New York Amsterdam News - E-editon Issue May 16-23, 2024

LEFT BEHIND MIGRANT STUDENTS FACE CHALLENGES

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GHANA’S COCOA CROP ‘SHATTERED’ BY BAD WEATHER AND POOR HARVESTS

(GIN)—Almost everyone loves chocolate, making it imperative to follow Ghana’s production shortfall and similar problems in Ivory Coast. These shortfalls have been fueling historic surges in cocoa prices, forcing customers to shell out more for familiar chocolate bars and other tasty sweets.

Ghana is the second-largest exporter of cocoa beans in the world, after Ivory Coast. Samuel Adimado, president of Ghana’s cocoa buyers’ group, said current crop figures were “shattering” and member firms were struggling to remain in business.

Normally, investment in agriculture is seen as humanity’s best hope of achieving at least two UN global goals: Ending Poverty and Zero Hunger. For Ghana in particular, agriculture is an overwhelming priority because that sector employs around 45 percent of the labor force (more than any other sector) and contributes some 15 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Cocoa is iconic for Ghana, not just in terms of economics but also for its national identi-

ty, social history, and even its climate future. As the saying goes: “Ghana is cocoa, cocoa is Ghana.” Historically, as many as 800,000 people have worked directly in planting and harvesting cocoa, but nowadays many more are involved in the commercial, industrial, and service sectors.

Under normal conditions, cocoa production in Ghana is considered environmentally friendly, because beans grow without

watering and need little additional pesticides or herbicides. However, more-frequent droughts and rising temperatures are already affecting West Africa and may even turn large swaths of the region to savanna by 2050, according to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Michael Ekow Amoah, deputy director of research at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), noted that “the challenge that we cannot run away from is climate change. For Ghana, this means that farmers have great difficulty in planning their activities: Some plant too early, before the rains; some plant too late.”

Amoah added that “today in Ghana, the average age of a cocoa farmer is 55, which is not too good for the future.” In response, COCOBOD has launched a Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme as a means of attracting the youth to the industry.

Last but not least, a critical issue is land tenure. Most cocoa farmers do not own the land they work on because they are migrant farmers. This does not ensure proper land

Cuban poet and critic Nancy Morejón visits

New York City

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The Cuban poet Nancy Morejón has been visiting the United States for the last month and a half. During her trip she gave a reading at California’s San Francisco State University and conducted a literary workshop at the Instituto Cervantes in Chicago, Illinois. She also traveled to the University of Missouri to take part in the “2024 Symposium: Afro-Cuban Legacies” and read some of her poetry on a recent evening at Manhattan’s The People’s Forum.

It’s been an exhausting trip, the famed writer confessed, but an interesting one.

“It’s nice. It’s a tight program, which I loved,” she said. “Let me tell you, it was very rich, very spontaneous, lots of people and many new readers. There were people that approached who knew my name, but not my poems. So, I started just to communicate with them.”

Morejón has been a world-renowned poet for decades now. She has won the international Struga Golden Wreath, was named Cuba’s National Poet in 2018, and has had her work translated into English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian, Polish, and Dutch. Morejón has also served as president of Cuba’s Writers’ Union; worked with and written a book about the famous Afro Cuban poet-journalist Nicolás Guillén; and served as a senior adviser for Casa de las Américas and the Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Morejón’s accolades come because she

has a way of sanctifying words. She says that her basic practice of reading and being informed is what pushes her to create, and she does not do any research or create long plot lines before writing her poetry. Her work is based on memory.

“The very first thing is memory,” she said. “For instance, my very famous poem, ‘Mujer Negra / Black Woman,’ I did not make a re-

search; it was just a dream I had. I wanted to tell the story of the Black woman I saw in my dream: to fix her memory and to fix the memory of the passage for those Black women everywhere.”

In one section of “Mujer Negra” (as translated by Kathleen Weaver) Morejón writes: I still smell the foam of the sea they made me cross.

The night, I cannot remember it. The ocean itself could not remember that.

But I can’t forget the first gull I made out in the distance.

High, the clouds, like innocent eyewitnesses.

Perhaps I haven’t forgotten my lost coast, nor my ancestral language. They left me here and here I’ve lived. And, because I worked like an animal, here I came to be born.

How many Mandinga epics did I look to for strength.

Influential Black writers in Cuba

Morejón said that when she returns to Cuba from this trip, she’s getting back to work on writing her memoirs. “Yes, I will be writing my memories. All of these stories about how I fell in love with French and then I studied French, and my specialization in French.” She said her memoirs will also look at influential Black writers in Cuba like Guillén, the poets Gastón

NANCY MOREJON on page 29

(GIN photo)

Cuban poet and critic Nancy Morejón. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

Violence interruption center Project ECHO opens shop in East Flatbush

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

Bad weather didn’t stop East Flatbush residents from showing up to welcome Project ECHO, a gun violence prevention community center, to the neighborhood last Friday, May 10.

“Sometimes [when] this violence happens and they pretend like the community doesn’t care, that they don’t want to support, and that they aren’t trying everything they can do to stop our young, Black youth from dying, and nothing could be further from the truth,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. “They have been screaming and yelling for the resources that the community needs to stop this killing, the shooters and these stabbers.”

ECHO, which stands for Empowering Communities through Healing and Opportunities, is supported by grants, includ-

ing $1 million from the Bureau of Justice Assistance last year obtained by the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, fondly dubbed by locals as the “Godquad.” The parent organization was officially founded in 2010 as East Flatbush faced one of the worst murder rates in the city at the time.

“This is the fulfillment of a dream,” said Rev. Edward-Richard Hinds, the organization’s president. “And this is really Project ECHO: ‘silence the violence and echo the love,’ that this is a mantra that has been at the forefront of the minds and hearts of clergy. Five clergy 14 years ago sat down and asked the question: What more can we do to help our community here in East Flatbush? Having one conversation with then-C.O. of the 67th Precinct retired [Deputy] Inspector Corey Pegues— he challenged the clery, ‘Why not start a clergy council?’

“And here we are now 14 years later, opening the first [faith-leader based] Cure

Violence group in New York City.”

The 67th Precinct Clergy Council is the product of more than 100 churches partnering with local police to tackle gun violence in East Flatbush, Flatbush, and other neighboring Brooklyn communities. Traditionally, outreach teams use street engagement with young people to dissuade them from picking up guns and engaging in violence. With Project ECHO, youth will now have a brick-and-mortar location to seek out the 67th Precinct Clergy Council any day of the week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Project ECHO is located at 887 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203.

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.

AM Dais: Criminalizing deed theft in communities of color

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

The city and state are attempting to further protect and maintain homeownership amid the current housing crisis by enacting stricter penalties related to deed fraud, a pervasive issue in the city that disproportionately affects seniors in Black and Brown communities.

Newly elected Assemblymember Landon Dais, who won a seat in office this February thanks to a special election, was eager to get to Albany and convince his colleagues to immediately prioritize the housing crisis, he said. He sponsored Bill A09763 in his first session, with the help of Attorney General (AG) Letitia James, to criminalize deed theft, a practice of taking the title to some-

one’s home without their knowledge, often through forgery or faking a homeowner’s signature on a deed. Gov. Kathy Hochul included the new measure in the state’s 2025 enacted budget.

By his count, Dais said that there are at least 18 suspected cases of deed fraud in the 77th District in the Bronx, but that it has also been an issue in the Harlem, BedfordStuyvesant, and Bushwick neighborhoods.

“These con artists [and] low-morale people were targeting elderly people of color,” Dais said. “It was clear that I had to do something. This will help ensure that seniors who have spent their life building equity in their homes won’t have some con artist take it from them without some sort of criminal penalty.”

Seniors in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods have been at the whims of

scammers who commit deed theft for years. Until recently, suspected cases were more of a civil matter that gets dragged out in housing courts as a contract issue, said Dais. That’s changing.

Last year, Hochul signed an anti-deed theft bill (S.6577/A.6656), which reinforced the ability of the AG’s office to investigate deed theft cases, pause deed-related evictions, and dispute related proceedings, while expanding the scope of fraudulent sale crimes that local district attorneys can prosecute. According to the governor’s office, that law also includes language that declares a deed transfer fraudulent in civil disputes if a party has a prior conviction for deed theft or property fraud, challenges buyers or lenders who might have been aware of the theft, and expanded the State’s

Coming for Mr. Mayor: Brooklyn’s Sen. Myrie explores a bid

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

After months of speculation, Senator Zellnor Myrie launched an exploratory committee last week to begin raising funds for a mayoral campaign against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in 2025.

“We need leadership and leaders who are competent and understand the nuts and bolts of government, and has [sic] the ability to execute on a vision for the city,” said Myrie about why he’s running.

The exploratory committee does not formally declare Myrie’s candidacy, but will measure if he has the ability to garner support from voters. Over the next few weeks, Myrie will solicit small donations and rely on the public matching funds

system for initial rounds of raising campaign cash.

Former mayoral candidate and City Comptroller Scott Stringer also launched an exploratory committee for another bid at mayor, while it was rumored that fellow Sen. Jessica Ramos and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo may run as well.

Should Myrie and Adams square off in the 2025 race, it would be a face-off between a representative of NYC’s political old-guard and a millennial upand-comer.

Adams, 63, and Myrie, 38, are both Black men with an outward love for the borough of Brooklyn and held office in the Senate. That’s where the similarities end, as their ideologies and political reputation, both reflective of their generational See SENATOR MYRIE on page 27

for 2025

See AM DAIS on page 25

Photo of State Senator Zellnor Myrie. (Contributed by Myrie’s campaign)

Project ECHO building in East Flatbush on day of ribbon cutting. (Tandy Lau photo)

Assemblymember Landon Dais (Contributed by Dais’s office)

Biden’s bothersome borders

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

President Biden’s bid to win reelection is troubled on several fronts and borders, both domestically and abroad. The ongoing rage in the Middle East—the war between Israel and Hamas—and the crisis on the southern border are enough to make even the most robust and youngest candidate sleepless.

Each problem has an impact on his campaign to marshal voters, particularly the young, no matter their race when it comes to warfare abroad, and Latinos on the immigration dilemma.

Several months ago, Biden confronted the immigration issue during a meeting with the National Governors Association, where he mentioned the possibility of executive action to stifle the flood of migration across the southern border.

“Over time, our laws and our resources haven’t kept up with our immigration system, and it’s broken,” Biden told the governors. He placed the blame on the “petty politics” that “intervened” to kill a congressional bill, as well as on his attorneys.

According to the latest reports, Democrats are preparing an aggressive new strategy to challenge the Republican rebuke of the proposal put forth months ago. The new strategy would include forcing Republicans to vote on a measure they are likely to oppose.

“Democrats have made it clear that the situation at the border is unacceptable,” said New York’s Sen. Chuck Schumer.

“That’s why we worked in a bipartisan fashion to craft the strongest border security bill in a generation, endorsed by the border patrol union.”

Schumer blamed Trump for the defeat of the bill, suggesting that the Republicans “need to get serious about fixing the border and ignore Donald Trump. After all, you can’t say it’s an emergency and then refuse to take action,” he said.

Meanwhile, despite the bump at the border, Biden’s attention—rightfully— has been focused on the crisis in Gaza, where an impasse looms and no resolution seems possible at the moment.

Six months from the election, the candidates are neck and neck, according to the latest polls, although Trump has the edge in the battleground states.

That means, from Gaza to Georgia, Biden has to step up his campaign, particularly when it comes to policy and initiatives.

The Equal Rights Amendment, 100 years and counting

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

A host of women lawmakers is fervently working to add the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution and make sure the dreams of suffragists who fought for women’s right to vote and have bodily autonomy actually comes to fruition over a century later.

“It’s one of the most important projects I work on,” U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) told the AmNews. “We’ve seen how the lack of equality in the Constitution has harmed women.”

The Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case in 2022—which overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade—fundamentally dissipated any notion that a woman’s federal right to legal abortion was safe, immediately prompting a movement to recognize the ERA as the Constitution’s 28th Amendment. The amendment’s current language states that a person cannot be discriminated against based on their sex. That idea translates for many to protection of reproductive freedoms.

Republicans and conservative groups have positioned themselves to be ideologically against equality in order to limit access to abortion, Gillibrand said. “It’s become more urgent than ever and it’s become more relevant than ever. Women assumed they had equality. They assumed they had a right to pri-

Dr. E. Faye Williams speaks at a rally to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) at the Supreme Court. The amendment would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, which would require equal pay for women, among many other changes. The required 38 states have ratified the amendment, but, unlike other constitutional amendments, a time limit was placed on the ERA, which has now expired. ERA proponents are pressuring Congress to extend the time limit. (Photo by Allison

vacy and they assumed precedent was enough to protect them,” the senator said. “But they’re not. So we need a constitutional amendment that guarantees equality for women.”

The suffragist movement began in earnest when activist Alice Paul, who founded the National Woman’s Party (NWP), and others lobbied and picketed the White House in 1917. Though the movement was not without its flaws—Paul and several early suffragists openly expressed anti-Black sentiments at the time— the overall goal to win social, political, and economic equality for women

and be recognized in the Constitution as full citizens still prevailed, according to the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in D.C.

In 1923, the NWP proposed the ERA at a convention in Seneca Falls, New York. First called the Lucretia Mott Amendment, after abolitionist Lucretia Coffin Mott, it stated that “men and women should have equal rights in the U.S., and everywhere subject to its jurisdiction.” The language was rewritten in the 1940s and renamed the Alice Paul Amendment, said Belmont-Paul’s Parks Ranger Susan Philpott. By the

1950s, it was renamed the ERA. To amend the Constitution, it must pass Congress with a two-thirds majority and subsequently be ratified by threefourths of the states. The ERA passed Congress in 1972 but it was given a ‘time limit’ in its introduction for ratification. It was supposed to have at least 38 states ratify the amendment within seven years, but by 1977, it had 35 states. Congress then extended the time limit for another three years with a “simple majority” as opposed to the two-thirds majority needed, Philpott said.

Brenda Mallory, chair of Council on Environmental Quality, speaks out on environmental justice

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

Brenda Mallory, 12th chair of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the first African American in that role, advises the president about a variety of environmental issues in public health and the environment, with a specific focus on environmental justice, economic development, and job growth. In a Q & A with the Amsterdam News, she discussed the Justice40 initiative, funding for greenhouse gas reduction, and the environmental strategic plan of the Biden administration.

AmNews: Can you talk about the work your office and the White House are doing around environmental quality?

Brenda Mallory: We have a president and a vice president who are focused on trying to make sure that all communities get the benefit of clean air, clean water, and (living) in a healthy environment. Much of our agenda has been anchored to that core belief and there’s a real focus on communities that have been historically underserved. We have what we refer to as an environmental justice/equity agenda and that has some key elements, which are designed [for] communities that generally have not been considered when. . .trying to create

programs. A key element of that is something that we call Justice40.

AmNews: Could you describe the Justice40 initiative?

B.M.: The Justice40 initiative is the president’s commitment that 40% of the kind of overall benefits

Bailey/NurPhoto via AP)

Brenda Mallory, chair of Council on Environmental Quality, speaks at Queen Theater (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Bed-Stuy boxer Pryce Taylor sets his eyes on heavyweight glory

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

Pryce Taylor’s journey to boxing has been a rollercoaster — fitting, since it started at Six Flags. The Brooklynite recounts Superman’s measurements in the queue of a ride themed after his favorite superhero back in middle school. Weighing 225 pounds at the time, “I could be as strong as Superman,” he recalled in thinking about the day his scale said the same years later.

These days, Taylor stands at around 270 at age 27, a true heavyweight,and so far, nobody has found his kryptonite: His record sits at a young, but perfect, 4-0, fresh off a decision victory this past Saturday as his résumé rapidly grows after turning pro just last winter.

Taylor’s first love was basketball, first stepping onto the hardwood in the first grade while playing for a church league. Back then, he was clueless, like most other 6- and 7-yearolds are. But Taylor was a fast learner and quickly developed into a legitimate player by middle school. And being the strongest kid on the court didn’t hurt.

Moving to Atlanta helped Taylor develop his game, but severed his connection to Brooklyn and bogged down his grades in high school. He remained on the hardwood throughout his youth, ironically discouraged from playing football due to his father’s concern about the dangers of the contact sport. It’s hard to think of 6’4” as small, but Taylor was forced to develop guard skills due to his height, despite his strength and propensity under the basket.

“Basketball honestly didn’t work out for me because the skills that I needed to be a point guard, I didn’t really have and develop,” said Taylor. “It’s hard for people to be like ‘Oh, we can work on him’ if they don’t think you got it. They don’t know what you have been through. I feel like I could have been a great point guard if someone just would have put me through the ropes and teach me how to do it.”

At age 20, Taylor’s hoop dreams fell through and he switched to boxing. He took to it like fish to water. Back in Brooklyn, he began training in the Cops & Kids Boxing Club, a gym known for producing more NYPD officers than pugilists. (The center started as a crime prevention program to keep kids out of gangs, rather than a training ground for future world champs.) It was free and accessible to Taylor as he broke into a sport requiring overhead costs without the paychecks to match.

Cops & Kids Boxing founder Pat Russo said the heavyweight was never one to take a handout, recalling a time when he needed travel cash to get to some amateur tournaments to make a name for himself.

“He came to me and said, ‘Pat, I’m not asking you for money—just give me a job for the summer [so] I can make enough money so I could pay for my own travel—I don’t want a freebie, I want to work for it,’” said Russo. “And he did. Every time he had to travel, he would

Boxer Pryce Taylor

Black

New Yorker

say, ‘Pat, you got anything for me?’ He was like an African American Rocky [Balboa], cutting meat and making money to travel [and] pursue his career.”

Despite his hardwork in the ring, gym, and cutting room, Taylor narrowly missed the Tokyo Olympics in what would be his “springboard” to the professional ranks. By then, he had developed into a blue chipper in the amateur ranks, distinguished from the pros by headgear, shorter fights, and the absence of a paycheck. Today, he’s only in the formative stages of his professional career, despite being seven years older than fellow Brooklyn heavyweight Mike Tyson when he won his first world title. He continues to get off the canvas of life and now can finally call himself a professional athlete.

His goals inside the ring are simple: There’s never been an undisputed heavyweight champion in the era of four separate world titles. That changes this Saturday, May 18, when Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk fight for all the belts, and Taylor intends to be up there one day.

As Taylor rises through the ranks, he’s also developing his persona outside of the ring. With a laugh, he wavers between two catchphrases: “The Pryce is right” and “Taylormade.” But he’s clear about the type of boxer he wants to be: the People’s Champion, just like Muhammad Ali.

“I want people to fear me, but love me at the same time outside the ring,” said Taylor.

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

Maximizing Your Bank Branch Experience

Sponsored content by JPMorgan Case & Co.

In a world of online tools that let you make banking transactions with the touch of a button, the idea of visiting a branch might seem unnecessary.

However, if you haven’t visited your local branch recently, you might be surprised by what it has to offer. Your branch is much more than a place to deposit and withdraw money—it can offer the opportunity to build valuable relationships with people who can help you achieve financial independence.

Diedra Porché, Head of Community and Business Development at Chase, talks about how the bank model has evolved to maximize the branch experience for customers; how connecting with your local branch team can help you think differently about money and investing for your future.

Q: How can a customer feel connected to a bank branch?

I love that question because we ask ourselves the same thing every day. Being part of the community means meeting with local leaders to find out what they need from us and then designing our branches around that. For example, at some of our community branches we have what we call a living room where we can host financial workshops, small business pop-up shops or nonprofit organization meetings. We also hire locally. You feel much more connected talking about financial aspirations with people from your community who went to the same high school, place of worship or maybe frequented the same recreation center down the street when they grew up.

Q: How can I build a relationship with my bank?

Customers should feel comfortable sharing their goals, needs and wants with their banker. Also, it helps to remember the Community Manager is there to help solve your finance

challenges and build a roadmap for success. You might have a short-term or long-term goal to open a business, build your credit, become debt-free, buy a home, or save for retirement, and our community team can help. At Chase, we strive to make dreams possible for everyone, everywhere, every day. Your financial future starts with building those relationships.

Q: How can customers change negative perceptions they have about managing their money?

Far too often, customers are intimidated when they visit a bank. Our goal is to demystify banking and money myths empowering people to make the right decisions. For example, a big myth is assuming you need a lot of money to have a bank account. You don’t! Another myth is you need to carry a balance on your credit card to build credit— actively using your credit card can demonstrate that you can use credit responsibly, but carrying a balance won’t necessarily improve your credit score. Finally, having an understanding of mobile and online banking safety is key. There are so many safeguards and protections in place to guard your personal information and funds.

Q: What’s an easy step one can take to shift their financial behavior right now?

Cultivating self-awareness is a good first step. Start by taking inventory of your spending. Be honest with yourself about what you need and what you want. Too often, people confuse the two, which leads to bad decisions. Rent is something you need to pay. An extra pair of shoes is something you may want but before you buy them ask yourself if that’s the best use of your hard earned money. Too often, our beliefs and our fears shape our financial realities. If any of those beliefs are limiting your financial behavior, it’s important to question and examine them, and then decide you’re open to learning something different.

