New York Amsterdam News E-edition July 13, 2023

RETIREE REVOLT

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Councilmember Charles Barron speaks at rally where municipal retirees reject Mayor Adams Aetna healthcare plan. (Omowle Clay photo)

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INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Page 17

» Astro Page 20

» Dance Page 21

» 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

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Religion & Spirituality Page 30

Sports Page 40 Union Matters Page 10

International News

OBSERVERS FAULT SIERRA LEONE ELECTION FOR ‘IRREGULARITIES’

with 56% of the vote. His opponent, Samura Kamara, reportedly trailed in the low 40s.

security services and the opposition party on the day after elections further flared political tensions.

(GIN) — Recent national elections in Sierra Leone were swiftly rejected by the main opposition party, citing “glaring irregularities” and “violations of established electoral procedures.”

“We can no longer tolerate injustice, tyranny, or usurpation of power,” the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) wrote in an official statement. African and European observers also reported statistical inconsistencies in the balloting.

President Julius Maada Bio carried the election for a second term in office by a narrow margin

Bio’s victory came as a surprise, what with soaring inflation, high rates of poverty and unemployment, and widespread food insecurity over the past year. Popular protests were met with a deadly state response. Polls have shown that 60 percent of Sierra Leonians believe their country is headed in the wrong direction, which led many to expect a decisive number of “change” votes in the June 24 general election. Few expected the incumbent to be re-elected in the first round, which required that he take over 55 percent of the votes cast. But as the votes were tallied, key logistical challenges were noted, such as the late delivery of election materials to polling centers and delayed opening of polling stations. Some cases of inadequate public communication from the Electoral Commission were noted, as were gaps in levels of transparency. Skirmishes, police arrests, and attacks on polling officials and political party agents further undermined the exercise. A confrontation between

Members of the African Union, West African Elders Forum, and Ecowas expressed dismay over inflammatory language being used on social media. A joint statement from the U.S., UK, Ireland, Germany, France, and the EU delegation went further. In the joint statement, they wrote: “We note that significant logistical problems hampered voting on election day in certain areas. We share the concerns of national and international observation missions about the lack of transparency in the tabulation process.”

However, the note ended with a positive spin: “Despite these difficulties, we remain committed to supporting democracy and the aspirations of the Sierra Leonean people. We urge everyone to exercise restraint, respect the rule of law,and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve disputes.”

This was Kamara’s second and possibly final run for the presidency. He sold himself as an economic czar, the candidate with the expe-

rience to fix the economy, which he believes has been poorly managed. An economist with the World Bank, the IMF, and as the country’s Minister of Finance, he promised to fix the economy. However, those with a longer memory recalled his brushes with the law.

Kamara faced allegations of fraud in dealings that led to the sales of the country’s shares in the mining company Sierra Rutile. His case was later referred to the country’s anti-graft body, the Anti-Corruption Commission, in what he and his party dismissed as a “witch hunt.”

Later, he and other former government officials were named in a $2.5 million corruption case involving a contract for Sierra Leone’s Chancery building in New York. The case focuses on his role in the deal as foreign affairs minister. After 18 months, the case has been adjourned to continue after the elections in July.

While both candidates served in the military junta under Valentine Strasser, known as the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), Bio

Francia Márquez Mina: The granddaughter returns

By JESÚS CHUCHO GARCÍA Special to the AmNews

Translated by KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

For the first time in the history of the Republic of Colombia, a woman of African origin—Francia Márquez Mina—was elected to serve as vice president. Millions of voters democratically supported her candidacy.

This is extraordinary: In one of the most racist countries of “Our America,” where the most retrograde, sexist, and racist bourgeoisie has traditionally governed, a Black woman reached the vice presidency by aligning herself with the Pacto Histórico political coalition, headed by Colombia’s current president, Gustavo Petro.

Francia’s second surname, Mina, indicates that she is a woman of African descent––an offspring of the African civilization in what is today the Republic of Togo. She is not an invention of the media or a ruling elite creation. She is the product of an ongoing struggle against the country’s extreme poverty, something that African descendants have been sub-

jected to since they were kidnapped from their mother continent.

Márquez Mina was born on Dec. 1, 1981, when Colombia was in a prolonged armed conflict against guerrilla armies. She was born in the town of Suarez in the Cauca region. Despite extreme poverty, she was able to study at the University of Santiago de Cali and graduated with a law degree. At the beginning of her struggles against the environmental destruction caused by mining, as well as the effects of Plan Colombia, which was destroying her native region’s ecological balance, Márquez Mina joined the Afro Colombian organization Procesos de Comunidades Negras (PCN), which was led by the activist Carlos Rosero.

The PCN has been working since the 1990s at the continental level with an agenda focused on combating racism, including African descendants in public policies, reparations, the promotion of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015–2024), and more.

This writer met Francia Márquez Mina in 2018 at the University of

Francia Márquez plants a tree in Kenya with Wanjira Mathai, daughter of Wangari Maathai (Norma Jackson photo)

Julius Maada (GIN photo)

Barron, city retirees temporarily win big in legal battle over Medicare coverage

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

A judge granted city retirees a temporary restraining order (TRO) last Friday, in their ongoing fight against Mayor Eric Adams’ new city Medicare contract. The city council has also introduced legislation in support of city retirees. Judge Lyle Frank of the New York County Supreme Court issued the TRO July 7, ruling that enough evidence was available to prove the new Medicare plan would violate city retiree rights.

“I urge you to support the municipal retirees just as this

judge has by supporting/signing on to the retiree bill that was introduced at the last stated meeting. These retirees deserve the support of the legislators who they have put into office in good faith expecting that they would act in their best interest,” said Council member Charles Barron in a statement.

Barron said the greatest reward for people who have served this city is the support needed to not make this about dollars and cents but about common sense healthcare coverage.

In April, Adams decided to ink a five-year plus contract

with Aetna to provide a Medicare Advantage plan for the city’s roughly 250,000 retirees, despite immense pushback from city retirees that wanted to keep their established

Victoria Hospitality LLC job fair

Apply in person to work with the Victoria Theater (233 W. 125th Street, Harlem, NY 10027) during the Victoria Hospitality LLC job fair. The event takes place July 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The theater is looking for restaurant/ bar servers, bartenders, bussers, line cooks, restaurant hosts, sous chefs, managers, and bookkeepers.

Anyone who cannot make it to the job fair can email their résumé to Jobs@ VictoriaTheaternyc.com.

healthcare benefits. The city claimed the new plan would save about $600 million.

The New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees

DA Bragg to indict in major finance fraud tied to Mayor Adams’ campaign

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

It’s possible that all is not well in City Hall. Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg announced last week the indictments of six people and a consulting company in connection with Mayor Eric Adams’ mayoral campaign back in 2021.

“We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to gain power. The indictment charges the defendants with subverting campaign finance laws by improperly structur-

ing campaign contributions,” said Bragg in a statement. “The New York City Campaign Finance Board program is meant to support our democracy and amplify the voices of New York City voters. When the integrity of that program is corrupted, all New Yorkers suffer.”

The group is accused of participating in a straw donor scheme, which means a person or entity illegally evaded campaign finance contribution limits. The defendants include Ecosafety Consultants Inc and Harlem’s retired Deputy Inspector Dwayne Montgomery, 64.

“New York City’s public matching funds program makes

Zinerman, Power Peace Walk

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Despite a drop in shooting incidents, statistically, across the city, each life lost can leave a significant hole within a community. Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman and Bedford Stuyvesant community members marched for peace last Friday, July 7, offering outreach.

The afternoon was hot and sticky. Zinerman and supporters loaded up on water bottles at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Center before heading out into the sun for the walk. The small group was clad in orange, the color for

gun violence prevention, and blowing whistles down Nostrand Avenue, Gates Avenue, and Marcus Garvey Blvd, and Marcy Avenue.

They handed out pamphlets QR codes with links to community and mental health services in an effort to get community members better connected to available resources. She said the goal was to share understanding with those on the ground in the community.

“All of us have a responsibility as members of this community to come out and try to touch another soul. We know that people are in pain,” said Zinerman.

She mentioned the recent

our local elections more open, transparent, and equitable. The work that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is doing to protect the matching funds

program from fraud and abuse is fundamental to its continued success,” said NYC Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) Press

For more info, use @Renaissancenewyorkharlem.

Brooklyn Boro Prez Reynoso launches Disability Pride Month

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Disability Unite launched Disability Pride Month on July 11 at Brooklyn Borough Hall. The event was a celebration of New Yorkers with disabilities and an opportunity to offer disability inclusivity training. Disability Unite (a.k.a. Uniting Disabled Individuals Inc., www.unitingdisabledindividuals.com) advocates for the disability community to be able to have accessibility for all. They will host the Disability Unite Festival on July 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in person at Central Park Naumburg Bandshell (Terrace Drive near W. 72nd Street) and online at www.DisabilityUnite. org. The event is a full day of musical performances, art activities, interactive installations, and local community organizations. The event will mark the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Black Winemakers Scholarship for fall 2023

The July 20 deadline is coming up for the Black Winemakers Scholarship Program, a merit-based scholarship created by the United Negro College Fund.

The scholarship is designed to support full-time African American juniors, seniors, or graduate students (M.S. and/or Ph.D.) attending any U.S. accredited, four-year or graduate college or university during the fall of 2023. The $10,000 scholarship is for African American students pursuing a science degree in viticulture and/or enology and similar science programs such as plant pathology.

For more information, visit the UNCF webpage at https://opportunities.uncf.org/s/ program-landing-page?id=a2i8Y00000B GymxQAD or contact wwilson@uncf.org. —Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

Photo of Council Member Charles Barron (William Alatriste via City Council Flickr photo)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams hosts and delivers remarks at his annual reception in honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Gracie Mansion. Thursday, June 29, 2023 (Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office)

Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman and community members post information about resources near a memorial for a gun violence victim in Bed–Stuy on July 7 (Ariama C. Long photo)

Biden and young voters

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Being ridiculed as “Mr. Magoo” (led by King Charles of England), the approval of cluster bombs to Ukraine’s defense forces, and a considerable number of dissatisfied young voters are increasingly gnawing concerns for President Biden’s re-election.

Younger voters should be grateful for Biden’s determination to relieve the student loan debt dilemma and support the presence of younger candidates for office across the country who are doing relatively well in down-ticket contests.

The real problem for Biden and the DNC is luring Gen Z and millennial voters away from the enticements of independents. Much of this conquest will

probably arrive with victories in the battleground states, particularly in Michigan, where actor and author Hill Harper has announced his senatorial bid. Harper has the kind of appeal, depending on his policies, that might resonate with younger voters since they know a bit about him, and he brings a fresh face of color to his candidacy.

Obviously, it will take much more than Harper to arouse the youthful turnout and secure their Democratic vote. Even so, a profusion of younger candidates, whether successful or not, could be a factor in stifling the GOP’s strategy to dwell on Biden’s age and competency. Such widespread activity, through youth groups and organizations, must be part of attracting new and younger voters.

Meanwhile, Biden has incurred the

wrath of Ukraine’s president for his comments that the war-torn nation is not ready for admittance to NATO. Biden explained his decision in an interview with CNN, noting that allowing Ukraine into NATO now would commit the organization against Russia. “We’re determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory,” Biden said. “It’s a commitment that we’ve all made, no matter what. If the war is going on, then we’re all at war. We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case.”

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy charged that by not allowing Ukraine to enter NATO, a window of opportunity is being left to bargain for Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia. He said that such a decision provides Russia with “motivation to continue its terror.”

BOE makes it official for Salaam

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

The votes are in…officially. Dr. Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, is the new council member-elect for Harlem’s District 9.

On Tuesday, election night for the June primary this year, the unofficial votes at the close of the polls already projected that Salaam would unseat Councilmember Kristin Jordan and beat out Assemblymembers Inez Dickens and Al Taylor.

Salaam needed over 50% to win, but as the night went on, the number capped at a tight 50.14%, according to the Board of Elections (BOE). After election night, the votes for him briefly dropped to 49.9%. That kicked off rounds of ranked-choice voting, which eliminates candidates until there’s one left.

After three rounds and 11,544 ballots counted to date (July 10), Salaam emerged victorious with 63.9% of the total votes.

Dickens was a solid runner-up with 36.1%; both Taylor and Jordan were eliminated in the last round.

“Many doubted us along the way, but this was a campaign based on change, and the voters overwhelmingly agreed with our vision for a better, stronger and more tolerant community. I would like to thank my family, friends, supporters, campaign staff, volunteers and everyone who believed in us. This is your victory,” said Salaam in a statement.

Salaam promised that as a council member he would always put Harlem first as “a son of Harlem.” He said that he would create affordable housing, lift up seniors, invest in better schools, and ensure the community is safe.

Meanwhile, the BOE has yet to call the race in East New York’s District 42 in Brooklyn. Though judging from the BOE election night results, candidate Chris Banks was the council member-elect with 50.54% of the total votes. Banks beat long-time Council member Charles Barron, who had 43.20% of the votes.

As of July 10, there were 6,177 votes counted. Banks’ lead has dropped down to 50.7%, Barron 42.6%, and candidate Jamilah Rose had 5.8%.

Barron, for one, appears pretty unbothered by the election results either way. He said that he was excited to put the extra time he will have into his nonprofit, Operation P.O.W.E.R. (People Organizing and Working for Empowerment and Respect), and truly hold the city council and city government accountable.

Amsterdam News reached out to Banks, but he did not respond with a comment by publication. A member of his team said they’re waiting for the BOE to officially call the race.

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.

Assemblymember Lucas on supporting the NY state reparations bill

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Establishing a New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies as actually becoming law is still in a waiting mode.

Passed in the state assembly as bill number A07691, the legislation awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

This was a polemical bill, authored by State Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, who chairs the assembly’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian

Legislative Caucus. The bill was not universally accepted, even by caucus members, until it was rewritten to specifically identify the community to receive reparations.

Assemblymember Nikki Lucas told the Amsterdam News that she was not initially willing to support Solages’s bill.

In an impassioned speech before the bill’s final vote, Lucas had declared: “It is essential to advocate for lineage-based reparations to ensure justice and equity for American Freedmen who are direct descendants of enslaved individuals in

the United States. Reparations should be targeted toward those who directly experienced harm and their descendants due to slavery and its enduring effects.”

Lucas felt Solages’s bill was not specific enough about specifying that the Community Commission would study ways to endorse reparations for the descendants of people who suffered chattel slavery and later Jim Crow discrimination in the United States.

Solages’s bill had to make clear that this was not going to be a reparations

Passaic River may be impacted by toxins

A July 9, 2023, Wall Street Journal article said that “AT&T, Verizon and other telecom giants have left behind a sprawling network of cables covered in toxic lead that stretches across the U.S., under the water, in the soil and on poles overhead…As the lead degrades, it is ending up in places where Americans live, work and play.”

One of the locations where these lead-covered telco cables can be found is in the Passaic River, which flows through Paterson (which, according to the U.S. Census, is 62.6% Latino and 24.7% Black) and Passaic (73.4% Latino, 49.0% white and 7.6% Black) and into Newark Bay, which leads into the state’s largest city, Newark (48.2% Black and 36.8% Latino).

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, New Jersey-based industries helped make the state a major powerhouse even as they discharged industrial waste into the Passaic River.

The Wall Street Journal conducted independent tests that found some sediment and soil lead levels measured 14.5 times the EPA threshold in areas where children play. “Doctors say that no amount of contact with lead is safe, whether ingested or inhaled, particularly for children’s physical and mental development,” the Journal noted.

“For many years, telecom companies have known about the lead-covered cables and the potential risks of exposure to their workers, according to documents and interviews with former employees. They were also aware that lead was potentially leaching into the environment, but haven’t meaningfully acted on potential health risks to the surrounding communities or made efforts to monitor the cables.”

Businesses affected by I-95 collapse can get help

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans to small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties that were affected by the June 11 collapse of I-95.

Local businesses can borrow up to $2 million, with interest rates on the loans set at 4% for businesses and 2.4% for nonprofit organizations. The filing deadline is March 29, 2024.

To apply, go to the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-6592955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-ofhearing), or email DisasterCustomerService@ sba.gov.

Piscataway’s ‘Concert in the Park’ summer series returns

The Piscataway Cultural Arts Commission’s 2023 “Concert in the Park” season starts up again Thursday, July 13, and will continue through August 17. Concerts will take place in the Columbus Park extension gazebo on Thursday nights

Mel Carter moves forward while looking back

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Special to the AmNews

Growing up, Mel Carter had a very loose connection to the concept of secure housing.

After immigrating to New York City from Port of Spain, Trinidad, his mother got sick, and his family fell on hard times. They often faced eviction.

“We got evicted when I was 14, when I was 15, when I was 16,” he recalled. It became the norm to only expect to stay in an apartment for a year, because his family knew they could only keep up with the bills for a few months and would soon have to search for a new place to stay.

Fast-forward to today and Carter is the founder of Second Estate Records, a label distributed by Warner Records. He is also part-owner of the Black-owned franchise development company Melanbo, which is set to acquire more than 32 Bojangles fast food franchises. He’s even co-hosting a new finance-based podcast called “Business Untitled” with two other business entrepreneurs: Mike Novogratz, founder of the technology-financial services firm Galaxy Digital, and real estate developer Dave Barry.

Carter occupies a world that’s almost completely different from what he knew growing up. When his mother sent for him

and his sister when he was 12, he was not eager to leave Port of Spain. “I remember crying a lot. That was when I was leaving my grandmom: I lived with my great-grandmother at the time; she was all I knew,” he said. “I remember just crying the night before––they had to drag me to the airport; I didn’t want to leave. I came up here [to NYC], and I was very unhappy.”

Adjusting to a new life in the U.S., dealing with his mother’s illness, facing homelessness, and later dropping out of high school in 10th grade was rough. But today, Carter is at peace with his past and excited about how far he has come financially. For that reason, he’s eager to share what he knows now.

“The reason I wanted to do this ‘Business Untitled’ podcast is because I’ve learned so much,” he said. His co-hosts are both billionaires––one was born into money, the other attended Princeton University on a scholarship. “I’m not a billionaire by any means, but the conversations we have are so powerful, and I’ve learned so much from them that I just wanted a way to have my community, and entrepreneurs and young kids, to hear these conversations. I wanted to open up my network to them as much as I possibly can, and I figured the best way to do that was to have this platform for a podcast.”

Carter is also teaming up with the young

real estate tycoons Steve and Daniel Manocherian to create affordable housing units. Working together, the three plan on creating Section 8 voucher-oriented affordable housing buildings that will feature free

onsite assistance for tenants. They have so far planned to construct one building in the Bronx and an 86-unit building in Brooklyn’s Far Rockaway.

Sure, constructing affordable housing is not going to make the three investors a ton of money, but Carter said, “It is very feasible to make a good living and still do a lot of good.”

Carter’s background was the inspiration for this project. “The idea came to me because of the things I went through,” he reflected. “...housing was probably one of the most traumatizing things for me when I was growing up—being evicted so many times. It’s something I always wanted to help [others] with. I never thought I would have an opportunity to help with it at all, but I met with one of my best friends, Steven Manocherian, who comes from a very, very prominent real estate family. We spoke about what I went through and how we [could] help, and we decided to get into affordable housing.

“My partners and I—we all have different outlets of making money, we all do pretty well. And if we’re not maximizing the profit from [affordable housing], it’s okay for us, because as long as we make money and we are still able to do good, we’re happy with that.”

