New York Amsterdam News: Issue July 21-27, 2022 Issue by AmsterdamNews

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Vol. 113 No. 29 | July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW BLACK VIEW

DR. AL VANN – QUIET FIRE GONE

(Lem Peterkin photo)

THANK YOU TO OUR WARRIOR, DR. AL VANN (See stories on pages 4, 12, and 30)

International Go Africa Carnival 2022 celebrated in Harlem (See story on page 8)

(Bill Moore photo)

Pest City in the World: City council members Abreu, Nurse and Ossé introduce ‘Rat Action Plan’

DA Bragg moves to drop charges against Harlem bodega owner in murder case

(See story on page 6)

(See story on page 3)

(Tandy Lau photo)

(Ariama C. Long photo)

COVID Weariness Threatens Public Safety Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Puerto Rico’s Loíza unveils its 7-foot-high ‘Grand Drum’ USPS 382-600/ISSN#00287121 2340 Frederick Douglass Boulevard New York, New York 10027 (212) 932-7400 FAX (212) 222-3842

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By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Special to the AmNews Puerto Rico’s town of Loíza Aldea held a celebration on Saturday, July 9 for the installation of a new feature that commemorates the town’s Afro Puerto Rican heritage—and its reputation as the birthplace of the African-based musical genre of bomba y plena. The “Grand Drum” of Loíza, a 7-foot-high wooden drum barrel, is now the largest drum in Puerto Rico. Created by local artisan Juan Fuentes Molina, the drum took Fuentes and four assistants from his Taller La Plena workshop four months to complete. “We heard from a friend that there is a 6-foot-tall drum in Haiti, and they use that to promote Vodun,” Fuentes said. “But this, this project is for promoting life and remembering.” The “Grand Drum” is situated along Loíza’s Herrera Medianía Alta bridge—it’s supported against the wind with ropes and Fuentes says they will be placing a roof above it to protect it from the sun. Sheila Osorio, director of Taller N’Zambi, developed the idea for the “Grand Drum.” She told the AmNews that she petitioned for donations to support the craftsman who constructed it. Osorio,

Miss Universe Michelle Colón, Taller La Plena Director Juan Fuentes Molina, Loiza Mayor Julia M. Nazario, Taller N’Zambi Director Sheila Osorio, and Raul Ayala of Hermanos Ayala folkloric ballet among many attending the unveiling. (Photo by Carlos Brignoni Joy)

International NEW FILM PORTRAYS FAMED SOMALI RUNNER FORCED INTO SERVITUDE IN THE UK (GIN)—Somalia-born runner Mohamed Abdi Jama Farah— known as Mo Farah—won 10 gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) for being the second man in history to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships. But he won much more than that. He won a platform to tell his story of forced servitude and how he was trafficked to Britain as a child and forced to look after other children. Full details of his experience can be seen in a new documentary produced by the BBC and Red Bull Studios where he reveals how as a boy of 8 or 9 he was separated from his family and trafficked from neighboring Djibouti to the U.K. under a new name. Farah was born in present-

Mo Farah (GIN)

day Somaliland, a territory that demanded independence from the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia. When he left Africa, he thought he was going to Europe to live with relatives and had a piece of paper with the contact details. But the woman he ended up with tore up his papers and took him to

whose Taller N’Zambi conducts bomba y plena classes for locals and tourists in Puerto Rio and also holds regular classes in New York City, said that the drum “is a monument to the bomba which gives us our identity and is the unifying element of our Afro Puerto Rican heritage.” “This has great meaning for the people of Loiza,” assured community activist Modesta Irizarry Ortiz. “It brings in people who had not visited our area and did not know about our town and allows them to share our culture and our people. And, Sheila, I don’t know if she told you, but she celebrates a special type of ceremony once a month dedicated to the ancestors with different young people who play drums at night on the beach. It is a spectacular experience, and it was what our ancestors did at night on the beach: our ancestors used to do it through the bomba, it was their way of expressing their feelings with the bomba, with the music, and this shows us how music transcends times and places. …I see it as a healing process, a process of embracing, because people can arrive with personal situations, and you see the change in their face and in their being and how grateful they feel for having participated in our bomba classes.”

News

an apartment in west London where he was forced to care for her children. Farah said his fortunes in Britain changed when he was finally allowed to attend school. A teacher who was interviewed for the documentary recalled a 12-yearold boy who appeared unkempt and uncared for, was “emotionally and culturally alienated” and spoke little English. Farah eventually told his story to a physical education instructor. The teacher contacted local officials, who arranged for a Somali family to take him in as a foster child. He soon blossomed on the track. Anti-slavery advocates say Farah is the most prominent person to come forward as a victim of modern-day slavery, a crime that is often hidden because it occurs behind closed doors and inflicts such trauma on its victims.

Ahmed Dini, who runs the Mogadishu-based children’s rights group Peace-Line, expressed sorrow for Farah’s troubled childhood. “It has become evident that there are many contributing factors to child trafficking, such as poverty, a lack of adequate education, and insufficient security.” RWANDAN ‘GENOCIDAIRE’ FINALLY CONVICTED IN FRENCH COURT (GIN)—A former senior Rwandan official linked to the deaths of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus has been found guilty of complicity in that nation’s genocide, 20 years after the horrific crime occurred. Laurent Bucyibaruta is the highest-ranking Rwandan to face trial in France over the 1994 massacres that took place in 100 days of mass killings. France has long faced pressure to act against suspected Rwandan See INTERNATIONAL on page 31

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

DA Bragg moves to drop charges against Harlem bodega owner in murder case

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MetroBriefs Metro Briefs

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

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Esq. appointed executive director of NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research

A Harlem bodega owner, Jose Alba, 61, was arrested and charged with murder after he was attacked in his store and retaliated by stabbing his attacker to death. The community and store owners rallied behind him, demanding for Alba to be freed under “self defense” reasoning. Today, July 19, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office filed a motion to dismiss the charges. “Jose Alba’s case did not go unnoticed,” said U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a statement. “I heard from many of my constituents

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Esq. was recently appointed executive director NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research. She began her new position on July 1. Prior to her appointment, Pierre-Louis served as McSilver’s chief operating officer. From 2014-2016, she served as the senior adviser to the NYC Commission on Gender Equity and prior to that served as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. In 2006, Pierre-Louis became the first Haitian American in New York City’s history to serve as Manhattan deputy borough president, and served in this capacity until 2013. Prior to entering government Pierre-Louis practiced law for 17 years and served in leadership positions within legal services organizations representing survivors of intimate partner violence. From 1998 to 2005, she was an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law. Pierre-Louis succeeds Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, who was appointed to the role of dean of the NYU Silver School of Social Work. (Ariama C. Long photo)