Q: What’s one perception about banking that you’d like to change?

I think folks are surprised there are so many resources available and accessible both at our branches and online, it’s always a good idea to visit a nearby branch and speak to a Community Manager or banker. Outside of what we offer in-branch, our teams also work with local neighborhood partners who provide a variety of services to support the community, businesses and residents. I had a unique piece of feedback from an employee who started with the bank and had lived in the same community his whole life. When he visited his local community branch, he said, “Diedra, when I walked in, I felt dignified.” Every time I recount that story, it warms my heart because that’s what we want—we want our centers to belong to the community.

Diedra Porché

Promise of Brown v. Board of Education not reaching NYC’s migrant students

By AARON FOLEY AmNews Staff

The landmark ruling of Brown v. Board of Education 70 years ago that made segregated schools unconstitutional once gave hope that further integrating all public American institutions would hasten the goal of equity for all of the country’s citizens and eventually level a centuries-long imbalance between white Americans, the colonized Indigenous, descendants of enslaved Africans, and immigrants seeking the promise of a better life.

But decades after that ruling, de facto segregation—though not the same as redlining or housing covenants—still persists in public schools nationwide, largely due to local policies and statutes that have long been at fundamental odds with the Supreme Court ruling. And while many of these policies do not target education specifically, their residual effects spill over into how Americans pursue education, and

chip away at the right of students to a quality education.

Since Mayor Eric Adams enacted a 60-day limit for migrant families in New York City shelters, the new deadline has caused turmoil for families of children enrolling in Department of Education schools already stretched thin with resources to aid these families, critics and advocates say. And with more and more migrants arriving daily, critics say that their right to a free, quality public education is being denied because of a lack of resources. Those who do enter the system may bring down test scores, graduation rates and other crucial statistics for the public school system that determine everything from funding and resource allocation to how our school system is perceived in comparison to neighboring districts.

“What we’re seeing a lot of is Spanish-speaking families, and some other languages, from Haiti, Venezuela, Ecuador,” said Diana Aragundi, assistant director of Immigrants Students’ Rights Project at the Advocates

A school worker decorates the school yard where five-year-old Damien Salinas attends. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Migrant children prepare to board a school bus while guided by their guardians in front of the Row Hotel that serves as a migrant shelter in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

for Children of New York . “And we’re seeing a lot of young adult men, ages 17-21, who are from Guinea or other countries in East Africa who are coming to New York and really want to go to school and want the opportunity, but it’s really hard to navigate enrolling in school.”

Advocates for migrant students estimate that as of today, roughly 36,000 students are caught in an incredibly emotional and arduous ordeal of simply trying to attend classes daily. There is, of course, the culture—and financial—shock of arriving in a new country, and perhaps not being able to speak the dominant language. And while shelter stays were never intended to be permanent, the 60-day deadline imposed by the Adams administration means that students may attend a school in one borough for 60 days and move to a completely different school in a different borough later, all while attempting to catch up and learn English—or in the case of older students— also working jobs to support their newly emigrated families.

“A lot of schools are overwhelmed,” Aragundi said. “The bigger challenge is with 60-day notices—it creates some challenges with school stability, because you don’t know where you’re going to end up. And transportation is such a big issue for students in shelter. It can be really hard to make sure the bus is on time, but if they have to move, it can take weeks for the bus to be rerouted.”

“For elementary and middle school-aged students, we are compliant with the McKinneyVento Act, which states that students in temporary housing are entitled to placement at their zoned school. If seats are unavailable in nearby zoned schools, we are being strategic about placing students in equidistant schools with open seats that also meet our students’ needs,” the DOE said in a statement.

But a clear barrier in between is the process of enrollment.

“Enrollment is the biggest challenge because a lot of families don’t know what to do,” Aragundi said. When families arrive, they are not aware of having to make the first stop at the Family Welcome Center, which processes enrollment and other formalities for students

See MIGRANT STUDENTS on page 35

Damien Salinas, 5 years old, right, hugs with a friend as he arrives to school on in New York. Damien attends his first day of school in New York City after his family emigrated from Ecuador in June. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Go With The Flo

ANTHONY

Congratulations to Gayle King! The 69-yearold co-anchor of “CBS Mornings” was surprised to learn that she is among the cover girls for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s special 60th anniversary edition. Additional models on the cover Kate Upton and Hunter McGrady surprised King with the news on her show May 14. King clapped right away and asked, “I’m on the cover?” She continued, “They told me I was just going to be on the inside. I just never saw myself this way. I still don’t see myself this way. But when I look at that....I go, I look good.” King is also featured in the Sports Illustrated Legends edition. Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey’s BFF also became a grandmother for the second time on May 12 when her daughter Kirby Bumpus and her husband, Virgil Miller, welcomed their second child, a daughter, Grayson, who joins big brother, Luca. King posted on social media, it was the “best Mother’s Day ever.” ......

Harlem-based fashion designer Edwing D’Angelo collaborated with New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Eadie Adams, whom he had the honor of dressing her for the Met Gala 2024 on May 6, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. D’Angelo envisioned an ensemble for Speaker Adams that encapsulates the ethereal elegance of a Palladian villa’s enchanted garden, with lush hues of tulip hues and the delicate translucence of petals. This year’s Met Gala theme was “The Garden of Time,” which drew from the Costume Institute’s exhibit “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”.......

Legendary R&B/LGBTQ+ Singer/Songwriter Monifah, released a new single “Testify” on all music platforms on May 10. “Testify” is from Monifah’s album “Grace at Midnight” on Quantize recordings which comes out in early Fall 2024. The single is written and coproduced by Monifah and Grammy nominated artist Anthony Giles. Said Monifah, “I’m thrilled to share ‘Testify’ with the world. This song represents a new chapter for me, where I embrace different musical styles that resonate with my spirit. My new music project ‘Grace at Midnight’ is a testament to my growth as an artist and a celebration of life’s diverse rhythms.” It has been nine years since Monifah released her last single “One Moment” ..... On May 10, Mary J. Blige and Pepsi kicked off the third annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, in partnership with Live Nation Urban, with an intimate welcome soiree at Corner Social in Harlem. DJ’ed by Funkmaster Flex, followed by a sold-out jazz concert headlined by Robert Glasper at the Blue Note in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Blige joined Glasper onstage for a short chat. Notable celebrities in attendance included Tiffany Haddish, Tasha Smith and BryanMichael Cox......

Harlem’s Northside Center Gala honors the 70th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Ed.; Dr. Dye-Holmes announces retirement

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

The 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education was recognized this week at the Northside Center for Child Development’s annual gala, held on May 9 at the Plaza in Manhattan.

Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark, Northside’s founders, played a crucial role in arguing that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional in 1954.

The Clarks were Black psychologists and staunch integrationists; the first Black man and woman to earn doctorates in psychology at Columbia University. In 1946, the couple founded the Northside Center in Harlem. They conducted a groundbreaking experiment, known as the doll tests, to study the racial perceptions of Black children. They concluded that segregation and discrimination was responsible for creating a feeling of inferiority among Black children aged 3 to 7 years old, as well as inhibiting white children’s development.

“Since its inception in 1946, Northside Center for Child Development has been dedicated to providing mental and [physical] health, and education services to children,” U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “Dedicated to its mission, Northside Center was the first to introduce innovative programs of its kind to the Harlem community.”

The doll tests became a central part of the Brown v. Board of Ed case 14 years later. By then, the Clarks had turned their focus to fostering mental health resources in New York City public schools for Black and Brown students. In 1962, they established the Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Haryou), which recruited Black professionals for the education system.

“As we look toward Northside’s next phase,

I am filled with excitement,” Dr. Thelma Dye-Homes, Northside’s CEO and president, said during the ceremony. “I remain committed to ensuring that all children, regardless of circumstances, regardless of racism and all the other horrible isms— those things that can steal their self-esteem, soul, and even sometimes their future—(are) given the opportunity to excel, grow pride, and be masters of their future.”

for Child Development Day School Executive

and CEO

the

annual

Dye-Homes has been at the helm of Northside for the last 30 years and is retiring later this year. She was honored with the Mamie Award at the gala.

“Thank you to the children and families—you are indeed the heart of Northside,” she said. “My heart was captured the first day I walked into the children’s library. I was six months pregnant and saw the children smiling and laughing. I knew then that this was where I wanted to be and I needed to be.”

This year’s other award recipients at the gala included Marva Smalls, global head of inclusion at Paramount and executive vice president of public affairs at Nickelodeon; Racquel Oden, head of wealth and personal banking, HSBC USA; Walter Oden, managing director, Oden Development LLC; Verdun Perry, global head of strategic partners, Blackstone; Adam Sloan, executive, Creative Artists Agency; and Karin Sloan, entrepreneur and education advocate.

Many at the event—and Harlem at large— were moved at hearing about Dye-Homes’s

impending retirement.

“Dr. Dye, as the longest-serving president and CEO since Dr. Mamie Clark, you have upheld the vision of the Clarks and have been instrumental in intertwining Northside’s mission with their legacy,” said Councilmember Yusef Salaam in a statement. “Your dedication and commitment to Northside’s cause have been truly inspiring. As we celebrate these significant milestones, let us reaffirm our commitment to the values of diversity, inclusivity, and community that Northside embodies. Let us continue to strive for a better, more inclusive world, for ourselves and our children, following the path paved by the Northside Center and its remarkable leaders.”

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

Northside’s Dr. Thelma Dye-Holmes and AmNews Publisher Elinor Tatum at annual Northside Gala last week.

Celebrating are (left to right) Racquel Oden, HSBC Bank head of wealth and personal banking; Dr. Thelma Dye-Holmes, Northside Center for Child Development Day School executive director and CEO; Marva Smalls, executive vice president and global head of inclusion at Paramount and executive vice president of Public Affairs at Nickelodeon; and CBS journalist Michelle Miller at the Plaza on Thurs, May 9.

Northside Center

Director

Dr. Thelma Dye-Holmes holds proclamation from

city at

Northside Gala at the Plaza on Thurs, May 9. (Ariama C. Long photos)

Street co-naming ceremony honors Judge Hubert T. Delany

The northeast corner of West 145th Street and Riverside Drive was recently co-named for Hubert T. Delany (1901–90), who graduated from the City College of New York and New York University Law School, and served as an assistant U.S. attorney. He was an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther Jr. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. among others, and one of the first

African American judges appointed in New York City in the early 20th century. Councilmember Shaun Abreu, Representative Charles B. Rangel, Manhattan Deputy Borough President Keisha Sutton-James, members of the Delany family, and the community all gathered to honor Delany at the event.

Grandson Hubert Delany

Granddaughter Michelle (Bill Moore photos)

Harlem School District 5 is conducting a hiring fair

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

School principals are still anticipating their needs for the next academic year, but leaders in Harlem District 5 schools are proactively gearing up to take part in an education hiring fair this week, on Wednesday, May 15, and Thursday, May 16. The hiring fair is for individuals interested in working with the NYC Department of Education. Dereka L. Hendon, director of Schools Supports and Operations for Harlem Community School District 5, told the AmNews she wants to make sure those who live in the Harlem community know there’s a possibility to have a job in their neighborhood that’s not only convenient to walk to, but allows them to be educators in the community.

The district’s 23 schools include PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune, PS 30M (Rafael Hernandez/Langston Hughes), the Thurgood Marshall Academy For Learning and Social Change, PS/MS161 Don Pedro Albizu Campos, and the School of Earth Exploration and Discovery Harlem (SEED Harlem). The list of positions for each school will be finalized by the time the fair starts, but broadly, Harlem District 5 schools need guidance counselors, social workers, and other onsite support staff.

Most of the district’s principals are also looking to hire teachers of math, special education, and English as a Second Language. “I need them bad: I need them,” Hendon said. “We desperately need more English as a Second Language teachers on

board, particularly since there is a high influx of migrants coming in. We’re at a deficit for…having enough staff to integrate those kids into our school system––that’s happening across the city, but I want to get Harlem staffed quickly.”

The job fair takes place in person on Wednesday, May 15, from 3:30–6 p.m. at Frederick Douglass Academy (2581 7th Ave. in Harlem), and virtually on Thursday, May 16, from 3:30–5 p.m. via Zoom.

The D5 Hiring Fair link (https://docs. google.com/forms/d/1VSsyDx2s7v45b w2gq9pgrRWuJqlXSR7gysXLLtwETT0/ viewform?edit_requested=true) will direct

job candidates to the online Zoom room. Each school will have a home breakout room for the virtual sessions, so candidates can meet directly with school representatives. Those attending should be ready to discuss their qualifications, work history/education, and accomplishments. They also should have copies of their résumés on hand and copies of any applicable license(s).

“It’s an old-school job fair: All the schools have a table set up. They come with their principals, their assistant principals; they have staff; some schools even bring kids,” Hendon said. Schools bring

current students to the job fair who serve as cheerleaders and help with engagement. Several area high schools bring their top school performers to the fair to help introduce potential employees to a school’s culture, particularly from a kid’s perspective.

Interviews will be conducted on the spot, so candidates who attend will know if there’s a potential position for them, and they can start preparing for the next academic year immediately.

For more information about the Harlem Community School District 5 job fair, email dhendon@schools.nyc.gov.

Oversight probe into NYPD social media policies begins after police chief rants

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Protect and serve or tweet and delete?

The Office of the Inspector General for NYPD (OIG) launched an investigation into the social media conduct and policies of the city police force last week after a series of inflammatory posts from leading department officers targeting department critics.

The probe comes after requests made by City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Legal Aid Society, pointing specifically to April 30 posts from NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell over X (formerly known as Twitter) made in the wake of protests at Columbia University. Chell fired off— and later deleted—offenses targeting City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, who criticized Columbia University administrators, Mayor Eric Adams and the NYPD for raiding and arresting pro-Palestinian

students. Chell also accused the councilmember of encouraging criminal activity and suggested that those who wanted change to “seek the change you want by getting involved. Then you know what to do…” Speaker Adams believes such a suggestion implies political activity on an official public servant account, which may violate city policy.

Chell later doubled down in a second post, calling the deletion “an accident” and added that he “started to read this garbage and quickly realized this is coming from a person who hates our city and certainly does not represent the great people of NYC,” in reference to Cabán’s post.

Speaker Adams’s office told the AmNews that it began independently monitoring the NYPD’s social media outbursts late March when Chell went on an X rant against lawyer Olayemi Olurin after her viral Breakfast Club takedown of Mayor Adams. In an April interview, she told the AmNews she welcomed Chell’s posts “be-

cause 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.”

Now Speaker Adams questions whether Chell is in violation of rules set for public officials around commentary on political activity. A spokesperson from Speaker Adams’s office said there’s concern that such attacks not only aim to silence Cabán, but undermine trust in police for New Yorkers who identify with her. The Queens councilwoman is a prominent democratic socialist and staunch proponent of abolitionism and decarceration. She also boasts Puerto Rican heritage and is proudly queer.

On May 3, Speaker Adams penned her letter to the OIG requesting an investigation into the NYPD’s social media practices, citing Local Law 70 of 2013 which established the office over a decade ago. She called the posts “unprofessional and

unbecoming for public officials,” with concerns that they violated city policy and riled up threats against those named.

The spokesperson for Speaker Adams’s office directed to the NYC Conflict of Interest Board’s political activity outline, which states that “public servants may not use any City time or City resources (including a City computer, email account or phone) for any political purpose.” The OIG investigation would likely determine whether NYPD officials violated such a rule. There’s also hope the probe will bring to light the department’s internal social media policies for highranking members on official accounts. Adams’s letter also pointed to concerns about disinformation, specifically citing Chell misidentifying a judge by name in an accusation of her setting “free a predator back into the community, who may be on your next train, or walking the streets See NYPD on page 31

Scene from past Harlem School District 5 hiring fair (Harlem School District 5 photo)

Flyer for Harlem School District 5 hiring fair.

Columbia students react to not being notified about commencement cancelation

By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews

After Columbia’s decision to cancel this year’s commencement ceremony amid fears of disruption from protests, students have been vocal about their disappointment and frustration with university officials.

Commencement activities, usually held in tandem with program-specific graduation ceremonies, would have been held this week. The abrupt decision to cancel followed weeks of battle between student protesters and the university over divestment from Israel. This year, the university had announced that it would instead focus on the main individual graduation ceremonies for each program and opt out of the annual commencement ceremony on the main lawn that usually accompanies them and features all of the graduating classes.

Students expressed frustration not only with the decision to cancel but with the fact that the school made no official communication directly to students when it was announced.

The university announced the cancellation through a campus alert message on the school’s website; many students did not learn of the news until they were notified by email later that day, either from deans or student affairs for their programs, long after it had already been widely reported by international outlets, including the New York Times and CNN, and spread rapidly on social media.

Michelle Quarshie, 22, a graduating senior biology student at Columbia, said she was “shocked” when she heard the news, first seeing it posted on Instagram from the Columbia Spectator, the college newspaper.

She called the decision not to email students “cowardly.”

“I was like, ‘Wow, they couldn’t even have the guts to say it to our face,’” Quarshie said. “They had to go to shady means to make sure the student body would spread the rumor that commencement was canceled.”

For weeks, Columbia students were receiving regular updates about matters such as the protests and the level of access for the campus.

The last few weeks have been difficult for Quarshie in terms of being able to focus on school work and enjoying her last days as a student. She said everything that has happened has been a distraction from finishing some of her work.

“It’s definitely hard to focus on academics when my mind is on my friends who are in the encampment or my friends who were in Hamilton Hall that night,” Quarshie said.

With limited access to the campus in recent weeks, Quarshie said it has been a “bittersweet” end for her time as a student. She remembered how cheerful the campus felt during graduation season last year.

“It was a very happy time. You can tell there was joy on the campus, but that has been entirely erased,” Quarshie said. “I

want to get out of here because of what’s going on, but it’s the end of my undergraduate experience. I’m not feeling the sweet feelings and nostalgia right now.”

Graduations are happening throughout the week at Columbia, including for students in the School of Journalism School scheduled for May 15. Some were particularly frustrated with the fact that they had not been notified directly by the school and had to find out from professional news outlets.

“It’s almost like the university just forgot to email us about canceling commencement—‘I’m sure they’ll hear it on the news’ kinda attitude,” Meghnad Bose, a master’s student, wrote in a group chat.

Julia Coccaro, a master’s student in the journalism school, said that while she supports the student protesters, she believed canceling the ceremony is “necessary.”

“There would have been some disruption in some form. It wouldn’t have gone smoothly and it wouldn’t have been able to play out in full, no matter what,” Coccaro said.

Coccaro said she would have felt differently if the actual class graduations were halted instead of the larger ceremony. From having experienced a previous commencement at Columbia, “it’s pretty much just a bunch of speeches. Given that it is mostly just ceremonial, I don’t think it is all that big of a deal,” Coccaro said.

Columbia is not alone in its decision to suspend or alter commencement activities this year. Other schools have followed suit in canceling large ceremonies in response to potential protests and disruption, including the University of Southern California, while Emory University in Atlanta moved its commencement activities off campus.

KEEPIN’ THE CITY CONNECTED BY SOLVING THE UNEXPECTED.

PARKER - CYBER SECURITY ANALYST

Eric Adams Mayor

New York City police officer looks over center of Columbia University, usual site of large graduation ceremony (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Advances and setbacks on sickle cell and kidney disease

African Americans are afflicted with most of the common ailments, but they are particularly targeted by two of them: sickle cell and kidney disease.

An encouraging pulse in the fight against kidney disease occurred in March when Rick Slayman, a 62-year-old Black man, became the first person to receive a kidney, transplanted from a genetically modified pig. But nearly two months after the historic surgery, he died.

Doctors who performed the surgery said they don’t believe his death had anything to do with the transplant. Whatever the cause, Slayman stands as a beacon in the ongoing search for treatments and possible cures for the disease.

“Though much work remains to be done, I think the potential of this to benefit a large number of patients will be realized, and that was a question mark hovering over the field,” Dr. David Klassen, chief medical officer for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), told the New York Times. According to UNOS, more than 100,000 people in the United States are awaiting an organ transplant. About 17 people die each day for want of a donor organ, and Black patients tend to suffer high rates of end-stage kidney disease.

A positive development for those suffering from sickle cell disease was recently announced when Kendric Cromer, a 12-year-old African American, will be the first patient to undergo a new innovative treatment.

Kendric was selected for the new treatment, known as Lyfgenia, because African Americans comprise the majority of the 100,000 people in the U.S. dealing with the disease. He was among the sickest whose insurance came through. “We always prayed this day would come,” said Kendric’s mother, Deborah Cromer. Her son will have to remain in the hospital for a month afterward to recover from the extraction component of the treatment.

We extend all our good wishes to the Cromer family and others afflicted. The treatment signals an advance, or at least a relief, from the pain endured by a countless number of people suffering from the disease. Future editorials will keep abreast of developments in both diseases.