The new housing units are expected to be completed by 2025.

Mel Carter is living a real-life rags-toriches story. Now, he’s moving forward while looking back.

Black New Yorker

NYPD boasts gun violence reduction, general crime decrease for second quarter review

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

Citywide shootings steadily declined for the past 13 weeks, reported Edward Caban, the acting NYPD commissioner, at a briefing on this year’s second quarter crime stats last Thursday, July 6. Gun violence is down by 12% compared to 2022, and the number of victims cratered by roughly a quarter.

“So far in 2023, nearly 200 fewer New Yorkers have been shot compared to the first six months of 2022,” said Caban. “Again, that is not just the number. These are hundreds of real people, hundreds of families who are spared the devastating impacts of gun violence. But again, until shootings are down 100%, we will never be satisfied with just numbers. One shooting victim is one too many.”

So what’s working for the NYPD?

Jeffrey Maddrey, the chief of department, credited a gameplan to target “hotspots” for police coverage, assigning more than 1,000 additional officers into these approximately 70 citywide “zones.”

Neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence—many with majority Black and brown populations—are seeing improvements in 2023. Year to date, there were 20 fewer shootings in bordering Brooklyn precincts 73rd and 75th, comprising Brownsville, Ocean Hill, East New York, and Cypress Hills. That’s more than a 30% de-

crease. There are also 65 fewer boroughwide shootings in The Bronx so far this year, roughly a 27% drop.

“We understand that each crime represents a potential grandfather, grandmother, mother, father, a child—each one with their own story,” said Maddrey. “And I’m proud to report that we have driven major crime down and shootings down in those deployment zones.”

Some of those represented were multiple minors hit by stray bullets throughout the recent Fourth of July weekend. This past Saturday, a 35-year-old deli co-owner

was fatally shot in a Staten Island robbery. And on the same day, a 25-year-old man allegedly carried out a shooting spree through Brooklyn and Queens on a scooter, leaving an 86-year-old grandfather dead and three other victims injured. The suspect allegedly fired at random people in at least two other incidents that day, according to police.

NYPD top cops also boasted reductions in five of the seven major categories this past year, which Caban credited to “focused intelligence-driven policing.”

But while index crime is down almost across the board as of last week, total crimes are actually up by a tiny margin, thanks to an explosion of carjackings and an uptick in felony assaults. But all other property crimes, along with murder and rape, are down this year.

An uptick of car thefts correlates with more youth arrests—according to Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri— 32% of those arrested for grand larceny of a vehicle are under age 18. He also noted a significant minority of robbery and gun-related arrests were also

Two die in DOC custody last week, including fourth Rikers-related death

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Felix Taveras is the fourthknown person to die in (or immediately after leaving) Rikers Island.

The 40-year-old was pronounced dead over the Fourth of July holiday after reporting a “medical condition.” He was held at the Anna M. Kross Center (AMKC) jail.

The NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) also revealed procedural violations were discovered while reviewing the death incident and plan to issue suspensions.

Ricky Howell, 60, died at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward—where male detainees receive long-term medical care— last Thursday, July 6. The Black New Yorker entered DOC custody with stage four cancer, where he ultimately but predictably spent

his final days. In April, Howell’s legal team said he was suffering from multiple infections and at

risk of more due to open wounds on his body. They also described his cancer as “advanced to the

Ultimately, the crime-fighting strategies boil down to more enforcement, including throughout the recent Fourth of July weekend when shootings were expected to be high.

“Look at the 10 shooting incidents. The NYPD was present for six out of those 10 incidents—not just there at that time, [but] we were there for hours policing very tough scenes,” said LiPetri. “Some of those scenes had hundreds of people present [and] with the hundreds of people present came fireworks, disorderly groups [and] quality of life conditions. And guess what? A lot of them had guns on them. So six out of ten were present. Can you imagine if we weren’t in the right areas?”

But while the NYPD maintains “precision policing” strategies to engage the “right” suspects, the department also handed out around 5,000 more criminal court summonses this past quarter. A few weeks ago, Amsterdam News reported Black and brown New Yorkers received roughly 85% of appearance tickets for low-level, non-fingerprintable offenses last year.

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

point that it is literally extruding from his body” due to protruding tumors.

“Last night, we learned that Ricky Howell, our former client, passed away from a terminal illness at Bellevue Hospital in the custody of the New York City Department of Correction,” wrote a Legal Aid Society spokesperson. “Mr. Howell was known for his kindness and charisma, and we are both saddened by his loss and angered by the collective indifference from the individuals who condemned Mr. Howell to live out his final days incarcerated rather than in the community.

“While we are heartened that Mr. Howell had a devoted care team at Bellevue Hospital who treated him with dignity and respect, the judges and prosecutors on Staten Island who vigorously fought to keep him jailed despite knowing full well his medical condition

and imminent death, and that he posed no threat to public safety, is truly disgraceful, callous, and devoid of any human decency.”

Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon fired back with his own statement, calling the comments a “mischaracterization” as Howell violated a plea agreement allowing him to spend his final days outside of prison while under the Intensive Supervision Program.

“We empathize with the family of Ricky Howell as they grieve his passing due to illness,” said McMahon. “The death of any New Yorker is a tragedy, however, the facts and history of Mr. Howell’s journey through the criminal justice system clearly show our office’s repeated efforts, and Mr. Howell’s repeated failures, to lead

Police in Harlem this past May. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office photo)

American flag flies at Rikers Island 9/11 memorial. (Tandy Lau photo)

stop thinking about owning a home?

What would you like the power to do?®

a lender credit. Program funds can only be used for nonrecurring closing costs including title insurance, recording fees, and in certain situations, discount points may be used to lower the interest rate. The grant cannot be applied toward down payment, prepaid items or recurring costs, such as property taxes and insurance. Borrowers cannot receive program funds as cash back.

3 Additional information about the Down Payment program: Down Payment program is available with one mortgage product. Program funds can be applied toward down payment only. Borrowers cannot receive program funds as cash back in excess of earnest money deposits. Down Payment Grant program may be considered taxable income, a 1099-MISC will be issued, consult with your tax advisor. May be combined with other offers. The Bank of America Down Payment Grant program may only be applied once to an eligible mortgage/property, regardless of the number of applicants. Homebuyer education is required.

4 Maximum income and loan amount limits apply. Fixed-rate mortgages (no cash out refinances), primary residences only. Certain property types are ineligible. Maximum loan-to-value (“LTV”) is 97%, and maximum combined LTV is 105%. For LTV >95%, any secondary financing must be from an approved Community Second Program. Homebuyer education may be required. Other restrictions apply.

America’s Home Grant, Bank of America Community Homeownership Commitment, Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender © 2023 Bank of America Corporation. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. MAP5718815 | BAAM0638100

Go with the Flo

It looks like Jamie Foxx’s ongoing recovery from his medical emergency back in April is going well. In his first public appearance since he was photographed on July 8 playing golf at Top Golf in Naperville, Florida, around 11 p.m. An eyewitness said the Oscar winner’s swing was strong. The Top Golf driving range is reportedly near the rehabilitation facility where Foxx has been recovering. The following day, the “They Cloned Tyrone” star was spotted aboard a boat traveling down the Chicago River. A source close to the Oscar-winning actor and his camp told People magazine that he is “doing great.” Said the source, “He is just taking it easy. He’s not really having any visitors or anything like that yet, but he’s doing really really well.” The sighting of Jamie on the boat in Chicago came as he tweeted for the first time in months. “Boat life. Celebrating summer with @brownsugarbbn. Stay blessed,” star wrote in a post, giving a shout-out to the flavored whiskey brand Brown Sugar Bourbon...

Mayor Eric Adams recently hosted New York Kids Fashion Weekend/The Art of Fashion. The event, which was produced by J. Love Fashion School of Etiquette Founder Jacqueline Love, made history with youth and disability models, and tbeing the first time that Love’s school presented a fashion show at Gracie Mansion. Love and her executive assistant, Athena Dent, presented Mayor Adams with an award. Other awardees included Taur Orange, who received a Proclamation for the Equal Opportunity Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Amirah Holmes, an 11-yearold up-and-coming designer, who has her own AQ Wear Collection and a Recognition Citation from the mayor. Artists who performed included Ja’Nae White aka Slay Baby

nae nae, Aleecya Forman, and Mr. Toni Lee. The evening was hosted by Sincere Quinones. An ever-expanding entrepreneur, Love is publishing a new magazine called Healthy Start that will be available soon...

Eugenia Foxworth, the recent past president (2021–2022) of the International Real Estate Federation for the United States (FIABCIUSA), is one of the sponsors of Real Estate in Action (a parallel event to the United Nations’ high-level political forum on sustainable development, happening in New York City from July 10–19) to be held at Fordham University at Lincoln Center on July 13. FIABCI was formed after World War II to help in reconstruction and rebuilding in many countries. Foxworth noted that the global efforts of FIABCI members in 70 countries across the span of the globe who work in 40 professions in the field of real estate have had an impact around the world…

Actor Hill Harper announced his first run for office on July 10, joining the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, according to multiple outlets. Most recently seen on ABC’s “The Good Doctor” as Dr. Marcus Andrews, the popular actor tweeted, “We can all feel it: D.C. just isn’t getting things done for people. We need representatives who’ll take on special interests, get money out of politics and make our government work for all of us. That’s why today, I”m announcing my campaign for [the] U.S. Senate in Michigan.” Aside from being an actor and author, Harper is also a Harvard Law School attorney. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a bachelor of arts degree and also has a master’s degree in Public administration from Harvard. He is the son of two doctors. He moved to Detroit in 2016 and is the owner of Detroit’s Roasting Plant coffee shop.

Big Man Entertainment honors Hip-Hop

To commemorate the 50 years of hip-hop, one of the founding groups—Big Man Entertainment LLC, and their CEO Kwasi Edge—

honored artists, models, and show promoters at their third annual ceremony, held at the office of Harlem’s outgoing City Councilmember Kris-

ten Richardson Jordan. Her staffer Robert Jackson made the presentation to David Hopper, Chase Williams, SidLocks, and Edge.

(Bill Moore photos)

NYC Edo Organization celebrates family and culture in Hempstead Lake State Park

By NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor

It was a very busy day in Long Island’s Hempstead Lake State Park Saturday, July 8th.

Nigerians in America representing the Edo Organization of New York celebrated themselves in the lovely park, which was the venue for a variety of groups including: African Americans hosting birthday parties, Hondurans, Southeast Asians, and Arab families enjoying food and games.

The Edo Organization hosted their annual picnic with families based in New York. Every year, the group brings homemade Nigerian dishes like jollof, iyan, dodo, roasted corn, assorted meats, and stew. With their president, Efe Okuns, and

secretary, Wahab Bello-Osagie, members meet monthly and talk weekly to further their mission to keep the Benin community functioning and growing. Members also celebrate students who have graduated from elementary, middle,high school, and college with a financial gift.

“We come together every year to celebrate our family, and our friends, and our culture. We eat food together, we laugh,” Henry Obadiaru, cofounder of the Edo Organization and one of its longest serving members, told the Amsterdam News. “We talk about politics and family, and how to strengthen our community together. And we encourage our youth as we remind ourselves that we are strong, proud Nigerians living in America.”

Written by David Goodson

Boxers Errol Spence, Terence Crawford, Jaron Ennis counting on their lethal uppercuts and crosses

When the ego-driven meaningless banter ceased and shifted to serious negotiations, the boxing world shook so hard that the news vibrated into the general sports world and slowly onto the radar of the mainstream. This is exactly what the sport wants and needs when they need it most. Two of the top five fighters in the world—generational talents, in fact, locking horns to see who is the absolute best pound-forpound fighter in the world.

Sounds good in theory, but a few valid questions have arisen to thicken the plot.

First, why did it take so long? While they’re still top fighters, they may be a tad bit past their prime. As good as this match is gonna be, a few years ago— oohhh, boy!

That leads to the next thought that’s gaining momentum: Whoever wins this fight may possess bragging rights, but in all reality, they might be the secondbest fighter in the welterweight division.

Jaron Ennis is making a strong contention to rule the weight class, whether the Champions vacate or not. His claim to be the future monarch of the division was bolstered by his dominant defense of his interim IBF welterweight title with a 10th-round TKO over tough-as-nails 147pound contender Roiman Villa in the SHOWTIME main event Saturday night from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The event was presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Stiff jabs from the orthodox and southpaw stances went from being defensive tactics to punishing precursors for lethal uppercuts and crosses from either hand. Ennis wobbled Villa several times throughout the bout before recording the stoppage at 1:27 into the 10th round. “My performance was good,” Ennis said on the night. “I could have listened to my corner a little more. My dad wanted me to throw more body shots and give him more angles and not stand in front of him. I was getting hit with shots I wasn’t supposed to get hit with. I appreciate Villa taking this fight. Hats

off to him and his family. I appreciate him for coming in and being a warrior.”

Ennis hopes other warriors will follow suit. He dominated the CompuBox stats, including a 164-57 edge in power shots, and stated his intention to stay active against the top fighters in the star-studded welterweight division. “I want the winner of Errol Spence and Terence Crawford,” he said. “Let’s make it happen. I’ll take on Eimantas Stanionis in a heartbeat. I want to get into the ring one more time before the end of the year to make it three fights. Stanionis, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas, all the top guys out there—let’s make these fights happen.”

The statement victory has all the requisite tools for a dominant reign as world champion when the dust settles after the July 29 Spence vs. Crawford tussle concludes. To put it in hip-hop parlance, the Philadelphia native possess the lethally ambidextrous precision of DJ Jazzy Jeff, the youthful exuberance of Meek Mill, the charismatic cockiness of Gilie Da Kid, and Black Thought’s versatility, with the forceful bruiser persona of Beanie Siegel. Time will tell if he has the platinum box office appeal of Will Smith, but if he fulfills his potential, we’ll have the honor of watching the career unfold of another all-time great. Over and out. Holla next week. ’Til then, enjoy the nightlife.

Errol Spence and Terence Crawford (David Goodson photo)

(Nayaba Arinde photos)

Union Matters

Threats of a strike heating up even before UAW begins negotiations with automakers

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer

Whenever the United Auto Workers union begins negotiating a new contract with Detroit’s three automakers, threats of a strike are typically heard on the floor of the old Chrysler transmission plant in Kokomo, Indiana.

This year, the talk is a little louder.

Besides the usual haggling over wages, pensions, and health care, the union has set its sights on a more consequential goal: It is determined to secure a foothold in the joint-venture plants that will manufacture electric vehicle batteries in the years and likely decades ahead.

As the industry undergoes a historic transition from internal combustion engines to EVs, the automakers will likely need many thousands of workers to staff electric-battery plants. The UAW, representing 146,000 employees of the automakers, sees this year’s contract as a crucial opportunity to ensure representation in the industry’s jobs of the future.

“I’ve got almost 30 years in, and this contract seems a little different,” said Michael Hunter, a tool inspector who fixes gauges on the Kokomo plant’s equipment. “I think it’s a very strong possibility of a strike.”

Contract talks will begin this week between the union and two of the automakers, Ford and Stellantis, a company that was formed from the 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot. Negotiations with the largest U.S. automaker, General Motors, will start next week.

At the union’s behest, gone is the traditional friendly handshake between UAW bargainers and auto executives, a sign that the talks will be even more contentious than usual. Four-year contracts between the union and the companies will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14.

The negotiations will be the first big test for Shawn Fain, who took office this year as the first UAW president to be chosen by a direct vote of members. Fain, who himself began his career in Kokomo—

as an electrician at a Chrysler metal casting plant—has laid the groundwork for the union’s position: He has said the UAW will seek general pay raises, the elimination of wage tiers and the restoration of cost-of-living pay and pensions for new hires that were eliminated years ago when the automakers were struggling financially.

He also wants to halt any plant closings in the wake of Stellantis’ plan to shutter a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, to cut costs. But paramount to Fain is getting a foot in the door at battery plants and then securing wages that exceed the top assembly-line wage of $32 an hour now paid at UAW-represented plants.

“A new industry is being born,” Fain said in a video message to UAW members. “This is our defining moment. Our communities and our country deserve good, safe, living-wage union jobs.”

All three automakers have announced plans to build jointventure factories with battery companies, in Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Once gas-powered vehicles are phased out, the union sees these plants as places where the automakers will move thousands of workers who now make engines and transmissions. Industry analysts expect EV sales to surge from 7% of U.S.

new-vehicle sales to about 40% by 2030.

Workers who now assemble vehicles may also need other places to work, and some might lose their jobs altogether. Because EVs are simpler to build, it takes as many as 40% fewer workers to produce them.

Harley Shaiken, a professor emeritus specializing in labor at the University of California Berkeley, suggested that the industry is undergoing a seismic shift akin to the introduction of the moving assembly line, with new competitors and huge capital outlays for electric vehicles.

The companies, he noted, are investing billions while initially losing money on EVs. At the same time, the continuing work on combustion engines is paying the bills. Although the automakers clearly don’t want a strike, Shaiken said, they’re determined to contain battery costs, including wages, to remain competitive with nonunion companies.

“They are likely to take a hard line on key issues like the battery plants and the other issues, like getting rid of second-tier wages,” he said.

Already, workers have voted to join the union at GM’s Ultium Cells plant near Warren, Ohio, a joint venture with LG Energy Solution. But the union says the plant

labor costs that are uncompetitive,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Masters suggested that Fain will have to navigate a lot of “crosscurrents” in the union after having been elected in March in the aftermath of a federal bribery and embezzlement scandal that ensnared multiple union leaders. Workers in some other industries have won big contracts, at times rejecting agreements negotiated by their leaders.

is paying just $16.50 per hour to start, with a top wage of about $20 after seven years. That’s far lower than UAW production workers make. Contract negotiations at the plant are already under way.

“That is a race to the bottom,” Fain said of the pay. “These should be higher wages than our production standards, not lower.”

Ahead of the talks, Fain’s messaging has been much more combative than in years past, when union leaders generally avoided speculating about strikes. Seeking to place the burden on the automakers, Fain has argued that any strike would ultimately be caused by the companies themselves, which collectively generated net income of more than $164 billion over the past decade. Last month, Fain suggested that workers were in a position to score major gains “but only if our members get organized and are ready to strike.”

The companies generally contend that their wages, profit sharing, health care, and other benefits are the best in the industry. In addition, executives have argued that they’re under huge financial pressure to develop electric vehicles and to pay billions for EV and battery factories.

“What the companies are not going to want to do is to, in the electrification facilities that they’re developing, have to pay

“I think that regardless of who was at the helm at this round of negotiations, there is a distinct probability of a strike just simply given the difficulty of resolving the issues in dispute,” Masters said. Given the expectations of UAW members, Fain will be under pressure to deliver on the issues he has raised. Yet the companies won’t give in to everything, Masters said.

“What might be possible is to grant some of them and do what you can do to protect job security and the internal combustion part of the companies’ operations at the present time so that the transition to electrification is less painful,” he said.

Some workers say they fear that Fain might have over-promised. If so, Masters says that could cost him when he’s up for re-election in three years.

In Kokomo, Hunter argued that what Fain wants is reasonable because workers gave up so much to keep the companies afloat in 2009, after the financial crisis nearly flattened the industry and forced the government to bail out GM and Chrysler.

Andrea Repasky, who works in the body shop of GM’s pickup truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, noted that wages haven’t risen much in the past decade. She doesn’t think the union will get everything back in one contract. But she’s hoping for a significant raise, cost-of-living increases, and an end to the wage tiers.