See BODEGA on page 32

Civilian Complaint Review Board mulls over expanding watchdog role to police bias, racial profiling and improper use of body-worn cameras By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Who watches the watchdogs? Well, a small audience of stakeholders and concerned citizens apparently, as the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) held its monthly board meeting last Wednesday in Tribeca to discuss efforts to include bias based policing, racial profiling and improper use of body-worn cameras within the scope of investigating NYPD misconduct. Traditionally, the CCRB defers allegations of profiling and bias-based policing to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs

Bureau. But with over 3,400 complaints filed between 2014 to 2021, only four were substantiated. Samah Sisay, a Bertha Justice Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights, says there’s a natural assumption that watchdogs like the CCRB exist to investigate racial bias and profiling. In fact, the organization was originally established by the NYPD due to public demands for police oversight after repeated misconduct against Black and Puerto Rican New Yorkers back in 1953. “We are very happy for that change, because a lot of the work that we do is looking at [Internal Affairs Bureau] investigations,” she said. “And I feel

that the CCRB is better situated to do these investigations that are bias based or racial profiling, because it’s not internal to the NYPD. It’s a civilian board.” Sisay offered her testimony on behalf of the Center for Constitutional Rights, the former employer of Darius Charney, who was announced as the director of the CCRB’s Racial Profiling/Biased Policing Investigations Unit last September. There are high hopes for Charney, who served as lead counsel on Floyd v. City of New York which determined that the NYPD was stopping and frisking Black and See BOARD on page 31

City Council Districting Commission releases draft maps; rumbles in Harlem, SI, and Brooklyn By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member The New York City Districting Commission, responsible for redrawing all 51 City Council districts by next year, put out their preliminary maps last Friday, July 15, after a first round of public hearings. “It is critical for the public to provide input on these first drafts as part of the ongoing redistricting process. We strongly encourage all New Yorkers to participate, and we will continue working to ensure communities’ interests are prior-

itized and protected,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement. The city’s population grew 8.2 million in 2010 to 8.8 million in 2020, according to the Census. To reflect this increase, the new plan tries to average the number of citizens in each district. There were initial areas that were cause for concern going into the commission putting out the maps. In Harlem, residents and community leaders complained that there wasn’t enough notice for people to even participate in the hearings and voice their concerns over losing ground in the only

district left with Black council leadership at the helm in Manhattan (District 9). Senator Cordell Cleare and a bevy of community leaders in Harlem sent out a letter on Friday as draft maps were coming out. They disliked the possibility that district lines would be redrawn to remove the Polo Grounds, the Colonial a.k.a. Ralph J. Rangel Houses, the Holcombe Rucker Playground, and some of the surrounding area in District 9 and move it into council districts in Washington Heights. See MAPS on page 27

City to expand NYC Well The City plans to expand its successful, free mental health helpline, NYC Well—strengthening the foundation for the federal 988 crisis line. New York City already far exceeds the federal standards for 988, but this expansion, funded by a $10.8 million investment from the New York State Office of Mental Health, will provide more staff for increased access to crisis counseling, peer support, information, and referral to ongoing behavioral health services. The increase in capacity will allow NYC Well counselors and peer support specialists, specifically, to answer up to 500,000 calls, texts and chats from New Yorkers between July 2022 and June 2023—a nearly 20% increase in capacity from the previous year. Mayor Eric Adams is urging the federal government to resolve geolocation issues with 988, so all people in New York City who dial or text 988 are automatically connected to New York City’s mental health helpline, NYC Well, and not to a counselor located in an area associated with the area code where their cell phone number is based. Currently, if the referring person calls 988 from a non-New York City area code, they will be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline hotline that is associated with their area code, and then manually transferred to NYC Well. NYC Well provides a point of entry to the city’s mental health and substance use services via comprehensive 24/7/365 support by calling 888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355), text messaging “WELL” to 65173, or use of NYC Well’s web-based chat.

Mount Sinai honored for advancing diversity, inclusion, and equity in patient care The Mount Sinai Health System was honored with one of the highest honors in health care diversity, the 2022 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award by the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. The hospital was selected as the 2022 Equity of Care Award winner for displaying leadership through its health equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Most notably, the Health System’s Road Map for Action is a framework detailing plans to drive change and eliminate health disparities and racism. Part of the framework includes recruiting and training Black and other underrepresented staff and faculty; forming partnerships to accelerate anti-racism and equity efforts throughout all hospitals; and pushing for innovative approaches to address structural racism. Mount Sinai also designed a data collection method to increase access to and use of race, ethnicity, and language preference data by establishing metrics and dashboards that assess health disparities.

Dedication and unveiling of the African American Veterans Monument set for September in Buffalo The first of its kind African AmericanVeterans Monument will recognize the contributions of African Americans who have served and are currently serving See METRO BRIEFS on page 31

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Biden on the heat wave By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews As a relentless heat wave sweeps the nation, President Biden is on his way to Somerset, Massachusetts on Wednesday to address climate change. When he arrives he will probably be greeted by a sweltering temperature of more than 90 degrees. He plans to announce an executive action on climate change but it will not include a national emergency action that many Democrats want to see. Among the things on the plan is additional funding for FEMA’s program to protect communities facing extreme heat, a boost to domestic offshore wind production, and support for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, according to White House officials. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president is “not going to just stop with the actions of tomorrow. But I would not plan an announcement this week on a national climate emergency. Again, everything is on the table. It’s just not going to be this week on that decision.” Biden will be speaking from the Brayton Point

Power Station in Somerset which used to be a coalfired power plant that has become a manufacturing hub for cables supporting the state’s offshore wind industry. The optic here will not be missed by those annoyed by Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to Biden’s legislative package on climate change. A central point in the plan, according to those familiar with his address, will be that climate change “is an existential threat to our nation and to the world.” “The president ran on fighting the unprecedented economic and national security threat of climate change,” the press secretary added. “He has been taking decisive action to do so since taking office. Tomorrow’s action will be a continuation of that work.” Biden’s climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, said the president is not “shying away” from treating climate as an emergency. She told CNN on Wednesday that he will be announcing a series of actions “over the next few weeks” to address the threat. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass) said on Tuesday he was “confident that the president is ultimately ready to do whatever it takes in order to deal with this crisis. I think that he made that clear in his statement last Friday, and I think coming to Massachusetts is a further articulation of that goal.”