Looking back to understand this moment at CUNY

By ANDREA VASQUEZ

In 1968, when attending junior high school in Brooklyn, my friends and I would cut class to travel up to Columbia University to watch and participate in the student-led Vietnam War protests. A year later, in April 1969, when I was finishing my first year at the High School of Music & Art, then located a few blocks from City College (CCNY), throngs of fellow students and I again left school to participate in protests for faculty and student diversity as well as Black and Puerto Rican studies programs. These protests were crucial to the creation of Open Admissions in 1970. Today, the NYPD would call us “outside agitators.”

For the past six years I have had the privilege of serving as first vice president of Professional Staff Congress/ CUNY, the union representing CUNY faculty and staff. I have seen the ebbs and flows of activism throughout my life, and I have a good sense of our extraordinary City University of New York (CUNY) where we are ending the semester with dismay and protest over the violence in Gaza. Historians will debate and contextualize this moment as compared to earlier periods of civil and student unrest and there will no doubt be volumes of analyses, but it is counter to the very purpose of a university for student protest to be repressed.

and change in, the curriculum and faculty diversity. For a century we have seen students engage in civil disobedience to break and oppose unjust laws and to draw attention to critical issues of our times. It is no surprise that the war in Gaza has provoked a large and passionate response from students who are among those who believe this is the moral crisis of our time.

The massive presence of police, and the violence that ensued at City College of New York the night of April 30 was not seen at CUNY colleges in 1969; it was not seen during the building takeovers at CCNY, John Jay, or Hunter the 1980s and 1990s, and it should not be seen today.

Unfortunately, we are witnessing a diminishing of the right to peaceful and respectful assembly at CUNY as events are canceled, parts of campuses shut down, entrances barred, and more. All members of our college communities should find the curtailment of free speech, the undermining of peaceful protest by our students, and attacks on academic freedom in the classroom unacceptable.

Antisemitism has been on the rise, and it is real and there is no place for it on our campuses, just as there is no place for any racist or Islamophobic language or behavior. There have been incidents of antisemitism in our city and on our campuses that must be challenged. We must acknowledge the full context of this moment and oppose hate and harassment.

But it would be a grave mistake to allow this difficult moment to shut down the democratic right to dissent and restrict free speech. College education was never necessarily “comfortable,” and it should not be a place that is now judged by how “comfortable” the environment is.

Student protest at CUNY reaches back to the 1930s when City College and Brooklyn College students demonstrated against the rise of fascism in Europe. Across the country in the 1960s and 1970s, students played major roles in the Civil Rights Movement; the antiwar movement; and for racial and educational justice at CCNY and elsewhere across CUNY. In the 1980s and 1990s, students were at the forefront of antiapartheid protests at colleges and universities across the country and the world. There were also student actions at many CUNY colleges in response to continuing tuition increases, austerity budget cuts, and for greater diversity among CUNY faculty. Building takeovers occurred at several colleges during this period when city officials and CUNY administrators were not responsive to student demands for dialogue about,

To witness firsthand what was happening at CCNY, I visited the encampment on Monday, April 29, the day before police were called in to remove the students. Monday’s scene could not have been more calm and peaceful. I returned the following night to a drastically different scene when I was stunned to hear there was a police action taking place.

No one should condone damage to CUNY facilities that are meant to serve our student’s needs. No one should condone violence or harassment against participants or against others in the college community, including all who work in our buildings.

I don’t know if there is real clarity yet about who exactly did what at CCNY but one thing is clear: However you feel about the student demands, the level of police force that was used against those at and around CCNY that night greatly exceeded what we’ve seen at CUNY in the past and is unacceptable. I have heard people say things like, “if you break the law, there are consequences.”

Those who commit civil disobedience understand the risks they take. But authorities, including CCNY and CUNY leadership, have the discretion to understand the context in which protest anchored in moral values happens. In this context, no CUNY students or faculty members should be subject to the criminal justice system.

Yes, of course, physical safety must be ensured for all, including faculty, staff, and students. But if members of our community feel unsafe when opposing views are expressed even in an abrasive tone, that is a fundamental problem that we should be aiming to overcome—in our classes, in our demonstrations, and in our conversations. College has been, and should remain, a place where students confront subjects and views that are divergent from their own.

That is at the very core of what should be occurring in college. If we are to retain the remnants of a democracy, challenging debate is one of the invaluable lessons colleges have to offer our students. Only in this way can students become reflective citizens and enlightened members of a broader community. This highly fraught moment calls for more engagement inside and outside of the classroom—not less.

We live in scary times as anti-democratic politics are on the rise in the U.S. and globally. One of the worst possible outcomes of the CUNY protests would be for the CUNY administration, or any elected official, to infringe upon the rights to freedom of speech for our students, academic freedom for our faculty, and freedom of assembly for us all. Public higher education holds the promise of a democratization of our society and of providing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers with a better future.

This democratization of experience and thought is what CUNY faculty, staff, and students are fighting to protect so that the university can live up to its promise for future generations of CUNY students.

Andrea Vásquez is the first vice president of

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

The most dangerous people in America: college professors

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

American college campuses have been permeated by corrupted college professors who themselves corrupt students. Without a doubt, college professors are the most dangerous people in America. They’re not dangerous because they challenge the status quo, or because they encourage their students to think critically. On the contrary, they are dangerous because they encourage impressionable young college students to adhere to the doctrines of the professors they choose without providing the chance to meaningfully challenge those doctrines.

During the recent proPalestinian and proHamas protests on elite college campuses, thousands of students put up tents on private property, commandeered university-owned buildings, defaced private property, and chanted disturbing, antisemitic rhetoric. But while we constantly talk about the actions of the students, we fail to recognize that these students aren’t alone, but educated and cheered on by their college professors.

At Columbia University, hundreds of the university’s professors joined in on the protests, donning orange reflective vests and standing alongside students in protest of Israel and—apparently— support of the students’ right to free speech. Of course, these professors,

like their students, are not Constitutional scholars, yet teach their students that what they’re doing is protected.

The First Amendment does not protect the right to vandalize or trespass on private property, which is what these students were doing, or make terroristic threats or aid a terrorist organization, which arguably many of these students did. The very idea that professors were aiding the students in their illegal takeover of the university should sound alarm bells. Even in the face of the college professors’ statements and actions, which were to the effect of “we support our students’ right to protest,” no rights were being violated, but you can be absolutely sure that the impressionable college students seeing the professors’ actions and reading their statements feel more emboldened than ever and as though they were the ones wronged, not the scores of Jewish students who were barred from campus, nor the many impoverished students who were unable to access the now-closed dining halls.

There can be no doubt now that students who witnessed their professors—people of great authority and respect to them—supporting a protest that resulted in the unprovoked stabbing of a Jewish woman in the eye with a Palestinian flag,

chants of “death to America” and “globalize the intifada” (a violent uprising in which more than 1,000 Israelis were murdered in the early 2000s), students claiming “We are Hamas,” and a significant number of students donning Hamas militant headbands, will think that any violence or violent rhetoric on their part is somehow justified.

Look no further than the case of Cornell University professor Russell Rickford, an associate history professor, who took a leave of absence after openly stating that the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, were “exhilarating” and “energizing.” He was seen back on campus, protesting in solidarity with the students and giving a speech in support of the students and Palestine.

Why should a student feel afraid of being suspended—or even expelled—when a professor of the institution who met a similar fate is back on campus voicing his support of Palestine?

One of the things that any college student will learn, particularly one who challenges, rather than questions, authority, is that when that authority is overwhelmingly liberal—that is, the professor, the administration, and even the student body, questioning a professor’s dogma is a recipe for failure and being labeled an outcast. For a college student, a bad

Politics pop quiz

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

grade can make or break their college career, which is the most important immediate thing in their life. Giving a college professor the ability to judge a student more harshly because they disagree or even simply question the professors’ beliefs is the perfect recipe for indoctrination.

Let’s be clear: College professors should not be feared; they should be respected—when they earn that respect—the same as anyone else. The only power they wield is the title they were given by their institution, a title that can be quickly stripped away from them. To college students, these professors are the most academically accomplished people they know, so students follow them mindlessly; that’s why they are dangerous.

Well-educated people are oftentimes the least intelligent. They are so confident in their ability to think critically and convincingly that they have successfully told themselves that they can do no wrong. It is only when students have an honest professor who understands their fallibility that they can truly learn.

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

You know that every now and again, I like to give my students (and my readers) a pop quiz. Since it’s an election year and we have elections coming up on June 25 and No. 5, it is incredibly important that we are informed, prepared, and registered for the very important elections ahead.

Let’s see if you can get a perfect score on the following questions: Who is running for the presidency on the Democratic and Republican Party lines?

That one is a softball, so let’s see if you can answer these slightly more difficult questions. Who is your state legislator? Who is your state senator? Are they running unopposed in the June 25 primary or are they facing a competitive race? Where is your polling station? If you choose to vote early, will you vote at the same polling place or somewhere else in the district? Are you registered to vote?

These questions are incredibly important this election season as we negotiate a host of economic issues. I always joke with my students and tell them if they can name the various “Housewives of Whatever City” and cannot name all of their electeds, we’ve got a bit of homework to do.

I know I might sound like a broken record, but voting is one of the most important civic duties we can undertake. However, if you do not have a voting plan or spend a little time educating yourself about the race ahead of time, the electoral process can feel daunting, overwhelming, and worth skipping—but abstaining

from the electoral process is a grave disservice to yourself and to your community. Elected officials have limited time and resources, and they actually do look to see which neighborhoods have high turnout rates and can hold them accountable once they’ve won.

You have a little more than a month to prepare for the June 25 elections. That means doing your research as well as encouraging those in your inner circles to come up with a voting plan. If you go to whosontheballot.org, you can look to see who is on your ballot, the various races you should be aware of, and where you will vote either on Election Day or the week beforehand. Many civil rights organizations have programs to get “souls to the polls” on Election Day. We must do the same in our family and friend groups. If you are not satisfied with the choices that lie ahead, maybe you will consider running for office yourself, or supporting a candidate who is thinking of challenging someone already in office. There are many ways we can make our voices heard this election cycle. Let’s start by making sure we are registered to vote and have a voting plan.

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

Caribbean Update

Jamaica’s road to a republic hits a major snag

BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

Back in November 2021, when Barbados threw a glittering ceremony to ditch the British monarchy and become a republic, it stirred up a whale of emotions among its regional neighbors, with calls for authorities in nearly every Caribbean Community (Caricom) member state to follow suit.

Broadcast live to the world and attended by Prince Charles, then heir to the British throne, millions of people around the world—Caribbean citizens in particular—watched as the eastern Caribbean island completed what officials had said was the full circle of independence and decolonization as a local ceremonial president replaced then-Queen Elizabeth as the nation’s head of state.

Among those making the loudest noises was Jamaica, with patriots and nationalists bemoaning the fact that the island had not made any concrete steps to dump the British monarchy and then Queen Elizabeth in more than 60 years as an independent nation.

Now, Jamaica’s latest efforts to join fellow Caricom member states Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, and Dominica as a republic have hit a major snag: The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has reminded all and sundry in the past week that it will not vote in parliament to support the move unless and until the governing Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) agrees to a full decolonization process all at once by ditching the British Privy Council at the country’s final court.

The PNP wants the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to be the island’s apex court. Unless this is done, the PNP will not support any moves to republicanism because it describes ditching the monarchy but not the Privy Council as a half measure that it does not agree with.

The JLP says the Privy Council will disappear in phase two of the decolonization process, but the PNP has suspicions about this because the JLP has traditionally been steadfast in opposition to the CCJ. It still prefers that white, British, bewigged law lords hear appeal cases from

Jamaica despite legal and administrative costs, as well as logistical challenges.

To become a republic, both parties need to support each other, because the requirements involve a complex web of constitutional moves, including a referendum and a two-thirds majority vote, among other rules.

Late last week, the PNP announced that it had instructed its representatives on the national constitutional reform commission not to sign off on the report about republicanism until the government agrees to its demands to also quit the British court as the nation’s final level of appeal.

“For us to say goodbye to the monarch, we need a consensus—a solid agreement between government and opposition— before the people are asked to decide,” said Legal Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte over the weekend as Opposition Leader Mark Golding reinforced his party’s opposition to the phased or piecemeal approach to republicanism. “The committee from the outset agreed to work by consensus, knowing that our found -

ing fathers envisioned that attempts to reform the constitution, especially those deeply entrenched provisions, would fail unless the two political parties forming government and opposition sing from the same hymn sheet.”

An opposition leader said he is drawing a line in the sand on the British court, aware that the JLP does not want the CCJ. He indicated as much in a weekend letter to Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“In our brief meeting, I indicated that the move away from the British monarch as our head of state should coincide with the move away from the British monarch’s court in London to the CCJ as our final court of appeal…to achieve a seamless transition to full decolonization rather than a piecemeal, phased approach with no guarantee of its attainment. I pointed out that this is a fundamental issue for us, and [to] let me know the government’s position,” the opposition leader said.

The latest imbroglio appears to have put a wrench in Jamaica’s push to switch to a republic as the JLP continues to hedge on the issue of the CCJ.

What about xenophobic speech, Mr. Speaker?

As protests about zionism and the situation of tens of thousands of people in Gaza increase in universities across the U.S., the right wing, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, has suddenly become concerned about antisemitic speech across the country.

On May 1, Johnson rallied the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, and some Democrats, to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The irony is Johnson did not seem as concerned when QAnon was promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories disseminated via 4chan: denying the Holocaust happened and praising Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. He did not seem that concerned when Donald Trumpeto hosted Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes at his private Mara-Lago estate in 2022, nor is he very concerned over the White supremacists open promotion of swastikas or ongoing support of the Third Reich.

He also did not even seem concerned enough to pass such an act when antisemitic incidents, from bomb threats and cemetery desecration to assaults, bully-

ing, and temple shootings, surged in the United States after the election of Trump.

However, now that the protests are young, independent minds using their supposed right to free speech as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution to speak up for the people of Gaza, suddenly Johnson and the right wing feel the need to jump on the antisemitic bandwagon.

Can we call it what it is? H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y.

Which brings me to the burning question that consistently seems to slip past the minds of many of the same hypocrites who are now so concerned about hate speech: What about xenophobic speech? That is, the kind that has been spewed daily by your good friend—the Republican presidential frontrunner and the indicted former GOP president, since he began campaigning for his first run for president.

Donald Trumpeto launched his campaign in 2015 by calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” who are “bringing crime” and “bringing drugs” to the U.S. He continued the campaign by repeating that immigrants should go back to their countries of origin and to build his border wall to keep them out.

The next year, he claimed that Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was overseeing the Trump University lawsuit at the time, should recuse himself from the case be -

cause of his Mexican heritage.

In 2017, Trumpeto allegedly said that people who came to the U.S. from Haiti “all have AIDS,” and he lamented that people who came to the U.S. from Nigeria would never “go back to their huts” once they saw America.

On Oct. 31, 2018, Trump tweeted a new anti-immigration ad, paid for by his reelection campaign, characterizing migrants as extremely violent and showing masses of people pouring through broken-down barriers.

In Bemidji, Minn., the then-president injected eugenics into his speech, praising the mostly white crowd for their “good genes” while attacking Somali refugees.

Speaking about immigration at a bipartisan meeting in January 2018, Trump reportedly asked, in reference to Haiti and African countries, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

He also vulgarly called for less immigration from Haiti and more from Norway. His specific point was that Haitians were inferior to Norwegians.

Before the mid-term elections in 2018, he used a Nov. 1, 2018, White House address to boast of crackdowns on asylumseekers, even hinting that they might be fired upon by U.S. military personnel.

He called Central American migrant caravans “violent” and threatened to hold thousands of participants indefinitely in “massive cities of tents.”

An Aug. 7, 2019, Vox story, detailed 24 instances of Trump calling Latinx immigration “an invasion.” The New York Times reported that up to that point, Trump’s campaign had purchased 2,000 online ads using the word “invasion” to describe immigration at the southern United States border.

The same rhetoric was repeated by a man who massacred dozens of people at an El Paso Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019, after posting a racist manifesto online. After the attack, the shooter told police he was specifically targeting Mexicans.

This is just a brief timeline of hate and xenophobia pushed by the indicted former president, who wants to be president again. All the while, Republicans, including Johnson, have stood silently by.

Given your sudden concern for anti-semitic speech, Mr. Speaker, how about the same concern for xenophobia? Can we get the Xenophobic Awareness Act soon on the House floor?

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

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Deputy Commissioner Avula talks about adolescent mental health

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

Deepa Avula, MPH, executive deputy commissioner of the Division of Mental Hygiene for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, recently spoke with the Amsterdam News about NYC TeenSpace, a free mental health support program available to adolescents aged 13 to 17 living in New York City. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

AmNews: Please tell us about the NYC TeenSpace program.

NYC TeenSpace is a program that was launched by the New York City Health Department on November 15, 2023. We are partnering with Talkspace, the vendor that provides the platform that New York City is funding and supporting. Essentially, the program is designed to provide individuals who are 13 to 17 with mental health services at no cost to them or their families. Part of the reason that we felt really strongly that we needed to do that was because we know that there is a youth mental health crisis that’s growing in our city, as there is across the country, and we wanted to be responsive to that need and to be able to provide services with the least amount of barriers as possible.

AmNews: Could you talk about mental health issues that have arisen for teens because of COVID?

We are seeing issues increase among youth since the COVID pandemic. In terms of adjusting to life during the pandemic, children and teenagers had to deal with things that sort of kept them away from regular and routine activities.

“We’ve been able to provide matching with therapists within hours of logging onto the system. Often, when a person reaches out for therapy or makes the decision that they need help, one of the factors that contributes to changing their mind or not getting [help] is when they’re put on a waiting list or there is lag time between deciding you need help and a therapist actually being available. We don’t want to lose a teen during that time.”

[There also was] a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety; many children also lost loved ones so a lot of grief…We are very concerned about it and TeenSpace is intended to help address some of those issues by providing emotional support and mental health services to [adolescents] in as least a burdensome a way as possible.

AmNews: Can you give us the details of how TeenSpace works?

Any New York City teen who thinks they want to talk to somebody; any teen who may be struggling, may be stressed, may be feeling a little depressed, may be feeling

a little bit lonely, may be having a bad time and not really sure what to call it—they can log onto the site and essentially there are two paths.

One path is self-guided, so if the teenager does not necessarily want to start talking to somebody but wants to try to understand different emotions they may be feeling, wants to understand different feelings they may be having—there are ways to do that. There are resources that are available to the teenager to be able to do that at their own pace. To receive talk or text therapy from a licensed therapist, they would fill out a [short] intake form that asks them

some basic demographic questions; why they are seeking to talk to somebody; and for their parents’ information because to receive therapy from the program, New York State law does require parental consent. There are certain exemptions to that, including situations of abuse and other situations noted on the platform, but once the parent provides consent, that information is used to match the teenager with a licensed therapist.

We’ve been able to provide matching with therapists within hours of logging onto the system. Often, when a person reaches out for therapy or makes the decision that they need help, one of the factors that contributes to changing their mind or not getting [help] is when they’re put on a waiting list or there is lag time between deciding you need help and a therapist actually being available. We don’t want to lose a teen during that time. We want to be able to keep that teen engaged. So far, we have been able to do our matching within hours [and] we’re very pleased about that.

AmNews: How are you spreading the word about the program?

We are doing a lot of different things. One is, we incorporated the youth into our promotion of the program. We are using social media influencers to make sure that we’re getting right to the teenagers. We are definitely relying on schools—schools have been a great partner in helping us get the word out. We are able to go to health fairs to do events in the community. We’ve done a number of webinars with parents and school staff as well as [use] our Health Department channels. We are continually wanting to do all we can to make sure that as many people as possible hear about this and know about this.

NYC residents between the ages of 13 to 17 who seek mental health resources can visit www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/healthtopics/teenspace.page to learn more.

Tenement Museum exhibiting 3-D view of Black life in 1860s New York

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

A new permanent exhibit at the Lower East Side’s Tenement Museum gives a 3-D view of what life was like for Black New Yorkers in the 1860s.

“A Union of Hope: 1869” takes Tenement Museum visitors on a 75minute tour through the museum as it spotlights the lives of Joseph and Rachel Moore, Black New Yorkers who lived in lower Manhattan during the 19th century.

Black people did not tend to live in the mostly German, Russian, and Eastern European Jewish immigrant neighborhood of the Tenth Ward, where the Tenement Museum is located. During the mid-1800s, Black New Yorkers lived sporadically throughout Manhattan’s 22 wards, or neighborhoods. But according to the 1860 census, they predominated some 10 blocks to the west in Manhattan’s Eighth Ward, which is today’s SoHo neighborhood.

Eight years ago, while researching information about an Irish immigrant named Joseph Peter Moore

who lived at 97 Orchard Street in 1869, museum scholars noticed that there was also a listing for a Joseph Moore who resided at 17 Laurens Street. The Laurens Street Joseph Moore was designated “Colored,” one way people referred to people of African descent in the 1869 City Directory.

Joseph and Rachel Moore, and the information researchers who were able to find out about their lives, gave the museum the opportunity to fulfill a part of its mission it had long neglected. When Ruth Abram and Anita Jacobson founded the Tenement Museum in 1988, their original mission statement revealed that they wanted to tell the stories of all of New York’s tenement dwellers. But since establishing the museum, they’d only told the stories of 10th Ward and Lower East Side tenement residents who were primarily European.