“I would probably say that they’re going to have to maybe meet us halfway,” she said of GM. “Because we really gave up a lot to keep the company afloat.”

(AP Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast)

Reparations and marijuana

Well, glory be!

Eligible Black residents in Evanston, Illinois, have begun receiving reparations payments. In 2019, the city committed to spending $10 million on local reparations over a 10-year period.

Black residents have begun receiving down payment housing grants of $25,000 for repairs or existing mortgages in an effort to atone for the city’s racist housing practices in the past.

Evanston, a suburb 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, will fund the allotments from a 3% tax on the sale of recreational marijuana and a real estate transfer tax on properties worth over $1 million when they are sold. Thus far, according to city officials, more than $1.1 million in revenue has been generated.

An Evanston city manager told the press that 48 recipients are currently eligible to receive payments, with 16 already in possession of their payments. To qualify for the grants, residents must have lived in the city between 1919 and 1969, and been victims of housing discrimination or the direct descendant of a Black person who fulfilled those criteria.

How this success will appear across the country will be closely watched, although it’s sure to take different forms and outcomes if similar plans are developed.

Emulation of Evanston’s strategy would include beginning with a thorough understanding of a city’s history, particularly where racism and discriminatory actions played critical roles in denying opportunities to Black residents.

In effect, Evanston has taken a decisive step in advancing the push for reparations, which is sure to give additional impetus to other programs in motion, such as the one in California.

How do you feel about weed revenue?

Higher education is still attainable for African Americans—despite the Supreme Court

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

If you are Black like me, struggles and hardships have always been a part of your life. It is just never easy for us. That is why our achievements and accomplishments are so gratifying.

Hard work, determination, and resolve have been hallmarks of our lives. That is what the African American experience is and has always been.

We hear the term, “against all odds.” That longstanding and venerable expression belongs to us. While we didn’t coin the phrase, it certainly is a part of our life story.

Our pathway to greatness has been steeped and solidified in our core values. One of our long-held beliefs is the importance of education.

Having a good education has been an ancestral attribute. Black families understood early on the importance of “book learning.” They knew once we had it that it couldn’t be taken away from us.

My parents gave me a daily dose about the importance of education and how it could improve the quality of my life. Your possessions did not matter as much as that you possessed an education.

Old-school parents realized that possessions were fleeting but an education was permanent.

More African Americans are attending college today, yet the numbers must improve. According to reports, in 2021,

there were around 2.7 million African Americans attending college. We made up 15.7% of those enrolled in higher education. We can do better, and we must do better.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a specific basis for granting admission. Affirmative action as we know it has been sidelined and sidetracked.

Some would say that we have become even more marginalized when it comes to getting a higher education. Critics have weighed in, saying that our quest for higher education has been severely damaged. Even President Biden has decried the Court’s decision. “In case after case, including recently, just as a few years ago in 2016, the Court affirmed and reaffirmed this view: that colleges could use race not as a determinative factor for admission, but as one of the factors among many in deciding who to admit from an already qualified pool of applicants,” the President said in a speech. Now colleges are going to determine what to do about building diverse student bodies.

One strategy already being discussed is having applicants write more about their backgrounds in their college essays. There is great merit in that approach so we will see if it works.

As affirmative action is being discussed and debated, HBCUs have grown in popularity. These schools were established be-

cause African Americans could not attend white colleges.

I graduated from Johnson C. Smith University, an HBCU located in Charlotte, North Carolina. I have always valued and cherished my education there because my university gave me the confidence to aspire towards my goals. I suspect if you attended an HBCU, you would echo my sentiments.

With the Supreme Court’s ruling, I believe it will require a few strategic moves for African American students and HBCUs. First, African American students will need to be more intentional in looking for HBCUs to attend. They should visit campus and find out more about program offerings and campus life.

For HBCUs, it means developing new programs and enhancing existing ones. HBCUs are not just competing against themselves, but also against PWIs, or predominantly-white institutions.

Students of color should not have a woe as me mindset, but in a wow as me mindset because of the opportunities that await them.

The decision by the Supreme Court, while disheartening, will only be an educational detour, not an educational roadblock.

James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D., is a youth advocate, consultant, author and president emeritus of the Teen Mentoring Committee (TMC) of Ohio.

What is on the horizon? Fascism

By KAMAU BROWN

delivered the following decisions:

1. Striking down affirmative action

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

Member

Audited

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

We live in an era of dying capitalism and must understand what that means for all our lives. The recent rulings of the United States Supreme Court are clear signs that the forces of fascism—the most right-wing sector of the ruling class—have accelerated a naked power grab to consolidate an iron rule over the country. While the conditions and quality of life deteriorate for the masses of people, the Supreme Court has

2. Granting businesses the right to openly refuse services to those whom they disagree with based on self-perceived beliefs

3. Denial of a Student Loan Forgiveness program for millions of working class people.

These recent edicts from the court, on top of their prior rulings against voting rights and abortion rights, prove that the rights we fought hard for and collectively won can be ruled null and void by a body of nine unelected “Justices.” They

are making what is legal — illegal.

This is clear evidence that the real rulers of this system have declared open warfare on the masses of this society in this fictitious land of Freedom, Liberty, and Democracy.

I encourage anyone reading this who has fought consistently for true human rights, equality and freedoms to join the December 12th Movement in the effort to organize for the coming fight against Fascism here. They can be reached at 718398-1766 or D12M@aol.com.

Kamau Brown is a member of the December 12th Movement and has a lifelong history of defense of Black people’s human rights.

Smoke, mirrors, and justice

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

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

In its recently concluded term, the Supreme Court found itself in a storm of consequential cases, overturning precedents and taking controversial stances that shifted society and upheld constitutional values. Democrats have, in reaction, decried the Supreme Court, framing it as a rogue entity—a politicized institution that has lost its credibility. They lament what they perceive as a transformation for the worse. Yet, the truth is far more disturbing.

The truth is that the Supreme Court has remained practically unchanged. The only thing that has changed is the lengths to which the media is willing to go to lie to sway public opinion.

Venture onto social media platforms, peruse the pages of newspapers, tune into the cacophony of news cycles, and it’s challenging to find any incisive, in-depth analysis of these groundbreaking cases. Instead, the terrain is riddled with pundits and journalists spouting punchy one-liners, engrossed in a relentless campaign to persuade their audience that the Supreme Court has faltered in its decision-making and become nothing more than another branch of our legislature.

Today’s media landscape is marked by an audacious deception, fueled by an agenda to skew public opinion and subtly undermine the foundational principles that undergird our nation. Regrettably, and perhaps unsurprisingly, this often finds its mark. It taps into a flaw in our brains, one that favors apparent experts and short, easily digestible sound bites over complex, lengthy legal dissertations.

After all, even if the populace were inclined to pore over the court’s dense 40-plus-page opinions, can we realistically expect millions to grasp the nuanced labyrinth of legal precedent, or even the bare-bone fundamentals of the legal process and the Constitution? It’s challenging for lawyers who have spent their careers studying these topics to understand them, so how could anybody else do so—or even find the time to do so? It is this inherent impossibility that the media

Have you planned your estate?

capitalizes on to mislead the public.

Take, for instance, the 303 Creative case, which posited that the government cannot compel a business engaging in expressive activity—in this case, website design—to produce speech that contradicts its principles. This reaffirms a centuries-old First Amendment tenet: that the government cannot coerce speech. We’re not talking about a person selling doughnuts or toys; we’re talking about speech. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find liberal pundits commending the Supreme Court for safeguarding people from the slippery slope of government-compelled speech. Instead, you’ll encounter them levying outrageous claims, asserting the Supreme Court has given discrimination its legal seal of approval.

Sadly, even the vice president of the United States put out a misleading statement, saying, “When you walk into a restaurant, hotel, or any business open to the public, you are entitled to be served free from discrimination.” This misunderstands the case’s holding entirely, and ensures that there is more fodder for media outlets and influences to peddle the misinformation that it is now open season for discrimination. Would a Democrat endorse being obligated to produce art featuring a Confederate flag for a Southern wedding?

Consider, too, the affirmative action case that questioned whether there was a compelling justification for discrimination in college admissions.

The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action was firmly rooted in historical precedents, clearly citing past cases where justices from both ends of the ideological spectrum plainly stated that discrimination in college admissions is “dangerous,” but ultimately allowing it temporarily—and only temporarily. The media, nonetheless, constructed a narrative framing the decision as an affront to Blacks and all those who have been burdened by racism. The reports became all about what the decision will do, but not why the decision

was made. The media took pains not to state legitimate alternatives, such as using a person’s actual hardships in determining whether they should get a boost. The court made one of the most powerful arguments against affirmative action ever made public, yet it was entirely overlooked.

Then there was the Biden executive order case, involving a staggering $400 billion in loan cancellations. The conservative justices were portrayed as attacking the debt-ridden 40 million borrowers from their ivory towers. Misleadingly, the media linked the policy arguments of Republicans to the Supreme Court’s ruling, despite the fact that these arguments were not featured in the case. The media consistently omitted the ruling’s rationale, the significance of the tripartite branches of government, and how Congress should operate when an agency lacks statutory authority. They missed the primary reasoning: that the phrases “modify or waive” did not equate to “completely rewrite,” as the court stated. It’s truly sad that the court’s reasoning was just that simple and still not what was reported.

A Supreme Court case represents more than a mere judgment. It’s the culmination of rigorous investigation, involving hearing arguments from all sides and crafting comprehensive, reasoned opinions to substantiate their conclusions. These complex narratives shouldn’t be discarded or simplified to a pithy one-liner; they are worthy of far more. These judgments contain more substance than any pundit’s commentary; commentary that relies on preconceived notions of truth rather than a diligent reading of the case. The true fix that the Supreme Court needs is how it educates the public. The court always writes first, but its actual words are always heard last—if ever at all.

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 recently met with a lawyer to talk about my “estate.” I had been putting off the conversation for years because I didn’t think I needed to make an immediate plan for my things. However, upon reflecting on how one’s health can change rapidly due to COVID19 or other circumstances, I thought I should speak to someone about financially securing my assets. I wanted to speak to a professional about making a will, finding out the difference between a will and a trust, and getting paperwork completed that would leave my hard-earned money to the ones I love. Part of making sure your money and assets go to your intended loved ones, and are not lost to the government or banking institutions, depends on whether or not you clearly state your intentions. Each year, millions of dollars leave the Black community because people have not made wills or discussed their pensions, bank accounts, mortgages, or other assets with family members, and their financial assets go unclaimed. Many people, regardless of racial background, do not like to discuss death. It’s an uncomfortable topic that makes some people superstitious, others depressed, and a large swath frightened. However, if we do not discuss the inevitable, we may be exposing our family members to great financial turmoil, debt, and loss of money that should and could stay in the family. By no means do I have Oprah Winfrey levels of money, nor

do I have a fancy investment banker’s salary. However, I do know that I have worked very hard for my savings and 401k and would hate to see it sit in a bank account unclaimed due to lack of communication with my family about my affairs. We have seen far too many families fight over beloved objects or property solely because the deceased’s wishes were never made clear. In order to decrease the stress on your loved ones, a simple conversation with an estate planner can help you put to paper your wishes or, at the very least, designate the person in charge of handling things when you are no longer here. Do you plan on leaving money to your religious institution, alma mater, favorite charity, or dear friend? All of these things need to be known—and written down. We have all heard stories about the lack of generational wealth within the Black community and some of that dissolution of wealth stems from a lack of clear communication about assets and wishes. These are hard conversations to have, but they are worth having. It is my hope that you will give yourself a small amount of time to get your affairs in some sort of order if you have not done so already.

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.

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

Caribbean Update

U.S. more engaged with Caribbean in living memory

By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

Four months ago, several American military generals had complained to Congress about China’s growing diplomatic and economic march into the Caribbean and South America, warning the power players in Washington to pay greater attention to its own backyard and soft underbelly.

The generals had pointed to the billions China is prepared to spend to win friends and influence people in the Americas as they urged the U.S. to counter China’s well structured and determined march into the Americas.

“We’ve got to pay more attention to this region. The proximity matters. They are on the 20-yard line of our homeland. We are in a neighborhood, these are our neighbors, and we have got to pay attention to them,” U.S. Southern Commander General Laura Richardson told lawmakers at a session back in March. “The People’s Republic of China has the capability and intent to eschew international norms, advance its brand of authoritarianism, and amass power and influence at the expense of these democracies. The PRC has expanded its ability to extract resourc-

es, establish ports, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities, the most space facilities in any combatant command region.”

But even though the U.S. has not been making much noise about waking up to China’s ambitions in the hemisphere, its string of recent high-level engagements with the Caribbean, the 15-nation single trading block known as Caricom, has won praise from the grouping. Leaders say that it appears that the region is finally getting the type of attention it needs from the superpower to the north.

“We are at the moment engaged with the U.S. in a way we have not before. That is the first hurdle we had to cross,” said Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley as he hosted leaders to a summit marking 50 years as an integration movement last week.

The region had in recent decades complained about the neglect of the Caribbean as Washington had placed greater focus on the Middle East and Asia and Afghanistan. In recent months, Vice President Kamla Harris has swung through the region, holding meetings with a slew of Caribbean heads of government in The Bahamas as recently as last month, just

weeks before the regional presidents and prime ministers held their own summit in Trinidad. Additionally, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken returned to Washington just last Thursday after attending the Caricom summit in Trinidad and flying to neighboring Guyana for a fivehour visit to the world’s newest oil producer and exporter and soon-to-be the country with the highest per capita producer in the world in less than a decade. Attending the summit as well were Minority House Leader Hakeen Jeffries and a number of U.S. congressmen, a development several leaders noted is proof that that the U.S. is indeed paying greater attention to the Caribbean.

But an interesting point was made regarding China’s march on the Americas, the Caribbean in particular. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali made it clear that the country had found it hard to attract U.S. business interest in recent decades but this is changing now even while a number of Chinese companies bid for any and almost every major project the government puts out to tender.

“We are a partner with many countries, and China is one of our development partners. China has a huge footprint globally, and China––the Chinese company are very aggres-

sive in the way they do business. They go after opportunity, and that aggression is now being replicated by investors from different parts of the world here in Guyana. I said before publicly that the aggression from the U.S. private sector was not there in terms of going after the opportunities, but as a result of the strong bilateral relationship over the last two years and setting that tone and creating that policy environment and building that trust, we have seen a complete change from the U.S. private sector. And this is as a result of both countries at the policy level saying to the private sector, saying to the investors: There is the opportunity; we are welcoming that opportunity. And that has created a positive shift. More and more investment is coming from the U.S,” Ali said, sharing a press conference with Secretary Blinken.

He also noted that EximBank of the U.S. is providing US$2 billion in financing for projects in Guyana, as he announced that U.S. foreign direct investment in Guyana now stands at $4.2 billion. “This is the highest in history. And if you look at the investment from different countries, this is the highest investment over the last two years,” he said as Blinken looked on.

Weekly Immigration Digest: Five essential news updates you can use

improperly being released from detention. The legal challenge came as Florida’s draconian immigration law became effective on July 1—which will undoubtedly exacerbate the state’s labor shortage while doing nothing to fix the plight of illegal immigration.

2: That Florida license ban

applications on their behalf.

5: USCIS updates

Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of immigration news can be challenging. To help you stay informed, here are five essential headlines from the past week to stay up to date with the latest developments and important stories in the world of immigration.

1: Biden administration vs. Death Santis

As Florida Governor Ron Death Santis runs around playing God, the Biden administration thinks it has a leg to stand on when it comes to Ron’s legal challenge to federal immigration policies.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys last week filed a 41-page brief that focused, in part, on a June 23 Supreme Court decision that tossed out a challenge to immigration policies by Texas and Louisiana. The Supreme Court said Texas and Louisiana did not have legal standing—a key initial test that must be met in lawsuits.

Last week’s brief said the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should similarly find that Florida does not have standing to challenge policies that Ron and state Attorney General Ashley Moody claim have led to migrants

Florida’s new immigration law, meanwhile, also bans driver’s licenses for immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent residency status. Ron Death Santis announced last week that licenses from Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont are now no longer valid in Florida.

Death Santis, along with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, created the list of invalid licenses as part of the newly implemented Senate Bill 1718, which includes five states.

3: New U.S. route to migration

The Biden administration says it will soon open a new immigration program to allow some Central Americans and Colombians to enter the U.S. legally.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiative formally began on July 10 and will allow eligible migrants from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to fly to the U.S. and gain government work permits if they have relatives who are U.S. citizens or legal residents and have filed visa

To qualify for the program, migrants must have U.S. ties. The process starts with U.S. citizens or permanent residents filing immigrant visa requests on behalf of relatives from these four countries. Qualifying family members include adult children and siblings of U.S. citizens, and children and spouses of permanent residents.

4: Dutch government collapses over immigration policy

The Dutch government collapsed on Friday, July 7, after failing to reach a deal on restricting immigration. This will now require new elections in the fall.

The crisis was triggered by a push by Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party to limit the flow of asylum seekers to the Netherlands, which two members of his four-party government coalition refused to support. Tensions came to a head when Rutte demanded support for a proposal to limit entrance of children of war refugees who are already in the Netherlands and to make families wait at least two years before they can be united.

This latest proposal went too far for the small Christian Union and liberal D66, causing a stalemate. Rutte’s coalition will, however, stay on as a caretaker government until a new administration is formed after new elections, a process that, in the fractured Dutch political landscape, usually takes months.

The U.S. citizenship test is being updated. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed that the new test add a speaking section to assess English-language skills. An officer would show photos of ordinary scenarios—such as daily activities, weather conditions, or food—and ask the applicant to verbally describe the photos.

The naturalization test is one of the final steps toward citizenship, a months-long process that requires legal permanent residency for years before applying. Some immigrants and advocates worry the changes will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English proficiency.

USCIS has also launched a new self-service tool allowing benefit requestors, and their attorneys and accredited representatives, to reschedule most biometric services appointments before the date of the appointment. With this new tool, individuals who have or create a USCIS online account can reschedule most requests for biometric services appointments without having to call the Contact Center. The new tool, however, cannot be used to reschedule an appointment that already has been rescheduled two or more times, is within 12 hours, or that has already passed.

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

YOUR DONATION TO THE BLACKLIGHT INVESTIGATIVE UNIT, VIA THE LOCAL MEDIA FOUNDATION, WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT THIS JOURNALISM.

Affordable Housing for Rent

The Ridgewood

40 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 1607 Woodbine Street, Ridgewood, NY

11385

Incentives: 1-month free rent on one or two year lease.

Amenities: Valet parking*, bike storage lockers*, indoor/outdoor gym area*, resident lounge*, business center/coworking space*, rooftop terrace (available for private use)*, virtual doorman services, package room, elevator. PetFriendly building**

*Amenities fees apply **Some breed restrictions may apply. Deposits may apply

Transit: Trains: L, M Buses: Q55, Q58, B52, B54, B58, B13.

No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: https://housingconnect.nyc.gov

This building is anticipated to receive a Tax Exemption through the 421a Tax Incentive program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Who Should Apply?

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

AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME REQUIREMENTS

1 Tenant responsible for electricity, including electric heat.

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

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

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

How Do You Apply?

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: MGNY Consulting, C/O The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003 Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than September 11, 2023. Late applications will not be considered.

What Happens After You Submit an Application?

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

Español Presente una solicitud en línea en https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: MGNY Consulting, c/o the Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de 11 de septiembre 2023

SCAN the QR Code to donate.

