Editorial/Opinion ................Pages 12,13 Education

City wants its children to ‘rise’ again this summer

By STEPHON JOHNSON

Amsterdam News Staff

“Given the challenges of the last couple of years, I am so excited to kick off enrollment for Summer Rising for what will be one of the most important summers our students will have,” said Schools Chancellor David Banks in a statement. “This is a real opportunity for students to return to the joy of learning by engaging in rigorous academic programming while also getting out beyond the four walls of their classrooms and experiencing all our city has to offer.”

Started by former mayor Bill de Blasio, Summer Rising is for children of all ages who have fallen behind in the learning process due to COVID-19 induced quarantine. The program provides summer learning and enrichment courses to help strengthen and pull students’ academic skills back up to standard while helping their social and emotional skills.

And it’s back. Summer Rising’s registration began on Monday.

Overall, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that the city is committing $101 million in FY’23 for summer activities for 10,000 more

K-12 students who’ll be a part of the Summer Rising program. The city also stated that this current investment will bring the number of slots funded by New York City Department of Youth and Community Development to 110,000, for a total program capacity of 210,000 slots.

During Adams’ State of the City address at the historic Kings Theater in Brooklyn, the mayor proclaimed his agenda to be one for the people.

“This is the city New Yorkers want and deserve, and it is all possible if we work together,” said Adams. “There are four main areas that we will focus on as we go forward: protecting our people, growing our economy, uplifting our youth, and building our infrastructure. Our new budget reflects those values and provides for them. This budget puts people—especially those who have often been left behind—front and center.”

And there are employers putting the word out that they’re looking for youths to work for the summer.

Phipps Neighborhoods,

a non-profit social service provider in New York City, announced that it is looking for applications for the Summer Youth Employment Program, which will connect close to 1,000 kids from the Bronx and Upper Manhattan with “career exploration opportunities and paid work experiences.”

Last year the non-profit served around 575 students.

“This year, the Summer Youth Employment Program will employ 100,000 young people across the five boroughs, giving them the opportunity to learn valuable life skills while experiencing the value of earning a wage for their work,” stated Andre White, president & CEO of Phipps Neighborhoods. “Our young people must play a role in the city’s ongoing recovery from COVID, and helping them find good jobs for the summer can do just that. I encourage all young people looking to have a productive summer to participate in the Summer Youth Employment Program and to join us at Phipps Neigh-

borhoods, where we can pair you with the right company.”

Some of the positions available include customer service representatives, marketing officials, afterschool and camp counselors, administrative coordinators, and healthcare representatives.

Safe,

Free, Fun!

Sign up for NYC’s summer program serving students in grades K–8.

Overall, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that the city is committing $101 million in FY’23 for summer activities for 10,000 more K-12 students who’ll be a part of the Summer Rising program. The city also stated that this current investment will bring the number of slots funded by New York City Department of Youth and Community Development to 110,000, for a total program capacity of 210,000 slots.

FOUR BEDROOM CO-OP APARTMENT WAITING LIST IS BEING OPENED Apartment Size *Based upon the number of persons in household. **Subject to change. OCCUPANCY STANDARDS: FOUR (4) BEDROOM APARTMENTS: No fewer than (6) persons

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• Applications are not transferable. • Applicants must be financially responsible. • Applicant must be a New York State resident • Current Shareholders are not eligible to apply • Applicant must be at least 18 Years Old at the time of the lottery. • Preference will be given to documented veterans selected in the lottery. • Any applicant that does not have the proper family composition will automatically be disqualified. • ONE REQUEST ONLY PER APPLICANT. Any applicant placing a duplicate request will not be entered into the lottery. An applicant can only submit a paper entry or an on-line entry. If applicants enter on-line and also mail in a letter or postcard, they have submitted a duplicate request and will not be eligible for the lottery. • An applicant whose name is selected in a lottery cannot be included in the family composition of any other applicant who is selected in the same lottery for that particular housing company development. Failure to comply will result in the disqualification of both applicants. Additional Information: A $75 non-refundable application fee will be required at the completion of the lottery. Waiting list will be established by a limited lottery. There will be a limit of 100 applicants drawn from the Four Bedroom Lottery. HOW TO APPLY: ONLINE You can now apply to a lottery online through Mitchell-Lama Connect. Applying is fast, easy and you will be able to check the status of your entry to see if you have been selected. To apply on line go to:

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BY MAIL Mail Post Card or Envelope by regular mail. Registered and Certified Mail will not be accepted. Clearly print your full first and last name, current address and last 4 digits of your social security number and the bedroom size lottery that you wish to apply for. If you do not include the last 4 digits of your social security number or fail to indicate the bedroom size lottery, you will not be entered into the lottery. Mail post card or envelope to: Goddard Riverside 4 Bedroom Lottery P.O. Box 299 114 John Street • New York, NY 10038 DEADLINE: Requests must be postmarked by: JUNE 1, 2022. ai164969818413_FairFares NYC Amsterdam News 8.75x5.68_2022.pdf 1 4/11/22 1:29 PM YOU CANNOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT. • EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY SUPERVISED BY THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT Eric Adams, Mayor • Adolfo Carrión, Commissioner • www.nyc.gov/hpd

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Dr. Easterling: One, we know that masking does keep people safe and so if you are under the age of 5, if you have underlying chronic conditions, if you are over the age of 65, you should definitely consider wearing a mask, particularly in areas where we do not know other people’s vaccination status. Vaccines are widely available [in] both primary series and boosters, and so we want to make sure people get their vaccines and get boosted…Testing [is] widely available. Our colleagues at New York City Health and Hospital continue to make testing available, both PCR tests as well as the at-home tests. There is treatment available… there’s an antiviral pill Paxlovid that is available that people can call 212COVID-19 and they can get connected to a healthcare provider or they can see their own healthcare provider and find out if Paxlovid is the right treatment for them. AmNews: What is Paxlovid?

Dr. Easterling: Palovid is an oral antiviral pill that you would take daily for 5 days. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19…are certainly encouraged to take Paxlovid. If you’re over the age of 65 or you have an underlying health condition such as obesity or diabetes, [or] a heart condition, then you are strongly encouraged to take Paxlovid. AmNews: How do you get access to Paxlovid? Dr. Easterling: You can call 212COVID19 (212-268-4319) so you can speak to one of our health and hospital providers and then they will send a prescription to [a] pharmacy that will allow the medication to be delivered to your home, which is really important because we want to ensure access for everyone. [Individuals] can [also] call their provider. AmNews: What are the positive aspects of taking Paxlovid if you have COVID-19? Dr. Easterling: It lowers the amount of COVID-19 in [the] body. It reduces the symptoms and helps with avoiding hospitalization. [With] vaccines, we want to prevent transmission, prevent hospitalizations, prevent someone from ever getting COVID. With this pill we want to prevent severe illness and hospitalization.

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We were prepared, all we had to do was execute,” he said.

With all the ingredients in place success was imminent if the right material came along. “The dynamic of the group changed when we became professional recording artists. We were still great emcees, and I started concentrating on actual songs,” Mel shared. For a perspective, if rap was a genre that was embraced since its inception by the industry, every year since 1979 the Furious Five would have been in contention for RAP song/record of the year at every major award show. “Superrappin,” “Freedom,” “Birthday Party,” and “It’s Nasty” showed the separation of what authentic emcees were. In 1982 however the game changed forever with the release of “The Message.” (Wow, that’ll be 40 years this summer)