Dr. Al Vann—Quiet Fire gone By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews and By NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor Only moments after a notice that Al Vann had joined the ancestors, tributes began appearing on social and mainstream media for the former assemblyman and city council member. Vann, deemed a political bedrock of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, died peacefully on Thursday. He was 87. Attorney General Letitia James told the Amsterdam News, “He was my mentor and changed the trajectory of my life. A political giant that transformed the political landscape empowering communities of color fostering an environment that made it possible for me and others to serve in

office. I will be eternally grateful for his vision. He now rests in peace from his labor.” The Rev. Herbert Daughtry told the Amsterdam News, “Al Vann was super special! The original Mr. Cool! He was a giant of a man in every sense of the word. It was my good fortune, nay, it was my special blessing, to have been associated with him for many years. In his own words, upon his final hours, ‘We made a difference! We turned things around!’ It’s hard for me to think of Al without thinking of Jitu and Sam. We were the ‘Gang of Four.’ So long, Al—may God send a band of angels to sing to your place in paradise!” As word permeates that there will be a private family funeral, there is to be a memorial service for Vann next month, friends, family, and See AL VANN on page 30

Queens honors 1961 Freedom Riders By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Queens Borough President Richard Donovan honored the 60th anniversary of the 1961 Freedom Riders from Queens, some of whom were in attendance at the gathering at Queens Borough Hall this Tuesday. The Freedom Riders risked life and limb protesting illegal and often violent racial segregation throughout the South. Rabbi Moshe Shur opened the ceremonies with a song and recalled his time preaching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Con-

ference (SCLC). He credited Dr. King’s legacy with being the inspiration for him becoming a rabbi. Freedom Riders were an intensely diverse group of protesters, Black, white, young, old, Christian and Jewish, that ended up arrested and viciously beaten by racist mobs on their historic bus rides in the South. The national attention the riders drew became yet another major linchpin in the movement for civil rights. Donovan was especially appreciative of the political impact of the riders, he said, being the first Black man elected in Queens County to the borough president’s office. He commended the

heroes in the front row who as young adults boarded buses to the South with determination to make change. “Despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision to outlaw racist practices, some states decided to follow their own set of rules. Those states’ rules ignored the end of Jim Crow,” said Donovan. “We are here because 61 years ago 436 brave souls left their schools, houses of worship, homes, friends, and family and decided they would risk their lives to change ours,” continued Donovan. Honorees include Lew Zuchman, Luvaghn Brown, Bob Heller, and Paul Breines. See FREEDOM RIDERS on page 36

NewJerseyNews NAACP hosts national convention in Atlantic City By CYRIL JOSH BARKER Amsterdam News Staff

The NAACP hosted its 113th National Convention from July 14 to July 20 in Atlantic City after two years of virtual programming. The nation’s most prominent advocacy and social justice organization will bring together elected officials, activists, organizers, faith leaders, and entertainers for workshops and discussions to promote solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Black communities today, including voter suppression, student debt, police brutality and reproductive rights. Highlights at this year’s convention included the 51st annual NAACP Experience where corporate, government, minority, and non-profit exhibitors display their products and services, two days of free Continuing Legal Education training on redistricting and voting rights by the NAACP Office of the General Counsel, and the virtual career fair featuring 30 employers across the country seeking Black professionals for jobs that can be done remotely or on-site. “In the past two years, our nation— and the Black community in particular—has been faced with increasingly

alarming crises, from rampant white supremacy to rising student debt to increased voter suppression to the total degradation of abortion rights,” said Derrick Johnson, president & CEO of the NAACP. “The foundation of our democracy is in crisis and we need to identify a path forward that allows for Black communities to thrive. The 113th National Convention is a critical moment for our community to come together and discuss how we can combat the growing threats to our fundamental rights and values and build Black power.” U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the organization on Monday at the Atlantic City Convention. Harris is a lifetime member of the NAACP. During her speech, Harris discussed the need for African Americans to vote during the upcoming General Election. “Our freedoms are all connected,” she said. Consider the freedom to vote. The freedom to vote is the freedom that unlocks all others. Is—it is a catalyst for economic justice, for social justice, for racial justice. And generations of leaders gave their sweat, their tears, their blood in its defense.” On Wednesday, Majority Whip See NAACP on page 36

Newark represented at White House event commemorating passage of Safer Communities Act By CYRIL JOSH BARKER Amsterdam News Staff Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives for Police Services/Public Safety Brian O’Hara attended the July 11 White House South Lawn event celebrating the first major bipartisan gun legislation passed in close to 30 years. President Joe Biden signed the Safer Communities Act into law on June 25. The new federal law aims to reduce national gun violence and will require enhanced background checks for gun sales, criminalizes gun trafficking and straw purchases, and clarifies who needs to register as a federal licensed gun dealer. It also provides $750 million funding for crisis intervention and red-flag laws so that a parent, teacher, or counselor can flag for the court a student, child, or patient who is exhibiting violent tendencies, threatening classmates, or experiencing suicidal thoughts that makes