Or TEXT “blacklight” to (202) 858-1233

https://amsterdamnews.com/blacklight-donate/

The Local Media Foundation/New York Amsterdam News Blacklight Project will shine a light on the problems plaguing our communities and highlight solutions. Donations to the Local Media Foundation for this project are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for contributions. Please consult a tax advisor for details. The program is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with the Local Media Association.

简体中文 访问https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送至：MGNY Consulting, c/o The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003 信封背面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日 期之前在线提交申请或邮寄书面申请 2023年 9月11

Русский Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: https://housingconnect nyc gov/PublicWeb/. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу MGNY Consulting, c/o The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее 11 сентябрь 2023

한국어 https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를MGNY Consulting, c/o The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003으로 보내주십시오 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오 2023년9월11일 까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이 찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다

Kreyòl Ayisyien

Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: MGNY Consulting, c/o The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt

ou dwe

2023 Polskie Aby złożyć wniosek online, przejdź na stronę https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Aby uzyskać polskie tłumaczenie tego powiadomienia oraz wniosek w wersji wydrukowanej, wyślij kopertę z własnym adresem: MGNY Consulting, c/o The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Wpisz słowo „POLISH” w j. angielskim na odwrocie koperty. Wnioski muszą posiadać stempel pocztowy lub zostać przesłane online nie później niż 11 wrzesień 2023 Français Pour déposer votre demande en ligne, rendez-vous sur le site https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pour recevoir une traduction en français de cet avis ainsi qu’un dossier de demande papier, envoyez une enveloppe libellée à votre nom et votre adresse à l’a dresse suivante : MGNY Consulting, c/o The Ridgewood, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Inscrivez le mot « FRENCH » au dos de l’enveloppe. Les demandes doivent être envoyées par la poste ou soumises en ligne au plus tard le 11 septembre 2023, le cachet de la poste faisant foi.

Medicaid and CHIP help families access mental health services for kids

Care.gov to find quality plans and help with paying costs.

What types of services are covered through Medicaid and CHIP?

To help care for all parts of a child’s health, Medicaid and CHIP also cover routine healthcare visits, like preventive care, dental and vision checkups, specialist visits, physical, speech and occupational therapies, and emergency services. These programs also cover a wide range of mental health and substance use services, such as counseling, peer support services, inpatient psychiatric services, and case management services for needed medical, educational, and social services. Services are covered through Medicaid for children and teens up to age 21 and through CHIP up to age 19.

The state of mental health among youth continues to be of public concern. According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey, youth mental health problems have increased significantly over the past decade, reaching an all-time high. For instance, from 2011 to 2021, the rate of female high school students saying they feel sad or hopeless increased from 36% to 57%; for male students, this rate increased from 21% to 29%.

Stressors at school, home or elsewhere can cause mental health disorders to arise, leading

to negative effects on how children learn and build relationships with others. If your child may need mental health support and doesn’t currently have health coverage, you have options. Free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offers many benefits, including doctor’s visits, prescriptions, emergencies, and coverage for behavioral health services, including mental health services through pediatricians, mental health professionals, local community providers and organizations, and school systems. People

who are pregnant or postpartum may also be eligible for this health coverage and mental and behavioral health services.

Who qualifies for Medicaid or CHIP?

Eligibility varies by state and is determined by how many people are in a household and household income. For instance, in most states, a family of four with household income up to $60,000 per year may qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, or both.

To learn more about state-specific options, visit InsureKidsNow. gov or call 1-877-KIDS-NOW. En-

rollment is open year-round.

What if my child currently has Medicaid or CHIP coverage?

Medicaid and CHIP coverage must be renewed annually. If you or your children have Medicaid or CHIP, it’s time to pay attention to your health coverage. Keep an eye on the mail for renewal information from your state. When it comes, complete the forms and send them back right away—failure or delay in responding can result in you losing coverage, even if you are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. If you lose coverage, go to Health

States have flexibility to determine if services may be delivered using telehealth. These services are necessary to prevent, diagnose, and treat a broad range of mental health symptoms and disorders, as well as substance use disorders. Caring for mental health is caring for overall health. Early detection and intervention of mental health and substance use issues are crucial to the overall health of kids, teens, and people during and after pregnancy, and may reduce or eliminate the effects if a condition is detected and treated early. Take the time today to explore coverage options through Medicaid and CHIP.

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human

((c) SeventyFour / iStock via Getty Images Plus photo)

Arts & Entertainment

“Aerosol Alchemy” on display at Yard Work Gallery

By DJ CRYSTAL CLEAR Special to the AmNews

I checked out a new exhibit of artwork by the artist DOC TC5 at the legendary Yard Work Gallery in the basement level at 367 West 35th Street in Manhattan last Saturday, and was immediately enveloped in a world of vibrant colors, bold strokes, and raw emotions.

The artist’s style was evident in every piece displayed. From the intricate details to the masterful layering of colors, use of collage and mixed media, each artwork exuded a sense of energy, fun, and a little rebellion. The artist’s ability to blend street art with fine art techniques was truly awe-inspiring.

The gallery was thoughtfully curated, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in TC5’s world. The use of different textures and materials added depth to the exhibit. Many graffiti artists use subway maps, USPS stickers, and the like, but TC5 sometimes adds a bit of whimsy and pop culture touches to his art. The juxtaposition of vibrant murals against the stark white walls created a striking contrast, drawing attention to every element of the artwork.

What set this solo show apart was seeing him create and sign some pieces as the crowd watched. The themes explored ranged from social issues to personal struggles, with each piece offering a glimpse into the artist’s psyche. Whether it was a political statement or a reflection of inner turmoil, the artist’s work resonated with viewers on a visceral level.

Overall, the solo show of this graffiti artist was a testament to the power and beauty of street art. It was a captivating journey through the mind of a maestro, leaving many viewers inspired, introspective, and yearning for more. TC5’s show not only solidified the artist’s place in the art world but also highlighted the transformative potential of graffiti as a legitimate art form, even after 50 years of it being a huge part of popular culture.

For more info, follow and support these folks on Instagram: @doctc5, @yardworkgallery, @skintradetattoo, and @boldstudiogroup; and on the web: skintradetattoos.com, and theboldstudio.com.

And on the web: skintradetattoos.com thebold studio.co

“Alma de Ébano”

(DJ Crystal Clear photos)

Graffiti artist DOC TC5 with AmNews writer DJ Crystal Clear

‘Joy Ride’ is a hilarious journey

By MARGRIRA Special to the AmNews

“Joy Ride,” co-written by and marking the directorial debut of Adele Lim, is a brilliant display of pure comedic genius. And let’s be clear: You don’t have to be Asian to appreciate its humor.

Featuring an all-Asian-American cast (including one nonbinary lead), the film takes us on a hilarious road trip adventure. We follow small-town best friends Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) as they navigate the craziness of Beijing, from taboo tattoos to unexpected encounters.

Lim’s breakthrough film builds on the foundation laid by many boundary-pushing Asian American comedians. Women like Ali Wong and Awkwafina fearlessly embrace their potty mouths, and Lim follows suit.

“Joy Ride” is all about action and wastes no time in setting the tone and era. It begins with a flashback, showcasing the special moment when Audrey, who was adopted, and new-to-town Lolo became inseparable friends 25 years ago.

If you’re a person of color, you understand the significance of such a moment. In

this instance, two Asian girls meet at White Hills Park (the name says it all), and when a bully hurls a racist insult their way, Lolo retaliates with an even stronger insult and a powerful punch, sending a clear message to never mess with them again.

The screenplay, co-written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, keeps the humor flowing, surprising the audience with its wit and unexpected twists. These ladies have no reservations about pushing comedic boundaries to deliver laughs.

The film features four remarkable female characters, including Stephanie Hsu as Audrey’s former college roommate Kat and nonbinary stand-up Sabrina Wu as Lolo’s friendless cousin Deadeye. These characters inject even more hilarity into the mix.

Audrey, determined to make her mark at an all-white law firm, agrees to fly to Beijing to secure a crucial Chinese client. Raised by white parents and disconnected from her Asian heritage, she invites Lolo along as a translator, despite her friend’s tendency to say and do outrageously inappropriate things in public, often turning conversations towards sex.

“Joy Ride” acknowledges the challenges

faced by women, particularly women of color, in the workplace. The script excels at distributing the laughter among the four core characters, giving each of them memorable moments, whether it’s the wild train ride turned drug-hiding mis -

sion to evade Chinese police or the ambitious montage where each woman gets lucky with members of the Chinese Basketball Association.

“Joy Ride” is now playing, delivering a delightful dose of laughter to audiences.

Cinematic triumph “Black Ice” premieres July 14

By MARGRIRA

Special to the AmNews

Director Hubert Davis’ award-winning documentary, “Black Ice,” brings to light a troubling history of racism in hockey by sharing the untold stories of Black hockey players, both past and present, within a predominantly white sport.

In this masterful work, Academy Awardand Emmy-nominated filmmaker Davis skillfully navigates the challenges, triumphs, and unique experiences faced by these athletes. The documentary features powerful firsthand accounts from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) hockey players from the past, including notable figures like Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League (NHL), and former professional hockey player Akim Aliu. It also includes stories from present-day stars such as P.K. Subban and Wayne Simmonds.

“Black Ice” delves into the deep BIPOC roots of the game, reaching back to 1865 and the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHL), the first all-pro league. Not only did this league introduce the slapshot, but it also played a pivotal role in shaping the modern game of hockey. Davis fearlessly exposes the enduring patterns of racism that have transcended generations, shedding light on how sports institutions have exerted pressure on players seeking change, forcing them into silence.

Through “Black Ice,” Davis brings atten-

tion to the systemic issues within hockey, fostering a crucial dialogue about racism and the need for reform within the sport. Here’s what Academy Award- and Emmynominated filmmaker Hubert Davis had to share about “Black Ice” and why he decided to make it.

AMSTERDAM NEWS: How did this start?

HUBERT DAVIS: When I first learned about the Black Hockey League of Nova Scotia, I was shocked that I had never heard of it before. Nothing is more Canadian than hockey, and yet this amazing world of early hockey pioneers and innovators has been almost completely lost, discarded, and forgotten. Are these stories not important? Do they not matter to us? Or is this something we’d rather not talk about, a subject that forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about what we like to believe is a fair and diverse society? It made me think about how many other stories of Black pioneers have been lost or forgotten.

AMN: Until watching “Black Ice,” I would know nothing about Canada, to be honest. And to my mind, hockey is a white sport.

HD: When examining the history of professional hockey, a disturbing picture emerges suggesting institutional racism and minority exclusion. Between 1895-1930, it is estimated over 400 Black Canadians and Americans played semiprofessional hockey throughout North America. The bulk of them playing primarily in the Maritime provinces of Canada,

with others on teams in Ontario, and the American cities of Minnesota and Boston. Despite this fact, four decades would pass before the first Black hockey player would play in the National Hockey League. It’s been 60 years since Willie O’Ree’s landmark breaking of hockey’s color barrier, yet to date, only 96 Black players have ever played in the NHL while pioneering Black hockey players such as Art Dorrington, Richard Lord, and Chook Maxwell were denied opportunities to play at hockey’s highest level.

AMN: Can you push into the connection between the Black church and hockey?

HD: What I discovered was that it all begins as a church league. The church plays a significant role in the Black experience, and they recognized that sports could help them expand their reach and engage more people in the community, particularly young men. So, the league originated from the idea of various churches in different Black communities along the east coast of Canada. Through my research, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the immense importance of the Black church and the vibrant nature of these Black communities. People of African descent had migrated to Canada around the turn of the century and established these thriving settlements.

AMN: So there’s a connection?

HD: The hockey games became a means of connection between these communities, allowing people from different places like Prince Edward Island or Churro the Marsh in Eastern Canada to interact and get to know each other. When I spoke to individuals who grew up in these communities or heard about them from their parents and grandparents, they expressed an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and fondness for that time. They shared how much they cherished the memories of the thriving Black community that no longer exists.

“Black Ice” opens in AMC Theaters July 14, 2023.

our

Hoyes. cians, like

“Black Ice”

(Photo courtesy of Roadside Attraction)

Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey, Stephanie Hsu as Kat, and Sherry Cola as Lolo in “Joy Ride” (Ed Araquel photo)

New music doc ‘Mixtape Trilogy’ to screen at Tribeca Screening Room 7/13

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

Candice Hoyes, musician, scholar, and lecturer of Jazz at Lincoln Center, is set to weigh in on a new documentary. “Mixtape Trilogy: Stories of the Power of Music,” a film centered on the lives and music of influential musicians including Talib Kweli, Vijay Iyer, and Indigo Girls, explores the impact of live music, the powerful lives and influence of these hardworking artists, and the gifts their music brings to the world.

“I was reflecting on how a lot of movie stars, robustly supported by the entertainment industry, can chill [and relax], so that’s why I think it was refreshing to see these artists in front of a live audience and [working] again,” said Hoyes. “On the other hand, musicians, like the Indigo Girls, Vijay, like Talib and myself, we don’t see our journey’s this way, like there’s

a time where we can kick up our legs and not get on stage.”

Hoyes, whose music was highlighted in Carnegie Hall’s 2022 timeline of African American music, has an upcoming album with her improvised vocal group, Nite Bjuti. She understands quite well how being an artist can affect her relationship with audiences. “When your music is mission driven or reflective of your way of being, and you’re not playing a role in that sense, it’s a continuous process in getting music out to the audience,” Hoyes continued.

The film highlights the early lives of the musicians and how they face their adulthood struggles, such as loss and grief, the pain of not touring during the pandemic, and the ability to continue on when life feels overwhelming.

Vijay Iyer attended a predominantly white school in his youth, but did not let the insecurities he may have felt prevent him from

becoming a prominent jazz artist.

“I know Vijay, so I think it’s cool to encounter an artist whose music I know, and to see them through the fans’ eyes. I think that’s really one of the purposes of the film— to show the distance between the stage and the audience. So, that’s something I think is featured in the movie in a really interesting way,” Hoyes expressed.

She will be hosting a panel Thursday following a screening of “Mixtape Trilogy” at the Tribeca Screening Room in New York City.

“I am a recording artist and vocalist who sings in all genres, and I believe they asked me to moderate because I am also a lecturer at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and I am an archivist and scholar,” said Hoyes. “I’ll be holding this conversation and amplifying this film, and getting into it with these artists and talking about the process.”

For more info, visit www.eventbrite.com.

New books on Living Colour, Big Mama Thornton

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH

Special to the AmNews

This week in books: Lynnee Denise, aka DJ Scholarship, has written a sprawling examination of the importance and relevance of Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton; and Kimberly Mack covers the powerful ‘Time’s Up’ by the iconic Black rock band, Living Colour. These authors are titans in their field, and these books continue to solidify the Black musical canon as time marches on.

Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters by Lynnée Denise | (University of Texas Press) - September 2023

The enigmatically intelligent and scholarly productive thinker, Lynnée Denise, who has made strides in Black realms of music for well over a decade is now presenting a new book. “Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters” gives an honest and incredibly bright examination of the relevance of Big Mama Thornton. “Denise connects Thornton’s vaude-villes-que performances in Sammy Green’s Hot Harlem Revue to the vocal improvisations that made ‘Hound Dog’ a hit for Peacock Records (and later for Elvis Presley), injecting music criticism into what’s often framed as a cautionary tale of record-industry racism. She interprets Thornton’s performing in men’s suits as both a sly, Little Richard–like queering of the Chitlin Circuit and a simple preference for

pants over dresses that didn’t have a pocket for her harmonica,” writes the University of Texas Press.

Living Colour’s Time’s Up, 33 1/3 book series by Kimberly Mack | (Bloomsbury) - May 2023

Associate Professor at the University of Toledo, Kimberly Mack returns with her third book, “Living Colour’s Time’s Up” for the established music book series 33 1/3 from Bloomsbury. Her academic prowess and ability to finely tune the history of Black rock music makes the book an informative and exciting read, as she traverses through the contemporary sound of rock music. The book illustrates the music journey of LC’s 1990 follow-up album to their commercially successful debut album, “Vivid.” Bloomsbury writes a crystal clear depiction of the literary layout of the book, what it covers, and Mack’s intelligent involvement.

“Living Colour’s sophomore effort holds great relevance in light of its forward-thinking politics and lyrical engagement with racism, classism, police brutality, and other social and political issues of great importance. Through interviews with members of Living Colour, and others involved in the making of Time’s Up, Kimberly Mack explores the creation and reception of this artistically challenging album, while examining the legacy of this culturally important and groundbreaking American rock band.”

It is difficult to express how important both these Black woman music experts and historians are to our communities. They have both dedicated their lives and written with such style, power, and grace, along with kind-

ness and humility; they tend to sit on the periphery of the mainstream. But they are in the game—they are invested in the forward-movement of Black music and thought, and it is not so much that they need to be house-

hold names, but their names should be amplified, and any struggle nullified simply because of their dedication and profound intellectual fervor. Look out for these books and please, support Black women.

Candice Hoyes (Photo courtesy of the artist)

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME GODDESS

July 13, 2023—July 19, 2023

KYA

Rebirth of A New Nation: July is a double whammy eye-opener month, charging like a bull in a bullfight. The nodes of the moon shift from Taurus/Scorpio to Aries/Libra axis on July 12, 2023, plus the new moon will be in Cancer on July 17 at 24 degrees. All four cardinal signs are active, ushering in a new agenda. Numerically speaking, July is a 14/5 month. Number 5 indicates a change within the home, workforce, lifestyle, or media, providing a solution to a situation; a time to create in the midst of the unseen; and a time to position yourself and connect in groups to build a solid foundation with programs and resources to aid in humanity’s well-being. Every season, cycle, pattern, alignment, conjunction, brings a different energy with it for humanity to experience. A time to look at what we value the most and change the tune to a different frequency to ride this wave of change. “We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization.” Martin Luther King Jr.

The universe brings thrilling information without notice. These moments are lightning striking adventures with no rhythm nor reason. The story will be told later or revealed at an appointed time. July is your foundation month and silence is needed for the concentration needed to build and fine-tune your thoughts into a project. This cycle week, the elephant trunk is up, removing obstacles, barriers, restrictions, etc. to grant you access due to the timing being ripe. In the days leading up to July 20, wisdom is obtained through age, information, and experiences. Do a background check or a Q&A before entering any relationships.

You can fool others, or they can fool you, however it won’t last—the truth always reveals itself. You can see clearly now the rain has washed away debris, and the sun is shining to bring things into the light, even in the darkness of times of reconstruction. Self-improvement is an everyday transit for oneself and others. Use the feelings you receive to progress forward on your path. Around 3 a.m. on July 13 until 1 p.m. on July 15, some relationships are for a moment or season without a reason. There are no accidents when the divine intervenes, however our action is what changes the course.

Aside from mentally and emotionally, what is making its present known to you on a physical level that you can feel it all over you? That is one huge feeling within your aura. It’s best to pay attention to what, where, when, who, when, and why things are occurring in such a nature. The divine creator is your imaginary friend and Neptune is Pisces in giving you a run for your money and creativity. From 1:13 p.m. on July 15th until 12 a.m. July 18, allow things to flow right now until Neptune in Pisces stations direct; until then refine and adjust yourself within your environment.

