two of the best players in the league and on a path to the Hall of Fame. Each has already won a Super Bowl, Jason with the Eagles in 2018 and Travis with the Chiefs in 2020.

“It’s going to be an amazing feeling, playing against him,” said Travis, acknowledging that he’ll limit the amount of trash talk that he’ll levy on his big bro because of how much respect and love he has for him, “but it's definitely going to be an emotional game.”

The Chiefs’ 64-year-old head coach Andy Reid has been at the heart of both teams. He was the head coach of the Eagles from 1999–2012 before taking over the Chiefs in 2013. He’ll be facing a coach whom he did not keep on the Chiefs staff when he took the job. Eagles 41-year-old head coach Nick Sirianni was the Chiefs’ wide receivers coach when Reid came onboard, but was let go along with other coaches on the staff.

Sirianni said he uses that as a reminder of how much he needs to continue to grind. “Do you always have this little chip on your shoulder?” he said to the media.

“Sure you do…I want to make sure I’m working my butt off to get as good as I possibly can. And sure, you hold on to some of those things.”

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is seeking to cap his MVPcaliber regular season with a Super Bowl LVII win over the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday (Wikipedia All-Pro Reels photo)

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks to defeat Philadelphia Eagles, for whom he was the head coach from 1999–2012, in Super Bowl LVII this Sunday (Wikipedia, All-Pro Reels photo)