New York Amsterdam News July 6-12, 2023 by AmsterdamNews

THE NEW BLACK VIEW WWW.AMSTERDAMNEWS.COM Vol. 114 No. 27 | July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

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FIGHTING GUN VIOLENCE Mayor Adams drops in approval, new poll says (See story on page 3) Fourth of July, and the feared possibility of 100 Days of Summer gun violence (See story on page 3) International African Arts Festival

story on page 31)

(See story on page 3)

(See

(Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office) (Solwazi Afi Olusol photo)

Meeting the Moment: How CSS Is Ready to Assist New York Student Loan Borrowers Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5 AS CITY REELS FROM HOLIDAY SHOOTINGS, HARLEM CREDIBLE MESSENGER WORKS TO STOP THE MADNESS

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INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Page 17

» Astro Page 20

» Food Page 22

» Jazz Page 24

Caribbean Update Page 14

Classified Page 32

Editorial/Opinion Pages 12,13

Education Page 28

Go with the Flo Page 8

Health Page 16

In the Classroom Page 26

Nightlife Page 9

Religion & Spirituality Page 30

Sports Page 40

Union Matters Page 10

International News

“The crimes of the police are at the root of many of the uprisings in France’s most impoverished urban areas,” said Diallo, “and it is these crimes that must be condemned first.”

BOTSWANA WINS GREATER SHARE OF DIAMOND PROFITS HELD BY CONGLOMERATE DE BEERS (GIN)––Diamonds

income country. Ironically, that same discovery contributed to vast levels of income inequality and poverty in the nation.

RIOTS IN FRANCE WERE FED BY RACISM, POLICE BRUTALITY AND BAD LAW

(GIN)—Tens of thousands of police clashed with young protestors after a teenager of North African descent was shot and killed at point blank range by officers during a traffic stop.

A funeral was held for Nahel M., age 17, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre as police made more than 700 arrests nationwide. It was the worst social upheaval in France in years.

The protest ended with police firing tear gas and cars being set on fire.

The teen’s murder was caught on videos and contradicted the initial police report. The videos shared online show two police officers leaning into the driver-side window of a yellow car before the vehicle pulls away as one officer fires into the window. The videos show the car later crashed into a post nearby.

The driver died at the scene, the prosecutor’s office said. This led the prosecutor, Pascal Prache, to conclude that “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met” in the shooting.

The police officer has been placed in provisional detention, according to the prosecutor’s office.

“The incident provoked the headline: ‘France faces a George Floyd moment’––“as if we were suddenly waking up to the issue of racist police violence,” observed writer Rokhaya Diallo. “This naive comparison itself reflects a denial of the systemic-racist violence that for decades has been inherent to French policing.”

Meanwhile, continued Diallo, “the number of cases of police brutality grows relentlessly every year. In France, young men perceived to be Black or of North African origin are 20 times more likely to be subjected to police identity checks than the rest of the population… Why would we not feel scared of the police?

“In 1999,” continued Diallo, “our country, the supposed birth-

place of human rights, was condemned by the European court of human rights for torture, following the sexual abuse by police of a young man of North African origin. Now, after the death of Nahel, a U.N. rights body has urged France to address ‘profound problems of racism and racial discrimination’ within its law enforcement agencies.

“More recently, in December 2022, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) denounced both the racist discourse of politicians and police ID checks for “disproportionately targeting certain minorities.

“Despite such overwhelming findings, our president, Emmanuel Macron, still considers the use of the term ‘police violence’ to be unacceptable… Yet I fear that the focus is being placed on an individual police officer instead of questioning entrenched attitudes and structures within the police that are perpetuating racism. And not a single one of the damning reports and rulings has led to any meaningful reform of the police as an institution.

“Worse, a law passed in 2017 has made it easier for police to shoot to kill without even having to justify it on the grounds of self-defense. Since this change in the law, the number of fatal shootings against moving vehicles has increased fivefold. Last year, 13 people were shot dead in their vehicles.

“Whatever our age, many of us French who are descended from postcolonial immigration carry within us this fear combined with rage, the result of decades of accumulated injustice.

“This year, we mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of Toumi Djaïdja, a 19-year-old from a Lyon slum, who became the victim of police violence that left him in a coma for two weeks. This was the genesis of the March for Equality and Against Racism, the first antiracist demonstration on a national scale, in which 100,000 people took part.

may be forever but the question of who has the rights to the sparkly stones is anything but set in stone.

This was made clear when the government of Botswana won a new “agreement in principle” with De Beers, the international diamond conglomerate, after a round of tough negotiations.

Under the new agreement, Botswana, the world’s second largest diamond producer, will immediately get a 30% share of the rough stones extracted, up from 25% which will rise to 50% within a decade.

De Beers will also pump in 1 billion pula ($75 million) towards a diamond fund which will invest in “additional value to the Botswana economy,” the company said, adding the contributions would grow 10 times over the next 10 years.

Originally the company kept all of the diamonds it mined. In 2011, De Beers took 90% of the rough diamonds mined, while Botswana had 10%. In 2020, Botswana’s share rose to 25%. Last year, De Beers obtained about 70% of its rough diamonds from Botswana.

This time, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and other government officials demanded that Botswana receive more than 25% of the rough stones, and that De Beers make some investment in helping to expand other areas of the diamond industry in Botswana, including cutting and polishing, jewelry making and retail sales.

In challenging De Beers to give them more, Botswana officials were pressing a broader demand of African countries to get more from the natural resources that belong to them. There is a long history of countries on the continent losing out on their resource wealth to theft, corruption and mismanagement.

Diamond mining accounts for a third of the southern African country’s GDP. The discovery of diamonds in 1967 helped Botswana to move from one of the poorest countries in Africa to a middle

Though Botswana is not technically a poor nation, substantial clusters of poverty remain in its rural areas. In some rural areas, the poverty rate is as high as 46% and unemployment for the country is at 20%.

According to the World Bank, Botswana is one of the most unequal countries in the world, job creation lags, and unemployment is structurally high at 25.4% (end of 2022).

Many argue that their country is being cheated: the diamonds belong to them and it’s time for De Beers to take a back seat.

“Let us do it our way,” said an employee at Jwaneng Mine, the richest open pit diamond mine in the world in an interview with a reporter. “We are learned enough now. Like those diamonds, we are processed now.”

When it first partnered with De Beers, Botswana had very little expertise in diamonds and few resources to mine them. Now, with more skills, the country is demanding that cutting and polishing––as well as jewelry-making and retail sales––happen with its borders.

“We must refuse to be enslaved,” declared President Masisi of the 54-year-old partnership with the world-leading diamond producer. Speaking at a community meeting, he continued: “This is not [about] ‘until death do us part’ or a permanent agreement.”

With Botswana due to hold its general election next year, Masisi said he would be willing to lose over the sensitive issue. “I am not scared,” he said. “Yes, we are politicians and always lobby for votes, but if it means losing as a result of this issue, let it be.”

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President Masisi (GIN photo)

Mayor Adams drops in approval, new poll says

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

A new poll conducted by the Siena College Research Institute asked a sample of voters for their opinions about New York State and City elected officials and found that Mayor Eric Adams’s favor has dropped among some Black residents.

According to the poll, about 38% of Black voters surveyed and 41% of Latino voters think the state is on the right track, but even more say that it is not.

President Joe Biden is still polling favorably among Black New Yorkers surveyed, at 64%, with a majority saying the Democratic Party should renominate Biden as its candidate for president in 2024. Meanwhile, Adams is at 29% favorability among Black New Yorkers. At least 50% of Black New Yorkers and 32% of Latino voters find Adams unfavorable.

The poll also asked about various laws

and recent political issues. At least 47% of Black New Yorkers surveyed said they approved of the state passing Clean Slate, which automatically seals the record for most felony convictions after someone serves their time. Overwhelmingly, Black and brown New Yorkers approved of the state’s reparations law, which would create a commission to study the impact of slavery and discrimination against Black Americans and propose legislative solutions.

As the asylum seeker crisis continues, Black and brown New Yorkers disapprove of using SUNY dormitory space to temporarily house new migrants. They are neutral about relocating migrants to other counties in the state.

The poll interviewed 817 registered voters in the state from June 20 to June 25. Of those polled, 49% were Democrats; 54% were female; 40% were from the city as opposed to upstate; most were over age 35; and 65% were white voters, 14% were Black voters, and 11% were Latino. The in-

stitute said that the data was statistically adjusted by age, party by region, race/ ethnicity, education, and gender to ensure representativeness, with an overall margin of error of +/- 3.9 %.

Evan Thies, a political adviser for Adams, came to the mayor’s defense.

“‘Alternative (accurate) headline: Yet another poll shows NYC residents support Mayor Adams and his policies.’ Mayor Adams’ rating is a positive 46/39,” tweeted Thies. “Both Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor de Blasio had negative approval ratings half-way through their second year in office.”

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.

Fourth of July and the 100 Days of Summer gun violence

By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member And NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor

While New York City celebrates established Independence Day traditions like hot dog eating contests and East River fireworks, shootings are becoming all too common—and expected— each Fourth of July. What’s meant as a four-day stretch of summer fun and relaxation now coincides with an extended period of elevated tragedy and fear for Black and brown communities traditionally plagued by gun violence.

Eleven people got shot across New York City on July 4th night. Across the river, five people were shot in Patterson, New Jersey; two died. Baltimore and Philadelphia were the scenes of mass shootings this past weekend, too, where five and two people died, respectively, and dozens injured.

A.T. Mitchell, appointed the NYC Gun Violence Prevention Czar by Mayor Eric Adams, “Unfortunately, the ugly disease of gun violence has raised its head this summer weekend.

Those of us who are in the cure violence movement focus on the 100 days of summer. I pray for rain for those days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The activists and gun violence prevention organizations know that around holidays increased violence happens. We pray for rain. This weekend began stormy, that keeps people indoors. People don’t congregate. So we pray for rain.”

The NYPD reported a pair of fatal shootings during the holiday: an

EBT/SNAP access to museums!

Low-income mothers and fathers can now present their EBT/ SNAP federal food stamps card and be granted free access into some of the finest cultural institutions in the world.

Parents are encouraged to take full advantage of the listings at www.museums4all.org, which allows them to take their children to arts institutions throughout the summer. Over 1,000 U.S. museums are directly linked to Museums4All for national access. In the NYC area, some of those museums include: Noguchi Museum––Queens; Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum––Manhattan; MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts)––Brooklyn; MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)––Manhattan; Jewish Museum––Manhattan; Brooklyn Children’s Museum––Brooklyn; Sugar Hill Children’s Museum––Manhattan; Frick Museum––Manhattan; Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM)––Manhattan; Historic Richmond Houses –– Staten Island; Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (Historic Home)––Bronx; and the new Bronx Children’s Museum––Bronx, as well as many more.

Your options under the Adult Survivors Act

The Adult Survivors Act (ASA) (S.66A/ A.648A) enabled adult survivors of sexual assault to sue their abusers this year, no matter how long ago the harm occurred. Those who don’t know about the ASA should understand that the bill empowers survivors of sexual offenses that occurred when they were over the age of 18 to file suit regardless of when the abuse occurred.

The Survivors Law Project (www.survivorslaw.com) has developed an ASA Starter Guide––a one-stop resource for any questions you might have about your options under the ASA. “It’s a candid look at the process of litigation and common questions and concerns, based on our experience as practitioners,” said the feminist litigation firm Crumiller P.C.

18-year-old man was killed in the Bronx’s Fordham Heights neighborhood, while a 30-year-old man was killed in Inwood. Their names remain anonymous as the families still needed to be notified as of press time.

Between Saturday and Sunday, seven people were injured in the Bronx in a pair of separate shootings. The incidents are reportedly non-fatal as of press time, although multiple victims were critically wounded. One in the Mt. Hope neighborhood was officially considered a “mass shooting” by the Gun Violence Archive due to the four vic -

tims—including a 12-year-old girl— which is the qualifying threshold, even if there are no deaths. As of last week, over 30% of citywide shootings take place in the Bronx.

“Violent weekend in NYC, where children, young people, and females have been victims of multiple shootings,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. “New Yorkers deserve better, and we will continue working together to protect our city from violent individuals who are armed and have no regard for human life.”

“You might not think this has anything to do with you, but I promise it does. Each of us knows somebody who is a survivor of sexual abuse. There’s no pressure to file, but it’s important that everyone has the chance to make an informed decision, so please spread the word to your communities.”

Healthy mothers, healthy babies: maternal health expo

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will host a Maternal Health Expo on Saturday, July 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Borough Hall. The day will be full of activities aimed at supporting people’s pregnancy journey, including free workshops on topics such as paid leave and health insurance, prenatal nutrition, safe sleep, and breast-

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 3

Metro Briefs

See GUN VIOLENCE on page 25 See METRO BRIEFS on page 25

Gun violence town hall earlier this year (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Biden’s age and health are major factors, polls show

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Of the many obstacles he has to hurdle to win another term in the White House, President Biden’s age is the highest to surmount. That challenge was given fresh currency in a recent USA Today /Suffolk University poll of Democrats and independents, with 37% saying that age made them less likely to vote for him. Yet another poll, from the Economist-YouGov, found that 45% of independents cite Biden’s health as “severely limiting his ability to do the job.”

More devastating is a recent NBC News poll where 68% of voters said they were concerned about Biden’s health; 55% of them said they were “se -

riously concerned” about his health.

At 80, with a birthday in November, Biden is the most senior person to lead the nation. He would be 86 at the end of a successful second term. Even so, Trump is not a spring chicken, checking in at 77—the same age Ronald Reagan was at the end of his second term in office.

“The president’s age is certainly going to be a headwind on his reelection campaign,” said C. Stewart Verdery Jr., who served in the administration of former President George W. Bush. “The polling says so, and the examples will certainly keep coming as he is in the public eye.”

To the president, his age is nothing but a number and something he often jokes about. “I know I look like I’m only 29,” Biden said at a recent event, draw -

ing laughter from the crowd. “But I’ve been around a long time.” At a campaign fundraiser in California, he said, “A lot of you have been helping me for a long, long time.”

In a more official manner, the White House pushed back on the president’s age and health. “The president—shoot, he traveled yesterday, he’s traveling again today. You saw how extensively he traveled during the midterms. And especially his foreign travels—this is someone who is incredibly active as president,” said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last Thursday.

As we all know, the polls are not the best indicator of a candidate’s standing or potential, and they are certainly not medical experts when it comes to Biden’s health.

Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions, says race cannot be a factor

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press Additional reporting by KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday, June 29, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.

The court’s conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a 69-page dissenting opinion. She was joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan. Sotomayor wrote that the Supreme Court’s decision turned its back on 45 years of legal precedent.

“Today, this Court stands in the way and rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress. It holds that race can no longer be used in a limited way in college admissions to achieve such critical benefits. In so holding, the Court cements a superficial rule of colorblindness as a constitutional principle in an endemically segregated society where race has always mattered and continues to matter. The Court subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal

protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society,” she noted.

“With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson––the court’s first Black female justice––wrote in a separate dissent. “But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”

Jackson called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”

The Supreme Court had twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programs in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016. But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978. Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.

The 6-3 decision handed down on June 29 is the result of two cases––Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina , and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College

Both cases questioned the use of race as a factor in admissions policies: they claimed that when admissions officers use race they violate the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, and they said some people

of color were admitted to schools in place of white or Asian American students who, they claimed, were more qualified for admittance.

The cases were brought under the aegis of the right-wing Students for Fair Admissions, a group started by conservative legal activist Edward Blum. The group contended that using race as a factor in admissions policies violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause because it purportedly disadvantages white and Asian American students.

(The turn to advocating for protections for Asian Americans came after white conservatives spent years trying to push the idea that white students were discriminated against by affirmative action policies. In the case of Fisher v. University of Texas, Abigail Fisher claimed the only reason she did not get into the University of Texas at Austin was because a lesser qualified Black student took her place.)

In one interview, Blum, who is white, stated that his organization was just trying to even the playing field for what he has termed “high-achieving” and “better-qualified” Asian American students. “Asian Americans are outperforming whites academically, despite having fewer resources, less family wealth, and lower income levels,” he told the conservativeleaning British website UnHerd. The only affirmative action in admissions should be for students who can prove they come from a lower socio-economic background, he contended:

“The most important educational institution in the United States … is the family. Learning begins at the cradle,

Combatting overdoses among Blacks and Latinx

New Jersey groups fighting to prevent overdose deaths among people of color recently received grant funding from the global public health organization Vital Strategies to further their work. Through its “Health Equity Harm Reduction Grant,” Vital Strategies awarded nearly $470,000 in grants to five community-based organizations and partnerships led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) groups and groups serving these communities.

“The grants are supporting projects focused on community training and education, community organizing and base-building, capacitybuilding, direct services, outreach, and other strategies,” a statement said.

The groups awarded grant funds included: Mount Laurel’s Imperfect Village (https:// imperfectvillage.org/), which offers resources, aid, and opportunities for people in need; Ruby’s Vision Inc. in Paterson, which provides transitional housing for mothers and their children who are affected by homelessness; Elizabeth’s family and community support organization PROCEED, Inc. (https:// proceedinc.com/); the Paterson-based addiction recovery centers Chosen Generation Community Corporation (https://chosencc.wixsite.com/chosengenerationcc?fbcli d=IwAR33rmH-K0ON6pOEW6ntL8jzaPYXdHaNzkU1RDXEUde); Rapha Healthcare Services LLC (https://rapha-healthcareservices. com/); and New Brunswick’s Supporting Homeless Innovatively Loving Others (SHILO-NJ; https://www.shilonj.org/shilo).

Heritage tour will look at Atlantic City’s “Northside”

The Atlantic City Walking Tour Series will feature a “Northside Heritage Tour” on July 28.

The city-sponsored tour is conducted by Stockton University’s Office of Continuing Studies and Adult Education. The series allows participants to actively experience the historical landmarks, events, prominent figures and subcultures of Atlantic City.

The Northside Heritage Tour looks at Atlantic City’s “Northside”; a historically, predominantly African American neighborhood founded prior to the Great Migration. This “city within a city” was originally a result of racial segregation and featured important businesses, professionals, hotels, night clubs and schools owned and operated by African Americans. This tour will visit historical landmarks such as Kentucky Avenue, New York Avenue, St. James AME, and the Civil Rights Garden.

The tour is from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and costs $10/person. For more information, email continuingstudies@stockton.edu or call 609-652-4227. You can register for the tour at stockton.edu/continuing-studies/ac_ walkingtours.html.

4 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

––compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo See SUPREME COURT on page 27 NewJerseyNews

Dorian Withrow Jr. is promoting philosophy through literature

By BRIAN DELK Special to the AmNews

The author, first-degree black belt, and activist Dorian Withrow Jr. hopes to combine his passion for philosophy with his degree in animal science in his fifth book.

In June, Withrow published his fourth book, "Conversations You Need," a novel that incorporates philosophical lessons for personal growth that readers could apply to their everyday lives. The dialogue contains philosophical principles that he lives by as well.

In his fifth book, Withrow will use his bachelor of science in animal behavior ecology and conservation (ABEC) to compare animal thought processes with human relationships. Since high school, he has been interested in animal science through his school’s science curriculum. Withrow initially considered veterinary science as his path until a science teacher led him toward ABEC. He wanted to learn more about how and why animals think compared to humans’ thoughts. To tie it all together, he later found philosophy at his alma mater, Canisius College.

“I didn’t know philosophy existed until I got to college,” Withrow said. “Philosophy, for me, is a way for navigating hardships—things such as anger, sadness, grief, and relationships…Philosophy is a tool that I learned and used in college.”

Withrow is a member of Breaking Barriers , an activist and advocacy organization for young men of color in Buffalo, NY. Since a young age, he has been involved in activism through Jack and Jill of America and Leadership Buffalo.

Frantz Fanon, Aristotle, and Confucious are a few of Withrow’s favorite philosophical authors to read and share with the world through his writing. He hopes to spread positive messages throughout the East Side and Buffalo as a whole.

Breaking Barriers hopes to address disparities in education and the overwhelming number of Black students suspended and given detention at a higher rate than their white peers.

Education has been a driving force in Withrow’s upbringing and activism as he strives for equality and equity in education for Buffalo students. He said he was deeply influenced by high school English classes, which inspired him to publish his works on graduation.

“My suggestion for anybody in high school or heading into college is don’t just exist—try to get something out of it. You may be able to turn your experience into a business, a product, or a service— something that can help you obtain your desired goal,” Withrow said.

He said he couldn’t attribute his growth to one person in his life, but rather to a host of different people, from his English teacher to his immediate family. His mother and father helped him understand the importance of activism and standing up for oneself and others.

His grandfather introduced him to the practice of martial arts and taught him different techniques that he remembers to this day. He pursued martial arts in his first year of college and today is a first-degree black belt.

When considering the combination of his authorship, martial arts training, and education, Withrow pondered the question “Did you have fun?”—a question regularly asked by his elders and figures in his life. Whether he would leave martial arts tournaments with wins or losses, he was more interested in whether he enjoyed the experience.

“As you look back at the memories in your life, that’s what sticks out; that’s where you can find happiness,” he said. “Ultimately, having fun is also an aspect of having to protect yourself.”

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

Meeting the Moment: How CSS Is Ready to Assist New York Student Loan Borrowers

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down President Biden’s student debt relief plan has significant implications. Over 16 million Americans who were approved for debt relief, along with millions with pending applications, now face the risk of default when the suspension on loan payments and interest ends this fall. Prior to this decision, the nation’s student loan crisis was already staggering, with 43 million borrowers collectively owing approximately $1.7 trillion in debt. In New York alone, the situation is dire, with over $90 billion in student debt held by 2.4 million borrowers. The canceled relief plan could have wiped out the debt for more than a million borrowers, amounting to $16.3 billion in forgiveness in New York.

The challenge ahead is daunting, with millions of borrowers simultaneously entering repayment, an unprecedented situation. Moreover, 40 percent of borrowers will have experienced a change in loan servicers, leaving providers ill-equipped to handle the surge in demand and effectively assist borrowers. Many individuals will be entering repayment for the first time ever, and with inflation at an all-time high, a significant portion of them will likely struggle to pay or become unable to do so. As a result, a distressing increase in delinquency and defaults is anticipated, as acknowledged by the current administration.