them a danger to themselves and to others. Additionally, it provides $75 million in federal funding for mental health resources. “It was an honor to participate in an event marking the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major gun control legislation passed in 30 years,” said O’Hara. “Although there remains work to be done, I believe this legislation is crucially important to Mayor Baraka’s vision to enhance community safety and save lives from the scourge of gun violence.” At the event, members of the Cabinet and Congress, people working on community-based anti-violence programs, representatives of communities that had suffered recent mass shooting incidents, such as Uvalde, Texas; Highland Park, Illinois; and Buffalo, New York; as well as survivors and family members of these incidents, were in attendance.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Concerned Community 4 Change founder James Mcdougal fights against obesity and for justice By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Long before James Mcdougal founded Concerned Community 4 Change, served as National Action Network’s central Brooklyn chapter president or campaigned for late NBA Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins’ vindication, the Brooklynite knew a life of social justice awaited him. “I was born in Bed-Stuy right on Fulton Street, and I remember right after Martin Luther King passed, there were riots and urban communities—Black communities were rising,” said Mcdougal. “And I remember I was really too small to understand. But my dad walked me down the blocks between Kingston and Tompkins, and I didn’t know what’s going on. I’d seen everything boarded up and my dad was explaining to me what happened: they killed a great man who was seeking justice and equality for people of color.” The moment took a second to digest, but ultimately formed Mcdougal’s understanding of the world. It answered why as kids, he and his brothers used different water fountains in North Carolina or why they couldn’t share a seat with white folks on the bus. So Mcdougal got involved. First with the marches, then with the people’s campaigns. “And it just grew and grew and grew,” said Mcdougal. “My activities grew [as well as] my need to be a guide for other people. So I took on a lot of roles in that path of civil rights, equal rights and all those things of equality and activism.” As an adult, Mcdougal spent years working on a recycling program for the city’s Department of Sanitation before leaving the “Big Apple” to go back to school at Kennesaw State in Georgia. Returning home, he found Brooklyn in desperate need of youth services. Obesity was an issue. So was the shootout across the street at St. Andrew’s Playground. So Mcdougal started Concerned Community 4 Change in 2009. Initially the organization focused on mentorship and youth obesity prevention, with forums and workshops across the city. But when another incident at St. Andrew’s occured, the rape of a Park’s Department employee in 2010, McDougal knew Concerned Community 4 Change needed to step in. “We had to stabilize that park,” said Mcdougal. “So that’s when we started the sports side of it. We started the basketball program along with the football program.” And basketball at St. Andrew’s Playground was synonymous with late NBA Hall of Famer, Connie Hawkins. Soon, Mcdougal became engrossed in the four-time All-Star’s story on how he was robbed of his University of Iowa scholarship and half of his NBA career due to a betting scandal

James Mcdougal at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (James Mcdougal contributed photo)

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 5

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones

COVID Weariness Threatens Public Safety After two-plus years of the coronavirus pandemic, COVID cases are on the uptick in New York City again. This is happening as New Yorkers seem to have let their guards down, and that’s a bad omen as we prepare for the post-Labor Day season and back to school, when COVID infections typically surge. With all that’s going on in the world – soaring food prices and rents, crazy gas prices, rising interest rates and struggles to find enough vaccine to keep Monkey Pox under control – the ongoing coronavirus pandemic might simply get lost in the shuff le. Yet, we cannot afford to take a summer break from the virus. Not for a moment.

Black

New Yorker

he was wrongfully implicated in. Never accused or directly connected, Hawkins was a generational prospect who lost everything because he was a Black athlete in the 1960s who borrowed and repaid $200 from someone he didn’t know was involved in point-shaving. So close to home, Hawkins’ story became another opportunity for Mcdougal to right a historic wrong. He began collaborating with the ex-Phoenix Suns player’s grandson, Shawn, whose life mission is to restore his grandfather’s legacy. His reason to entrust Mcdougal with spreading such an important piece of family history is simple. “I know for a fact he’ll give 110% to the story because he’s passionate about the story,” said Shawn Hawkins. “And anytime you have passion about something, you’re going to get a draw.” With Shawn Hawkins’ blessing, Mcdougal campaigns for a “measure of justice” from the NBA, University of Iowa and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, whose detectives held the future basketball legend for two weeks during an investigation, denying his rights and pressuring him to falsely claim his involvement in the scandal. Outside of this work, Mcdougal remains close to basketball, juggling his advocacy with his job as an usher at Barclays Center. As for what he thinks of the Brooklyn Nets’ off-season, Mcdougal prefers to speak offthe-record. 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 today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

Case numbers are quite high. Since April, the positivity rate has surged in the five boroughs to as high as 20 percent, which meets federal guidelines for risk of serious disease. Even that number is probably an underestimate, because so many people use home tests and those results do not make national tallies. More than 1,000 New Yorkers were hospitalized with COVID at the start of this month. And while it is understandable that after 28 months of this pandemic many have grown weary, we must snap out of the coronavirus fatigue as evidenced by the sparse number of face coverings you see on NYC buses and subways. The New York City Health Department is again urging New Yorkers to mask up in public indoor settings, and crowded areas outdoors. New Yorkers should follow suit. It hasn’t helped that New York State, at a time when we should rededicate ourselves to taking seriously our health and that of our neighbors, has not publicly broached the idea of a renewed mask mandate. And just as cases skyrocketed, New York City quietly ended the color-coded alert system that warned New Yorkers when they were at greater risk of catching the virus. The good news is, the state and city this month announced that New York City residents who test COVID-positive, regardless of income or health insurance coverage, are eligible to be evaluated for treatment by calling a hotline, 888-TREAT-NY. A telemedicine visit, operated by NYC Health + Hospitals, may include a free prescription for new, powerful, oral antiviral medications proven to decrease hospitalization for those at risk of severe disease. The Adams administration has also increased distribution of at-home COVID test kits.

Additionally, now might also be a good time for New York state and city health officials to resume f looding the airwaves with public service announcements about masks and testing. City health experts should be visible, because U.S. adults say their confidence that medical scientists are acting in the best interest of the public is decreasing, according to a Pew Research Center survey published in February. For many people of color, this mistrust is often due to not seeing diverse faces – or faces that look like theirs – in positions of power within the public health system. That’s even more reason that the widely diverse New York City Health Department medical leadership should appear in commercials and media offering plain talk about the situation we’re in. And the reality is, COVID peaks and surges have begun to blend into one ominous din. We could remain in this period of high coronavirus infections for some time because the scary sub-variants keep coming. The latest — BA.4 and BA.5 — are extremely infectious. The World Health Organization warns “the virus is running freely” in the U.S. and Europe. Some people are getting the virus for the first time; others for the second, third, or more, occasionally just weeks apart. And a new Omicron subvariant, BA.2.75, which has appeared in the U.S. and several parts of the world, may be able to evade immunity from vaccines and prior infection, according to some scientists. Sure, we now have an arsenal of powerful vaccines, booster shots, antivirals pills and other treatments to stave off the worst damage from COVID. About 67 percent of people have been fully vaccinated. Let’s hope we never return to the panic, suffering and horror of spring 2020, when the coronavirus swept across our city like Azreal. The ensuing chaos unleashed by the virus struck particularly hard at people of color, the poor and immigrant communities. This is not the time to get complacent. Precautions against COVID must be a permanent feature of our lives. The world is different today from the world we lived in two years ago, where we made mistakes and took what – in retrospect – were unnecessary risks. Today, we have no choice but to accept that COVID is still amongst us.