Although change isn’t easy, it all depends on your mental power and will to change. July is full of surprises aiding in your transformation as decisions need to be made that are required to make a move on the chess board. Traveling, networking, business meetings, running errands, and being a helping hand is in your weekly forecast. Allow your creativity to flow effortlessly in the moments of the essence of time. A halo of opportunities surrounds you; choose the one that’s a magnet to your heart. From 12 a.m. on July 18 until 1 p.m. on July 20th, it’s time for something new, different, and adventurous.

July is a month to nourish your body, mind, soul, and projects. Surround yourself in nature. Get grounded, allowing Mother Nature’s hair to rub against your toes and caress the soles of your feet. While things may seem up in the air, certain things, people, and information take their time leading up to the main event. Until then, enjoy being in the midst of the change, and work with energy. By the end of July, wait-and-see is a better game than taking a quantum leap that you didn’t have to take. In the days leading up to July 20, listen to the wind, because it has a message for you, and acknowledge your feelings, along with what your ancestors are conveying to you.

Moving forward requires an idea, plan, blueprint, and the support and the team will follow suit. Be ambitious this week—what may seem like odds or people against you is the universe’s way of testing you. Women will be a source for advice, comfort, and to tell it like it is. When your heart and mind are not balanced, look at the story playing out as a third party to inner-stand the facts and details. Around 3 a.m. on July 13th until 1 p.m. on July 15, there is always room to make improvements using your creativity.

It’s a wake-up call week where the universe hits you like a waterfall with spontaneous insights. Take notes of dreams, conversations, signs, and symbols that come up. Think big and apply your ideas to see results within your plans. Take a trip or do something new, different, out of the ordinary and align yourself with likeminded people. From 1:13 p.m. on July 15 until 12 a.m. July 18, as this week ends, let go to allow the new in your life. Take a leap of faith. Change your perspective, and it will change your life.

The ancestors are all around you assisting you to push the agenda and a message to the public. Radio, TV appearances, social media, networking etc. are themes this week. This week you are the community philanthropist bearing gifts. You are moving in slow motion to get ready or show up in your daily aspects. Hard work pays off when you are consistent, committed, and serious. From 12 a.m. on July 18 until 1 p.m. on July 20, everything is inside; the ingredients and feedback are your results.

Here come out-of-the-blue ideas to invest in. Write them all down and choose the best one that serves the needs of humanity. This is the beginning of a new chapter in your life on a professional level. Connect with groups that are somewhat like you to give you a different perspective within your professionalism. When you get that knee-jerk reaction ask yourself what is going on within your mind, surroundings, or conversation as clues to your questions are in your face. In the days leading up to July 20 the unknown becomes what we walk towards to fulfill us on a spiritual level.

When everything seems to be falling apart, stay on your mission as the storm passes. What you give your attention to matters the most. Your time is precious and so is your agenda. You may need to do a double take to make sure what you see is really what you see. Proofread everything, even the contracts you signed and the simple things such as receipts. Leave your home to get some air, take a walk in nature, or do some form of exercise to clear your mind. Around 3 a.m. on July 13 until 1 p.m. on July 15, the truth always reveals itself, even with yourself.

Seize the moment as serendipity plays a role in your forecast. The universe is your imaginary friend who loves to play and rewards on all occasions. Just being you is a gift. As opportunities present themselves to you, stay in GRATITUDE as new partnerships and relationships are formed. A huge project is underway that requires change with a new perspective. Promote and advertise your services and be a help to others as they will be a help to you. From 1:13 p.m. on July 15 until 12 a.m. July 18, a trade for a trade, as bargains will never go out of style.

A month to think grand, and make significant moves and plans as you rise to the occasions. You have a date with destiny and destiny doesn’t wait. It has a way for you to feel, sense, taste, and smell the victory approaching you. There is one thing that destiny does which is to test you. This is where the tough get tough and big wheels keep on rolling. Control your emotions and follow your heart as the heart knows best. From 12 a.m. on July 18th until 1 p.m. on July 20th, close your eyes and take a deep breath and feel the information that comes forth to you.

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

Vinateria

July Dance Calendar

By CHARMAINE PATRICIA WARREN Special to the AmNews

The summer of dance continues with the return of the BAAND Together Dance Festival, July 25–29, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park and the second annual Summer for the City. For the third year, Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem come together on one stage as the companies in BAAND. Each night, audiences will be offered different programs that are collaboratively curated by the artistic directors of the companies, including repertory works plus the world premiere of “Pas de O’Farill” by Pedro Ruiz, a new duet featuring dancers from Ballet Hispánico and New York City Ballet. For more information, visit https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/ baand-together-dance-festival-866.

ALSO THIS MONTH:

July 12–25: As part of the Works & Process celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Arts Brookfield will feature the Missing Element with the Beatbox House, LayeRhythm, Ladies of Hip-Hop, KR3TS dancers with DJ FrancoTh3Artist, and Ephrat Asherie Dance’s UNDERSCORED, culminating in a dance party led by DJ Bravo LaFortune. For more information, visit https://www.brookfieldproperties.com/en/our-approach/events/gatherround-celebrating-street-dance-and-50-years-of-hip-hop-170.html.

July 13: Summerstage and Works & Process presents the Masterz at Work collective, which brings their fusion of street dance, jazz, ballroom, vogue, and hip-hop. For more information, visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/works-and-process-masterz-at-work/.

July 13–15: Ballet Hispánico, under artistic director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro , will perform Vilaro’s “Buscando a Juan” as part of the Summer 2023 MetLiveArts season at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more information, visit https://www. metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-live-arts/ballet-hispanico-buscando-a-juan.

July 20-22: Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre’s “One Dance,”

a contemporary reinterpretation of ceremonial Korean traditional dance, is part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. For more information, visit https://www. koreanculture.org/performing-arts/2023/07/20/one-dance.

July 22: Korean KTMDC Dance Company,

under the director Yusun Kang, will perform traditional Korean and modern interpretations as part of the Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. For more information, visit https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/ from-the-heart-of-korea-by-ktmdc-dance-company.

92NY presents a night with André De Shields, Odessa Young, and Meshell Ndegeocello on July 17

On July 17, join Tony Award-winning actor André De Shields (“Hadestown,” “Death of a Salesman”), Odessa Young, and Meshell Ndegeocello for a special evening of readings and performances enacting Bob Dylan’s celebratory riffs and rants, and musical numbers alternating with delirious prose.

Presented by 92NY as part of the Christopher Lightfoot Walker Reading Series, the night spotlights Dylan’s “The Philosophy of Modern Song,” a phantasmagoric, time-traveling flying saucer of a book; a series of rhapsodic essays tracking Dylan’s love of popular music and his poet-historian’s grip on its legends and lore. Dylan’s song selections sweep from the 1940s to the 2000s, highlighting the work of artists as dynamic and disparate as Ray Charles and Rodgers and Hart, Nina Simone and Warren Zevon, Lerner and Loewe and Cher, the Temptations and the Who. For more info, visit www.92ny.org.

Sam and Yannick of Alvin Ailey (Daniel Arnold photos)

André De Shields, Odessa Young, and Meshell Ndegeocello (De Shields photo by Lia Chang)

Amanda and Leonardo of Ballet Hispanico

‘Hamlet’ is modern and dynamic at the Delacorte

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

There is nothing in the world like a Kenny Leon-directed Delacorte Theatre, Shakespeare In the Park production, presented by The Public Theater. Leon always brings the creativity, modern times, and Afrocentric flair that make you sit and stare. His latest spectacle is “Hamlet” in Central Park’s Delacorte Theatre, where it is one of the final productions for the season—prior to the space’s renovation and reopening in 2025. What a fitting sendoff to the space to have the brilliance of Leon on full, glorious display. Under Leon’s imaginative leadership, the play opens with a military-style funeral, with a casket on stage and a large portrait of a Black man in uniform displayed on the wall. A quartet is singing acapella at the service and taking the audience to church. Leon always puts a very distinctive mark on his production from the moment the action starts.

We come to find out that the funeral is for the king and we meet an assorted cast of characters including a distraught Hamlet, the dead king’s son; Claudius, the dead king’s brother; and Queen Gertrude, Claudius’ once sister-in-law and now wife. Claudius and Queen Gertrude are worried about Hamlet and his prolonged grieving for his father. Later we meet Horatio, who shares that he has seen the dead king, but that the king would not speak to him. Hamlet decides to go to where his father’s spirit was spotted. Projected onto a building, the king’s spirit speaks to Hamlet, explaining how he was murdered by his brother in the garden while he was asleep. Hamlet then sets a plot to expose Claudius and avenge his father’s death.

Everyone knows that Shakespeare’s words are powerful, stunning, and mesmerizing to hear. What makes them continue to be all those things is when they are spoken by a capable cast, and that is exactly what you will find in this production. Actor Ato Blankson-Wood delivers Hamlet’s iconic “To be, or not to be” soliloquy and other moments with a marvelous intensity. If there is one actor who is an expert in his riveting delivery of Shakespeare’s work and the classics in general, that would be John Douglas Thompson. His Claudius is amazing! He delivers the complex emotions that his character of Claudius is going through with such depth and power, you will be floored. He speaks Shakespeare’s words with such comfort, they seem to spill out of his mouth as if they were everyday speech.

Lorraine Toussaint is marvelous as Gertrude. Solea Pfeiffer is poignant as Ophelia.

As always, Leon’s use of non-traditional, interracial casting works beautifully. Other members of this memorable cast include Daniel Pearce as Polonius, Nick Rehberger as Laertes, Warner Miller as Horatio, along with a stunning ensemble cast.

Every member of this cast holds their own, delivering their lines with precision and at times, delightful humor. The mind of Kenny Leon is on full display during that famous scene where Hamlet instructs the actors to recreate the murder of the king. It’s like no scene you have seen in Shakespeare, as hip-hop and rap are utilized to bring home the point.

There is a joy and excitement that accompanies you as you sit in the outdoor theater in Central Park and watch this amazing performance happening under the stars. Oh, and of course, it’s free! “Hamlet” will run through August 6 only. For more info, visit www.publictheater.org.

Scene from “Hamlet” (l-r) Lorraine Toussaint and John Douglas Thompson (Joan Marcus photos)

Scene from “Hamlet” at the Delacorte (l-r) Ato Blankson-Wood and Solea Pfeiffer

‘Rock & Roll Man’ tells an important story

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

“Rock & Roll Man” is a story that needs to be told, and one that I was definitely not aware of. Alan Freed, a white DJ working for a white radio station in Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1960s, coined the phrase “rock ‘n’ roll” to describe the soulful music of Black artists. He was also the first person brave enough to play Black artists on a whiteowned station. Freed integrated radio and gave a lot of Black artists like Little Richard and Chuck Berry the exposure that their talent deserved. Of course, in those days, Freed also had a lot of white Americans against him, including J. Edgar Hoover. Freed’s inspiring story is the subject of a new, fun, rocking musical at New World Stages. “Rock & Roll Man” has an amusing and revealing book by Gary Kupper, Larry Marshak, and Rose Caiola, with original music and lyrics by Kupper, and vintage rock n’ roll elements developed by Marshak Classic Music LLC and Gary Kupper Music. This musical takes the audience through the Freed story and is full of great music from the 1950s and 1960s including “Sixty Minute Man,” “Rocket 88,” “Money Honey,” “Jim Dandy,” “Lucille,” “Sincerely,” “Maybelline,” “Good Gully Miss Molly,” “Tutti Frutti,” “Tweedle Dee,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” to name some beloved tunes. I can recall my mother playing so many of these songs when I was growing up. I absolutely love how the musical focuses on Freed recognizing the phenomenal talent of Black artists and making it his life’s purpose to promote them. Freed also strived to bring white and Black art-

ists of the time period together for live performances—letting people experience the best of both worlds, whether the world was ready for that or not. In the audience, hands were clapping, feet were tapping, and bodies were swaying as the ensemble of Black singers performed memorable numbers with style and flair. There are exceptionally talented performers inhabiting the characters of Little Richard and Chuck Berry, and they do their thing with flamboyance, attitude, and delight.

Freed is enjoyably played by Constantine Maroulis. Joe Pantoliano plays the dual roles of Leo Mintz, the record store owner who introduced Freed to the world of Black artists, and Morris Levy, the gangster who becomes a large part of Freed’s life. Little Richard is stunningly played by Rodrick Covington, and Matthew W. Morgan plays the dual roles of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Chuck Berry, delivering them with sheer delight. Valisia LeKae is unforgettable as LaVern Baker, and brings respect and grace to every song she performs. This was a musical trip down memory lane for many of the older members of the audience, who were both Black and white. People were singing along and having a great time all around me. Other featured members of the cast are Bob Ari, Anna Hertel, Andy Christopher, Autumn Guzzardi, and Dominique Scott. The production has dazzling choreography by Stephanie Klemons and entertaining direction by Randal Myler. There is also stunning costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting

design by Matthew Richards and Aja M. Jackson and scenic design by Tim Mackabee. New World Stages is located at 340 W 50th Street. For more info, visit www.rockandrollmanthemusical.com.

Rodrick Covington as Little Richard and the quintet (l-r) Matthew S. Morgan, Jamonté, Lawrence Dandridge, AJ Davis and Eric B. Turner (Joan Marcus photos)

Valisia LeKae as LaVern Baker and the quintet (l-r) AJ Davis, Jamonté, Lawrence Dandridge and Eric B. Turner.

Constantine Maroulis as Alan Freed and the company of “Rock & Roll Man”.

Sista’s Place, Vty Jazz, Harlem Connection

Celebrations have already begun for drummer, composer, innovator, and civil rights activist Max Roach’s 100th birthday in 2024. Sista’s Place (456 Nostrand Ave.), the small jazz club with a big sound and great jazz musicians to match, will offer a special tribute centennial celebration for Roach on July 15 featuring the Winard Harper Quintet with the leader, drummer and composer; pianist Brandon McCune; trumpeter Philip Harper; tenor saxophonist JD Allen; and bassist Royama Takenaga. One set at 8 p.m.

In this quintet setting, Harper joins forces once again with his trumpeter brother, having played with him over a period of time including in their group

The Harper Brothers in the late ‘80s. Anytime Allen joins in, his hard riffs and absorbing harmonic tone add another layer to the performance. Takenaga is the youngest of the group, being the 2022 recipient of the James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey. He is currently attending the Jazz Studies program at New York University. The pianist Brandon is an experienced multi-instrumentalist with a cross-section of concentrations in jazz, classical, and gospel music, who has also worked with the drummer on a variety of occasions and is a perfect fit for Harper’s cross-genre adventures.

One of Roach’s many accomplishments was the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet (which included George Morrow, Harold Land , and Richie Powell, the brother of Bud Powell), one of the most creative small groups in jazz history along with the Hot Fives and Sevens of Louis Armstrong and the quintets of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. During the Civil Rights Movement, he was adamant about vocalizing America’s injustices on and off stage and on his recordings, including his noted album We Insist: Freedom Now Suite (Candid 1960).

Reservations are required; call 718-398-1766.

In the mid-1950s, Roach co-led a pioneering quintet along with trumpeter Clifford Brown. In 1970, he founded the percussion ensemble M’Boom. He made numerous musical statements relating to the Civil Rights Movement.On July 15, VTY Jazz Arts returns to the Cutting Room (44 East 32nd St.), “A Saturday Serenade” Tribute to Jim Harrison, independent jazz impresario, publisher, activist, and mentor. The tribute band for Harrison will include pianist George Cables, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Darrell Green. Music is 3 p.m.-5:45 p.m.

Harrison, who transitioned in 2022, is

the only non-musician to be honored by VTY Jazz. “Jim started me off in this business,” said VTY founder Arnie Perez. “There are many memories and stories about Jim, and it was all good and never to be forgotten. This is the guy, who gave so many that platform to develop their careers.”Harrison was significant in advancing musicians’ careers and was the personal promoter for such musicians as Frank Foster, Hank Mobley, Betty Carter, Mary Lou Williams, Irene Reid, Jackie McLean, and Charles Tolliver. He is featured in Maxine Gordon’s biography “Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon” (University of California Press, 2018). Harrison’s early jazz publication “Jazz Spotlight News” was the blueprint for today’s Hot House and All About Jazz publications. During his esteemed six-decade career, there was a jazz contingency of musicians and fans who petitioned for Harrison to be nominated as an NEA Jazz Master. Although that didn’t become a reality, Harrison was awarded with Jazzmobile’s Jazzy Award, that same year in 2019, he was honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

“George Cables and I wanted this tribute to happen in the worst way and we are so happy it is becoming a reality,” said Perez.

Reservations are suggested; call 917882-9539.

Today, very few music radio shows that are now live-streams offer a varied playlist, crossing genres, mixing it up. The music formats are so categorized…but wait! There is one radio show “Harlem Connection,” the creative child of founders The L.A.W. (L. Ade Williams, creator, co-conductor and chief; co-producer MamaSoul; and DJ Black Icon1). Their show is of Black music in all genres from gospel to jazz, blues, R&B, hip hop, funk, and Black rock fusion.

“The Harlem Connection” boasts one twist and the name is more than apropos—despite the genre, all the music relates to Harlem. “We play Black music from 1920 to the present hits, but it’s all Harlem connected,” said The L.A.W. “For example, we play music by Tito Puente because he was born in Harlem or Nicole Henry, who performed during Harlem Week. We play a block of music and explain what we played and the Harlem connection.”

The trio started the program in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when live music wasn’t an option. “We wanted to play music of the artists,

who played a role in catapulting Harlem to the Cultural Capital of the World,” stated The L.A.W. “We wanted to acknowledge the clubs where artists performed like the Shrine, Jimmy’s Supper Club, Apollo Theatre, and Minton’s. We play music from legends like Pops and Ella and local greats like Craig Harris and Claudia Hayden.”

Harlem Connection guests have included the Rev. Al Sharpton, DJ D-Nice, Jazzmobile’s Robin Bell Stevens, and New York Amsterdam News’ Herb Boyd and (yours truly) Ron Scott.

“I feel there are many forces that attempt to divide us, but we have a lot in common and our show demonstrates how we are connected by the music and Harlem from Bob Marley, his Jamaican roots and performance in Harlem to the spirituals of Mahalia Jackson,” says The L.A.W.

The Harlem Connection is on Fridays 10 p.m.PM - midnight on 99.5 FM (in NYC) & WBAI.org/Listen-Live & RhythmAndSoulRadio.com and on Sundays at 3 am. via 90.3FM (in NYC) & www.WHCR.org and Sundays at 3 p.m. on www.Flava99. com and is always available on demand via https://wbai.org/archive.

For more info visit WBAI.

Winard Harper (Photos courtesy of A. Ruiz Artist Management)

Retirees

Continued from page 3

(OPSR) and others then filed a lawsuit against the city to get the right to opt out of the plan. The group feared potential high co-pays for elderly and disabled retirees and out-of-pocket costs with the new plan.

“This is now the third time in the last two years that courts have had to step in and stop the city from violating retirees’ healthcare rights,” said Marianne Pizzitola, president of the NYC OPSR. “We call on the city and the Municipal Labor Committee to end their ruthless and unlawful campaign to deprive retired municipal workers of the healthcare benefits they earned.”

Barron has also sponsored a city council bill, Int. No. 1099, which will amend the city’s administrative code to offer Medicareeligible city retirees and their dependents a different option than Adams’ Medicare Advantage plan. His bill has at least 12 cosponsors and the backing of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

Fraud

Continued from page 3

Secretary Tim Hunter in a statement. “Today’s announcement is a reminder that rigorous audit and oversight processes like we have in New York City safeguard the integrity of our local democracy by helping ensure that criminal schemes like the one alleged today are uncovered.”