“Over the last few years, we’ve been doing a lot of critical self-reflection as an institution,” Tenement Museum tour guide Daryl Hamilton said. “Because by focusing on telling the stories of tenement dwellers in [97 Orchard Street]

only, given the fact that as far as we know, Black people never lived here, we’d shifted away from the original mission of the museum. And we’ve been asking ourselves––as an institution––questions like, do we want to continue to participate in this kind of exclusion? There are people across backgrounds whose stories we’re not telling, who were tenement dwellers in this city. So, this is a first step towards getting back to the original mission of the museum.”

Part of New York City long before it was a city

The building and even the street where the Moores lived no longer exists, so the Tenement Museum has attempted to recreate the atmosphere of their apartment for the tour.

African enslavement had been abolished in New York in 1827, and Joseph, who was originally from Belvidere, New Jersey, and Rachel, who was from Kingston, New York, had each moved to New York City where there was the promise of employment and opportunities to join in community with larger numbers

of Black people.

But New York, even in the mid1800s, was a place where access to housing and security remained precarious for Black people. The Moores took an apartment located down an alley, behind another building, and not far from horse stables. But they were able to turn their two-room unit into a home for themselves and an adult daughter, and had even made room for an

Irish mother and her

son to stay with them. The recreation of what the Moore’s home looked like shows that Rachel—and the Irish woman living with them—had to store and clean the dirty laundry they took in as washerwomen in the front parlor room. This same room served as their kitchen and living space, and at night became the bedroom

See TENEMENT MUSEUM on page 19

biracial

1869 City Directory showing both the Irish Joseph Moore who lived at 97 Orchard Street and the Black Joseph Moore who lived on 17 Laurens Street.

Tenement Museum recreation of the parlor/kitchen at 17 Laurens Street.

Scan of the letter Gina Manuel sent to the Tenement Museum in 1989 sharing her family history. (Photos courtesy of the Tenement Museum)

Film Review: ‘MK: Mandela’s Secret Army’

By NADINE MATTHEWS Special to the AmNews

One of the more intriguing documentaries to be screened at this year’s New York African Film Festival (AFF) cast one of the world’s most iconic historical figures in greater light. “MK: Mandela’s Secret Army” by director Osvalde Lewat reminds us that Nelson Mandela was a more complex figure than the peaceful prisoner of 30 years, or the elder statesman “Madiba” of his later years after his release.

As Mac Maharaj, one of the subjects of the documentary, said, “Mandela’s foremost quality is that he was a freedom fighter. He was [as] ready to pick up arms as he was ready to put down arms, depending on the conditions. The idea that Mandela should be portrayed as a pacifist is again to appropriate our history and place it in the model of a colonial mentality.”

Zola Maseko, another subject of the film, said, “They tried to erase the early part of Mandela: Mandela the revolutionary, Mandela the guerrilla.”

Mandela’s accomplishments were also the direct result of the efforts of many. Most of the focus of “MK: Mandela’s Secret Army” is on former members of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK for short) such as Maseko and Maharaj. The paramilitary wing of the African National Congress, MK was formed in 1961 after generations of peaceful resistance against the terroristic tactics of South

Africa’s government. “Mandela’s Secret Army” amplifies the voices of the unsung heroes of South Africa’s revolution against apartheid.

One of the most memorable scenes in the film is of an entire township filling the streets, dancing and chanting the revolutionary songs that were a hallmark of South Africa’s freedom struggles. It brought into clear focus that the fight was undertaken by the entire nation: Everyone fought and everyone suffered, whether they were imprisoned, as most MK soldiers were, or killed, as many were. Many family members were harassed and tortured even if they didn’t end up behind prison walls.

In “Mandela’’s Secret Army,” former MK members Dudu Msomi, Maharaj, Maseko, Ronnie Kasrils, Andy Kasrils, Jabu Masina, Maghebula Segale, and others take the viewer on a harrowing journey. It also shows the diverse nature of the organization, which included men, women, whites, Indians, and other ethnic groups as members.

MK was also very much an international organization. The soldiers received support and training from Germany, Sweden, China, andCuba. They trained in disparate locales, including neighboring Swaziland, and received assistance from other African freedom fighters such as those in Zimbabwe.

The former members recount the tortuous path they took to take armed resistance against South Africa’s Nationalist Party, which formalized the system of apartheid in 1948.

The blistering accounts, as well as copious archival photos and video footage, bring to the fore the desperate brutality of life under apartheid. Blacks were wantonly beaten, and their ability and freedom to travel was severely restricted. Worst of all, they could not own property nor were they allowed to vote. The relatively youthful appearances of the former MK members strike the viewer, showing that many must have been mere teens when they joined the struggle.

Although their efforts destroyed the formal system of apartheid, “Mandela’s Secret Army” presents the audience with the dark truth that the struggle continues in many ways. For some of the soldiers themselves, whose strategies and tactics brought South Africa’s Nationalist government to its knees and ushered in a democratic system of government, there is no recognition, no monuments or museums. This begs the question of how much power the ANC really has.

As Masina, who was on death row and released along with Mandela, said, “Nobody knows me. Nobody remembers. Nobody says, ‘There’s a person who was on death row.’ Many MKers are suffering even today. They never benefited anything. Although I never fought to enrich myself. I just wanted to get rid of apartheid.”

The former soldiers recount how both the system against which they fought and the resistance itself destroyed them and their families. Drug abuse, chronic unemploy-

ment, and homelessness are common. The film illustrates the despair left in the wake of the unfulfilled promises of what a democratic South Africa would mean.

Some of the former soldiers are filmed in what can only be described as shantytowns. They drink unclean water. “This is not what we fought for. This is not what our people died for,” asserted Segale.

The tragedy that the system of gross inequality persists in South Africa, which “Mandela’s Secret Army” highlights, is compounded by the knowledge of the sacrifices made by so many who are still unheralded. It’s perhaps a subtle indicator that the changes begun in South Africa in 1994, when apartheid officially ended, were more cosmetic than many would like to admit. If, as has been said, the measure of a society is in how it treats its women and girls, perhaps the measure of how equal a society truly is can be found in the way it treats those who fought and died for that equality.

As Maseko said, “Mandela was a great man, but there are thousands, tens of thousands, of unsung heroes. For the government to honor [them], or create something that our children and grandchildren, future generations, can go [to] and pay homage to MK fighters, who were prepared to give their lives, make the highest sacrifice for this country, isn’t big.”

For more info, visit www.filmlinc.org/ films/mk-mandelas-secret-army.

Screen shot from “MK: Mandela’s Secret Army” (Image courtesy of AFF)

Whoopi Goldberg promotes new memoir at 92NY

By NADINE MATTHEWS Special to the AmNews

On May 6, legendary actress, comedian, and EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg (née Caryn Johnson) appeared at 92nd Street Y to promote her new memoir, “Bits and Pieces.” Interviewed before a packed audience at the venue’s Kauffman Auditorium by award-winning playwright, television writer, producer, and novelist Adriana Trigiani, Goldberg opened up about the thing most important to her: family. Specifically, she discussed her memories of her mother Emma and brother Clyde and all they meant to her.

It’s clear that though Goldberg lost her mother and brother in 2010 and 2015, respectively, she still misses, perhaps even grieves, them. She shared that her mother kept an extremely neat home in the Chelsea-Elliott Houses where she grew up, and was an extraordinary person all around. Goldberg’s mother Emma started out as a nurse and pivoted to become one of the first teachers in the nation’s Head Start programs, which prepare children for school.

“She became one of the great teachers for Head Start for kids,” Goldberg said. “It did amazing things for children.”

She also detailed some of her mother’s struggles, including with mental illness, and how they affected her.

“I had to go through changes. My mother had a nervous breakdown. I was seven or eight and she disappeared from my life for two years.” Goldberg seemed to draw somewhat of a parallel between this experience with her mother and her own of raising her daughter as a single mom, working long days and often being away to build a career in Hollywood. “I know that most mothers would say let’s wait and it’ll come back around again, but I didn’t think that’s going to

happen for me,” Goldberg revealed. Her daughter later opened up to her about her feelings around that decision. “My kid said ‘Hey, listen. I know when you left I got more than one pair of shoes. We ate, we did things, we went places. But I missed you.’ I said ‘Well, as strange as this is going to sound, I missed you too.’ And she said, ‘Not enough to stop what you were doing.’”

The advice she received from her mother even helps Goldberg navigate the challenges posed by today’s social media-dominated media landscape. “Social media is meant to f— up your day. Make you feel like you’re not enough. My mother always said, ‘Don’t let people throw you because people

Tenement Museum

Continued from page 17

for the Irish woman and her son. Rachel, Joseph, and her daughter slept in the bedroom, where there were two beds and more space to relax.

“What we’ve been trying to do in recreating this community that no longer exists, is to think about looking at the classified sections of Black newspapers and to get a sense of the businesses and institutions that existed,” Marquis Taylor, head researcher for “A Union of Hope: 1869,” told the AmNews. “There is the Shiloh Baptist Church, which we know will eventually make its way to Harlem. The original African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is located on Bleecker Street. The other

church, St. Phillips, is on Sullivan Street. A lot of these churches, which will then make their way to Harlem, they start down here, by and large. And that’s because there is a significant Black community that is living in this area. There’s a school, just one block north of where Joseph and Rachel Moore lived at 17 Laurens Street, which is a major sort of hub for what’s going on in the Black community at the time. There’s a lot of lectures that are hosted there, school-aged children are performing, they’re raising money for anti-slavery causes. So, a part of our conversation of the Eighth Ward, too, is really elevating the colored school that was there and talking about the activities of

want to throw you. They want to make you uncomfortable.’ These people don’t know you and you give them the power to shut you down.”

Goldberg shared that she never attended high school but always believed in herself because of the confidence instilled in her at home. “The upbringing I had gave me the conditioning that I needed to never doubt that I was thinking smartly,” she said.

As someone who once struggled with addiction, she was quick to add, however, that being “stoned” negatively impacted this otherwise steady self-assuredness.

Trigiani, whose love and respect for the comedian was evident throughout their conversation, called Goldberg her

the students.”

The story of Rachel and Joseph helps the museum focus on one specific Black family, but by extension it allows the story of Black New Yorkers in the 1800s to come into focus. One part of the tour centers on Gina Manuel, a New Yorker who wrote a letter to the Tenement Museum in 1989 urging it to tell the stories of Black people like those from her family who could trace their history in New York back to the 1700s.

“We lived in tenements with gas lights and coal stoves…They lived in the tenements, on the old Bowery and related to us about the old Tong gangs and how the first Catholic Church […] was St. Anthony’s in the village. They were pushed out by the new immigrants in the beginning of the century, and moved from the Lower East Side to Hell’s Kitchen (Chelsea), the Tenderloin (West ’40s), and finally to the West 50s

“heroine” and revealed that Goldberg got her through a rough time in her own life. Asked if she was always funny, Goldberg shared that she didn’t believe she was.

“I don’t think I was funny in high school. But my mother and my brother and my aunt were funny,” she explained. “They were funny in the house, and whatever I have I stole from my mother and my brother and her cousin.”

Whoopi added that she was entertained, as a child, by their imitations of the dialects from various people found in the environs of their Chelsea neighborhood. “They were doing ‘New York’ and they were irreverent. I wasn’t humorous, but people thought the stuff I was doing was funny so they labeled me as a comic.”

During the conversation, Goldberg displayed one of the best examples of how and why she has held steady as a sought-after celebrity, even after more than 40 years in the business. The famously picky eater did a five-minute long riff on the virtues (none) and flaws (too numerous to count) of food, setting them in the context of everything from candy stores to alien invasions.

Much of the conversation was centered around grief and the grieving process. Goldberg’s grieving process, she shared, was easier because of the relationship she had with her mother and brother while they were alive. She stated that after each died, she kept waiting for a big moment where she would be physically overwhelmed with the weight of it. “But that moment never came,” she said as if still surprised. “I didn’t understand why. And then like two weeks ago, I was like ‘Oh, I know why. It’s because you don’t have to.’ There was nothing left unsaid. They knew I knew how they felt about me. So there is none of that.”

which was called Old San Juan Hill. Grandpa got out the vote for Tammany.

“So when you are planning your museum, I beg of you, please, please, don’t forget them. Their spirits walk those halls, and their bones lay in the earth there, and we remember them. Most of society seems to write us off when they look at the history of New York City, and America, but my people were part of New York City long before it was a city as such…”

The “A Union of Hope: 1869” tour is currently available for adult tours. The museum is planning to expand its curriculum and have the tour available for High School students in Fall of 2024 and will have a tour ready for Elementary/Middle School field trips by Spring 2025. For more information, contact the Tenement Museum at (877) 9753786 or www.tenement.org.

Whoopi Goldberg posed for photographers before taking the stage at a recent 92NY event to discuss her new book “Bits and Pieces.” (Bill Moore photo)

(Photo courtesy of Full Coverage Communications)

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME GODDESS KYA

Finances, health, home, family, a marriage proposal or some form of proposal, and opportunities are surrounding you within your domestic affairs. May requires you to put in the footwork, handiwork, mental work, guesswork, and network to get you on your trajectory. When change presents itself to you, it’s a graduation to a new level. Invest wisely, listen to your elders, and ensure your heart and mind are in sync to do what’s in your best interest. From May 15 around 5:33 p.m. until May 18 around 6:05 a.m., what are the messages, signs and symbols you are receiving, and what is it leading to?

Be braver than you were before in a particular situation that’s coming around in a different way. Allow this week to see, sense, read, feel, and hear information coming to you for the preparation of a new beginning. Continue to revise, reorganize, reinvest, and remove anything that stands in the way. From May 18 around 6:23 a.m. until May 20 around 6:25 p.m., build upon a foundation that was created or thought about early this year in January. Utilize your tools and resources to pull you up higher. This is about the legacy of generations to come to carry on.

When the universe shows you a way for what you’ve been asking for, hoping for, and working towards, follow the yellow line down the road. In the month of May, the universe puts you on a quest with strict directions to achieve what you need to accomplish. Believe that you can achieve, and the rest will follow. You know what you want to do, just put your mind to it with a dose of footwork, and with a few extra footsteps here and there to see your end result. Once you do it, keep moving at a consistent pace as you receive more of what you ask for. From May 20 around 6:34 p.m. until May 23 around 4:15 a.m., you are all you need to get through and get by.

There’s a time and place for everything to happen, it’s just a matter of when. Even if it occurs at the most uncomfortable time, place, or event, it will happen when, where, why and to or with whom. No need to get upset: See why it’s happening, be it good or indifferent. Continue on with your plan or regime as detours occur to give more insight into what’s to come. In the days leading up to May 23 beginning around 4:24 a.m., cut your losses, do your research, ask for what you need, and then build from there. Allow the internal you to guide what’s playing out externally.

When you sit in stillness, information naturally flows to you like in a dream. In all that you do, preach and showcase what you are doing differently to take it to another level once you build the foundation. It’s a cycle week to allow your senses, be it through smell, touch, a deep feeling, to direct you where you need to be and connect with the people you are destined to meet. From May 15 around 5:33 p.m. until May 18 around 6:05 a.m., put yourself on the schedule before your work day begins. It’s a tug-of-war week where your emotions are conveying something to you or pulling something out of you.

The fight is within you. This cycle week, everyone and everything is pulling on you. Traveling here, going there, doing this over here, and being over there—all for a great cause. The reward is within the applied footwork. From May 18 around 6:23 a.m. until May 20 around 6:25 p.m., there’s no need to press any issue. Go with the ebbs and flows of life to inner-stand there is a spiritual connection taking place. Wait. Did you see, hear, feel, something or was something magical misplaced from where you know you last left it? Those kinds of things occur for a reason, only to realize the truth later. Stay inspired to do that thing you love to do.

Rebirth of A New Nation: It’s an eclectic week where things that have been deep seated are being exposed in some shape of form. It’s a cycle to mind your business and stay focused on your mission, vision, purpose, and the why of what you are doing and why you are doing it. Staying in your lane is key: Switch lanes when needed and when making an entrance or exit. Get grounded, silence your space, gather your resources, and build on your agenda to get things completed. It’s a cycle of ending, separation, letting go, things being fulfilled and brought into the light. Pressure is applied this week to begin to reap the upcoming rewards, which requires your effort, time, sleepless nights, research etc. A plan comes together when all the pieces are in place and everyone serves their part. “Work hard in silence, let success be your noise.” -Frank Ocean

It’s a successful week when you apply all your resources, equipment, and inventory, and utilize everything you have in your possession to pull yourself up. Only then do you realize the strength you possess within. Something deep within is motivating you to follow your passion no matter what gets in your way to test you. Your duty is to pass the test to proceed to the next level. From May 20 around 6:34 p.m. until May 23 around 4:15 a.m., seek the details within as you begin to piece the puzzle together. The departments of finances, love, and investment receive a boost.

When you hear it through the grapevine and are approached by the same punchlines in different ways, you are aware of the nonsense that is attached. You have been schooled and taught by the wise men and women to know when you see a great opportunity and when someone wants to play you. In the days leading up to May 23 beginning around 4:24 a.m., not all opportunities are in your best interest. As your world expands, suddenly you are approached by a different type of folks. In business matters, relationships are a two-way street. Don’t sell yourself cheap.

What’s on your mind? Are you thinking about doing things on a grand scale to put yourself out in the world more? Your words are powerful this week and have an effect on people emotionally, based on how you tell your story or connect with your audience. From May 15 around 5:33 p.m. until May 18 around 6:05 a.m., as you go through the changes in your life there are quick lessons playing out for you to pay attention to. Self awareness occurs when you activate your intellect and change your environment.

When your plans have a slight hiccup, that’s a sign everything is working out well. Those hiccups assist in moving barriers out your way as you continue to proceed on your agenda. Utilize your community to try something different and new, and to receive feedback on how to move forward with a particular process, service or product. From May 18 around 6:23 a.m. until May 20 around 6:25 p.m., follow up on the follow-up and remember to ask for what you need. Your ancestors are present to guide you and put you on notice when needed.

This is a spiritual experience occurring this week where you are taken by surprise and doing things out of the usual. People, things, places, and events can pull you into their world. The question becomes, where is your heart guiding you? Trust your gut as the universe is dropping clues for you to paint the picture. From May 20 around 6:34 p.m. until May 23 around 4:15 a.m., surrender and open yourself up to the divine power you possess. You need to follow up on your agenda, removing any distractions that come your way. What foundation are you building? What’s your purpose? What’s your Why? Close the revolving door, walk through the open-and-closed door, and begin a new chapter in your life.

You are conducting a masterpiece by bridging the pieces to the puzzle together. What you discover this week will feel new, invigorating, and exciting to go a new direction in your life. What’s occurring in the spiritual realm is playing out in the physical realm and expressing it boldly. No more hiding, it’s time to come out with your masterpiece. In the days leading up to May 23 beginning around 4:24 a.m., this masterpiece of yours will be a service humanity can benefit from. Keep speaking the magic words, and networking with folks for collaboration, since this project is a major key in today’s society of living. Tell a friend about your service, project, event etc, and watch the message spread far and wide like on the

web.

Black talent shines in this year’s Tony noms

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

The nominations for the 77th Annual Tony Awards were announced and many Black folks are shining in the list of nominees. The Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 16, live at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, from 8-11p.m. A huge light has been turned on to “Hell’s Kitchen,” as the Alicia Keys musical has 13 nominations. Included in those nominations are best musical; best book of a musical—Kristoffer Diaz; best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical—Maleah Joi Moon; best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical—Brandon Victor Dixon; best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical— Kecia Lewis.

There are nominations for best choreography for Camille A. Brown; best costume design of a musical—Dede Ayite, who is actually nominated for three different productions: Along with “Hell’s Kitchen,” Ayite is up for best costume design of a play for both “Appropriate” and “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” “Hell’s Kitchen” is also nominated for best direction—Michael Greif; best scenic design of a musical—Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini; best sound design of a musical—Gareth Owen; Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone for best orchestration; best performance by an actress for a featured role in a musical for Shoshana Bean; and best lighting design of a musical—Natasha Katz.

The beloved revival of the late Ossie Davis’s “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” received six impressive nominations including best revival of a play; best direction of a play—

Kenny Leon; best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play—Leslie Odom Jr.; best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play—Kara Young; best scenic design of a play—Derek McLane; and best costume design of a play—Emilio Sosa.

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” received five Tony nominations for best play—Jocelyn Bioh; best direction of a play—Whitney White; best scenic design of a play—David Zinn; best costume design of a play—again, Dede Ayite; and best sound design of a play— Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella.

“The Notebook” garnered a nomination for Dorian Harewood in the best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. In the musical, “The Outsiders,” Joshua Boone is nominated for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical. In the musical “Suffs” Nikki M. James earned a nomination for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical. “Suffs” also earned

a nomination for Paul Tazewell in best costume design of a musical.

When it came to plays, William Jackson Harper earned a nomination for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play for his performance in “Uncle Vanya.” Quincy Tyler Bernstine is up for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play for “Doubt: A Parable.”