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

6 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Pest City in the World: City council members Abreu, Nurse and Ossé introduce ‘Rat Action Plan’ By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Bad news for Remy and Master Splinter—city council members Sandy Nurse, Chi Ossé and Shaun Abreu just introduced their “Rat Action Plan” last Thursday. Announced at City Hall Park, the legislative package boasts a quintet of bill introductions aimed at reducing the population of roughly 2 million rats in the city. “Intros 414 and 459, which our council members [Chi] Ossé, Shaun Abreu and I introduced, will require the city to establish rat mitigation,” said Nurse, who chairs the Sanitation Committee. “Based on this formative data that we have, you can see where the rat sightings are—we can see where the rat population is strongest, that is Brooklyn, that is Upper Manhattan, and that’s in the Bronx.” Additionally, Intro 460 would require rodent-proof receptacles for buildings with infestation problems. Intro 544 would increase penalties for failing to store waste properly, scaled for repeat offenders. And Intro 442, which councilmember Erik Bottcher also worked on, would require rat mitigation plans from building alteration permit applicants located in the aforementioned rat mitigation zones. “There are so many apartment complexes in New York City that throw their trash out on days that aren’t trash days, that don’t give a damn about how they’re throwing their trash away,” said Ossé. “And when we see these mountains of trash, we see large populations of rats warming to these mountains of trash.” Ossé, who represents BedfordStuyvesant and North Crown Heights, mentioned frequent reports of the critters from communities of color the trio of city council members serve. He even recalled an instance when one bit a constituent. According to Robert Sullivan, author of “Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants,” these outbreaks are indicative of broader social issues.

“The presence of rats is an indicator for disinvestment in cities and communities,” he said. “If you look at where rat sightings are in the city and if you overlay that with neighborhoods that have suffered a severe rent increase in the past year, you see that neighborhoods that have high rent stress, are also the neighborhoods where there are high incidence of rat reports.” Additionally, rat numbers grow when city services are cut or during sweeping lifestyle changes that come with major events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Sullivan recommends reducing late night curbing as rats, like other New York residents, love an early morning breakfast. Additionally, he advises getting rid of plastic bags, which he calls “bird feeders for rats.” But he’s a fan of the “Rat Action Plan,” which he calls an organic approach. “Cutting city services and investing in fancy data or fancy new technologies, or mint-flavored, rat resistant trash bags, that doesn’t work,” said Sullivan. “What works is investing in communities [and] in their buildings, and making certain that property owners who rent [out] take care of the properties, and also in hiring people to help people live in neighborhoods.” But not everyone is seemingly a proponent. A “rat lobby” jokingly showed up to the announcement holding signs saying “your rat plan=our rat pain” and “don’t step on me.” They may or may not actually be members of councilwoman Nurse’s office wearing Halloween rat masks. One “protester,” who identified himself as “Rick Rodent,”

Councilmembers jokingly bring out “rat lobby” protesters. (Tandy Lau/Amsterdam News photo)

claimed to be the five borough (or is it burrow?) infestation coordinator for the “Rodent Alliance for Tasty Scraps.” “Ever since this new city council took office in January, led by council member Nurse of the sanitation committee, they’ve been implementing all sorts of anti-rat policies,” said “Mr. Rodent,” in character. “They fought to restore funding to the department of sanitation for more basket pickup service, which is taking valuable and easily accessible food away from our rodent New Yorkers.” 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 today by visiting: https://tinyurl. com/fcszwj8w

Rat snacks on an orange at Manhattan's 14th Street Station (James Nova Photography/Flickr Creative Commons photo)

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 7

PARK 79 Landmark Senior Living

117 W 79th Street | NY 10024

A transformation worthy of headlines, Park 79 will soon feature new affordable studio apartments for seniors. Park 79 has been reimagined as a place for our senior community to call home. Live in the heart of the Upper West Side, where you are steps away from Riverside and Central Park, museums, and the best neighborhood amenities.

• • • • •

Brand New Studio Apartments Community & Meeting Rooms Landscaped Garden Services by Project FIND Fully Affordable

APPLY TODAY

Accepting lottery applications June 3 – August 5, 2022 Park79Apts.com | 212.491.4700 | Park79Apts@Fairstead.com

Affordable Housing for Rent

How Do You Apply?

PARK 79 — 53 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 117 W 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10024 UPPER WEST SIDE

Amenities: Shared laundry room, High-end kitchen appliances, High-end countertops and finishes, Energy-efficient appliances, Hardwood floors, Common area Wifi High-speed internet, Online options for leasing, paying rent, and making maintenance requests, Community center, Community events and classes, Jogging/walking/bike path or access to one nearby, Security cameras, Security guard, On-site resident manager, Green space Intercommunication device, Elevator, Accessible entrance Transit: 1, 2, C, and B Trains, M11, M7, M79-SBS Buses No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: www.park79apts.com This building is being constructed through the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) Program and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LITHC) Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

Who Should Apply?

Individuals or households that have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older and who meet the income and household size requirements listed below. Eligible tenants will pay 30% of their income and applicants will need to qualify for section 8. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria. Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

A percentage of units is set aside for: • Mobility–disabled applicants (5%) • Vision/Hearing–disabled applicants (2%)

AVAILABLE UNITS & INCOME REQUIREMENTS Unit Size

Studio

Unit Size

Studio

40% AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) UNITS

50% AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) UNITS

Monthly Rent1

Units Available

30% of adjusted income; applicants must qualify for Section 8

Monthly Rent1

Units Available

30% of adjusted income; applicants must qualify for Section 8

Household Size2

Annual Household Income3 Minimum - Maximum4

1 person

$0 - $37,360

2 people

$0 - $42,720

Household Size2

Annual Household Income3 Minimum - Maximum4

1 person

$0 - $46,700

2 people

$0 - $53,400

Rent includes all utilities. Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria. Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change. 4 Asset limits apply. 1

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: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. 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 [August 5, 2022]. 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 qualify, you will be invited to submit documents to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Applicants are usually contacted from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to submit documents that verify your household size, identity of members 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: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de [5 de Agosto de 2022].

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：Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. 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 [2022 年 8 月 5 日].

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: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. 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 [5 август 2022].

한국어

https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오. 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를 Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037으로 보내주십시오. 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오. [2022 년 8 월 5] 일까지 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: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat [out 5, 2022].

‫ةيبرعلا‬

‫ ينورتكلإلا عقوملا ىلع تنرتنإلا قيرط نع بلطب مدقت‬https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. ‫ةمجرت ىلع لوصحلل‬ ‫يقرولا بلطلا جذومنلو نالعإلا اذهل ةيبرعلا ةغللاب‬، ‫ىلإ كناونعو كمسا لمحي فورظم لسرأ‬: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. ‫فورظملل ةيفلخلا ةهجلا ىلع‬، ‫“ ةملك ةيزيلجنإلا ةغللاب بتكا‬ARABIC”. ‫بجي‬ ‫[ لبق ديربلا متخب اهمتخ وأ تنرتنإلا قيرط نع تابلطلا جذامن لاسرإ‬5 ‫سطسغأ‬، 2022].