According to court documents and statements, said the DA’s office, the defendants illegally structured campaign contributions to maximize the city’s matching funds payout for Adams in his bid for mayor. Technically, the max an individual resident is allowed to donate to a candidate is $2,000, according to the NYCCFB.

Others named in the indictments include Shamsuddin Riza, 70, Millicent Redick, 77, Ronald Peek, 65, Yahya Mushtaq, 28, and Shahid Mushtaq, 29.

The DA’s office said Montgomery and Riza, who are relatives, hoped to do business with the city by recruiting straw donors. In 2020, Montgomery held a virtual fundraiser for Adams’ campaign via Zoom. He recruited straw donors there to make contributions in their names and then reimbursed the donors. Each straw donor falsely certified that they were the source of the contributed funds and that they were not reimbursed, said the DA’s office.

They allegedly repeated the process at fundraisers throughout July and August 2021. Then they used money orders at four post office locations with a falsified campaign contribution card in the names of friends and family members.

The charges for individuals in the group indicted include conspiracy in the fifth degree, attempted grand larceny in the third degree, as well as offering and attempting to offer a false instrument for

AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said usually when someone retires, they are eligible for Medicare and then if they want supplemental coverage they can get a Medigap policy. But city employees were promised a benefits package that would change under the new “forced” Medicare Advantage plan, she said.

“when they plan to stay with the city all through the years, part of what was on their minds is that they would get this package when they retired, and they would not have to worry about what their healthcare benefits might be,” said Finkel. “It was a promise to them.”

Finkel said that the new plan threatens people’s established relationships with doctors currently covered, provides them with far too little information about many other essential plan specifics, and doesn’t account for inflationary pressures for people on fixed incomes. She strongly agreed with the judge’s decision to temporarily halt the mayor’s plan.

“AARP New York applauds Judge Frank’s decision as a victory for New York City re-

filing. Depending on what’s decided, charges like conspiracy are a felony and can carry fines and jail time.

Adams himself has not been indicted in the scheme. On the day of the announcement, he had no public events scheduled and has not directly addressed the situation. The Amsterdam News reached out to City Hall and Adams’ campaign team for comment.

“The campaign thanks the District Attorney’s office for their hard work on behalf of taxpayers,” said Adams’ 2021 campaign spokesperson Evan Thies. “There is no indication that the campaign or the mayor is involved in this case or under investigation. The campaign always held itself to the highest standards and we would never tolerate these actions. The campaign will of course work with the DA’s office, the Campaign Finance Board, and any relevant authorities.”

On May 15, NYCCFB hit Adams with fines for alleged violations during his 2021 campaign. The violations included $5,000 for accepting prohibited donations, $200 for failing to properly wind down Transition and Inauguration Entities (TIEs) activities, $14,400 for failing to respond and late response to requests for information or documentation. The charges totaled $19,600.

The Amsterdam News reached out to Montgomery for comment. He declined to comment.

Additional reporting from The Amsterdam News’ Tandy Lau and Damaso Reyes.

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.

tirees,” said Finkel. “We are encouraged by the ruling to halt the city’s flawed attempt at diminishing care for retirees as the court considers the Mayor’s ill-advised effort—which would risk retirees’ longterm health and retirement security.”

As imagined, City Hall is unhappy with the judge’s ruling.

“We are extremely disappointed by this misguided ruling,” said a City Hall spokesperson in response to Amsterdam News’ inquiry. “The city’s Medicare Advantage plan, which was negotiated in close partnership with the Municipal Labor Committee, improves upon retirees’ current plans, including offering a lower deductible, a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, and new benefits, like transportation, fitness programs, and wellness incentives.”

The spokesperson said that delaying the implementation of the Medicare Advantage plan will only cause “greater uncertainty” for city retirees and have a “detrimental” impact on the adopted city budget. The city is currently exploring appellate options.

Peace Walk

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shooting of 16-year-old Amiere Hayes. Hayes was shot in the head on Marcus Garvey Blvd near Willoughby Avenue by two reportedly teenage shooters on June 19.

During the peace walk, marchers stopped and paid homage to another recent shooting victim. Willie “Brown” Zimmerman, 36, was shot in the torso at Nostrand and Gates Avenues on June 21, said police. Neighbors, family, and friends constructed a large candle memorial and a signed poster board for him.

New Jersey

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at 7 p.m.

The Piscataway-based Kolor Blynd Bland will initiate the series on July 13 by playing R&B, pop, soul, jazz, Broadway tunes, and more, with dance songs from Earth, Wind & Fire; Maroon 5; and the Jackson 5. Join the concert for a rocking good time!

In the case of inclement weather, call the program hotline at 732-562-2389 after 4 p.m. for updates.

––Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

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.

“If we had connected this individual to resources, protected them, where would they be?” said Zimmerman. “What would be the trajectory of their lives?”

One member from the peace walk said a short prayer for Zimmerman before they solemnly marched on.

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

The peace walk stops at a candle memorial for gun violence victim Willie “Brown” Zimmerman, 36 (Ariama C. Long photo)

CLASSROOM IN THE ACTIVITIES

Dr. King’s brother, Alfred Daniels Williams King, a church leader and civil rights activist

By HERB BOYD Special to the Amnews

In examining the extraordinary, well-lived life of Christine King Farris, Dr. King’s elder sister, recently, there was passing attention to her younger brother, Alfred Daniels Williams King, who stood in the shadows of his renowned siblings. Nonetheless, A.D. King made a significant contribution to the Black church and the Civil Rights Movement.

Born on July 30, 1930, in Atlanta, Georgia, A.D. King is mainly remembered as the brother of Dr. King, but he made his own mark in the Civil Rights Movement, and as a religious leader. Unlike his celebrated older siblings, A.D. King was a comparatively late arrival to these callings, but once in the fold, applied himself selflessly to the fight for equal justice and freedom.

He was still a teenager when he married Naomi Ruth Barber King, with whom he had five children: Alveda, Alfred, Jr., Derek, Darlene, and Vernon. In 1959, he graduated from Morehouse College. That same year, he left the Ebenezer Baptist Church to become pastor of Mount Vernon First Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia. A year later, he was arrested, along with Dr. King and 70 other protesters, during a sit-in at a lunch counter in Atlanta. Gradually, A.D. King became more involved in the Civil Rights Movement while adopting his brother’s strong belief in nonviolence.

He remained in the background, content to be merely a soldier in the battle for equal rights. Not being in the spotlight didn’t mean he was insignificant—he can be seen at many marches and demonstrations, including “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, and later in the Poor People’s Campaign. His activism continued in the March on Washington and Operation Food Basket. In 1963, as Dr. King and his associates began planning the Birmingham offensive, A.D. King was

selected by his brother to be one of the volunteers to be jailed.

A.D. King was sleeping in his church when it was bombed by white racists. “He ran through the smoke to find his wife Naomi dazed but unhurt in the living room, and together, they were evacuating their five children through the back door when a larger dynamite bomb blew a hole eight feet high in the brick façade and sent the front door flying in chunks against the back wall of the living room,” Taylor Branch wrote in “Parting the Waters.” “The fire department later calculated the damage at one-third of the parsonage value, but the Kings’ immediate worry was the fear of more bombs.

“By the time the police and fire officials pronounced the area

free of undetonated explosives, upwards of a thousand Negroes had gathered, in various stages of undress,” Branch continued. “A number of them threatened retaliation against whites, especially against the policemen who were ordering them to go home, but A.D. King grabbed a megaphone and preached nonviolence. He sent some of his church deacons through the crowd to start up freedom songs, and when he went inside to notify his Atlanta relatives of the bombings, he held up the telephone to let his brother Martin hear the reassuring sounds of ‘We Shall Overcome’ in the background.”

Branch expounded on A.D. King’s resolve, which stood in contrast to his previous insecurity and resig-

nation. He asserted himself again when news spread that A.G. Gaston’s Motel had been bombed. As the tension grew in the city and the crowd expanded, A.D. King shouted into his megaphone above the rancor of the demonstrators: “This is Rev. A.D. King speaking to you. Please put your bricks down.” Later, when he arrived at the motel, he resumed his call for nonviolence, and was successful in calming the outbreak and luring many protesters into a nearby parking lot, convincing them to sing “We Shall Overcome.”

This may have been A.D. King’s shining moment in the movement, providing him with the confidence he needed to stand with his brother, particularly in Memphis on April 4, 1968. He was in the room directly beneath Dr King’s at the Lorraine Hotel when the shot rang out that took his brother’s life. He watched his brother lying on the balcony, hardly able to contain himself with hurt and anger.

There was wide speculation that A.D. King would become head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), but he made no effort to take command of the organization, choosing to lend his service to the Poor People’s Campaign. Meanwhile, he had been pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, since 1965. In response to the trauma of the recent past, he sought relief in alcohol, which sent him into severe bouts of depression.

On July 21, 1969, nine days after his 39th birthday, Alfred was found dead in the swimming pool at his home. Accidental drowning was listed as the cause of death, although this was troubling for the family who knew he was a very capable swimmer. There were also rumors that he might have succumbed to a heart attack, an ailment that afflicted several family members. “There is no doubt in my mind that the system killed my husband,” said Naomi King. “My Boaz was murdered.”

FIND OUT MORE

Nearly every book about Dr. Alfred King has at least a few moments of reflection on his life, which often lingered in the shadows of his famous brother.

DISCUSSION

Much has been speculated about Alfred King’s death and more research is required for a final summation.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Like his brother, Alfred was 39 when he died, although the cause of his death remains an ongoing discussion, whether by heart attack or an accumulation of trauma over the years.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

July 10, 1927: David N. Dinkins, New York City’s first Black mayor, was born in Trenton, N.J. He died in 2020.

July 12, 1920: Actress Beah Richards (also known as Bea Richards) was born in Vicksburg, Miss. She died in 2000.

July 14, 1934: Golfer Lee Elder was born in Dallas, Texas. He died in 2021.

Rev. Alfred W. King (Photo courtesy of Findagrave.com)

commission that would factor in the concerns of all Americans of African descent, Lucas said.

Lucas had drawn up a separate bill to create a New York State American Freedmen Equity Task Force on Reparations Remedies. Her bill was designed to “[examine] all aspects of slavery, subsequent de jure and de facto racial, social, and economic discrimination against American [F] reedmen and the impact of these forces on living American [F]reedmen.”

“This is more lineage-based, not race-based,” Lucas explained. “I wanted to make sure that it aligned with constitutional principles of equal treatment. Without having a lineage-based community of eligibility, other groups like Jewish and Chinese and Middle Eastern groups would be able to participate in reparations.”

Assemblymembers Ari Brown (R-Cedarhurst), who is Jewish, and Lester Chang (R-Brooklyn), who is of Chinese descent, had each pointed out on the assembly floor that their communities could also participate in reparations. Brown reportedly noted that he has family members “of African descent” and Chang spoke about how Chinese Americans were forced into indentured servitude in the mid-19th century.

“And that was exactly my point,” Lucas said. “That was my exact thing: I referenced Elon Musk.” The tech billionaire was born in South Africa. “Without defining what African descent was and without defining a specificity, these are the things that you’re risking when putting together a

very broad-scope bill like this.

“It would have watered down the purpose of a bill like this, which is intended to repair damage. I believe that, for me, after my speech and after clearly explaining things during the session, those backroom discussions of why it should be so broad…came to a head on the floor, with people recognizing. A lot of my colleagues were talking about their personal experiences with their great-grandmother or their grandmother and wanting to repair some of the wrongs. Once the sponsor herself acknowledged and responded on the assembly floor that the Commission would in fact conduct a study that included lineagebased reparations, I felt like I was able to change my vote.”

Lucas represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East New York, Starrett City, Brownsville, and Canarsie. She talked about how New York state once played a major role in facilitating the enslavement of African people. New York City-based companies like New York Life Insurance Company, Aetna, JPMorgan Chase, Domino Sugar, United States Life Insurance Company of New York, Citibank, Brown Brothers Harriman, and Columbia University were each financially buttressed by revenue from the labor of enslaved Black people. Even after the official end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1808, New York City remained a hub of illegal slave trading until the 1860s.

“These are the reasons why it was important that New York State be one of the leads in having a reparations bill,” Lucas added.

“I wish that the language was much tighter,” she said. “I wish that there was more specificity within the bill. But we’re here and these are the cards we’re dealt. Once the acknowledgment of the intention of the author of this bill was actually displayed on the assembly floor, I was slightly satisfied that we would at least have the beginning of a repairing of those who have been enslaved on American soil.”

Assemblymember Nikki Lucas speaking on assembly floor in Albany (Vernon Jones, Sr. photo)

Nonprofit Black Girls Movement offers 25 $1K scholarships for aspiring STEM scholars

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

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, not “schools taking equity meaningfully.”

So Kristel Bell founded the nonprofit Black Girls Movement in 2016 to fight system racism on two fronts: helping more Black women get into the STEM field, where they’re grossly underrepresented, and subsequently securing them high-paying jobs to combat long-standing economic inequality.

“It’s all about inspiration and aspirations, and just trying to understand the motivations as to why our high school girls do want to go into STEM and what difference are they trying to make,” said Bell. “[Maybe] there’s somebody in their family who went through something [like a health issue] that’s inspiring them to want to make a difference. That’s what our current program is focused on. That’s Black Girls Movement.”

Disparities in STEM are glaring in both race and gender. In a 2021 study, the Pew Research Center found only 9% of the field’s workforce were Black. And while women earn the larger portion of STEM degrees, they only make up under a quarter of engineering and computer science employees, with overrepresentation in health-related jobs—like nursing—balancing out the numbers.

The organization recently opened up applications for $1,000 scholarships for 25 college-bound Black girls interested in STEM. Those graduating this summer with a minimum 3.0 GPA can apply by 11:59 p.m. CST Thursday.

The Detroit-born Bell traces her roots in STEM to her computer science majoring mom, who moved to homemaking after giving birth to two separate sets of twins. She said STEM was always present at home, with coding classes starting at an early age and a household tradition of dominating school science fairs. When Bell was in her mid-20s, she and her mom felt like such mentorship should be more readily available for Black girls to bridge the gap, and Black Girls Movement was born.

This work coincides with the Republican-majority Supreme Court gutting “race-conscious” college admissions.

New tech start-up Relotis, Inc. seeks to dismantle misinformation in AI

By BRIAN DELK Special to the AmNews

After years of working in global tech companies, as a software engineer, and forming his own companies, Alani Kuye created Relotis, Inc., a tech start-up for retailers and sellers.

Kuye, the founder and CEO of Relotis, said there has been a shift in technology from a decision-making system to a decision-support system, meaning the technology can either make sometimes flawed decisions for people, or people can use technology to leverage their choices.

He said the adaptation of technology has strengthened human decision-making skills by basing new ideas on accurate data. Along with others, Kuye said this idea is the aim of his company’s use of artificial intelligence.

Relotis is a technology company designed to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to track user data for companies, and apply that data to promotional tools and other applications to help their businesses grow.

Kuye said Relotis is not a retailer but an optimization tool for vendors and other sellers that can limit the cost of social media marketing strategies that may not always represent an increase in sales, which he said would be “vanity metrics.”

“Many companies spend too much on social media marketing,” he said. “[These companies] go spend $2 or $3 million on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms and I always ask them: ‘Your campaign got you 100,000 likes and 10,000 followers. Did you gain 10,000 new customers?’ The answer is always ‘No.’”

September 2021.

The software may also produce misinformation because it uses open-source data. This means the system scrapes information from millions of sites and compiles this data, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies.

Kuye explained that his company differs since it only relies on user data that the company already records. He said, therefore, the AI and ML model used with Relotis can accurately depict data.

Bell doesn’t think philanthropy can effectively plaster over entire institutional policies.

“I don’t think that it should be the full responsibility of Black business owners to bridge these gaps,” she said. “The responsibility becomes completely ours.

I don’t think that’s fair … so I am looking at things within the organization to figure out what type of changes need to be made to make a bigger impact. Because a bigger impact needs to be made.”

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

On the consumer side, Relotis works with retailers, resellers, manufacturers, and similar distributors to have its QR code printed on the retailers’ packaging for customers to scan. Relotis then draws a profit from this scan and directs the consumer to promotional tools from their chosen retailer.

On the supply side, Relotis acquires internal information from the company and then uses its AI technology to analyze the data and depict it simply through Large Language Processing models (LLMs). These models understand and generate text similar to human speech.

Similar to ChatGPT, another LLM that uses natural language processing models, Relotis uses this technology to display data that is easy for companies to understand and track, to then modify their plans based on the data presented.

But many people cite the issues with ChatGPT as its misinformation and outdated information. Even with its recent update in March, the system lacks information after

The misinterpretation of data is often cited in the example of the motion-detected soap dispenser. Several videos online depict a handoperated soap dispenser not recognizing Black hands, while dispensing soap to white hands. This citation often leads to a conversation about a greater need for diversity in technology and its testing departments, since humans are becoming increasingly reliant on technology and possibly AI and ML models as these increase in popularity.

Kuye said his company also seeks a $12 million investment to expand its marketing strategies, product development, and staff. He also said he is excited about growing his company further and especially to work in the healthcare field.

Kuye said he wants his model to offer financial advice or incentives through AI and ML to help reduce costs for people in need. He provided an example of people having to choose between paying medical bills and rent, among other fiscal difficulties.

“Someone who lives in Westchester, N.Y., or the right side of Greenwich, Connecticut, probably doesn’t care if they can afford a $5,000 a month (expense),” Kuye said. “But that’s the 1%. Most people care when those medical bills come, especially [those who are] disadvantaged. If you start to look at the biases in AI itself—that’s how we can solve it: by having it look at the right data.”

Black Girls Movement founder and CEO Kristel Bell (Photo courtesy of Tené Nicole Creative Agency)

Alani Kuye (Relotis photo)

International

Continued from page 2

trounced Kamara in subsequent elections.

Bio’s record in office was marked by several much-needed social welfare projects. He became the first Sierra Leonean president to introduce free education for primary and secondary school students in public schools. He eliminated application fees for students in government-run public universities and canceled a China-funded $400 million loan agreement with previous Sierra Leone president Ernest Bai Koroma to build a new international airport in Sierra Leone.

In February 2019, Bio declared a state of emergency in Sierra Leone due to endemic sexual violence. He increased penalties for rape and other sexual violations.

However, under his regime, the

country slipped into rising poverty.

Anti-government protests in August 2022 sparked by the country’s cost of living crisis were met with violence.

Chernoh Alpha Bah, a fierce critic of Bio and a contributor to the Africanist publication, was also dismissive of the election which, he said, was called before all the votes were counted.

“We must agree that there should be no short-cut to electoral democracy, and we need to underline that entrance legitimacy is essential to any accountable government in any part of the world,” he wrote in a recent issue of the Africanist.

TINUBU VOWS TO ADDRESS INSECURITY IN NIGERIA AND END COUPS

(GIN) — Nigeria is making news again. At the recent summit of West African heads of state, Nigeria’s newly elected president, Bola Tinubu, was the surprise pick to lead

Francia Márquez Mina

Continued from page 2

Amherst, Massachusetts, at a forum organized by Agustin Lao, a professor and a board member of the Afro-descendants of Latin America and the Caribbean (ARAAC).

