New York Amsterdam News E-Edition April 11-17, 2024

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CIRCULATION

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A

(GIN)—Rwandans are marking the 30th anniversary of a genocide that took the lives of an estimated 800,000 mostly ethnic Tutsis over 100 days between April and June 1994.

President Paul Kagame and first lady Jeannette Kagame laid wreaths at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The president then lit the Flame of Remembrance before making a speech at an arena in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.

The flame will be lit for seven days at four genocide memorial sites that were inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in September.

Other commemorative activities will be conducted across the country, including a Walk to Remember in Kigali, which will be followed by a night vigil.

Martin Mavenjina, a senior program advisor on transitional justice at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, emphasized the significance of remembering the genocide. “It’s not just as a moment of remembrance,” he said, “but an opportunity for victims and survivors to reflect, heal, and look toward the future. It reassures the world that never again will such an event happen anywhere on this continent or even anywhere (else) in the world.”

Supporters of Kagame’s rule applauded him, saying that without his firm grip on power, Rwanda could slide back to chaos that could ignite another genocide.

But human rights leaders and activists differ from that view. They say Kagame has oppressed his opponents, and killed and imprisoned his critics. Dissidents are jailed, free speech is curtailed, and political opponents often die in murky circumstances, even those living in the West.

Ethnic divisions persist under the authoritarian president, wrote New York Times reporter Declan Walsh. Soldiers under Kagame have been accused of massacre and plunder in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

to loosen his grip on power and allow for more freedom.

For decades, Western leaders have looked past Kagame’s abuses, commented Walsh. “Some have expressed guilt for their failure to halt the genocide when Hutu extremists massacred people mostly from Mr. Kagame’s Tutsi ethnic group.”

Kagame took that view a step further, blaming the inaction of the international community for allowing the 1994 genocide to happen. “It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice,” Kagame said in a speech after laying a wreath at a memorial site holding the remains of 250,000 genocide victims in Kigali.

The killings were ignited when a plane carrying then-President Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down over Kigali. The Tutsis were blamed for downing the plane and killing the president, and became targets in massacres led by Hutu extremists that lasted over 100 days. Some moderate Hutus who tried to protect members of the Tutsi minority were also killed.

Some Western leaders have now expressed regret.

Bill Clinton, after leaving office, cited the Rwandan genocide as a failure of his administration. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a prerecorded video, said France and its allies could have stopped the genocide, but lacked the will to do so. Macron’s declaration came three years after he acknowledged the “overwhelming responsibility” of France—Rwanda’s closest European ally in 1994—for failing to stop Rwanda’s slide into the slaughter.

In reality, few voices were heard in opposition to the U.S.—few, at least, with the will and means to back up their arguments with substantial commitments of their own.

Even after the storm broke, the U.N. reaction was to retreat—to reduce, rather than increase, its forces in the country.

Some Rwandans fear that nothing has been learned—that the outside world will intervene too late, with too little, elsewhere. Rwanda also has had troubled relations with its neighbors. Recently, tensions have flared with Congo, with the two countries’ leaders accusing one another of supporting armed groups. Relations have been tense with Burundi as well, over allegations that Kigali is backing a rebel group attacking Burundi. Relations with Uganda are yet to fully normalize after a period of tensions stemming from Rwandan allegations that Uganda was backing rebels opposed to Kagame.

KENYAN DOCTORS’ STRIKE

ENTERS THIRD WEEK

trainee doctors as promised to the union.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), also want the government to address frequently delayed paychecks and compensation for doctors who work in public hospitals as part of their higher degree courses.

The crippling strike, now in its third week, involves some 4,000 public sector doctors or approximately half of the country’s 9,000 registered doctors. The question of salary arrears stems from a 2017 collective bargaining agreement that, among other things, set medical interns’ pay at 206,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,566) per month and fast tracks their clearance to work at health facilities upon graduation.

Qualified medical graduates in Kenya struggle to get jobs, striking workers say, despite staff shortages at public hospitals. The union wants the government to hire over 3,000 medical interns who are currently unemployed. But the health ministry said it lacks the resources to recruit them.

Despite a policy requiring the government to place medical interns within 30 days of completing their studies, graduates remain jobless long after qualifying to practice medicine.

Talks between the two sides aimed at ending the strike have been unsuccessful and other health workers, helping to keep hospitals running in the absence of doctors, have now joined the strike, local media is reporting.

“The strike will take as long as it takes the government to wake up,” said Dr. Onyango Ndong’a on Citizen Television.

But government seems unlikely to budge, hoping to wait out the doctors. Kenyan President Ruto recently declared there would be no additional monies for interns above the monthly $538 (70,000 Kenyan shillings) claiming the government was “struggling with a high tax bill.”

This view was supported by the transitional justice advisor, who urged Kagame

AS GOVERNMENT STONEWALLS TALKS (GIN)—Kenya’s health sector, underfunded and understaffed, is closed for business until the government makes good on salary arrears and agrees to hire badly needed

The impact of the 3-week strike is being felt across the country with many patients left unattended or being turned away from hospitals across the East African nation.

Despite the President’s claims of insufficient funds, Kenya only spends around 3.7% of its budget on health—less than the 2340

FLAME OF REMEMBRANCE FOR RWANDA’S GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Petitioning for the win: Black candidates running for office

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

Every election year, petitioning season proves to be the most grueling part of a time-honored process. This year is no different as New York State Assembly, Senate, and Congress candidates battle for ballots the closer we get to the primary this June.

“When you get right down to it, democracy is people having conversations with other people. That’s why it’s so important to me that our campaign is rooted in the

grassroots,” said Congressmember Jamaal Bowman in a statement.

Bowman, the first Black representative in Congressional District 16, is embroiled in a heated reelection bid to hold onto his seat against challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Bowman said he’s raised over $1.3 million this quarter from 10,000 donations, with 75% of that coming from small donations under $30.

Candidates running for an elected office in this state can’t get their names on the ballot without filing a petition containing a specified

number of signatures from local residents. The current political parties are the Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families parties. There’s also an option to write-in the name of an unspecified person.

The required number varies depending on which office they’re running for and if they’re seeking a party nomination, but it’s a baseline of 500 to thousands of signatures that need to be acquired by April 1. This June primary will have congressional district races (1,250 signatures needed per candidate), state senatorial district races (1,000

signatures needed per candidate), and a bunch of assembly district races (500 signatures needed per candidate).

Every petition signature is presumed valid when filed unless objected to within a certain time frame after the final filing date.

“From Tarrytown to Co-Op City, our people-powered campaign gathered almost four times the necessary signatures and knocked on over a thousand doors last Sunday during our district-wide canvass launch through the organized power of volunteers,” said Bowman. “This is what democ-

racy looks like, and it’s how we’re going to defend the people’s seat from special interests and Republican megadonors interfering in our Democratic primary.”

The state implemented the first version of the petitioning system about a decade after the U.S. Constitution ratified the 15th Amendment, supposedly giving Black American men the right to vote in 1870. New York was plagued with political scandals and corruption at the time, and began requiring “ballot listing” for candidates. A candidate had to be either nominated or submit

See PETITIONING on page 31

Lawyer Olayemi Olurin recounts viral Breakfast Club interview with mayor, pushing back on public safety narratives

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

Power 105.1 might house today’s top hip-hop tracks, but the Breakfast Club’s debate between movement lawyer Olayemi Olurin and Mayor Eric Adams sounded more akin to Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee. In the now-viral interview, which went down last Friday, March 29, Olurin challenged Adams’s public safety rhetoric, which she deemed as fear-mongering. She backed her claims with statistics pulled from Brennan Center research and Floyd NYPD monitor reports.

While the interview officially ended with Adams claiming history would favorably remember him as “an authentic bald-headed, earring-wearing brother that did his thing as the mayor,” Olurin hoped listeners will

take away other lessons.

“Whenever anybody thinks there’s a problem, they have this knee-jerk reaction to give more money to policing, no matter how many times they’ve done it before. Everybody feels that is somehow the commonsense plan A,” she said to the AmNews. “But for some reason, when you say [to] give money to those communities, that somehow becomes a slightly unrealistic dream. The safest communities are not the most policed; they’re the most resourced. What we need is resources and the same knee-jerk reaction you have to to invest in policing, [to] invest in people.

“There is never going to be an overnight solution [for crime]. That’s the problem people don’t want to contend with. We didn’t get to the situation that we’re in overnight and it’s not going to be fixed overnight.”

For Olurin, solutions look like investment and criminal justice reform. The NYPD boasts one of the city’s largest agency budgets, which she believes should not supersede education, healthcare, and mental health funding. She also advised federal receivership over Rikers Island, which would wrest control over the crumbling jail to a third party. She also u nderscored, as she did in the interview, that Rikers Island is largely a pre-trial detention center. Which means roughly 90% of detainees are held for a crime that they have yet to be found guilty for.

Holding the conversation at the Breakfast Club also offered a unique opportunity for Olurin to engage with an audience outside of politics. The “World’s Most Dangerous Radio Show” reaches more than 90 affiliate radio stations throughout the country for an entertainment-

centered audience.

“Not just that it was incredibly accessible,” said Olurin. “It’s more accessible than political news would normally be because it was on the Breakfast Club—because it was a Black platform and it was expressly the Black community that he intended to pander to.”

After the interview, NYPD Chief of

Patrol John Chell called Olurin “misinformed” in an X (formerly known as Twitter) post and said she “epitomizes everything that true NYers are against.” He followed up with another post asking for the attorney to show up to slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller’s funeral, attached to a screenshot of her

See OLAYEMI OLURIN page 29

AG James holds 100 Women rally for AM Zinerman re-election campaign

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

This past Saturday was more of a raucous 100 Women campaign party than a rally at Restoration Plaza in Brooklyn. New York State Attorney General Letitia James hosted the event to highlight her longtime colleague Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman’s bid for reelection in the 56th Assembly District.

“This filled my heart,” said Zinerman about the large gathering that showed up to support her. “Those of us who live here, serve together, work together, play together— I think this was the message we wanted to send.”

James emceed most of the event,

encouraging the crowd to dance and rejoice after each speaker.

Zinerman initially met James while she was at the Research Foundation (RF) of City University of NY (CUNY) before becoming an elected official. James was a Brooklyn councilmember at the time. ThenMayor Michael Bloomberg was slated to cut funding to her program, said Zinerman, but James fought to keep it open.

The two have been close supporters of each other ever since.

“From that time, I started getting more civically engaged because how could one person just close down a program and put so many people out of work?” Zinerman said. “I joined the Vanguard Independent Democratic Associa-

tion (VIDA) and [James] was there when I got there. The rest is history.”

Heavy-hitter leaders from all over Brooklyn made an appearance at Zinerman’s rally, including Blondel A. Pinnock, president and CEO of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation; State Assembly Majority Whip and Brooklyn Party Boss Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn; former Assemblymembers Annette Robinson and Tremaine S. Wright; Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the mayor’s chief advisor; and fellow Assemblymembers Maritza Davila, Jo Anne Simon, Monique Waterman, Latrice Walker, and Nikki Lucas. There was also a pretty strong showing of union members, labor groups, and residents in attendance.

See ZINERMAN on page 29

Olayemi Olurin appears on Power 105.1 with Mayor Eric Adams (The Breakfast Club via Zealous photo)

New York State Attorney General Letitia James (left) and Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman (right) at the “Standing with Stefani” rally on Saturday, April 6. (Ariama C. Long photo)

Another nettlesome issue for Biden

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Is this more “deepfake,” or is President Biden in jeopardy of being left off the ballot in Ohio this fall? In a breaking story on Monday, it was reported that unless Ohio’s Republican-dominated legislature provides an exception or the Democratic Party moves ahead its convention, Biden’s name will not appear on the November ballot, according to the office that oversees elections in the state.

The monkey wrench in this process was the timing of Ohio’s deadline to certify presidential candidates on Aug. 7, two weeks before the Democratic National Convention. The certification date in Ohio for candidates must occur 90 days before the general election, which is Nov. 5.

“Please contact me as soon as possible with any information that can assure this office of timely compliance with Ohio law,” wrote Paul DiSantis, the chief legal counsel for Frank LaRose, the Republican Secretary of State.

A statement from the Biden campaign indicated that they were monitoring the situation and were “confident that Joe Biden [would] be on the ballot in all 50 states.”

Before the 2020 presidential election there was a similar situation when both parties were scheduled outside the deadline, forcing Ohio lawmakers to make changes for that election.

Biden’s team is busy contending with Trump’s “bloodbath” rhetoric about the southern border, and the ballot matter in Ohio, where Trump won in the previous two bids for the Oval Office. This is a nettlesome issue they can’t ignore.

A letter sent to Liz Walters, the Democratic Party Chair in Ohio, said the legislature would need to act by May 9 to create an exception to the deadline. For the Dems to change their convention date at this time would appear to be out of the question.

Next U.S. census could undercount Afro Latinos

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Afro Latino organizations and scholars are raising the alarm about a new directive from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

In a decision announced on March 28, the OMB, which officially determines the nation’s criteria on race and ethnicity and sets the guidelines on how the U.S. Census is conducted, announced it will combine the race and ethnicity question for those who mark themselves as having a Hispanic or Latino identity.

The OMB says it’s come up with a new, combined race and ethnicity question that will ease confusion on the census. The agency said it discovered that most Latino respondents found the race and ethnicity question unclear and wound up marking themselves as a person of “Some Other Race (SOR).”

But Afro Latino groups say the OMB’s new question will have a detrimental effect on how statistics are gathered on their growing population.

“This latest effort ensures that Latinos are effectively deracinated and may cause Afro Latinos to be erased,” the non-profit organization afrolatin@ forum said in a statement. “By listing Latino ethnicity as co-equal with racial categories, Latinos are inaccurately portrayed as a population without racial differences despite all the research showing how Black Latinos are treated differently from other Latinos.”

The new decision is disappointing, declared Dr. Nancy López, a University of New Mexico professor of sociology and the director and co-founder of the Institute for the Study of “Race” & Social Justice. “You can’t cover the sun with a finger––No se puede tapar el sol con un dedo. Race and ethnicity are different: they require different questions,” López asserted. “And it is appalling that all of the social scientific research that shows the importance of maintaining separate questions on race and ethnicity for understanding things like housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and even health inequities was discounted, not considered.”

Racial distinctions on the census

There had been decades of discussions about the importance of noting racial distinctions on the census.

Ever since the 1964 Civil Rights Act legislatively ended discrimination based on race, color, or nation-

al origin, there have been National Advisory Committees (NAC) set up to help the Census Bureau outline racial parameters.

“[T]he value I assign to the existence of racial and ethnic advisory committees to the Census is based on the knowledge that these groups are difficult to count,” said Harry P. Puente-Duany, a member of a NAC called the Spanish Origin Advisory Committee, in a testimony about the 1980 Census. “I have not yet identified a way of saying this without offending the Bureau of Census, but there were Hispanics and Blacks in 1980 [who] did not complete a Census questionnaire, nor did anyone complete it for them. These Hispanics and Blacks were not counted in the 1980 Census and probably were not included in any earlier Census.”

Voluntary Black migration to the U.S. has been taking place for decades and needs to be recognized, Robert B. Hill testified back in 1987: “[A]s the noted Black sociologist, Dr. Ira De A. Reid revealed in his classic 1939 work, ‘The Negro Immigrant,’ immigration by Blacks to America is not a recent phenomenon. In fact, between 1900-1930, the number of foreign-born Blacks increased ten times faster than the number of native-born Blacks. Thus, by 1930, foreign-born Blacks reached 100,000 (or 1%) of the Black population. And, by 1980, the number of foreign-born Blacks soared to 816,000 or (3%) of the Black population. About three-fourths of foreign-born Blacks are from the West Indies. Yet, these figures markedly understate the actual number of Black immigrants…”

Most recently, several organizations and scholars spoke out about the importance of noting the racial distinctions among groups with foreign origins.

“There’s been a group of over 200 scholars, academics, and Afro Latino organizations that have been concerned about this particular issue,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat explained to the AmNews. “And myself, Yvette Clark, Richie Torres, and others have expressed a concern that race is not ethnicity and that to lump the question together could contribute to an undercount of Afro Latinos because it places the applicant, the respondent of the census form, in a position where they may think ‘Well, I have to choose one or the other: If I choose Latino, then I should not choose Black––or vice versa.’”

The three congressional representatives plan to look at possi -

ble legislative routes for dealing with this new OMB ruling, Rep. Espaillat said.

“I’m hopeful that the greater community, particularly the greater Harlem community––being that Harlem is the home of the African diaspora internationally––that we can get the support from that community.”

Latino is not a race

The afrolatin@ forum began organizing to confront the possibility of a change in the census’ race and ethnicity question more than a year ago. Guesnerth Perea, the forum’s executive director, said his group began working with other Afro Latino organizations to form the Latino Is Not A Race coalition and shed more light on the issue.

Latino Is Not A Race conducted a public information campaign by holding a series of events and webinars. “The goal for that at that point was to get as many comments in as possible to the OMB to support the fact that Latino should not be coequal to a racial category,” Perea said.

Now that the OMB decision is official, the coalition is planning on conducting another campaign.

“The majority of our activity at the beginning of the campaign was to get comments. What we are now trying to figure out is what is our next thing to do? Like, how do we respond now? Because it seems like the only way that this can be

changed is through Congress.”

Until it’s changed, Dr. López points out that the new OMB guidelines do allow for the collecting of additional data points.

“They do include a sentence that says that you can add additional questions if relevant. And I would say that if you’re interested in understanding the color line in housing and employment and school discipline, you should consider adding a perceived race, a street race question. And also consider clarifying that this is about not your self-identity per se, but understanding how others see you so that we can determine whether two siblings who are related and maybe even have the same parent, but actually one does not look Black and the other one does: Are they going to be treated the same way when they go vote or when they show up to look for an apartment?

“We’re going to ask people, if you were out in public, what race do you think others who do not know you would assume you are based on what you look like and by that I mean, skin color, facial features, hair, and whether or not we see inequities that would not be visible if we’re simply asking, how do you identify?”

Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), chairperson of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said in a statement, “It’s imperative that OMB, See CENSUS on page 27

Snapshot of Questions 8 and 9 from the 2020 United States Census, when a Latino person’s geographic origin was not the same as their race. (Photo credit: 2020 United States Census)

Cherry Bailey is Department of Sanitation’s first Black, female three-star chief

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The New York Sanitation Department (DSNY) swore in its first Black, female threestar chief this past New Year’s Eve.

While millions of people were in Times Square on December 31 to celebrate the start of 2024, Cherry Bailey was flanked by friends and family for her swearing in by Mayor Eric Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Bailey was scheduled to take the oath and become the first Black woman to hold the three-star title of Sanitation Department chief: she became only the second woman to achieve that rank in DSNY’s history.

Bailey had traveled a long route to get here. She began working as a sanitation worker at DSNY in November 2005. Her first assignments were to work in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens. She’d only taken the job because it promised job security, but when she started she wondered if she’d made the right choice.

“Before I joined DSNY, I had never seen a woman on the [sanitation] truck or even doing anything sanitation related. Me, I like to have my hair done and I like to keep my nails, you know, a certain length and I like to get some polish. I like to wear my lipstick and before I came to sanitation, I didn’t want to go from that to picking up dirty, heavy, stinky, trash.”

Born in Barbados, Bailey can remember migrating to Brooklyn, at age 16 with her family. After spending numerous summer vacations in New York, her family moved to the city for good. She soon realized she was moving from a serene, Caribbean Island where young kids wore uniforms, to a densely populated city where kids styled themselves in the latest fashions. It was a

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

State Needs to Step Up and Fix Child Care

Finding quality, affordable child care has long been one of the greatest riddles for working parents in New York, but the challenge has reached crisis levels since the COVID-19 pandemic. Day care has become unaffordable for nearly everyone.

Families across New York are being crushed by child care expenses, assuming you can even find a day care provider. The numbers are sky high, with the typical family spending 27 percent of its income to pay for child care for one kid, according to Goldman Sachs. That’s fourfold the seven percent that the federal government deems affordable.

calls for making taxpayer-subsidy of day care workers’ pay a permanent budget item. The group also calls for an array of state tax credits for day care center operators and higher pay for caregivers serving the homeless and families during nontraditional hours, such as the night shift.

culture shock, she said, because the way of life was truly different.

Initially, Bailey had dreams of becoming a lawyer; she wanted to make her family proud. “I knew that we came here for a different––a better life. And I was just focused on just whatever it was that was going to happen for me: I just wanted to make my family proud and not regret packing up everything and moving here and me being a disappointment to them.”

She wound up not heading toward law school, and after taking on a few jobs Bailey entered the airline industry to become a flight attendant. She said she was passionate about that job and loved the ability to travel all over. She worked as a flight attendant up until 9/11 when, with the airlines furloughing workers, she started looking to change her career, so that she could stay closer to home and be with her young son.