Polskie

Aby złożyć wniosek online, przejdź na stronę nyc.gov/housingconnect. Aby uzyskać polskie tłumaczenie tego powiadomienia oraz wniosek w wersji wydrukowanej, wyślij kopertę z własnym adresem: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. Wpisz słowo „POLISH” w j. angielskim na odwrocie koperty. Wnioski muszą posiadać stempel pocztowy lub zostać przesłane online nie późni 5 ] sierpień 2022].

Français

Pour déposer votre demande en ligne, rendez-vous sur le site nyc.gov/housingconnect. 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’adresse suivante: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. 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 [5 Août 2022], le cachet de la poste faisant foi.

বাাংলা

অনলাইনন আনেদন করনে, অন গ ু র ্ হ কনর nyc.gov/housingconnect এ যান। এই বেজ্ঞ বির বাাংলা অন ো ু দ এেং আনেদনটি ছাপাননাভানে পপনে এই টিকানায় একটি স্ব-সম্ব াধিত খাম পািান : Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. । খানের বপছনন “BENGALI” শব্দ টি ইংনরজিনে বলখ ন ু । অ্য াধিম্ে শনগ ধ ু ল অ্ব শযই [জ ল ু াই আগস্ট 5, 2022] এর েনযে প াস্ট মােক করনে হনে বা অ্ন লাইম্ন জমা ধিম্ত হম্ব।

‫ودرا‬

‫ﮯﯿﻟ ﮯﮐ ﮯﻧﺮﮐ لﻮﺻﻮﻣ ﺖﺳاﻮﺧرد هﺪﺷ ﭧﻧﺮﭘ روا ہﻤﺟﺮﺗ ﮟﯿﻣ نﺎﺑز ودرا ﺎﮐ ﺲﭨﻮﻧ سا ۔ﮟﯿﺋﺎﺟ ﺮﭘ‬، ‫ ﺎﮐ ﮯﺘﭘ ﯽﺗاذ ﮯﻨﭘا‬https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/ PublicWeb/. ‫ﮯﯿﻟ ﮯﮐ ﮯﻧﺮﮐ ﯽﺋﻼﭘا ﻦﺋﻻ نآ‬، ‫“ ﻆﻔﻟ ﺮﭘ ﺖﺸﭘ ﯽﮐ ﮯﻓﺎﻔﻟ ۔ﮟﯿﺠﯿﮭﺑ ﺮ مﺮﮐ ِهاﺮﺑ‬URDU” ‫ ﮟﯿﻣ یﺰﯾﺮﮕﻧا‬: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. ‫ہﻓﺎﻔﻟ ﮏﯾا ﻞﻣﺎﺣ‬: ‫[ ﺎﯾ ﺎﻧﻮﮨ هدﺮﮐ کرﺎﻣ ﭧﺳﻮﭘ ﮯﯿﻟ ﮯﮐ ںﻮﺘﺳاﻮﺧرد ۔ﮟﯾﺮﮐ ﺮﯾﺮﺤﺗ‬5 ‫تﺳﮔا‬، 2022] ‫ﺮﯿﺧﺎﺗ هدﺎﯾز ﮯﺳ‬ ‫۔ﮯﮨ مزﻻ ﺎﻧﺎﺟ ﺎﯾاﺮﮐ ہﻧ ﻊﻤﺟ ﻦﺋﻻ نآ ﮯﺳ‬

Mayor Eric Adams • HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr.

8 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS G O W I T H T H

Go With The Flo FLO

ANTHONY Ice T and his wife Coco recently popped into producer Noel Ashman and “Power” actor Joseph Sikora’s joint birthday party at the Hustler Club on the west side of Manhattan. Ice T told other guests that he’s doing great, he survived COVID, and that he had just returned to NYC from the West Coast, and is getting ready to begin his 24th season of “Law & Order: SVU.” Also at the party, private detective Bo Dietl recalled his friendship with the late Ivana Trump, who was also a friend of mine, saying she was a classy lady all the way.

on July 9 in Tuscany, Italy, Vogue reports. The “Insecure” star and Senicar said “I do” in front of family and friends after postponing their wedding three times due to the pandemic. Invited guests who attended the destination wedding included Ellis’ “Top Gun: Maverick” costars Greg Tarzan Davis and Glen Powell, as well as the actor’s “Insecure” castmate Issa Rae. The bride stunned in a custom Dolce & Gabbana off-white, silk gown. The newlyweds’ 2-year-old daughter, Nora, was the flower girl.

Meghan Markle is setting Manhattan on fire. On July 18, the Duchess of Sussex was spotted walking out of a building handin-hand with feminist rights icon Gloria Steinem, reports Harper’s Bazaar. Meghan is in the Big Apple with husband Prince Harry. The duo attended the United Nations Nelson Mandela Prize award ceremony, where the Duke gave a speech, and met with ambassadors. That evening, the royal couple had dinner at Tribeca hotspot Locanda Verde with friends, and were seen leaving the restaurant holding hands. Duchess Meghan was wearing her late mother-in-law Princess Diana’s vintage Cartier Tank watch.

Meli’sa Morgan is on the move. Known around the world for her chart-topping hit “Do Me Baby,” the award-winning songstress is on tour promoting her new single, “Footprints of an Angel,” which is the No. 1 song on two Urban Influencer Independent charts simultaneously. The song is also No. 1 on R&B charts and No. 1 on charts in the U.K. The tune has a sample of the classic hit “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” written by legendary songwriters/singers Ashford & Simpson. “Footprints of an Angel” is also the theme song of the forthcoming film of the same name that Morgan is the star of. In the movie, she will portray the mother of a daughter who passes away after a battle with cancer.