Márquez Mina, Wangari Maathai, Berta Cáceres

In 2015, Francia Márquez Mina received a national human rights award for her struggle in defense of the Earth and against the forced displacement of her community. In 2018, her struggle against ecological disasters led to her receiving the prestigious international 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize. Márquez’s fight in defense of the Earth is reminiscent of the struggle by environmentalist Wangari Maathai (1943–2011) to create the Green Belt Movement (GBM) in Kenya. Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004—the first African woman to win the award. Márquez Mina’s struggle for the conservation of the environment is also reminiscent of another environmental justice woman, this time from Honduras: Berta Cáceres. Cáceres was assassinated on March 3, 2016, but had received a Goldman Prize in 2015. Last year, the government of Honduras acknowledged Cáceres as a national heroine.

Márquez Mina represents, to a large extent, the environmentalist struggles of Maathai and Cáceres. Like Cáceres, Márquez Mina has suffered verbal and physical attacks, as well as unending racial assaults, to which she has made forceful responses.

In November last year, she participated in the Climate Change Summit in Egypt, where she reaffirmed that “it is not possible to talk about climate

the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a key regional body that promotes economic cooperation among member states to raise living standards and promote economic development.

After a unanimous endorsement by the 15-member body, Tinubu addressed several controversial issues, among them the number of countries led by unelected leaders. West Africa has witnessed six military coups since 2020, marking a backslide of democracy in a region that previously saw progress in shedding its “coup belt” moniker.

There was also an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau, whose president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, passed on the rotational chairmanship of the bloc to Tinubu after the vote.

“On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. In this regard,

change without talking about its effects on historically excluded populations.”

‘400 years ago, my ancestors left these shores enslaved. Today I return in freedom’

This past November, I participated with Márquez Mina in a workshop about historical reparations for the slave trade, which forced more than 30 million of Africa’s children into slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean. Márquez Mina demanded reparations for this crime against humanity. She called for a global summit on reparations that would link Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the entire diaspora.

She reaffirmed this position in Geneva at the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in December of last year.

Her recent tour of three strategic African countries—South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia—reaffirms the dreams of her ancestors. She said her ancestors were enslaved and taken to Colombia, but today she has returned free and with messages of hope for fighting together for a better world.

During her high-level visit to Africa, 17 cooperation agreements were signed: eight with South Africa, two in Ethiopia, and seven in Kenya. Similarly to the South-South approach of Mwulimu Julius Nyerere, former president of Tanzania, Márquez Mina believes there is hope in the South. Perhaps the approach of the Africa-South America Summit (ASA), initially proposed by President Lula da Silva (Brazil), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), and Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), will be vindicated.

we must remain committed to the utilization of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace of insecurity,” Tinubu said in a statement.

While he addresses regional matters, Tinubu must also contend with challenges to the legitimacy of his own election. Only 25 million votes were cast out of a population of 220 million, or 27% of the total population. Of 87 million Nigerians registered to vote, two-thirds failed to do so. Finally, Tinubu himself received only 9 million votes – a very small number.

Speaking on the Al Jazeera podcast “The Inside Story,” Aisha Yesufu of Citizens Hub in Washington, D.C., observed: “The outcome of the election is not a reflection of the way the people voted. That’s what’s in contention now…There was rigging, there was violence...It was a political coup…That has to stop.”

Last week, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it had received 215 case files from the Nigerian police in relation to electoral infractions during the 2023 general elections.

“It was a very contested election,” said Ovigwe Eguegu of Afripolitika, “and there’s still a case in court…We must continue to move forward but there must be justice...It remains to be seen how the president can fulfill his promises.”

Bola Tinubu (GIN photo)

Religion & Spirituality

Dr. Mutulu Shakur, acupuncturist and activist, dead at 72

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

He was born Jeral Wayne Williams on August 8, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland, but the world, particularly the activist community, knew him as Dr. Mutulu Shakur. After nearly 40 years in prison, he was released on December 16, 2022, and later given six months to live. But typical of his New Afrikan spirit, Shakur defied death for several months, succumbing to cancer on July 6. He was 72.

Shakur was 7 when he and his sister moved with their mother to Jamaica, Queens. His political and social consciousness emerged very early, due to being raised by a blind mother with the responsibility of helping her to navigate the labyrinthine social service system. These trials and tribulations paved the way to his understanding of racist and capitalist America.

As a teenager, Shakur began participating in the New Afrikan Independence Movement. That commitment automatically placed him in the crosshairs of COINTELPRO and other federal agencies. According to his web-

site, Shakur was actively engaged in the struggle for Black liberation, principally as a member of the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM). He also lent his services and insight to the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA), which envisioned carving out a nation in the South. He became associated with and devoted to the aims of the Black Panther Party.

In 1970, Shakur worked at the

Lincoln Detox Community (addiction treatment) Program, where he taught political education and later earned a doctorate in acupuncture, which he began using in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms. Six years later, he was certified and licensed to practice acupuncture in the state of California. Soon, he was the program’s assistant director, playing a pivotal role in the development of a five-point auricular

acupuncture protocol that is now widely in use for addiction and a variety of other trauma-induced conditions. He was instrumental in the creation of the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America (BAANA) and the Harlem Institute of Acupuncture.

He married Afeni Shakur, the mother of Tupac Shakur, in 1975. They had a daughter, Sekyiwa, before divorcing in 1982.

Among a number of political formations, Shakur was a member of the Black Liberation Army and allegedly the ringleader of a Brink’s armored car robbery in 1981. One Brink’s guard and two police officers were killed during the robbery and Shakur evaded capture for four years. He was arrested on Feb. 12, 1986, in California by the FBI. Along with his conviction for the robbery, he was charged with helping engineer Assata Shakur’s escape from a New Jersey prison. He was due for a mandatory parole determination after having served half of his 60-year sentence, which began the long fight to get him out of prison after he was denied parole several times.

This reporter covered Shakur

and Marilyn Buck’s trial in which they were charged with racketeering, conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, and murder, but the prosecution focused on the defendants’ alleged connection with Assata Shakur. “Mutulu Shakur is a target in this case because of his roots in the Black liberation struggle,” Chokwe Lumumba told me. At that time, he was a leader of the RNA and later, like his son, a mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. “He is a target because of affiliation with the RNA and its link to the Prairie Fire of the Weather Underground in 1976, his work in healthcare acupuncture for drug treatment, and his development of surveillance evasive techniques.”

At his bedside when he died were friends and relatives, including his children and several grandchildren. He was an inspiration for many of the positive messages in the musical work of his late adopted son, Tupac.

In a tweet, the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party said, “Rest In Power to the honorable and fearless revolutionary Mutulu Shakur. His memory will live on forever.”

Mutulu Shakur, political P.O.W. and Tupac’s stepfather, transitions

By MALAKI 17 ALLAH

Special to the AmNews

“The struggle was never about me, but for the will of the people,” Mutulu Shakur declared in a petition for his release.

The grassroots community has been deeply saddened upon learning that Dr. Mutuku Shakur, 72, a Black Liberation Army activist and stepfather to Tupac Shakur, succumbed to bone marrow cancer on July 6. A janazaa was held this past Monday at Atlanta’s Masjid Ash Shura, presided

by Imam Frukwon. Shakur’s body was also interred there.

Widespread social media tributes to Shakur have been posted.

“Dr. Mutulu Shakur taught us that ‘people struggle for liberation because they love [the] people,’” the New Afrikan People’s Organization and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement said in a joint statement. “He will always be remembered for his continued commitment to an independent and socialist New Afrika and for his battle cry, ‘Straight Ahead!’”

As a political prisoner of war,

Shakur had been incarcerated for 36 years before being granted compassionate parole in December 2022. Reportedly, he went to stay with his family in Southern California. Despite Bureau of Prisons doctors saying in May 2022 that Mutulu had less than six months to live, it wasn’t until after an October hearing that the federal parole commission granted his release.

Talib Shakur mentioned his siblings Mopreme, Sekyiwa, Nzingha, Ayiza and Chinwa; before reflecting on his father: “He changed a

lot of people’s lives out here and while in captivity. I’ve been in contact with several people who were incarcerated with him, who have said how much he’s helped them out. He’s a healer to our community. He did it for the love he has for his people. I’m honored to be one of Dr. Shakur’s children,”

“Comrade Mutulu Shakur: veteran of the Revolutionary Action Movement, Republic of New Afrika & Black Liberation Army leader, fighter and political prisoner of 36 yrs passes on to the ancestors. We stay loyal to your path,” posted the

His transition was announced via Instagram the following day with an illustration of Shakur and a caption reading, “Our beloved Mutulu joined the ancestors this morning at home with family. Please bless him on his path and we will share more soon. Rest in power and love.”

Born Jeral Wayne Williams on Aug. 8, 1950, Shakur became known as a healer, administering acupuncture to treat heroin

See SHAKUR continued on next page

Mutulu Shakur (Free Mutulu Campaign photo)

Prime Minister Pete Nice takes DMC on Universal Hip-Hop Museum tour

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH

Special to the AmNews

During a visit last month to the Bronx’s Universal Hip-Hop Museum (610 Exterior Street), its co-curator, Prime Minister Pete Nice (from 3rd Bass), guided DMC, half of the legendary Run DMC duo, through a mini-tour. Chief curator Paradise Gray also shared some valuable history as the three legendary artists traveled through time while detailing some of the vintage memorabilia on display. The full gallery is scheduled to open across the street next year.

At one point, they came across a pair of “like new” vintage red, black, and white Adidas-sponsored Run DMC sneakers in a glass case.

“Where’d you find them?” DMC asked. “Me and Dise got ’em off eBay,” Nice answered. ”Some guy in Japan had them.” Nice showed DMC a late-1980s Video Music Box event flier that “you and (DJ Jam Master) Jay signed to Paradise.” An astonished DMC glanced and reacted with “Yep. Wow.”

They went to another section where there was a flier of Run DMC performing at the legendary Disco Fever night club up in the Bronx. “A lot of people don’t know that Jay missed that,” Nice said. “Yep, cuz he went to the avenue to get fly,” DMC agreed. “How crazy is that?”

Next, they viewed some more classic

Rikers

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a law-abiding life and to receive medical treatment outside Department of Corrections custody.

“On two separate occasions, our office consented to Mr. Howell’s release from custody, and on both occasions, he failed to abide by every term of his release, and is alleged to have committed two additional burglaries in Queens.”

Howell pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, the same non-violent felony charge Tavares was arrested on. They were also both charged in Richmond County. But while the debate over Howell’s detainment raged on alongside his deteriorating health, Tavares awaits his next court date in August. Bail was set at $35,000 cash or $100,000 bond, according to the DOC.

Tamara Carter—whose son Brandon Rodriguez died in Rikers—says bail is a “trap” for Black and brown households given the statistically lower median savings account balances, according to the Federal Reserve.

“Right now, I only have $500,” she said. “God forbid any one of my other children get locked up. So you’re putting these high bails and you already know where we’re coming from. How are we going to have that money, or our families have that money?”

A progress report—stemming from 1975’s Benjamin v. Molina litigation filed by the

memorabilia by several other “Golden Era” artists, such as Joe Ski Love, Salt & Pepa, and Rakim, among others.

Thanks to the museum, “people have the wherewithal to save stuff,” DMC surmised. To watch the live tour, go to: https:// youtu.be/KC-ZIJYEhXc.

Legal Aid Society—published last Wednesday, July 5, pointed to sanitation, fire safety and ventilation issues across multiple Rikers Island jails in 2023’s first quarter.

The independent monitor, Office of Compliance Consultants, found shower mold and mildew at the George R. Vierno Center, with live roaches observed both at the Robert N. Davoren Center and the AMKC. There were also 109 ventilationrelated violations tallied by the monitor, compounded with the concern of COVID19 and recent wildfire smoke. And a fire post—employed in the absence of smoke detectors at the West Facility jail—was “frequently” abandoned or understaffed, according to findings from the logbooks.

“The monitor itself has complained and has been struggling to get access to a fair amount of data from the department, which we see as just another way in which the Department of Corrections is cutting itself off from public scrutiny,” said Legal Aid Society staff attorney Lauren StephensDavidowitz. “But even with the monitor’s limited access, the report is scathing. There’s still so much in there about just how awful things are.”

Advocates criticized the DOC last month after curbing “proactive” custody death notifications to the press, pivoting to an opt-in system, which the Amsterdam News is participating in. Information about Tavares’s death was provided over the federal holiday upon request while an incident report about Howell’s death was sent out.

Shakur

Continued from previous page

addiction in NYC during the 1970s. He also advocated for holistic healthcare. He married Tupac’s mother, Afeni, in 1975, and they had a daughter, Sekyiwa, but divorced in 1982.

“Mutulu was the quintessential re-Africanized New African Freedom fighter,” said his comrade Tarik Haskins. “He was a healer. After seeing an alarming, horrific number of Black and Puerto Rican people succumbing to drug overdoses and the AIDS epidemic, he stepped forward to learn and apply acupuncture to save our people. He multiplied his efforts by training people to become acupuncturists.”

Shakur went underground after authorities sought him out for his alleged role in the “expropriation” of $1.6 million from a Brinks armored truck in 1981, which resulted in the deaths of two cops and a security guard. He was eventually apprehended in 1989, convicted on RICO charges, and sentenced to 60 years in prison. After serving half his sentence--30 years--he became eligible for parole in 2016.

“More than a comrade, we were true friends,” said elected activist Charles Barron. “Mutulu was an iconic revolutionary and inspired so many others. It’s a sad loss and I’m angry that this vicious, capitalist, colonial system kept him in prison all those years until he was close to death.”

Barron said Shakur was always optimistic, and a devoted family man who “touched and saved a lot of lives with his acupuncture clinic. He had a profound love for his people. The revolution never dies.”

Although he had a clean institutional record and mentored other inmates, he was denied parole nine times, including during the COVID-19 crisis.

“He was a close friend, comrade, brother,” said Sekou Odinga. “Mutu was motivated by love and was committed to the struggle of Black and brown people. He did a lot of good work. He stayed in it until the day he passed. We will continue on with his work. He lived what he believed.”

There will be local memorial services next month.

Talib and Mutulu Shakur (Family photo)

Pete Nice, from 3rd Base, with DMC, from Run-DMC, at Universal Hip-Hop Museum

L to right: Paradise’s grandson, Paradise, and DMC at Universal Hip-Hop Museum (Mal’akiy 17 Allah photos)

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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, 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

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.

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. 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 - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 200 CHAMBERS STREET CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against- ERIC R. BRAVERMAN, DARYA BRAVERMAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated February 24, 2022 and entered on March 21, 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 on August 16, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Unit being designated and described as Unit No 26C in the condominium known as "The 200 Chambers Street Condominium" together with an undivided 0.8256% interest in the common elements. Block: 142 Lot: 1183. ALSO, Unit being designated and described as Unit No. ST14 in the condominium known as "The 200 Chambers Street Condominium" together with an undivided 0.0103% interest in the common elements. Block: 142 Lot: 1375. 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 200 CHAMBERS STREET, UNIT 26C, NEW YORK, NY and UNIT ST14 (a storage unit), 200 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK NY. Approximate amount of lien $702,840.07 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 162556/2015.

MARK MCKEW, ESQ., Referee Armstrong Teasdale LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 7 Times Square, 44th Floor, New York, NY 10036

Ahern Painting Contractors, Inc is seeking M/WBE and SDVOB Subcontractor proposals for the Project: “C35326 – Painting and Steel Repair of Elevated Structure Myrtle Avenue Line in the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens”. Please contact Anna at 718639-5880 for details.

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.

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 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

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 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.

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 Application of Authority of Limited Liability Company Feenix Payment Systems, LLC (“LLC”) LLC

Application for Authority filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on June 8, 2023. N.Y. Office location: 1201 Broadway, Ste. 701, New York, NY 10001 (New York County).

SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against LLC served upon it is c/o the LLC: Feenix Payment Systems, LLC 1201 Broadway, Ste. 701, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Application of Authority of Limited Liability Company FVP Servicing, LLC (“LLC”). LLC Application for Authority filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on June 8, 2023. N.Y. Office location: 1201 Broadway, Ste. 701, New York, NY 10001 (New York County). SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against LLC served upon it is c/o the LLC: FVP Servicing, LLC 1201 Broadway, Ste. 701 New York, NY 10001. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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.

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.

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

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

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. 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 $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

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

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 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 CLOUD POWERED SOLUTIONS LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/29/2023. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is: UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC. 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202 BROOKLYN, NY, 11228. The principal business address of the LLC is 228 Park Ave S #322277, New York, NY 10003. Dissolution date: Perpetual. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

LMF Consulting Group LLC filed with the SSNY on 3/27/2023. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail process to: 201 East 69th St., Apt. 12B, NY, NY 10021. 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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.

Notice of Formation of Travel Dad, LLC filed with SSNY on 4/30/23. Office: New York County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 87 Barrow St., Apt 4F, New York, NY 10014. Purpose: any lawful act or 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.

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.

347-713-3553

Salesperson: Not Applicable

(212)932−7400

ORDER CONFIRMATION

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Judge dismisses lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

saying the actions of the white mob that killed hundreds of Black residents and destroyed what had been the nation’s most prosperous Black business district continue to affect the city today.

It contended that Tulsa’s long history of racial division and tension stemmed from the massacre, during which an angry white mob descended on a 35-block area, looting, killing and burning it to the ground. Beyond those killed, thousands more were left homeless and living in a hastily constructed internment camp.

The city and insurance companies never compensated victims for their losses, and the massacre ultimately resulted in racial and economic disparities that still exist today, the lawsuit argued. It sought a detailed accounting of the property and wealth lost or stolen in the massacre, the construction of a hospital in north Tulsa and the creation of a victims compensation fund, among other things.

By JAKE BLEIBERG Associated Press

An Oklahoma judge has thrown out a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, dashing an effort to obtain some measure of legal justice by survivors of the deadly racist rampage. Judge Caroline Wall on Friday dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit trying to force the city and others to make recompense for the destruction of the once-thriving Black district known as Greenwood. The order comes in a case by three survivors of the attack. They are all now over 100 years old and sued in 2020 with the hope of seeing what their attorney called “justice in their lifetime.”

Story Body

An Oklahoma judge has thrown out a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, dashing an effort to obtain some measure of legal justice by survivors of the deadly racist rampage.

Judge Caroline Wall on Friday dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit trying to force the city and others to make recompense for the destruction of the once-thriving Black district known as Greenwood.

The order comes in a case by three survivors of the attack, who are all now over 100 years old and sued in 2020 with the hope of seeing what their attorney called “justice in their lifetime.”

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a statement that the city has yet to

receive the full court order. “The city remains committed to finding the graves of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims, fostering economic investment in the Greenwood District, educating future generations about the worst event in our community’s history, and building a city where every person has an equal opportunity for a great life,” he said.

A lawyer for the survivors—Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher and Hughes Van Ellis—did not say Sunday whether they plan to appeal. But a group supporting the lawsuit suggested they are likely to challenge Wall’s decision.

“Judge Wall effectively condemned the three living Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors to languish— genuinely to death—on Oklaho-

ma’s appellate docket,” the group, Justice for Greenwood, said in a statement. “There is no semblance of justice or access to justice here.”

Wall, a Tulsa County District Court judge, wrote in a brief order that she was tossing the case based on arguments from the city, regional chamber of commerce and other state and local government agencies. She had ruled against the defendants’ motions to dismiss and allowed the case to proceed last year.

Local judicial elections in Oklahoma are technically nonpartisan, but Wall has described herself as a “Constitutional Conservative” in past campaign questionnaires.