“I’m not going to leave the airlines unless I find a job working for the city,” she said she told herself. “Why? Because at the time, I knew that city jobs provided job security. So, I made it just my business to go out and just seek city employment.” Bailey turned to the The Chief newspaper for listings of upcoming public service exams. “I didn’t necessarily set out to take the test for sanitation. It was just another test that was being given at the time and it’s funny because I either didn’t see it or it missed my eye, but I had a friend who called. He knew that I was taking all these different exams for police officer, bus driver, train operator, train conductor, [and] bridges and tunnel officer. But sanitation was not one that caught my eye at the time. My friend, he reached out to me, and said, ‘Cherry, the job for sanitation will be opening soon.’ And I said to him, ‘What, picking up

See BNY on page 36

The New York State Assembly and Governor Kathy Hochul must step in with a major, multi-year program to rebuild the state’s child care infrastructure. Albany has taken some actions, but they are baby steps considering the severity of the problem. Child care is fueling a large and fast-growing group of people stressed to just keep themselves and their families afloat. Clearly, child care is out of reach for low-income families, immigrants and essential workers.

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) crunched the numbers, and they are mindboggling: The average cost of infant care in New York State is $1,283 per month, while care for a 4-year-old costs $1,030 each month. That means, on average, day care for two children—an infant and a 4-yearold—costs $27,752 annually. That’s 47.1 percent more than average yearly rent in the state, EPI concluded.

New York City average prices are even higher, according to the NYC Comptroller: $16,250 a year for children under the age of 2; $11,648 a year on children between 3 and 5; and $9,620 a year for school-age children (612). If you wanted to spend less than seven percent of your income on center-based day care, you’d need to earn more than $112 an hour, or $224,000 annually.

Gov. Hochul last year redirected $500 million in unused federal money toward longevity and sign-on bonuses to fortify the ranks of child care workers. She has pledged to raise the income eligibility limit for state child care assistance and take other steps. That was a great start. Her 2025 executive budget includes another $100 million, divided between tax incentives for businesses to offer employee child care and grants for the construction of new child care centers.

The Empire State Campaign for Child Care, a coalition of day care advocates,

New York lawmakers, who have the power to pump up the child care market, should adopt the coalition’s ideas and immediately expand tax credits for families to take some of the bite out of day care. The federal tax credit, which also covers elder care, is modest: You can claim from 20 percent to 35 percent of your care expenses, up to a maximum of $3,000 for one person, or $6,000 for two or more people.

The pandemic decimated New York’s child care infrastructure. Even centers that stayed open during the coronavirus surges may not be able to handle today the same number of children they served in the past. Hybrid and at-home work sharply cut back on day care hours, hurting child care employment.

As a result, child care centers today face severe staffing shortages, which figured in the governor’s focus on workforce grants to center-based caregivers. Private nannies and babysitters have also reduced their hours or dramatically raised prices.

All of this matters because the absence of child care undercuts hard-fought gains nationally for women in the workplace. One in four moms—especially women of color—have cut back on their hours or exited the work force entirely due to lack of child care, according to leanin.org and the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Pay inequity also puts women in New York at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to affording child care. For women working full-time, year-round New York’s pay gap is approximately 12 percent. It is more than double that for Black women (34 percent).

This issue deserves immediate, forwardthinking consideration. Safe, affordable child care promotes every family’s longterm economic outlook. It improves the parents’ ability to find meaningful work. It improves the life of children in the same way affordable housing and quality early childhood education are linked to improved health and achievement. It also benefits the care providers, who overwhelmingly tend to be Black women.

We must act to break the unjust conundrum—which befalls mostly women —of an inability to work due to a lack of affordable child care, or an inability to afford child care due to lack of work.

David R. Jones, Esq., is President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York (CSS), the leading voice on behalf of low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer. The Urban Agenda is available on CSS’s website: www.cssny.org.

Cherry Bailey celebrates after being sworn as DSNY’s first Black, female three-star chief by Mayor Eric Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. (DSNY photos)

Yorker

Budget Battle Recap: City and State

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

Tis’ budgeting season once again. While New York City’s budgeting process is moving along, with the city council having already submitted their response to Mayor Eric Adams’ preliminary budget, the state is past due.

“We have a real financial crisis with the $4 billion we had to allocate, closing our union contracts, all those fiscal responsibilities, but we have done an amazing job of making sure that the cuts are not devastating,” Adams said this week in a community conversation. “We got a budget that we’re getting ready to settle now with the City Council. Let us do this thing. We’re going to land this plane, and trust me, we’re going to minimize the pain to make sure we don’t create and aggravate other issues.”

City Budget

In terms of deadlines, the city budget process kicked off in January with the mayor’s preliminary budget, which was $109.4 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Then, following a series of budget hearings with community and agency input from March to April, the city council gave their response on April 1, which was lauded by community-based organizations.

“The City has the resources to protect essential investments into New Yorkers while safeguarding our fiscal health, and prioritizing both goals is the path to a safer, healthier, and more stable city,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement.

The council’s response prioritizes investments into housing, 3K and Pre-K programs, mental health solutions, cultural institutions, libraries, and programs aimed at reducing recidivism. They claimed there’s at least $6.15 billion in newly available resources to help reverse budget cuts and account for expiring federal stimulus funds.

“Against all odds, New York City’s post-COVID economy has proven to be durable and resilient,” said Councilmember Justin Brannan, who chairs the Committee on Finance. “We maintain that the Administration’s blunt cuts were never necessary in the first place, and we will be fighting for and expecting to see full restorations across the board from 3-K to CUNY, our libraries,

cultural organizations, and everything in between. Hardworking New Yorkers deserve nothing less. The priorities outlined in our budget response today were born from weeks of preliminary oversight hearings, hours upon hours of budget team meetings, and in consultation with all 51 members. Everything in this budget response is something the Council believes is worth fighting for.”

New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) President and CEO Murad Awawdeh, who’s been an outspoken voice on the migrant crisis, appreciated the council’s “firm response to the mayor’s fear-mongering and budget mismanagement.” Awawdeh said that increases to immigration legal services; investments in multigenerational education from child care programs to Pre-K and 3-K to adult education; investments in interpretation services and bilingual staff in public schools; and expanding access to the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) housing voucher programs regardless of immigration status will be crucial to keeping immigrant families together.

“We have been clear that we don’t want to do anything that will impact the success we’ve shown already in this city,” said Mayor Adams at his in-person meeting

this week, “We have to balance the budget by law. We don’t get the opportunity to print new money like the federal government. We have to look at the money that’s coming in and match the money’s that’s coming out.”

The mayor will soon be releasing his executive budget, an updated proposed budget based on the city council’s response, kicking off another round of budget hearings and a council response. The final adopted budget agreement is due by July 1. However, the process can get messy, especially if the state budget and the city budget aren’t in alignment.

State Budget

Governor Kathy Hochul released her $233 billion executive budget FY 2025 back in January.

The state’s legislative committees from the Senate and Assembly begin their public budget hearings with state agencies. The state constitution mandates that the state budget be approved by April 1, but historically it’s not unusual for the state to be late.

In the interim, the state legislature passed budget extension bills to keep the government running and state employees paid. Budget negotiations were also suspended for the day on Monday, April 8, to allow lawmakers to observe the North American solar eclipse

since it only comes along once every 20 years.

Majority Whip and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn confirmed that a number of issues—like higher education, right to counsel, an equitable school funding formula, the migrant crisis, Medicaid, retail theft, illegal pot shops, and immigration rights—needed to be addressed. But housing and tenants rights are a major sticking point this year and holding up the budget, she said.

Bichotte Hermelyn described it as a three-pronged issue that they’re fighting for: union labor, the inclusion of Black and brownled real estate development companies in building more housing, and preventing rollbacks to the 2019 rent-stabilization laws that protected tenants from unfair rent hikes

“The tenants have to have a say,” said Bichotte Hermelyn.

The outrage over housing and tenant rights have even led to arrests. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was arrested for civil disobedience, along with a horde of Housing Justice for All protesters, outside of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) office in Manhattan. “We are blocking the entrance to REBNY just as they have blocked real tenant protections from being enacted in Albany

through their disingenuous lobbying and spending,” said Williams in a statement about his arrest last week.

This week, Make the Road CoExecutive Director Jose Lopez and their Housing Lead Organizer Jennifer Hernandez were arrested at the Capitol in Albany while calling out proposed cuts in the state budget.

“The housing plan, we have to get that done because that’s what’s holding up the budget,” said Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman, who’s advocating for paid and unpaid caregivers getting an increase in pay in the state budget. “Last year we spent $320 million in rental arrears and this year they’re asking for $500 million. That’s because we haven’t solved the issue of people who need vouchers and support.” Most of the electeds Amsterdam News asked projected that the final budget would hopefully be in by the end of this week or next week.

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 New York Capitol is seen, Dec. 14, 2020, in Albany. New York lawmakers passed another extension for the state’s budget on Thursday, April 4, 2024, to ensure operations continue undisrupted and state workers get paid while negotiations are still underway. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File photo)

‘Just Action’ says we can change race-based housing policies

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Richard Rothstein’s 2017 book

“The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” was an exacting look at how U.S. government policies created and then maintained housing discrimination. A research associate at the Economic Policy Institute and a fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Rothstein wrote about how state-sanctioned redlining had separated and effectively devalued the residences and lives of Black people.

His book was a major success and was longlisted for the National Book Award for nonfiction. But Rothstein explained that wherever he went to give lectures about “The Color of Law,” he was constantly asked what can be done about the situation now?

Last year he came out with a new book, “Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted

The book encourages readers to recognize unjust laws and simply not obey them, in the same manner that President Abraham Lincoln declared he would not abide by the 1857 Dred Scott case ruling. When the Supreme Court found that African Americans could not be accepted as U.S. citizens and said that slavery should not be legally overturned in the Dred Scott case, “Lincoln urged Americans not to obey it,” the Rothsteins write in their book. “He [Lincoln] said he expected the decision to be overturned in rulings that followed the dissenters’ arguments and therefore it should not now be respected. Implicit in his prediction was that a future court could repudiate Dred Scott only if it considered new cases that arose in defiance of the earlier decision.”

Richard Rothstein recently spoke with the Amsterdam News about “Just Action.” The following has been lightly edited for clarity.

Amsterdam News: Between you and your daughter, have you guys

Under the Color of Law,” which he hopes answers that question. Written by Rothstein and his daughter, Leah Rothstein, who is a housing policy expert, “Just Action” strongly urges readers to understand the housing policies that continue to circumscribe the neighborhoods we live in today.

been approached or have you been able to speak with any legislators about efforts to change U.S. housing laws?

Rothstein: No. The theme of “Just Action” is not that these are policy ideas for legislators. Our view is that there is no political support today for the kinds of reforms that are necessary to redress segregation. What “Just Action” is about is the kinds of policies and reforms and programs that can be enacted at a local level if people just band together to press for them.

So, the book “Just Action” is not addressed to legislators. It’s addressed to the 20 million people who took part in Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020 and who went home and put Black Lives Matter signs on their lawns but did nothing further because they didn’t know what to do.

“Just Action” describes program after program in a local community that can make a significant difference in the redress of segregation if only those people who claim, and I think legitimately claim, that they think Black Lives Matter.

AmNews: It’s very cool that you’re talking about a lot of community groups that are doing good work…

HIDDEN

reparative work. But once we have enough groups doing that kind of work, just to sort of take the other side, would that be a way of saying that well then there’s no need for African American reparations in this country?

Rothstein: Well, we talk about remedies for unconstitutional violations of African Americans’ rights in the housing field and of course it’s going to be a long process. I don’t think that even if people read “Just Action” and everybody who reads it joins a group to press for one or the other of the policies and programs we’ve described, that this is going to happen overnight. What we’re looking for and what we’re recommending in “Just Action” is beginning, starting somewhere.

I’ll give you an example: One of the things that we argue in “Just Action” is that although the segregation of this country and the racial inequality that resulted from it was primarily driven by federal policy that was unconstitutional, … it’s local programs and policies that maintain and

reinforce and sustain it. One example I notice that New York City is grappling with now is our property assessment system. African Americans in every city in the country pay higher property taxes than whites do for homes of the same value. One reason for that is that most cities, New See ‘JUST ACTION’ on page 27

Go With The Flo

FLO

ANTHONY

Jonathan Majors has been sentenced to participate in a domestic violence treatment program after being found guilty of assault and harassment. On April 8, in a New York City courtroom, a judge said that the one-year “in-person batterers” intervention program will be in Los Angeles where the “Creed III” actor is based, reports People. He also reportedly shares an apartment in downtown Manhattan with his girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, who accompanied him to court. Additionally, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Michael Gaffey ruled that Jonathan has to continue to undergo counseling for mental health and not go near his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, who has also filed a civil lawsuit against him......

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Following her PDA-filled weekend in St. Bart’s with 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf, 21year-old Aoki Lee Simmons, the daughter of Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons, jetted to New York City where she attended Columbia Law School’s Annual Barristers’ Ball at Pier Sixty on April 6. Aoki posted a photo wearing a $620 light pink silk dress with feathers cascading down the left side, with her friend Molly Martinez, with the caption, “Columbia Law Gala 2024 with my soon to be lawyer @mollymartinez.” After graduating from Harvard University in 2023, Aoki has said that she plans to take the LSAT to qualify for law school.......

Iconic raptress/producer Missy Elliott is kicking off her first ever tour as a headliner in July, according to Essence. Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour begins July 4 in Vancouver, Canada. The tour will make stops in 24 cities including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Las Vegas, and Toronto. Elliott will be joined by members of her longtime crew, including Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland. In a statement, Elliott said, “This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts.’ Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family!”....

Breaking their fast: Brooklyn Muslim community and electeds celebrate Iftar

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

Despite a chilly evening, Brooklyn Emerge hosted their annual free community Iftar dinner on Rugby Road and Foster Avenue this past weekend to celebrate Islamic traditions and holidays.

Founder and President of Brooklyn Emerge Zakarya Khan has headed a Halal meal share program in Brooklyn since the pandemic, bolstered entrepreneurship and businesses in Brooklyn, invested in a college and career readiness program, and taken in about 30 asylum seekers.

“I really want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart,” said Khan, “Today is a special day. Some of you are fasting and some are not, but we’re breaking the fast together.”

For the interfaith Iftar dinner, community organizations like Brooklyn Emerge, Muslims Vote Project, and the Young Muslim Democratic Club combined forces to deck out the streets with Ramadan balloons, fully dressed tables with dates and plates, and have outside prayer rugs provided. Dozens of men, women, and children from the community and nearby Masjid-e-Quba eagerly awaited sundown.

“As we break fast, let us also break barriers, build bridges, and celebrate the power of compassion, resilience and unity,” said Alim Bary, Brooklyn Emerge director of community outreach. “At the core of our beloved community we have witnessed the transformative power of generosity and solidarity.”

A slew of elected officials from the Flatbush area in Brooklyn were also in attendance, including Assemblymember Brian Cunningham, and Councilmembers Farah Louis, Mercedes Narcisse, and Rita Joseph.

“Compassion,” said Louis at the dinner, “that is something, a trait, a character trait that we should have each and every day. Brooklyn Emerge’s mission is based on compassion, being a space of refuge for people that need the support, to be a place of fortress. During this time when we need peace in this world, you guys bring a sense of peace, and that is what Ramadan is about and this community Iftar is about. I thank you all for your leadership.”

New York City’s vastly diverse Muslim community has been struggling twofold: under the weight of the city’s migrant crisis and with the current Israel/ Palestine war in Gaza

Plenty of newly arrived African Musilm migrants were finding it hard to access Halal food and celebrate their

traditions this and last month in the city. This is the end of this year’s Ramadan, a month-long period where participants fast from dawn-to-sunset, and Eid al-Fitr, a grand holiday celebrated on the Islamic lunar calendar at the close of the fasting month on April 9-10.

Meanwhile, quite a few grassroots organizations encouraged New York State voters to leave their ballots blank in the recent presidential primary on April 2 as a way of demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, which is an extension of the “uncommitted” ballot box protests in other states.

“This is a moment of very high concern,” said Congressmember Yvette Clarke at the event. “So in Washington, D.C., we are doing everything we can to make sure that we lift up, not only this community, but communities across this nation that are in great despair in this moment. My prayers are that there will be decisive action taken this week when we return back to Washington D.C. I see that the president and his administration have finally made the

move that I think must happen at this moment to save lives and to end atrocities that are happening, particularly to our Palestinian sisters and brothers.” At sundown the call to prayer, which is sung in Arabic, was performed. Those observing the prayer time gathered on the carpeted section of the street, bowing and kneeling in unison. Afterwards, a flood of chicken and lamb dishes and homemade sweet drinks were passed out for dinner. The breaking of the fasting period was complete. For the next hour or so, guests chatted and ate outside in the well lit, frigid night air to their heart’s content. They closed out the event with free cups of warmed chai and even more takeaway containers of food.

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

Brooklyn Emerge Director of Community Outreach Alim Bary speaks at the podium at a community Iftar dinner in Brooklyn on Sat, April 6. (Ariama C. Long. photos)

Founder and President of Brooklyn Emerge Zakarya Khan (left) and Councilmember Farah Louis (right) at a community Iftar dinner in Brooklyn on Sat, April 6.

LIFE Camp CEO & Founder Erica Ford bows out with ‘world’s most comfortable gala’

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

Peace is a lifestyle for Erica Ford, and now she’s peacing out from LIFE Camp, Inc.— the company she built from the ground up—to focus on her well-being. The leading gun violence prevention guru celebrated her retirement with a “sneaker gala” where she quite literally passed the baton to her successors.

“This is it,” said Ford. “For those of you who said ‘I am not doing this’ I want to let you know I have to do this. You either want Erica Ford to live or you want somebody to go out there and die so that people can’t die. You gotta respect the process. I have to do this.”

Ford announced her planned departure roughly a year ago on the Angie Martinez Show, pointing to health concerns. She said the gala, held this past Sunday, April 7, was her first and last one, eschewing jubilees and the typical money moves attached to them in favor of the actual groundwork.

For two decades, the Queens-based LIFE Camp tackled gun violence prevention through community-based efforts. Ford’s advocacy dates back a decade-and-a-half longer, working with Tupac Shakur on anti-violence efforts and championing reparations on the frontlines of the December 12th Movement.

“She’s accomplished so much that has changed so many lives through her beloved LIFE Camp,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Her life’s work, her

passion, to help our youth, our single parents, our families, has helped to make our community—my community—safer, more secure, and more knitted together as neighborhoods and as neighbors.”

“Before there [were] cameras, before there was money, there was a woman with an afro who was begging people to care about Black children who were dying in the streets,” added Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. “And no one can take that away from Erica.”

Next up are current Co-Executive Directors Diana “Princess” Lemon and Tiffany Lamela, who were handed literal batons to symbolize the changing of the guard. There are big shoes to fill—bedazzled Nikes, to be specific.

“I cannot be Erica Ford, and I don’t plan to be,” said Lamela, “but I plan to be committed [and] dedicated to the process, and

to continue to be a voice for my youth and Southeast Queens and my community.”

Ford’s honorees at the gala ranged from publicist Rachel Noerdlinger to Parkland shooting survivor-turned activist David Hogg to Amsterdam News’s very own publisher, Elinor Tatum.

“Erika Ford is a trailblazer and Lifecamp has changed lives,” said Tatum. “I am honored to…be one of her ‘Black Queen Sovereign Aura’ award recipients.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1

(From left to right) Jaytan Mcmillan, Robin Kheperah Kearse, Jotaka Eaddy, Erica Ford, Victoria Smith and Elinor Tatum at the LIFE Camp Sneaker Gala. (Ariama Long photo)

Union Matters

The message of spring

Ah, springtime! Buds turn into flowers; the first baseball of the season has been thrown out to the cheers of hopeful fans forgetting a disappointing last year; Mr. Softee trucks are back on the road, driving us crazy with that obnoxious tune—a call to little kids eager to wait in line for that first lick of ice cream; and it’s time to book your summer vacation while worrying, “Will I fit into my swimsuit?”

Ah, springtime!

Much has been written and said about spring and its attractions. Baseball great Ernie Banks said: “Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.” Former First Lady, Ladybird Johnson said: “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow memorably wrote about spring: “No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere.”

Mother Nature seems to agree with these sentiments, as daylight lasts a little longer and our snow boots get pushed to the back of the closet. It seems that we can finally begin to place the COVID chaos in the rear-view mirror. There’s a feeling that spring has definitely sprung, bringing new beginnings, a fresh start, a clean slate—and inspiration, too.

So much has been written about the season. Toni Morrison, the writer and recipient of the1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, once wrote: “When spring comes to the city, people notice one another in the road; notice the strangers with whom they share aisles and tables and the space…It’s the time of year when the city urges contradiction most, encouraging you to buy street food when you have no appetite at all; giving you a taste for a single room occupied by you alone as well as a craving to share it with someone you passed in the street. Really there is no contradiction—

rather it’s a condition.”

The Ghanaian founder of Smart Youth Volunteer Foundation, Lailah Gifty Akita, calls spring “a season for the soul to regain its strength.” Even comedian Robin Williams had an opinion about spring, calling it “Nature’s way of saying ‘Let’s Party.’”

It’s no coincidence that Ramadan, Easter, and Passover are spring holidays. The renewal of nature that comes with spring amplifies the promise of redemption embedded in the historical events being commemorated by all three religions.

Ramadan, a month-long celebration, marks the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. According to tradition, the holy book of the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad during Ramadan. Muslims believe that during this month, the gates to Heaven are open and the doors to Hell are closed. Muslims focus on their connection to God, reflect on their lives, and spend quality time with friends and family.

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death. Around the same time, and often overlapping, Jewish people celebrate Passover, the holiday commemorating the Hebrews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt.