Communities of Color Most Harmed by Student Debt Crisis

What is truly disconcerting is the disproportionate impact that resuming payments will have on communities of color. A recent report revealed that student debt-to-income ratios have been steadily increasing over the past decade, particularly for non-white and economically disadvantaged communities. This means that non-repayment has become even more challenging for non-white borrowers. It is crucial to recognize the exacerbation of the student debt crisis in these communities, particularly Black and brown communities, and take immediate action to address it.

In recognition of the dire circumstances faced by student loan borrowers, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, the Community Service Society launched the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP) in 2019.

EDCAP is the first program of its kind, exclusively dedicated to helping borrowers manage their student loan debt and, whenever possible, eliminate it entirely. Through our work, we have discovered that the student loan system is incredibly complex, affecting individuals of all ages, demographics, and educational backgrounds. From people with law degrees to those living in transitional housing, we have been able to assist borrowers in addressing their student debt burdens.

One crucial lesson we have learned is that borrowers require specialized and unbiased one-

on-one assistance. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling student debt. Given the numerous repayment options available and the unique financial and personal circumstances of each borrower, it takes a knowledgeable expert to develop a tailored strategy for managing their student loan debt in both the short and long term. Equally important is the provision of free and unbiased services. It is evident that loan servicers do not always prioritize borrowers’ best interests, often steering them toward deferments and forbearances instead of exploring more favorable alternatives.

Consider the case of Siv B, a 60-year old New York educator who for privacy reasons asked to be identified by her first name and first initial of her last name. Siv took out a $99,000 loan to finance her daughter’s college education. For ten years she made regular payments toward the loan with the hope of qualifying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. But each time she applied she was rejected.

“I was about to give up when I heard about EDCAP during a virtual counseling session organized by my union. I reached out and they worked with me,” said Siv, whose $127,000 in remaining student debt was forgiven. “I was so happy. It’s a huge weight and stress off my life.”

Repayment Campaign

Last year, with increased funding from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, EDCAP expanded its reach by collaborating with ten community-based organizations across the state. These organizations are now providing direct consumer assistance to borrowers throughout New York, ensuring that EDCAP plays a critical role in helping individuals resume their loan payments and, ideally, take advantage of various relief programs to eliminate their debt as soon as possible. To further this mission, we are launching a robust repayment campaign this month.

As part of this campaign, borrowers will have access to a wealth of information and resources developed by student loan experts on the EDCAP website (www.edcapny.org). More importantly, they will be able to avail themselves of free and unbiased student loan counseling sessions.

With the resumption of student loan payments and the recent Supreme Court ruling creating challenges for New York student loan borrowers, EDCAP stands as a vital resource that borrowers can turn to for help, especially those hardest hit by this crisis. Borrowers can learn more and get resources at www.edcapny.org or get one-on-one help by calling 888-614-5004 or via email at edcap@cssny.org.

By addressing this moment head-on, borrowers can find relief and support to overcome the hurdles that lie ahead.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023• 5

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

Black New Yorker

Dorian Scott Withrow (Contributed photo)

Bad News to Be-Loved: AmsterdamNews’ film highlights Harlem credible messenger

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

Dedric Hammond’s big heart pumped cold blood for the first part of his life. Back then, he was known as “Bad News,” a genuinely scary guy who grew up in Harlem’s St. Nicholas houses. He recounts his dangerous reputation uptown as a “stick up kid,” known to randomly rob people at gunpoint.

Both a perpetrator and victim of violence, Hammond was shot in multiple incidents throughout his young adulthood and ended up spending eight years in prison. While incarcerated, he ruminated over his given name.

“I started thinking, who would want to be around a guy named Bad News?” said Hammond. “And how will Bad News be able to infiltrate all the places I need to be? To be able to do this healing or working on saving lives with one community and one relationship at a time, I gotta ‘R.I.P.’ Bad News.

“One dude said at one time, ‘Yo, I ain’t gonna be around this dude. That’s Bad News, he a stick up kid.’ He didn’t even meet me. He doesn’t know me personally. But he just went off the name.”

So “Bad News” died behind bars. But Hammond survived and left prison believing Harlem’s cycle of violence ended with him. And this time, he chose his name: Be-Loved.

Be-Loved is also the subject of a new Amsterdam News documentary directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Andre Lambertson and produced by the paper’s investigative editor Damaso Reyes and edited by Brent Joseph. The 26minute film, which can be seen at amsterdamnews.com/ beyond (scan qr code for direct link), follows the credible messenger through Harlem as he works with youngsters.

“I realized we had an amazing opportunity because, in my mind, nobody has been taught from a perspective of being a guy behind the gun to talk about what it’s like…and to bring empathy,” said Lamberston.

In the eponymous film, Be-Loved is shown mentoring young Harlemites through personal experiences and a subpar jump shot. In one scene, he talks to a council of school-aged boys and breaks down why someone would hold a gun for someone else. Through the exercise, he ties the behavior to empathy while also de-

nouncing the behavior. “Experience is the best teacher,” Be-Loved says in the film.

R.I.P. to Redemption

If Hammond’s story of rebirth evokes religious overtones, it’s because Be-Loved’s newfound Christian faith was a driving factor in his redemption. Be-Loved says he realized through his Bible studies that Jesus worked specifically with sinners, not pastors or deacons or the devout church ladies.

“He worked with people like me, [who] were not living a righteous life—but we could if we got the proper teacher,” he said. “Understanding that, I took ‘love’ because the word love means God, and God is love. And I took the word ‘be,’ because we can be whatever we want to be—we don’t have to be this one set thing.

“Sometimes we think we always have to be gangsta. But that’s not a fact, right? Because [not] every place tolerates the same thing. Becoming Be-Loved…it meant [becoming] a sincerely loved person.”

Today, he serves as a credible messenger for the Living Redemption Community Development Corporation, which operates out of the Soul Saving Station, a Harlem church known for taking in those who are at their worst.

The work involves talking with young men not so different from the former Bad News and helping them find alternatives to violence and incarceration. Be-Loved’s focus isn’t school or work, but a genuine transformation from the inside out. It starts with relating to them. Employment services have long been seen as a key to violence interruption by the city’s social service apparatus, but most young men Be-Loved works with can’t hold down a job because of the baggage

they carry with them whenever they clock in. Building empathy through someone these kids will listen to is essential.

An untapped, and underfunded, resource

Clinton Lacey, a former deputy commissioner with the NYC Department of Probation, said credible messengers are an essential, but rather underused, tool in under-resourced Black and brown communities. He’s known Be-Loved for two decades and sees him as a poster child of the practice, which he describes as older, justice-impacted individuals who leverage their experiences and relationships in such neighborhoods to create peace and change. Lacey, who now runs the Credible Messenger Mentoring Movement out of Washington, D.C., sees this work as critical and irreplaceable from outside social services.

“It begins with an acknowledgment there that the answer is in the community,” said

Lacey. “The answer is embodied in people who have shared life experiences of marginalization. You do it by investing in Be-Loved; by providing space, opportunity, and resources. The service that he and [other] credible messengers provide is critical.

“So we argue and fight for and help to leverage resources to organizations such as [Living Redemption]—this is more than a job, but it’s full-time work. It’s beyond full-time. Be-Loved and others should be able to feed their families and take care of themselves.”

Both Be-Loved and Lacey maintain that it takes a village to save a child, so those from the community know how to best serve it. Unfortunately, there’s rarely a grant-writing course available at the school of hard knocks, but Lacey said credible messengers are often unaware of funding available for their organizations.

See BE-LOVED on page 29

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 6 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

Stills from Amsterdam News’s documentary about credible messenger Dedric “Be-Loved” Hammond. Be-Loved (left) talking to youngsters outside Soul Saving Station. (Andre Lamberston photos) Be-Loved (left) chatting with young man named Joey (right).

Adams and City Council close on $107B city budget

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

Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced last week their $107 billion adopted budget agreement for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). The council voted to pass the budget.

“We are proud to have reached a budget that makes strategic investments to keep our city safe and clean, and ensures working families have the services they need, while simultaneously maintaining strong reserves that will allow our city to be prepared for the future,” said Mayor Adams. “Despite the myriad challenges and unexpected crises we have faced, I am proud to say we have successfully navigated these cross-currents to arrive at a strong and fiscally responsible budget that will continue to ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New Yorkers.”

Speaker Adams said “through difficult negotiations,” the council pushed to restore investments in essential services and fund community programs. Communities had rallied against proposed cuts to the city’s library systems and CUNY, and groups demanded funding for the MTA’s discounted Fair Fares program and NYCHA’s Vacant Unit Readiness Program.

The city said there was higher

than expected revenue of $2.1 billion in FY23, driven by continued strength in the local economy— although tax revenue growth is still expected to slow in coming years. These additional resources were used to pay for agency needs, meet increased asylum seeker costs, and fund council discretionary spending. The adopted budget maintains $8 billion in city reserves.

The adopted budget includes increased funding for youth jobs, the expansion of Fair Fares ($20 million), extending the hours for vacant early childhood education seats ($15 million), restoring additional $36 million in funding for libraries and $40 million for cultural institutions, and no cuts to public schools even if their student population has declined.

It also includes funding for the Crisis Management System (CMS), $40 million for contracted human services providers, $5.3 million toward swimming education and lifeguards, $5 million for the mayor’s Mental Health Agenda, and $32.9 million for vacant readiness programs.

“When money is tight, decisions must be made,” said Councilmember Justin Brannan, chair of the council’s Committee on Finance.

“Our negotiations were no different from the often-tough con-

versations working families have around their dining room table as they try to make ends meet for another month in the most expensive city in the world. But even with an uncertain fiscal future and a migrant influx everyone agrees New York City cannot handle on its own, with a nearly $107 billion budget, we knew there was still no reason for cuts with a scythe.”

At least 11 council members voted “no” on the budget: Councilmembers Alexa Aviles, Charles Barron, Tiffany Caban, Carmen De La Rosa, Jennifer Gutierrez, Shahana Hanif, Christopher Marte, Sandy Nurse, Chi Osse, Lincoln Restler, and Kristin Richardson-Jordan.

“I voted NO on this Mayor’s austerity budget that guts services and calls it a “win,” Aviles said via Twitter. “Apparently, the City can’t find money to provide school aids with a living wage, or pay parity for EMS workers, or school social workers and guidance counselors.” She also criticized the size of the NYPD overtime budget, misconduct settlements, and school police hiring at about $12 billion. Aviles and other advocates were angered by the police portion of the city budget. Darian X, lead campaign organizer at the Brooklyn Movement Center, said in a statement that cuts to critical re-

sources like housing, public education, and mental healthcare is a “death sentence to the residents of our communities who rely on those critical services.”

“This budget violence is generational and has resulted in Black and brown neighborhoods around the city where surviving, not thriving, is the norm,” continued X. “We deserve a future where our people can afford quality and dignified housing; where they have more access to mental healthcare in a mental health crisis than they do to armed police. While Mayor Adams may see an increase to the NYPD budget to over $12 billion, we know that the safest communities have the most life-affirming resources, not pathways to incarceration. We demand a budget that prioritizes thriving Black futures over systems of Black death.”

Another major concern in terms of the budget included an allocation of $40 million for human service workers, which organizations were demonstrating for in front of City Hall. The Human Services Council (HSC) said the budget “falls well short” of what they asked for: a 6.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and a multiyear deal of 16.5%.

“This budget is not good, and it is not just,” said HSC Executive Director Michelle Jackson. “Almost

two-thirds of our workforce lives near poverty, and this agreement will not fundamentally change that—even though the mayor found plenty of money to give generous raises to other workers.”

Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) CEO and Executive Director Jennifer Jones Austin also chimed in to defend human service workers, a city industry that predominantly comprises women of color.

“We at FPWA are astounded to see that the largest city budget on record willfully disregards both the criticality of human services and the workers providing them,” Austin said in a statement. “This budget includes millions in cuts to vital services, from 3-K to homedelivery meals, to criminal justice reform and prisoner re-entry. The city also failed to follow through on pay equity for the community workforce it depends on day after day. Wage and occupation segregation will worsen as a result.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 7

Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, and members of City Council announce agreement for on-time, balanced, and fiscally responsible approximately $107 billion Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). City Hall, Thursday, June 29, 2023 (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

Go with the Flo

ANTHONY

Vivica A. Fox was in New York City on June 29 to promote her new true crime series, “The Interrogation Room.” The popular actress filmed the 10 episodes of the show in London. “The Interrogation” debuts July 1 on all streaming platforms. Vivica said her role is to “humanize the show” and “hosting something like this is a new genre” for her. She also recently filmed a movie with Jussie Smollett, who directed it. He played her nephew Jamal on “Empire.” Lastly, Vivica told “Good Day NY” co-host Rosanna Scotto that she is still taking applications for a man, and even though the young ones are always coming after her, she “ain’t nobody’s sugar mama”! …

On June 30, Netflix hosted Bevelations Live, and later that evening did a down-south party to celebrate the upcoming launch of “They Cloned Tyrone” by partnering with the Lemon Pepper Wet event brand. The Bevelations Live panel included “Survival of the Thickest” cast Michelle Buteau and Tasha Smith, along with “The Upshaws” cast member, Kim Fields, and was moderated by Bevy Smith. Bevelations Live and “They Cloned Tyrone”-themed Lemon Pepper Wet Party were hosted at the Chicory in New Orleans. Key attendees at each of the events included Sherri Shepherd, Derek J, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, and Terrence J. http://www.netflix.com #StrongBlackSummer @StrongBlackLead …

The fine art and boxing worlds are emerging to create “Champions,” a fundraiser exhibition on Saturday, July 8, at Gleason’s Gym (130 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY), from 6–10 p.m., to support retired boxers. Brought to you by T.K.O.O.X OCLESSE in conjunction with the World Boxing Council and Jose Sulaiman Charity Boxers Fund X WBC Cares. The event will be attended by former boxers, including Iran Barkley, Michael Spinks, Donny Lalonde, Heather Hardy, Doug DeWitt, Michael Olajide, Vinny Paz, Tim Witherspoon, Michael Bentt, Junior Jones, and Gerry Cooney. Artists whose work will be featured include Harry Benson, Pepe Sulaiman, Rose Billings, Anthony Haden Guest, and Bailey Lalonde, who curated the show. … Mayor Eric Adams was spotted on a Delta Airlines flight headed to New Orleans on July 2. When he arrived in NOLA, the mayor participated in a Global Economic Forum at the Essence Festival with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, where they discussed homelessness, asylum seeking, and Black businesses. …

Brooklyn rocks the R&B Experience

By NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor

New York City was bouncing off the walls with a 90s R&B swing on June 30, 2023, at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.

The building was filled to the rafters with happy 40-/50-plus-somethings who put their daily issues on hold to go down memory lane with Tevin Campbell, Xscape, Ginuwine, Mya, 112, Next, and Mya.

DJ AOne knew what he was doing with those great tunes from yonder good ole ’90s R&B to early 2000s hip-hop days of old.

Young ‘un’s’ parents got home on Friday night still reliving their younger glory days via feel good Silk, Next, Tevin, and Xscape tracks. H-Town knocked and rocked, of course, and who told Jada from the Locs to pop up on stage with 112? Mya’s love is still like “whoa,” apparently, as the “It’s All About Me” singer helped kick off the Global Experience Production show.

Next really showed out with their show. And if that wasn’t enough, they had the nerve to bring out fellow New Jerseyan uber producer KayGee and dropped Jaheim’s “Just in Case!” The crowd went off! They really put on a nice show, made better when at the end of crowd-pleaser “Wifey,” an audience member surprised his girlfriend with an on-stage proposal.

Silk were classic with all their beloved grown-folks’ hits. If you know, you know!

112 upped the ante when they had the superfan gall to bring on Jadakiss for a rousing “Knock Yourself Out,” and “We Gonna Make It,” alongside “You Already Know,”

“Only You,” and “Cupid.”

Tevin said “I’m Ready,” went “Round and Round,” told us “Shh,” and then kept saying that he was going to leave…sending the anticipatory crowd off the Richter scale. And yet when those familiar open bars played, the child-star, now 46 years old, didn’t have to sing a lick. The audience had it. “Can we talk?” Absolutely.

For almost 40 minutes, Xscape brought choreography and familiarity. Only three—LaTocha wasn’t there—but they sang the old faves like “Who Can I Run To?” “Just Kickin’,” and with dancers and children in tow, they rocked “Understanding,” etc., and with some lesser-known tunes, as did Next, who, alongside Silk, they kept that fantastic grown-folks overflow flowing.

He sang about riding ponies and getting in jeans and stuff, but I bet you lots of people wanted to see the meme-famous Ginuwine—shimmy, slip, or slide. Didn’t get none of that, but he put on a performance, bless him!

This R&B Music Experience did not disappoint. The tour has included Case, Tyrese, Keith Sweat, and Trey.

Someone called it an “Aunty fest.” I bet you know no one in the crowd cared. Sometimes dodgy soundsystem notwithstanding….we wuz groovin!

8 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS GO WITH THE FLO

FLO

(Nayaba Arinde photos)

Tenants rally against bad landlords

Outgoing Council Member Kristen Richardson Jordan spoke to tenants at a rally against local landlords, who they say are the worst in the city. Upper Manhattan tenants united to demand repairs

of elevators, broken doors, and heat and hot water appliances. Public Advocate

Jumaane Williams lists Sugar Hill Capital Partners in 2021 and 2022 on its “Top 100 Worst Landlords Watchlist.”

NAN celebrates Attorney Michael Hardy’s birthday

Rev. Al Sharpton was at Essence Fest in New Orleans this past Saturday, so chair of the National Action Network (NAN) board Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson

stood in at the Saturday Action Rally with Rev. Malcolm Byrd. NAN celebrated Attorney Michael Hardy’s birthday at the morning rally.

Written by David Goodson

Slick, Chill, and Fresh at 50

Like anything else that reaches a milestone year of 50 by not just surviving, but thriving, specific events cement and legitimize its existence. For hip-hop music, one of those moments occurred in August of 1985 with the release of a single that shook the streets, clubs, and airwaves. There was nowhere to escape the sounds of Doug E. Fresh, his right-hand man Ricky D aka Slick Rick, Chill Will, and Barry B, collectively known as the Get Fresh Crew, and their omnipresent song “The Show.”

While not the most lyrical of works, it was filled with quotables and some infectious call-and-responses that captured the funfilled essence of what a real live hip-hop show entailed. But more importantly, it was a beat that couldn’t miss. When that beat dropped, like all bangers, you either reached to increase the volume or you reported to a dance floor, even if it was makeshift.

As for the industry itself, Doug E. Fresh has since become entrenched as the party rocker supreme and granted ambassador status. Slick Rick became a Hall of Famer and All-Time Great in his own right with his legendary catalog of hits, and a group called Supa Nature made enough noise with their response record called “The Show Stopper” that they were able to garner to secure a record deal and eventual pioneering career for themselves as they changed their moniker to Salt N Pepa.

Little-known fact: Until recent years, that record would serve quite a larger purpose. Little credit was given to one of the producers of the track and his career helped shape and shift the landscape of Black music—and, subsequently, the pop charts. Who could have seen that in the future for a then 17-year-old Teddy Riley? Having produced and written gold, platinum, or classic hit songs for a litany of stars, including Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Stevie

Wonder, Kool Moe Dee, the Winans, and his own groups Wreckx-N-Effect, Guy, and Blackstreet has culminated with induction into the 2023 Class of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Riley was inducted by fellow Harlemites Keith Sweat and Doug E. Fresh, with Fresh summarizing that, “We knew he was that special guy from the neighborhood who had a gift,” although “we’re kids from Harlem. We never thought we would be at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, baby!”

The Class of 2023 originally included, along with Riley, special awardees Post Malone, who received the Hal David Starlight Award, and Tim Rice, who garnered the Johnny Mercer Award. Also in the 2023 Class were Glen Ballard, Gloria Estefan, Jeff Lynne, Liz Rose, Sade Adu, and Snoop Dogg. The latter two were absentees and have deferred their enshrinement for another class, but that didn’t stop one from being a participant in an award ceremony for songwriter/producers. On the other side of the country, Snoop Dogg presented the inaugural ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award to Dr. Dre at a private party on the rooftop of London West Hollywood as a highlight of ASCAP’s 2023 Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.

“Dre, you my brother,” Snoop said to his mentor. “It’s an honor to know you, to work with you, to hang out with you, and to present you with this very first ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award.”

Dr. Dre said in his acceptance speech, “I can’t imagine where my life would be without hip-hop. I was thinking about what it means to be an icon—someone or something worthy of great respect. You probably need to be around for a while to be worthy of this type of respect. So, I started doing the math, and I realized that I’ve been involved, successful, relevant in hip-hop for 40 of its 50 years.”

Over and out. Holla next week. ’Til then, enjoy the Nightlife.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023• 9

Nightlife

OUT & ABOUT

Teddy Riley and Siedah Garret Doug E. Fresh and Valerie Simpson (David Goodson photos) (Bill Moore photo) (Bill Moore photo)

Union Matters

Your vote is your voice— don’t be speechless

Gregory Floyd

The recent primary election in New York City saw a record low turnout of fewer than 5% of eligible voters.

With 19 City Council seats and two district attorney seats up for grabs, this significantly low turnout, in comparison to what was seen for the mayoral primary in 2021—when 23% of eligible voters turned out, is troubling. True, several factors helped to cause the low turnout from this being an off-year election: no presidential, governor, or mayoral offices on the top of the ballot, and an unusual June voting date, which was mandated by new, court-ordered district lines necessitating another election and causing many to wonder, “Didn’t we just do this?”

What is the problem?

With so many people around the globe fighting for the right to vote, why is it that, in the United States, where we tout voting rights as a basic ingredient of our democracy—and where so many continue to fight for greater voting access and equality—voting turnout is so low? Even in recent presidential election years, voting turnout nationally has hovered around 60% and 40% for midterm elections.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama put it this way: ”Here’s the problem: While some folks are frustrated and tuned out and stay home on Election Day, trust me, other folks are showing up. Democracy continues with or without you. When you don’t vote, what you’re really doing is letting someone else take power over your own life.”

John Lewis, the late civil rights activist and member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Georgia, told us: “The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it.” Keith Ellison, attorney general of Minnesota, a former U.S. Representative to Congress,

who also served as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, said, “Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.”

George Carlin, the late comedian, proclaimed: “If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who spent so much of his career fighting for the right to vote for all Americans, would, no doubt, be saddened by today’s low voter turnout, which exemplifies his fear that “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Voting matters.