The lawsuit was brought under Oklahoma’s public nuisance law,

A Chamber of Commerce attorney previously said that the massacre was horrible, but the nuisance it caused was not ongoing.

Fletcher, who is 109 and the oldest living survivor, released a memoir last week about the life she lived in the shadow of the massacre. It will become widely available for purchase in August.

In 2019, Oklahoma’s attorney general used the public nuisance law to force opioid drug maker Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $465 million in damages. The Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned that decision two years later.

Bleiberg reported from Dallas and Associated Press staff writer

UPDATED WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY

Flames across the Greenwood section of Tulsa during 1920 Race Massacre (Library of Congress/Public Domain photo)

The Liberty remain one of the WNBA’s best at the All-Star break

by LORI WALLEN Special to the AmNews

The New York Liberty faced the Indiana Fever on the road Wednesday in a rare weekday 12 p.m. tip-off for their last game before the WNBA All-Star break. They went into the game at 13-4, holding the second best record in the league, trailing only the 17-2 Las Vegas Aces.

The Liberty suffered a 98-81 defeat to the Aces in Las Vegas June 29, the first matchup between the teams this season, but then won three straight before yesterday’s meeting with the Fever. One of those wins came against the Seattle Storm this past Saturday.

New York finished with 29 assists on 33 field goals against Breanna Stewart’s former team in a 80-76 win at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 6-4 forward, in her first season with the Liberty, has been sensational. The 28-year-old former UConn star was averaging 24.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game before taking on the Fever and was a leading candidate for the WNBA’s MVP award. She was the league MVP in 2018 and a two-time Finals MVP with the Storm’s 2018 and 2020 championship teams.

Stewart finished with 25 and guard Sabrina Ionescu added 20 for the Liberty. They are two of the Liberty’s All-Stars

for Saturday’s game in Las Vegas. Stewart was named a starter and captain along with the Aces A’ja Wilson. Ionescu and her backcourt partner Courtney Vandersloot will also represent the Liberty.

Jewell Loyd, the WNBA’s leading scorer as of Tuesday at 23.9 points per games, and the Storm have struggled in their first season after Sue Bird’s retirement and Stewart’s departure in free-agency. They were just 4-14 entering their game versus the Washington Mystics on the road on Tuesday.

It has been announced that Ionescu will be the next featured cover athlete for the popular video game NBA2K.

The Liberty hosted its second annual Sneakerhead Game on Saturday at the Barclays. Fans were treated to a complimentary Jason Markk sneaker-cleaning station, presented by American Express. The first 2,000 fans received exclusive pairs of New York Liberty socks.

In the spirit of community, NY Liberty also partnered with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit dedicated to turning unwanted clothing and shoes into opportunities. Fans can bring new and used sneakers in good condition to Barclays on game day and drop them in a Soles4Souls donation box that will be available on the arena concourse. In exchange, donors will receive two complimentary tickets when the New York Liberty face off with the Fever at home Sunday, July 23.

Basketball standout Isis Young provides media insights to young hoopers

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

This summer, New Jersey native Isis Young is using her talents in diverse areas. The former Division I college player and graduate of Syracuse University is working at basketball camps, doing commentary gigs and moving forward with her company, Your World Media, to provide media training to athletes.

“Middle school, high school, collegiate, and professional,” Young said. “We also offer broadcast coaching services for those just getting into broadcasting or those who are in the industry looking to get more feedback and get better.”

Young said her own experiences showed her how important it is to be articulate, get a point across, and be confident in the spotlight. By the eighth grade, she started being interviewed, as well as receiving attention from college coaches.

“Different avenues have stemmed from me being able to articulate my thoughts and feelings correctly, being able to retain information, and just to have great conversations,” said Young, who earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse (the first women’s basketball player to be accepted into the program) and a master’s in media management from Fordham. “I really wanted to make sure that I could give other athletes

the same ability to be confident in themselves, and be able to advocate for themselves.

“When you know how to talk, what to say, and how to get your point across in a way where others can receive it, it’s a very powerful tool,” she added. “With the media now and how high school athletes specifically are getting more media attention and more social media attention, how you handle the spotlight is so important right now.”

Today’s student-athletes have new demands, given social media and name, image, and likeness opportunities. Young said the media at times asks questions that make athletes uncomfortable, so she hopes to help them build the skills to handle such situations. As someone with broadcast experience, she said she is also able to enlighten athletes about how the media thinks.

Over the months ahead, Young will be traveling, working at camps, picking up commentary work, and preparing for the fall. She also does soccer analysis. As soccer season ends, college basketball season begins. When college hoops are done, she’ll head overseas to play some pro ball.

“Another thing that I teach in my media training program is how to create opportunities for yourself,” said Young, who created the show “The Ice Box” while a student at Syracuse. “I truly understand and have lived that out.”

Liberty All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu will be next featured cover athlete ofthe popular video game NBA2K (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty photo)

Former Syracuse University basketball player Isis Young is imparting knowledge to young hoopers on media skills (Photo courtesy of Isis Young)

Undrafted Jaylen Martin trying to impress on the Knicks’ summer league squad

Knicks forward Josh Hart will represent Team USA at the  FIBA World Cup taking place August 25 to September 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. (Bill Moore photo)

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sport Editor

The Knicks’ NBA2K24 Summer League team is devoid of a 2023 first round pick. That’s because the Knicks didn’t have any picks in last month’s NBA Draft. So most of the focus in discerning which players have the potential to be part of the team’s future rotation has been on second-year guard Trevor Keels and undrafted free-agent Jaylen Martin. Both are on two-way contracts.

After being one of the highest rated high school basketball players in the class of 2021 out of Paul VI Catholic in Chantilly, Virgina, Keels spent one year at Duke before being taken by the Knicks in the second round (No. 42) in last year’s draft. The stout, 6-foot4, 19-year-old shooting guard from Clinton, Maryland, split time this past season with the NBA squad and their G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.

Martin’s path next season will also be in the NBA and G League. The 19-yearold from Florida was coached in high school at the Florida State University School in Tallahassee by former Knicks player Charlie Ward before transi -

tioning to the Overtime Elite (OTE) program. While playing for the YNG Dreamerz, he faced Amen and Asur Thompson—who were drafted No. 3 (Houston Rockets) and No. 4 (Detroit Pistons), respectively, last month, in this year’s OTE championship. The Dreamerz lost 3–0 to the twins’ City Reapers.

Heading into the third of their five summer league games last night (Wednesday) against the Orlando Magic, Keels has so far not stood out in the Knicks’ two summer league games this weekend against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. In the Knicks’ 110–101 loss to the 76ers, Keels was 1–6 for two points in 14 minutes playing in the starting lineup. He was 3–7, including 2–6 on 3-point attempts, for eight points in 19 minutes versus the Nets in a 98–80 Knicks defeat.

The 6-foot-6 Martin showed more upside, scoring 12 points in 26 minutes versus the Sixers coming off of the bench, and then 15 points, logging a team-high 34 minutes as a starter facing the Nets. Although Martin shot poorly, missing eight out of 11 3-pointers and going 5–14 overall, he said he found his footing as the contest progressed.

“I feel like as the game went on, I loosened up and was able to play my game,” he said.

Knicks summer league head coach Dice Yoshimoto said there will be inherent highs and lows for young players as they navigate a learning curve.

“He did some good things and things he needs to work on,” Yoshimoto said, referring to Martin. “Anybody coming into this league…has to learn how to be a pro. Since the draft he’s done that. He’s been in the gym all day. He’s a gym rat.”

The Knicks play the Boston Celtics tomorrow (7 p.m. ESPN2) and will finish their schedule against a yet to be determined opponent, date, and time.

Knicks forward Josh Hart, who opted into the final year of his contract at $12.9 million at the start of this year’s free-agency period, which began at the end of June, will represent Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, which will take place from August 25 to September 10 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

The Team USA roster also includes Hart’s Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson, the Nets’ Mikal Bridges, 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, and NBA All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Anthony Edwards.

The Nets assess their promising rookies at the NBA2K23

Summer League

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

The Brooklyn Nets will play their fourth of their five NBA2K23 Summer League games in Las Vegas Thursday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 when they face the Toronto Raptors. The Nets are 2–1 going into the contest after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 92–71 on Tuesday.

Brooklyn opened summer league play with a 101–97 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday. Jalen Wilson, a 6–8 forward from the University of Kansas and the 51st overall pick in the second round by the Nets in last month’s draft, led the team with 17 points, adding five rebounds and two blocks. Wilson signed a two-way contract with the organization last week. Armoni Brooks, who last played in the NBA during the 2021-2022 season for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors, also scored 17 points while grabbing six rebounds.

Nets rookie forward Jalen Wilson, drafted No. 51 overall last month out of Kansas, is having a strong showing in the NBA2K23 Summer League. (kuathletics.com photo)

18-year-old first-round pick

Noah Clowney (No. 21 overall) struggled in the opener, scoring four points on 1 of 9 shooting from the field, missing six of seven three-point attempts. The 6–10 forward/center from the University of Alabama had seven rebounds.

In the second contest against the Knicks, Brooklyn came away with a 98–80 victory. Armoni Brooks led the team with 21 points, while David Duke Jr. chipped in with 19 points and four assists. Wilson, who won the 2022 NCAA championship with

Kansas, finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Clowney added eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

While Clowney hasn’t shot the ball well in two Summer League games thus far, with a combined 5-18 through three games, he has

shown the athleticism, mobility, and force to be a plus rim protector, rebounder and floor runner that translates well to the NBA. With only one year of playing college basketball and weighing around a slim 210 pounds, he has much room for physical growth and skill development.

The Nets’ other first-round pick, Dariq Whitehead, an 18-year-old 6–7 forward from Duke, is sitting out the summer league. The Newark, New Jersey native is recovering from foot surgery performed in New York last month.

Brooklyn announced they resigned Cam Johnson, who came to the team from the Suns in the Kevin Durant trade. The deal is reportedly four years and close to $95 million.

Brooklyn also signed Whitehead, former Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr, who was a lottery pick by the Dallas Mavericks in 2017, and shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV, the 18th pick in 2018 who spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ennis retains title with domination of Villa in Atlantic City

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

International Boxing Federation

welterweight champion Jaron Ennis dominated Roiman Villa, handing him his second career loss with a 10th-round TKO Saturday night at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Ennis (31–0, 28 KOs) won every round on the scorecards of all three judges except the fifth, and remained in complete control from the opening bell to the stoppage.

“My dad (trainer Bozy Ennis) wanted me to throw more body shots and give him more angles and not stand in front of him,” said Ennis. “I was getting hit with shots I wasn’t supposed to get hit with.”

In continuing to assess his performance, Ennis gave credit to Villa, who fought courageously in defeat.

“I was breaking (Villa) down and I came out victorious,” said Ennis. “I knew he was a tough kid. I just had to be smart and take my time and keep touching and touching,

and eventually, I was going to get him. I was setting him up.”

The 28-year-old 2015 U.S. National Golden Gloves light-welterweight champion from Philadelphia recapped closing out his opponent.

“I hit him with a big left hand and I knew he was going down,” Ennis said. “ I was waiting for the left shot and I threw a hook and I knew he was going, so I just threw one more and that was it. I knew they were going to stop it.”

As is customary for all leading boxing contenders, Ennis called out the sport’s best welterweights after his win.

“I want the winner of Errol Spence and Terence Crawford,” he declared. “Let’s make it happen. I’ll take on (current WBA regular welterweight champion) Eimantas Stanionis in a heartbeat. I want to get into the ring one more time before the end of the year to make it three fights. Stanionis, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas— all the top guys out there. Let’s make these fights happen.”

In Las Vegas on Saturday at UFC 290, Alexander Volkanovski retained his UFC featherweight championship with a TKO of Yair Rodríguez. Alexandre Pantoja captured the UFC flyweight championship in an action-packed matchup that went the distance and saw Moreno break his hand in the loss. Dricus du Plessis knocked out former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the second round. Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya entered the octagon after the fight, and he and du Plessis should face each other soon.

Jon Jones will defend his UFC heavyweight championship for the first time against former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on Saturday, November 11, at Madison Square Garden. Jones is a former UFC light heavyweight champion who moved up in weight class. This Saturday, Alycia Baumgardner will defend her WBC, IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and the Ring female super-featherweight titles against

Christina Linardatou in Detroit.

The following Saturday will see arguably the most compelling matchup since Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao clashed in 2015 when undefeated unified

WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence battles undefeated WBO Welterweight Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford on July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime PPV.

Kouevi and Homawoo ice dance team continues to ascend

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Anaelle Kouevi and Yann Homawoo started their season off on a positive note, recently taking first place in novice ice dance at the Chesapeake Open. They dominated both pattern dances and the free dance, receiving praise for their performances. They are aware that there are few Black ice dancers, and even fewer teams in which both partners are Black Kouevi, 12, and Homawoo, 14, who have skated together competitively for four years, are eager to make history in another way as well. Over the years, there have been several sibling partnerships, but they may well be the first cousin team to compete. Their mothers are sisters and keep each other calm at competitions.

“One day, me and my mom were invited to watch Yann skate,” said Kouevi. “Most of the time, I was just playing around, and then I actually started to take notice. I said, ‘I want to do this.’ I started taking lessons, and then eventually I ended up in the same academy as him, and we ended up training together.”

The duo train at Ion International Training Center in Leesburg, Virginia, with coaches Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak, Pierre Souquet, Jimmie Manners, and Yullia Zhata. Kouevi said it took her a couple of years to really see she had competitive potential, but then it clicked into place.

Rising ice dancers

Anaelle Kouevi and Yann Homawoo (Photos courtesy of Kouevi and Homawoo)

“Training going into Chesapeake was actually really good. All elements were very consistent and we were confident. We did believe we were going to place well, but not necessarily win,” said Homawoo. “It’s all about trusting your training,” said Kouevi. They look up to their training mates Lorraine McNamara and Anton Spiridonov, who placed sixth in senior ice dance at the 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. “As a team, they work really well together, and they complement each other physically and mentally,” said Kouevi.

They’ve chosen music by Parov Stelar for their free dance along with the song “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Bebo Best. Homawoo said the team’s goals for the season are to have podium finishes at all their competitions. Should they succeed, they will earn an invitation to the national development camp for novice skaters held just after the 2025 U.S. Championships. That could lead to being sent to an international competition.

“What I’m most looking forward to is making a lot of memories on the ice,” said Kouevi. “Something we’d like to remember for the rest of our lives.”

Jaron Ennis lands a left to Roiman Villa as he retained his IBF interim welterweight title in Atlantic City on Saturday night (Amanda Westcott/Showtime photo)

Betts Takes an L, But the Legacy of Home Run Derby Bro Bombers Lives On

By DANTE MILES MLBbro.com

Special to the AmNews

SEATTLE — On Monday, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder and sixtime All Star Mookie Betts checked one more accomplishment off his long list of career achievements when he participated in the 2023 T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

Mookie credited a conversation with his wife for sparking his interest in the Derby. “She was like, ‘You’ve done everything you’ve wanted in baseball,’” Betts said. “The only thing you’ve never done is the Derby.’”

But even after entering, Betts was brutally honest about his chances to win as one of the smallest contestants in Home Run Derby history.

“My chances are really low,” Betts jokingly told the media before the showcase.

One reason for the lack of optimism from Betts could have been the seeding for this year’s

derby. The league did Mookie no favors, matching the veteran up with none other than MLB Legacy bomber and eventual derby champion Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first round.

Vladdy made sure to give Betts quite the challenge in his first Derby appearance, finishing the first round with 26 bombs. Betts stepped to the plate needing 27 homers to advance, and unfortunately, he couldn’t deliver. Betts finished the

round with only 11 homers. Betts wasn’t able to deliver, but this year’s Derby wouldn’t lack firepower. Seattle Mariners young cornerstone Julio Rodriguez put on a show for his hometown fans, hitting a record 41 home runs in the first round to defeat Pete Alonso.

Tampa Bay Rays Randy Arozarena was spectacular all night, first beating his good friend Adolis Garcia with 24 homers and then putting up 35 in the

semi-finals before eventually falling to Vladdy Jr.

Despite not leaving victorious, Betts’ decision to participate added another name to an illustrious list of MLBbros who have participated in the contest since Dave Parker won the very first Derby in 1985.

Standing in the house that Griffey Built, who still holds the record for most Derby victories with three, Betts was a reminder of a history that is filled with

Black champions.

Aaron Judge is the last Black player to win the award, claiming the title in 2017. This was also the same year he set the rookie record for most home runs.

Ken Griffey Jr.’s performance in the first televised derby in 1993, where he infamously hit the warehouse across the street from Camden Yards in Baltimore helped vault this event to what it is now.

Of all the events put on around every major sports league during their respective All-Star weekends, the Home Run Derby is the event that has been able to retain its luster.

The event has been tweaked in recent years, but even with a new format the excitement could still be felt throughout the ballpark with every swing. Betts may have lost, but once again, baseball won.

For more coverage of Black and brown Major Leaguers, go to MLBbro.com.

Josiah Gray headlines new generation of All-Stars 25 and younger

By MALIK WRIGHT MLBbro.com

Special to the AmNews

SEATTLE — Josiah “Sway” Gray headlines a group of baseball AllStars under the age of 25 who are ready to take over the sport. Gray, who turned 25 this past December, is one of 14 All-Stars under the age of 25 to be selected to the All-Star team this season.

Gray, a third-year pitcher, has come a long way from leading the majors in home runs given up last season to being named the only Washington Nationals All-Star this year. The annual showcase was held on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington.

Gray finished the first half with a 3.41 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 100.1 innings, and has played a significant role in the Nationals winning four of their last five series.

It is becoming more common in today’s game for players to have instant impact for their teams right after being called to the majors.

Take Arizona Diamondbacks’ outfielder Corbin Carroll and Baltimore Orioles’ Adley Rutschman, for example.

Rutschman, who has been one of baseball’s best catchers since his call-up, was a highlight of Monday’s Home Run Derby, while Carroll, who is starting in left field for the National League, is the leader of one of baseball’s biggest surprise teams.

The Nationals hope the road getting back to the World Series can be driven with Gray for the next decade.

“It is cool to be one of those younger guys out here and represent the next generation of the game,” Gray told MLBbro. com. “It is an opportunity that you will never forget, and I am thankful to get to represent the Nationals.”

Gray was traded from the Dodgers in 2021 in a mega-deal involving future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer and former batting champion Trea Turner.

Now, shortstop C.J. Abrams—who was acquired in a deal for Juan Soto—and a core of young Nationals look to finish the second half strong and build toward a future that will soon include 2021 top pick James Wood.

“We are having fun playing the game and

not worrying about what others have to say,” Gray said. “We have beat a lot of good teams recently so things are in a good spot. We are learning from every game and just trying to give the team a chance to win.”

Gray was expected to enter the AllStar Game sooner rather than later, so he needed to be locked in against the best hitters on the planet.

“I will face whoever they throw out there,” Gray said.

“It is going to be amazing running out on the field Tuesday night. It is going to be really fun to just be in that moment. It is not something you can embrace beyond soaking it in, so hopefully it is everything I ever dreamed of.”

For more coverage of Black and brown Major Leaguers, go to MLBbro.com.

Seven-time Major League Baseball AllStar Mookie Betts (MLBbro. com photo)

Washington Nationals pitcher and New Rochelle, N.Y., native Josiah Gray earned his first MLB All-Star appearance in Seattle on Tuesday night. (MLBbro.com photo)