In both of these festivals, nature and history converge with a resounding message of hope. These holidays are about delivery from a state of despair. Easter assures the individual that life is eternal. It offers a way out of a world beyond repair. It celebrates a religion that provides comfort to those who have lost faith in the gods of Rome. It spreads the message that the death of one has the capacity to save many and the resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate affirmation of life. Passover summons Jews collectively into the world to repair it. The message of Passover is that a tyrant like Pharaoh could be overthrown.

A nation as powerful as Egypt could be defeated. Slaves could

become free. The oppressed could break the shackles of their captivity. Anything is possible, if only we dare to dream the impossible dream.

It was the biblical record of the exodus from Egypt that enabled the spirit of optimism to prevail for the followers of Martin Luther King Jr. in their quest for equal rights, because they were stirred by the vision of Moses leading his people to the Promised Land. In fact, the historic speech that King delivered at the Mason Temple in Memphis, where he went on April 3, 1968, to support sanitation workers in protesting their meager wages of $1.65 an hour and deplorable working conditions, included the prophetic line: “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.”

He was assassinated the next day. It was ironic that many of King’s supporters, aides, and confidants had urged him against expanding their focus and leaving their comfort zone to take on new causes, such as the Poor People’s Campaign, which he was pushing.

King would have none of it. Instead, he urged the sanitation workers to go on strike, telling them, “You have to escalate the struggle a bit.” He countered the containment argument with, “We have moved into an era where we are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society.”

When we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is impossible not to recognize that his lessons are similar to the main lesson of spring: Without hope, all will be lost. So much about our nation underscores that sentiment. Even the drawing on America’s official seal, suggested by Benjamin Franklin in August 1776, attested to this belief, with the dramatic scene described in Exodus where Moses divided waters of the Red Sea that is depicted on the seal. The history of our nation— the hope and sense of rebirth that springtime inspires—has a message that is clear: The impossible can happen; it just takes longer. Dr. King believed that and lived it. We should, too.

Staten Island University Hospital nurses sign new contract

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) nurses have voted to ratify a new contract with SIUH-Northwell Health. They had been ready to set out on strike on Tuesday, April 2.

Before the start of their strike, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) President Nancy Hagans had spoken out about the low pay SIUH nurses were receiving; the base pay for nurses at SIUH-Northwell nurses was averaging some $11,573 lower than what was available at other New York City hospitals.

“Nurses shouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck while keeping Staten Island safe and healthy, and Northwell shouldn’t be making cuts that make their jobs even harder while spending big on corporate expansions and fancy ad campaigns,” Hagans had said. “Nurses on Staten Island deserve a fair contract with respectful raises and safe staffing. Northwell needs to do better by their nurses.”

SIUH nurses had received a signed letter of support for their strike from 26 other unions. “Too many SIUH nurses are leaving Staten Island to find nursing jobs in the other four boroughs,” the letter claimed. It was signed by unions like 32BJ SEIU, District Council 37, New York City District Council of Carpenters, AFSCME, Doctors Council SEIU, RWDSU, New York City Deputy Sheriffs Association, Writers

Guild of America East, and Professional Staff Congress CUNY.

“Nurses are dedicated to serving their Staten Island community but are being pushed to seek other opportunities because of SIUH’s lower pay and unsafe staffing levels. Staten Island is the only borough without an acute care public hospital. Given Northwell-SIUH’s near monopoly on healthcare on Staten Island, our community’s care will continue to suffer until pay and unsafe staffing levels are fixed.”

NYSNA, the nurses’ union, and SIUH held a long March 29 through 30 negotiating session and came to a last-minute agreement before the strike could start.

The 1,300 nurses at SIUH/ Northwell voted in favor of the new contract, which is said to add nurse staffing on 18 units, boost nurse wages so that they are similar to that of other New York City private hospitals, and increase the medical program for retired nurses. SIUH-Northwell nurses now also have the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday as a paid holiday.

On X/Twitter, Staten Island’s State Assembly Member Charles D. Fall, who had signed on to a letter of support for the nurses, called the strike aversion a “victory [that] brings crucial improvements in staffing and wages, keeping our nurses where they belong: in Staten Island, serving our community. Unity and perseverance always lead to triumph.”

Gregory Floyd President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Staten Island University Hospital nurses voted to ratify new contract with SIUH-Northwell Health (NYSNA photo)

Mosques in NYC struggle to house and feed an influx of Muslim migrants this Ramadan

Imam Omar Niass leads evening prayers with mostly Senegalese migrants, before the breaking of Ramadan fast and the serving of a festive meal called an iftar, Friday March 15, 2024, at Bronx’s Masjid Ansaru-Deen mosque in New York. The mosque, formerly the Imam’s home, has been a refuge since 2020 where hundreds of African migrants can find help while seeking asylum in the United States. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews photos)

By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK — Above a bodega in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, a mosque congregation hosts iftar, the traditional Islamic end of fast meal, for hundreds of hungry migrants every night during this holy month of Ramadan.

Up north in the Bronx, an imam has turned the two-story brick residence that houses his mosque into a makeshift overnight shelter for migrants, many of them men from his native Senegal.

Islamic institutions in the Big Apple are struggling to keep up with the needs of the city’s migrant population as an increasing number of asylum seekers come from Muslim-majority African countries. The challenge has become all the more pronounced during Ramadan, which began March 11 and ends April 9.

Many mosques have opened their doors to migrants during the daylight hours, becoming de facto day centers where new arrivals can find a quiet place to rest and recover, oftentimes following restless nights sleeping on the streets or in the subway.

Muslim leaders say they’ve stepped up their appeals for donations of money, food, clothing and other supplies in recent days.

“We’re doing what we can do, but we can’t do everything. That’s the bottom line,” said Moussa Sanogo, assistant imam at the Masjid Aqsa-Salam in Harlem, just north of Central Park. “These brothers, they don’t eat enough. They’re starving when they get here. Can you imagine? Starving. In America.”

Imam Omar Niass, who runs Jamhiyatu Ansaru-Deen, the mosque in the Bronx, said

Following evening prayers at Bronx’s Masjid Ansaru-Deen mosque, African migrants break Ramadan fast and begin a meal called an iftar, Friday March 15, 2024, in New York. The mosque, formerly the family home for its Imam Omar Niass, has been a refuge and shelter since 2020 for African migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

providing a place for newly arrived migrants to bed down is the least he can do, even if it has come at great personal expense. His utility bills have long since outpaced his ability to pay. He estimates he’s behind about $7,000 on the home’s electricity service and another $11,000 on water service.

“In our culture, you can’t deny the people who come to the mosque,” he said on a recent Friday as more than 50 men arrived for afternoon prayers. “We keep receiving the people because they have nowhere to go. If they come, they stay. We do what we can to feed them, to help them.”

The latest migrant surge has seen more than 185,000 asylum seekers arrive in New York City since the spring of 2022, with Africans from majority Muslim nations such as Senegal, Guinea and Mauritania among the top nationalities represented in new cases in federal immigration courts in the state.

New York City’s estimated 275 mosques were among the first places to feel the impact of the African wave, as they’re often migrants’ first stop upon arriving in the city, said Assefash Makonnen of African Communities Together, a Harlem-based advocacy group supporting African immigrants.

But relying solely on the generosity of faith-based communities—many of which are already struggling to keep afloat—isn’t sustainable in the long run, she said.

Last summer, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams announced to much fanfare a program meant to provide funding, security and other support for up to 75 mosques, churches and synagogues that agreed to provide overnight shelter to migrants.

So far, though, just six houses of worship holding around 100 beds have been ap-

proved to provide additional space for the more than 64,000 migrants currently housed by the city in hotels and other shelters.

Bishop Matthew Heyd of the Episcopal Diocese of New York said the challenge for many faith-based institutions is that they’re located in older buildings that don’t meet current fire safety standards.

With more “commonsense” regulations, he said, houses of worship are prepared to provide 5,000 additional beds for migrants at a fraction of the cost the city is currently paying to shelter them in hotels across the five boroughs.

“We want to be part of the solution to this. We have been before, and can be now,” Heyd said, referring to a network of faithbased shelters that grew in response to the city’s homeless crisis in the 1980s.

Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said the city, in response to the concerns, lowered the maximum number of beds permitted at faith-based shelters earlier this year from 19 to 15, meaning they wouldn’t be required to have sprinkler systems under city building codes.

“We are making changes where we can,” she said. “Obviously the health and safety of the people we are sheltering has to be the priority. You just can’t walk into a church and turn it into a shelter.”

In the Bronx, Niass said he hasn’t given the city program much thought. He also stressed he doesn’t collect rent from the migrants, in contrast to the illegal, dangerously overcrowded migrant boarding houses the city has shut down in recent weeks.

Still, the conditions at the mosque are less than ideal.

On a recent visit, men rested on the floor

of a basement prayer room in between the day’s five prayer times. More lounged out in the backyard, where there was a microwave and hot water kettle set up for preparing basic meals, as well as a shed for storing luggage and a row of file cabinets for incoming mail. Near the driveway was a portable toilet covered in a blue tarp that did little to mask the odors that drew swarms of flies.

Malick Thiam, a Senegalese migrant who has been staying at Niass’s mosque for about a month, said he’s thankful for the hospitality but looks forward to finding a place of his own.

The 29-year-old, who arrived in the country in August, said he’s recently started work making late-night food deliveries. He said he typically returns to the mosque as others get up for early morning work shifts, allowing him to avoid conflicts as men jockey over sleeping spots.

“Sometimes they got fighting, sometimes they got many problems,” Thiam said, speaking in clear but at times broken English as he relaxed in the mosque’s backyard. “Living here is not easy. It is difficult. It is very, very difficult.”

Back in Harlem, Alphabacar Diallo is similarly thankful for the support Masjid AqsaSalam has provided, but is anxious to get on with his life. Like many others coming for iftar, the 39-year-old migrant from Guinea says he’s still waiting for work authorization some eight months after arriving in the country.

Until then, the mosque provides him a place to keep warm, fed and close to the faith that’s sustained him.

“Without the masjid,” he said in French through a translator, “I don’t know where I’d be.”

The fate of Biden’s Plan B

Usually, when President Biden announces plans to provide relief on student loan debt, it’s a general one with no specificity—but on Monday, he said that his Plan B that was canceled by the Supreme Court last year was getting a do-over and will provide “significant relief” for Black and Latino borrowers. This is the kind of good news indebted African Americans, who relied heavily on the loans and take longer to repay them, have been waiting for.

Among those cheering the fresh initiative is Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass), who said the action is “a powerful testament to the borrowers across the nation who fought for economic justice and continued to make the case for student debt, despite obstruction from the Supreme Court and Republicans. While we will continue to press for continued action that meets the scale of the crisis, this is a historic day and today’s announcement sets us on a path for over 30 million borrowers and their families to receive life-changing student debt relief this year.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Wisdom Cole, national director of the NAACP’s youth and college division. She told theGrio that the president’s new plan “is a step in the right direction.”

Biden’s renewed plan, as expected, has been met by mounting opposition on the right, including an increased welter of lawsuits. At the moment, 11 states have sued the Biden administration over the plan.

“The President does not get to thwart the Constitution when it suits his political agenda. I’m filing suit to halt his embarrassing attempt to buy the 2024 election in direct violation of the law. The Constitution will continue to mean something as long as I’m Attorney General,” said Andrew Bailey of Missouri.

As has been stressed in the past by Bailey and his cohort, Biden’s plan is “illegal and would cost American taxpayers $475 billion.”

Even if these complaints fail to gain any traction, there remains the Supreme Court as the final arbiter, and once more, it’s nail-biting time for millions of debtors as they wait for the next shoe to fall.

Soil is very fragile and essential to our community

By SAVONA BAILEY-MCCLAIN

We have a problem with flooding, soil erosion, and soil compaction in our West Harlem parks, and it also appears that Highbridge Park and Inwood Hill Park farther north may have similar conditions. This is now a regional problem that’s linked to a growing global problem.

You might wonder why I am writing about parks and trees. Public art offers quality of life that sparks creativity and innovation, so I must advocate for our open public spaces as well. Landscaping, parks, and trees go hand in hand with public art.

Many are not aware that from Central Park to the top of the island, our parklands are on a fault line. Our geological landscape (the rock outcroppings) includes the Manhattan Schist , but some are starting to call it the Harlem Schist. Why? Because we have to look at the challenges to our landscape more regionally.

Due to climate change and years of neglect or lack of care, our public parklands are suffering citywide. Erosion degrades land, which means fewer plants can take in climate warming carbon dioxide. And once soil erosion occurs, it’s more likely to happen again.

Soil erosion decreases soil fertility. It also sends soil-laden water downhill or downstream, which can create heavy layers of sediment. That is what we are experiencing uptown. This past weekend, water was streaming down stairwells in Morningside Park.

Soil compaction

Soil compaction means that the soil needs moisture.

Root growth is restricted due to bulk density. No-till soil has higher bulk density. Our Jackie Robinson Park has this severe problem.

Root penetration is limited by roots encountering resistance.

More resources are needed to protect not only our park trees and soils, but our street trees as well. The New York Times just posted a story—” In the Fight Over NYC Sidewalks, Tree Beds Are the Smallest Frontier.” Losing our tree canopy will have devastating consequences to the wellbeing and quality

Due to climate change and years of neglect or lack of care, our public parklands are suffering citywide. Once soil erosion occurs, it’s more likely to happen again.

of life for all citizens, but particularly our Black and brown communities.

What are some solutions?

We need to be more innovative when it comes to solving problems of soil quality and tree protection. Fighting for 1% of the city budget may not happen. Yes, we need to continue such advocacy,but what do we do in the meantime? Experiment more to better understand our landscape. Target small areas and monitor any improvements or deterioration. We must take a more hands-on approach.

More training is needed for park workers who have limited access to proper equipment to meet the demands of these problems. All staff, not just some staff, should be rotated to learn different job functions, such as tree pruning, horticulture, composting, and landscape design. This could deal with hiring freezes. Offer bonuses and other incentives to existing staff, like learning a second language to better communicate with our diverse communities.

Most workers of color are not given many chances to advance. Allow park administrations to offer true opportunities to all of their workers and the public would gain a more informed and robust workforce.

We must also engage the public more honestly. Tell them the truth: that the city cannot do this alone. Everyone is needed. We must move away from only doing maintenance and trash clean-ups that supplement operations, to more gardening of native plants and grasses. This will offer some soil control and real remediations that could save the city time, money, and worker power in the long run.

The public narrative for almost 20 years has been to get more money for the Parks Department. They do need more money, because the problems have grown deeper. We cannot point fingers anymore. The public cannot take a hands-off approach anymore. We need to share observations, look at patterns, and ask the public to stem certain behaviors like curbing dogs or picking up their own trash. We can do this.

Climate change is real. And we cannot ignore the impacts any longer.

Savona Bailey-Mcclain is a Harlembased curator and arts administrator, and the executive director/chief curator of the West Harlem Art Fund, which has organized high-profile public arts exhibits throughout New York City for the past 25 years, including at Times Square, DUMBO, Soho, Governors Island, and Harlem.

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan photo)

God’s not dead

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

Rumors of God’s death are vastly exaggerated.

My infinitely warm and invaluable relationships with family and friends stand on rock solid religious convictions. They were instilled from my earliest days by my loving parents James and Thelma Williams. They have guided my voyage to business success beyond my wildest dreams.

Faith and work ethic have consistently reminded me that a fool can burn down a building. But brains and industry are required to create one.

It’s easy to be a critic. Imperfections are inescapable even for geniuses. John Milton’s acclaimed “Paradise Lost” has blunders. But critics leave nothing constructive to inspire.

You can’t acquire this wisdom by books or reflection alone. You must attempt to create something original yourself through trial and error. There is no substitute.

Too many wish to be doted upon or crave paternalism to escape responsibility. They live stunted lives, ignoring that the tortoise only makes progress

by sticking its neck out. My faith has been as constant as the North Star every step of my journey. I have never questioned. I have never wavered. I have never doubted.

Volumes have been written answering common questions: how to build companies, set up systems and processes, or improve leadership. But at the end of the day, the best book for success has been available to all for millennia: The Bible.

This soaring guide to salvation is as timeless as God. The Bible’s messages are for all time and for all places. The purpose of life is changeless. The Bible does not pause to fit today’s fashions.

This understanding gave birth to America. No religion. No Plymouth Rock. No Pilgrims. No City on a Hill.

Mankind is made of crooked timber. The Bible is like training wheels. It enables us to resist multiple occasions to sin. President George Washington’s timehonored Farewell Address celebrated religion as the wellspring of morality, “a necessary spring of popular

government.” John Adams, Washington’s successor, advised that statesmen “may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand.”

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are many. They test your resolve and faith like Jonah and the Whale. Living without adversity is a luxury. Faith is made of sterner stuff, as Jesus proved. Many cannot confront and grapple with reality— it is too grim. Suicide rates have skyrocketed, especially among youths who have not begun to live. Depression is an epidemic in the next generation. They squander time on social media in lieu of introspection culminating in comforting and enduring faith.

The key to success lies with the faith within us. It inspires kindness, industry, and every benevolent instinct of the human heart. An investment in faith yields far richer dividends than an investment in Apple or Amazon. Seasons change. Presi-

STAY UPDATED WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY

Plant a garden

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

dents and celebrities come and go with the regularity of the rising and setting of the sun. The choreography of our lives is in constant flux. But our lives following the Bible are as unchanging as the Rock of Gibraltar. Faith is like an anchor that can right your ship when the waters of life turn turbulent, and a shipwreck nears. Faith is that silent force that gives hope to patients afflicted with cancer or other life-threatening diseases.

Critics and naysayers want to mock, ignore, or dismiss faith. They are losing out on an unsurpassed source of resolve and strength. According to their suboptimal way of thinking, something you cannot see, touch or prove, does not exist. They do not acknowledge that our knowledge confronts limits.

Armstrong Williams (@ ARight-Side) 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

April is always a special month for me. As spring begins to emerge, you can see flowers begin to bloom and the buds on trees begin to come alive. Birds seem to be returning back from their southern sojourns and the weather seems to take us on a thrilling ride each day, vacillating between wintry mixes, warm spring days, pollen storms, and torrential rain showers. There are mornings where you’re bundled in a coat and hat, and afternoons spent in a tank top, before returning to your scarf by the end of the day.

A few months ago, I asked my mother when I could repot many of my plants that have outgrown their current homes. She told me the old wive’s tale was to wait until spring. She said that’s what her mother did, and her mother’s mother, and that is why she waits to plant her garden or repot her plants until the spring. I am definitely not going to defy my matriarchs, so I too will be repotting my various plants during this month.

Not surprisingly, April is National Plant a Garden Month. This is a time to literally sow seeds and begin anew. As I am constantly reminding my readers of this column, each day is an opportunity for us to begin again. If we fall short, we can always begin anew at the start of each week, each month, or each year.

April is especially a time for new beginnings since it is the official welcome of spring, when nature

emerges from its monthslong slumber. I am always amazed at the buds on once-barren trees. During the cold winter months, it often feels like the green on the trees will never emerge again. Similarly, when planting a few tiny seeds into the ground or a pot in my windowsill, it feels like a plant or herb or even a small flower is just a mere wish. Watching plants grow has been so good for my soul. Rooting and planting has helped me with patience, as well as increased my appreciation for the smallest forms of life that surround us every day, even on a mundane walk to the subway.

Since we are encouraged to plant a garden during the month of April, let’s aim to plant something that will make us happy throughout the summer or even throughout the year. I am thinking about planting herbs to use in my kitchen and even some flowers to enjoy this summer. Whatever you decide to plant, I hope you will be reminded of the generations who came before us who made their living off of the land and were sustained by the land, even during some of the darkest of times.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio; and is a 2023–24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.

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Caribbean Update

Haiti’s presidential council sends key documents to Caricom; hopes soar for interim government

BY BERT WILKINSON

Special to the AmNews

Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders are set to meet virtually this week to collaborate with varied Haitian stakeholders about the establishment of an interim government until fresh general elections are held, possibly late next year, after members, as expected, sent key political and legal documents to the bloc at the weekend.

Officials said the nine-member council, which includes representatives from the private sector, religious organizations, and seven political parties or groups, delivered a legal decree and a political accord to regional bloc Chairperson and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali on Sunday. This gave Haitians information about the interim presidential council: how it will function, its creation, and its objectives. The decree has to be published in the

country’s official gazette to allow the council to operate legally.

Officials were translating it for perusal. The decree and accord will both then be passed to outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has been in Puerto Rico for the past month, unable to get safely back into Haiti because armed gangsters, who have threatened to kill him if he returns, also control the main airport, preventing his return from trips to Guyana and Kenya. Henry will pass the documents to the council, paving the way for the council’s installation and swearing-in in the coming days.

Once this is done, Henry, who succeeded President Jovenel Moïse after Moïse was assassinated in July 2021, will step down as prime minister. He was never elected nor sworn in as PM, but had been identified by Moïse to be his PM before his murder, so he has no real legal standing.

Ali, meanwhile, is expected to

meet virtually with a small group of prime ministers and the threeperson Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of former prime ministers to discuss the next steps as leaders push for urgency on the part of the interim council. The EPG has held close to a year of negotiations on behalf of the 15-nation bloc with politically warring Haitian stakeholders. Nearly all had demanded Henry’s removal as a precondition for participating in the talks.