“Top Gun: Maverick” star Jay Ellis married Serbian actress Nina Senicar

L O

International Go Africa Carnival 2022 celebrated in Harlem Even though the weather gods were not favorable for the 6th annual Go Africa Carnival held in Harlem on Saturday, July 16, the community still came out to support the Carnival celebrating African, Caribbean, and African American fashion, food, music and art held on 116th Street between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglass Boulevards. Celebrating the spirit of the diaspora. City Councilmember Kristin Richardson Jordan presented the Carnival with a Proclamation. Co-founder Richard Iyasere said that

(Bill Moore photos)

(Richard Iyasere photos)

an “estimated attendance this year was 5,000-7,000 people passing through the event throughout the day. The Carnival is becoming a staple celebration of the City’s diversity of the African and Caribbean diaspora with thrilling displays of the unique goods and services provided by African & Caribbean merchants throughout the New York metropolitan area. The Carnival had three pavilions showcasing dance, art, music and cultural attires from various regions throughout Africa and the Caribbean with direct

participation from the African community and cultural groups, consulates and embassies from the City’s five boroughs. Furthermore, this event is designed to promote and drive awareness for the African, African American, and Caribbean artists, merchants, and vendors in the immediate community and the diaspora at large.” Go Africa Network seeks to organize such platforms to highlight the diverse and vibrant culture of the African and Caribbean communities.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O U T & A B

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 9

‘Summer of Hope’ Nightlife stop violence and CHANCES ARE THIS RAPPER’S GHANA TRIP stop the guns GONNA BRING RESULTS

Written by David Goodson

There was yet another great community event held by City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan, Tanesha Grant (“Parents Supporting Parents”), and Hawk Newsome (BLM) to Stop the Violence in the

(Bill Moore photos)

neighborhoods. There was plenty of food, books, games, music and information for the community. The event moves from neighborhood to neighborhood; this event was held at 126th Lexington Ave. in Harlem.

It seems as if the overall plan came together organically. After spending a good part of 2022 putting together a collaborative project with artists from The Mother Continent and The Diaspora. A bigger idea was spawned by legend-in-themaking, hip hop artist Chance The Rapper. His new works include titles such as “Child of God,” “A Bar About A Bar” and “The Highs & The Lows” which celebrate Black artists and intertwine the worlds of art, music and cinematography hopes to change the game through forward-thinking ideas that are compelling conversations and meditations on Black life. As of yet it’s not known if these titles are verbal / lyrical calisthenics or if these will be included on his highly anticipated new project, “Star Line Gallery” set to be released by years end. With the release of his most recent single “Highs and Lows” with Joey Bada$$ he attached a message to his fanbase. “Thank you to all my fans and supporters that have been there since day one,” Chance said in the intro to the track. “I wanted to give you guys the opportunity—to all my real fans—to be the first to hear my newest piece, ‘The Highs & The Lows’ featuring Joey Bada$$.” He continued, “Because it’s so hard sometimes to connect with all of you, I need a favor. After you hear this song, I want you to send this to five people that maybe didn’t get a chance to hear it. Throw it in your group chat, send it to your best friend, or just play it out loud because the people gotta know The Return is now!” Along with good friend and collaborator on the song “Wraithe,” Chance the Rapper spent the last week in Ghana with eight students from Chicago whom they brought over to learn about their roots in an experiential environment.

They took this weekend to announce what they hope will be a galvanizing event called the “Black Star Line Festival” to take place in Accra, Ghana. The music & arts festival will be set in the historic Black Star Square on January 6, 2023, and aims to be a bridge between Black people and artists of the Diaspora and the globe with the continent. During the announcement, Chance stated “When Vic and I started our careers and started touring, we did shows all over the U.S. Eventually we started touring in Europe, we did shows in Asia, South America, Central America, but we never had a chance to play our music for the people who support us the most. When we came here and touched down and felt the love that we received and the fans that we got to connect with, the understanding for the need for the connection became apparent to us. We need a music festival bringing major artists to Ghana. This is what we’re working to create.” The historic Black Star Square is a monument to the political freedom that was fought for and won by Ghanaians in 1957. Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African country to free itself from colonialism, under the leadership of its first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah––many nations on the continent soon followed. Dr. Nkrumah was inspired by Jamaican-born revolutionary Marcus Garvey, who believed in a free Africa and a global connection between the people of the continent and Black people globally. When Dr. Nkrumah developed Ghana’s flag and principles, he insisted that these principles were key to the forward mobility of its people. The festival title’s origins were inspired by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s iconic Black

Star Line. Founded in 1919, and operated by Black people, the line would link America, the Caribbean, and Africa, to global shipping and tourism opportunities. The Black Star Line was a symbol of pride, not only for Africans, but also for Black people in all ports of call. After nearly 40 years, the Ghanian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag. Sounds like a 2023 plan! With the weekend upon us, you might want to take a look at what’s popping at Joe’s Pub between Thursday, July 21st and Saturday, July 23rd as the First Ladies of Disco: Retro Music Box sets up shop at the venue. The First Ladies of Disco is an explosive, extraordinary musical journey of some of the most iconic soul, pop, rock and R&B dance songs to ever have topped the music charts. Join Norma Jean Wright, formerly of Chic, Linda Clifford, and Original Weather Girl, Martha Wash, as they sing their hits and give tribute to some of their favorite artists and songs. Sounds like a winner!!! Over and out. Holla next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.

(David Goodson photo)

10 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Union Matters Unelected but legislating: The Supreme Court decisions that seek to turn back the cultural clock Gregory Floyd President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Much is written and spoken about the fact that voting in America is astonishingly low compared with other industrialized nations. In our country, for the last presidential election in 2020, only 66.5% of those eligible voted. That number pales in comparison with nations such as Belgium (87.21%), Sweden (82.61%), Denmark (80.34%), or Australia (78.96%), who have significantly higher voter turnout for that same period. While there are substantial roadblocks to voting in our nation—which have been a source of decades-old political wrangling—the U.S. Constitution is clear about which part of the government decides who can vote and legislate. Congress. Yet today, another branch of government seems to have taken its place: the Supreme Court. While the Supreme Court is empowered with the duty to protect the United States constitution and provide equal justice for all, its recent session raises the question of whether the Court is overreaching its power. Some argue that with the current conservative majority of the Supreme Court, the cultural clock of Americans has been turned back. In its past session, the Court showed no hesitation in defying 50 years of precedent and cultural preferences. From demolishing abortion rights to regulating the air we breathe, these justices—not subject to popular vote—have set into motion an America that caters to the former president and political party leaders who appointed them, than the majority of people they are sworn to protect. Justices are supposed to be non-partisan. Yet, the reality of getting their position is that politics is the dominant factor in becoming a Supreme Court justice. Recall how then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denied President Obama in 2016 his right to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, claiming it was “an election year.” Yet, in 2020, McConnell orchestrated the confirmation of conservative Amy Coney Barrett, one week before President Trump’s re-election bid. While it is true that a justice’s retire-