The problem of getting more people to vote has been grappled with for decades. Marshall McLuhan, the scholar considered to be the father of modern communications and media, famously noted, “American youth attributes more importance to arriving at their driver’s license age than their voting age.”

Rihanna, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, dealt with the issue of how to encourage and engage young adults to get involved with the political process by telling her youthful fans, “I don’t care what responsibilities you have today, there’s no greater responsibility than being in control of your future, and your future starts now! We don’t have time, no procrastinating, don’t let the discouragement take you offcourse, that’s not how my people or my generation will go down… [voting] is the loudest way to make your voice heard!”

And Beyoncé, the Grammy Award-winning singer and artist, has been known to urge her audience to go to the polls by telling them, “Your voices are being heard and you’re proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain. Now we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power, and that is to vote.”

But it’s not just the attention of new voters and younger voters we need to capture and cultivate. So many middle-aged, even See TEAMSTERS on page 29

UPS, Teamsters stall on contract negotiations

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Some 340,000 full- and parttime UPS (United Parcel Service) workers are on the verge of a strike, as contract negotiations between the company and the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee came to a screeching halt at 4 a.m. on July 5.

Teamsters union and UPS representatives each blame the other side for the break in negotiations. They were meeting to bargain on a new contract as the current work agreement is set to expire on July 31.

“This multibillion-dollar corporation has plenty to give American workers––they just don’t want to,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a press statement. “UPS had a choice to make, and they have clearly chosen to go down the wrong road.”

Back on March 23, Teamsters Local 804––which represents New York City’s UPS workers––wrote on its Facebook page that “UPS is raking in record high profits. But the company is telling Teamster negotiating committees that it wants even ‘more flexibility.’ Teamsters got UPS through the pandemic, and Teamsters are the reason this company is so successful. UPS pays part-timers little more than minimum wage in many parts of the country, while full-time drivers are divided into two tiers. Enough is enough!” No additional negotiations were scheduled by press time.

Last month, 97% of Teamsters members had voted in favor of a strike authorization. It was seen as an opportunity to reset the current work contract, which was ratified in 2018 without full worker support. In 2018, union leadership ratified a 5-year deal that only 44% of Teamsters members voted for.

At the time, the Teamsters wrote that although it had encouraged its members to cast ballots regarding the contract, “…only 44.3% of the eligible UPS membership participated in the ratification referendum on the National Master Agreement. Of the 209,043 members who were eligible to vote, only 92,604 (44.3%) cast a vote. The re-

sults of the tabulation show that 42,356 (45.8%) voted for the proposed contract and 50,248 (54.2%) voted against it.

“In such circumstances where less than 50% of the membership votes on a final contract offer, the International Constitution provides that ‘a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those voting shall be required to reject such [a] final offer…’ Failure to reject the offer by at least twothirds vote of those voting ‘shall require the negotiating committee to accept such [a] final offer or such additional provisions as can be negotiated by it.’ As the vote tally indicates, a majority of members did not vote and a two-thirds majority of those who did vote did not oppose the contract.”

The agreement was technically rejected by most of the Teamsters members who voted on it, but because voter turnout was low, the contract had to be accepted.

The 2018 contract created two tiers of workers: new full-time drivers who were hired at the lower-pay scale of $20.50 an hour and who could also be asked to make weekend deliveries, and full-time drivers who already worked with UPS were set to earn more than $36 an hour, plus double time on Sundays.

Another major issue the Teamsters wanted dealt with was the notorious lack of air conditioning in UPS delivery trucks. UPS had resisted installing air conditioning

in its trucks––even though drivers were often suffering from heatstroke––because of the costs associated with refitting their vehicles. Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien announced on June 13 that air conditioning was one issue the company and union had come to an agreement on. “New contract language would mandate UPS equip in-cab air conditioning systems in all larger delivery vehicles, smaller sprinter vans, and all of UPS’ most recognizable brown package cars purchased after Jan. 1, 2024,” the union announced.

“Two fans would also be installed in the cab of all package cars following ratification of a new contract. All newer non-electric UPS package cars and vans would be installed with exhaust heat shields, further protecting Teamsters from dangerous heat. Additionally, newly existing and purchased package cars going forward would be retrofitted or equipped with air induction vents in the cargo compartments to alleviate extreme temperatures in the back of the vehicles, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.”

Now the final deal on a new contract is all that’s on the line. If Atlanta-based UPS is hit with a work stoppage, it would be a major blow to the U.S. economy: by its own estimate, the company says its workers deliver 6% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 10 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

Teamsters Local 804 members have been trained on the do’s and don’ts of practice picketing—just in case they wind up on strike. (Teamsters Local 804 photo) President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Dem House leader Jeffries and U.S. HHS Secretary Becerra host roundtable on lowering prescription drugs in ENY

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

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the House minority, and NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan toured the Advantage Care Physicians site in East New York, Brooklyn, on June 30 to speak with seniors about lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

East New York’s healthcare facility has the highest rate of Medicaid and Medicare participants in the state, with the majority being working-class Black and Latino residents, said Jeffries’s team. The group looked at the facility’s community center and clinic, which caters to the local senior population, and then held a roundtable with the AARP representatives at the site.

Anna Ortiz, 68, a native of Puerto Rico before moving to the neighborhood decades ago, said she enjoys the fitness classes at the center. She was recently dealing with a bout of long COVID and is slowly regaining her mobility. She said she often runs into doctors at hospitals in Brooklyn who don’t listen to her effectively. Her and her friend, Sarah Bryant, 65, were waiting in the lobby, interested in seeing the congressmember and his cohort.

On April 1, Congress’s public health emergency order to keep people automatically enrolled in Medicaid expired, leaving millions of people to figure out if they’re still eligible for coverage. Health advocates were worried the re-enrollment process would drop millions of people of color in low-income neighborhoods.

Jeffries said on a state-by-state basis, the success of re-enrolling people to make sure they don’t lose healthcare coverage has varied in the last few months, with New York State and New York City faring better than most other states. “The legislation we’ve been working on from the Affordable Care Act all the way through the Inflation Reduction Act has made significant progress in bringing [rights] to life, but there’s still more work to be done there,” said Jeffries.

Regional Clinical Director Adina Jones, RN, said the clinic strives to connect community members of all ages to services, especially elderly patients. Many patients have challenges in accessing food and shelter in addition to Medicaid and Medicare prescriptions.

“A lot of them don’t have a lot of family, so they need someone to help and support them,” said Jones. “Our nurses teach them self-management and how to take their medications.”

In August 2022, House Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowers health insurance premiums, allows for negotiating the price of Medicare’s prescription drugs, provides free vaccines, and caps the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors.

“Americans pay more for lifesaving prescription drugs than any other country that is developed in the world,” said Jeffries at the press conference.

Becerra said there has been great opposition to the new law from electeds and drug companies, and that the Biden administration has been sued four times by Big Pharma drug companies. “What are they afraid of?” Becerra asked.

Vasan agreed that the law would be transformative for healthcare.

He spoke about the city’s move to open a new office of healthcare accountability to monitor prescription and healthcare prices.

“I see this every day in the lives of my patients, who…who are struggling to pay for medication, making life-determining choices about whether to pay for drugs, pay for rent, pay for food or transportation,” said Vasan. “No one in America, no one in Brooklyn, no one in the city of New York should have to make those tough choices in 2023.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 11

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) and NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan (right) tour Advantage Care Physicians site in East New York on Friday, June 30. (Ariama C. Long photos) On Friday, June 30, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (center right), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra (center), and NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan (far left) visit Advantage Care Physicians site in East New York. AARP leaders join Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries at roundtable about prescription drug costs on Friday, June 30.

Mass fireworks, or mass shootings?

The mass shooting over the weekend in Baltimore left two fatalities with dozens injured, and is sure to intensify the debate over gun violence in America. As the July 4 holiday fades, the number of shootings continues to spiral out of control, reaching a record high for the mid-year point.

So far this year, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 330 mass shootings. And the count of the dead and injured grows with each new tragic incident.

When it comes to measures to reduce the uptick in gun violence, there is a great divide; many Republicans argue that the shootings are the result of mental health problems, not a gun issue.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers, when they controlled the House of Representatives in 2022, proposed an assault weapons ban that failed to get the Republicans on board. One party believes such a ban is necessary to stem the rising number of mass shootings, but the GOP faction strongly disagrees, insisting that guns are necessary for defense.

Thus, we are, as on many issues in the nation, caught in the throes of a stalemate. Tougher red-flag laws and enhanced background checks for buyers under 21 are restrictions that many conclude do not go far enough. You wonder how far you can go to stop those who are determined to possess a gun by any means necessary.

Placing additional pressure on gun manufacturers was almost dead on arrival, particularly with such advocates as the NRA lobbying unrelentingly.

Even as this is being written, there is gunfire in the background, or maybe it’s merely fireworks in anticipation of the July 4 holiday spirit. Sadly, too many of the holiday festivities, and the massive fireworks, are in reality mass shootings.

New voting district for African Americans in Louisiana and Alabama?

By JAMES B. EWERS JR., ED.D.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These words are from the Declaration of Independence. Of course, this document is fundamental to our country’s way of life. Most would say our democracy is the gold standard.

The year it was written—1776—and today are centuries apart. As we move along this year, some are taking the Declaration of Independence and the Founding

Fathers to task. This is my opinion.

Voting rights is implied in the “all men are created equal” part of this document. It also means that the act of voting should not be problematic in any way. This is my opinion.

Some parts of the country have been unfriendly when it comes to African Americans like me and voting. Because of legislation and new laws, it has gotten better.

Louisiana and Alabama may get a majority-Black voting district, according to recent rulings by the United States Supreme Court. Voting maps must be redrawn for this to happen.

People of good will in both states saw the injustice and decided to do something

about it. The late and beloved John Lewis said, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.”

Ashley Shelton, head of the Louisianabased Power Coalition for Equity and Justice—one of the groups challenging the maps, said, “What this does is it puts us back on track to realize a second majority-minority district.” Currently, Louisiana has only one majority-Black seat out of its six districts.

State Attorney General Jeff Landry led the effort in Louisiana to keep the status See VOTING DISTRICT on page 29

Community Op Ed: Risky business kills. We can stop it.

By MAYOR ERIC ADAMS

Last week, our city witnessed two tragedies that could have been prevented: A deadly fire at an E-Bike shop and a subway surfing attempt that resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy and serious injury for another young person.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who were lost or injured in these tragedies. This pain is real, because each of us know––that could have been me. That could have been my child. We must turn that pain into purpose and do all we can to keep our city safe––and that means taking action to reduce the risks of these accidents.

Last week, we announced a massive new education and enforcement campaign that will reach out to E-Bike shops and riders all over the city. While most of the micro-mobility devices in our city are safe, there are some that do not meet safety standards and contain uncertified lithium-ion batteries. These faulty devices are causing fires and explosions, putting New Yorkers and our first responders in danger.

We need New Yorkers to be aware of how to safely charge the lithium-ion batteries that power these vehicles, and what to do if they observe unsafe conditions in their building or on their block.

damaged, stop using it. Do not store batteries near the exit of a room or apartment. And never, ever leave batteries unattended when charging, especially overnight.

And if you observe unsafe or dangerous conditions at an E-Bike shop, your building, or elsewhere in the community, call 311 and report it.

The FDNY is ramping up its response time and increasing enforcement. Effective immediately, all 311 calls regarding questionable activity at bike repair shops or any other location where batteries are being charged will get a response from the local fire company within 12 hours, instead of the 72 hours currently required.

Examples of questionable activity include: Large numbers of batteries being charged close together, mazes of extension cords, the sale of batteries that appear to be refurbished, and informal charging centers that do not appear to be properly licensed businesses––including garages or the basement of a restaurant.

Lithium-ion battery fires can start quickly and spread instantly. The FDNY needs every New Yorker to be on the lookout for dangerous conditions and to report them.

deadly and life-altering.

The NYPD is doing all it can to reverse this dangerous trend. Our precinct Youth Coordination Officers and Neighborhood Coordination Officers have focused on visiting the homes of young people who have been known to engage in subway surfing. As of last month, they carried out 69 such visits, speaking with the kids or their parents and guardians in 44 of those instances. Their message is clear: To reinforce the fact that such reckless behavior can have devastating consequences––and deter copycat behavior that puts other young people at risk.

We are also warning of the dangers of subway surfing through public service announcements. Last month I joined Norma Nazario, a mother who lost her young son, Zackery, in a subway surfing incident, to record a PSA on this dangerous trend. Zackery was already a talented athlete and music fan, and he was looking to join the Marines. But as a result of a viral social media trend, he lost his life riding on top of a subway. We want to keep other young New Yorkers from taking these risks.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief Member

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Nayaba Arinde: Editor Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor Damaso Reyes: Investigative Editor Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus

First and foremost, purchase only legal, nationally recognized safety-certified e-bikes and e-scooters. Never use refurbished batteries. Use only the charger and battery made specifically for your device. Keep batteries away from heat sources like radiators and out of the way of exit paths and doorways. If a battery is

The same principle applies to the deadly fad of subway surfing. This is not a game or a sport––subway surfing kills. From 2021 to 2022, there was a 366% increase in people riding outside the subway, and we must push back in every way possible, especially when it comes to social media.

Our young people are spending far too many hours each day on social media and other related platforms, and they are being exposed to dangerous content that encourages illegal activity, crime, and risky behavior. This kind of content includes viral videos that make young people try dangerous things like subway surfing and stealing cars––the consequences of which can be

The consequences of social media and other addictive online content are tragic and real, and those who host and financially profit from that content must be held responsible. I am calling on TikTok and other platforms to ban these videos immediately, and I urge parents to discuss the dangers of subway surfing with their children, even if you think they would never engage in such behavior.

Living in a city means looking out for each other and our children and taking steps to keep each other safe. Public safety involves every one of us. The FDNY and the NYPD are doing everything we can to reverse these dangerous trends, and I urge all New Yorkers to do their part to reduce risky behavior that too often leads to tragedy.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 12 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

EDITORIAL

Alliance for Audited Media Opinion

Reflecting on our past and projecting into our uncertain future

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

For 248 years, America has consistently demonstrated itself to be the last bastion of freedom and hope on this planet. The Constitution, the foundation of our nation, has proven to be steadfast and unyielding, irrespective of the individuals in power or the ever-evolving identity of its people. As we advance into the 21st century, we face pressing concerns that our country may be diminishing in power, global status, and ethical integrity. Yet, even in the face of these challenges, I firmly believe that the resilience and enduring strength of America will propel us deeper into the future.

The last decade has been one of the most divisive periods in our history, with the nation appearing split right down the middle ideologically. An atmosphere of fear has prevented people from expressing their viewpoints. Strikingly, the minority views, those fringe ideologies on both the left and right, have begun to dominate our discourse. Rarely in American history have we seen a situation where the majority has become silent and the minority has seized control. After all, these minority viewpoints remain in the minority typically because they are either too extreme or too unproven to achieve widespread acceptance. Yet, these views have begun to be accepted as undisputed truths, and have even been enshrined in the constitutions of many states, largely because people are too apprehensive to speak up and voice their disagreement.

America is also witnessing a decline in its leadership, which appears to have surrendered to the influence of large-scale financing, its own parties ideology, and loud interest groups. It’s as though they’ve drastically altered

Culinary Arts

their ideological stances, leaning further left or right, simply to placate a minority of persistent ideologues. This trend has led to the politicization of America’s most crucial agencies, such as the Department of Justice, and many others. These agencies are often headed by unelected officials who respond more to their party’s demands rather than the broader interests of the American people.

Internationally, it seems as though our leaders have lost sight of what we should be advocating for and who our real adversaries should be. They have unequivocally retreated from their commitment to uphold human rights across the globe, turning a blind eye to egregious violations such as those in China. There, hundreds of thousands of Uighur Muslims are confined in what can only be described as concentration camps, and subjected to indiscriminate slaughter. Our leaders maintain a diplomatic silence on this matter, seemingly to safeguard our commercial interests with China. Simultaneously, the U.S. has funneled an enormous amount of resources into conflicts with far less at stake. Globally, it appears the guiding principles of U.S. policy have become alarmingly malleable to suit the needs of its leaders.

We are also facing a crisis in education. The very institutions designed to cultivate the leaders and responsible citizens of tomorrow seem to have lost sight of their original purpose. Private interests and unscrupulous individuals have seized leadership roles in our schools, misappropriating taxpayer dollars and contributing to falling literacy and graduation rates. This situation is a harbinger of disaster with potentially far-reaching consequences if not promptly addressed.

Undoubtedly, America faces a multitude of challenges. Yet, two constants remain––our Constitution and our people. There will always be noble individuals ready to champion what’s right, even if it means risking grave consequences. Our nation was built by those who risked their lives and safety not merely to preserve America, but to give it independence it when the environment was significantly more hostile and the stakes were much higher. The bedrock of America was not formed by those who passively awaited a brighter future.

Despite the hurdles we encounter, we are certain to surmount them. Every generation will continue to have people akin to our colonial soldiers who risked and gave their lives in the battle for independence against the British, catalyzing the birth of our nation. These individuals will mend our societal rifts, rise as our leaders, and find solutions for the crises in our education system and international policies.

As we chart the trajectory for the next 248 years, we must not proceed blindly. We have to draw lessons from our past and acknowledge our present. We must confront the immediate challenges before us and seize any forthcoming opportunities for positive transformation. We can achieve all this while simultaneously upholding our fundamental principles of liberty and justice for all, just as our founders did 248 years ago.

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

I just found out July is National Culinary Arts month. I have been thinking a lot about the role of food and Black culture and the ways we use food to build community and stay connected to our past.

I recently had a conversation with Dr. Melynda Price about Juneteenth celebrations and she spoke about reclaiming the foods of our ancestors that nourished them and brought people together. We began with a discussion of watermelon and the stigma attached to it. Through the course of our conversation, Dr. Price explained the ways Black families have used watermelon to hydrate, nourish themselves, and have a communal snack. We both smiled thinking about matriarchs in our families getting the “big knife” and cutting the watermelon outside for all to enjoy. We talked about the different ways people cut watermelon, slices verses cubes. And I reveled remembering long hot summer days where the juice would drip down my elbow and I’d get full from a fruit sweeter than candy.

This reflection made me think of all of the Black chefs who are making sure they not only cook dishes that respect and honor our ancestors, they are making sure they educate the public about the history of our foods and the ways they’ve been used over time. I am constantly complaining about the ever-increasing price of oxtails, a cut of meat my mother said used to be so cheap it was almost free. Now oxtails are seen as a delicacy and are incredibly expensive in grocery stores and butcher shops across the country.

I follow the writing of Jamila Robinson, food editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and one of the few Black women in this rarified space. She has been highlighting new Black chefs across the country (and the globe) and elevating discussions about food extending beyond French and Italian cuisine. Listening to her talk about why African Americans season and spice foods and how it is directly linked to a more (not less) sophisticated palate, is just one of the reasons why we need more African Americans leading discussions pertaining to food and culinary preferences based in historic practices.

As I think about the cookouts I’ll attend this summer and the outdoor birthdays I’ll surely celebrate, I plan on sharing the cookbook by the late Edna Lewis as one of my staple birthday presents this season. Her “In Pursuit of Flavor: The Beloved Classic Cookbook” is an accessible cookbook that introduced me to so many unique recipes covering a myriad of southern dishes. Hopefully this summer you will be inspired to try new recipes, eat new foods, and explore a different part of town and discover a new restaurant. Food is an integral part of who we are and the more we know about our culinary history, the more we can share with others.

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

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 13 OPINION

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

Caribbean Update

Jamaican republic to have unique presidency

By BERT WILKINSON Special

to the AmNews

As Jamaica prepares to join with Guyana, Trinidad, Dominica, and Barbados in becoming a republic, abolishing the British monarch as its head of state, and installing a local Black or brown president, the island’s legal affairs minister says the country may not have a president operating under rules similar to those in other Caribbean or Commonwealth nations.

A constitutional reform commission which has been holding whistle-stop meetings in various parishes in recent months wants, in the end, to add a uniquely Jamaican touch and flavor to its switch from an independent nation to a republic, so some unique ideas are being floated around.

For example, Legal Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte says some intellectual tinkering is being contemplated to give the person, chosen as the first president if a referendum on reforms approves

the change to a republic next year, a mix of both executive and ceremonial powers unlike Barbados, Trinidad, and Dominica where the role of the heads of state is strictly ceremonial and or titular. Guyana is the only one of the former British colonies in the 15-nation bloc with an executive president. Haiti and Suriname, the last two nations to join the grouping, have long had executive presidencies.

“At this stage we’re leaning towards a hybrid presidency. Not a ceremonial president, a president [who] will exercise a set of powers, some ceremonial, some executive. We are tailor-making something for the Jamaican people,” she told attendees at the meeting. “When we say goodbye to the king and we are establishing the republic, a number of questions will have to be answered. What kind of president? How long will the president serve for? What should qualify you to become president?”

The commission has been making the rounds in various parishes and commu-

nities, selling the idea of constitutional reform and republicanism to ordinary Jamaicans. To make the switch, local laws will have to be amended and a referendum planned for next year will have to approve the changeover.

She even said that the idea of giving the office holder a 7-year run is being seriously discussed, as it would insulate them and ease the stress of the head of state being reelected or reappointed during the same five-year cycle of a government and prime minister.

“We’re hearing the views of Jamaicans.”

Had it not been for the mandatory referendum to be held next year, the island might have been able to have the process at a much more advanced stage than it is now as a two-thirds majority parliamentary vote would have sealed the deal. The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is supporting the idea of Jamaica as a republic, but it prefers a ceremonial presidency.

Minister Malahoo Forte says the committee is seeing an uptake in interest of Jamai-

cans on the island becoming a republic. She did not furnish details on what kind of powers a local president would have to go along with its role as a final signatory to parliamentary legislation, the swearing in of top constitutional holders and other high officials among other functions.

Ever since Barbados transitioned seamlessly from an independent nation to a republic 20 months ago, island-wide calls for Jamaica to do likewise have been increasing in the regional bloc with a slew of nations from The Bahamas and Belize in the north to several in the smaller Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) sub grouping making noises about joining Barbados and the other pioneers like Guyana which had transitioned as far back as 1970. Renewed support for republicanism also appears to have been sprung from the visit of various British royals to the region in recent years as many have been booed or picketed once they set foot in various territories in the region.