The group is composed of Kenneth Anthony of St. Lucia, Perry Christie of the Bahamas, and Bruce Golding of Jamaica. They have visited Haiti several times since mid-last year and also hosted dozens of stakeholders in Jamaica.

Once installed and sworn in, the council will choose a prime minister and a president, and get down to some very important tasks, including sending formal invitations to the United Nations

to deploy an international security force that would take on the armed gangs roaming the country. Various governments that have committed troops and police officers have said they would not send any personnel unless there is a formal central authority to report to and that would liaise with ground commanders. The interim government will also set up a security council that would oversee the stabilization of the nation of 11 million people.

Over the weekend, the transitional council issued a statement assuring Haitians that they are on track and would work assiduously on behalf of the people. It was signed by all nine members and included:

It indicates the broad outlines of the road map for the transition period that the presidential council will be responsible for executing, jointly with the next consensus government, with the aim of putting the country back on the path to stability, peace, union, and progress.”

The body said the transition is based on values and principles such as inclusion, citizen participation, integrity, peace, respect, and protection of the nation. The agreement also presents the mode of political governance of the transition, as well as its mission, its vision, and the main responsibilities of its institutional structures.

“This agreement, which has been harmonized with the decree document on the organization and operation of the CPT, will be immediately signed by the stakeholders, and then the two documents will be officially transmitted to the government, via CARICOM, the body facilitating the dialogue process. The political agreement expresses a common vision of the transition constructed by the sectors and represents a responsible commitment to the Haitian people.

An immigrant doctor, a Black patient, and a pig’s kidney

FELICIA PERSAUD IMMIGRATION KORNER

In an ocean of bad news stories, one good one stood out as an early Easter miracle for me recently. In case you missed the story, it involved an incredible immigrant doctor, a Black patient desperately in need of a new kidney—and a pig’s kidney.

While many media reports focused on the story, hardly one focused on the immigrant heritage of this doctor. For me, that was the main story in the dark, stormy sea of negative xenophobic reports and comments on immigrants recently, including the “poison the blood” and “vermin” comments from the 2024 Republican nominee for president.

Dr. Leonardo V. Riella, the director of kidney transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital, (MGH), led the team

that transplanted the first genetically engineered pig kidney into a living human. He is also an immigrant, born and trained early on in the South American nation of Brazil.

Dr. Riella graduated with his medical degree from the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil in 2003. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2007. He joined the American Society of Transplantation (AST) board of directors in 2008 and occupied several different roles.

This was followed by his nephrology fellowship in 2009 (BWH/MGH) and transplant fellowship in 2010. Dr. Riella received his doctorate in transplant immunology in 2012 from the Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil and the Transplant Research Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Riella joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School as an assistant professor of medicine in

2013.

He was later recruited to become the medical director of kidney transplantation at MGH and a senior investigator at the Center for Transplantation Sciences. Dr. Riella has over 180 publications in major journals, including New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Immunology, Transplantation and American Transplant Journal. He is currently the section editor of the American Journal of Transplantation. He is currently funded by the NIH, Department of Defense, Industry and Philanthropy.

“We are proud to celebrate the key role of Brazilian Dr. Leonardo Riella,” the embassy of Brazil in the U.S. posted on X.

Thanks to Dr. Riella, Richard Slayman, 62, of Massachusetts—who received the world’s first successful transplant of a genetically edited pig kidney— is alive and was recently discharged from the hospital.

Slayman was at the end-stage

of kidney disease and had depended on dialysis for years.

But thanks to Dr. Riella, a transplant nephrologist who helped perform the surgery, Slayman is now home with his family and with a new lease on life.

His March 16 surgery took about four hours and was made possible after he agreed to become the first person in the world to receive a kidney from a pig, one that had been genetically edited for the human body.

The pig kidney was genetically edited using technology to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans and eliminate any risk of infection.

“We’re going to learn a lot with Mr. Slayman. He was brave to go through a procedure where there were so many unknowns,” said Dr. Riella. “What he taught us is that it is possible.”

The groundbreaking transplant offers hope to the nearly 90,000 kidney patients on dialysis. It could mark a major mile -

stone in the quest to provide more readily available organs to patients.

“This moment—leaving the hospital today with one of the cleanest bills of health I’ve had in a long time—is one I wished would come for many years. Now, it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life,” Slayman said in a statement.

Slayman’s doctors are now working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to create a path toward clinical trials.

“And hopefully then bring it to clinical practice, bring it to all patients on the waiting list who don’t have a kidney and may have to wait too long,” said Dr. Riella, an immigrant who certainly adds to the countless immigrants across the U.S. who help make America great every day.

Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focusing on Black immigrant issues.

Arts & Entertainment

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ rides high while blending genres

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Beyoncé forewarned the world, “this ain’t a country album, it’s a Beyoncé album!” She has stopped the world, again, with her highly anticipated, “Cowboy Carter.” Her new project, released on Friday, March 29, helped Beyoncé become the first Black woman to achieve a number one album on the Billboard country chart. She has also hit number one in 10 countries so far including Australia, Ireland, and Scotland.

Beyoncé’s resistance to only being pigeonholed as an R&B, hip-hop, or pop star is indicative of her new era. She blends genres while breaking barriers of how her music is “supposed to sound.” When accepting the Innovator Award at the iHeart Radio Awards on Monday, Apr. 1, Beyoncé said, “Being an innovator often means being criticized, which often will test your mental strength.”

The superstar continued, “My hope is that we’re more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art with no preconceived notions.” She dedicated her award to innovators who devote their lives to creating shifts within art.

Pushing boundaries musically allows her to be liberated as well as honest through her creativity. For years, she has declined sit-down interviews and is very selective about which publications have access to her. Nearly 30 years into her career, the entertainer intentionally let her music speak loudly. In her opening track, “Ameriican Requiem,” Beyoncé revealed, “Used to say I spoke, ‘too country’ and then the rejection came, said I wasn’t country enough.” This is interpreted as a response to the backlash against her after the Country Music Awards, despite her performance with The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks) in 2016 bringing the show’s highest-rated 15 minutes in history.

One BeyHive member, the name given to super Beyoncé fans, recalls the rejection from that award show. Aynesa Moore, 25, also from the south, empathizes and understands Beyoncé referencing and living her country roots throughout her career. “Beyoncé is synonymous with country,” said Moore. “Bey paying homage to so many country legends such as Dolly Parton, I think, proves this was not a random leap.”

Beyoncé didn’t randomly choose the name of her chart-topping album and it might not be solely based on her married name, either. The Carter Family, an extremely influential country music act, were considered the “First Family of Country Music. Their standout star Maybelle Carter learned her guitar skills from Lesley “Esley”

Riddle, a Black musician. This example of African Americans roots in the genre is illustrated through “Cowboy Carter.”

Moore refers to the new release as, “a skillfully crafted work of art.” “It showcases her vocal ability and many of the amazing things she can do with her voice,” she added. A fan favorite is Beyoncé’s rendition of Dolly Parton’s, “Jolene.” Beyoncé added a more aggressive tone to her ver-

sion which remained country inspired. Another distinct song is her duet with Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted.” Cyrus has also dabbled with various genres including hip-hop, pop, and country.

Another major collaboration was Beyoncé’s “Blackbiird,” featuring lesserknown Black country artists Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts. These four ladies are now

Beyonce’ accepts the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, Monday, April 1, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

receiving global recognition that will likely boost their careers. “I love how Beyoncé used her influence, her talent, and her exposure to bring light to newer artists who are getting their footing in the industry,” said Moore. “A co-sign from a legend like Beyoncé is life changing.”

A legend like Paul McCartney endorsing the “Queen Bey” to cover “Blackbiird” was also exceptional and significant. McCartney originally wrote the song in 1968 after learning about Little Rock Nine and the Civil Rights Movement. “I am so happy with Beyoncé’s version of my song ‘Blackbird,’” said Paul McCartney on his official Instagram. “I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place.” The Beatles singer intended for the record to be from a Black girl’s perspective.

Beyoncé’s including “Blackbiird” and featuring another genre blending artists like Shaboozey displays how calculated she was with creating “Cowboy Carter.” “Mrs. Carter has done her homework; she loves and respects the genre,” said Moore. Beyoncé’s genre blending, history telling and celebration of newer artists all come together on “Cowboy Carter.” Beyoncé exhibits how liberated she is with doing whatever she wants to do musically.

(AP Photos/Chris Pizzello)

A Season of Celebrations Dance Theatre of Harlem celebrates 55th anniversary season at City Center

By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews

The Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), a leading ballet company and global ambassador for excellence and diversity, will bring its 55th anniversary season to New York City Center April 11–14 with a program that promises to dazzle the eye, capture the imagination, and soothe the soul.

As the season celebrates both newly named Artistic Director Robert Garland and the 90th birthday of company founder Arthur Mitchell, DTH reaffirms that the future of ballet is in Harlem. Honoring Mitchell’s legacy and ushering in the next generation of his vision, this festival-style weekend of performances features audience favorites and new repertory alike.

Garland has constructed a season that honors DTH-founder Mitchell’s vision of presenting a mix of ballets acknowledging both his neo-classical background and African American heritage. The season also continues DTH’s mission of signaling the way forward for an artform learning to reverse a historic resistance to the Black dancing body

and embrace a revitalizing African diasporic sensibility and physicality.

Mitchell started the company with the help of master teacher Karel Shook, after the 1968 assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and passed it on to founding member Virginia Johnson. The company is both a catalyst for change and a testament to a legacy.

After roughly 10 years as head of the company, Johnson handed the reins to Garland, who has been part of the DTH family since Mitchell invited him to join the company in 1985. Before assuming his current position, Garland wore a variety of hats, including principal dancer, resident choreographer, director of the DTH school, and more.

In an interview with the Amsterdam News, Garland said, “I’m so absolutely honored to be continuing a legacy that was started by a man who means so much to me.”

He added that DTH thrives due to the dedication and love of those who have supported it through the years and made this season possible. In addition to singing the praises of the Harlem community that has nurtured and sustained the company since its founding, he also applauded current DTH

Executive Director Anna Glass and the generations of alumni scattered around the country, some who have started ballet schools and companies of their own while others serve as teachers and administrators in dance departments at major universities.

Garland also boasted about DTH’s former Black ballerinas, such as Lydia Abarca, Marcia Seldes, Gayle McKinney, and Sheila Rohan, now immortalized in the new book “Black Swans of Harlem.” He mourned the passing of Lorraine Graves, a dancer whose presence commanded the stage in ballets like “Giselle” and whose photographic memory Mitchell relied on to help restage the DTH repertory around the world. Of course, Garland enthusiastically praised the current crop of company members who take the stage this season.

“This season would not have been possi-

ble without any of them, past and present,” Garland said before launching into a description of upcoming programs, which include a contemporary ballet by William Forsythe, “Blake Works IV (The Barre Project)” and, for one night only, Garland’s “Return,” which the New York Times called a “witty fusion of ballet technique and street gait.” It is set to the music of James Brown and Aretha Franklin. New works include the New York premiere of Robert Bondara’s “Take Me with You,” a contemporary pas de deux set to the music of Radiohead, and the company debut of George Balanchine’s “Pas de Dix,” a classical delight for 10 dancers.

With more than a touch of excitement, Garland said he hopes folks will “join us for the audacious vision for ballet that is Dance Theatre of Harlem from April 11–14.”

DTH Company in “Blake Works IV (The Barre Project).” (Theik Smith photo)

DTH Company Artists in “Return.” (Jeff Cravotta photo)

DTH Company Artist Kamala Saara in “Pas de Dix.” (Jeff Cravotta photo)

DTH Company Artists Micah Bullard and Amanda Smith in “Take Me With You.” (Jeff Cravotta photo)

Ailey II celebrates 50th anniversary with innovative programming

By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews

Ailey II, the celebrated second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returns to the Joyce Theater on April 9-14, fresh on the heels of a successful world tour with a program that celebrates its 50th anniversary. During the eightperformance engagement their “dynamic movement and dazzling technique” will shine in premieres by Artistic Director Francesca Harper and the exciting duo of Baye & Asa (Amadi ‘Baye’ Washington and Sam ‘Asa’ Pratt) alongside repertory favorites and revered classics by beloved founder Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe, and Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison.

Founded in 1974, the company embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Under the leadership of Sylvia Waters, who served as artistic director for 38 seasons, Ailey II flourished into one of

the most popular modern dance companies, providing a bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance world. On its 50th anniversary, Ailey II continues to thrive, with Francesca Harper bringing a fresh dimension to the company as she propels a beloved tradition forward.

Harper, in a recent interview, referred to this season’s celebration as “legacy framing the future,” which embodies her love for and longstanding relationship with the Ailey family, a bond that creates an aura she hopes envelops Ailey II audiences. “For me this program celebrating the 50th embodies our luminaries—Mr. Ailey, who I knew as a young person and have very vivid memories of, and Miss Jamison and Ms. Waters, who are both mentors— while also showing the new voices, Baye and Asa.” Harper said that while her voice is relatively new as Ailey II, artistic director, as daughter of the late Ailey School administrator Denise Jefferson she, too, is a longstanding member of the Ailey family. And, it’s that concept of family ties that permeates the upcoming Joyce program. Harper’s “Luminous,” for example, pays

homage to five decades of Ailey II, weaving iconic moments of the past into a tapestry of the periods when Ailey launched the company that influenced the international cultural landscape. Drawing on extensive conversations with Waters, Harper weaves a rich tapestry of stories and memories that testify to Ailey II’s continuing commitment. It also shows Harper’s determination to break boundaries, push artistic limits, advocate for social change, and highlight the power of community. The original composition and vocals by Nona Hendryx is additional proof of that.

2023 Dance Magazine Harkness Promise Award recipients Baye & Asa’s ”John 4:20” expands the duet the choreographers originally created in 2018. The piece began as an interrogation of their shared history and divergent identities as New Yorkers, male dancers, and as a white American and a Black American. Through the personal dynamics of their brotherhood they address the larger political landscape of their upbringing. The new iteration of “John 4:20” captures relation-

ships, friends, and siblings in a group of new bodies struggling to show the reality of violence and the necessity for empathy. Other performances include: William Forsythe’s captivating work “Enemy in the Figure” (excerpt); new productions of ”A iley Highlights,” a collection of excerpts from three classics choreographed by Alvin Ailey between 1958 and 1972; and Judith Jamison’s ” Divining ,” a solo excerpted from her first major work as a choreographer for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, created in 1984 at the request of her mentor, Alvin Ailey. Set to a score of North African, Central African, and Latin rhythms, “Divining” builds on African dance idioms to create a striking, pulsating modern dance work.

Praising her dancers, the rising stars of the second company who come from near (Queens native Patrick Gamble and Brooklyn native Corinth Moulterie ) and far (Dutch dancer Maggy van den Heuvel ), Harper said, “It was important to me that the New York season recognize the rich history of the company as well as its legacy shaping the future.”

Andrew Bryant in Alvin Ailey's Blues Suite. (Nir Arieli photos)

Kali Marie Oliver and Andrew Bryant in Alvin Ailey's The Lark Ascending. Ailey II in Alvin Ailey's Streams.

Maya Finman-Palmer in Judith Jamison's Divining

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

Capricorn

Dec 22

Jan 21

By SUPREME GODDESS KYA

WWW.KYAFRENCH.COM | CONSULTATIONS 866-331-5088

A week of patience as April is a month of guidance and enlightenment all mixed and blended into the details. Allow change to show you the imperfections of life through hidden and open signs of communication. What seems like a mystery is actually how things work when it’s time to know. Continue to fill in the missing pieces and details to the complex puzzle. Days leading up to April 18 around 10:10 a.m., allow the stars and your gut, as well as intuition and nature to be your guide. Relax.

If it’s up to be then it’s up to me. April is a month to be studious and observe your overall work and the next level or next project. Your willpower is heightened this week, so say it then will it into existence. A slight headto-head challenge may occur just to tick you off. Remember it’s only a test, testing your strength and weakness. Navigate the middle of the situation to bridge the gap, finding mutual peace. From April 11 around 8:59 a.m. until April 13 around 1:22 p.m., do and be all you can be by giving the second, minute, hour, day, etc. the best of you.

What blew in your window, or who’s giving you the tea and putting you on notice? What you do with the information given is up to you; use it as it applies to any upcoming situation. See what resources are in your community or network that can aid and assist you in your growth. A cycle week to acknowledge your hunches and your inner voice to guide you. Financial gain is slow yet rewarding this week and in the last week of April. From April 13 around 1:45 p.m. until April 15 around 9:33 p.m., simply feel it out in matters of home, relationships and business before committing to something.

No need to change course when things are working out after you initiate. The play is the play to be played out to see what result you receive. You can always implement or improve rather than blame others or point the finger, as no one is perfect. Make the necessary adjustments and keep it moving. You are building an empire so distractions and worries are a non-factor. Focus on what feeds your soul and bring your peace to a higher mindset. From April 15 around 10:24 p.m. until April 18 around 9:25 a.m, your words and actions have more power and influence this week. Be clear and concise.

Aries Mar 21 Apr 21

You have a lot to be thankful and grateful for as Jupiter, the Sun, and Uranus are in conjunction with one another, about to send off a Big Bang Theory-sized wave of energy. In the days leading up to April 18 around 10:10 a.m., you are the first to feel and sense that something is on the way. After a build up, a thrilling moment or breakthrough occurs. Change is a part of the evolution for the revolutionary moment and movement of this time. The days leading to April 20 and after are rewarding and insightful without those solar eclipse sunglasses.

Apr 22 May 21

What a tug of war! The rope appears to be rough, drying out your hands and causing a fiction of sweat to build up. The sweat is there for you to get a grip, apply some skin in the game to gather your strength, and then pull as hard as you can to get you through whatever you are going through. April is a month that will teach you a lesson the old-school way of self-taught discipline, and the contribution it takes to advance to the next level. From April 11 around 8:59 a.m. until April 13 around 1:22 p.m., life is not a game, it’s what you make it. There are many different avenues to get you by; you choose the route that fits your agenda.

May 22

June 21

June 22

July 23

Om Mani Padme Hum: Jupiter, the Sun and Uranus dance to a rhythm of love, happiness, harmony, global change, and an uproar of great change of wealth. Jupiter, the Sun and Uranus in Taurus bring sweetness to your taste buds, harmonizing like a harmonica with home, love, and beauty in a slow, curveball effect. Mercury, Venus, and the north node in Aries act like assistants, while some are acting as secretaries and board members of the initiation of change or restoration of the heart. Enjoy the ride, folks. Look in your chart to see where Aries and Taurus are visiting you in your house for the shake up to wake up. “The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.” –Warren Buffet

When you enter into a new level or lifestyle, here comes the new scoundrel to distract you off-course. Your plan is the best plan so be selfish and selective in your due diligence of who you allow in your company or environment. You have many things, opportunities, and options to choose from for your next chapter of your life. How do you need to proceed? Sudden changes in opportunities occur once in a lifetime for you to partake in or not. From April 13 around 1:45 p.m. until April 15 around 9:33 p.m., change is a part of life and evolution. Whether you go willingly or not, it’s going to happen.

A sound plan takes time: the build up, the people, the effort, the time, back and forth putting the pieces together, and, most importantly, writing it out to see the plan forming together. When it’s ripe, it’s ready to bear fruit. It’s a go. Having a vision focusing on the end result is key to keeping you motivated to stay consistent. From April 15 around 10:24 p.m until April 18 around 9:25 a.m, what is meant for you to know and see is meant for you to prepare you for the next phase in life.

Sometimes plans come together and at other times will be delayed due to other things that need to occur before you can complete your plan. This week is the fill-in-the-blank process, like filling out an application or doing inventory to know what you need. When it rains, it helps nourish the soil of the earth and then the sun assists in the growth process. In the days leading up to April 18 around 10:10 a.m., look into your space, closets, room, office, etc. where you can clear things out and nourish the areas that need a maintenance check. It will uplift the environment and refresh your mental space.

A cycle of everything you touch turning into gold is what people lean into to assist in their daily affairs. Sometimes in life you have to cut your losses, let it go, and stop holding onto something that doesn’t want to be held onto. You are only draining yourself. From April 11 around 8:59 a.m. until April 13 around 1:22 p.m., allow the reason you get up every day to be your motivation and inspiration to uplift you to do whatever you want to do or be in life. People will throw dirt on your name and so what? The ground needs dirt too for growth. What’s your ending of a new beginning?

Are your palms, fingers, or feet itchy? If so, that’s another way for Spirit to communicate with you, be it about money, a new journey ahead, or acknowledgment of Spirit’s presence. This cycle week, the ancestors are on the scene to bless you in your endeavors, yet an exchange is an exchange. From April 13 around 1:45 p.m. until April 15 around 9:33 p.m., keep things simple for easy flow. You have more than enough options and opportunities to choose from. Ask and you shall receive.

t’s a consistent cycle to remain productive in all family, business, and self matters. Clues to what is coming by the end of April are already in position. What is for you will announce itself in the nick of time. Get involved with the community or attend events in the community as there is something there for you. The elders have much to share with you as well. Rewards and recognition etc are a part of your forecast. From April 15 around 10:24 p.m. until April 18 around 9:25 a.m., listen and watch the story play out as you sit back in silence.