A play which is quite powerful to experience and is also up for best revival of a play is “Appropriate” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

The Black folks nominated in these categories delivered exceptional performances and displayed awe-inspiring talent. CBS, Channel 2 will run the production live and Paramount+ will have it on demand. This awards show always lets people see what Broadway has to offer, and right now that is certainly a lot. I’ll be at the awards covering it, and I hope you’ll be enjoying it at home. For more info visit www.tonyawards.com

Maleah Joi Moon (center) and the cast of “Hell’s Kitchen” (Marc J. Franklin photo)

Black zine community comes together to share and learn

The Black Zine Fair, a free event held at the Powerhouse Arts (PHA) Grand Hall on Saturday, May 11, invited zine makers, educators, collectors, and those interested in zines to gather; trade or sell zines; and exchange knowledge about zine-making, publishing, and do-it-yourself culture. Featuring 30 to 50 exhibitors, the Black Zine Fair presented in-person programs, including an all-day zine trading station and workshops featuring zine-making, screen printing, and generative writing.

According to photographer Siyaka Taylor-Lewis, “There were a mix of races, singles, small and large groups, couples in love, fathers with children, grandmothers and light cosplay…. the power of community and the desire to connect creatively was powerful. You could definitely feel the love!”

The fair was organized by Sojourners for Justice Press (SJP), a micro press that opens its platform to people working experimentally with print-based media that

engages do-it-yourself, Black feminist, and abolitionist philosophies or visions. SJP was founded by Mariame Kaba and is codirected by Neta Bomani. Co-sponsors in-

cluded the Barnard Zine Library, the Free Black Women’s Library, “Logic(s)” Magazine, Orange Tangent Study, and Powerhouse Arts

The daughter of OlaRonke Akinmowo, founder of the Free Black

Library, at the

Women’s

organization’s table. The Free Black Women’s Library features over five thousand books written by Black women and Black non-binary writers, a free store, a period pantry, a virtual Reading Club, a weekly book swap, and more. (Siyaka Taylor-Lewis photos)

Hypatia “Hype” Sorunke of @notesofhype

Leslie Diuguid, screenprinter and founder of Du Good Press, chatting with an event attendee.

New YA fantasy novel inspired by Beyoncé’s music

By NADINE MATTHEWS Special to the AmNews

Alabama-born and -raised author, screenwriter, director, and playwright LaDarrion Williams has given new meaning to the phrase “carpe diem” (seize the day).

Williams, who recently spoke to the AmNews before his May 20 appearance at the 92nd Street Y (92NY), said he left his Alabama small town on a whim to strike out in pursuit of his lifelong dreams. “I was working at Taco Bell, depressed, and just wanted to get away,” he said. “One night, my paycheck hit my direct deposit and I bought a $181 Southwest ticket. I’d never been on a plane before. It was a one-way ticket. I clicked to buy the ticket and I was like, ‘I guess I’m moving to LA!’”

Williams is promoting his soon-to-be-released YA Fantasy novel “Blood at the Root,” a book that appears to fulfill the dashed promises of the once highly anticipated film “The American Society of Magical Negroes” (“ASMN”). That story wasn’t about a Black Hogwarts, as many assumed, but “Blood at the Root” is, in many ways. It chronicles the life of 17-year-old Malik as he tries to forget a traumatic past and begin a new life along with his younger foster brother. His journey brings him to a university—an HBCU, in fact—that houses a community of people who, like him, harbor magical powers.

Williams recalled the flurry of activity among his peers when “ASMN” was initially announced. “That morning when I woke up, my phone kept going off and there were all these texts and messages saying congratulations on the movie on Instagram

and Tik Tok and what not. I was like, ‘Lord did they make my movie and not tell me? Or pay me?’” He was relieved, to say the least, when he realized “ASMN” was about something much different. “I was like, y’all, this ain’t my movie. This is not my story!”

Although Williams respects those involved with “ASMN,” the narrative isn’t something he is completely comfortable with, to the point that he decided not to see the film. “I’m at a point in my artistry where I want to consume something that’s going to uplift us, though I’m not saying that sto-

ry’s not uplifting for someone. But I can’t, in my good conscience, as a Black man and as a Black Fantasy writer who is out here fighting for my stories, go watch a movie where a Black character is only using his magic to help white people.”

Crushed hopes for the film were laid bare on social media after the trailer came out, the comments revealing, in no uncertain terms, the deep disappointment of many fantasy genre fans. “Black people are wanting to see us in a fantasy genre, because we have been excluded for years in the fantasy genre, or we were only there as the sacrificial lamb. What people are really wanting and needing and what Hollywood and publishing needs to start realizing is that we want our own fantasy stories. We want our own Black magical stories.”

“Blood at the Root” wasn’t supposed to be a book, Williams said—his plan for the story was originally as a film. “In fact, the book was adapted from that now viral short film. It was supposed to be a TV show. I wrote and I created a short film and the TV pilot. The reason I turned it into a book is because I had to pivot. Hollywood kept slamming their doors in my face.”

His posts on X and TikTok have had tremendous engagement, including with popular existing trends like #BlackatHogwarts and #HBCUHogwarts.

TV’s “Lovecraft Country” and music— Beyoncé’s music specifically—inspired Williams to write “Blood at the Root.” The song that propelled him was “Find Your Way Back,” the South African house musicinfluenced track from “The Lion King: The Gift” album that is literally about reclaim-

ing what one has lost.

“It really sparked something for me,” Williams recalled. “Beyoncé created this beautiful story about a Black boy going from the Motherland all the way to here, and the ancestry of it, and I was like, I want to write that. That is going to be my mission.”

“Find Your Way Back” was also intensely personal for Williams. “I don’t know what that lady put in that song, but it really sparked something for me. It made me come to terms with not only myself but my childhood; my relationship with my father, my relationship with my mother, and my relationship with my hometown. We always talk about the inner child, but we never talk about the inner teenager because my teenage years were rough.”

The mystical, galactic arc, and recreation of the events of the Tulsa Massacre by Hippolyta (played by Aunjanue Ellis) as rendered in “Lovecraft Country” also catalyzed Williams’s writing of “Blood at the Root.” “She said ‘I am—I am Hippolyta. I am.’ Those are powerful words.”

Williams’s work contains some of the best examples of ways that popular entertainment can be lovingly referential, affirming, and uplifting. “Those elements I took from ‘Lovecraft Country’ and ‘Find Your Way Back’ were like, yes, Blackness is magic,” Williams said. “It’s Royal. It’s beautiful. It’s so badass! Beyoncé, thank you. Misha Green, creator of ‘Lovecraft Country,’ thank you.”

For more info, visit https://www.penguinrandomhouse. com/books/738959/blood-at-the-root-byladarrion-williams.

‘Power’ takes new look at policing in America; now on Netflix

By MAGRIRA

Special to the AmNews

Trigger warning: Yance Ford’s “Power,” a powerful follow-up to his “Strong Island,” debuts on Netflix on May 17. Pulling no punches, the documentary delves into America’s troubled history of policing, exposing the disturbing roots of police power and its enduring impact on communities. “Power” is a deeply unsettling yet essential exploration of a broken system, raising critical questions about accountability and the path toward a more just future.

We have mistakenly bestowed extraordinary power on the police over our individual lives. They decide who is suspicious; who “fits the description”; and how to respond to perceived threats, often with the constant threat of violence. Thousands of these interactions play out in our cities and towns every day, shaping ideas of criminality and social order as defined by the police. Police make the abstract power of the state real. Think about that for a long, hard moment. Where do Americans have freedom when an organized force of armed individuals

can decide your fate in less than a second?

In 2020, the world watched in horror as a police officer committed murder on television. Did the murders by police stop right then and there? No, they did not.

“Power” takes us on a much-needed history lesson. Offering a deeply disturbing look at archival footage of violence (and murder) by police, it will leave viewers breathless. If you care about the safety of our communities, you must watch it.

Policing as we know it began with the slave patrols of the 1700s and the first publicly funded police departments of the 1800s. The documentary traces the movements for equality through the uprisings of the 1960s and 2020s.

Ford’s voice is gentle, guiding us through this deeply affecting topic. Using footage that details modern American policing, his documentary highlights the forced patrols and oppression of Native Americans, African American slaves, and poor workers of all races in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Historical scrutiny is necessary.

Ford is an intelligent storyteller, using essays, interviews, archival footage, and

historical materials to illustrate contemporary realities and examine urgent questions about unchecked authority. For people of color, our view of who is policed, who is protected, who gets to decide, and why is painfully clear and can be documented and presented as fact.

“Power” does not suggest a specific course of action to change gross inequalities. Instead, the film presents the facts in a clear and non-emotional manner, and Ford provides a platform for universities and other experts to weigh in.The truth of the

brutality is right in our faces, then and now. Ford’s first documentary, “Strong Island,” also delved into dark subject matter. There, he explored the murder of his brother, showing his ability to handle brutal truths. Some critics might argue that the distance in “Power” removes some intimacy, but the power of the truth transcends any distance. I believe everyone should see “Power.” Police officers have an impact on every single person in the United States. Every person should understand what’s happening and begin to figure out how peace-loving people and communities can move toward meaningful changes.

“Power” is a Netflix release. Producers: Swetha Vohra, Jess Devaney, Yance Ford, and Netsanet Negussie. Executive producers: Anya Rous, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, and Liz Garbus. Director: Yance Ford. Camera: Julia Liu. Editor: Ian Olds. Music: Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe. Featuring: Charlie Adams, Baher Azmy, Paul Butler, Julian Go, Elizabeth Hinton, Redditt Hudson, Christy Lopez, Wesley Lowery, Stuart Schrader, Micol Seigel, Nikhil Pal Singh, Keeanga-Yamahatta Taylor, and George Yancy.

(Image courtesy of Labyrinth Road)

Stills from “Power” (Courtesy of Netflix photo)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JOHJASz, Sun Ra celebration, VTY Jazz arts, David Murray

As the music called jazz continues to progress in varied directions, as it should, we realize that the monotonous cliché “Jazz is dead” is just a worthless phrase without justification. There are too many aspiring musicians committed to joining this historical jazz community that dates back to Charles Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, and Mary Lou Williams. At this point, the list is boundless.

The young men/students (16–23 years old) who are carrying on this jazz tradition in their own voices include the sextet JOHJASz, an acronym for Junior One Hundred Jazz All-Stars (under the auspices of One Hundred Black Men, Inc. NYC). They are equipped with a strong repertoire of jazz and R&B, as well as original compositions. The vocalist Jaylen Gray is a real show-stopper; whether on Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” or Dr. Lonnie Smith’s “I Need Your Love,” he’s all in, as his cohorts play multi shades of swing: pianist Javier Jbara, trumpeter Sebastian Mesadieu, alto saxophonist Samien Mesadieu, bassist Daniel Basilio Fernandez, and drummer Canaan Crayton.

JOHJASz will kick off their Harlem debut on May 17 at Room 623, the cozy little speakeasy jazz club hidden in the shadow of Brunch Harlem restaurant (271 West 119th Street), with two shows: 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. For tickets, visit room623.com. The alto saxophonist/flautist Sonny Fortune left a legacy as one of the all-time great alto players. His alto could sound like a ferocious wind on a stormy wintry night, like on his original “It’s A Bird,” flying high in the spirited bebop riffs of Charlie Parker. Switching moods, he takes his flute and dives into a tune like “Invitation,” one of the most traveled jazz compositions. Under his fire power, it becomes a Fortune treasure, hip, flowing like a windy autumn day with leaps and bounds of lyrical melodies drifting through the air like rustic colored leaves. Watching Fortune perform was like watching Muhammed Ali in the ring or viewing a canvas by

Jean-Michel Basquiat.

In January 2010, Fortune released “Last Night At Sweet Rhythm.” Unfortunately for many jazz lovers, the title also signified the end of this revered Greenwich Village jazz club, originally named Sweet Basil back in the ’80s. Fortune chose this final opportunity to record eight original compositions at one of his favorite performance venues. It was at this

thralling performances in jazz: the dynamic duo of Fortune and drummer Rashied Ali. It was the coldest night of the year—below 1 degree—but inside, it was blazing hot with the ferociousness of Fortune and Ali.

On May 19, Sunday Serenade/ VTY Jazz Arts will celebrate Fortune’s birthday (May 19, 1939), at the Zinc Bar (82 W. 3rd Street).

The tribute quartet will feature Fortune’s alumni pianist George Cables, bassist Santi Debriano, and drummer Steve Johns, along with alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo. Time: 3 p.m.–5:45 p.m.

For reservations, call 917-882-9539.

Going to see the Sun Ra Arkestra perform was a celebratory, spectacular event, like being up front at the African American Day parade or experiencing leans. The Arkestra were dressed up in their

hipper than anything Captain Kirk or Spock wore on the “Star Trek” television series. They played in a realm where time and space were relative, where the shouts and hollas of the sanctified church marched with Duke Ellington’s “Slippery Horn” and “Take the A Train,” and Fletcher Henderrson’s arrangement of Jelly Roll Morton’s “King Porter Jump.”

At times reminiscent of the big band era, Sun Ra had more than 30 musicians on stage. It was a space odyssey excursion of songs, chants, percussion pieces, and anthems.

tic space

much

On May 22 and 23 at Dizzy’s jazz club (10 Columbus Circle), Sullivan Fortner’s Galactic Friends will celebrate Sun Ra’s 110th birthday (born 1914). The Earth-born, New Orleans, Grammy-winning pianist/keyboardist Fortner has summoned his outer-limit–minded friends to probe into Sun Ra’s inventive and risk-taking music, from swing to blues to fusion far beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Fortner and his fellow voyagers, including Sun Ra Arkestra veteran’s trombonist Craig Harris and bassist Alex Blake, along with trombonist Frank Lacy, saxophonist Scott Robinson, trumpeter Maurice “Mobetta” Brown, and drummer Marcus Gilmore, will embrace the eclectic music of the spirit that marked Sun Ra’s stratospheric presence in the infinite world of Afro-Futurism. For reservations, visit jazz.org. Saxophonist and composer David Murray is one of those musicians whose live performances require immediate attendance without thought. His goal is to explore new musical territory; with each performance, he keeps audiences on the edge of tomorrow while listening in the moment. He also plays an outrageous bass clarinet. He and his quartet will perform at the Village Vanguard (178 7th Avenue South) from May 21–26. His able musicians, who have yet to reach their zenith, will include pianist Marta Sanchez, bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Russell Carter. Murray is one of the influential voices on the music spectrum as an innovator and a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet with Olive Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and Julius Hemphill. His diverse, style-defining, straight-ahead-intoavant-gardism demands attention. For tickets, visit www.villagevanguard.com.

Sun Ra (Chester Higgins photo)

AM Dais

Home Equity Theft Prevention Act for the sale of homes in foreclosure or default.

Another insidious housing issue that disproportionately affects elderly Black and Brown homeowners in the city is a lack of real estate planning when it comes to forming a will, putting property in a trust for relatives, or adhering to the state’s five-year Medicaid lookback period when the need arises for nursing care.

The latter refers to the five years before a person applies for Medicaid nursing home care, assisted living, adult foster care, or inhome care: They can’t qualify for Medicaid if they own assets and have a higher income, and will be fined and penalized if those assets were given away or transferred in that timeframe. A homeowner could end up with a lien on their home when trying to get nursing care or be denied care for several months as a penalty, said Valerie Bogart of the New York Legal Assistance Group.

“Estate planning is a big thing,” Dais said. “There’s no question we also need to do that around Medicaid trusts. The problem is timing, especially in African-American culture—dealing with wills and all that is problematic.”

Joshua Brown, a licensed Black real estate broker and founder of Pushing Forward Realty, holds seminars with community board members in Brooklyn to educate residents about the dangers of identity and deed theft, as well

as the importance of real estate planning.

“If you have a senior that’s elderly, the family needs to establish estate planning to shield that asset in the event that he/she needs long-term health insurance, which will bleed your money dry, or if they need Medicaid,” Brown said. “In our community, I think we’re so scared to talk about death and people dying, but we have to map it out. Estate planning is responsible, necessary, and mature, and saves a whole lot of heartache for the people that’s left.”

Brown says he recommends that every Black homeowner have a healthcare proxy and a living trust, no matter their age, but recognizes that many don’t have access to a lawyer to facilitate these, or that their property may have debts on it that make it ineligible for the process.

To report deed theft or other scams call the New York State Attorney General Office at 1-800-771-7755 or file a deed theft complaint online. For free housing counseling and legal

assistance, call the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) at 1-855-466-3456 or go to homeownerhelpny.org.

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.

FAIR

Willoughby Street in Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn (Photo by Ariama C. Long).

CLASSROOM IN THE

Queen Mother Audley Moore, a stalwart in the struggle for civil and human rights

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

On this Mother’s Day, May 12, 2024, we were reminded of royalty and the life and legacy of Queen Mother Moore. It’s been 27 years since we published our obituary, and this is a good and propitious moment to recall her incomparable activism. Her name was invoked in part by a call from a young scholar interested in reaching Queen Mother Delois Blakely of Harlem, whom many remember as pushing her mentor and namesake around in a wheelchair.

Audley Moore was born on July 27, 1898, in New Iberia, La., to Ella and St. Cyr Moore, both of whom died before Audley reached the fourth grade. She was raised by her grandmother, Nora Henry, who had been enslaved at birth and was the daughter of an African woman raped by her enslaver, a doctor. The family was victimized earlier when her grandfather was lynched, leaving her grandmother with the task of raising five children.

When she was a teenager, Audley became a hairdresser. Her political activism began after she saw a film about Marcus Garvey, which inspired her to move to New York City and become a member of his organization, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). She was present at the UNIA’s first international convention in Harlem and purchased stock in the organization’s Black Star Line. This association was the beginning of her long journey on the ramparts of the civil and human rights movement.

After Garvey was convicted and sentenced to prison for allegedly using the mail to defraud, Moore continued her activism as a member of the Communist Party (CP) in 1936. “She was an active street agitator and orator, enjoining Harlemites to come to the aid of Ethiopia in its invasion by Italy,” Muhammad Ahmed wrote in the “Encyclopedia of the American Left.”

Two years later, Moore was the CP’s candidate for the state assembly from the 21st District, and in 1940, she ran for alderperson for the 19th Assembly District. In 1941, with no success in the electoral arena, she was elected to the leadership of the CP in Harlem, and for the next several years, she was

a prominent party leader. She left the party in 1950 after being a vocal member seeking attention to the “Negro Question.”

No longer affiliated with the CP, she lent her political commitment to other agendas, including founding the Universal Association of Ethiopian Women with her sister and others, where they demanded the ending of lynching.

When Robert Williams and Malcolm X began commanding the headlines for their struggle for justice and liberation, Moore found the kindred spirits she was seeking.

She lent her voice and dedication to the founding of the Republic of New Afrika and was soon taking a stand for reparations, which would lead to perhaps her most longstanding demand.

In the late 1950s, Moore presented a petition to the United Nations arguing for self-determination and land reparations, and against genocide, which expanded her reputation as a freedom fighter.

“Throughout the 1960s, Queen Mother Moore’s presence became a catalyst for the new generation of ‘Black Power’ advocates,” Ahmed wrote.

For the next ensuing decades, she found a way to fuse her activism with Black nationalism, socialism, and Pan-Africanism. In 1972, she took her first trip to Africa and received the chieftaincy and honorific title of “Queen Mother” from members of the Ashanti People in Ghana. In one of her last public appearances, she appeared on the podium next to Jesse Jackson during the historic Million Man March in October 1995.

Moore died of natural causes on May 2, 1997, at age 98 in a Brooklyn nursing home.

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

The material quoted from Ahmed’s profile provides but a glimpse of Moore’s formidable political activism. Several encyclopedias about Black women include additional information about her legacy.

DISCUSSION

Was Moore a member of the African Blood Brotherhood of the 1920s? This is an ongoing search.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Moore’s longevity and activism gave her ample opportunity to be part of several major political developments in African American history.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

May 12, 1926: Mervyn Dymally was born in Trinidad and Tobago. He became the first Black person, as well as foreign Black person, to serve in Congress. He died in 2012 at 86.

May 13, 1961: Basketball great, actor, and writer Dennis Rodman was born in Trenton, N.J.

May 16, 1990: Versatile entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 64.

Civil rights leader and Black nationalist Audley “Queen Mother” Moore, April 18, 1996, in New York. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (right) and Kwame Toure (center), the activist formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, at a tribute to Moore. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Senator Myrie

standing, are in stark contrast.

Adams is the city’s 110th Mayor and only the second Black man to earn that title, following the late David Dinkins who held the seat from 1990 to 1993. He calls himself a “Mayor of the people” with a working class background and experiences. As a former transit police officer and captain, Adams has taken a more conservative-leaning stance on public safety issues and budgeting while maintaining a “common sense” Democrat approach in other areas. He has often said that it was divinely written that he became Mayor.

But Adams, whose campaign was dogged with questions over whether he actually lived in Brooklyn, has essentially faced criticism since day one. He’s since faced an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers and migrants, which has cut into the controversial partying of his early days in office but he still manages to travel, having just returned from a trip to Rome this week. Members of his inner circle also continue to be at the center of an FBI investigation into his campaign finances from last year.