Asian Americans, ALDC, and the push to overturn affirmative action

FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER

When the Supreme Court cut affirmative action out of college admissions programs nationally on June 29th––and specifically at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill––it did so based on a lawsuit brought by a group of Asian American students under the umbrella organization Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), which is headed by a Jewish American man.

The students, mainly second-generation Chinese immigrants like Calvin Yang, joined the SFFA lawsuit because they felt they did not get into Harvard or Chapel Hill, because that slot went to someone else in the “minority.” In the lie they were sold, it’s because the colleges wanted to meet a diversity quota on Black and Latino students and so their high GPA and SAT scores did not matter, and so they were kept out from the coveted spot.

But the harsh reality is that Asian Americans who were party to this case were sold a lie that will leave them victims of the very system that helped them in the past, and which they have now fought to end.

Their enemy in this was not affirmative action but good old white privilege, and the data proves it. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research working paper series by Peter Arcidiacono, Josh Kinsler, and Tyler Ransom, 43% of white students admitted to Harvard fell under the categories of “recruited athletes, legacy students and children of faculty and staff, a category known as ALDC.” This percentage also includes the “dean’s interest list,” consisting of applicants whose parents or relatives made donations to the university.

They were not Blacks or Latinos, but white!

The research goes on to state that “recruited athletes’ preference” at elite institutions primarily benefits students from rich, white families, where Ivy League teams are heavy on sports with a country-club sheen, such as tennis, golf, and lacrosse.

By contrast, the researchers said, no more than 16% of admitted students who were African American, Asian American, or Hispanic fell into one of those favored categories. Yes 43 versus 16.

Meanwhile, here’s the real shocker!

According to the researchers, roughly 75% of white students admitted from those categories identified as “ALDCs,” “would have been rejected if they had been treated as white non-ALDCs.”

Ironically the study’s statistics come from data made publicly available in the

same SFFA case before SCOTUS, but the data was twisted for its own purpose.

Yet, the evidence of this is decades old. So much so that the Harvard class of 2021 was the first to be majority nonwhite in the school’s nearly 380-year history. But the school still lags far behind in economic diversity. As Harvard Magazine noted in 2017: “More than half of Harvard students come from the top 10% of the income distribution, and the vast majority––more than two-thirds––come from families in the top 20%.”

Of course, a report last April showed that Harvard’s ties to slavery were transformative in the University’s rise to global prominence, and included enslaved individuals on campus, funding from donors engaged in the slave trade, and intellectual leadership that obstructed efforts to achieve racial equality.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that over the past five years, Princeton University, another Ivy League university, admitted 30% of its legacy applicants, compared to 7% of the general applicant pool.

Princeton’s roots to slavery are also well documented dating back to the 1700s when a slave sale took place on campus in 1766, and enslaved people lived at the President’s House until at least 1822.

The acceptance rate for legacies at Georgetown University and the Univer-

sity of Virginia is also roughly double the rate for the overall applicant pool. Research shows Georgetown University relied on Jesuit plantations in Maryland to help finance its operations. And in 1838, more than 270 enslaved people were sold to keep the school afloat. The University of Virginia utilized the labor of enslaved African Americans from the earliest days of its construction, in 1817.

Indeed, enslaved Africans labored to build institutions of higher learning in the United States, and the slave economy was involved in funding many universities. Since Ivy League schools are overwhelmingly white, giving special status to the descendants of previous attendees are obviously a perpetuation of a different kind of discrimination––one that the small group of Asian American plaintiffs failed to address.

Instead, they attacked their fellow “minority” and immigrant heritage students, and turned back the clock on decades of selfless work done to ensure people of color could achieve some level of freedom.

In their selfishness and obliviousness, what they have now accomplished is a preservation of white privilege that will now ensure they too are kept out.

The writer is publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com––The Black Immigrant Daily News. She can be reached at felicia@caribpr.com

14 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Hip hop’s cross-country growth

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews

Birthed in the West Bronx on Aug. 11, 1973, hip hop is now the world’s most dominant music genre. By the time the late 1980s rolled around hip hop’s “True Skool” era was concluding, and innovative sampling techniques, along with more complex lyrics, helped usher in “Hip Hop’s Golden Era,” from the mid-1980s to mid1990-s. This was a period of rapid expansion for the culture.

Although prolific MCs from the early 1980s like Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Kool Mo Dee earned ’nuff respect, it seems that fans who lived outside NYC couldn’t vibe with their urban swag and street tales. However, by mid-decade, Queens artists like Run-DMC and LL Cool J were more relatable to, and embraced by, them. Run-DMC’s 1986 collabo with rock group Aerosmith, “Walk This Way” was one of hip hop’s first cross-genre hits and showcased urban culture to suburban audiences.

Some artists who came out by decade’s end from Long Island like Rakim, Public Enemy, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest (Queens); sold platinum-plus without compromising their artistry. In fact, Rakim is still regarded as the greatest MC ever. Along with inner-city lyrical assassins KRS-ONE, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool G Rap; they upped the ante on word play while also kicking consciousness and achieving commercial success.

“We needed the voice of these young rappers to address the social conditions that were going on,” reflected social photographer Jamel Shabazz. “‘Self-Destruction’ and ‘We’re All In The Same Gang,’ that’s when I saw the true power of hip hop. Artists were using their platforms to address social issues.”

Also, “Wild Style,” “Beat Street,” and “Krush Groove” were among several popular movies that helped cast the hip hop spell on untold millions globally.

Not to be lost is the fact that music production and computer technology played a major part in hip hop’s global growth. In the beginning, artists mostly rhymed over previous generation’s instrumentals by artists like James Brown, as well as breakbeats.

The Roland TR-808 drum machine was introduced in 1980, which music producers utilized to provide drum patterns, while looping popular samples over them. By 1985, super producer DJ Marley Marl had created the “chopping drums” sampling technique which revolutionized the craft. Computer technology advanced how music was created. The SP-1200 and MPC-60 samplers, introduced in the late’80s, allowed music makers to be much more creative. Producers like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor, Easy Mo Bee, the Beatminers and the D.I.T.C. collective were laying tracks for the ’90s best MCs

like Biggie Smalls, Nas, Tupac, and Jay Z. Staten Island’s Wu Tang Clan is one of the greatest ensembles of urban talent in music history.

Radio stations across the country also began incorporating exclusive rap music shows into their weekly programming, and many people began to accept that what they initially thought was just a fad, is actually a well-respected culture that is here to stay.

By the beginning of the 1990s, talented artists out of California like N.W.A., Compton’s Most Wanted and DJ Quik, were laying down the G Funk-laced sound, while Outkast, Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, Master P, and Juvenile were among those doing the same from the rural South in cities like Atlanta, New Orleans, and Richmond, expanding rap’s demographics.

Also, several artists began featuring in films, heightening their exposure.

“More fans outside of the urban environment could relate to living in single houses with lawns, than they could to being stacked up in public housing buildings for blocks on end,” contends social observer La Meh Nua. “New York always had the best MCs, but the West Coast sold more records cuz people related more to their lifestyles.”

Rap music has dominated the charts while hip hop culture has helped mold the world we currently live in.

“When songs like Public Enemy’s ‘Fight The Power’ went global people listened,” Jamel stated. “Artists realized their influence and became a global voice.”

Several local events are scheduled for this August 11 in commemoration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary, including a major performance at Yankee Stadium, “Hip Hop 50 Live.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 15

(Allah photos) DJ Kool Herc

Manhattan D.A. redistributes $6 million in seized financial crime money to Harlem-based mental health investment

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

Mental health is wealth, so $6 million will go toward Harlembased nonprofit The Bridge from the Manhattan D.A.’s Office to provide peer services to key areas in the borough, as announced last Thursday, June 27.

Central/East Harlem is one of the four focus neighborhoods for the program, along with Washington Heights/Inwood, Lower East Side/Chinatown, and Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen/Midtown West, the locations of the major transit hubs Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station.

The cash comes from a $250 million pot of asset forfeiture money seized from major banks during white collar, financial crime prosecutions and redirected by the D.A.’s Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) to community-based social services.

“By [addressing] fundamental

needs like access to a safe home and mental health care, we can improve public safety in our communities,” said Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg. “While New York has an extensive array of governmental and community-based service providers, individuals with the most deeply entrenched mental health issues often lack the trust in these systems to even try and access them.

“Meeting people where they are and building trust is the best way toward long-term solutions for these individuals and the communities in which they reside.”

The game plan is to deploy these “Neighborhood Navigators”—peers whom the program is assisting—to find out who needs mental health services, how to reach them, and what’s preventing them from already seeking help. Through shared experiences and common ground, relationships and trust are developed. The service workers, equipped with a strong understanding of local

resources, can then connect the people they’re working with to the proper organizations.

“There’s no requirement for someone to come to any place that we are at. The idea is we are going to where they are,” said the Bridge Senior Vice President Sheryl Silver. “That’s where the relationship begins…it’s just trying to figure out what it is that has kept somebody from accessing the services and that’s not necessarily the same thing for everybody.”

Residents of a psychiatric hos-

pital founded the Bridge back in 1954. These days, the organization serves more than 4,000 New Yorkers, mainly in Manhattan “above 96th Street and below 14th Street,” although it also provides services in outer boroughs like the Bronx and Brooklyn.

According to Patrick Hart, program director at the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG), the Neighborhood Navigators program unofficially focuses on Manhattan’s unhoused New Yorkers, but keeps the param-

eters of served populations vague rather than shut anyone out.

“We’ve defined it as individuals either living and/or spending significant time on the street who may have a mental illness and/ or a significant substance abuse behavioral health disorder,” said Hart. “There’s all these different definitions of homelessness in different federal standards. Some of these individuals might meet this definition—I think many of them would, some might not.”

Bill aims to prevent heat deaths among college athletes

By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews

Last week, U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) introduced the Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act in the House of Representatives with U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the companion legislation in the Senate. The bill aims to prevent heat related illnesses or deaths with student athletes and was named after University of Maryland (UMD) football player Jordan McNair who died as a result of heatstroke after collapsing during practice in 2018.

The bill would require college athletic programs to “create, implement, and rehearse specific heat illness emergency action plans (EAPs) in consultation with local emergency responders, including the operation and use of cold-water immersion equipment, in order to avoid heat-related illnesses and fatalities.”

“We can, and should, do more as a society for student athletes

other than just cheer them on from the stands. This legislation, honoring Jordan’s story, is my effort to give parents and players alike the peace of mind that their health is accounted

for during their journey in collegiate sports,” Mfume said.

McNair was a 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman for UMD. During practice on May 29, 2018, he had exhibit -

ed signs of heatstroke before doing sprints in a workout in 81 degree temperature. He would eventually collapse on the college football field as a result of heatstroke. His body temperature had reached 106 degrees.

Dr. Rod Walters, who led an investigation by the University, determined that it had been up to an hour and 39 minutes between when McNair collapsed and when the ambulance airlifted him from the field to the hospital in critical condition.

He was taken to University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma Center to receive an emergency liver transplant. Two weeks later on June 13, McNair died in the hospital from exertional heatstroke.

Two external investigations revealed that UMD had not properly intervened and failed to provide adequate treatment.

As stated in the bill, the UMD staff “failed to assess Jordan McNair’s vitals, recognize and monitor heat-related illness

symptoms, provide adequate cooling devices and respiratory aids, and generate an emergency plan to coordinate with emergency responders.”

“Preparedness plans should always be in place for handling extreme heat conditions, especially for athletes who often train outdoors during summer months,” said Dr. Erik Blutinger, an Emergency Medicine Physician for the Mount Sinai Health System.

“Proper, evidence-based guidelines and protocols should be put into place at all institutions. Staff and student athletes should also agree on safe standards including timing, frequency, and duration of all outdoor activities to avoid any potential incidents.”

Blutinger also emphasized the crucialness of automatic external defibrillators and cold water immersion equipment.

“Hot weather can place excess strain on the heart as the body must work harder to maintain

See HEAT BILL on page 29

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 16 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

Health

See MENTAL HEALTH on page 29 University of Maryland Football Player Jordan McNair pictured in his uniform. Credit: U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume Office. (Manhattan D.A.’s Office photo)

Arts & Entertainment

Black dancers take center stage this American Ballet Theatre season

By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews

African American ballet dancers Calvin Royal III and Courtney Lavine shine in particularly prominent roles during American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) current season signaling the company’s continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Promoted to principal dancer in 2010, becoming the third male in the company’s history to reach that rank, Royal performs one of the leads in Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet based on Mexican writer Laura Esquivel’s novel “Like Water for Chocolate.” While his Dr. John Brown in that ballet is lyrical, touching but low-key, Royal is able to unleash passion and panache as the lead in a remarkable roster of iconic Romantic ballets––“Giselle” (July 6), “Swan Lake” (July 15), and “Romeo & Juliet” (July 19). Ballerina Courtney Lavine, who dances the role of Nacha, an important character in “Like Water for Chocolate,” is not the main character but a driving force in the narrative whose presence onstage is mesmerizing and magical.

As anyone who recalls ABT’s Misty Copeland’s promotion to principal in 2015 knows, stepping into the spotlight, no matter the rank, in an American ballet company is a noteworthy event for a Black dancer. After all, dismantling racism in America doesn’t happen overnight, whether in the nation’s preeminent cultural institutions or any place else, as this recent Supreme Court decision striking down Affirmative Action in higher education shows. Race matters. The late Arthur Mitchell, founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem and the first Black principal with the New York City Ballet, once described the profound responsibility he felt knowing that his mere presence on stage inspired talented youngsters to believe they could pursue their dreams. Calvin Royal III and Courtney Lavine are, in their own way, carrying on that mission. Both dancers’ bios reflect the way talent can blossom given the right amount of support. Starting at the age of 8, Lavine’s love of ballet was reinforced by winning numerous first place awards in dance competitions and scholarships to prestigious ballet schools like Washington, D.C.’s Kirov Institute. She also received Washington Ballet School’s Virginia Johnson Scholarship, named after its famous alumnae, DTH’s former principal ballerina and artistic director. Lavine also studied at NYCB’s School of American Ballet prior to being scouted by ABT’s Junior Company and then joining ABT in 2010 where she has had the opportunity to perform such stylistically diverse ballets as “Giselle,” “Cinderella,” “Swan Lake,” “After Effect,” “Deuce Coupe” and “Songs of Bukovina,” even creating a leading role in “Lifted.”

“This role in ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ is the most featured role I’ve had. This has been an

amazing opportunity for me,” Lavine says, expressing her delight at being able to combine ballet technique and dramatic expressivity to play the pivotal role of Nacha, who is both the family cook and, after she dies, a spirit guide for the ballet’s heroine, Tita. It is not lost on Lavine that there are far fewer Black ballerinas than male ballet dancers on America’s stages, but she does note that ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffee has made her feel seen and heard.

Although Royal started studying ballet when he was 14 years old, a little later than most, he says it’s been an amazing journey fueled by the support of his mother and grandmother and a scholarship to ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (JKO). With his increasingly technically impressive and dramatically dynamic performances, Royal has won the hearts of both seasoned and new audience members whether portraying the star-crossed lover in “Romeo and Juliet,” the maniacal villain Von Rothbart in “Swan Lake,” or tragically love-ensnared Prince Siegfried in a different performance of the same ballet, to mention a few captivating leads in iconic ballets.

For both Courtney and Calvin, this season, which opened with “Like Water for Chocolate,” 2023 promises to be an amazing year considering ABT’s decision to underscore a continued commitment to the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion by beginning the season with a story based on a Mexican novel.

Expressing her delight, Lavine said during a recent interview, “I’m beyond happy that ABT has decided to make this ballet. I’m so happy that we’re hearing from different cultures besides Western European cultures. I think inclusivity is really the future of ballet.”

Royal agreed, citing the fact that this shift

can bring more audience members to the ballet. “ABT and many companies are talking about how to diversify their repertory, and the people on the stage, and behind the scenes.” During a media ZOOM call with author Esquivel, Wheeldon and others, Principal dancer Herman Cornejo was equally touched saying, “I’m so proud to be able to bring an Hispanic story to the stage,” referring to this as a move to enhance ballet’s cannon with “new classics.”

Of course, just as such ventures are often inspired by a growing demand for representation that begins outside such bastions of “high art” as the Metropolitan Opera House, they can only be sustained if supported. Since the 2015 promotion of ballerina Misty Copeland to principal, ABT seems to be pushing forward staying the course. In addition to “Like Water for Chocolate,” the fact that this season alone, Calvin Royal III will dance the lead in three works considered part of the Romantic ballet cannon is significant. Several decades ago, Black dancers like Sylvester Campbell (1938-1997) and Christopher Boatright (1953-1997) had to leave the country in order to perform those roles. In fact, Boatright became the first African American dancer to perform the lead in "Romeo and Juliet" on the stage of the Met in June 1977, but he did so as a member of Germany's Stuttgart Ballet.

Frankly, when Misty Copeland was promoted, the groundswell of Black audience members did not go unnoticed by folks at ABT’s box office.In fact, during a recent performance, TV producer Susan Fales-Hill brought a large group of Black women friends to see "Like Water for Chocolate" at the Met. Fales-Hill's mother, Josephine Premice, was a performer who appeared in the 1954 Broadway musical "House of Flowers" with Arthur Mitchell.“When my

mother did Broadway plays, she was encouraged and uplifted by the Black sororities (AKAs, Deltas) and social organizations (Links, Jack and Jill) that would attend in their numbers to ensure the success of the run. While my efforts are entirely personal, and not backed by any such groups, I make them in that same spirit of community and advancement. In ballet, which has only recently seen an uptick in the numbers of dancers of color, it’s very important to show there is an audience. Time and again, dancers of color, from Misty to Calvin, to others, have told me what it means to them to know that members of their ‘community,’ writ large, come out to support them and see their work. Anyone of color working in a creative field wants to do honor and justice to our ‘image’ as a people. The presence of a significant cohort of Black women at a performance is affirming to these young pioneers.”

That support is definitely appreciated and while this is not the first time Calvin Royal III will dance some of ballet’s major roles for ABT, for him it is no less momentous. “It’s pretty remarkable to be able to step into these iconic roles,” Royal says with an air of breathless anticipation. “I look at the range of the roles I’m doing this season and it’s really exciting. Of course, I want to be the greatest technician I can be as a principal dancer. But also I want to be the greatest artist I can be in telling those stories of each of the characters I’m portraying and helping people to go on that journey with me. I want to be able to tell a convincing story that makes people feel.”

Both Calvin and Courtney step on stage with a conviction that sweeps the audience up and carries them on a journey. And, as for the young aspiring dancers who might want to follow in their footsteps, both hope they are making a difference. Royal says, “My hope is that it won’t be lost on just one or two of us.” Both want there to be more Calvins and Courtneys. “There’s talent all over the globe,” Royal says. “I hope that being seen in these roles creates a sense of the possibility and opportunity for young dancers to know that these roles aren’t reserved for just one demographic, and they can aspire and work towards that too.” Only time will tell.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 17

Dance pg 17 | Theater pg 21 | Food pg 22 | Jazz pg 24 Pg. 20 Your Stars

Calvin Royal III in “Swan Lake” (Rosalie O’Connor photo) SunMi Park and Calvin Royal III in “Like Water for Chocolate” (Marty Sohl photo) Courtney Lavine in “Like Water for Chocolate” (Marty Sohl photo)

Harlem Haberdashery x Vontélle create fashion harmony through stylish eyewear

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Juneteenth weekend proved to be a perfect fashion match made in Harlem.

Harlem Haberdashery and Vontélle Eyewear launched their collaborative frames during the Black holiday weekend online and at their 245 Malcom X Blvd. boutique. The two brands, who met at a Chase Entrepreneurship Program, complement each other well in sophisticated fashion, making this collaboration exist with ease. Their meeting was destined, as Harlem Haberdashery was looking into selling eyewear with a Black brand right after Vontélle became established.

A Black eyewear creator was needed for some Black folks and others whose faces didn’t fit European brands. According to Sharene Woods, president and CEO of Harlem Haberdashery, Juneteenth weekend seemed to be the best time to start this alliance in support of collective Black economics. “I always said that collaborating with like-minded, like-minded entrepreneurs is what I wanted to do,” said Woods. After evolving from a retail store into a lifestyle brand, in its 11th year of business, glasses were the next step.

Vontélle Eyewear had the experience Woods and her husband Guy, owner of Harlem Haberdashery, were seeking. Vontélle Eyewear and Harlem Haberdashery created three styles with two color waves for each. They offer six chic variations such

as aviators with vibrant colors like pink tortoise, “Sugar Hill” red and “Lenox Avenue” green. Sharene Woods highly believes this first collection perfectly reflects both companies’ capabilities. “I loved everything about their design,” said Woods. “They had attention to details that we loved.”

Vontélle’s commitment to details and excellent products drew Harlem Haberdashery into wanting to work with them for this joint effort. The two businesses harmonized impeccably, down to Sharene Wood and Nancey Harris referring to themselves as “serial

entrepreneurs.” Harris and Tracy Vontélle Green are the founders of Vontélle Eyewear. Both attended Morgan State University together and have been friends since. The idea of an eyewear line came from them both losing glasses and struggling to find new, appealing pairs. Harris told Green they can “do this,” meaning they could start their own collection of eyewear that suits them better.

Harris booked a trip for the duo to attend Paris Fashion Week for eyewear in 2019. “Four football fields size, like a Jacob Javitz, of eyewear [brands] and there was nobody there that looked like us who owned and created eyewear,” said Green. “That’s why glasses

18 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT See on page 19

Harlem Haberdashery x Vontélle new collection (Brenika Banks photos) Nancey Harris, Sharene Woods and Tracy Vontélle Green Nancey Harris, Sharene Woods and Tracy Vontélle Green Nancey Harris and Tracy Vontélle Green with customers

Continued from page 18

[at times] don’t fit our faces.” Green recalls African optometrists being at the show to buy glasses, yet not seeing any Black Americans who owned an eyewear brand.

Harris, who is business savvy, swiftly realized her and Green could capitalize on being a Black-owned shades company.

“When we did our research and we saw that other people were not already doing this and we saw that there was a market for it,” said Harris. When visiting the French eyewear fashion show with 37,000 attendants, Harris recalls seeing only 10 people of color there. Harris and Green understand everyone needs glasses at some point in life, whether prescribed or for style. Because of this, they pursued Vontélle to make more comfortable eyewear.