Sephora Sale: Black and brown brands worth your coin, Part 1

By MAGRIRA Special to the AmNews

The annual Sephora sale began April 5 and continues through April 15. As a devoted enthusiast of makeup, skincare, and fragrances, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to support Black and brown beauty brands whenever possible. With discounts available for Beauty Insiders (Rouge, VIB, and Insider), the allure of saving is certainly enticing.

Yes, there are indeed many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) brands available at Sephora, largely due to their implementation of the 15 Percent Pledge, a vow to provide 15% of shelf space to African American-owned brands. This policy was established to combat the underrepresentation of BIPOC in the beauty industry. While it marks a solid beginning, there remains a pressing need for further action.

The 2023 statistics speak volumes: African American consumers spent over $9.4 billion in 2023 on beauty, skincare, and fragrance products. And while providing the pledge marks progress, it is pertinent to scrutinize whether this percentage truly mirrors the consumer base and spending potential of African Americans in the beauty market. Currently, Sephora has expanded from seven to 24 such brands, yet this figure falls short of constituting 15% of the overall 314 brands the retailer offers.

During the Sephora sale, which runs from April 5 through 15, consider exploring these brands.

Cay Skin

Best Sun Protection Brand: Cay Skin

Started by Winnie Harlow (2022). These are white cast-free sunscreens that compliment all skin tones and most skin types. Each formula is free of sunscreen filters oxybenzone and octinoxate and is enhanced with skin-nourishing additives like brightening niacinamide and antioxidant-rich sea moss extract. https://cayskin.com/ collections/deepwater-skincare

Ami Cole

Founder and beauty industry veteran Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye launched Ami Colé back in 2021, and earned an Allure Best of Beauty Award (eye makeup) for its best-selling Lash-Amplifying Mascara, a layerable formula that brings on all the lash-thickening drama with each swipe. https:// www.amicole.com/

Melanin Haircare

Started by YouTube beauty vlogger Whitney White in 2018, Melanin Haircare currently features five of its core products at the major retailer, including the strand-softening Plumping Deep Conditioner. https://melaninhaircare.com/

Chris Collins (Fragrance)

Named after the creator, the brand is inspired by Collins’s love for storytelling. Some of the standouts include an entire collection inspired by New York’s Harlem Renaissance, fragrant concoctions inspired by primal passion, and the Anima Voyageur Travel Trio Set, which features three unique fragrances inspired by the dimensionality of the human spirit. https://chriscollins.com/

Ries

TSA-friendly collection of sturdy travel bottles created by Megan

Fenty Beauty

Created by the iconic singer and billionaire entrepreneur Rihanna, Fenty Beauty has undoubtedly made its mark in the cosmetics and beauty industry. Known for its commitment to inclusivity and diversity, Fenty Beauty has become synonymous with “Black excellence” by offering a wide range of shades to suit various skin tones. Among its top-selling products are the Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, which provides a lightweight, blurring effect for a natural-looking complexion, and the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, a universally flattering lip gloss loved for its high shine and non-sticky formula.

Shani Darden Skin Care

One of the standout products from this line is Retinol Reform, which has garnered recognition with an Allure Best of Beauty Award. Retinol Reform is known for its effectiveness and remains one of the most popular products in the Shani Darden Skin Care lineup. This product is likely celebrated for its ability to target various skin concerns, including fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture, while providing visible results. Overall, Shani Darden Skin Care offers high-quality skincare solutions backed by the expertise of its founder, making it a trusted choice for many individuals seeking effective skincare products.

Pat Mcgrath Labs

Graham, each refillable bottle is made to ensure no leaks or spills happen during your travels.

Briogeo

Briogeo has established itself as a favorite among Sephora shoppers, catering to individuals with various hair types. The brand offers a diverse range of products, including leave-in conditioners, hair masks, and oils, to address different hair concerns and needs.

One of Briogeo’s standout products is the award-winning Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. This mask is highly praised for its ability to provide intense hydration and nourishment to dry, damaged hair, helping to restore its health and vitality. It’s formulated with a blend of natural ingredients to repair and strengthen hair, making it a popular choice for those seeking to improve the condition of their hair.

Fashion Fair

The OG. Before Pat McGrath and Fenty, there was Fashion Fair. This is the perfect collection designed for melanin-rich skin. Shut down in 2016 and relaunched exclusively at Sephora they roared back in 2021 with reformulated versions of its most popular products, like the Iconic Lipsticks, as well as some new products, including the Fabulous Face Priming Serum.

Bread Beauty

Bread Beauty Supply understands all kinds of curl types (but especially 3A to 4C hair) with fortifying products that make your hair feel smooth, moisturized, and clean without weighing it down. One of the top sellers is the Cooling Greens Exfoliating Scalp Treatment.

Pattern Beauty

This brand is the creation of Tracee Ellis Ross, a woman who understands textured hair. Check out her full line of hair products most are under-$50 line, hair tools, and strong-hold curl gels.

DANESSA MYRICKS BEAUTY

They call her ‘Mother’ for a reason. She is a makeup legend and her namesake beauty line is moving beyond iconic! Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation is pricey but your foundation will never look better. Taking the beauty world by storm is the #1 Under Eye Powder, by Pat McGrath Labs now available in a GORGEOUS new BABY PINK shade!

Adwoa Beauty

Adwoa Beauty is a haircare brand specifically designed for individuals with curly hair. Their product line emphasizes curl hydration and maintenance, offering a variety of hair-moisturizing products. One notable product is the Blue Tansy Reparative Mask, which serves to seal in moisture and provide protein from quinoa. This protein assists in damage control and helps to refresh the vibrancy of hair color. Overall, Adwoa Beauty aims to cater to the unique needs of those with curly hair, providing effective solutions for hydration, repair, and color maintenance.

Makeup artist Danessa Myricks crafts each and every product to perform with high-quality pigments that won›t fade, smudge, or sweat off of your face during the day. Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork Blooming Romance Palette is a multi-tasker and created to work on face, eyes, brows and lips.

54 Thrones

One of the most indulgent moisturizers. At just six years old, this brand pays homage to the rich culture of Africa’s 54 countries, where it also exclusively sources its ingredients.

Lys Beauty

LYS (Love Your Self) is becoming a makeup lovers favorite in part because most of their top quality products are under $25. Founded by Tisha Thompson.

Eadem

Eadem (2021) is the new kid in the skincare world but the luxury brand was indoctrinated as a member of Sephora’s Accelerate program and won Glossier’s Grant Initiative for Black-Owned Businesses. Eadem’s biggest flex is the Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum, a brightening mixture of niacinamide and vitamin C to make dark spots and hyperpigmentation marks fade.

(Photos courtesy of Pat Mcgrath Labs)

'Doubt: A Parable' is explosive, sinful delight

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

“Doubt: A Parable” is an explosive, sinful delight on Broadway. Playing at the Todd Haimes Theatre on W. 42nd Street, this Roundabout Theatre revival is exceptional. The beautifully and provocatively written story by John Patrick Shanley, which takes place in a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964, holds your interest from start to finish as the tale unfolds over 90 minutes with no intermission.

Each of the four cast members is splendid. Liev Schreiber is sublime as Father Flynn. Watching him perform is a treat— every facet of his performance, from words to gestures and facial expression, comes across with such power. He plays this character with a great deal of common sense and human vulnerability, but also appropriate indignation and distress. He goes through a gamut of emotions that resonate with the audience.

Amy Ryan is brilliant as the hardcore, by-the-book, suspicious Sister Aloysius. Ryan gives this character a self-righteousness that lets the audience know from the beginning that she has a hidden agenda. Sister Aloysius is able to take the fun out of a room or conversation just by passing a cruel judgment or a disparaging remark. This character judges everyone as guilty, and they can’t prove themselves innocent,

whether they are or not. She lives life with a negative agenda, aspiring to take the enthusiasm and joy of life away from others. As hard-hearted and cold as Sister Aloysius comes across in the majority of this production, it is that more gripping when she has a moment of sharing her more vulnerable side at the end. Ryan astonished the audience in the final moment.

Zoe Kazan is magnificent as Sister James, a young nun who views life through rose-colored glasses until Sister Aloysius brings the darkness. She is a woman with a conscience and while she is easily hurt and openly emotional, she slowly learns to develop a backbone and believe in her own convictions.

Quincy Tyler Bernstine is mesmerizing as Mrs. Muller, the mother of the only Black

‘Water for Elephants’ will touch your soul

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

“Water for Elephants,” a new musical based on the novel by Sara Gruen, will touch your soul. This has a devastatingly powerful book by Rick Elice and gripping music and lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Co. Jessica Stone’s direction is captivating to watch.

The audience sees the life lived by circus performers, both human and animal. On the animal side, we see the neglect, abuse, and cruelty that is shown to them by the circus owner and ringmaster, August. The audience learns about this circus from an older Mr. Jankowski, who is talking about his old days traveling with the circus as a vet for the animals. We meet the young Jacob Jankowski and see a story that has so much heart and love that we get overtaken with emotion. There is also so much truth about the mistreatment of animals by the circus. This is an industry where the only thing that can matter to the owner is the gate. Whatever it takes for money to be made is his priority. August also discards his circus staff like garbage. He treats his wife Marlena like property and does not hesitate to physically abuse her when he feels like it. In this circus life, you also find that people

who have been with the circus for years— Camel and Walter—definitely don’t have job security and even their lives are at risk.

“Water for Elephants” has some of the most original, charming, and detailed puppetry and masks you will see on Broadway. Acrobats perform as animals like horses and grab hold of your heart as they soar in the air. The acrobats in this musical are more than you would expect to see

on a Broadway stage. They are magnificent! “Water for Elephants” has such a great feel of the fun side of circus, while also showing you the horror.

This cast is extraordinary. Gregg Edelman is stunning as the older Mr. Jankowski, who has seen, loved, and suffered so much. Grant Gustin is fabulous as young Jacob Jankowski. The chemistry between him and Isabelle McCalla as Marlena is gorgeous.

student at the school. When she is called to the principal’s office to meet with Sister Aloysius, the scene is tense and amazing to behold. She forcefully portrays the role of a Black mother whose son has a lot on the line, both at this school and when it comes to his home life as well. She gives Mrs. Muller a protective, maternal instinct, not just to protect her son at this school, but to make sure he does not miss out on this educational opportunity due to a nun’s obvious vendetta with a priest. She comes across like a mother attempting to ignore Sister Aloysius’s allegations against Father Flynn when it comes to his behavior with her son, because there is no proof and because her son has much more to lose if he is put out of the school. This is a mother who looks at life for the bigger picture.

This is a play that really makes one question of what is fact or fiction? In this story, the one fact you do walk away with is that gossip and innuendo ruin people’s lives and are not to be taken lightly.

Scott Ellis’s direction is outstanding. This play also features marvelous set design by David Rockwell, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, and sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman.

“Doubt: A Parable” will make you laugh, smile, be captivated and take your breath away.

For more info, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.

Paul Alexander Nolan is quite memorable as the cruel, power- and money-hungry ringmaster August.

Stan Brown is poignant as Camel, an older man working for the circus who knows the insecurity of his position, but realizes that it is all he has. Joe De Paul is feisty and funny as Walter the clown. Sara Gettelfinger is caring and touching as Barbara. Wade McCollum is stunning as Wade, who has to do the owner’s dirty work.

“Water for Elephants” features a huge cast, filled with acrobats, puppeteers, and people in animal costumes. The choreography by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll is beautiful, and the circus design by Shana Carroll definitely works well. This musical has marvelous scenic design by Takeshi Kata; costume design by David Israel Reynoso; lighting design by Bradley King; sound design by Walter Trarbach; projection design by David Bengali; tremendous puppet design by Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, and Camille Labarre; and orchestrations by Daryl Waters, Benedict Braxton-Smith, and August Eriksmoen, with music direction by Elizabeth Doran.

“Water for Elephants” will quench your thirst for great theater!

For more info, visit www.waterforelephantsthemusical.com.

Scene from “Doubt: A Parable,” playing at the Todd Haimes Theatre (l–r): Amy Ryan and Quincy Tyler Bernstine (Joan Marcus photo)

A scene from “Water for Elephants” playing at the Imperial Theatre (l-r) Grant Gustin and the cast (Matthew Murphy photo)

‘Dope Black Women’ honored at Sweet Catch BK

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Women’s History Month was the perfect time for the organization M.A.D.E (Meaningful Action Designed to Elevate) Community to honor and salute ladies who earned recognition. The organization’s founder, Blu Ellis, recently hosted “Dope Black Woman,” M.A.D.E.’s celebration dinner in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn at Sweet Catch BK with an event sponsored by Patrón Tequila.

According to their website, “M.A.D.E. unites professionals of color by instilling the value of network and cultivating net worth.” Sweet Catch BK’s owner Kawana Jefferson was excited to host this year’s event at her establishment. “20-30 Black women gathering in a Black woman-owned business for Women’s History Month is literally a no brainer,” said Ellis. The southern-inspired seafood restaurant, open since September 2022, served as the ideal venue to congregate.

“Hosting the M.A.D.E event at Sweet Catch felt like a powerful affirmation of our collective strength and resilience, especially as a Dope Black Woman myself,” said Jefferson. The owner and her staff were extremely friendly and accommodating to everyone. As a proud hostess, this honoring during Women’s History Month was significant for her. “It was a moment of pride and solidarity that resonated deeply.”

The solidarity and camaraderie in the room was palpable, notably when Renae Bluitt gave her speech. “It is such an honor to be seen and celebrated by the women in my community,” said Bluitt. “M.A.D.E Community has been an incredible source of inspiration for Black women since its inception.”

The evening’s honoree used this opportunity to promote her documentary, “She Did That,” available on Amazon Prime video. Additionally, Bluitt expressed feeling truly appreciated and felt the celebration was “timely.” “This is the energy that I’m looking forward to taking into this new season, thank you.”

Jefferson was elated for Bluitt. “Seeing Renae being honored during the event was incredibly inspiring and humbling,” said Jefferson. “Chatting with her afterwards felt like sharing a moment of mutual respect and admiration.”

M.A.D.E. Community is dedicated to constantly promoting and creating events throughout the year. “I’m always about networking,” said Ellis. “I think that is my strong point, it’s connecting.” The entrepreneur strongly aims to rally and network with other business owners in Brooklyn. “It started with me meeting with [one business owner] and me saying, ‘let’s get all the other business owners in Bed-Stuy together.’”

Although Ellis was quite optimistic, she quickly discovered there was no shortage of business owners to unite for dinner. While

suggesting a larger space for more entrepreneurs to mingle in Brooklyn, COVID19 forced M.A.D.E Community to redirect their attention to the needs of Black people.

Ellis observed how Black neighborhoods were hit the hardest during the pandemic. According to Mental Health America, Black Americans were dying from COVID-19 at nearly 2.5 times the rate of white people. With tragedies stinging Black neighborhoods during 2020, Ellis and M.A.D.E became a beacon of light. The organization was determined to be attentive and supportive to African descendants in Brooklyn. Post COVID-19, this help transitioned into Ellis becoming heavily inspired by Women’s History Month. “I know so many dope Black women, [and thought] let’s do a dinner!” said Ellis. The concept started from 20 close girlfriends enjoying a meal to creating a logo and converting “Dope Black Woman” into a brand.

As she reflected on year three’s banquet, Ellis admitted she loved seeing “amazing women” gather for this celebration and networking with one another. It was an uplifting evening for Jefferson and all the women in attendance. Ellis confirmed M.A.D.E Community will continue into the field of honoring Black women.

“Next year, we want to make it more of an awards [ceremony],” said Ellis. She en-

visions the following year’s event to resemble Black Girls Rock’s annual award show.

“Dope Black Woman” founders Blu Ellis and Louisa Brown during the brand’s dinner celebration at Sweet Catch BK. (Brenika Banks photos)

“Dope Black Woman” dinner celebration gift bags for guests.

Sweet Catch BK owner Kawana Jefferson and “Dope Black Woman’s” 2024 Honoree Renae Bluitt chatting post dinner.

(From left to right) an attendee, “Dope Black Woman’s” 2024 Honoree Renae Bluitt and M.A.D.E Community’s founder Blu Ellis.

Sweet Catch BK’s grape nut ice and banana bread dessert during “Dope Black Woman” honor dinner.

Adept drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath dies at 88

Albert “Tootie” Heath, the humorous, innate drummer, who was adept in playing any style of jazz and influenced musicians for over seven decades died on April 3, at CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 88.

The cause was leukemia, said his wife Beverly Heath, to Philadelphia radio station WRTI. Heath was stationed in the jazz tradition but never stopped pursuing the expansion of the art form that led him to explore elements of African percussion, North Indian beats and other rhythmic styles. This along with his uncanny intuitiveness made him an elite first-call drummer for a long list of luminaries including avant gardists

Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell, Dexter Gordon, Clifford Jordan, and Yusef Lateef. His career continued with varied appearances on albums that are now, jazz standards including; John Coltrane’s “Coltrane” (this 1957 recording proved to be a wonderful outing for Heath’s first recording date), “The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery,” Nina Simone’s ”Little Girl Blue,” and Herbie Hancock’s ”The Prisoner.” He was recorded on over 100 albums.

Within the last decade his many prestigious honors have included a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America in 2018. Heath was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2021, an honor that was previously awarded to his older brothers Jimmy and Percy.

“Stay open-minded, and you have to pay attention to other cultures and other music in order to be as good as you needed to be in the genre that you’re in,” Heath said in a 2021 interview with the National Endowment for the Arts

after he was named an NEA Albert Heath was born on May 31, 1935 in Philadelphia. His father, Percy Heath Sr., was an auto mechanic, and a clarinetist in a marching band; his mother, Arlethia, was a hairdresser who sang in the church choir. He grew up in a household saturated with music and a reputation to live up to with his older brothers, Jimmy Heath playing saxophone and Percy Heath on bass. The young “Tootie,” a nickname reflecting his love for tutti-frutti ice cream, was primarily selftaught as a drummer. But he also had the local celebrated drummer Charles “Specs” Wright, who mentored him. He soon began jamming with his brothers before gaining recognition around Philadelphia playing with rising heavies like Ray Bryant, Lee Morgan, and Bobby Timmons. “It seemed like my house was the capital of jazz,” he recalled in a 2015 interview with NPR.

By February 1957, the 21-year-old Heath was sitting in with his larger than life hero Thelonious Monk on piano and Jimmy Bond on bass at Philadelphia’s Blue Note. “On the bandstand, Tootie taught me one key lesson that has permeated my artistry, being liquid in all that you play and do,” said bassist and composer Russell Hall. “Not only did Tootie possess this childlike freedom every time he touched the drums or told one of his hyper risqué jokes, that looseness was represented in his entire fiber of being. He always dressed with an air of sophistication without ever being stuffy or bourgeois, as if he were a painter in the Mediterranean.”

Some of Heath’s most noted work was as a leader with a group that included his two older brothers. Heath’s first album, “Kawaida” in 1969, included African-inspired tracks drawn from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. The collective fea-

tured his brother Jimmy on saxophones and his nephew Mtume on congas, along with pianist Herbie Hancock, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Buster Williams, and percussionist Ed Blackwell. His 1973 album ”Kwanza (The First),” featured Swahili songs inspired by his work with Yusef Lateef.

Two years after its release, they officially formed their working band as the Heath Brothers. They recorded more than six albums. In 2006, “Brotherly Jazz: The Heath Brothers,” was a mix of music and interviews following their early lives together in Philadelphia and their bonds with collaborators like Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Taj Mahal.

“I was lucky to have performed with Tootie many times in my life from performances for the NEA celebrating NEA Jazz Masters, and touring Hamburg and Berlin, Germany, where those performances showed his funny side,” said trumpeter and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Owens.

The Heath family spirit nourished them in their various reunions, including the one that ended with Percy’s death in 2005. The remaining brothers continued on with bassist David Wong for more than a decade, until Jimmy died in 2020.

During the late 1990s, he was a member of the sophisticated Modern Jazz Quartet, a chair he held until the band disbanded in 1997. His brother Percy had been a member since 1951 when he replaced Ray Brown.

His next major musical endeavor was as producer and leader of The Whole Drum Truth, a jazz drum percussion ensemble featuring Ben Riley, Ed Thigpen, Jackie Williams, Billy Hart, Charlie Persip, Leroy Williams and Louis Hayes. In the years that followed the ensemble included young notables like Sylvia Cuenca and Willie Jones III.

Heath was an instructor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for more than 30 years and

Albert “Tootie” Heath in June of 2014

(Soulpatch music

(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tootie_Heath_(cropped).jpg), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)

conducted seminars at colleges around the country. He also performed until recent months, often playing his familiar role as band’s spokesman and jester.

“You know, there’s an old Duke Ellington saying,” he told LA Weekly in 2009. “To play

jazz you got to have one foot in Africa and the other foot in today. And I think it has expanded a bit: You got to have one foot in Africa and one foot in the future. If you bring along your culture and all of the things you’ve experienced to the future, it makes it richer.”

Along with his wife of 50 years, Albert “Tootie” Heath is survived by four sons, Jonas Liedberg, Jens Heath, Scott Flood and Curt Flood, Jr.; two daughters, Debbie and Shelly Flood; a sister; nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

International

5% recommended by the World Health Organization for low- and middle-income countries to achieve universal health care, or the 15% it committed to spending on health as part of the Abuja declaration.