Ready or not that piece of work placed a level of responsibility that the BEST of the BEST had to aspire to. “That record turned hip hop into a grown man,” Mel emphatically stated. To think, if the group had their druthers, it wouldn’t have been made. Not one of the groups on the label felt the track but Mel was willing to take a chance. While the showmanship was intact the group realized more was needed to make that transition from hood celebrities to superstardom. Enter the producer, Sylvia Robinson, who provided the coaching and guidance. “We had one of the best producers in MUSIC, not just Hip-Hop, MUSIC! She was able to hear things that we didn’t and was able to give us direction because she was winning. Timing is everything and Mrs. Robinson understood that. Nobody thought the record would do anything, but she knew and believed.” He continued, “After the song was recorded it took 72 hours to get the exact mix that she wanted including the time. She wanted it to be 7 minutes and 11 seconds.” The rest was literal history. That was the record that gave Mele Mel international and immortal clientele. So far, the major plaudits are:

“The Message” was No. 5 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop”

“The Message” becomes the first recording by a rap act to be inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.

No. 51 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 songs ever list.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five becomes the first rap act to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five 2021 Grammy Lifetime Achievement award winners.

Per Mel it was a team effort. He continued in her praise with, “She was responsible not only was the record that bought hip hop to the forefront ('Rappers Delight’) but also the record that changed music. Nothing has surpassed the importance of those two records.”

Any question as to who gets top billing? We have to bring it back full circle. Especially now since it’s becoming evident that the music that saved a generation is now being weaponized to destroy a generation. “Over history Black people have always been on the side of what was morally correct, we ain’t that right now. As total adults for a DJ to even play some of that is not the right thing to do. As a grown man any chance I get to bring it back I have to, so people can understand what the true essence of Hip Hop IS and WAS. That’s why shows like HIP HOP FEVER is important. We need you to uphold and uplift our work, so we can uphold and uplift the culture,” he concluded.

Going into the venue it looked as if ticket sales were healthy, but there were still quite a few that were lined up at the box office to gain entry to hear the best sounds in creation. Sal Abbatiello of Fever Records assembled a lineup (aside from newcomer PLAYGIRL ARI) that at one point in the music timeline had a season in the sun. The HIP HOP FEVER 2022 concert featured performances by SLICK RICK, NICE ‘N SMOOTH, ROB BASE, BRAND NUBIAN, BLACK SHEEP, ROXANNE SHANTE, SWEET G and GRANDMASTER CAZ, of the Cold Crush Brothers. Legends DJ HOLLYWOOD and the inventor of the scratch technique GRAND WIZARD THEODORE manned the wheels of steel, and it was hosted by documentarian, historian and creator of Video Music Box RALPH MCDANIELS. The crescendo of the night was the Sugarhill Gang / Mele Mel and Scorpio segment. Yeah, the Furious Five members maintained the same energy that they had when they appeared a few train station stops from the nearby 4 train at the original Disco Fever which was as expected. What was a pleasant surprise was just how popular the catalog of the Sugarhill Gang remained and/or became. “7th Wonder,” “Apache,” and Grandmaster Caz reciting the verses he composed that were used by Sugar Hill Gang member Big Bank Hank on “Rappers Delight,” still rocked the house til the break of dawn. This concert also was a dedication to Ruben Diaz Jr. for his outstanding contributions to the hip hop community in the Bronx and his support of the arts at Lehman Center. Ruben Díaz Jr. represented his hometown and the people of The Bronx for more than two decades. The Lehman College, City University of New York, graduate served over three terms as the Bronx borough president. He no longer holds the position, but he did mention that the funds and the plans for a physical Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx is still on course. Next up at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx is a tribute to another historic era in Black music as they present the show “Motown with a Twist,” a dancingin-the-street night of Motown’s electrifying music set to twists and shouts! On Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 8 p.m., “Motown with a Twist” will feature special guest musicians from the Motown era along with pros from “Dancing with the Stars,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “American Idol” and “The Voice,” all accompanied by a live band. Tickets for “Motown with a Twist” on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 8 p.m. ($50, $45, $35, $25) can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-9608833 (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and beginning at 4 p.m. on the day of the concert), or through online access at https://www.lehmancenter. org/motown . Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway.

Mele Mel (David Goodson Photo)