“Harlem Haberdashery are already the gurus of what they do,” said Green. “Sha[rene] and Guy are both so stylish; we said to them, ‘let’s do what you do on eyewear.’” Green was honored that Sharene Woods specifically wanted to work with another Black woman-owned company.

“We always say the African American dollar doesn’t stay inside [the community] so now we’re keeping that dollar in,” said Woods.

Louis Johnson Jr., style and trend specialist alongside Woods, said they all decided which six frames would serve as the lead for this launch. “We really designed from the aesthetic of us [as Black people] but then we keep in mind how our clients are going to be,” said Johnson. He expressed learning a significant amount of knowledge on eyeglasses through this process. “[Woods] really has a strict understanding of details––when this came out, it was fate.”

The goal was to create fashionable frames that accommodate the glasses arms to fit comfortably. Harlem Haberdashery planned for a June release, timely at the start of summer. The initials “HH” and “V” are printed on the eyewear’s arms to correctly represent both brands. The six frames will not be restocked when they sell out. “They are limited,” said Johnson.

Guy Wood said adding a glasses brand was a natural progression to Harlem Haberdashery. “I wear glasses, I support other glass lines,” he said. Guy said he hasn’t seen frames as stylish as the ones they now have. He credits Green and Harris for educating him on the various arm lengths of eyewear.

“We’re going to design more colors and more styles [that are] comfortable and unisex,” said Wood. He admits this collaboration has great synergy, especially because Green and Harris are Black women and how well they connected with his wife Sharene. They all share the same goal: always produce quality products. Their vision is seen through lenses beyond eyes. Harlem Haberdashery will continue building their lifestyle brand and will be expanding more eyewear collection with Vontélle Eyewear.

For more information, visit https://www. harlemhaberdashery.com/ and https://www. vontelle.com/

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 19

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“The Lenox Avenue Pink” frames Louis Johnson Jr. holding “Harlem Haberdashery” printed on a red pair of glasses. Louis Johnson Jr. with a customer viewing the eyewear Sharene Woods and Louis Johnson Jr. wearing the eyewear in the boutique’s backyard

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME GODDESS

July 6, 2023—July 12, 2023

KYA

Rebirth of A New Nation: Globally we are in the midst of a change in all departments of operations, management, structure, systems; legally, lawfully, mechanically, financially, identificationrelated, and all other propositions, functions of conjunction, of the infrastructure economy. Change is inevitable to forward progress. The Aries and Libra axes of the north/south nodes of the moon begin on July 18, 2023 and go until January 11,2025. As the world changes, how are you changing or adapting to environmental change? “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change. “Albert Einstein

As you move forward on your path, distractions and old things, people, and thoughts will test you and try to pull you in. The environment you enter will tell the story which becomes familiar to you and the best option is stay or go; intuitively, you will know. July is about building on your dreams, plans, projects etc. to see results. When you sit back and say nothing, information flows like a waterfall with lightning effects. Around 7:55 p.m. on July 10th until 3:26 am on July 13th, Cappy, you have the right of way, no need to toot your own horn—it’s all in divine coborrdance.

July is a trippy month circulating your emotions from south, north, east, to west. As you see things are spiraling, it’s time to let go. What may seem like your world coming to a halt is an indication that initiates a release of some kind. What inspires you to pursue a profession that brings you happiness and harmony in your life? Get connected with a community that is aligned with your dream, that calls you every day to pursue your happiness. From July 6th around 1:33 p.m. until 3:19 p.m. on July 8th, when you follow your heart, your heart will happily support you.

Your dreams are being manifested on a spur of the moment. Although it took time, effort, persistence, and applied footwork, you never gave up on your dream or goals to achieve. This week, listen closely to where your inner self is guiding you around areas of matters of the heart. Stand and build on your foundation, it’s time to up your ante. Days leading up to July 13th: betting on yourself is the best investment, not other people nor their agenda.

Mentally let it go and allow the new to make its entry. Emotionally get over yourself; what you are thinking is not the full story. Neptune in Pisces is in retrograde until December 6, 2023. Things will appear with a rose tint until Neptune stations direct on that same day. It’s a time to walk by faith and truly follow your heart, doing what makes you happy and smiling inside.

From July 6th around 1:33 p.m. until 3:19 p.m. on July 8th, when your feet and heart move you like the spirit, spring into action to get it done. People can give advice; yet, you make the decision.

Areas of partnership, travel, business negotiations, personal care, car maintenance, family, and home obligations are singing to you at the same time. Take a deep sigh, pull your thoughts together and prioritize the task ahead, letting your foundation get back to orderly function. The next step is commitment to what’s truly pulling at your heart to get to the heat of the matter. From 3:19 p.m. on July 8th until July 10th at 7:45 p.m., things that occur unexpectedly are only testing your willpower to see what you will do without the necessities and amenities.

What instantaneous insights are coming into your awareness? Write down those insights for future reference. It’s a time to hone in on your progress forward, working in silence and telling no one your plans, only the team you are building with. Even if it’s a solo project, do not mention a word until the finished project is ready. Certain invisible divine forces are among you and guiding you, so when you feel your mood change, take note of what’s going on in your environment and your thoughts, down to the conversation. Around 7:55 p.m. on July 10th until 3:26 am on July 13th, what you feel, sense, and see is real; no proof is needed.

Sometimes what is on the mind is not expressed due to contradiction. It might not sound right, or the information is held back. That is when you need to speak up and say what’s on your mind instead of wishing you could’ve, should’ve, would’ve said it. It’s a week to develop your character and reputation for your self-growth. If you want to see change and growth, begin within your immediate and mental environment. Once that is secure, your emotions will change based on your mental condition. In the days leading up to July 13th: besides the current changes, travel, new contracts, gigs, and relationships are forming. Simply smile, embracing the new lifestyle.

What seems like stop-and-go due to the assignment, requires a bit of back-and-forth action to catch the rhythm of the task. Simply feel and sense, in silence, and you will be guided directly to where you need to be or see what you need to see. Mentally, whenever there is a new direction forging ahead, the confusion comes through like a foggy mist until the sunlight clears the air. From 3:19 p.m. on July 8th until July 10th at 7:45 p.m. Leo, you stand in your power and get in position, and organize like a bundle package to receive all the exclusive benefits.

News and information are spreading like an advertisement commercial, yet the information brought to you isn’t clear. It is nonsense until you investigate it yourself. What is for you will come to you at its appointed time. It’s a cycle week to polish up on your skills and develop a different route to adventure. It’s time to step out and seek the new adventure that is constantly on your mind. Around 7:55 p.m. on July 10th until 3:26 am on July 13th, when you stand for something and commit to the work, rewards follow suit.

The seeds are planted and the footwork has been applied. Now it’s time to apply the materials to the description to receive an outcome. The effort of your work is you working towards your vision, and not everything will be as you envision. As you build on your vision, new ideas come into play. Women will be involved, be it spiritually or physically, to advise and counsel you or vice versa. In the days leading up to July 13th, as the story of your life or mission unfolds, what’s your message to inspire others on their adventure?

July is a month that shakes your world up a bit with new opportunities to form partnerships and a possible relocation of the home. Decisions need to be made, and the people who made promises to you to help put out a fire, where are they now? Change sparks a movement of some kind ready to explore something more profound that gives meaning to life. It’s a week to journey in the forest, bike ride, trail walk in the park, or vacation near the beach or tropical island and include solitude time. From July 6th around 1:33 p.m. until July 8th at 3:19 p.m., clues are around you; you never know who or what you may meet.

July is similar to March, yet aim higher knowing what you need to achieve your goal. This is a new golf course you are playing on, surrounded by people about business first than entertainment. What investment, sacrifice, or ticket are you willing to invest in for a more quality life that boosts your mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, circumstances to elevate and stimulate your awareness? From 3:19 p.m. on July 8th until 7:45 p.m. on July 10th, sometimes doing things differently can spark change in people’s lives in a new direction.

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

20 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Vinateria

 Capricorn Dec 22 Jan 21  Cancer June 22 July 23  Aquarius Jan 22 Feb 19  Leo July 24 Aug 23  Pisces Feb 20 Mar 20  Virgo Aug 24 Sept 23  Aries Mar 21 Apr 21  Libra Sept 24 Oct 23  Taurus Apr 22 May 21  Scorpio Oct 24 Nov 22  Gemini May 22 June 21  Sagitarius Nov 23 Dec 21 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Triple Threat’ is a must-see theatrical event!

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

In “Triple Threat,” the autobiographical one-man show written and performed by James T. Lane, Lane wears his heart, soul and raw emotions on his sleeve. This is an actor who has been through a great deal and he shares his journey with the audience. A journey that included growing up in poverty in Philadelphia, growing up without a father in his life, growing up a brownskinned Black boy who was put into situations that he had to cope with and get through alone. Lane is an accomplished singer, dancer, and actor to say the least, but what does it mean to have those talents if a racist business only sees you as a stereotype? What does your journey look like if you appear to have fame but also insecurity, and find yourself abusing drugs to cope?

Lane takes the audience on a trip that is not soft-soaped, but has true grit. He takes us into a world of abuse, drug abuse, losing oneself, abusing family and friends to get money for your next

high, and continuing on a destructive path, despite having what some people may consider fame and success.

Don’t get me wrong: Lane has proven his abilities as a performer and has an impressive list of shows from Broadway including, “A Chorus Line,” “Chicago,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” and “King Kong: The Musical.” He has been on tour with “Fame,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” “Cinderella,” and “Jersey Boys.” But success is not always what it appears to be, because there is a life off of the stage. This incredibly sensitive actor lets the audience see the persecution he endured as a gay, Black man and his hatred towards the way people judge him due to his skin color. It is quite interesting to hear Lane do the “To be or not to be” monologue from “Hamlet” at an audition for a white producer. He delivers the words with depth, drama, passion, and is absolutely stunning; but the producer’s reaction? He wants him to do it as if Hamlet was a Black man from Philly. What?

Lane experienced many moments in his life where he was put into environ -

ments that made him the token, like going to all-white schools. He shared the racist beliefs that people had about him. As a gay man, he found that his own community kept wanting to know his sexual preference. The things he shares from his past—-his very important relationship with his mother, to whom he is the oldest child—help us to see the height he climbed and the depth of despair he and his family descended to.

When he is singing, dancing and acting, Lane has that IT factor that screams “he is absolutely fabulous”! When he shows us the wild acting-out resulting from his drug-seeking behavior, we see a man who is a slave to drugs and who feels a sense of hopelessness. The audience gets a complete, unedited version of a gay, Black man who has great acting chops and though he has been through a lot in his life, often feeling powerless, he manages to hit bottom, bring his life back and let everyone know, he’s not about excuses. He is about realizing the pain and judgment the world has about him and deciding that what the world thinks is

not important. His power is generated NOW by telling his story and letting so many people who have gone through it and are going through the stereotypical beliefs people have about Black performers, know that they don’t need to be acknowledged by the outside world, it is what they think of themselves that matters!

Lane’s story is harsh, but also inspiring. “Triple Threat” is an extraordinary theatrical event. Lane has you grooving in your seat as he performs vibrant choreography by Kenny Ingram, who also directs this poignant work. His story is captivatingly brought together by scenic designer Teresa L. Williams, lighting designer Emmanuel Delgado, sound designer DJ Potts and video designer Tij D’Oyen.

This must-see production is playing at Theatre Row at 410 W. 42nd Street. It runs 70 minutes, but it is packed with emotions that will get you invested in his journey and his metamorphosis into an evolved and self-reliant individual. Well done James! For more info, visit www.bfany.org.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 21

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

James T. Lane in a scene from his one-man show “Triple Threat” (Jeremy Daniels photo)

AmNews Food

S’Aimer introduces Caribbean French luxury to Restaurant Row

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Good laughs and fine dining were in short supply while the French established colonies in the Caribbean centuries prior. The tragedy became a lifestyle and culture for descendants now celebrating centuries later. Jasmine’s Caribbean Cuisine owner Jasmine Gerald opened a new French restaurant and lounge named S’Aimer––which translates

to “love each other” in French––during Juneteenth weekend. This upscale eatery is the second Blackowned business on Restaurant Row, with Jasmine’s Caribbean restaurant being the first. The new venture is an upscale lounge without hookahs for smoking, and floral decor. The lounge plays R&B music and non-invasive 2000s-era hip hop music. There is a special spot behind curtains where lovers can have a private moment. The lounge’s outside space, referred to as “the Garden,” is covered by tents, providing a relaxing experience for clientele. “We’re creating more of a Caribbean French space, along with the American vibes,” said Danno Luke. The head manager of the new business is from Dominica, an island between two French Caribbean Islands––Guadeloupe and Martinique.

According to Luke, this lounge is for people who enjoy sophisticated vibes with their partner and friends. The newly designed interior contains green and pink chairs as well as complementary multi-colored banquettes seating. S’Aimer is enforcing a formal dress code which doesn’t allow anyone to enter in jeans, hoodies or any other casual attire. “We are making sure you’re comfortable and feel like you’re in a

safe space,” said Luke. “We want everyone to feel safe.”

S’Amier aims to give customers nicely proportional sides instead of full meals. Appetizers include crispy squid, and roasted baby beets salad with goat cheese and apple. The kitchen offers side dishes such as sauteed spinach and black truffle fries. Curry chicken and pulled oxtail are offered as dishes to share from the menu. Cocktails include Martinique’s national drink named Ginger Ti’ Punch and Creole Punch.

Executive Chef Chris Brookins runs the kitchen where he brings menu items to life. Brookins culinary specialty is preparing traditional French dishes. He previously worked at acclaimed Soho restaurant Mercer Kitchen with famous French Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. After completing culinary school in 2018, Brookins was trained at one of Daniel Boulud’s NYC restaurants under Boulud and Chef Jean Francois Burel. “French has a heavy influence on the Caribbean because of how they colonized back in the day,” said Brookins. He recognizes the direct link between French and Caribbean food, especially Haitian-inspired creole dishes. “I feel that with French food, you can’t talk about it

See S’AIMER continued on next page

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 22 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

Dining seating at S’Aimer (Brenika Banks photos) French style grilled vegetables Business front of S’Aimer

from previous page

and not talk about Caribbean [food],” said Brookins. “It all ties in together.”

Luke happily started this new journey with S’Amier NYC following his promotion from Jasmine’s Restaurant. “Jasmine [Gerald] definitely prepared me for this role, and I must say she’s one of the best bosses I’ve ever had,” said Luke. He expressed the ability to communicate well with Gerald and handle any of their differences respectfully.

Luke shared his gratitude to Gerald for upgrading him from server and making reservations to manager. He credits Gerald for guiding and molding him into the most experienced person to lead the lounge.

Brookins foresees the new evening spot as an elite addition to Hell’s Kitchen and Times Square areas. “We’re just working hard with simple ingredients to make delicious plates,” said Brookins. He emphasized S’Amier being a different vibe from Jasmine’s, which has a stronger island aurora, matched with loud Caribbean music. “Here is more of an upscale and fine dining vibe,” Brookins said.

Aside from perfecting the menu, Luke believes respect and honesty are the recipe for climbing up the ladder to succeed in one’s desired industry. “I’m encouraging people to come and enjoy our ambience and our great signature Caribbean French vibes and food.” This is S’Aimer’s introduction to Caribbean French luxury on Restaurant Row.

To make reservations and for more information, visit https://saimernyc.com/.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 23

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Ginger Ti’ Punch and sauteed spinach with garlic & shallots Manager Danno Luke bringing customers a better table light Crème brûlée and sorbet with mint Indoor dining seating and decor at S’Aimer (Brenika Banks photos) Continued

Hot Summer with Jazzmobile and 92nd Street Y

Get ready to shout, clap your hands like church, and shake them hips like you in a hip juke joint. (7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.).

Followed by The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s performance of “Malvolio!”

May sound crazy but even the birds in the trees, well, the Harlem trees actually, know when it’s time for Jazzmobile to hit the local neighborhoods of New York City. Listen to the birds, listen to their jazzy summer rhythm, chirp chirp, chirppy chirp and those high choruses of tweety-tweets. Oh, yeah, these birds are influenced by the rich swinging jazz sounds coming from the instruments of the many dynamic musicians performing at Jazzmobile. Yes, please don’t confuse these hip jazz birds (the unofficial sidemen or is it “sidebirds” of Jazzmobile) with that crazy homicidal group from Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” which was released a year (1963) prior to the founding of Jazzmobile by pianist, composer and NEA Jazz Master Billy Taylor and philanthropist Daphne Anstein.

Jazzmobile, the longest running community jazz festival, just kicked off and runs now through Sept. 23. The tenor saxophonist, composer, and vocalist Camille Thurman & The Darrell Green Quartet take to the stage on July 7, at Marcus Garvey Park (124th St. and 5th Ave.).

Thurman is a multi-instrumentalist with an arsenal of instruments (bass clarinet, flute, and piccolo) to capture any audiences’ attention from deep bellow riffs of her tenor saxophone to swirling bebop Betty Carter scattin style or she may catch you with ballads from saxophone to vocals. Her long-standing band featuring the Darrell Green Quartet makes for an all-out jazz feast. Green has earned his reputation as an inventive drummer, who keeps the music swinging in or out of the pocket from his gospel roots to Latin music and the blues. The concert is from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

The concert will be followed by The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s performance of “Malvolio,” a flippant comedic sequel to Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” written by Betty Shamieh (Mellon Foundation playwright in residence).

On July 12, Houston Person Quartet returns to his favorite outdoor Harlem performance space, Grant’s Tomb (West 122nd St. at Riverside Drive).

The tenor saxophonist has a big energizing sound, soulful as a Harlem throw-down party. His ballads are as spiritual and uplifting as a Sunday morning. This mellow soul attracted such vocalists as Lena Horne, Dakota Staton and his long-time musical partner Etta Jones. Currently signed with High Note Records, he has recorded over 75 albums as a leader with an abundance of others as a sideman with cats, who love the soul of it all like Lou Rawls, Horace Silver, Richard “Groove” Holmes and Charles Earland. One must ask with

such an illustrious career spanning six decades, why hasn’t Person been anointed as an NEA Jazz Master?

Person says he wants to give people “good solid melodies with some improvisation and plenty of blues feel.” He adds, “You always want that dance feeling there, that happy, happy feeling.” (7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.).

On July 14, vocalist Tammy McCann returns to Jazzmobile at Marcus Garvey Park where she will be performing songs from her newly released CD “Do I Move You?” (Io Canto Music, LLC). The album was created at the end of the COVID-19 quarantine period. In the CD liner notes Neil Tesser’s wrote, she wanted to “create something that would bring us out of the emotional isolation we’ve been in—something that would make people feel again.”

McCann, in her three decades on the music scene, has effortlessly segued from secular music to the sacred (gospel) world. Her blend of gospel, jazz and blues is explicitly woven into this latest recording. That fusion can be heard on McCann’s reverent reading of the Mahalia Jackson-associated Negro spiritual, “Canaan Land,” which also “echoes Muddy Waters and Big Joe Turner’s blues interpretations.”

The album also includes a ’70s cover of Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands.” She notes, “a tribute to all the grandmas lost to COVID.” Duke Ellington’s “Don’t You Know I Care?,” dances in waltz time, while Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing,” is a duo with McCann and longtime collaborator guitarist Fareed Haque. She notes, “this is her most personal album.”

For a complete schedule visit the website Jazzmobile.org

The 92nd Street Y (1395 Lexington Avenue), known for its interdisciplinary multi-cultural music and arts programs will indulge jazz fans July 11-July 27 with its Midsummer MusicFest. What differentiates this jazz festival from others is its ability to present jazz as a multi-dimensional genre that influences the arts. It kicks off on July 11 with singer Norm Lewis whose rich baritone made Broadway history in his leading roles of “Phantom of the Opera,” “Porgy and Bess,” and “Les Miserables.” Lewis’s repertoire will highlight the influence of jazz on the American Songbook. His rhythm section will include; pianist and music director Billy Stritch, bassist George Farmer, and drummer Perry Cavari.

On July 13, jazz vocalist Veronica Swift joins forces with tap and swing dancer, choreographer Caleb Teicher, who will expand the vocabulary of jazz. Following the concert there will be a social swing dance party led by top NYC swing dancers and instructors, and the swing band Charles Turner & Uptown Swing!

On July 16, at 5 p.m., jazz and classical music socializes the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with the Vijay Iyer Trio (bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey). For over 50 years the Chamber has been a radical experiment in musical democracy, proving what happens when exceptional artists gather with total trust in each other and faith in the creative process.

Composer and pianist Iyer is the perfect candidate to assimilate with the Chamber, he is also radical, an explorer, who has no problem blurring genres. He leads a variety of configurations playing everything from avant garde, straightahead, classical, and stuff in between and beyond. “Emergence is a composition for my group, the Vjay Iyer Trio, plus chamber orchestra. This piece situates our trio’s collaborative improvisational language in the context of a classical ensemble,” explained Iyer. “In juxtaposing the respective powers of these very different ensembles and featuring them separately and together, we explore how these two contrasting perspectives on music might coexist.”

Jazz unites with another genre on July 17, with Christopher Lightfoot Walker Reading Series, Bob Dylan’s “Philosophy of Modern Song” with Broadway and film actor, singer, composer, and playwright André De Shields and bassist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, directed by Michael Almereyda. Live shows will also be streamed. For a complete schedule and tickets visit the website at 92ny.org.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 24 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Camille Thurman (Alex Wright photo (https:// commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File:Headshot_ of_Camille_Thurman.jpg))

Gun violence

Continued from page 3

The NYPD did not officially report a homicide this past weekend. But a 15-yearold boy was killed at Harlem’s Riverbank State Park on Sunday and a department spokesperson tallied it as a citywide incident despite it taking place outside NYPD jurisdiction and under that of the New York State Police.

A five-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet on the Friday preceding the holiday weekend, reportedly around a vigil for the victim of another shooting that occurred earlier in the week. The incident also occurred in the Bronx.

“When the sun comes, we know the guns come out,” Councilman Charles Barron told the Amsterdam News. “No amount of police on the streets is really addressing this killer issue. The violence will not stop, until Mayor Eric Adams deals with poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and mental health.

“This level of violence is unacceptable. The bloated $11 billion police budget should be redistributed to dealing with social services. Any reported reduction has no real impact to make our community safer. The mayor has to get to the root cause of crimes. We need job creation, jobs not jails. We need an extensive budget for public safety, not an $107 billion dollar budget that cuts vital services.”