“I think my experience as a Black man in this city is a positive for this campaign,” said Myrie, not worried about being compared to Adams because of his race. “That’s encountered law enforcement,

seen my mom struggle to keep housing, and has unfortunately seen too many instances of violence up close. That’s an experience many Black men can relate to in this city.”

Adams has repeatedly talked about “staying focused and grinding” into his second term, already having raised nearly $3 million for his re-election campaign.

“Listen, we’re a year and some change away,” said Adams at his in-person conference on Tuesday about Myrie’s announcement. “If you go look at what Eric ran on and we look at what we have accomplished, it is very impressive. Decreasing crime, more jobs in the city’s history, what we’ve done around housing, how we took some of these projects that have become part of a graveyard and we bred life into them again. People are going to run.”

Myrie said, “This city has made me who I am today. It’s the promise and opportunity that brought my parents here close to 50 years ago.” He added, “It’s what allowed me to go to public schools in this city, eventually go to law school, and become a state senator representing the very neighborhoods I was born and raised in.”

A Brooklyn native, Myrie grew up in the East Flatbush and Flatbush neighborhoods. His parents are from Costa Rica. Since 2019, he’s represented the 20th Senate District, which covers Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens,

and Windsor Terrace. He has also chaired the elections committee and been an outspoken liberal Democrat in areas of elections reform, affordable housing, and criminal justice reform.

Myrie has gained positive notoriety in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is the author of the John R. Lewis New York Voting Rights Act of 2021, and more recently, the Dr. John L. Flateau Voting and Elections Database and Academic Center of New York Act, honoring two “titans of democracy.”

Myrie attended many Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, one of which he was pepper sprayed and arrested at, where he spoke about the impacts of structural racism and police brutality. Myrie later sued the city and received a settlement. He also worked tirelessly to get the Clean Slate Act passed to give formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with old convictions on their records a chance at qualifying for housing, educational opportunities, and jobs. The governor signed the bill into law in 2023.

“I view my successes in reforming the criminal legal system as something based in coalition building and listening to stakeholders, even when they have competing interests,” Myrie said.

And despite immense opposition, Myrie and several Brooklyn lawmakers banded together to fight for adequate funding for State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Hospital, which was facing a

restructuring and closure this year because of financial debts. Several allocations were made in the state budget to keep the hospital open as a result. “This was one of the most important fights I’ve been involved in for a number of reasons,” said Myrie. “Unfortunately, in Black communities the provision of healthcare has been lackluster. We’ve seen systemic ways of divesting from our communities.” By most accounts, Myrie is already an effective senator and running for mayor is more of a calculated risk than a necessity. He feels the city has become unaffordable and lacking in opportunities for Black and Brown families under Adam’s current leadership. He made light of Adams’ reliance on “showmanship.” He vowed to not make cuts to critical city resources like libraries, early education programs, and asylum seeker services.

Myrie recently married former Assembly Member Diana Richardson, who briefly served as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President. He proposed in Puerto Rico at a SOMOS political retreat in 2022, and they wed in 2023.

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.

How is New York’s class size law faring?

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

Since New York State passed its smaller class sizes law in 2022, education advocates have repeatedly called out city officials for not fully keeping up with newly enacted budget mandates that require the city to prioritize classroom headcounts in its spending.

The class size law (S9460), sponsored by Senator John Liu, required the city to reduce class sizes over a five-year period in public schools. All classes were to be capped at 20 students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, 23 students in 4th through 8th grade, and 25 students in high school. The five-year phase-in required at least 20% of city schools classes to comply by the 2023-2024 school year.

“Since the class size law was passed, City Hall and the DOE [Department of Education] have maintained that it can’t be done, usually claiming a lack of space. Our analysis of the DOE’s own documents prove that in fact these schools have the room,” United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew said in a statement. “We don’t need any more excuses. With a $38 billion DOE budget and $10.7 billion in NYC surplus for FY24 and FY25, the funding is available to bring our class sizes into line with schools in the rest of the state.”

Pushing for smaller class sizes in New York City has long been seen as a racial justice and equity issue stemming from a history of rampant segregation in our public schools.

Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark, who founded the Northside Center for Child Development in Harlem and whose psychological studies of Black children were instrumental in the Brown v. Board of Ed case that desegregated schools, were staunch education advocates since the 1940s.

Dr. Kenneth Clark was the first Black person elected to the New York State Board of Regents where he passionately led efforts to racially integrate schools, upgrade facilities in the poorest neighborhoods, and reduce class sizes.

“Children can achieve if they

have the proper tools,” said Renee Freeman, an educator and paraprofessional that’s worked in schools in Queens. “When we’re asking for smaller class sizes, we’re asking people to look at the bigger picture. With our high schools, they promised us smaller class sizes when they broke up [colocated] the schools. But those schools are overcrowded.”

In her experience in Far Rockaway and Jamaica school districts, she said that she’s seen as many as 32 students in a class in the past. She said that hinders a teacher’s ability to give them the academic and social-emotional help they need. “We need equity,” said Freeman. “The racism in this country continues and it’s impacting our children.”

The city has released its Class Size Reduction Plan for 2025, the second annual plan, in compliance with the state law earlier this month. As of 2023, about 40% of all classes—with the exception of performing groups and physical education classes—meet the class size requirements, with schools serving populations of students with higher poverty levels prioritized, reported the city.

The plan doesn’t propose significant enrollment caps but it does

mention the possibility of reducing enrollment at “high-demand schools” in future years if necessary. It states that the city has identified “roughly 540 schools” that need additional physical space in order to comply with the class size law. Based on a UFT survey, Mulgrew said there are 856 Title 1 or low-income schools across the boroughs with enough space to reduce class sizes by the start of the school year this September.

“New York City Public Schools is actively working to implement this law across the city. We are in full compliance this year and will be in full compliance next year with the steps we are proposing,” the city’s Department of Education (DOE) said in a statement.

“As shared in our recent class size plan, we are proposing investing an additional $180 million in school budgets for Contracts for Excellence and class size reduction in particular—enough to support over 1k teachers— and asking superintendents and principals to find ways to make progress towards specific numerical goals across the city. But, to be clear, multiple independent analyses of the law indicated that it would prioritize funding and staffing away from our higher

need communities and towards our better off communities.”

Besides the need to address physical space in city schools, most advocates the Amsterdam News reached out to said that hiring more teachers was critical.

The city currently employs about 76,000 teachers.

The UFT is a huge proponent for hiring more teachers and rebalancing classes as a method of reduction, estimating that the education department will need to hire at least 3,000 teachers to lower class sizes in the coming school year. In the long-term, the reduction plan notes that the city may need to hire between 10,000 to 12,000 teachers, especially in shortage areas like special education, English as a Second Language courses, Career Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Still, the city’s reduction plan has not pleased everyone.

“Any plan worth its salt must provide information on what actual, effective steps will be taken next year and over the following three years to meet the mandates in the law,” said Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters.

She also slammed the DOE. “Any plan worth the paper it is printed on must project how many classes will be reduced each year, using which levers, and with what results. This document fails on every account.”

Haimson said that the plan would cut funding for new school construction by over $2 billion compared to the existing five year plan and the $137 million allocated for staffing will not be sufficient. She also pointed out the city’s financial plan and the Mayor’s executive budget call for a counterproductive hiring freeze on teachers.

She suggested that the DOE adhere to the recommendations of the Class Size Working Group, which includes adjusting enrollment between nearby schools, or moving some 3K and PreK programs to neighborhood community-based organizations.

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

Student in a classroom. (Stock photo via Pexels)

International

Continued from page 2 Dr. Jean Kaseya (GIN

use practices and adequate benefit-sharing among stakeholders.

As the surge in prices filters down to retail shelves, chocolate makers like Hershey expect to see a further slowdown in demand for their products from cash-conscious customers.

“We haven’t seen this kind of reduction in recent times,” said Adimado. “Rising global cocoa prices have incentivized smuggling, meaning losses could be higher this season.”

LAWYER STANDS UP TO PRESIDENT OF TUNISIA AS HE CRACKS DOWN ON FREE SPEECH

(GIN)—Authorities in Tunisia are tightening a noose around the necks of its citizens, persecuting those who criticize the government and jailing dozens of Tunisians on dubious and political charges.

A small country wedged between Libya and Algeria, Tunisia also faces a severe economic crisis while the president repeatedly accuses his opponents of conspiracy and fomenting social tensions amid rising food prices.

This week, Sonia Dahmani, a prominent activist lawyer, was detained by masked security forces who forced their way into Tunisia’s bar association headquarters to make arrests. Dramatic scenes on TV showed police forcing their way into the Lawyers’ House, part of the legal union, where Dahmani had been sheltering, and bundling her out of the building.

The bar association called for a general regional strike in all Tunis courts beginning on Monday in response to Saturday’s raid. During a discussion of whether the subSaharan African refugees and migrants

Nancy Morejon

Baquero and Rafaela Chacón Nardi, and folklorist/researcher Rogelio Martínez Furé.

Born in Havana in 1944 to Angélica Hernández Domínguez and Felipe Morejón Noyola, Morejón said her parents were labor activists who quickly realized that she was a precocious child. They believed she deserved to have the opportunity to live the life of an intellectual.

“I’m telling you; my father was––I have talked about this––my father was a poor man. He was a sailor, he used to work in the

moving through Tunisia would try to stay there and “conquer” the country, Dahmani shot back with “What kind of extraordinary country are we talking about? The one that half of its youth want to leave?” Tunisia is not an attractive country to settle, she said, given the plummeting standard of living that was pushing its youth to leave.

The president has scapegoated Tunisia’s small population of Black migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees who have also faced abuses from the security forces. Authorities have also effectively dismantled Ennahda, the country’s largest opposition party.

In comments that were made public, President Saied linked undocumented Black African migrants to crime and a “conspiracy” to change Tunisia’s demographics. “Hordes of illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa are still arriving, bringing violence, crime, and unacceptable and illegal practices,” he said.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has called Saied’s speech racist, saying such remarks violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to which Tunisia is a state party.

NEW HEAD OF AFRICAN DISEASE CONTROL CENTER LINKED TO CORRUPTION PROBE

(GIN) Trouble is brewing at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Auditors of the African Union say the new director general of Africa’s CDC failed to follow procurement rules, possibly creating an “avenue for fraud.” Dr. Jean Kaseya is under a cloud over his leadership style after barely a year in office.

Kaseye, an epidemiologist and public health physician from the Democratic Re-

harbor. He had to carry heavy things from the ships to land. And he was so worried because I was a good pupil. They realized, my parents, that I was a little bit smart and intelligent. And he was very worried because he did not have the money to take me to the university. Because it was 100 pesos, my father did not have the 100 pesos.”

After years of worrying about how he could pay to further his child’s education, Felipe Morejón got angry and started to complain.

“But complaints didn’t allow me to get into the university,” Morejón said. “But [in] 1959, both of them, my parents, they were trade unionists. They had, in a way, a role: they

public of Congo, rose to prominence during the high-water mark of the COVID-19 epidemic when the CDC coordinated a continent-wide response to the disease and called out harmful practices such as donating expiring vaccines. Problems have been cited in a recent audit of Kaseye’s performance, including a failure to monitor gender equity and regional diversity.

When Kaseya took over a year ago, men accounted for 70 percent of the staff and more than 90 percent of senior management. Recent hiring by Kaseya didn’t always remedy these imbalances nor focus on merit. In addition, some 81 percent of the staff were English-speaking on a continent with a wide range of language diversity, which includes 39 percent of countries officially speaking French. More than half of the staff came from Kenya and Ethiopia—an uneven balance for a continent with 54 countries.

Some technical officers appointed by Kaseye ranked poorly, an audit found. One scored the lowest average grade and “basically failed the interview,” auditors wrote.

In another case, Kaseye appointed a man over a woman from the same country, even though she was deemed more qualified

participated. And finally, education became free, so I entered into the university [for] free. So, it may seem silly or whatever, I don’t care. That’s my story, my personal story. I wouldn’t have been a writer; I wouldn’t have been a professional of literature without that revolutionary process. Because for us, it was completely impossible. My father could not afford, my family could not afford the entrance to the university. So those anecdotes are very strong because they are my life.”

Life for Afro Cubans is often difficult, but

than him by a selection panel. Kaseya also appointed about a dozen advisers. While this was not a violation of AU rules, most of the advisers have similar titles to other directors and could be duplicating work.

One project—the Zambian-based Image Promotion Limited—drew particular focus when it was awarded a contract as the lowest bidder, at $618,638, but was paid $1.6 million after the company had already won the bid. The company was ultimately paid nearly $2.4 million for the work.

In another case, Kaweya was accused of “misusing donor funds” for purchasing a “huge vehicle” for his personal use that cost more than $120,000, despite having another luxury vehicle provided by the AU. A funder agreed to pony up the money and the charge was dismissed.

In Kaseya’s defense, the auditors agreed that the oversight problems were a reputational issue for the organization; in other words, they didn’t start with Kaseya. In his response to auditors, Kaseya agreed to improve the way the organization works and establish an ethics office “to improve workplace culture, support employees, and provide a confidential space to identify and address issues.”

In a separate development, the African CDC and Unicef announced an extended partnership dedicated to strengthening primary health care, supply chain management, local management, and emergency response. The partnership aims to achieve the goals outlined in the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and should have a significant impact on public health in Africa, with a particular focus on immunization for children across the continent.

its joys also remain profound, Morejón said. And during this trip, she saw that the University of Missouri’s “2024 Symposium: Afro-Cuban Legacies” put some of those joys on display. Morejón was proud to point out that the symposium exhibited several works of art by Afro Cubans, and some of her favorite was the photography of Roberto Chile, a photographer who is known for coming into close contact with the faces of his Afro subjects and emphasizing the importance of their everyday actions.

photo)

Morejón was proud to see several works of art by Afro Cuban photographer Roberto Chile on display when she visited the University of Missouri. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

Religion & Spirituality Methodists end anti-gay bans, closing 50 years of battles over sexuality for mainline Protestants

By PETER SMITH

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and samesex marriages, but when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. Effie McAvoy took a longer view.

“Oh, it didn’t take days, honey,” she said.

In fact, it took decades of activism for a change that was “so very healing,” said McAvoy, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Hope, R.I., and a member of the Queer Delegate Caucus at last week’s UMC General Conference in Charlotte. She was grateful to be part of the historic moment.

The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement, not only in the United Methodist Church but in mainline U.S. Protestant denominations overall. Those are the tall-steeple churches in myriad town squares and rural crossroads, traditionally “big tent” and culturally mainstream congregations, some predating America’s independence.

The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar, although this comes amid long-term declines in membership and influence.

There are likely to be skirmishes to come. Controversies have grown among some conservative evangelical churches and colleges, which largely avoided past battles. Individual congregations, and entire regions across the world, will sort out the implications.

For mainline Protestants, though, last week’s General Conference looks like a landmark. It was a relatively quiet coda to what had been an almost annual scene on America’s religious calendar: impassioned showdowns at legislative assemblies of Protestant denominations, marked by protests, political maneuverings, and prayers. There were many cases of ecclesi-

astical civil disobedience—clergy doing ordinations and marriages that defied church bans. Some of those clergy were tried for heresy or other infractions.

“A part of me still doesn’t believe it,” said the Rev. Frank Schaefer, one of the last United Methodist ministers to face church discipline after presiding at the same-sex wedding of his son. Schaefer was defrocked by a lower tribunal and restored to ministry in 2014 by a Methodist appellate panel.

“We’ve fought for it so long and hard, and there were so many disappointments along the way,” said Schaefer, now a pastor in California. “Our tears have turned into tears of joy.”

But the UMC faces the same challeng-

es as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and smaller mainline denominations that took similar routes. All lost large numbers of congregations in schisms, and have had to navigate fraught relations with partner churches in Africa and elsewhere.

Retired United Methodist Bishop Will Willimon, a professor at the Duke Divinity School, supported greater LGBTQ inclusion in the church, but said bigger issues loom.

“We’re an aging denomination,” he said. “We share that with so many mainline denominations. Unfortunately, I don’t see how this vote addresses any of that.”

Willimon said even conservative breakaway groups like the new Global Methodist Church, which comprises many

former UMC congregations, face similar challenges with predominantly white, aging memberships.

In the U.S., mainline churches have lost millions of members since a peak in the 1960s—some to schism and many to underlying demographics. Their members are aging and don’t have many children, and struggle to retain the children they do have, said Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.

“There is no silver bullet” for reversing mainline decline, said Burge, who studies religious demographics.

The United Methodists counted 5.4

See METHODISTS continued on next page

When the United Methodist Church removed anti-LGBTQ language from its official rules in recent days, it marked the end of a half-century of debates over LGBTQ inclusion in mainline Protestant denominations (AP Photo/Chris Carlson photo)

million U.S. members in 2022—less than half their 1960s peak, and the recent departure of about 7,600 mostly conservative congregations will lower that number further. The 1.1 million membership of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is barely a quarter of its 1960s peak. Other denominations have seen similar trends.

The mainline battles over LGBTQ issues began heating up in the early 1970s, before those initials were used. A United Methodist General Conference in 1972 declared homosexual practice “incompatible with Christian teaching.” Other denominations issued similar teachings. Some imposed explicit bans on gay clergy.

An Episcopal bishop was tried and acquitted of heresy in 1996 for ordaining a gay pastor. The 2003 ordination of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, Gene Robinson, ignited long-simmering controversies. Conservative and liberal groups formed their own church caucuses for denominational legislative sessions, where scriptures and slogans flew back and forth between proclamations of Robert’s Rules of Order. Progressive Presbyterians blocked an entrance to a General Assembly in 2000 and were arrested.

As the United Methodists steadily tightened LGBTQ bans, progressives disrupted General Conferences with protests, drums,

NYPD

Continued from page 10

of our city, looking for his next victim.” The tweet remains up as of press time.

The Legal Aid Society backed Speaker Adams’s request, calling the police officials’ social media conduct “completely inappropriate for a police department that purports to exude ‘courtesy, professionalism and respect.’”

The OIG, headed by Inspector General Jeanene Barrett, investigates the NYPD’s policies and practices. It cannot, however, discipline individual NYPD members or force the department to implement recommended procedures.

There are more than 250 of these NYPD official social media accounts ranging from police chiefs like Chell to precinct commands. Ownership of the accounts is passed down to whoever assumes the corresponding role, and while officials can delete what their predecessors post, the contents are archived by the Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS). Such accounts typically keep the public informed on anything from arrests and attacks to street closures and events.

During a city council hearing May 14, the NYPD officials did not answer many of Speaker Adams’s questions, including on whether Chell’s post was reviewed before posting, with Deputy Commis-

and songs. A conservative United Methodist leader, the Rev. Bill Hinson, roiled the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh with a call for denominational divorce— even though his side had won all its legislative battles.

“Why do we go on hurting each other?” asked Hinson. Others quickly tamped down the idea, but it was a foreshadowing.

By the second decade of the 21st century, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Episcopalians had largely dismantled their bans. They navigated major strains with partner churches elsewhere in the world. Substantial minorities of their U.S. congregations joined more conservative denominations, saying the sexuality debates were symptoms of a deeper theological chasm.

The United Methodist Church is unique because it is international, with many delegates from countries with conservative sexual values and laws. A special legislative session in 2019 reinforced LGBTQ bans.

That result proved short-lived.

U.S. churches increasingly defied the bans and elected more progressive delegates for this year’s gathering. Many churches began disaffiliating via a temporary measure approved in 2019 that let churches keep their properties under favorable conditions.

To Willimon, that process was devastating. Whether the congregation stayed or left, peoples’ relationships were ruptured, he said.

Many churches went independent, but

sioner of Legal Matters Michael Gerber saying it was “precisely” one of “the factual issues” she asked DOI to look into and that the department “would respect that process.” Adams took that response as a “no.”

However, the NYPD did reveal that there are six individuals assigned to review social media: a sergeant, a detective, three police officers, and a “civilian” employee.

The NYC Department of Investigation (DOI), the parent agency of the OIG, provided a statement confirming the probe but declined to comment further.

“DOI is in receipt of the May 3 letter from the City Council Speaker and the May 6 letter from the Legal Aid Society,” said a spokesperson over email. “In light of the requests, DOI has begun an investigation of the relevant social media use and exchanges, as well as applicable City policies.”

Cabán and NYPD officials were not available for an interview this past week.

The PBA, which represents rank-and-file NYPD members under Chell, declined to comment.

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

thousands joined the new Global Methodist Church, which pledges to enforce restrictions on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.

Now attention turns to Africa, where the UMC counts 4.6 million members.

One group of African delegates protested outside the General Conference and said their members would discuss whether to disaffiliate.

“The General Conference did not listen to us,” said the Rev. Jerry Kulah of the conservative group Africa Initiative, contending the denomination departed from biblical teaching about marriage. “We do not believe we know better than Jesus.”

Bishop John Wesley Yohanna of Nigeria said he would probably leave the denomination after his term ends, although he is staying for now to help heal a rift in the local church. “From the tradition of the church in Africa, marriage is between a man and a woman, period,” he added.