“It’s not just health,” Anderson Njuki, a Nairobi-based economist told the online publication Semafor, “because the country is spending much of its revenues on servicing debt, social spending and development.”

Without jobs or decent wages, qualified Kenyan medical professionals would accelerate their migration abroad, Njuki added, severely weakening Kenya’s already troubled public health system.

Nurses have not joined the striking doctors despite pressure to do so from some members.

“The issues doctors are pushing are genuine and should be implemented,” said Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako. “The government is supposed to release funds to hire interns. But we’re not going on strike, we’re going to the courts.”

NEW LEADERSHIP IN SENEGAL INSPIRES A CONTINENT SEEKING CHANGE

(GIN)—A firebrand politician and a young tax inspector opposed to French colonialism have taken the government of Senegal by storm, say journalists inspired by the electoral victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44, and Ousmane Sonko, 49, on a platform of major reform.

Faye and his mentor and now prime minister Ousmane Sonk o have pledged to oppose corruption and elitism. “We’ll spare no efforts to reach the objectives we promised the Senegalese people, which is a break with the past, progress, and a definitive change,” Sonko said upon his appointment to the second-in-command government post.

In their campaign manifesto, the duo promised to renegotiate mining, oil, and gas contracts.

Both men had been jailed by the incum-

bent, Macky Sall, seeking to unlawfully extend his term in office. The two were freed just 10 days before the March 24 vote.

Diomaye Faye and Sonko, highly favored by young voters, have inspired comparisons with aging autocrats in neighboring countries.In Cameroon, 91-year-old Paul Biya has been in power for more than 40 years. “Faye was two years old when Paul Biya became president” is a favorite line on social media, often accompanied by photos of the youthful Faye next to an aging Biya.

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni is 79 and looking to pass the post of top army commander to his son. In Chad, transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno died at age 69 after three decades in command. He sent warm congratulations to the Senegalese people for “having given a real lesson of maturity and democracy to the rest of the world” but in truth, he cared little for democracy or human rights. His leading opponent, Yaya Dillo, was assassinated by soldiers at the end of February, reportedly at close range.

Other “golden age” leaders are Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, 81; Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea, 81; Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe, 80; Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana, 79; and Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria, 77.

“Congratulations to the Nelson Mandela of Senegal! They left prison and directly won the election,” wrote an impressed Chadian on Facebook.

“Everyone dreams of doing the same in our countries,” said Nourou Dine Saka Saley of Les Démocrates of Benin, in a video posted on TikTok.

In Benin, once a thriving multi-party democracy, President Patrice Talon, 65, has become increasingly authoritarian after nearly eight years in office.

From Togo, 30-year-old Akouwa Avligan in the capital of Lome, said, “I am sure the people of Togo will be free one day like in Senegal, but we will have to fight.”

“Faye’s triumph is a strong reminder that Africa needs a young generation of leaders, not the Museveni generation of tired despots” added Ugandan musician and opposition leader Bobi Wine.

Easy, Safe,

There are many reasons for opening a bank account. From depositing a check to making a transfer, working with a bank makes it seamless to manage your money in a safe way.

Opening up a bank account also makes it easier to pay bills on time, open a debit card, deposit and withdraw money from an ATM, and make transfers from an app, among many other things.

Whether you’re opening a bank account online or at a bank branch, it’s important to prepare and anticipate what information you will be asked for.

Personal Checking Account

If you’re opening up a personal checking account, you will need to fill out an application form and provide the following documents:

Identification: You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to open an account, but you need documents to verify your identity. These may vary slightly from bank to bank, but valid documents typically include:

A government-issued photo ID. It could be a driver’s license, for example, or a state ID.

Passport with photograph and birth certificate for minors.

Social Security card or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues this identification number for those who do not have a Social Security Number. Having a Social Security Number to open a bank account is not mandatory. Some banks and credit unions may accept documents, such as a consular identification card with a photograph to verify identity.

Proof of address: An up-to-date and valid document showing the customer’s name and address. This information could be found in a utility or cable bill, for example—any payment document that provides both pieces of information—or even the rental agreement for the apartment where you reside.

Money: When opening the account, you need to make an initial deposit, which can be the minimum required by the institution or more. You can deposit with cash, a check, or a transfer.

Business Bank Account

If you’re opening a bank account for your business, make sure you prepare and bring the following documents with you:

• Documents regarding the structure of your business detailing who is in charge of finances and how it operates. For corporations or LLCs, this may include articles of incorporation or articles of organization—anything about the company’s name, purpose, structure, and basic administration.

• Ownership agreement outlining the rights and responsibilities of each business owner.

• A certificate with the legal name of your business.

• A business license if it is necessary to operate legally.

• Personal identification of the business owner, similar to those required for individual accounts.

• Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS.

• Money for an initial deposit.

What questions should you ask the bank when opening an account?

• Before walking into a bank branch, have a list of questions prepared to help you determine which account will work best for you and your financial needs. Some of those questions may be:

• What are your monthly maintenance fees, and how can I avoid those fees?

• Are there any fees associated with different services, including ATM fees within and outside the network, or overdraft fees, and how can they be reduced or eliminated?

• What is your process for accessing funds from abroad?

• Do you have any current offers or discounts with opening accounts or credit cards?

• What is your current interest rate for depositing into a savings account?

• For a business banking account, what are the monthly transaction limits? And what additional banking services would I have access to, including loans, credit cards and line of credit?

What if you want to save for a few years from now?

Whether it’s to prepare for retirement, or maximize the return on cash for a down payment on a house, many banks have financial experts who can recommend different strategies and investment products to grow your money over the years.

Choose to work with a financial advisor who you can create a strong relationship with and are comfortable expressing concerns and expectations. Keep in mind in some cases, financial advisors may receive a commission deducted from a percentage of the assets they manage for their client and/or charge transaction fees.

All banks offer online access, but not all banks have branches. While digital banking, whether online or with an app, makes managing your finances convenient, having access to a physical branch where you can sit down with someone to discuss your personal or business financing needs may make all the difference.

(L-R) Bassirou Diomaye Faye with Ousmane Sonko. (GIN photo)

CLASSROOM IN THE

Sheila Guyse, talented singer and actress

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

We first heard of Sheila Guyse in Donald Bogle’s review of “Miracle in Harlem” in his book “Blacks in American Films and Television” (1988). Guyse, in Bogle’s view, was among the actors and actresses “primed for the integrationist movement” that rose in the 1950s. “Turning up in the ‘Miracle in Harlem’ (1948),” she was “one of the Post-War new-style Black leading ladies—well-mannered, cleanscrubbed, and a bit pampered…” Two other notable films preceded that one, “Boy! What a Girl!” (1946) and “Sepia Cinderella” (1947), costarring with singer Billy Daniels. But before she became Sheila Guyse, she was born Etta Drucille Guyse on July 14, 1925, in Forest, Mississippi. In 1945, she moved with her parents to New York City. She was twenty when she began working at a dime store on 125th Street, across the street from the Apollo Theater. Proximity to the entertainment palace, particularly its Amateur Night, influenced her decision to be a contestant. Her outcome at the theater is not known but shortly thereafter she made her nightclub debut at Club Zombie in Detroit.

Guyse was also featured in the “Harlem Follies of 1949” and the television adaptation of the play “The Green Pastures.” By 1945, Broadway was the place for her and she made her debut in the stage production “Memphis Bound.” She was slated to appear opposite Bill “Bojangles” Robinson but the show closed after 36 performances. She next appeared in “Lost in the Stars” and “Finian’s Rainbow,” both long-running plays. “Lost in the Stars” was the recipient of an Outer Circle Critics Award, and Guyse was among the contributors to the cast recordings for these productions. It may have been around this time that she was honored with “Sheila Guyse Day” in Detroit, and a proclamation by Councilmember Blanche Parent Wise.

During the ‘40s and ‘50s, Guyse often graced the cover of such publications as Ebony, Jet, and Our World. She gained a certain amount of publicity or notoriety from at least one of her three marriages, most notably with Kenneth Davis, where she was featured in a 1952 Jet article entitled

“Negro Women with White Husbands.” Davis was a dancer she met during her stint on “Finian’s Rainbow.” Two years later the marriage ended, and in 1958 she married Joseph Jackson, a sanitation worker in New York City. They had two children. She became a devout Jehovah’s Witness due to her marriage to Jackson, and they remained a couple until he died in 2012.

Guyse’s career was often interrupted by chronic health issues that made it difficult for her to perform as an entertainer. Consequently, many of the roles she was offered could not be accepted.

In 1953, she was diagnosed with stomach ulcers a day after she was ready for her role in the Broadway production of “Mile High.”

Five years later she was back on

the entertainment circuit, mainly to record her only studio album, which we presume had “Run” among the tracks.

The onslaught of health problems made it very challenging for her to resume her career in the movies, on stage, and in the recording studio. She died of complications due to Alzheimer’s disease on Dec. 28, 2013. She was 88.

ACTIVITIES

Several articles about her can be found in Jet, including her hospitalization in 1953. Her obituary was published in the New York Times

DISCUSSION

We have no idea the extent to which her marriage to a white man impacted her career.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Guyse came along at a time when conditions were changing dramatically in the world of entertainment, providing some performers with more but less demeaning opportunities.

THIS WEEK

IN BLACK HISTORY

April 7, 1927: Babatunde Olatunji, famed drummer and educator, was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He died on April 6, 2003.

April 8, 1946: Robert Johnson, founder of B.E.T. was born in Hickory, Miss.

April 9, 1929: Author Paule Marshall was born in Brooklyn, NY. She died in 2019.

Census

Continued from page 4

which is in the process of establishing an Interagency Committee on Race and Ethnicity Statical Standards, conduct more indepth research and work with the Afro Latino community to ensure our nation collects the most complete and accurate data possible.

“The Congressional Hispan -

‘Just Action’

Continued from page 7

ic Caucus will continue to stand as a partner with the Administration, the Census Bureau, and our diverse Latino community leaders and advocates to ensure the best possible data collection processes are used for the upcoming census.”

Ironically, as countries in the Caribbean and Latin America have begun including census counts of their Afro Latino populations, the U.S. appears to be turning the other way. Since the

York included, do not do a physical reassessment of properties every year. They do one separated by long periods and then adjust them for inflation, assuming that all properties appreciate in value at the same rate. But that’s not what really happens: What happens is that properties in white neighborhoods appreciate more rapidly than properties in Black neighborhoods. The result is that the assessed value in white neighborhoods becomes farther below the real market value of those homes than the assessed value in Black neighborhoods. The result is that African Americans pay higher property taxes; they pay a bigger burden of the costs for schools and libraries and fire departments and all the other things that are supported by property taxes. They pay more than whites do for homes of similar value. This is a purely local issue. The reason it exists is because of federal policy that created that segregation. But the federal government has nothing to do with property assessments. This is just one example of the many, many local issues that have to be addressed and they will only be addressed if people mobilize to demand reform in the system. Property assessors in cities all over the country acknowledge that it’s a discriminatory system, there’s no mystery about it. But they’re not under any pressure to reform it and reforming it would save African Americans an enormous amount of money by lowering their property taxes.

AmNews: Do you really believe that there are that many people who want to create that change?

Rothstein: I do believe that. Twenty million people participated in Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020. They weren’t all African Americans, in fact the majority of them were white. They were both suburban and urban. They were, as I say, white and Black and people of other ethnicities. They were low income and middle class. That indicates that there’s an enormous appetite to do something about racial inequality in this country. I know all the media keeps on focusing on the reaction against racial equality and that certainly exists, but we’re a deeply divided country and the number

1990s, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Panama, and Venezuela have been among the most prominent nations to include Afrodescendants in their census count.

“I think that in certain sectors of Latin America, Afro Latinos are finally being recognized,” said retired educator Hector Bonilla, who is based in New Jersey.

“The irony is that in some of these places, your criollo popu -

of people in cities all over this country who support racial equality is large enough to make a real difference if they only mobilize and know what to do. This book, “Just Action,” gives many, many examples, some small, some large, but all at a local level [of actions] that can make a real difference in redressing segregation.

AmNews: So how does gentrification play within your vision of changing housing segregation? Is it a boon or does it hurt communities?

Rothstein: We devoted a good bit of space in “Just Action” to gentrification and what local policies can do to mitigate its harms. For example, we could have inclusionary zoning programs that permitted the residents of communities that are gentrifying to remain because the new housing that’s being built in those communities includes units and homes that are affordable to the existing residents of that community. We talk a great deal about land trusts. …. A land trust is something usually run by a non-profit organization to which vacant land is donated. The land trust then builds homes both for sale and rental, but keeps ownership of the land underneath the homes. So, when the people who buy those homes buy them initially, it’s at much lower than market rates because they’re not paying for the cost of the land, the biggest thing that is driving high housing costs. And then when they resell those homes, they resell them at a price that does not include the cost of the land. So, another family who buys that home can afford it as well. Those are just two policies and there are many others … to combat gentrification, not to prevent it. We can’t prevent it: The market will always gentrify neighborhoods and urban areas, but it can prevent the massive displacement of existing residents so that communities become healthier and still have homes for the residents who have lived there for many years.

AmNews: Finally, you talk about the Supreme Court and pretty much fighting against some of its rulings. … taking a stand against some of the anti-race conscious remedies that the Supreme Court is now putting out.

Rothstein: Yes, we do discuss this. We have today a rogue Supreme Court that ignores the Constitution and simply implements its own racially bigoted preferences when it

lations are beginning to look at Afro Latinos for their own cultural validation. Like, in Nicaragua they’re now celebrating the [Afro Nicaraguan] Bluefields culture. I had dance groups where when I was young as a teacher to mention [Afro Puerto Rican] bomba to some of those Puerto Ricans, it was like you were telling them, ‘Kiss me, I have AIDS.’ Now, you know, even the brown Puerto Ricans are dancing bomba––I’ve seen that development,

comes to policy. Conservatives, right wing Republicans have no hesitation in defying Supreme Court rulings. They don’t have any hesitation to do that. The only people who seem to bow down to unconstitutional Supreme Court rulings that preserve racial inequality are liberals.

In the 1960s in the Civil Rights Movement, people didn’t ask, well, is it legal to desegregate a restaurant? Should we not sit-in at a lunch counter because it’s illegal to do so? No, they challenged unconstitutional laws and unconstitutional rulings in order to make the civil rights advances that we made in the 1960s. We need the same kind of courage today on the part of activists who are trying to redress the racial inequality that was created unconstitutionally and that now is being preserved uncon -

I find that rather interesting. “But Afro Latino culture has always been present in Latin America from the beginning. There’s not one national liberation movement in Latin America that wasn’t either started or led by Afro Latinos, and that includes Argentina. That culture has just been marginalized for the last three, four hundred years… I see now that folks are beginning to adapt to it and accept it.”

stitutionally by the Supreme Court. … In the case of racial inequality, we need to not allow them to destroy the democratic rules of this society. This constitution is written to have three equal parts of government, legislative, executive, judicial. What we’ve done—and there’s nothing in the constitution that authorizes this—is we’ve let the Supreme Court have the last word on everything. And that is not what the constitution provides. It’s something that has evolved by really the cowardice of public officials.

Now I’m not saying we violate every ruling of the Supreme Court, but when they make extremely unconstitutional rulings in the case of race, as Lincoln said they did in the Dred Scott decision, we need to not give it the respect that the Supreme Court thinks it’s entitled to.

Religion & Spirituality

James A. Washington, 73, a champion of Black press and journalism, passes away

By DONNELL SUGGS The Atlanta Voice

James Washington, the president and general manager of The Atlanta Voice, a longtime advocate of the Black press, and the 2019 National Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award winner passed away surrounded by family and loved ones on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. He was 73.

For over four decades, Washington had been involved in nearly every level of the communications field. From his time as the publisher of The Dallas Weekly, a Blackowned and operated publication, to his work as the public relations manager for the Dallas Ballet, Washington had always been a strong representation of Black excellence and intelligence.

Washington has twice served on the Dallas

Black Chamber of Commerce board, the Dallas Arboretum, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and the National Newspaper Publishers Association. He is a former tri-chair of Dallas’ Commission on Race Relations and the Dallas Together Forum. He is also a former member of the Federal Reserve Bank’s Small Business and Agriculture Advisory Committee in Dallas. Washington was named “Man of the Year” in 1986 by the Dallas Metropolitan Club of Negro Business and Professional Women.

Since then, Washington has been honored for outstanding community service by organizations such as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, The Links, Inc., United Way, Dallas Independent School District, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Daniel “Chappie” James Learning Center, the NAACP, KKDA and KRLD radio stations, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Museum of Arts, and the State Fair of Texas.

Washington earned his bachelor’s degree in English and Instructional Media from Southern University, a proud HBCU located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

An author, Washington published his book, “Spiritually Speaking, Reflections for and from a New Christian.” in 2019.

Washington is survived by his wife, The Atlanta Voice publisher Janis L. Ware; his children, daughter Elena Bonifay (husband David Bonifay) and son Patrick Washington (wife Jessica Washington); his grandchildren James Spencer Emanuel Washington, Penelope Elena Jimenez Washington, and William Emmanuel Edward Austin Bonifay; and his nieces and nephews.

Homegoing for Dr. Marcella Maxwell

By AMNEWS STAFF

Dr. Marcella Maxwell, best known for her work over the years as a teacher, college professor, administrator, and community leader, passed away on Thursday, March 21, at Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan. She was 96.

A native of Cleveland, N.C., Maxwell came from a long line of educators. Her grandfather donated a land grant in her hometown for the first African American elementary school.

During her career, Maxwell worked at Medgar Evers College for 13 years, serving as dean of external affairs and dean of adult and continuing education. She remained affiliated with the college for several years, serving on the foundation board.

Funeral services for Maxwell were held April 5 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

James Washington (Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Voice)

(Bill Moore photos)

Olayemi Olurin

Continued from page 3

blocking him over the site. Olurin, who accused the department of attacking journalists over social media during the Breakfast Club interview, welcomed Chell’s rants.

“I said to Mayor Adams, it’s the NYPD on their Twitter [accounts] attacking journalists, and the NYPD can be seen openly attacking [me],” she said. “This isn’t like I was at a protest and I gave the speech and incited a riot—no, no, I was invited onto a nationally syndicated radio station to do an interview with the mayor. You’re not happy about how the mayor performed and so you’re attacking an attorney and media professional on Twitter…beyond my physical safety, I think this is good for New Yorkers to see because it says this is what they do to journalists and media and attorneys because they do their job. Imagine what they are doing to regular, everyday New Yorkers who critique them.”

Zinerman

Continued from page 3

Zinerman was first elected to office in 2020 and assumed office in 2021. She has raised about $23,440, according to the latest March filing with the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE). Her campaign said she filed more than 2,000 signatures this petitioning season.

Her main challenger is education activist Eon Tyrell Huntley, who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Senator Jabari Brisport. His campaign has raised about $43,280, according to his latest March filing with the NYSBOE. He filed 2,497 signatures this petitioning season, said Huntley.

Robinson represented the Bed-Stuy district in the assembly for almost 15 years, and continues to be a prominent member of VIDA. She considers Zinerman part of the political club’s legacy. “There are those who desire to stop the legacy,” said Robinson. “The coalition for community empowerment for us was to determine our own leaders, not for outside forces to make that determination.”

Zinerman received endorsements from Bichotte Hermelyn and Congressmember

100 Women rally in support of Assemblymember Zinerman’s re-election campaign at Restoration Plaza in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 6. (Ariama C. Long photo)

A spokesperson for the mayor pointed to comments he made on the NYPD’s recent social media activity, namely against Harry Siegel’s column in the New York Daily News

“If a columnist has a right to an opinion, a police officer shouldn’t have a right to his opinion?” said Adams during his media availability. “And here’s a real horrific part of it that really impacted me: That column was released at 5:00 p.m., I believe, on the day we buried an officer, …sometimes, I think folks forget, these are human beings. “What you saw from Chell and Daughtry, you saw a human reaction. Just as you are protecting your reporters, they were protecting their cops.”

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.

Yvette Clarke.

“It’s a powerful testament to the resilience, strengths, the leadership of women,and of Black women, and a celebration of one exceptional leader in particular: Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman,” said Bichotte Hermelyn at the rally, “Stefani Zinerman has been a beacon of hope and progress in the 56th Assembly District and her dedication to our community knows no bounds.”

“In a moment when women’s voices are paramount to shaping a fair and progressive future, I am honored to stand alongside my sisters in elected leadership to endorse Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman,” said Clarke in a statement. “Stefani embodies the strength, intelligence, and resilience that defines Brooklyn. Her unwavering commitment to justice and equity speaks volumes of her character and dedication to our collective future. We need her voice and steadfast leadership in Albany, working for us all.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member who 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.

Health

Factcheck—False: Current at-home COVID-19 tests cannot detect latest variants

By DEREK LAMB and HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA Special to the AmNews

With the struggle to combat COVID19 moving into its fourth year, some have wondered whether current tests have fallen behind the changing nature of the virus. To answer that question, the AmNews spoke with Dr. Joseph Petrosino, chair of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. According to Petrosino, even though much has changed with COVID-19, the tests haven’t gotten less effective, and manufacturers are continually checking their tests against new variants.