Decades-long East New York community advocate Andre Mitchell, the co-founder of Man Up (founded after the 2003 gun death of 8-year-old Daesean Hill), told the AmNews , “These are real issues that we address everyday, but we all can not be everywhere at the right place and time to avoid all this gun violence.”

Mitchell concluded, “It just sheds more light on the need for more resources to address the issue. We are focusing on violence prevention, and we need people to take advantage of resources that are being made by the Adams’ administration, such as job training, summer jobs, [and] the activities that are being made available throughout the summer. We have to continue to build in those communities where the issue is most prevalent.”

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was equally disturbed by the summertime gun violence.

“In New York and nationally, summer holiday weekends have become tragically synonymous with increases in gun violence,” he said. “Shootings across the five boroughs—including one that struck a 5 year old and another that killed a 15 year old—compound with mass shootings like we saw in Baltimore. Violence rates may be decreasing generally in New York City, but those trends mean nothing to people grieving tragedy.

“The expectation of gun violence cannot lead to its normalization. Instead, it must spur us to provide additional preventative resources, on these days and year round.

The Fourth of July is taken as a day to recognize America—and we should recognize it as a call to address the uniquely American tragedy of gun violence.”

The Baltimore incident Williams referred to involved a block party shooting this past Sunday where 30 people were shot. Two victims, Black young adults aged 18 and 20, died. The tragedy points to general nationwide trends of more shootings during Fourth of July exacerbated by the proliferation of illegal guns and elevated violence in under-resourced zip codes.

“During a community block party, a time when a neighborhood comes together to celebrate solidarity, precious lives have been lost, countless have been injured, and an entire community has been put at risk,” added Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. “We cannot stand to wait any longer to act. I am calling on Congress to pass meaningful legislation that will make our communities safer.”

Nationwide, gun violence is not only the new normal each Fourth of July, but mass shootings and mass killings on Independence Day seem routine. In Philadelphia, five people were killed. In Fort Worth, Texas, three people were killed. This comes while the nation remains reeling from a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, where seven people were fatally shot.

“Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence,” said President Joe Biden in his statement.

Acting NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban inherited the unenviable task of overseeing the city’s Fourth of July gun violence prevention playbook with the departure of former top cop Keechant Sewell. On Monday, he promised increased security measures and police presence during the holiday celebrations.

But while Caban promised a safe and joyful Macy’s fireworks display, there remains the issue of elevated citywide gun violence in neighborhoods already regularly impacted by it. Last year, more than 50 New Yorkers were victims of city gun violence during the Fourth of July weekend. “There are too many guns in the wrong hands, and the city has not been able to get a grip of what is going on in [the] city,” said community activist Daniel Goodine and co-founder of Men Elevating Leadership.

Goodine, an AmNews photo-journalist added,“These gun buybacks are not getting to the people they say [they] want to target. Those people are not giving up their weapon, or they are giving it up to get money for another one.

We just sat down with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and some cure violence

organizations, but we have to assess the nature of a man with a gun. Other communities are training their children at weekends how to shoot weapons. Perhaps we, too, need to show our young people how to respect the gun. When we were young and we went down South, that was our training. We were taught that you don’t shoot your friends or hurt your community.

There is no respect for the gun. You don’t pull a weapon unless you want to use it, but you can use it to back someone down, and everybody goes home.”

Instead, said Goodine, who lost a son and many Brownsville community members to gun violence. “This July 4th weekend, there are mass shootings all over the country. But it is a learned historical behavior. There is total recklessness in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. All cities with Black mayors. We are supposed to have an understanding, and get the situation under control.

“We have to tell these young people that you go to parties and barbecues to have fun, not shoot them up and kill people. But they are giving us things to kill our own people. We have to look at the whole issue. Where is the table where we can sit and have a real conversation about what is happening in our communities?”

Continued from page 3

feeding. Exercise activities will also be held, and community resources from local organizations will be available. RSVP at www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov/maternal-health-expo-2023/.

Edo Language Day will take place Aug. 13

Nekpen Obasogie, the author of “Great Benin: The Alcazar of Post-Colonial Culture and Its Relationship with the Europeans Since 1400 AD,” is promoting 2023’s celebration of Edo Language Day. (see https://edolanguageworldwide.org for details).

Obasogie will be in New York on July 13 and 14 to promote her latest work, “Benin Warriors & The British Colonial Rule in Nigeria.” Contact her at edolanguage2023@gmail.com for more info.

––Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

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.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 25

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Briefs

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Dr. King’s older sister, Christine King Farris

CLASSROOM IN THE ACTIVITIES

Most of the books on Dr. King include sizable slices of Christine’s life and legacy.

DISCUSSION

Perhaps Christine’s books on her coming of age with Martin will disclose more information about her formative years.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Having lived 95 years, her life nearly spanned a century, and with a presence at many historical events.

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was five years old he idolized his older sister, Christine. After she was baptized, Martin, born Michael, pleaded to be too. He idolized her and even asked to attend the same school she was in, even though she was sixteen months older. Such was the relationship between them, one that never changed as they grew into adulthood, and even after Martin became internationally famous. These childhood impressions of them are captured in a young adult book I wrote in 1996.

During a salute to Dr. King and Coretta at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1960, Dr. King reflected on his early years with Christine, calling her “my darling sister who has been a real sister all across the years.” Born Willie Christine King on September 11, 1927, she, according to Taylor Branch in the first of his definitive trilogy on Dr.

King’s life, “taking after her mother was a quiet girl who possessed considerable strength of character and mind. A far better student than either of her brothers, she had gifts that greatly enhanced her stature in the eyes of young M.L., who aspired to her learning but would always trip over his bad grammar and spelling.”

These attributes were embellished as a student at Spelman College, where both her mother and grandmother were graduates. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics in 1948. Her ambition was to continue her education at the University of Georgia, but Black students were not admitted then. Among several choices was Columbia University where she received a master’s degree in social foundations of education in 1950. Eight years later she earned a second master’s degree in special education.

Christine began teaching at W.H. Crogman Elementary School in Atlanta in 1950, a school that mainly served African

American students from low-income households. In 1958, having earned a second master’s degree, she returned to Spelman to direct the Freshman Reading Program. Two years later, on Aug. 19, 1960, she married Isaac Newton Farris, Sr. He died in 2017 at 83. They had two children: Isaac Newton Farris Jr., and Angela Christine Farris Watkins. For nearly a half-century, she was a tenured professor in education and director of the Learning Resources Center at the college before retiring in 2014. For many years she was vice chair and treasurer of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change and very active in the International Reading Association, and various church and civic organizations, including the NAACP and SCLC. “My Brother Martin,” a children’s book, and an autobiography, “Through It All: Reflections on My Life, My Family, and My Faith,” are among her books. In one of her books published in 2002, entitled “Growing Up With Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr.,” she shares some vivid childhood memories, emphatically noting that “I am his older sister and I’ve known him longer than anyone else. I knew him long before the speeches he gave and the marches he led and the prizes he won.”

At Ebenezer Baptist Church, where like her tenure at Spelman, she was among the longest-serving members, Sen. Raphael Warnock, the church’s senior pastor, called her an “iteration of the American Dream. She went on to witness the long arc of American history bend from many changes, much of it pushed forward by her own brother.” His remarks were just a sample of the encomiums that flowed from various sectors of the nation upon her death on June 29 in Atlanta. She was 95.

“As her pastor,” Rev. Warnock added, “I can say that up until the very end, she embodied hope, dignity, and deep faith. Long live the memory of Christine King Farris.”

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

July 2, 1925: Former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba was born. He was assassinated in 1961.

July 4, 1827: African slavery was abolished in New York State.

July 6, 1931: Singer and actress Della Reese was born in Detroit. She died in 2017.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 26 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

FIND OUT MORE

(R) Christine King Farris with her son, (L) Isaac Newton Farris, Jr., singing during 38th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia (AP photo) A depiction of the couple walking home from Herb Boyd’s book on Dr. King’s early years.

and parents within the Asian community realize that. That’s something which can be replicated among whites, Hispanics and African Americans as well.”

Meanwhile, the National Center for Education Statistics determined that “The college enrollment rate in 2021 was higher for 18- to 24-year-olds who were Asian (60%) than for those who were white (38%), Black (37%), of two or more races (35%), Hispanic (33%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (28%).”

Diversity gaps in higher education

The nonprofit educational newsite the Hechinger Report found that all ethnic groups in the United States have increasingly been trying to obtain college degrees, “but white and Asian Americans are far more likely to hold a college degree or earn one than Blacks, Hispanics or Native Americans.”

Race-conscious admissions at colleges was meant to help increase enrollment for students of color who have historically been underrepresented in higher education. Wealthy, white Americans have traditionally predominated in higher education. Access to a college degree has for decades been the main vehicle for upward economic and social mobility in the United States.

“By restricting the ability of colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in their admissions processes, the Court’s decision threatens to perpetuate systemic inequalities and hinder progress toward

a more inclusive society,” Scott Jenkins, vice president of the North Jersey Black Caucus for Social Justice told the AmNews

“The Supreme Court’s decision ignores the persisting disparities in educational access and quality that disproportionately affect minority communities. By ruling against affirmative action, the Court fails to acknowledge the systemic barriers that have prevented equal access to quality education for marginalized students. These barriers include underfunded schools in low-income areas, lack of resources and support, and a history of racial segregation that continues to shape educational opportunities today.”

Former first lady Michelle Obama put out a statement noting that she was one of few Black students on campus at New Jersey’s Princeton University in the early 1980s. “Today, my heart breaks for any young person out there who’s wondering what their future holds––and what kinds of chances will be open to them.

“And while I know the strength and grit that lies inside kids who have always had to sweat a little more to climb the same ladders, I hope and pray that the rest of us are willing to sweat a little, too. Today is a reminder that we’ve got to do the work not just to enact policies that reflect our values of equity and fairness, but to truly make those values real in all of our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.”

“Since Affirmative Action’s inception,” Jennifer

Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, said “opponents have ignored the reason for race to be a consideration—to responsively acknowledge racism and how it impacts people of color’s lives, and particularly their educational experiences and lifelong opportunities. They have attacked the policy for being anti-meritocratic and unfair to deserving students. Today’s Supreme Court’s decision embraces their false narrative and willfully disregards persisting structural racism and resulting intergenerational inequality and inequity.”

Derrick Johnson, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said “We will not allow hate-inspired people in power to turn back the clock and undermine our hard-won victories. The tricks of America’s dark past will not be tolerated.

“Let me be clear––affirmative action exists because we cannot rely on colleges, universities, and employers to enact admissions and hiring practices that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. Race plays an undeniable role in shaping the identities of and quality of life for Black Americans. In a society still scarred by the wounds of racial disparities, the Supreme Court has displayed a willful ignorance of our reality. The NAACP will not be deterred nor silenced in our fight to hold leaders and institutions accountable for their role in embracing diversity no matter what.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 27

Supreme Court Continued from page 4 JOIN THE NY AMSTERDAM NEWS FAMILY! Support our 113 years of racial equity work. Reporting the news of the day from a Black perspective. Subscribe today! amsterdamnews.com/product/subscription/ BEYOND THE OF THE EDITORIALLY BLACK

Black male teacher perspective: A desperate field

By BRIAN DELK Special to the AmNews

In America’s most extensive public school system, New York City Public Schools hope to address the disparity between the student body and teaching demographics which shows an alarming disproportion of Black male teachers.

In the U.S., Black male teachers make up 1.3% of educators, and in NYC alone, Black teachers make up 19% of all teachers, but Black males are only 4% of the educators across the city.

In a city where nearly 1-in-4 students are Black, teachers citywide have spoken about how and why this disparity is affecting students the most. One instructor, Kevin Hyde, a math teacher at Harlem Renaissance High School, said he had seen little to no Black men teaching over his 30 years of teaching in the city.

He worked in five different public schools citywide, with the highest number being eight Black male teachers in the entire teaching staff. He described his tenure as isolating at times, being the only Black man. He is currently the only Black male teacher in his school.

“It’s been a bumpy road,” Hyde said. “When you look to your left, and you look to your right, and you’re looking for someone to talk to about similar problems you’re having, you don’t have anybody.”

Black male teachers––and teachers in general––are often tasked with challenges outside of their job description and above their pay grade. Hyde explained how teachers may need to deal with fights and resolve disputes in their class, all while trying to grade numerous papers and teach their students effectively.

He said in his initial teaching years, his principal urged him to take the role of the disciplinary dean rather than a teaching

staff member, even though he had a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a license to teach.

He said he refused and explained how it is common to place Black men in the role of reprimanding students due to stereotypes. He stated that his Black male students sometimes live in female-dominated single-parent households that lack an authoritative male figure.

“They are already ready to challenge [Black male teachers] because they’re used to being the alpha male,” Hyde said. “So now you [the teacher] have to come in and say, ‘I’m the alpha male. This is my classroom. These are my rules,’ and they’re looking at you like ‘I run things around here.’”

He said this might attribute to why some students misbehave in class and why some Black males may reject teaching positions. Hyde said he has seen Black male educators enter and leave the field quickly after comparing the workload to the pay grade.

“We had a teacher one year come into the profession through Teach for America. He got in, and he taught for six weeks, quit the profession, became a corporate trainer making $190,000,” he said. “If you got that type of advantage going for you, what do you want to do?”

In comparison, salaries for teachers immediately leaving college with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and entering the profession are approximately $61,000 to $68,000. Their wages increase with their years of experience.

In other urban school districts around the country, several initiatives are being done to address the disparity of Black male educators. Tamir Harper, the co-founder and former executive director of UrbEd Inc., attended Philadelphia public schools and obtained the degree necessary to teach at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education

Throughout his K-12 experience, he saw few Black men in teaching positions. Harper explained after teaching eighth grade for a year; he witnessed why many Black male teachers left the profession.

“I think you don’t get paid enough. You are doing a lot of work. And oftentimes everything becomes the teacher’s fault or the teacher’s problem,” Harper said. “We blame everything that happens within the school building on an educator [without] looking at the holistic effects of what happens in our school buildings and what happens with our students.”

Graduates

He says the mistreatment of teachers and lack of pay are significant contributors to why so many educators leave the field. School districts nationwide have coped with teaching shortages this past school year, and throughout this decade.

In NYC Public Schools, if nothing changes, the shortage worsens. Many tenured teachers could retire in the coming years, and the state will need to address this issue sooner rather than later.

To address the problem, the Department of Education said they have the “NYC Men Teach” program to support people of color in obtaining the degrees and certifications necessary to teach.

Additionally, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in her State of the State Address last year that she plans to revitalize the state’s

teaching labor force.

Hyde said he would recommend teaching to those passionate about it without question, especially to young Black men. He said seeing a Black man in front of the classroom can change a student’s perspective about what they can accomplish.

“When you have a Black male teacher, they’re there to lead you out of darkness, out of depression, out of despair. I couldn’t ask for a much better job,” Hyde said. “When a child comes back to you and tells you that you changed the generational outlook of his family because you were that shining example of ‘you gotta go to school, you gotta work hard.’ When you can say out of your mouth, ‘I’m from the neighborhood, and I escaped. Not with a gun, not with a jump shot, not selling drugs. I escaped with a book, with a work ethic, you get a sense of pride.”

28 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS Education

(Photos courtesy of Kevin Hyde) Tamir Harper at Lea School with students

Be-Loved

Continued from page 6

And there’s plenty standing in the way of today’s Bad News becoming tomorrow’s “Be-Loveds.” It takes more than a kind heart to change for young men born into communities like Harlem that Lacey said are externally “under attack” by poverty and lack of access to healthcare and education.

“The street rules change every day… and it’s hard for some people to maneuver through there,” said Be-Loved. “Some of us [need to] take a certain type of stand to be a stand-up guy out there. I [had to] be coldblooded, I can’t be this gentle, nice kid that holds doors for everybody. Because I might hold the door for a ‘stick up kid’ to rob me.”

Given such external circumstances, transmuting justice-involved individuals into cred-

Mental health

Continued from page 16

ISLG partners with the Manhattan D.A. on CJII and administers the awarded funds. Open for applications last December, the specific Neighborhood Navigators grant coincided with Mayor Eric Adams’s policy decisions about involuntarily hospitalizing unhoused New Yorkers with mental illness. Hart said the initiative was set into motion long before then, but the investment certainly provides a direct alternative to

Voting district

Continued from page 12

quo. His flawed leadership in the Bayou State is a big part of the problem. Words like diversity and equity don’t resonate with him. This is my opinion.

He is now campaigning to be governor of the state of Louisiana. In my eyes and the eyes of many, this will be a challenging election because our votes will be important votes.

If you aren’t a registered voter, please register and exercise your right to go to the polls and cast your ballot. Some might try to convince you that your vote doesn’t count. They are simply trying to hoodwink

Teamsters

Continued from page 10

long-time voters have been turned off and now tuned out to the current condition of politics. A sense of “nothing will change, so why bother” prevails. Even the encouraging advice of such highly regarded political pundits, like

ible messengers requires a concerted effort.

“There are a wealth of credible messengers or potential credible messengers in these communities,” said Lacey. “The resource is there, but it needs to be invested. It needs to be [activated]. It needs to be supported. But it’s there.”

committing someone, instead offering voluntary pathways to seek mental health services. Such a program would help displaced New Yorkers experiencing serious mental illness, such as Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old unhoused Black man who was killed during an episode while on an MTA subway earlier this year. His family said he always had a place to stay although city agencies reportedly listed him as a “top 50” homeless New Yorker at risk. For one reason or another, Neely never got the help he needed.

“The flexibility of this model

and bamboozle you. Don’t listen to them: Your vote does count.

African Americans in Alabama have also had problems realizing their votes. Citizens there have been engaged in a lengthy battle to get an additional majorityBlack voting district.

Perseverance and tenacity have always been our battle cry in gaining equal voting rights. In the Alabama case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state’s current Congressional maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Elected officials in Alabama and Louisiana wanted to marginalize the impact of the Black vote. The power and prowess of our vote cannot be overlooked. Now, the rest of America sees the shame that de-

Peggy Noonan, seem to some to be too little, too late. When she argues that “Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again, and if those priorities begin to show up in the polls,” many just shake their heads, thinking “Yeah, right!”

And so, there is yet another im-

Last week, Be-Loved met with the Amsterdam News at Soul Saving Station. In person, he’s as large and lumbering as the film portrays, but his warm, gap-toothed smile belies the young boy who endured despite a youth stolen from him by violence, gang life, and incarceration.

will allow us to have someone just spend as much time [as possible] with someone like Jordan,” said Silver. “These are the folks who, if we don’t connect with them in a meaningful way, then we’re not sure who else will.”

nying us voting rights can cause.

If you asked a member of any organization or elected official of the status quo about the influence race had, they would probably give you some nonsensical answer. Our march to fairness is neverending in our America. There are constant hurdles we move over and detours we move around as we steer the pendulum of justice in our favor.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Without persistent effort, time itself becomes an ally of the insurgent and primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social destruction.”

Injustice is cloaked in ignorance and fairness is clothed in equal opportunity.

Be-Loved asked to move the interview inside because the church was holding a job fair in its parking lot. There’s loud music and a BBQ going on. When he got to the door, he paused, whether from a life of stick-ups or simply because there’s a plate of food in his hands, but Be-Loved’s hesitation was quickly replaced by relief and joy. And another wide smile.

Decades later, he can finally be that gentle kid who holds doors open for others without guilt or fear.

Heat bill

Continued from page 16

its core temperature making AEDs and cold water immersion equipment often pivotal for success––assuming the equipment is used properly and stored correctly.”

In January of 2021, UMD reached a $3.5 million settlement with McNair’s family.

Following the investigations, the head coach, D.J. Durkin as well as the two trainers who had attended to McNair, Wes Robinson and Steve Nordwall were fired while the conditioning coach, Rick Court had also resigned.

An ESPN report looking into the UMD football program later described a “toxic culture” with bullying and humiliation. firing of the head coach and to trainers as well as the conditioning coach being reassigned.

The parents of McNair, Martin McNair and Tonya Wilson, established The Jordan McNair Foundation in June 2018 to honor their late son and to “educate student athletes, parents, and the football community at large on the signs and symptoms of heatstroke and heat-related illnesses.” Their initiatives include hosting education ses -

sions. They have also donated over 400 cold-water tubs.

“Our main goal as a foundation is always to create impactful legislation. Our ultimate goal is to get beyond a state level to a federal level to create a baseline standard of studentathlete safety,” Martin McNair told the Amsterdam News

Martin said he has continuously worked with Rep. Mfume and Sen. Cardin in supporting the legislation, calling it an “excellent bill.” The bill has also been endorsed by the National Athletic Trainers Association.

According to Martin, the foundation has helped in getting four bills passed in Maryland surrounding student athlete safety with their most “impactful” piece of legislation being the passage of House Bill 836 which mandates public high schools and middle schools in the state to practice their emergency action plans as well as have the right safety equipment twice a year. He is “optimistic” that the Heat Fatality Prevention Act will pass in Congress.

Martin also shared that he wishes for Jordan’s legacy “to continue to be the vision and the poster boy for student athlete safety, not only in collegiate sports but in sports overall.”

portant ingredient to consider for fixing the low voter turnout conundrum: the candidates. Not just the credentials, but their ability—and desire—to communicate and connect firsthand with the voters. Polling has taken the place of talking directly to people. On Election Day, the oldfashioned, but successful tac-

tics of a “pulling operation” with door-to-door volunteers and sound trucks roaming the streets announcing the day, has been reconfigured to robo calls that most of us hang up on.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer, actor, and creator of ”Hamilton,” famously tells his audience:“Our nation is asking to

hear your voice because November is coming and so is your choice. Do not throw away your shot.”

True. As we encourage voters’ involvement, let’s hear more person-to-person from the candidates, too. Sure, our vote is our voice, but we also need a conversation to help produce it.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 29

Be-Loved (left) outside Soul Saving Station. (Andre Lamberston photo)

VOTE!

VOTE! VOTE!

Religion & Spirituality

Congregation disheartened, upset at sudden closure of Fordham Lutheran Church

By BRIAN DELK Special to AmNews

After being locked out for nearly a month, numerous Fordham Evangelical Lutheran Church members are demanding answers from their church’s council members and the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

In March, the status of the 105-year-old church was voted on by the congregation and witnessed by the Synod, the governing body of Lutheran churches across the country. Most of the congregation voted to keep the church open, but on Sunday, June 11, they found the locks changed and no way into their regular Sunday worship service.