Other African delegates are heartened by a plan that expands regional autonomy about such matters. They said African churches will keep the marriage and ordination bans in their regions while remaining in the denomination.

“Our decision to stay in the United Methodist Church is not conditioned by what happens in America,” said the Rev. Ande Emmanuel of Southern Nigeria. “God has called us to a church, and the church is not a property of the United States.”

Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa of Zimbabwe said the majority of the African bishops at the General Conference agree the regionalization plan respects local cultures.

The United Methodist Church was the last of the major U.S. mainline groups to liberalize its policies on sexuality, in part because of its large presence in rural, small-town, and Southern areas, where a more conservative sexual ethos prevails, said James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American Christian history at Vanderbilt University, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister, and co-author of “The Future of Mainline Protestantism.”

“That’s why they’re the last to go,” he said. It won’t automatically bring back the more-accepting younger generations who left over the bans, said Hudnut-Beumler, adding that conservative evangelical congregations are not exempt.

“Some conservative megachurch pastor may be thinking to himself, ‘We won this. Look what happened to the Methodists and Presbyterians and Episcopalians,’” said Hudnut-Beumler. “Don’t be so smug.”

AP reporter Holly Meyer contributed from Nashville, Tenn.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with the Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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Qualifications and eligibility for the affordable apartments, which include units for the mobility impaired, will be based on Section 8 guidelines.

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STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NEW YORK

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, v. MD ZIA M. HADER A/K/A MD ZIA MOIN HAIDER, LAILA FARZANA, ET AL, Defendants.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of New York County on June 28, 2023, I, Roberta Ashkin, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on June 05, 2024 at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007, at 2:15PM the premises described as follows:

353 East 104th Street, Apartment 7B New York, NY 10029

SBL No.: 1-1676-1429

ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York.

Subject to easements, covenants, and restriction of record.

The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 850193/2019 in the amount of $597,556.46 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System's COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604

Tel.: 855-227-5072

NOTICE OF LEGAL POSTPONEMENT OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, NYCTL 1998-2 Trust and the Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian, Plaintiff, vs. Katherine Mosley, Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated October 18, 2023 and entered on November 28, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, Room 130, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on May 22, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., 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 2011 and Lot 23.

Said premises may also be known as 125 West 142 Street, New York, NY.

Approximate amount of judgment is $100,111.55 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #154723/2022. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

The original sale was scheduled for April 24, 2024 at same time and location.

Doron A. Leiby, Esq., Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee on behalf of HSI Asset Securitization Corporation Trust 2006-HE2, Plaintiff AGAINST STATE4RS LLC; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 18, 2024 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on June 5, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 262 Mott Street, Apt. 4RS, New York, NY 10012. 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 508 Lot 1167. Approximate amount of judgment $521,552.09 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 850216/2022. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the First Judicial District. Mark McKew, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: March 19, 2024 80022

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Rahul Kotwal, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 16, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on June 12, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 45 Park Avenue, Unit 1203 and Parking Unit 7, New York, NY 10016. 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: 892, LOT: 1359 and 1408. Approximate amount of judgment $1,633,685.57 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850122/2019. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts. gov/Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-091241-F00 79783

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, U.S. Bank Trust National Association, not in its Individual Capacity but Solely as Trustee of Homeward Opportunities Fund Trust 2020-BPL1, Plaintiff, vs. 203 W. 139th St. Realty Corp., ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on November 28, 2022 and an Order to Substitute Publication duly entered on January 12, 2024, 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 June 12, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 203 West 139th 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 2025 and Lot 28. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,009,861.89 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850046/2022. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #NA-0340-24115102 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 1712 2nd Ave., NYC 10128 for on-premises consumption; Cilantro East NYC LLC

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

EMIGRANT BANK, Plaintiff -against- MARCO CASELLA, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on February 28, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on June 12, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known as "The 75 Wall Street Condominium" in the Condominium Building known as Unit 38M. Together with an undivided 0.20188% interest in the General Common Elements and .34107% interest in the Residential Common Elements. Block: 31 Lot: 1333 Said premises known as 75 WALL STREET, UNIT# 38M, NEW YORK, NY 10005 Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850121/2022. SOFIA BALILE, ESQ., Referee Terenzi & Confusione P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 401 Franklin Avenue, Suite 304, Garden City, NY 11530

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK MASPETH FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff -against- CALIMERO, LTD., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 23, 2023 and entered on October 6, 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 29, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the City, County and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the southerly side of 84th Street, distant 123 feet easterly from the southeasterly corner of Avenue A and 84th Street; being a plot 102 feet 2 inches by 25 feet by 102 feet 2 inches by 25 feet. Section: 5 Block: 1580 Lot: 47 Said premises known as 504 EAST 84TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10028

Approximate amount of lien $716,258.71 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850247/2022. SCOTT SILLER, ESQ., Referee MASONE, WHITE, PENKAVA & CRISTOFARI

Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 213217-1

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NEW YORK COUNTY. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF WELLS FARGO COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE SECURITIES, INC., MULTIFAMILY MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2020-SB80, Pltf. vs. 121 WEST 116TH OWNER, LLC, et al, Defts. Index #850007/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Feb. 9, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on May 29, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises k/a Block 1901, Lot 21. Approximate amount of judgment is $5,342,683.76 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. CHRISTY M. DEMELFI, Referee. BALLARD SPAHR, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 1675 Broadway, 19 th Floor, New York, NY 10019 - #101293

Notice of Formation of LUMI STUDIOS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/25/24. 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 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 69-34 GRAND AVENUE, P.O. BOX 780569, MASPETH, NY 11378

PB Aesthetics LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/08/2023. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 327 West 35th Street, NY, NY 10001. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of MACCABEE VENTURES FUND II GP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/23/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY122072543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form.filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of VERY BEST FEATURE, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/21/24. 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 12207-2543. Purpose: A show that will be based off a theatrical production.

NOTICE OF SALE

In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in an action entitled NYCTL 2021-A Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021-A Trust v. 187 Street Mazal LLC, et al., bearing Index No. 157338/2022 on or about December 19, 2023, by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on May 22, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, Room 130, New York, New York 10007, the liened premises designated as Block 2170, Lot 30, in the City of New York, County of New York and Borough of Manhattan, State of New York and known as 661 West 187th Street, New York, New York 10033, directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The sale will be conducted pursuant to the Court’s Auction Rules and any COVID Restrictions. The approximate amount of the judgment is $48,694.86 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall be available at the time of sale.

Dated: April 25, 2024 New York, New York Paul Sklar, Esq. Referee 551 5th Avenue, Suite 2200 New York, New York 101760001 (917) 697-7073

David P. Stich, Esq. Attorney for Plaintiff 521 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor New York, New York 10175 (646) 554-4421

Notice of Formation of ESSENCE SELTZER, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/26/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 6 Greene St., Ste. 600, NY, NY 10013. 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.

Notice of Formation of SPRING US ESTATES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/28/24. 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 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Every Impossible Choice LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/12/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: P.O. Box 1043, New York, NY 10014. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Sophie Amelkin Music LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on April 14, 2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 110-20 71st Avenue, Apt 204, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any lawful act.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE MUSEUM TOWER CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -againstGARBIS DOGRAMACIYAN, JULYA DOGRAMACIYAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 19, 2023 and entered on January 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on June 5, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of New York, County of New York, City and State of New York, The Condominium Unit known as Unit No. 21-F in the Condominium known as "Museum Tower Condominium" together with a .029507% undivided interest in the common elements. Block 1269 Lot 1097 Said premises known as 15 WEST 53RD STREET, APT 21F, NEW YORK, NY 10019

Approximate amount of lien $93,604.01 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 151581/2023. ROBERTA E. ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 60 East 42nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10165

Notice of Qualification of BREAKTHRU BEVERAGE GROUP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/28/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/08/15. Princ. office of LLC: 60 E. 42nd St., 49th Fl., NY, NY 10165. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE19808-1674. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, 820 N. French St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ELSINORE ADVISORS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/04/23, becoming effective on 06/05/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 446 W. 23rd St., Apt. 3, NY, NY 10011. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Angus Birchall at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of THIRD PRIME CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/02/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/29/16. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of CD 2016-CD2 Mortgage Trust Commercial Mortgage Pass Through Certificates, Series 2016-CD2; Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee, for the benefit of the Registered Holders of JPMDB Commercial MortgagE SECURITIES trust 2017-c5 commercial mortgage pass through certificates, series 2017-c5; deutsche bank trust company americas, as trustee, on behalf of the registered holders of citigroup Commercial mortgage trust 2017-p7, commercial mortgage Pass-through certificates, series 2017-p7; and wells fargo bank national association, as trustee, on behalf of the registered holders of cd2017-cd3 mortgage trust commercial mortgage pass-through certificates, series 2017-cd3, Plaintiffs, vs . Elmwood NYT Owner, LLC , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 10, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on May 29, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 229 West 43rd Street, Retail Unit, New York, NY 10036. 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 1015 and Lot 1001, as well as all personal property of Borrower as identified in the Mortgage, but excluding any funds held by Plaintiff in any reserve, escrow, or suspense fund, excluding any funds held by Plaintiff in any cash management account, and excluding any funds held by or on behalf of Klaus Kretchmann in his capacity as court-appointed receiver (or any property manager or other agent acting on behalf of the receiver) in that certain foreclosure case pending in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, in Index No. 850176/2020.” Approximate amount of judgment is $344,079,071.86 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850176/2020. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. Thomas Kleinberger, Esq., Referee Polsinelli PC, Aaron C. Jackson, Esq., Aaron P. Davis, Esq., 600 Third Avenue, 42nd Floor, New York, New York 10016, Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Notice of Formation of LUXURY PRODUCTS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/28/24. 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 c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

The Residual Effect LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/13/2024. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 416 E. 134th Street, Bronx, NY 10454. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Ashley Beale Nutrition, PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/14/2024. 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: 33 Park View Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

VD Legacy, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/8/24. Office location: BX County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 1266 Olmstead Ave. Apt. 3E, Bronx, NY 10462. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

ARDA Consulting LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/26/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 72 Morningside Ave, New York, NY, 10027. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Jenko Consulting LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/22/2024. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 217 E 33rd St, Apt 6FE, New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF FRANCHISE AND CONCESSION REVIEW COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING ON AGENCY ANNUAL CONCESSION PLANS

Notice of a Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) Public Hearing on Agency Annual Concession Plans for Fiscal Year 2025 pursuant to Section 1-10 of the Concession Rules of the City of New York (Concession Rules), to be held on Monday, June 10, 2024, at 2 Lafayette St, Room 1412, New York, NY 10007, commencing at 2:30 P.M.

At this hearing, the FCRC will further solicit comments about the provisions of the Concession Rules from the vendor community, civic groups and the public at large. The FCRC shall consider the issues raised at the Public Hearing in accordance with the procedures set forth in the New York City Charter under the City Administrative Procedure Act.

The following agencies submitted an Annual Concession Plan for Fiscal Year 2025: the Department of Parks and Recreation; the Department of Citywide Administration Services; the Department of Environmental Protection; the Department of Corrections; the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the Department of Transportation; the New York City Fire Department; the Department of Housing Preservation and Development; NYC Tourism + Conventions on behalf of the Department of Small Business Services; the New York City Economic Development Corporation on behalf of the Department of Small Business Services; the New York City Administration for Children's Services; the New York City Department of Records and Information Services; and the New York City Police Department.

The portfolio of Agency Annual Concession Plans covers significant and non-significant concessions expiring, continuing and anticipated for solicitation or initiation in Fiscal Year 2025. Furthermore, the portfolio covers, inter alia:

•Department of Parks and Recreation: mobile food units, food service facilities, golf courses, driving ranges, marinas, tennis professionals, athletic facilities, Christmas trees, parking lots, markets, fairs, restaurants, concerts, newsstands, stables, gas stations, amusement venues, ice skating rinks, carousels, ferry services, bike rentals, sailboat rentals, souvenirs and gifts, beach equipment, and event programming.

Notice of Qualification of SOLAR DG NY SUNNYSIDE 1, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/16/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/01/22. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of COFFEE AND TV LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/05/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/22/24. Princ. office of LLC: 1285 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 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 DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of STANDBY DEPOSITS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/28/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/11/23. Princ. office of LLC: 575 5th Ave., NY, NY 10017. NYS fictitious name: STANDBY SERVICING LLC. 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, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: To provide services related to security deposits to renters and owners and operators of property.

• Department of Citywide Administrative Services: maritime/non-maritime occupancy permits, merchandise and marketing, vending machines and restaurants.

•Department of Environmental Protection: gas purification.

•Department of Corrections: commissary services and vending machines.

•Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: drug discount card program.

•Department of Transportation: vending machines, pedestrian plazas, food courts, café, markets. New York City Fire Department: fire museum.

•Department of Housing Preservation and Development: café.

•NYC Tourism + Conventions on behalf of the Department of Small Business Services: marketing, advertising, intellectual property and trademark merchandising.

•New York City Economic Development Corporation on behalf of the •Department of Small Business Service: events/installations, parking lots, maritime and non-maritime occupancy permits.

•New York City Administration for Children's Services: vending machines.

•New York City Department of Records and Information Services: licensing representation.

•New York City Police Department: vending machines and cafeteria.

Written testimony may be submitted in advance of the hearing electronically to fcrc@mocs.nyc.gov All written testimony can be submitted up until the close of the public hearing, and will be distributed to the FCRC after the hearing.

Interested parties may obtain a copy of the Agency Annual Concession Plans by contacting MOCS' FCRC Team via email at fcrc@mocs.nyc. gov. Upon request, a PDF version of the Agency Annual Concession Plans is available free of cost.

A record of the hearing will be posted on the FCRC website at: https:// www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/opportunities/franchises-concessions.page

For further information on accessibility or to make a request for accommodations, such as sign language interpretation services, please contact the Mayor's Office of Contract Services (MOCS) via e-mail at DisabilityAffairs@mocs.nyc.gov or via phone at (212) 298-0800. Any person requiring reasonable accommodation for the public hearing should contact MOCS at least five (5) business days in advance of the hearing to ensure availability.

Notice of Formation of LINDEN DIGS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/04/24. 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 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Jamie Samantha Glass LCSW PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/03/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S, #941255, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of EH DOMINION HOLDING COMPANY, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/29/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 55 Water St., NY, NY 10038. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Jeffrey Chansler at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Rake Eats LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/05/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 154 Attorney Street, Unit 702, New York, NY, 10002. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Harolds Cargo LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/7/24. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 4372 Wickham Ave, Bronx, NY 10466. Purpose: Any lawful act.

APM LUXURY LIMO LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/4/2024. 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: 205 W 115 St Suite 4A, NY, NY 10026. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Uptown Clay LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/22/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 14 Bogardus Pl. #5W, NY, NY 10040. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Pars Abode, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/11/2023. Office: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 29 Burt Ct, Valley Stream NY 11581. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of 499 GRAND ST, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/23/24. NYS fictitious name: GB 499 GRAND ST, LLC. 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 DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Harvest NP in Psychiatry, PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/19/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 7014 13th Ave., Ste. 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.

111 CHAMBERS STREET LLC.

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/01/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 111 Chambers Street, Apartment 3, New York, NY 10007. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of SOLAR DG NY SUNNYSIDE 2, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/16/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/01/22. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION OF AUTHORITY IN NEW YORK BY A FOREIGN LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.

Name: JANS Investment Company LLC. The fictitious name which the LLC will use in the State of New York is AntNick Company LLC. Application of Authority filed with sec. of state of NY (SOS) on 4/24/24. Office location: New York County. SOS is designated as agent of LLC for service of process. SOS shall mail copy of process to 105 Fifth Ave, 5D, NY, NY 10003. Purpose: All lawful purposes.

Notice of Formation of LLC Name: 329 E 17 Street LLC Articles of Organization filed by the Department of State of New York on: 04/03/2024. Office location: County of New York. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o The Sabet Group, 38 West 31 Street, Suite 3, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: Any and all lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of LP PRESERVATION MANAGER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/03/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 116 E. 27th St., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Real estate investment/development.

Notice of Qualification of MH Equestrian, LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with NY Dept. of State on 8/15/23. Office location: New York County. NY Sec. of State designated agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served, and shall mail process to The LLC, c/o Monica L Halem, MD, FAAD, 988 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10075. DE addr. of LLC c/o Vanguard Corporate Services Ltd, 3500 S Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St, Dover, DE 19901 on 8/9/23. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of LLC

Name: 216 E 6 Street LLC Articles of Organization filed by the Department of State of New York on: 04/03/2024 Office location: County of New York. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o The Sabet Group, 38 West 31 Street, Suite 3, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: Any and all lawful activities.

entering the school system. Even then, because there is a lack of outreach from the DOE to families, organizations like Aragundi’s step in as support, she said.

The DOE points to a number of efforts to assist migrant families with their transition. “Regardless of their immigration status or language spoken at home, every student deserves access to high-quality schools that meet their unique needs. As we have done since we launched Project Open Arms, we will continue to work with students, families, and partners to ensure that newcomer students have what they need in our public schools and that our schools are well equipped to support these needs,” the DOE said in a statement.

“If schools need additional support, we work with them directly to closely monitor their needs and distribute funds on an as needed basis,” said a DOE spokeswoman.

Even with efforts from the DOE to support migrant families, there is not enough to support the unique social challenges that migrant students face when they are in the classroom, some critics say.

“In the public schools, every parent has an issue, but because of the issue of

Black and Brown kids, immigrant students are not fully supported,” said Darnell Benoit, director of the Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project. “There’s always a problem with different groups of students, and that’s where the system fails.”

Benoit has worked alongside immigrant students for more than 20 years, going back to her early work as an English as a Second Language teacher. Echoing Aragundi, she has noticed that adolescent boys are among the most affected—particularly from Haiti, from where she hails.

“If you’re an immigrant student and you come here at 16 and 17 and up, you have a hard time finding a high school that can really support what you need. You think it’s easy to just learn English, pass the exams and graduate high school. But when [migrant students] come, they’re not like their peers. Just because you’re 17 doesn’t mean you had a 17-year education.”

Benoit said teenage boys, regardless of where they’re born or where they come from, are still teenage boys: Raging with emotion, hard-headed, stubborn, and trying to navigate it all—doubly so if they are put in positions to support a family with needs in a new country. They are the ones most at risk of “wan -

dering around the city,” sometimes falling victim to crime and violence.

“It’s as if no one cares,” Benoit said. “It’s like, if you’re in public school, you’re 17 and cannot read, no one cares. You come here when you’re seven, it’s no problem. You come here when you’re 10, it’s not a problem. But for older stu -

dents, graduation rates are very low and dropout rates are really high.

“People are tired of immigrants in New York City,” Benoit added, even more bluntly. “And it’s a shame. It’s hard, it’s a challenge with the lack of services for Black migrants, but Black migrants get less.”

No other states ratified the ERA until 2017, even though the extension expired in 1982. The 38th state to ratify the ERA was Virginia in 2020.

“While in the Virginia General Assembly, I was part of a multigenerational group of Black women lawmakers who came together to make Virginia the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA,” said U.S. Rep Jennifer McClellan, who is the vice chair of the first-ever Congressional ERA Caucus and the first Black woman to represent Virginia. “It was poetic justice that our Commonwealth— the birthplace of American democracy and the birthplace of American slavery—was the state to bring the ERA across the finish line. It was a historic moment and the culmination of centuries of work by thousands of women across the nation.”

McClellan noted that the fight for gender equality is an extension of a movement propelled by abolitionists, the Civil Rights Movement, the Suffrage Movement, and the Women’s Rights Movement, and Black women have a legacy of being on the frontlines of change despite often being the last to benefit from the work. In 2023, McClellan signed a discharge petition for H.J.Res.25 to remove the arbitrary ratification deadline for the ERA and enshrine it into law.

“Black women, including the founders of my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., in

their first public act in 1913, marched for the right to vote—even when told to march in the back. Black women marched for civil rights in1963 from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial—even when not given a speaking role,” McClellan said. “Throughout the course of history, Black women have been integral to the fight for equality. We laid the groundwork for progress while overcoming tremendous obstacles. We did our part and continue to do so.”

The timeline of Virginia’s ratification in 2020 opened up a can of legal worms. Conservatives have argued the deadline has long passed, while the liberal side has argued that the deadline has no legal standing because the seven-year time limit was in the preamble or “prefatory language” before the actual amendment. Historically, there have been amendments with timelines written in their language and outside of it, and others that have taken centuries to pass despite a ruling in 1921 stating that it should be done in a “timely manner.”

“We don’t believe that the Trump-era office of legal counsel memorandum is valid,” Gillibrand said. “That memorandum said it took too long for this Constitutional amendment to come to fruition. We don’t believe Congress has a right to set deadlines for Constitutional amendments. And if they did, at minimum it would have to go into the amendment itself.”