“When the new variant comes out, it’s isolated, it’s grown in the laboratory, or samples from patients that have the specific variant are collected and then applied to the test,” said Petrosino. He further explained that if test makers see that their test performs poorly on a new variant, they’ll update the test to respond.

However, that has not happened with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A study published in Scientific Reports showed that COVID-19 rapid tests have remained stable over three major variants.

The current dominant strain of COVID being seen throughout the United States is JN.1, with 86.5% of cases, followed by JN.1.13, with 9.5% of cases. Petrosino explained that a test designed years ago can detect a COVID strain that emerged only months ago, which has to do with what makes a strain a strain.

Virus particles contain several proteins, such as the spike protein that allows the virus to enter someone’s cells, and others, such as nucleoprotein. A strain is named based on changes to the spike proteins, but Petrosino noted that coronavirus nucleoproteins don’t change nearly as often. “So, while the spike proteins are changing rapidly…to evade immune responses and still adhere to human cells, the nucleoprotein isn’t involved in those processes.” According to Petrosino, “there’s no pressure for it to change, so it stays relatively consistent—the same.”

As a result, rapid COVID-19 tests are designed to detect the stable nucleoprotein, rather than the fast-changing spike protein. Petrosino said that “if you did make a test [for] the spike protein, then yes, you would have this issue where the test would become obsolete every time a new variant emerged.”

But if the tests haven’t changed, why do some people think like they have? The answer may have less to do with how the

COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result. Although COVID-19 variants continue to appear, at-home tests, when used correctly and repeatedly, can help detect the disease (AP Photo/Patrick Sison photo)

Claim: The current at-home COVID tests cannot detect the latest variants of COVID-19.

Factcheck: False. In addition to the persistent anxiety about becoming sick due to COVID-19, some people have claimed that these new variants can’t be detected by over-the-counter COVID tests. This claim is false.

virus has changed than with how we’ve changed. The past few years have built up immune systems, which now can keep the virus undetectable for a greater duration of time. Because “immune responses are becoming more advanced, because of vaccination and previous exposures to the various COVID variants, the duration…becomes longer, the level of virus stays lower early on,” Petrosino said. As a result, people who suspect they have COVID may need to wait two to three days before a rapid test gives them a positive result.

While polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

tests are the “gold standard,” rapid tests can give a false negative result 30–45% of the time, depending on how they’re administered. While by no means perfect, the rapid tests do still serve a function. Given that home tests can provide false negatives, “they’re built to be taken multiple times,” Petrosino said. “If you have been exposed, or you do feel like you do have symptoms, and you do test, and you turn out negative, then the CDC guidelines would say, ‘If there’s a need… test again.’”

It is important to note that at-home COVID test kits are labelled with expira-

tion dates, and generally should not be used beyond those dates. In some instances, the expiration date has been extended. A full collection of at-home COVID-19 test kit expiration statuses can be found on the FDA’s website

For immune systems to change over time is not surprising. “It’s just a natural thing that happens in the course of… a pandemic, where the virus is evolving…we’re getting better at being protected against the virus,” Petrosino said. “The virus levels stay low… that’s going to have an increase in false negatives…The key now is to continue testing.”

For additional resources about COVID19, visit www1.nyc.gov/site/coronavirus/ index.page or call 311. COVID-19 testing, masks, and vaccination resources can also be accessed on the AmNews COVID-19 page: www.amsterdamnews.com/covid/. To get free COVID tests, visit the City of New York’s webpage and the NY Health and Hospitals webpage. For those who may be suffering from the long-term effects of COVID-19, a list of post-COVID clinics in NYC can be found at nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/ covid/covid-19-care-clinics.pdf

Petitioning

Continued from page 3

nominating petitions to get on it. In 1890, the state passed a law that created the first primary election to choose the party’s candidates.

By 1965, after women finally got the right to vote in 1920, the federal government addressed the vicious, nearly century-long effort to suppress the Black vote by passing the national Voting Rights Act. Shortly after, Black voters sued to create the first ever Black congressional district in Brooklyn in 1967, electing Shirley Chisholm as the first Black woman ever in the U.S. House of Representatives the next year.

The climate of petitioning season has evolved over the decades for candidates of color seeking elected offices and the approach has shifted somewhat since the COVID-19 pandemic, but still they persist: Hitting the streets, knocking on doors, staking out subways during morning commute, and networking with local volunteers to collect signatures.

“I believe that when you are able to get as many people as possible to sign your petitions, it shows that you’re worthy of the position that you’re running for,” said 70th Assembly District candidate Jordan J.G. Wright, who submitted close to a whooping 4,000 signatures on the first eligible filing day. Wright is in a packed assembly race that started off with six other candidates: Shana Harmongoff (about 2,300 sig-

natures), Craig Schley (1,210 signatures), Joshua Clennon, Maria Ordonez, Alpheaus E. Marcus, and Seson Adams.

“Our team collaborated with local Democratic clubs made up of people who are experienced and knowledgeable about our village which was key to making sure we didn’t just collect signatures, but that we did it right,” said Wright.

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.

1. Congressmember Jamaal Bowman at his Co-Op City meet n’ greet–with a Jews 4 Jamaal, Muslims 4 Jamaal, and Latinos 4 Bowman petitioning event this month.

2. Assembly District 70 candidate Shana Harmongoff collected about 2,300 signatures.

3. Assembly District 70 candidate Jordan Wright, the son of the Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright, as he turned in about 4,000 collected signatures.

4. Assembly District 70 candidate Craig Schley at the Board of Elections (BOE) office with 1,210 signatures.

(Photo credit: Canvassing photos contributed by respective campaigns.)

Education

Hundreds of thousands of financial aid applications need to be fixed after latest calculation error

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer

WASHINGTON (AP)—The U.S. Education Department said it has discovered a calculation error in hundreds of thousands of student financial aid applications sent to colleges this month and will need to reprocess them—a blunder that follows a series of other problems and threatens further delays to this year’s college applications.

A vendor working for the federal government incorrectly calculated a financial aid formula for more than 200,000 students, the department said Friday. The information was sent to colleges to help them prepare financial aid packages but now has to be recalculated—even as the department works through a backlog of more than 4 million other financial aid applications.

A statement from the Education Department said the problem won’t affect 1.3 million applications that were processed correctly and distributed to colleges this month. Officials said they have fixed the error and it “will not affect future records.”

It’s unlikely that many students, if any, received financial aid offers based on the incorrect information since the department only began sending records in the last two weeks. Once colleges receive that information, it usually takes several weeks to assemble financial aid packages.

Students applying for college have been left in limbo this year as they await the Education Department’s overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The form is used to determine eligibility for federal Pell Grants, and colleges and states use it to award their own financial aid to students.

The update was meant to simplify the form, but took months longer than expected. It gives colleges less time to make financial aid offers to students, and it gives students less time to decide where to enroll.

“This is another unforced error that will likely cause more processing delays for students,” said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

After so many delays, he added, “every error adds up and will be felt acutely by every student who is counting on needbased financial aid to make their postsecondary dreams a reality.”

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona during an interview in Washington. The U.S. Education Department says it discovered a calculation error in hundreds of thousands of student financial aid applications sent to colleges this month and will need to reprocess them, and threatens further delays to this year’s college applications (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

about the FAFSA rollout. In a video message on Friday, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said it’s “not right” to ask colleges to fix the department’s mistake.

“You were supposed to get it done right the first time, and you were supposed to get it done right three months ago,” said Cassidy, the ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. “We need more accountability, more responsibility, more confidence from the Department of Education.”

The notoriously time-consuming FAFSA form was targeted for an overhaul in 2020 through bipartisan legislation in Congress. The bill promised to simplify the form, going from 100 questions to fewer than 40, and changed the underlying formula for student aid, promising to expand it to more low-income students.

But the update has been marred by delays and technical glitches.

The form is typically available to fill out in October, but the Education Department didn’t have it ready until late December. Even then, the agency wasn’t ready to begin processing the forms and sending them to states and colleges—that only started this month.

The department has scrambled to fix numerous bugs. Early on, the process failed to account for inflation properly. Another glitch blocked parents from filling out the form if they did not have a Social Security number. That meant many students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents but whose parents are not could not apply.

The department said those problems have been fixed, and it’s now rushing to process millions of student applications and send them to colleges and states. The agency said it has processed 1.5 million applications out of about 6 million received so far.

While the department fixes those students’ records, it’s encouraging colleges to make their own calculations and craft “a tentative aid package.”

Draeger pushed against that idea, saying colleges can only work with “valid

The latest misstep has to do with the Student Aid Index, a new formula used to determine students’ level of financial need after they submit the FAFSA application. For some students, the department forgot to factor in certain financial assets, including investments, savings, and total cash, according to an agency memo sent to colleges on Friday. It resulted in a lower Student Aid Index for those students, indicating they have more financial need than they do in reality.

and correct data.”

“It is not feasible or realistic to send out incorrect FAFSA data and ask thousands of schools to make real-time calculations and adjustments to the federal formula,” he said.

Advocates fear that the chaos of this year’s process could deter students from going to college at all, especially those for whom finances are a key part of the decision.

Senate Republicans are requesting a hearing with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to discuss their “serious concerns”

The department “will continue delivering large volumes” of records in the coming weeks, according to a statement: “We remain focused on helping students and families through this process and supporting colleges to produce aid offers as quickly as possible.”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

This article has been lightly edited for Amsterdam News style.

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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 Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 at 7:30am. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th ST, NY, NY.

101 LEGAL NOTICES

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 at 7:30am. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th ST, NY, NY.

101 LEGAL NOTICES

MTA REAL ESTATE (MTA RE) Request for Proposals

RFP No. MT032024: Leasing opportunity for retail spaces with coffee use permitted at 34 St - Herald Square Station.

RFP No. MR032924: Lease of concession space at MNR’s Poughkeepsie Station Building, Poughkeepsie, New York. For info on the above RFPs, visit https://new.mta.info/ agency/real-estate

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #NA-0340-24111126 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 23 2nd Ave., NYC 10003 for on-premises consumption; Kitchen Nuggets LLC

Notice is hereby given that a license, Appl ID: CL-24-10264301 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 65 Sherman Ave., NYC 10040 for on-premises consumption; Casa Emilio Restaurante Corp.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NEW YORK COUNTY. NYCTL 2021A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 2021-A TRUST, Pltf. vs. ROBERT S. COBURN et al, Defts. Index #156989/2022. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered December 20, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on May 15, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a 9 West 20 th Street, Unit #2, New York, NY a/k/a Block 00822 Lot 1202 Approx. amt. of judgment is $146,114.72 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law. ELAINE SHAY, Referee. THE DELLO-IACONO LAW GROUP, P.C., Attys. for Pltf., 312 Larkfield Road, Lower Level, East Northport, NY. File No. 22-000002 #101089

NOTICE OF SALE

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF JPMBB COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE SECURITIES TRUST 2014-C24, COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES

2014-C24, BY AND THROUGH ITS SPECIAL SERVICER, LNR PARTNERS, LLC, Plaintiff v. IRONWOOD REALTY CORPORATION, BEN ASHKENAZY, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE CITY OF NEW YORK, and PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Defendants, Index No. 850274/2021 . Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision and Order on Motion dated December 1, 2023, and duly entered in the above-entitled action and filed in the Office of the New York County Clerk on February 6, 2024 (the “Judgment”), I the undersigned Referee in said Judgment named, will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Room 130 of the Courthouse, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, the premises directed by said Judgment to be sold. The premises will be offered for sale, as one parcel, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. The premises therein described are located at 635 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, also known as Block 1374, Lot 21 on the Tax Map for the County of New York, together with the buildings, improvements, fixtures, machinery, equipment, personalty and other rights or interests of any kind or nature located thereon, and more particularly described in the Judgment. The premises will be sold subject to the provisions of the filed Judgment, Index No. 850274/2021 , and the Terms of Sale, all of which are available from plaintiff’s counsel upon request.

The approximate amount of the Judgment, for the property referred to therein, is $99,758,265.13, plus interest and costs, as provided in the Judgment. The successful bidder will be required to deposit 10% of the bid by certified or official bank check, unendorsed, made payable to the Referee.

Matthew D. Hunter III, Esq., Referee ( 718) 309-1660

Herrick, Feinstein LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiff, Two Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016, (212) 592-1461, Attention: Scott T. Tross, Esq.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NEW YORK COUNTY. NYCTL 19982 TRUST SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO NYCTL 2018A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, NYCTL 2021A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Pltf. vs. ANNA LEAH L. BRAUDES et al, Defts. Index #158532/2022. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered November 24, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on May 1, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a 612 East 9 th Street, New

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Pedro D. A. Alvarez Arenas, if living and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, purchase, inheritance lien, or otherwise or any right, title or interest in and to the premises…; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 28, 2022 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on April 24, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 15 William Street, New York, NY 10005. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block: 25 Lot: 1503. Approximate amount of judgment $792,245.73 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 810049/2012. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed

NY on May 15, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a 201 West 72nd Street, Unit 10F, New York, NY 10022 a/k/a Block 01164, Lot 01137 Approx. amt. of judgment is $54,142.31 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of. PAUL SKLAR Referee. THE DELLO-IACONO LAW GROUP, P.C., Attys. for Pltf., 312 Larkfield Road, Lower Level, East Northport, NY. File No. 22000024- #101136

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

ONESTONE LENDING LLC,

Plaintiff -against- ALTA OPERATIONS, LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 17, 2023 and entered on November 27, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on May 8, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County and State of New York, known as The Tower Unit 10A in the building known as "One Riverside Park Condominium" together with an undivided 0.3653% interest in the common elements.

Block: 1171 Lot: 2508. Said premises known as 50 RIVERSIDE BOULEVARD, UNIT 10A, NEW YORK, NY 10069.

Approximate amount of lien $1,027,596.74 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850198/2020.

HAYLEY GREENBERG, ESQ., Referee. The Camporeale Law Group PLLC, Attorney(s) for Plaintiff, 585 Stewart Avenue, 770, Garden City, NY 11530

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT, NEW YORK COUNTY, CONNECTONE BANK, Plaintiff, against WADSWORTH LP, AARON DRAZIN, et al., Defendants. Pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 18, 2023, and entered on December 19, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee appointed in said Judgment, will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 2:15 p.m., the premises known as and located at 140 Wadsworth Avenue, New York, NY 10033. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements situated, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan and County of New York, State of New York, Block 2163, Lot 61. Premises will be sold subject to the terms of the filed Judgment, Index No. 850052/2023, and the Terms of Sale, all of which are available from Plaintiff’s counsel upon request. The approximate amount of the Judgment is $9,647,319.27 plus interest and costs, as provided in the Judgment. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Thomas Kleinberger, Esq., Referee. Rosenberg & Estis, P.C., Attorneys for Plaintiff, 733 Third Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017, (212) 867-6000, Attention: Richard Y. Im, Esq.

Alana Kaminetsky Psychological Services PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 2/8/24. Office: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 2248 Bdwy, #1104, NY, NY 10024. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of LONG YEARS AGO LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/19/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1 Columbus Pl., N29B, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Home Loan Investment Bank, F.S.B. F/K/A Ocean Bank, F.S.B. , Plaintiff, vs . Jocely Padilha , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Amended Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on July 21, 2022 and a Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on January 5, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, Room 130, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on May 8, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 210 East 47th Street, Unit No. 2C, New York, NY 10017 - all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 1320 and Lot 1408 together with an undivided 1.212 percent interest in the Common Elements (“the Premises”). Approximate amount of judgment is $280,884.71 plus interest and costs. The Premises is being sold subject to the lien of the portion of the first mortgage of Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC that is not subordinated to Plaintiff’s lien pursuant to the Order of the Court dated November 5, 2021. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850158/2019. Referee will not accept any cash payment(s) for any deposit or portion of the purchase price. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Bruce N. Lederman, Esq., Referee

Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C., Jackie Halpern Weinstein, Esq., One Battery Park Plaza, 18th Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, NYCTL 2021-

A Trust, and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021-A Trust, Plaintiff, vs. Tindaya Properties of New York II Corp., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated December 18, 2023 and duly entered on December 20, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on May 8, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 60 Riverside Boulevard, Unit 3602, New York, NY 10069. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 1171 and Lot 4447 together with an undivided 0.7128 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $358,849.98 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #158815/2022. Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Formation of URBAN DECAY COSMETICS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/18/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 10 Hudson Yards, 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 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Substantial Amendment to New York State’s 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan, NOTICE of Public Participation Opportunity New York State is creating a substantial amendment to its approved 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan in order to include $68,228,000 in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds made available through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-43) approved September 30, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) and the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117–180) approved September 30, 2022 (the ‘‘2023 Appropriations Act’’) in response to Hurricane Ida. The New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal’s Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) administered by the Office of Resilient Homes and Communities (RHC) is the lead agency and responsible entity for administering these CDBG-DR funds allocated for disaster recovery.

In accordance with HUD guidelines, Rules sections 91.115(b)(4), substantial amendments to the 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan must be published for public comment. This 30-day public comment period will begin on April 22, 2024, and extend through close of business on May 22, 2024. Beginning on April 22nd, the substantial amendment to the 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan may be viewed on and downloaded from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) website at www.hcr.ny.gov . In addition, electronic copies can be requested by calling 518-486-3452 or emailing HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov.

Written comments can be sent throughout the comment period and can be mailed to 38-40 State Street, Albany NY, 12207; or e-mailed to HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov. All comments must be received by close of business May 22, 2024.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT- COUNTY OF NEW YORK

ELIZON MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST I, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS OWNER TRUSTEE, Plaintiff, AGAINST

SHEHARBANO ALI, et al. Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on March 6, 2024.

I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on May 8, 2024 at 2:15 PM premises known as 303 East 43rd St 9A, New York, NY 10017.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for the First Judicial District, New York County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing.

All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan City, County and State of New York. Block 1336 and Lot 1023.

Approximate amount of judgment $1,480,531.27 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #850131/2015.

Elaine Shay, Esq. , Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLP - Attorneys for Plaintiff - 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747

Notice of Claim

Supreme Court-New York County – Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. V. Any unknown heirs to the Estate of ROY STEPHEN POWERS, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest, as well as the respective heirs at law, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff, et al., Deft. – Index # 850208/2018. The foregoing supplemental summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 27th day of October 2023 and duly entered the 2nd day of November 2023 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of 10,000/16,783,800 in the premises at Block 1006, Tax Lot 1303 located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of April 7, 2015, executed by Roy Stephen Powers to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $61,457.62, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on November 13, 2015, in CRFN 2015000404903. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK

HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES INC. MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2005-3, -againstROBERT A. DEL VENTO, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York on June 12, 2023, wherein HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES INC. MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2005-3 is the Plaintiff and ROBERT A. DEL VENTO, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the NEW YORK COUNTY CIVIL SUPREME COURTHOUSE, ROOM 130, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on May 1, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 335 EAST 51ST STREET, APARTMENT 9D, NEW YORK, NY 10022; and the following tax map identification: 1344-1074.

THE CONDOMINIUM UNIT (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE "UNIT") KNOWN AS UNIT NO. 9D IN THE BUILDING (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE "BUILDING") KNOWN AS THE SENATE EAST CONDOMINIUM AND BY THE STREET NUMBER 335 EAST 51ST, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, CITY, COUNTY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 850055/2019. Mark McKew, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of

Notice of Qualification of 200 INVESTORS GP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/18/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/11/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

I am making a notice of claim for house 228-15 Mentone Ave that I am in possession of since my father Robert Lee Taylor passed away in Dec. 2019. Possession of 9tenths of the law. I have done lots of work on this house. I have repaired the front and back doors, cutting the grass, cutting down trees, buy tools, for this alone I charge $100,000. I have done roofing repair, cleaned the house from top to bottom, I have painted in the house, sanded the floors, worked on the roof of the garage, for this I charge $500,000. I charge $800,000 for removing black mold from the bathroom and basement. I charge a million dollars for rubbish and trash and debris removal. I charge a million dollars for garden work. I charge a million dollars for all the money I spent on supplies to do all this work. I set my claim at $5 million dollars. This is a lien against the estate of Robert Lee Taylor and Sherri Bostic, and the bank of finance of America, and the Wilmington Trust Fund Society, and Et. Al. the house is in Queens New York a big green house on 228-15 Mentone Ave Laurelton Queens zip code 11413. 1,015 sq. ft a garage on the right-hand side of it. Block # 13192 and Lot # 161. I have made a claim of equity. To everybody this letter concerns: This is a notice of claim to Et. Al. and a lien on the estate of Robert Lee Taylor and Sherri Bostic and the Wilmington Trust Fund Society and the Bank of Finance of America

SACK WERN

of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/11/24. 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.

Notice of

which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Matthew D. Hunter III, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

U.S. Bank Trust, N.A., as Trustee for LSF9 Master Participation Trust, Plaintiff AGAINST

Llewellyn C. Werner a/k/a Llewellyn Werner Individually and as the sole member of Hawkes AP, LLC; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 7, 2022 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on May 15, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 160 West 66th Street Unit 46-G a/k/a 160 West 66th Street, Apartment 46G, New York, NY 10023. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block 1137 Lot 1272. Approximate amount of judgment $2,290,728.13 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #810045/2010. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the First Judicial District.