“Our sexton finished his work Saturday evening and locked the doors like normal, but Sunday morning, we found the locks changed and have been locked out of our church ever since,” said Patricia Jewett, a church council member.

“My kids were christened in that church, my grandkids were christened in that church, and they gave us no notice of it closing beforehand,” said Jean Farrell, vice president of the church’s council.

The vote to close the church has received backlash from several members, and a large portion of those upset are irritated at the execution of the closure as well.

The closure has cascading effects on the community. Jewett explained in a press release that the church hosted after-school programs, English as a Second Language classes, a food pantry, and more. Jewett said she doesn’t know how long the pantry will remain open, and the other programs have already ceased operations at the church.

Jewett said the Synod first told them that only a congregation could vote to close the church. After the congregation’s vote in March that resulted in 16 cast ballots, with 12 in favor of keeping the church open, members were told the church would still be closed regardless of the vote.

After the results of the vote, they were told that the Synod or a representative would notify the congregation before closure. But Jewett and other members said there was

no such notification before that Sunday.

The day before, June 10, a resolution was sent to the church, and a letter addressed to Emilie Ramdhanie, the congregation president of Fordham Lutheran Church, from Christopher Vergara, the Synod’s vice president. The letter said the Synod would appoint three trustees to control

the church entirely.

The Reverend Gladys Diaz, who is an assistant to the bishop for the Bronx and other regions; Branden Dupree, an assistant to the bishop and the director for evangelical mission; and Vergara are the trustees in full control of the churches and represent the Synod in different capacities.

“This means that the Synod will take charge and control of the real and personal property of Fordham to hold, manage, and convey the same on behalf of this Synod,” the letter read.

Jewett said she tried to contact Ramdhanie and her daughter, the church’s treasurer, about trying to keep the church open throughout the voting process, but that they both have yet to be reached to try to reopen the church and have been absent since the vote. Some trustees and council members have also been unresponsive to Jewett and others’ meeting requests.

In response to the comment, the Metropolitan New York Synod’s Office stated that it had supported the church financially and pastorally, but had found it would no longer sustain the church due to insurance and administrative issues.

“That said, we are fully prepared to provide pastoral care, and numerous congregations stand ready to welcome the members of Fordham Evangelical Lutheran Church with open arms and loving hearts. The well-being of the congregation and its surrounding community remains our primary concern and priority for our synod,” according to the statement from the office.

Some members have said relocation to other churches is not feasible due to transportation issues and age.

“Other members and I have been attending this church for over 30 years, and they just shut the door on us,” said Faye Nottage, a church council member. “It’s hard to find a new church I can commute to at this age. I’m older now and can’t fight like I used to for this church.”

As stated in the letter, the congregation can appeal Synod’s decision until July 25, when a meeting can be called with a representative of the Bishop’s office.

Jewett and other members said they would continue to reach out to the trustees and council members to reopen their beloved church.They have held rallies, put up posters, and reached out to administrators, but are still waiting to see if their church doors will ever open again.

30 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Fordham Lutheran Church members hold a rally after its sudden closure. (Patricia Jewett photos)

International African Arts Festival (IAAF)

Attendees at International African Arts Festival (IAAF), longest-running festival celebrating African culture, held at

Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park for four days of music, dance, spoken word, and many other events from July 1–July 4.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023• 31

African International African Arts Festival 2023 (Solwazi Afi Olusol photos) Unique clothes designer set up her tent at IAAF fest in Brooklyn this past July 4th weekend (Ariama C. Long photos) Clothes designers, some selling traditional African garbs and some more modern, displayed their wares on lawn at Commodore Barry Park where four-day IAAF fest is held during Independence Day weekend (Ariama C. Long photos) IAAF fest-goers basked in sun, set out blankets, ate food, shopped, and enjoyed live music this past weekend at Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park (Ariama C. Long photos) IAAF fest-goers showed up decked out in their finest African outfits, representing countries from Angola to Zimbabwe, as well as Caribbean and Latin American diaspora, this past weekend in Brooklyn (Ariama C. Long photos)

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NEW YORK STATE 2024 Annual Action Plan

To participate in certain federal community development and housing programs, the State of New York must prepare a 5-year Consolidated Plan and an annual Action Plan and provide opportunities for citizens to participate in its development. As part of this process, the State will conduct public hearings to obtain the views of citizens, public agencies, local governments, and other interested parties on the housing and non-housing community development needs of the State before a draft Annual Action Plan for the year 2024 is prepared.

The Consolidated Plan and the Annual Action Plan focus principally on five federal programs: the New York State Community Development Block Grant Program; the HOME Investment Partnerships Program; the Housing Trust Fund; the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program; and the Emergency Solutions Grants Program.

The Annual Action Plan will describe the State’s planned use of federal Fiscal Year 2024 funds to address the needs identified by its five-year Consolidated Plan and further the Consolidated Plan’s objectives and will also describe the State’s methods for distributing these funds.

The State of New York seeks to obtain the views of citizens and interested parties on the development of the 2024 Action Plan. As part of this process, the State will conduct a series of virtual public hearings on July 18, 2023 at 2:00 pm and July 19, 2023 at 10:00 am to give a brief overview of the program objectives and timeline for Plan development. Interested parties may participate via computer, telephone, or in person. Information on how to participate in the virtual public hearing may be found at https://hcr.ny.gov/pressroom, or by requesting a direct link through HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov. For any person that wishes to present testimony in person, the following HCR locations will be connected to the virtual hearing via WebEx; 641 Lexington Avenue in New York City; 38-40 State Street in Albany; 620 Erie Boulevard West in Syracuse; and 535 Washington Street in Buffalo. Reservations will be REQUIRED for individuals wishing to participate in the live hearings. Interested individuals must RSVP by calling (518) 486-3452 or sending an e-mail to HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov no later than 5:00 pm Friday, July 14, 2023. Attendees must present a valid driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID upon entry to any of the facilities. Each site is accessible to individuals with mobility impairments. Every effort will be made to accommodate persons with other special needs. To do so, it will be necessary to receive any requests no later than July 14, 2023. Individuals seeking additional information regarding the hearings may call (518) 486-3452. All speakers are urged to provide a written copy of their community needs testimony. Individuals who are unable to attend in real time may view the recorded presentation on our website: https://hcr.ny.gov/pressroom and submit comments to NYS HCR, Attention: Rachel Yerdon, 38-40 State Street, Albany, NY 12207, or e-mail them to HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov. Written comments must be received no later than July 31, 2023. E-mail comments must also be sent by this date.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -against- CHARLES A. SCHAEFFER, KATHY L. SCHAEFFER, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 3, 2023 and entered on January 6, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on July 19, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 3.1810% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302.

The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies and Foreclosure Auction Rules.

All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction.

Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $36,327.64 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850066/2022.

JOSEPH BUONO, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. SKUBY AND COMPANY, LLC, A NEW JERSEY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, Deft. - Index #850191/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 21, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $34,716.44 plus costs and interest as of April 6, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark McKew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. MERCEDES MATTIE CATHERINE DEXTER, Deft.Index #850160/2022. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 15, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 5,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES – PHASE I located at 1335 Avenue of Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $31,266.68 plus costs and interest as of January 4, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark McKew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. VERNDELL H. GILDHOUSE and NIHAT A. SURGUT, Deft. - Index #850093/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.0519144314871446% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES – PHASE I located at 1335 Avenue of Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $120,199.18 plus costs and interest as of October 21, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

Notice is hereby given that a license, number 1358459 for beer and wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer and wine at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 295 Madison Avenue, Suite 101G, New York, NY 10017 for on-premises consumption (Shogun Omakase Inc.)

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #1365426 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a bar under the ABC Law at 134 Eldridge St., South store, NYC 10002 for on-premises consumption; Waiting Room 134 LLC

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #1365713 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 252 Broome Street, NYC 10002 for on-premises consumption; Twin Eagles LLC

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. SHANNON PARA, Deft. - Index # 850179/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 12, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.0271980765638990% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $39,988.85 plus costs and interest as of February 26, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark Mckew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. ALAN E. EDWARDS, Deft. - Index # 850153/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 13, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57th STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $44,849.40 plus costs and interest as of February 23, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark Mckew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. GINETTE JACKSON and DAVID G. GONZALEZ, Deft. - Index #850152/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated February 4, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00493200000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, in the County of NY, State of NY.

Approximate amount of judgment is $22,085.00 plus costs and interest as of October 6, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Thomas R. Kleinberger, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

PIVOT ADR LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/06/2023. Office: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to U.S. Corp. Agts., Inc., 7014 13TH Ave BK, NY 11228. Business Add: 228 Park Ave S #701467 NY, NY 10003, USA. Purpose: Any lawful activities or acts.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. JON HUTCHESON AS TRUSTEE OF HUTCHESON FAMILY TRUST, and JON HUTCHESON IN HIS INDIVIDUALLY CAPACITY, Deft. - Index # 850271/2017. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 26, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 8,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $107,511.37 plus costs and interest as of March 28, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Hayley Greenberg, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

32 • July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

100 PUBLIC NOTI CES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. BEVERLY DWIGGINS MAYHEW, Deft. - Index #850157/2022.

Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 15, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Monday, July 17, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00493200000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $13,244.33 plus costs and interest as of January 4, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Doron Leiby, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, 75 STREET SERVICING LLC, Plaintiff, vs. CLST ENTERPRISES LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on December 8, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on July 26, 2023 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 19 East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021. 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, City and State of New York, Block 1390 and Lot 14. Approximate amount of judgment is $7,346,196.91 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850001/2021. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee

Glenn Rodney, PC, 368 Birch Road, Wallkill, New York 12589, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -against- CASPER MOLLER, MALENE AARSO NIELSEN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 3, 2023 and entered on January 10, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on July 26, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .009864% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies and Foreclosure Auction Rules. All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY. Approximate amount of lien $16,016.85 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850066/2020.

TOM KLEINBERGER, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -against- BASSEY AKPAN ALBERT, NKEIRU AKPAN-ALBERT, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 3, 2023 and entered on January 10, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on July 26, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .01995% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37.

The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies and Foreclosure Auction Rules.

Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $23,219.23 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850068/2018.

TOM KLEINBERGER, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF MANAGERS, Plaintiff -against- DOUGLAS

C. CLARK, CAROLINE A. KAPLAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 3, 2023 and entered on January 10, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on July 26, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Section: 4 Block 1006 and Lot 1302.

The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies and Foreclosure Auction Rules. All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction.

Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY Approximate amount of lien $30,784.82 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850112/2022.

TOM KLEINBERGER, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -against- JANET MCCORMICK, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 15, 2022 and entered on November 16, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 2nd, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies and Foreclosure Auction Rules. All bidders must wear a face mask/ shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY. Approximate amount of lien $38,930.44 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850016/2015.

ELAINE SHAY, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. THERESSIA L. WASHINGTON, Deft. - Index # 850050/2019. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 10, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 18,000/16,783,800 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase II HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $150,348.79 plus costs and interest as of December 22, 2022. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

Notice of Sale of FBH and FBT Collateral

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION OF COLLATERAL: Reference is made to the Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note issued by Debtors Founders Bay Holdings (“FBH”) and Founders Bay Technologies, Inc,. (“FBT”) (collectively “Debtors”) to Leonite Capital, LLC (“Leonite”) dated April 6, 2021. Reference is also made to the Securities Purchase Agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) between the same parties dated April 6, 2021, and finally, reference is also made to the accompanying Pledge and Security Agreement dated April 6, 2021 (“Security Agreement”), collectively known as the Loan Documents, between Leonite and Secured Parties and FBH and FBT as Debtors, in which Debtors granted Leonite a Security Interest in collateral including the Subject Collateral as defined below.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by Leonite that, acting in its capacity as a Secured Party under the above Security Agreement, it will sell the following collateral (the “Subject Collateral”), consisting of all of the assets of FBH and FBT, including but not limited to tangible, intangible, and intellectual property.

The Sale is pursuant to Section 9-610, and any other applicable section of the Uniform Commercial Code, other applicable law, and the provisions of the operative documents creating and evidencing the Leonite’s interest in the Collateral, including but not limited to the Loan Documents. Leonite will sell said Collateral publicly to the highest qualified bidder. The Disposition will be held virtually through the law office of Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP on July 18, 2023, at 11:00AM prevailing Eastern Time via Zoom. If you wish to participate in the Sale, you must provide your e-mail address to Harvey D. Mervis, Esq. at hmervis@ hhk.com and Andrea Gregori at agregori@hhk.com by 5pm on July 14, 2023. You will receive bid qualification information and, if appropriate, an e-mail invitation and link to the Sale Zoom meeting. Any interested bidder may contact Harvey D. Mervis, Esq. at Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP, 80 Exchange St., P.O. Box 5250, Binghamton, New York 13902, Telephone: (607) 231-6739, e-mail: hmervis@hhk. com or Andrea Gregori at (607) 231-6779, agregori@hhk.com . The Secured Party reserves the right to bid for and purchase the assets being sold, and to credit the purchase price against Debtors’ obligations under the Loan Documents.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. GRACE KING, Deft. - Index # 850221/2022. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 17, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 8,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $21,555.88 plus costs and interest as of January 4, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP.,

Pltf. v. MARILYN YVONNE DUNN and CHARLES BARRYAN DUNN, JR., Deft. - Index # 850011/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated April 28, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $25,614.25 plus costs and interest as of February 8, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Jerry Merola, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. ANNA PRESTEL VEACH a/k/a ANNA PRESTEL HORWATH, Deft. - Index # 850154/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $159,086.61 plus costs and interest as of October 6, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Hayley Greenberg, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. LOUIS RUSSELL RECORDS and SANDRA DROBIARZ RECORDS, Defts. - Index # 850170/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated April 27, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 7,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $31,012.53 plus costs and interest as of January 28, 2022. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

Notice of Formation of DARTMOOR LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/22/23. 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, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of GINDI GRAMERCY MEMBER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/02/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 19 W. 34th St., 11 Fl., NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 33 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS WITH NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- LARS J.A. JOHNSON A/K/A LARS J. JOHNSON if living and if dead, the respective heirs-atlaw, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the amended complaint; MARETA K.A. JOHNSON AKA K.A. MARETA JONZON GRONDAL AKA MARETA JONZON GRONDAL AKA MARETA JOHNSON if living and if dead, the respective heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the amended complaint; THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF SAGA HOUSE CONDOMINIUM; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; Defendant(s). Index No. 850240/2022 Date Filed: 11/11/2022 Plaintiff designates NEW YORK County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action. We are attempting to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. To the above-named Defendant(s): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the amended complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the amended complaint is not served with this supplemental summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the plaintiff's attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this supplemental summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this supplemental summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) or within (60) days after service of this supplemental summons if it is the United States of America; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the amended complaint. NOTICE: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this supplemental summons and amended complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the supplemental summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing supplemental summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable Francis A. Kahn III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, dated the 23rd day of June, 2023 and duly entered in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York on the 23rd day of June, 2023. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT This is an action to foreclose a mortgage lien on the premises described herein. The object of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage executed by Lars J.A. Johnson and Mareta K.A. Johnson, as Mortgagors, to Merrill Lynch Credit Corporation, a Mortgage to secure $268,000.00 and interest, dated February 4, 1994, (the Mortgage), which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on February 9, 1994 in Reel: 2056, Page: 2025 which was assigned to Bankers Trust Company of California, N.A., as Trustee, Under That Certain Pooling and Servicing Agreement Dated as of March 1, 1994, For Senior/Subordinate Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 1994-F, a New Jersey Corp by Assignment of Mortgage dated April 15, 2002, which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on June 25, 2002 in Reel: 3546, Page: 2104 which was assigned to Merrill Lynch Credit Corporation by Assignment of Mortgage dated September 26, 2008, which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on March 24, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000084626 and a second mortgage to Merrill Lynch Credit Corporation executed by Lars J. Johnson, to secure $15,104.16 and interest, dated September 29, 2008 (The “Second Mortgage”), which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on March 24, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000084625 which loan was consolidated by a Consolidation, Extension & Modification Agreement dated September 29, 2008, executed by Lars J. Johnson, which consolidated the First Mortgage and the Second Mortgage to form a single lien in the amount of $225,500.00 which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on March 24, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000084624 which was assigned to BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. by Assignment of Mortgage dated September 20, 2022, to be recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County and, covering premises known as 157 EAST 74TH STREET, UNIT 9B, NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK, STATE OF NY 10021 (Block: 1409 Lot: 1021). The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above. The Plaintiff also seeks a deficiency judgment against the Defendant, LARS J.A. JOHNSON A/K/A LARS J. JOHNSON, for any debt secured by said Mortgage which is not satisfied by the proceeds of the sale of said premises, unless discharged in bankruptcy. SEE SCHEDULE A ANNEXED HERETO Block: 1409 Lot: 1021

SCHEDULE A DESCRIPTION OF MORTGAGED PREMISES The Condominium Unit ("the Unit") known as Unit No. 9B in the Building known as the Saga House Condominium, said Unit designated and described as Unit No. 9-B in the Declaration establishing a plan for condominium ownership of said premises under Article 9B of the Real Property Law of the State of New York (the "New York Condominium Act") dated 3/6/86 and recorded in the New York County Office of the Register of the City of New York (the "Register's Office") on 4/29/86 in Reel 1056 Page 514 and also designated as Tax Lot 1021 in Block 1409 of Section 5 of the Borough of Manhattan on the Tax Map of the Real Property Assessment Department of The City of New York and on the Floor Plans of said building, certified by Stephen B. Jacobs and Assoc., P.C. Architect on 3/31/86 and filed with the Real Property Assessment Department of The City of New York on 4/28/86 as Condominium Plan No. 299 and also filed in the Register's Office on 4/29/86 as Condominium Plan No. 299 Map No. 4452. Together with a 2.09% interest in the common elements. The land on which said condominium is located is described as follows: ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situated, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the northerly side of East 74th Street distant 101 feet easterly from the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of East 74th Street with the easterly side of Lexington Avenue; RUNNING THENCE northerly parallel with Lexington Avenue and part of the distance through a party wall 102 feet 2 inches to the center line of the block; THENCE easterly along said center line of the block 69 feet no inches; THENCE southerly parallel with Lexington Avenue and pact of the distance through a party wall 102 feet 2 inches to the northerly side of East 74th Street; THENCE westerly along the said northerly side of East 74th Street 69 feet no inches to the point or place of BEGINNING.

Premises: 157 East 74th Street, Unit 9B, New York, NY 10021 Tax Parcel ID No.: Block: 1409 Lot: 1021

Dated: Manhasset, New York June 29, 2023. DAVID A. GALLO & ASSOCIATES LLP By: /S/ DAVID A. GALLO, DAVID A. GALLO, ESQ. Attorneys for Plaintiff, 47 Hillside Avenue - 2nd Floor, Manhasset, NY 11030, (516) 583-5330, (516) 583-5333 – fax.

Notice of Qualification of IV5 NEWBURGH SOUTH LOGISTICS CENTER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/05/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/29/23. Princ. office of LLC: 1180 Peachtree St., Ste. 1575, Atlanta, GA 30309. 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 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with State of DESecy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of NATIONAL BLOCKING ASSOCIATION LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/13/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/08/22. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

REFEREE'S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2007-1, Plaintiff - against - ELIZABETH LOWE, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on December 19, 2022. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the portico at the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York 10007 on the 19th day of July, 2023 at 2:15 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York. Premises known as 231 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10021 a/k/a 231 East 62nd Street, New York, (City of New York) NY 10065. (SBL#: 1417-14)

Approximate amount of lien $5,713,762.85 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 850029/2019. Joseph F. Buono, Esq., Referee.

Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200

Rochester, NY 14618

Tel. 585/760-8218

Dated: January 4, 2023

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale

Notice of formation of Kumar and Kumar LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secy. of State of N.Y. (SSNY) on 5/1/2023. Office Location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Thittamaranahalli Kumar, 564 1st Ave, Apt 22F, New York, NY 10016. Name/address of each member: available from SSNY. Term: Continuous. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Aesthetics Babe LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 03/01/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail process to: 322 W 52nd Street #1944, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Annitta Juice Bar LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 01/24/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1 Audubon Ave Store #6, NY, NY 10032. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of SOUND BODY LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/24/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/14/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 220 5th Ave., 17th Fl., NY, NY 10001. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

KANAWA CIRCLE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/10/23. 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, P.O. Box 507, Nyack, NY 10960. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

TEE N' TINGS LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the SSNY on 3/30/2023. Office Location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 217 WEST 140TH STREET #197, NY, NY, 10030. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of RAPP FAMILY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/15/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Alvin H. Rapp, 210 W. 90th St., #10B, NY, NY 10024. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of SyBridge Digital Solutions LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/01/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/30/22. 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 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Name: Blue Storage, LLC. Articles of Organization filed by the Department of State of New York on: 02/13/2023. Office location: County of New York.

Amendment filed 02/16/2023 changed county to Westchester. Secretary of State 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: The LLC 50 West 17th Street. New York, NY 10011.

Purpose: Any and all lawful activities

Panchal LLC. Filed: 5/19/22. Office: NY Co. Org. in IL: 5/3/22. SSNY design. as agent for process & shall mail to: 555 10th Ave Apt 47E, NY, NY 10018. Foreign add: 27 Olympic Dr, South Barrington, IL 60010. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy of State, 501 S. Second St. Room 350, Springfield, IL 62756. Purpose: General.

Notice of Formation of ECC 33 PR LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/16/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 575 Lexington Ave., Ste. 3120, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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Rikers Island detainees celebrate Pride 2023

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

Rikers Island won’t be mistaken for Christopher Street anytime soon. But women and gender-expansive individuals detained at the Rose M. Singer Center jail— better known as Rosie’s—celebrated a West Village-worthy Pride extravaganza anyways this Thursday, June 29.

The dress code mismatched beige jumpers with floral crowns, sequined headbands and feather boa scarves. Jordan Williams, the detainee emceeing the event, rocked a pink skirt and an ombre wig dyed light blue and pink to match the transgender pride flag. She says the festivities feature a grand assortment of “school boys, faes, and fem queens.”

“Rikers is allowing us to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community,” added Williams.

Event organizer Nadely Tavarez, who directs facility programs for the NYC Department of Corrections (DOC), says Pride at Rosie’s took extensive planning involving talent-searches, rehearsals, and attendance outreach.