At present, national ERA advocates are calling on the federal government’s national archivist Colleen Shogan, an appointee

DENTAL Insurance

of President Joe Biden sworn into office in 2023, to sign and publish the amendment so it can be added to the Constitution. Shogan’s office released a supremely legalese statement in 2022, basically citing the 2020 Trump-era opinion as the reason the ERA’s adoption couldn’t be certified and also acknowledging that Congress is “entitled to take a different view” so the legal opinion isn’t an “obstacle” for them to act.

“We do not have anything additional to add at this time beyond this previously issued statement,” the National Archivist media office in response to an AmNews inquiry.

Meanwhile, the state of New York has become somewhat of a battleground when it comes to passing the ERA at the state level.

For one, it’s much more robust in its language than the national amendment. The state constitution version of the ERA protects people based on “race, color, creed or religion” while the proposed federal amendment adds in protections against discrimination based on “gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care.”

The state legislature has to pass an amendment twice before it’s put on a ballot for voters. Support for the amendment picked up after 2022, and it was on the ballot for this year’s general election in November 2024.

However, State Supreme Court Justice

Environmental

from certain climate clean energy (and) affordable housing investments actually end up in communities that have been historically disadvantaged and historically underserved.

Daniel Doyle threw cold water onto the plans when he ruled that state lawmakers failed to follow proper procedures. Then Republican Assemblymember Marjorie Byrnes, representing areas near Rochester, filed a lawsuit to keep the constitutional amendment off the ballot. As of May, the state constitutional amendment is in limbo until the case is heard by an appeals court.

“The ruling by Judge Doyle is a temporary setback. I am confident that the decision will be overturned on appeal and voters will have the opportunity to decide in November whether or not they want to protect reproductive rights in New York State,” Assemblymember Latrice Walker said in a statement. “The consideration of this amendment to the state Constitution comes at a critical time. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, setting off a domino effect of states proposing or passing legislation to restrict fundamental protections. At the same time, nearly a dozen states have introduced or successfully placed on the ballot similar amendments to protect abortion rights. I look forward to voting in the affirmative right here in New York in November.”

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.

sector [funders] who are interested in the communities to start to invest in the communities as well. This...helps lay the groundwork for what would be longer-term investments in some of these communities, so that was really exciting.

AmNews: Is there anything else you want people to know about the work that the White House is doing specifically around underserved communities and environmental justice?

As part of Earth Day, we made an announcement about a program that’s called Solar for All. This is a program that’s being run out of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the president’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was historic funding that...had a $27 billion greenhouse gas reduction fund as part of [it]. One of the elements of that was $7 billion for Solar for All. The grantees were announced—60 different grantees across the country were identified. These are people who had applied because of their connection and expertise in helping to distribute funding. In fact, some of them are already working in communities that are underserved and are helping those communities get solar and other clean energy resources.

We believe that the $7 billion [investment] will enable us to provide solar to more than 900,000 households and that it will also help result in about 200,000 jobs over the time of the program and the whole greenhouse gas reduction fund. The way the program is structured, the idea is to have this serve as seed money to get other kinds of private

B.M.: We are seeing things like the lead pipes that are being removed from people’s homes, electric school buses in communities that have been underserved, a legacy of infrastructure that has impacted communities, and we’re laser-focused on dealing with that legacy [and] making sure that communities get the benefit of the new investments that we’re putting out. If [your readers] have any questions at all, they should go to our justice40 site and get more information about the work that we’re doing [and] about work going on across the country.

For additional information about the White House Environmental Justice Council, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council/. For details about NYC-specific environmental information, visit the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice: https://climate.cityofnewyork.us.

The Mets’ lineup remains a work in progress

By RUDY ROBINSON Special to the AmNews

The Mets are a competent team. Led by first-year manager Carlos Mendoza, they were 19-22 and in fourth place in the National League (NL) East after a 4-0 loss to the division leading Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field in Queens on Tuesday. The Mets were 18th in runs scored in Major League Baseball, with 172 in 41 games played prior to last night’s game versus the Philadelphia Phillies.

Veteran first baseman and designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who was signed as a free agent in March less than a week before Opening Day, has provided protection for the other hitters, particularly All Star first baseman Pete Alonso. Martinez has been a very good hitter for most of his 14-year career, with 305 home runs, 1,655 hits, and 1,007 RBI when the Mets’ fourgame, home-and-home series against the Phillies moved to Philadelphia last night for Game 3. The series finale is tonight. Martinez has shown the ability to be a consistent run producer in the middle of a lineup. Alonso, while still one of baseball’s best power hitters with nine home runs and 22 RBI before last night’s game, has seen his batting average decrease. A career .250 hitter, he finished at .218 last year and was batting .226 after going 0-3 on Tuesday. Teams are pitching around Alonso due to his low average. He’s not getting enough

good pitches to hit. However, as Martinez rounds into form, Alonso has begun to heat up and looks more comfortable with Martinez hitting behind him. Martinez has also helped others further down in the lineup, including second baseman Jeff McNeil.

The 2022 NL batting champion at .326, McNeil’s average dropped 56 points last year (.270). He was counted on to be a run producer last season, which he is not. He’s averaging less than 50 runs batted in per year. Martinez, a gap hitter with power, has moved McNeil to sixth in the order where he can be more effective.

Martinez, who spent the beginning of the year in the minors, has begun to hit his stride. He hit a ninth-inning home run to avert the Mets being no-hit by a trio of Atlanta Braves pitchers in a 4-1 loss on Saturday. As of yesterday, Martinez was batting .288 with one homer, five RBI, and 16 hits in 17 games.

Four-time All Star shortstop Francisco Lindor is adding punch with seven homers and 21 RBI in 162 at-bats from the threespot batting in front of Alonso. Thus far, the Mets have not looked like a playoff contender, but they are a respectable work in progress that could emerge as a wildcard challenger.

Their schedule has them playing the Miami Marlins on the road for three games this weekend beginning tomorrow, followed by a three-game set versus the Cleveland Guardians next Monday through Wednesday.

The Yankees meet expectations to start the season

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Major League Baseball season is still in the early stages. The conclusion of the first half on July 14 is two months away, and 16 more weeks of the schedule lie ahead before the regular season ends.

Even so, the Yankees are positioned where many pundits predicted they would be coming into this campaign. A lot can happen between now and their final regular season game on Sept. 29, but as for now, they had the third best record in MLB at 28-15 going into last night against the Minnesota Twins on the road. Only the Philadelphia Phillies (30-13) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (29-15), both of the National League, were above them for the top overall mark.

The Yankees were in first place in the American League (AL) East, and led the young and gifted Baltimore Orioles (26-14), last year’s division champions, by a half-game. The Yankees finished fourth last year at 82-80. They have accumulated a high win total with two mainstays. Pitcher Gerrit Cole, last season’s AL Cy Young Award recipient, and infielder DJ LeMahieu have yet to play a regular season game due to injuries they picked

up in spring training. Cole was shelved with right elbow inflammation and nerve pain.

LaMahieu’s 2024 debut has been delayed by a non-displaced right foot fracture after hitting a foul ball off of it on March 16.

Both have been rehabbing at the Yankees complex in Tampa, Florida. No exact timetable has been publicly communicated by the Yankees for when either will rejoin the active roster, but according to the team’s manager, Aaron Boone, the signs are encouraging.

“Gerrit, everything went well,” said Boone after a recent throwing session by Cole. In the meantime, the Yankees starters Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt have been strong with a collective ERA of 3.318 before meeting up with the Twins last night. And closer Clay Holmes had 12 saves, a 0.98 WHIP, and a remarkable 0.00 ERA in 18 appearances.

At the plate, right fielder Juan Soto has been on an MVP mission, leading the Yankees in batting average (.313), RBI (34), and hits (51).

Center fielder Aaron Judge, the 2022 AL MVP, topped the team in home runs with 10.

The Yankees will play three games against the Chicago White Sox this weekend on the road, then take on the Mariners in Seattle for four games Monday through Thursday.

The New York Mets’ hope J.D. Martinez will be a key run producer in his first season with the franchise. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge led the team with 10 home runs when they faced the Minnesota Twins on the road last night. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

Fury vs. Usyk can produce a rare undisputed heavyweight champion

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

This Saturday, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), who holds the WBO, IBF, and WBA heavyweight championships, takes on lineal and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) for the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV. If a winner is declared, he would be the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis won a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield on November 13, 1999.

“It’s been (25) years since we’ve last had an undisputed heavyweight world champion,” Fury said. “And we know that the Klitschkos were champions for about 10 years. So there’s been another 14 years where other heavyweights couldn’t stop it. So we’ve been chosen. And I believe we’re both destined to be here. And there’s only one winner: I’m destined to become undisputed champion.”

Usyk compared the epic matchup to a legendary mythological battle.

“I want to tell a story that looks

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (left) will face WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Top Rank photo)

very similar to our story with Tyson, about David and Goliath,” Usyk said. “When the Lord gives me Tyson in my hands, I will do my job.”

“I’ve been in many heavyweight title fights before,” Fury said. “And now is the most important one. We’re both undefeated. He’s a champion; I’m a champion. And it’s going

to be one of the fights for the ages.”

“I’m very happy to be here,” Uysk said. “I will speak more in the ring.”

While this is a very compelling fight between two undefeated heavyweight world champions, it is hard to see how Usyk will overcome the six-inch height deficit combined with the weight disparity

in the ring. Fury is not only skilled, but intelligent, and a smart strategy of relying on his jab while punishing Usyk on the inside with power punches when he engages should lead to victory.

On June 1, former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) will try to get back

in the win column after a lackluster performance in a loss to Joseph Parker in December. Wilder’s opponent, Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) coincidentally was also defeated by Parker in his last fight in March. The fight will also take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

On the same night, the UFC will return to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for the second time in 13 months with UFC 302 featuring a main event between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and top-five contender Dustin Poirier. The coin-main event will feature former middleweight champion Sean Strickland taking on Paulo Costa.

On July 6 at the Prudential Center, Newark native and WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) will face German Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) in a 12-round clash.

On June 8, Puerto Rican boxer Xander Zayas (18-0, 12 KOs) will challenge Patrick Teixeira Jr. (34-4, 25 KOs) on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in a 10-round, junior middleweight matchup.

ready for the show: James Wood is demolishing Triple-A pitching

By DEVON POV MASON MLBbro Special to the AmNews

The future for the Washington Nationals is very bright. One of the key pieces of that future is slugger James Wood. The 6-foot-7, 240power hitter, whose size, skill and raw power has drawn comparisons to New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, has been a standout minor league performer since he arrived in the Juan Soto trade in 2022.

In that trade, the Nationals landed their current shortstop CJ Adams and the aforementioned Wood. Wood is bombing away with the club’s Triple-A affiliate, Rochester. Last week alone Wood had multiple two-homer games and Nationals brass can’t wait to see these two together daily with the Nationals.

Adams is tearing it up in the big leagues, opening this week leading the club in homers (7), second in batting average (.277) and tied for first in RBI with (20). The skilled shortstop also leads them in runs (25) and hits (41).

After shredding pitching at the Single-A and Double-A level,

Wood hasn’t missed a beat at the Triple-A, and in fact he may be even better. In his last five games, the power-hitting Wood has gone a blistering 6-11 with five homers and 12 RBI. That’s just part of his amazing season thus far where he boasts a slash line of .349/.448/.597 with seven homers, 23 RBI and 31 runs scored.

Woods’s insane power often overshadows showing his versatility and athleticism. He’s also stolen nine bases in 11 attempts in his first 33 games. He’s been so good that Nationals brass have had to show some real patience in keeping him down at the Triple-A level while fans and media have been calling for Wood to join

the Washington Nationals’ Band of Bros for months now.

For Wood and any hitter, it’s all about his approach and how he prepares each day. Sticking to a routine that works for that player is vital to any success, and per Rochester Red Wings manager Matthew LeCroy that’s one trait Wood has exhibited since his arrival to Triple-A.

“His approach is center to leftcenter field, and he stays on the ball extremely well. I don’t see him having trouble with lefties at all,” said LeCroy. “He got hold of a slider that the guy made a mistake on and kept it fair. This is what good players do. They’re able to hit and it doesn’t matter if it’s lefty or righty.”

LeCroy shares the same sentiments that Nationals brass has believed since Wood was dealt here in the aforementioned blockbuster deal for Juan Soto.

Baseball is hard, and it’s also a sport where hitters go through droughts, and Wood is no different. What is different is how Wood handles those tough moments, and it’s something that LeCroy believes is a real sign of maturity.

“Sometimes with a young kid, if they get in a big hole, they have a hard time,” expressed LeCroy. “But even if James did, with his makeup and mentality, he’s not going to panic. And I think that’s what’s gonna make him a really, really good big leaguer… He plays the game the right way. He just needs to continue to get the experience here.”

The Washington Nationals James Wood is rapidly ascending towards the Major Leagues. (MLBbro photo)

Presenters at espnW Summit discuss various topics relating to women’s sports

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

Sure, everyone wants to be involved in women’s sports now that there are sponsors aplenty, TV deals, and charter flights—the last of which was announced by the WNBA last week. Just don’t come empty handed, said superagent Lindsay Kagawa Colas at last week’s espnW Summit in Brooklyn. “Don’t come to my party that’s a potluck and not bring anything,” she said.

Pressing issues of the day were discussed at the summit and leaders and innovators shared their experiences and perspectives.

Tomekia Reed, who a week prior was named women’s basketball coach at UNC Charlotte, was one of the panelists for the Changing College Sports Landscape. Earlier this spring, Reed coached HBCU Jackson State to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Players from that program were selected in the WNBA Draft in ‘23 and ‘24.

“The transfer portal evened the playing field,” said Reed. “I was able to go out and get really good athletes, and I knew had they stayed where they were, they would be drafted or have great opportunities. So, I didn’t want to fail them. I wanted people to know that we can coach student-athletes as coaches. Our

players can play the game of basketball.”

The four coaches on the panel discussed the impact of student-athletes being able to earn money through name, image and likeness (NIL). Reed is adjusting to the possibilities at UNC Charlotte, noting she has not previously experienced student-athletes having NIL deals. “I’m excited to be in that space,” she said.

On the Women of ESPN panel, Andraya Carter, Ari Chambers and Ali Krieger spoke about their transition to sports broadcasting. Carter played college basketball with the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. Krieger is a recently retired soccer player, who was

part of Gotham FC’s 2023 NWSL Championship team. Chambers’s road was different. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, inspired by NC State women’s basketball. Some of her friends were serious basketball players and she couldn’t understand why no one was telling their stories.

“If you tell stories with intention, you can always find something fresh and new, and you can create fandom,” said Chambers, founder of HighlightHER. “You see the Angel Reeses, the Caitlin Clarks, but I do want to acknowledge the fact that those are anomalies. We still have a long way to go when it comes to…overall buy-in to the entire women’s sports landscape.”

New docuseries showcases pressures and rewards for women hoopers

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

During the last college basketball season, director Kristen Lappas and her production team received unprecedented access to the lives of three top college basketball players. The four-part docuseries, “Full Court Press,” which debuted on ABC last weekend and is now available on ESPN+, takes viewers behind the scenes into the lives of these three players, who faced huge expectations and pressure.

Produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, the series chronicles not only the final college season of University of Iowa megastar Caitlin Clark, but also the experiences of Kamilla Cardoso of University of South Carolina, now a two-time NCAA Champion and Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 Final Four, and UCLA sophomore point guard Kiki Rice. Lappas said producers wanted a range of perspectives among the players.

“Kamilla Cardoso has such a rich backstory. Obviously, I would argue her stakes were the greatest of anyone,” said Lappas, who also directed the 2022 docuseries “Dream On” about the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic basketball team.

Cardoso is from Brazil and grew up with a single mother who worked at a spice stand and dreamed of a better life for her two daughters. At 6-foot-7 with court skills, Car-

doso had the opportunity to come to the U.S. for high school. Leaving home, learning English, attending college, and achieving success came at the sacrifice of being with family.

While the series depicts Clark as making bank on name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, Cardoso, as a foreign student, was not able to take advantage of NIL.

“Kiki Rice kind of represents the next generation,” said Lappas. “She was the first col-

lege athlete to get a deal with the Jordan brand…She also comes from a fascinating background, with her aunt being Susan Rice (former U.S. national security advisor). I felt her world was so far from the world that Kamilla or Caitlin existed in that there wouldn’t be repetition between all of their stories.”

The series includes footage of teams in practice and in the locker room, sometimes at heated moments. “Coach [Lisa]

(Iowa) in the beginning was a little skeptical; of course, why wouldn’t she be,” said Lappas, noting producers build trust with each program. “You’re asking this person to open the most sacred spaces of her program to cameras…By the time we got to the [NCAA] Tournament, they were all in. It was really remarkable.”

Andraya Carter, Ari Chambers and Ali Krieger participated in one of the espnWSummit panels. (Allen Kee/ESPN Images)

Panelist Sarah Spain, Jerritt Elliott, Erin Matson, Brian Pensky and Tomekia Reed discussed topics related to women’s sports.

Bluder

Kamilla Cardoso with her college coach, Dawn Staley, at the “Full Court Press” premiere. (ESPN Images)

Sports

Undeterred by adversity, the Knicks cook the Pacers in critical Game 5 win

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Knicks are in denial. Or have wired their collective psyches to be oblivious to adversity.

They have been unfazed and undeterred by a depletion of their lineup due to injuries. A thumping by the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in hostile territory was an aberration. The Knicks were run out of Indianapolis by an urgent opponent, losing 121-89 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series.

It could have been a sign that attrition was overtaking a team that has demonstrated steadfast resolve this postseason. Playing without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic, they have found a way to soldier on. Yet the Game 4 defeat, which tied the series at 2-2 coming back for Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, was a disquieting alarm.

But dismantling obstacles has been one of the defining qualities of the current iteration of the No. 2 seed Knicks. They flipped the

score in Game 5, tactically and forcefully taking apart the No. 6 Pacers by 121-91 to go up 3-2 with Game 6 tomorrow in Indiana. A victory would advance the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, when they fell to the Pacers 4-2.

“We still need one more win

so we can’t get too excited about it,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau emphasized. “We have to understand what we need to do [and] stay focused on the task at hand.”

As he has done all season, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was a force multiplier, shrugging off a

sore foot, injured late in the first quarter of Game 2, and a combined 16-43 shooting in Games 3 and 4, to score 44 points on 18-35 from the field.

“I think as a team, no matter what the situation is, we have the same mindset no matter what,” Brunson said in a measured as-

Teenage golf phenom Ashley Shaw earns a spot in LPGA event

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

Amateur golfer Ashley Shaw, 15, earned a spot in last week’s LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup, held at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey, after claiming victory at The John Shippen Cognizant Cup event. Named for the country’s first Black golf professional, The John Shippen National Invitational is a series of competitions created to provide playing opportunities on the LPGA and PGA tours for the nation’s top Black golfers.

“On the tournament day, as soon as I showed up, I could tell I liked the golf course,” said Shaw, the youngest golfer in the Shippen field. “Of course, I wanted to come away with a win, but even if I hadn’t won, I know I still would have had the best time.”

Shaw, who is from Arizona, first picked up a golf club at age seven. Following her Shippen win, she said she was undaunted to play against seasoned players in the LPGA, explaining she was just going to go out, enjoy and soak in

the experience. She was particularly interested in the putting greens, which grabbed her attention when watching pro golf on television. Her mother, Sylvia Shaw, will be by her side throughout as her caddie.

“My mom is my coach, so we

sessment. “And regardless of how I’m feeling or someone else is feeling, we know what’s at stake. We know what we have to do and we’re going to figure it out.”

The Pacers, like the rest of the league, have not devised a code or algorithm to breach Brunson’s sheer will. Still, Knicks contributions spanned the lineup.

As usual, Josh Hart was an energizer, posting 18 points and 11 rebounds. Deuce McBride, who started the second half of Game 4 and was installed as a starter by Thiboeau in place of Precious Achiuwa on Tuesday, responded with 17.

Guard Alec Burks, whose playing time was completely cut late in the regular season, has been called upon by necessity with Anunoby sidelined by a left hamstring injury sustained in Game 2. The 32-year-old veteran answered the charge with 18 points. And center Isaiah Hartenstein left a deep imprint on the win with seven points and 17 rebounds, including a massive 12 offensive rebounds, as the Knicks owned the backboards 53-29 in total.

spend every day together,” said Shaw.

“The only difference is we’re playing an LPGA event, which makes it even more special. I’m extremely grateful to have her on the bag.”

Shaw did not accept the prize money available at The John Shippen, choosing to retain her amateur status so she can play collegiate golf.

“I definitely want to play DI golf and after that I want to play on the LPGA tour,” Shaw. She is homeschooled and does her schoolwork online. Her education currently involves a dual enrollment program—high school and community college. She plans to graduate in 2027 with both a high school diploma and an associate degree so she’ll only need two years of college to complete her bachelor’s degree, after which she’ll go professional.

Shaw played the first two rounds in the Cognizant Founders Cup. She will play at another Shippen event in June, with the winner also earning an exemption into an LPGA tour event.

She is grateful for the opportunities that Shippen events provide.

“It brings more diversity to the game of golf, and that’s something we definitely need,” Shaw said.

“One of my goals for the game of golf is in the next 10 to 15 years having more people that look like myself out here playing this amazing game of golf.”