Edward H. Lehner, Esq., Referee

LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff

175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: January 11, 2024

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, PS Funding, Inc., Plaintiff, vs. 236 West E&P LLC, Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on November 28, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, Courtroom 130, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on May 15, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 235 West 136th Street, New York, NY 10030. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 1942 and Lot 116. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,849,325.16 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850143/2021. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Georgia Papazis, Esq., Referee Chartwell Law, One Battery Park Plaza, Suite 710, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff

of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/10/24. Office: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 276 W 71st St, 7, NY, NY 10023.

Supreme Court - New York County - Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. v. Any unknown heirs to the Estate of Nick Fravala, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest, as well as the respective heirs at law, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff, et al., Deft. - Index # 850212/2016. The foregoing supplemental summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 17th day of October 2023 and duly entered the 16th day of November 2023 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY, 5165868513.

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff's attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of: An undivided 0.00986400000% tenants in common interest of 57th Street Vacation Suites located at 102 West 57th Street NY, NY. Block: 1009 Lot: 37. Mortgage bearing the date of November 19, 2015, executed by Nick Fravala to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $50,915.00, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on March 22, 2016, in CRFN 2016000101557. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Application for Authority of Curated Planet, LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/15/2024. The fict. name under which the LLC will do business in NY is Your Tour, LLC. Formed in DE on 1/26/2018. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address SSNY shall mail copy of process to 400 E. 70th St., #2002, New York, NY 10021. The office address required to be maintained in DE is 838 Walker Rd., Ste. 21-2, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Formation filed with the Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of DD 82ND STREET PARTICIPANTS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/06/24. 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 Jeffrey Levine at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 22 MONTAIGNE ENTERTAINMENT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/26/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/20/24. Princ. office of LLC: 19 E. 57th St., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. 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: Entertainment production.

Notice of Formation of ARTONUS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/06/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 38 W. 32nd St., Ste. 1101, NY, NY 10001. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of DD ST. NICHOLAS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/06/24. 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.

Notice of Qualification of 30 HY WM UNIT DEVELOPER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/01/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/29/24. 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 c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Corp. Div., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

QUE RICO RESTAURANT LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/25/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 221 E 23 St, NY, NY 10010. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of CERTIFIED ORNAMENTAL, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/07/24. Office location: NY County. 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 DD ATLANTIC PARTICIPANTS

of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/06/24. 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 Jeffrey Levine at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Impulso Media LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/02/2023. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 536 Isham St, #52B, NY, NY 10034. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Digital Quill Publishing LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 9/24/2023. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 400 Chambers St, 9B, NY, NY 10282. Purpose: Any lawful act.

15 Barton Road LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/15/23. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 54 N Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of AMO DYNAMIC RISK PREMIA ONSHORE FUND, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/11/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/24/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 22 VANDERBILT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/12/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/01/24. NYS fictitious name: 22 VANDERBILT2 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. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of the State of DE, c/o Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

GBM Capital LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/5/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 405 E 54th St., #12D, New York, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of OTG CONCESSIONS MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/11/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/31/17. Princ. office of LLC: 352 Park Ave. S., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10010. 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. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 820 N. French St., 10th Fl., Wilmington, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

04/21/2023,

County.

as

location

the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to the LLC, 4632 Third Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

RICHARD SALTOUN LLC. Arts. of Org.

Notice of Formation of FSFHP OWNER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/04/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 116 E. 27th St., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10016.

Notice of Qualification of PORTA MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/08/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/28/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

INWOOD BREAD LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/26/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 30 Seaman Ave, 4M, NY, NY, 10034. Purpose: Any lawful act.

The Levin-Fragasso Law Firm PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/19/2024. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: P.O. Box 42, NY, NY 10028. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Secret Society Dance Company LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/04/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 1-05 Astoria Blvd 1D, Astoria, NY, 11102. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Matousek LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on March 1, 2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 304 E 41st St, Apt 604A, NY, NY, 10017. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Soto, Volpe and Rodon lead the Yankees sizzling start

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Yankees are playing like a team intent on ending a 15-year World Series drought.

When they hosted the Miami Marlins last night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, their 10-2 record reflected a squad with a loaded lineup flexing its muscles. It was the best in Major League Baseball, two better in the loss column than the 10-4 Los Angeles Dodgers, which came into this season favored by sports gaming companies to win the World Series.

Right fielder Juan Soto and shortstop Anthony Volpe have powered the Yankees out of the gate. Before taking the field against the Marlins last night in the final game of a three-game set, Soto was pacing the team with 16 hits, 11 RBIs and an .456 OBP (onbase percentage). Volpe topped the Yanks in batting at .375 and OPS (on-base plus slugging) at 1.044.

The Yankees still have 149 regular season games and five and half months of baseball in front of them. But the indicators thus far are they should be, barring serious injuries to core players, a contending force. Ace Gerrit Cole, the reigning Cy Young Award

winner, is a vital piece. Cole has begun the season on the 60-day injured list due to nerve inflammation in his right elbow.

The right-hander is eligible to come off the IR on May 27 but more realistic projections have Cole returning in early June if that soon. On Sunday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed reporters that Cole would begin throwing this week as the next phase of his rehab. The 33 year old was 15-4 with 222 strikeouts and 2.63 ERA last season.

This season the Yankees have gone with the five-man rotation of Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil. Rodon has been particularly good after a rough 2023 with the franchise, his first after being signed to a six-year, $162 million contract in December 2022. In three starts this season the lefty has allowed just three earned runs in 15.2 innings pitched for a 1.72 ERA.

On Tuesday, Rodon took a shutout into the seventh inning in the Yankees 3-2 victory over the Marlins. The Yankees 10 wins was tied for the most in 12 games to begin a season in franchise history. They were also 10-2 in 1922, 1949 and 2003. The Yankees will begin a six-game road trip tomorrow with three scheduled in Cleveland versus the Guardians and then in Toronto for three from Monday through Wednesday versus the Blue Jays.

As for the Mets, after opening 0-5, they were 4-7 prior to taking on the Atlanta Braves on the road last night. They close out a four-game series against the Braves this afternoon (12:20 p.m.) and will play the Kansas City Royals three games at Citi Field tomorrow through Sunday and the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series in Queens Monday through Wednesday.

Manager Ron Washington endeavors to turn around the Angels

By CRAIG GRANT, MLBbro Special to the AmNews

Although the 2024 MLB season is just at the end of its second full week, there are several teams that have shown clear improvement from a year ago.

One team that has surpassed expectations is the Los Angeles Angels, managed by Ron Washington. Last season the Angels finished 73-89 and haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2014 despite having superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the latter playing for the Angels from 2018 to last season. Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December, the largest in professional sports history.

When Washington was hired by the Angels last November, the team looked to lean on his 40-plus years of experience. The last time the 71-year-old New Orleans native managed a squad, he reached consecutive World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2010 and 2011. Washington also won a World Series as the third-base coach for the Atlanta Braves in 2021. Many Angels fans felt like they were destined for another losing season when they started this campaign 0-2, losing both games in blowout fashion to the Baltimore Orioles by 11-3 and 13-4.

However, after the second loss, Washington called a team meeting. It seemed premature but Washington knows what it takes to be successful and it was clear his ballclub was not showing those traits. The Angels would win the next game against the Orioles 4-1, and then go on to sweep the Miami Marlins.

They were in second place in the American League West at 6-5 before facing the Tampa Bay Rays last night (Wednesday). A telling sign of Washington establishing a positive and hopeful culture is that he has the belief of veteran Trout, an 11-time AllStar and 3-time AL MVP, who has experienced numerous losing seasons with the Angels.

“Coming in, just the energy he brings. When things aren’t right, he fixes it,” Trout said to Nick Hamilton of MLBbro.com.

With one of the best players in the game in Trout reinvigorated, the potential breakout of 25-year-old outfielder Jo Adell and a possible resurgence of veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks, the Angels may be a surprising contender for the AL West title. That won’t be determined until well into the summer in the long 162-game marathon, but Washington has the Angels seemingly up for the challenge.

SPORTS Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe led the team with a .375 batting average and 1.044 OPS when they hosted the Miami Marlins in the Bronx last night. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington has his team off to a solid start to the 2024 MLB season (Kevin Reese photo)

The Knicks jostle for high seeding at the close of the regular season

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Will the Knicks be a No. 3 or No. 6 seed when the NBA playoffs begin on April 20?

With three regular season games remaining, including tonight on the road versus the Boston Celtics and games at Madison Square Garden versus the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls on Friday and Sunday, respectively, the Knicks’ positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding battle remains fluid. Their 128-117 road victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday lifted by Jalen Brunson’s 45 points moved them up to the No. 3 seed when last night’s slate of league games tipped off.

The Knicks were 47-32 and tenuously holding on to the spot, looking at the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers bearing down on them, who are only one game behind at 46-33. The Magic played at Milwaukee last night against the No. 2 seed Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The perennial league MVP candidate strained his left calf on Tuesday night in the third quarter and limped to the locker room as his team went on to defeat the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics 104-91. Antetokounmpo is expected to be out until at least the start of the playoffs.

That benefits the Magic, who end the regular season on Sunday at home facing the Bucks again. They also play the current No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow, who are in the mix for a higher seed as they are closely behind the Knicks, Magic, and Cavaliers at 45-35. Right in front of the 76ers are the 46-34, No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers, sitting only a game and a half behind the Knicks and heading into last night’s schedule, a minuscule one-half game below the Magic and Cavaliers.

Are you following?

To paraphrase the late, great Biggie Smalls, if you didn’t know, now you know why the Eastern Conference playoff scenario won’t be decided until Sunday’s games are over and why the Knicks’ remaining two games are extremely consequential.

Center Isaiah Hartenstein encapsulated the Knicks’ collective mindset in the midst of the playoff race after they overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Sacramento Kings by 120-109 last week at the Garden.

“You pay attention to it a little bit, but you can't get too far ahead of yourself. You really have to take it day-by-day. I think sometimes when you get too ahead of yourself, like some games, you’re not as focused,” said Hartenstein.

“So that’s our kind of approach, Thib’s [head coach Tom Thibodeau’s] approach all year that we don’t get too ahead of our-

selves. We focus day-to-day, who we have at that moment, and I think that’s been helping us out a lot.”

The Nets close out their season in evaluation mode

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai should be in constant evaluation mode. Everyone who leads an NBA franchise from the top is making regular assessments of their organization. Losing teams, and those that do not make the playoffs and aren’t on the rise such as the Nets have many major decisions to make heading into the off-season.

The Nets were 31-48 ahead of yesterday’s home finale against the Toronto Raptors as the disappointing season will end without them having a playoff or even play-in spot; they are in 11th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference. They play their final game Sunday on the road versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

The futures of general manager (GM) Sean Marks and interim head coach Kevin Ollie are uncertain. Tsai has to take a deep look at how he can move the franchise forward and if Marks and Ollie are the best options at their positions. Roster reconstruction and player development are priorities. Marks hasn’t shaped a consistent winner since becoming the Nets GM in February of 2016. Notably, the short-lived Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving-James Harden experiment failed. Ollie took over as the head coach when Jacque Vaughn was fired this past February and while Tsai has not spoken publicly on his intentions, it’s likely Ollie won’t be back— even if he hasn’t had enough time to prove himself. He was in his first year as an assistant

with the Nets before moving up to interim head coach. Ollie had a record of 10-15 after Sunday’s embarrassing 107-77 loss to the Sacramento Kings at Barclays Center where the team trailed by as many as 33 points.

One of the few bright spots for the team this season has been 6-foot-3-inch guard Cam Thomas, who has led the Nets in scoring in seven consecutive games going into last night. He was averaging 22.2 points per game through Sunday. Thomas, drafted by the Nets in the first round in 2021 with the 27th overall pick out of LSU is just 22 years old.

Rookie Noah Clowney, a 6-9 forward taken with the 21st pick in last season’s NBA draft, had the best two games of his young career scoring a career-high 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 115-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on April 3 followed by 17 points, six rebounds and four blocks as Brooklyn overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, 113-103.

“Before I went in, coach [Ollie] said ‘protect the rim’ so I went and did just that,” Clowney shared after Saturday’s win. “As far as the offensive end, I think I got a few rebounds. I think I got a cut on one, some free throws, a three. I don’t really remember the exact [details], but just trying to play [and] get my shots up within the game. They were in the flow of the game, not forcing anything.”

Brooklyn closes out the season at Madison Square Garden versus the New York Knicks on Friday and against the 76ers in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Knicks forward OG Anunoby’s 24 points were crucial in a 128-117 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.  (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Nets rookie forward Noah Clowney has shown promise as the season comes to a close. They play their final game Sunday on the road versus the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Vice President Harris brings together a powerful gathering of women in sports

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris recently hosted a unique gathering at her home with more than 100 women influential in sports. There were Olympians, Paralympians, athletic directors, sports broadcasters, and team presidents. Some of the most notable names were fourtime Olympic basketball gold medalist Lisa Leslie, history-making Olympic ice dance champion Meryl Davis, Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, and Atlanta Dream coowner Renee Montgomery.

“It was inspiring to be surrounded by individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations. The energy in the room was filled with passion, determination, and a shared commitment to advancing women’s representation in sports,” said Melody Webb, director of athletics at Norfolk State University.

Other athletic directors in attendance included Nina King of Duke; Dr. Alecia Shields-Gadson of Delaware State; Candice Storey Lee of Vanderbilt; Jennifer Cohen of the University of Southern California; and Dena Freeman-Patton of Morgan State. Webb noted that it was a celebration of diversity and inclusion in sports that encouraged her to keep advocating for equal opportunities.

“Seeing the Vice President acknowledge the importance of diversity and representation in sports reaffirms the significance of our efforts to break down barriers and promote gender equality in athletics,” Webb said. “It underscores the idea that sports transcend mere competition; they are a platform for empowerment, leadership, and social change.”

A report published last week by Dr. Shaun Harper, founder and executive director of the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center, noted that in 2023 only 13 Black women were athletic directors at Division I institutions— just 3.7% of the 352 DI schools. Six of these women, including Webb, are at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“The inclusion of HBCUs [by the Vice President] highlights the importance of recognizing and celebrating the significant contributions of these institutions to the world of athletics,” said Webb. Norfolk State’s women’s basketball team competed in this year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament.

“Overall, having our female athletes perform on such a big stage not only brings pride to our athletics department, but also helps to elevate the profile of women’s sports and promote gender equality within the athletic arena,” said Webb.

Brooklyn native garnering tennis accolades at Howard University

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

It has been a stellar first collegiate season for Howard University freshman Imani Jean. The tennis player, who began her tennis journey on courts right near her family’s Brooklyn home, has already earned four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week honors. This included going 3–0 in singles play during the annual MEAC Round Up (March 22-24).

“The USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) has these introducing kids to tennis workshops,” Jean recalled. “My mom put me in that [at age 6] and I haven’t stopped playing ever since.” Jean played all over the city and took part in local tournaments. She participated in the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, New York Junior Tennis,

and Learning and Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning.

“When I was in New York, I thought [the competition] was fierce, but going to the nationals was a whole different ballpark. I had to adjust my thinking and expand what I knew and apply it,” she said.

Her serious competitive days began at age 13, when Jean began dividing her time between Brooklyn and College Park, Maryland, where she trained at Junior Tennis Champions Center. She attended an online high school. As college approached, she knew she wanted an in person experience, choosing Howard University in Washington, DC, for its tennis team and HBCU culture. After growing up in a predominantly white sport, it felt exciting to join a team with all Black players.

“I felt like I can really be an addition to that and it made me

feel supported,” said Jean, who is studying finance. “It was like a breath of fresh air.”

Howard plays against other HBCU schools, where Jean sees some former training mates. “It also introduces me to new people who have gone through some of the things that I’ve gone through and hopefully make connections for the long-term,” she said. Her competitive mindset is thriving. “I love competing in general,” Jean said. “When you and your opponent are going at it and you’re both trying your best, you both respect each other, it gives you an idea of how good you are and it forces you to be better.”

Howard tennis is next in action on April 15 vs. Coppin State. Jean said her goals for the remainder of the season are to win as many matches as possible and win a MEAC title.

Women’s Sports Foundation founder Billie Jean King with past presidents of the organization. (Adam Reist/ Women’s Sports Foundation photo)

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Billie Jean King overlooking the many women of impact. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Freshman Imani Jean is a standout for Howard University’s women’s tennis team. (Howard Athletics photo)

does it again, winning another national championship

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Selflessness. Collectivism. Precise execution. Poise. Abiding flow state. All of these traits and characteristics define the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team. Another identifier is national champion, as they claimed that everlasting inscription by methodically dismantling the Purdue Boilermakers by 75-60 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Monday.

Purdue, with two-time National Player of the Year, 7-4 center Zach Edey, was a formidable opponent. They were the Midwest Region’s No. 1 seed and entered the game 34-4.

UConn (37-3) is historically great.

And that was the difference between them and everyone else. In hindsight, their toughest opponent and only threatening challenger was history. And the East Region’s and NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed unflinchingly starred down their legacy, five previous national championships, including one last season, and embraced it as

a right more than a burden.

Exhibiting a singular sense of purpose, focus and plan implementation that should be admired and adapted by anyone pursuing a goal, the Huskies captured the program’s sixth title over the last 25 years and became the first to do it back-to-back since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007.

“I mean you can’t even wrap your mind around it because you just know how hard this tournament is. What a special group of people, a special coaching staff. A special group of players. The best group of players you could possibly do it with,” said UConn’s highly animated head coach Dan Hurley from the center of the raucous celebration.

“UConn’s a special place this time of year and they give us all the resources we need to do it like this in March and April.”

Point guard Tristen Newton, a 6-5 graduate student, was selected as the Final Four’s most outstanding player for his 20-point, 5-rebound, 7-assist performance. It was a repeat for Newton who was

last year’s Final Four MOP. But the MOP could have been 7-2 center Donovan Clingan (11 points, 5 rebounds), sensational 6’6” freshman guard-forward Stephon Castle (15 points, 5 rebounds) or 6-4 senior guard Cam Spencer (11 points, 8 rebounds). Each played dogged defense and stifled Purdue’s perimeter game as the Huskies hounded the Boilermakers into shooting 1-7 on 3-point attempts. Furthermore, although Edey ended with 37 points and 10 rebounds, UConn neutralized his effectiveness in the second half.

The win was the Huskies amazing 12th straight in the NCAA Tournament going back to last season. Their 140 point differential is the best ever in the tournament with the 2009 North Carolina Tar Heels’ 125 a distant second. And they won each game by a remarkable average of 23.3 points. Last year’s team won by an average 20.0. This year’s squad has only two returning starters: Newton and sophomore forward Alex Karaban.

“To me, it is more impressive

than what Florida and Duke (1991 and 1992) did because they brought back their entire teams,” said Hurley of winning two in a row. “We lost some major players.” Indeed, Jordan Hawkins (New Orleans Pelicans), Andre Jackson Jr. (Milwau-

kee Bucks) and Adama Sanogo (two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls) are all in the NBA. There should be little debate that the Huskies, era be damned, belong among the all-time best teams in college basketball.

South Carolina once again stands atop women’s college basketball

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

When the final buzzer sounded at the NCAA women’s basketball championship last Sunday, the University of South Carolina and head coach Dawn Staley had won their third title, defeating the University of Iowa 87–75. Kamilla Cardoso was named Most Outstanding Player. All the SC Gamecocks played unselfish basketball that reached a new level of intensity to complete an undefeated 38–0 season. An emotional Staley gave credit to God and expressed pride in her players.

“Now you’re putting your stamp on a legendary coaching career,” said two-time NCAA Champion Sue Bird, who hosts a deliciously spicy alternate broadcast for ESPN with former University of Connecticut teammate, USA Basketball, and overseas teammate Diana Taurasi; the game is shown while they share stories with guests and give their insiders’ perspective.

Bird and Taurasi’s presence as champions, elder stateswomen (Bird retired after the 2022 WNBA season, though Taurasi is still playing), and lovers of the game is testament to the rising popularity of

women’s sports in general, and women’s basketball in particular.

On Sunday afternoon, they opened “The Bird and Taurasi Show” joined by former sports broadcaster and now “Good Morn-

ing America” host Robin Roberts. While Iowa got off to a hot start, the three took stock of recent events.

On Friday night, 14.2 million people had tuned in to watch Iowa defeat Connecticut for their spot in the championship game. In the earlier semifinal, South Carolina trounced NC State. The cold open of Saturday Night Live featured depictions of male broadcasters waxing poetic, albeit comedically, about the excitement around the women’s game.

“You want the next generation to have things you didn’t have,” said Taurasi of the incredible attention and monetary rewards today’s college players experience. Roberts thanked them for helping to grow the game.

“We all did,” said Bird to Roberts.

During the trophy presentation, Staley offered a heartfelt tribute. “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” she said. Indeed,

Clark has been an incredible and poised driving force throughout the season. Next up for her is the upcoming WNBA Draft on April 15.

In the other post-season tournaments, Illinois was crowned champion of the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), and St. Louis won the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Among the festivities at the NCAA Final Four, Unique Drake of St. John’s was named MVP of the Women’s College Senior AllStar Game after scoring 27 points. Drake has declared for the upcoming WNBA Draft, and that performance no doubt raised her stock.

South Carolina women’s head basketball coach Dawn Staley celebrates with her team after their 87-75 win over Iowa in the NCAA Division I championship game on Sunday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team celebrates winning the Division I national championship on Monday. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)