So how does one celebrate their sexuality and gender identity while in custody? With resilience and resistance, apparently, not unlike from the outside where their rights remain under attack in states like Florida and Texas through “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. The detainees observed Pride through a series of poetry readings and music performances. Between acts, they chanted “love” and hugged one another.

The Pride event was also a homecoming for the Black- and brown-led LGBTQI+ subculture known as Ballroom Culture. Miss Mojo of the Black Trans Femme of

the Arts collective, one of the participating outside organizations at the Pride event, said “Ball culture” traces its roots back to Rikers Island. A main origin theory reportedly surmises detainees flipped through a Vogue magazine issue and mimicked the poses in rapid succession, which became “voguing,” a main influence for the Ballroom Scene where competitors dance, strut and preen their way to prizes and bragging rights.

And did the attendees vogue it up. Williams swaggered out in a wedding veil and dress, which she twirled out of. Another competitor, Jasmine Ruiz, held a mock coronation for herself and a dance partner with gold crowns. And Miss Mojo concluded the contest with a “death drop.” All on the Rikers’ jail gym floor, repurposed into a catwalk while club music blasted over a pair of standing subwoofers. Miss Mojo says extending Pride to populations “typically erased from narratives” is critical.

“We are them and they are us,” said Miss Mojo. “[Ballroom] started within these walls. [Rosie’s detainees] are brought into these walls. If one gets free, we all are free.”

A 2011-12 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey found that “sexual minorities” are

disproportionately incarcerated and face higher rates of mistreatment, harsh punishment, and sexual victimization while navigating the criminal justice system.

Beyond the voguing and the dancing, Ballroom provides a haven for the Black and brown LGBTQI+ community. But it’s hard not to notice the heavy metal jail doors or the thorough pat downs immediately outside. Pride flags and rainbow banners are hung on the same impenetrable concrete walls as DOC signs advising detainees to report slashing and

stabbings. Yet even on Rikers Island and just for around three hours, the Pride event made everyone in attendance feel safe, seen and heard.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 36 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

Ballroom competition at Rose M. Singer Center. (Latima Johnson/NYC Department of Corrections photo)

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LeBron James’ high school days thoughtfully depicted in ‘Shooting Stars’

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

LeBron James is one of the most famous athletes in the world, so finding an actor to portray him as a teenager was a daunting task for Chris Robinson, director “Shooting Stars,” a film adaptation of James’s and Buzz Bissinger’s book. After a year of auditions and no actor as the right fit, Robinson and a friend drove up and down the East Coast attending basketball tournaments.

“My friend texted me a photograph of Mookie,” said Robinson, of casting Mookie Cook, who will play for the Oregon Ducks

Rory

Flack’s

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

this coming college season. “Acting was not on his radar…but from the moment we saw him on Zoom, he just embodied LeBron.”

The film, which debuted on the streaming service Peacock last month, shows the tight bond between James and his teammates, which started when they were in elementary school and was etched in history as they garnered national attention during high school. “Shooting Stars” contains multiple basketball scenes, and production and actors wanted them to look as realistic as possible. There were choreographers who helped set things up and, said Robinson, “We utilized YouTube to the highest level.”

“I never really aspired to do a sports movie…but I read [the book] and what really touched me were the relationships,” said Robinson, who spent time in James’s hometown of Akron, Ohio. “So many films that deal with young Black men are filled with trauma and pain, and this movie was different. It was connected to brotherhood and loyalty. Absolutely, there was struggle and tough times in the movie, but they stuck together.”

Most of the actors portraying James and his teammates had little to no acting experience. Scoot Henderson, who portrayed Romeo, was recently the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The lone seasoned

actor was Caleb McLaughlin (Lil Dru), whose extensive acting résumé includes the popular series “Stranger Things” and “Lion King” on Broadway. Robinson said the actors truly felt that deep and abiding connection that James had and still has with his high school teammates.

“We put the guys through a gauntlet of basketball because we really wanted that to be authentic,” said Robinson. “These guys who did not know each other came together as actors and athletes and poured into each other…They were embodying a group of guys who really did everything for each other. As actors, they started that same relationship. It was magical to watch.”

creation of Team DMV chronicled in docuseries

In “Breaking the Ice,” an eightpart docuseries that makes its debut tonight on WE TV, Washington, D.C.-based coach Rory Flack, a trailblazing skater in both the amateur and professional ranks, as she assembles, coaches, and introduces to the world a synchronized skating team composed totally of girls of color. The 10 middle and high school girls who comprise the team had some prior skating experience and were chosen after a tryout.

“One of the girls I had been teaching for about two years; another one I knew and one more was a beginner when I started teaching her,” said Flack. Her son, Remington Burghart, works with her on coaching Team DMV. “He helped me pick the skaters. He also works with me side-by-side. He’s able to spot the qualities that I’m looking for, so I have four eyes on the ice instead of just my two.”

Remington, a former pairs skater, also helps with lifts, music, and synchronicity. As Flack struggles with sarcoidosis that at times keeps her from being on the ice as much

as she would like, he is able to be with the team.

Parental involvement has been growing as the series evolves. “We started with one practice a week because that’s all the parents were

prepared to do,” said Flack. “As we got into it, they were wanting to do more and more and more, so we slowly picked up ice time in the competitive season.”

Having everything captured on

film was a lot of fun, but it did get a little intense at times. “It’s really cool that I got to be me on camera, and for the kids and hopefully the audience to see the sparks in their eyes when they start to understand,” Flack said. For the series, DMV has a double meaning. It obviously reflects the locale of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, but it also stands for Divine Motivational Visionaries, the force that drives the skaters and their coaches. Although on-ice filming for “Breaking the Ice” concluded in April, Flack hopes to continue working with the team.

“Their comfort in front of the camera came with their comfort on the ice,” she said. “I saw them progressing as their speed increased, as their skating improved, as they started to connect more on the ice…and bond as a team. I saw their confidence grow. I would like to develop this team for years to come.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 37

SPORTS

Rory Flack builds Team DMV on “Breaking The Ice” (Photo courtesy of WE tv) Mookie Cook depicts LeBron James as a high school player (Photos courtesy of Peacock)

Liberty returns to form after loss in Las Vegas

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

The New York Liberty went into last night’s (Wednesday’s) game against the Phoenix Mercury at the Barclays Center as first in the Eastern Conference at 11–4 and with the second-best record overall in the WNBA.

After accumulating six wins in seven games, the Liberty headed to Las Vegas last Thursday to face the Aces, the only team with a better record in the WNBA this season. The Aces have been virtually unstoppable. They were 15–1 going into their matchup last night against the Dallas Wings. The defending WNBA Champions showed their dominance versus the Liberty, prevailing 98–81. All five starters on the Aces’ scored in double figures. Four Liberty players scored in double figures, but as is common in Las Vegas, the house won.

The Liberty continued its West Coast road trip Sunday in Seattle, where they created sunny skies over the Storm, coming away with a 81–66 win. Liberty star Breanna

Stewart made her return to Seattle—she played for the Storm her entire WNBA career before signing with the Liberty in February and won two championships with the Storm, in 2018 and 2020. There are additional ties between the teams: Four Storm players are

former Libertys, including Sami Whitcomb, who was an integral part of New York’s playoff runs in 2021 and 2022.

“The way that we moved the ball is kind of like the standard of what we want to do,” said Stewart after the victory over the Storm. “Last

game, [versus the Aces], we struggled in a lot of different areas, but assists were one thing that stuck out a little bit. [We’re] getting back to that and making sure we finish this road trip strong.”

This was the Liberty’s second time playing the Storm in Seattle

this season. Stewart admitted the first time was emotional for her, but she has to continue to focus on where she is now. “I’ll always appreciate Seattle for what we’ve been able to do together, but I’m happy to be in New York,” she said.

After the win over the Storm, Courtney Vandersloot and Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello praised Sabrina Ionescu, who was a vital presence despite not having her best shooting night. “Sabrina impacts the game in other ways,” said Vandersloot. “We’re just different when she’s on the floor, whether she’s making shots or not.”

The WNBA All-Star Game will take place on July 15 in Las Vegas. In addition to Stewart, who was voted in by the fans and will be an All-Star captain, Liberty players Ionescu and Vandersloot were selected to play. This will be the first time since 2003 that the Liberty will have three players in an All-Star Game. The Liberty will host the Storm at Barclays Center on Saturday afternoon and be in Indiana next Wednesday to meet the Fever before a six-day All-Star break.

Jared Anderson defeats former heavyweight champion Charles Martin

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

Undefeated heavyweight boxer Jared Anderson, 23, was scheduled to face Zhan Kossobutskiy this past Saturday, but when Kossobutskiy, also undefeated, was forced to withdraw from the bout due to visa issues. Former IBF heavyweight world champion Charles Martin stepped in, perhaps posing a more difficult fight.

Yet Anderson (15–0, 14KOs) passed the biggest challenge of his career, going the distance and past the sixth round for the first time in his young career, soundly defeating the 37-year-old veteran boxer Martin (29–4–1, 26 KOs) via a 10-round unanimous decision at the Huntington Center in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. The three judges scored the fight at 99–90, 98–91, and 99–90. Anderson retained his WBC-USNBC and WBO International heavyweight titles.

Although Anderson won at least eight rounds of the fight, Martin, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, seemingly had him in trouble in the fifth round. But

Anderson showed he has a good chin, perseverance, and the ring acumen to make adjustments, surviving the round after he appeared hurt.

“Do I feel like he got me with a good shot and made me aware? Yes, so I had to readjust and get back to the game plan,” Anderson said after his win. “He

took the fight on short notice. He came and performed really good. I think we put on a hell of a show for Toledo.”

Martin was equally complimentary of his opponent, who was 13 years his junior.

“He’s really good,” Martin said. “He’s a crafty boxer. Usually, when I catch somebody and hurt

them, I can finish them. If they don’t fall, usually I can follow up and put them away. But he is like a little middleweight.

“He is crafty,” Martin went on. “He was able to get out even when he was rocked. He was able to maneuver and get out [of] the way.

He’s going to be a champion.”

The upcoming weekend is a big

one in combat sports. In Atlantic City, Jaron Ennis will defend his IBF interim welterweight title against Roiman Villa at Boardwalk Hall. Ennis has previously called out Errol Spence Jr., and is likely to do so again and throw in Terence Crawford. Spence and Crawford will face off on July 29 in a welterweight pairing that is as hyped and anticipated as any fight has been over the past half decade.

The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be the site of Saturday’s UFC 290 card, with Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight championship against Yair Rodríguez. Volkanovski dared to be great and attempted to become a double champion in February, but lost to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. He will try to avoid back-toback losses grappling with the dangerous Rodriguez. The prelims will take place at 8 p.m. on ESPN, with the pay-per-view beginning at 10 p.m. on ESPN+.

On July 15 in Detroit, Alycia Baumgardner will defend her WBC, IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and the Ring female super-featherweight titles against Christina Linardatou.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 38 July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023

SPORTS

Betnijah Laney in action versus the Seattle Storm (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty photo) Jared Anderson (right) lands power punch to head of Charles Martin as he went on to earn 10-round decision this past Saturday in heavyweight bout (Mikey Williams, Top Rank photo)

Imperfect Yankees throw MLB’s 24th perfect game

By RASHID MCDONALD Special to the AmNews

This season thus far has been one of peaks and valleys for the Yankees, with more dips than consistent climbs as injuries, specifically outfielder Aaron Judge’s torn ligament in his right big toe, and the much-anticipated debut of prized free agent Carlos Rodon, who the Yankees signed to a sixyear, $162 million deal in December. Judge has been out of the lineup since incurring the injury on June 3 and there is no definitive date for his return. He is hitting off a tee but is still unable to run.

“If I can run, then I can play. Me running at 10% ain’t going to help anybody out there,” said the reigning AL MVP on Tuesday.

Rodon, a lefty starter who spent his first seven seasons in the majors with the Chicago White Sox before going 14–8 with a 2.88 ERA for the San Francisco Giants last season, suffered a forearm strain in spring training, then had back issues that have kept him out up until now. The 30-year-old is scheduled to pitch his first regular season game for the team tomorrow versus the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium.

Center fielder Harrison Bader’s three-

run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning on Monday in the Bronx broke a 3–3 tie and gave the Yankees a 6–3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles to take the first of a four-game series. The Yankees and rising young Orioles are battling in the tough American League East, with the Yankees beginning Tuesday’s Fourth of July matchup at 47–38. They were in third place and three games behind the second-place Orioles (49–34). The Tampa Bay Rays lead the division and were 57–30 when they began a three-games series on Tuesday at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

On June 28, Domingo German added his name to the franchise’s long history of great pitching performances when he became the fourth Yankee ever to pitch a perfect game, shutting down the As in Oakland and carrying the team to an 11–0 victory. German struck out nine to join Don Larson (1956), David Wells (1998), and David Cone (1999) as the other Yankees who didn’t walk a batter or give up a hit in going the distance. It was MLB’s first perfect game since Seattle Mariners starter Felix Hernandez’s in 2012, a season that saw three perfect games.

The Yankees are still seeking their

first World Series title since 2009. They have one of the top three payrolls in the league—a little over $284 million, according to Spotrac.com—and have been at or near the top over the past several decades, but the money spent has not produced desired results. The Yankees haven’t won the AL pennant since making their last World Series appearance in 2009, when they captured the franchise’s 27th MLB championship.

They have been ultra-competitive, winning more than 100 games the past six seasons with the exception of 2020’s shortened COVID year, in which there was only a 60game regular season. In a recent interview on ESPN Radio, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner questioned why the team’s fans are already frustrated despite the Yankees being solidly in playoff contention. The main reason is because of the high expectations relative to the high payroll and long World Series drought. Fans are particularly upset about the Yankees’ inability to get past the Houston Astros, last year’s World Series winners, who eliminated the Yankees from the postseason in three of the past six seasons.

Clearly, there are valid arguments from both Steinbrenner’s and fans’ points of view.

The Yankees will end their series against the Baltimore Orioles tonight before taking on the Chicago Cubs at home for a three-game series this weekend before the All-Star break.

Mets put on notice after owner Cohen expresses frustration

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

It’s been nine days since Mets owner Steve Cohen held a press conference to convey his outlook on the team with the highest payroll in Major League Baseball (MLB) at roughly $360 million. When Cohen met with the media on June 28, the Mets were a shockingly unexpected 36–44 and 17 games behind the first place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

Few who closely follow MLB envisioned a team that had plausible World Series aspirations before this season began plummeting so dramatically after going 101–61 last season, a win total that tied them with the Braves for thirdmost in the entire league.

The Mets’ precarious and seemingly irreversible situation compelled Cohen to be fully transparent in his plans as he continues to assess a group constructed by general manager Billy Eppler and guided by manager Buck Showalter that, then and now, has not displayed a modicum of discernible evidence they will course-correct and rise into playoff contention in the weeks ahead.

“I’m preparing my management team for all possibilities. If they don’t get better, we have decisions to make at the trade deadline. That’s not my preferred end result,” said Cohen.

“It’s been incredibly frustrating,” Cohen expanded. ”I watch every game, I watch what’s going on. Would I have expected us to be in this position at the beginning of the season? No. But here we are. It’s kind of weird. It’s kind of strange to me. I don’t know if the players are anxious. I don’t know if they’re pressing.”

Like so many Mets fans who share Cohen’s discontent and disappointment, the how is obvious but the why is much more confounding. Fundamentally, the how is the Mets have collectively failed

to consistently pitch and hit well enough to string together wins. As of last night, when they went into the second game of a three-game series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road, the Mets were 39–46—fourth place in the National League and one game further (18) behind the first-place Braves than when Cohen convened the presser.

To underscore their underachievement, only one Met—first baseman Pete Alonso—has been named to the 2023 NL All-Star team. Their series win over the San Francisco Giants this past

weekend, taking two out of three at Citi Field, was their first series victory in a month, the previous coming from May 30 to June 1 when they swept three games from the Philadelphia Phillies at home in Queens. The Mets’ 8–5 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday marked their first three-game winning streak since blanking the Phillies. They beat the Giants 4–1 on Saturday and 8–4 on Sunday before heading out West.

One positive takeaway for the Mets in the midst of deep dismay has been starter Max Scherzer, who defeated the Diamondbacks 8–5 on the Fourth of July to win his sixth straight decision. Scherzer is 8–2 and scheduled to make his last start on Sunday against the Padres in San Diego before MLB’s All-Star break. The Mets end their series with Arizona today and begin a three-game set with the Padres tomorrow.

Cohen said taking a measured approach to dealing with the Mets’ issues is the most prudent path.

“I’m a patient guy. Everybody wants a headline: Fire this person, fire that person,” he said. “But I don’t see that as a way to operate. If you want to attract good people to this organization, the worst thing you can do is be impulsive and win the headline for the day. I know the fans want something to happen, but sometimes you can’t do it because you have long-term objectives.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 39 SPORTS

Mets owner Steve Cohen says he is taking measured approach in addressing his team’s struggles this season (MLB. com photo) Lefty starter Carlos Rodon is scheduled to make his Yankees and season debut tomorrow at home versus the Chicago Cubs (MLB.com photo)

Knicks take deliberate approach to improving their roster

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sport Editor

The Knicks didn’t make a seismic signing or trade in the opening days of NBA free agency, which officially began at 6 p.m. last Friday. As of yesterday, the two most prominent transactions were dealing forward Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers last Saturday for two future second-round picks, and signing former Villanova standout Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million contract.

Neither move ostensibly makes the Knicks discernibly better or detracts from a team that is striving to build on a 47–35 record and No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference last season. Their glaring weaknesses remain a dearth of multiple efficient perimeter shooters and the absence of an effective twoway wing player.

Toppin, a product of Brooklyn who the Knicks drafted No. 8 overall in 2020 after he won virtually every major college player of the year award in his second season

at Dayton, was a polarizing presence as a Knick. A large contingent of the team’s fans were adamant in their belief that the 6-foot-9 Toppin had the potential to be one of the Knicks’ best and most productive players if afforded an expanded role in head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

Over his three seasons with the Knicks, the uber-athletic 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion logged just 14.7 minutes per game in 201 games played. Two seasons ago, he averaged a career-high 17.1 minutes in 72 games, but this past season those numbers dropped to 15.7 and 67. His cumulative average field goal attempts was only 5.5. He found sparse opportunities playing behind All-NBA forward Julius Randle. Toppin’s supporters note his superior ability to run the floor, improvement in three-point shooting year over year, and dynamic capacity to finish around the rim.

The opposing faction argues that Toppin thus far has shown limited

offensive skills essentially playing as a stretch four, never developing an effective arsenal off the dribble going to the basket, or using a dribble pull up jump shot, a spotty mid-range game, and poor defensive fundamentals. Toppin reportedly had a heated verbal dispute with Thibodeau over a lack of playing time during the Knicks’ Eastern Conference semifinal series versus the Miami Heat in May. Now the 25-year-old—undoubtedly with a chip on his broad shoulders—will certainly play many more minutes with the Pacers than he did with the Knicks, providing further testimony, pro or con, to settle the debate.

The signing of DiVincenzo reunites him with college teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. The 26-year-old, 6-foot-4 combo guard from Newark, Delaware, completed his sixth NBA season in May averaging 9.4 points on .435 shooting overall and .397 on 3-pointers in 72 games for the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks will be the fifth team for which he has played.

They will look for DiVincenzo to give them much needed improved perimeter shooting manning both backcourt spots.

The Knicks, who didn’t have a pick in last month’s draft, begin the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas this Saturday with a 5 p.m. matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on NBA TV. They’ll face the Nets on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on NBA TV. The Knicks will

play a minimum of five games as the league operates from July 7 through July 17.

A player to closely watch among others is 21-year-old Trevor Keels, who was drafted by the Knicks in the second round (No. 42) last year out of Duke and spent this past season on a twoway contract splitting time with the NBA team and their G League squad, the Westchester Knicks.

Amid Damian Lillard talk, Nets finalize summer league roster

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

Damian Lillard stands among the greatest point guards who have ever played. He has spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the Portland Trailblazers. But he won’t make it 12 after requesting a trade last weekend. The Brooklyn Nets are on the short list of teams where the 32-year-old, six-time All-NBA superstar would like to continue his career and quest for his first league championship.

According to multiple reports, the Miami Heat is his top choice. For now, while discussions take place among all pertinent parties, weighing various trade options and scenarios, the Nets are preparing for the start of the 2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, which starts tomorrow (July 7) and runs through Monday, July 17. Nets assistant coach Trevor Hendry will serve as the summer league head coach under the watchful eyes of Jacque Vaughn, Brooklyn’s primary head coach.

The Nets’ three top picks from last

month’s draft will headline their summer league team when they open against the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV.

Noah Clowney, a 6–10 center from the University of Alabama was taken by the Nets at No. 21. The 18-year-old averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds, and shot 48.6% from the field during his freshman campaign at Alabama before entering the draft.

Dariq Whitehead, who is also 18 and a local product from Newark, New Jersey, was selected by Brooklyn one pick after Clowney at No. 22. He is recovering from knee surgery and will sit out summer league play after a freshman season at Duke where he was projected as a top-five pick entering college before being hampered by injuries.

The sleeper of the group might be Jalen Wilson, who despite not being a first-rounder could emerge as a valuable rotation player sometime during next season. Drafted by the Nets at No. 51 in the second round, the 22-yearold Wilson brings maturity and an impressive resume into the pros. The 6–8

forward averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in his senior season for the Kansas Jayhawks, earning consensus First Team All-America honors and the Big 12 Player of the Year award. He also has a winning pedigree, helping Kansas win the 2022 NCAA title.

David Duke Jr., who has played 45 games for the Nets the past two seasons, adds experience to the roster. Expect the 6–4 guard to see a lot of action with the incoming rookies.

Brooklyn plays the Knicks on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on NBA TV and the Milwaukee Bucks next Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. Their fourth game will be against the Toronto Raptors next Thursday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 6, 2023 - July 12, 2023 • 40

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The Knicks signed former Villanova standout Donte DiVincenzo, who played for the Golden State Warriors this past season, to a four-year contract (NBC Sports Bay Area photo)

Sports

Nets are presumably in mix for star point guard Damian Lillard, who requested a trade from Portland Trailblazers (Bill Moore photo)

New York Amsterdam News July 6-12, 2023

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