ment or death may be up to chance and has provided some presidents with more opportunity to make a nomination than others, the fact remains, as found by the commission formed by President Biden in 2021 to look into possible reforms, that Republican presidents have appointed 15 of the last 19 justices even though the Democrats held power in 16 of the last 28 years: Trump appointed three in four years, while Carter, Clinton and Obama combined could only select four during their 20 collective years as presidents. With this Supreme Court having a 6-3 conservative versus liberal composition, fear now exists in some circles as to what new assaults on cultural and social laws and practices, fought hard for and currently being enjoyed, can be expected: what’s next? Prohibit samesex marriage, abolish “red flag” gun laws, require standardized teaching of American history, end Social Security, nationalizing “Right to Work” laws— these will all be up for “re-imagining” or revocation. The Biden commission did offer some recommendations for ways that the executive and legislative branches of government could rein in the Supreme Court, whose reputation it warned is “at risk when its decisions on political or social issues are significantly or increasingly distant from strongly held preferences of a large majority of the public.” Among those recommendations are increasing the number of justices and eliminating lifetime tenure. While these may be worthy of consideration, a major problem, however, still exists: how to get such proposals enacted into law? In a nation where there is only a 66.5% voter turnout, nothing significant can really change in society without strong public engagement. Let’s not forget that many Democrats and women had a problem voting for Hillary Clinton, thereby creating a pathway for the election of Donald Trump. Clearly, our future is at the ballot box! We all know what happened by another means. But we also need to make sure that we don’t vote against our own best interests.

Tony Clark appears likely to stay on as baseball union head By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer

(AP)—Tony Clark appears likely to stay on as head of the baseball players’ association. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I am more than committed to continue to do it,” the former All-Star first baseman told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. Now 50, Clark took over as union head in late 2013 following the death of Michael Weiner. Clark led the union during labor negotiations in 2016 and during the deal in March that followed a 99-day lockout. The new agreement expires in December 2026. Bruce Meyer headed the day-to-day bargaining during the most recent talks and was promoted last week to deputy executive director from senior director of collective bargaining and legal. The union’s key decisions are made by a 38-man executive committee, which includes an eight-man executive subcommittee. Seven of the eight members of the

executive subcommittee made $12 million or more in 2021 and the other made $3.5 million. While the executive subcommittee voted 8-0 against approving the five-year contract, team player representatives voted 26-4 in favor, leaving the overall ballot at 26-12 for ratification. Clark said voices are heard from lowerpaid members of the union. “The veteran players were the most vocal players about improving the system for the younger players,” Clark said. “They recognize the changes that were happening in the game and they recognize because they are in the clubhouse with the young players and wanting to let them know that they had their back when sitting down to negotiate.” The agreement included a $50 million annual bonus pool for players not yet eligible for arbitration. Clark said players pushed for “the acknowledgment that younger players were delivering more value and needed to realize more of that value.”

Veterans,

when you’re struggling, soon becomes later becomes someday becomes ...when?

Don’t wait. Reach out. Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to do it alone. Find resources at VA.GOV/ REACH

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July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 11

DO YOU CHECK ALL THE BOXES? Vaxxed

Boosted

New Testament Temple 3350-56 Seymour Ave., Bronx, NY 10469

Mount Pisgah Baptist Church 760 DeKalb Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11207

Abyssinian Baptist Church 132 W 138th St., New York, NY 10030

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First Central Baptist Church 117 Wright St., Staten Island, NY 10304

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Visit ChooseHealthyLife.org to ﬁnd a vaccine site near you.

12 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Opinion No comparison of shootings EDITORIAL

Comparisons are sure to come on Elisjsha Dicken’s quick reaction at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana where he killed a gunman and halted what could have been an even more devastating loss of lives, and the failure of hundreds of officers in the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The two deadly incidents are not the same, but Dicken’s heroic response is sure to resume debate about gun violence, First Amendment rights, and the arming of citizens. And the situation in Indiana is complicated by the fact that while he was legally in possession of a firearm, he violated the mall’s no-weapons policy but that will probably be ignored given the lives he saved. Moreover, what if Dicken had missed, then the possibility of a shootout would have occurred and that might have included even more fatalities. The question of armed citizens has always been a puzzling one, and it gets another round of debate following the mall shooting. To be sure, armed citizens will not stop an assassin with murder and mayhem on his or her mind. To amend laws about

citizens walking around with guns will mean altering other policies and procedures when it comes to gun violence. With so many of the mass shootings and casualties occurring in classrooms, should teachers be armed? There is a long list of pros and cons on this. On the one hand, if shooters know teachers are armed they may be dissuaded from targeting them, although once they know they are armed they may be the first one killed. Perhaps the only way around this issue is to post security at the entrance and keep the doors locked, though there’s no guarantee on these safety measures. So, you get an idea of just how difficult it is to find a solution to gun violence in America, but something can be done about the access to the most lethal semi-automatic assault rifles so often used in the massacres, beginning with more meaningful policies against manufactures, and more aggressive mental health initiatives, and state and federal agreement on background checks for buyers. We have no idea of what will be the fallout from the mall shooting in Indiana or the massacre in Uvalde, both are reprehensible and beyond comparison.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher Member

Alliance for Audited Media

and Editor in Chief

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

The frequency and fear of mass shootings have America on edge. When will they stop? By JAMES B. EWERS JR. Ed.D. Numbers give us a perspective. They don’t lie. We use them in almost every facet of our lives. Probably more so today than ever before in our lifetime. There are some that we gladly accept and others we cast an alarming eye. What are numbers telling us about our nation today? Let’s look and see. Numbers-wise, COVID-19 has been with us for over two years. It has taken the lives of many of our family members and friends. According to reports, over one million people have passed away from this deadly illness. Since the vaccines, we have seen a significant drop in new cases and deaths. Do you still wear your mask? We do.

Pain at the pump has become a commonly used expression. It is fitting because of the price of a gallon of gas. The numbers that glare at us at the filling stations simply make us shake our heads. It was just a few years ago that we gave a casual wink at the cost. Now our eyes are wide open. The average cost for a gallon of gas is now $4.69. Some states are higher as it depends upon where you live. We found gas just recently for $3.99. What a bargain! Owning a home is a part of the American Dream. It has always been that way. Just last year, the interest rates were more manageable. Now, they are climbing and hovering around 6% in some areas. Again, the numbers matter. A number that is disheartening and disappointing to talk about is the number of mass shootings that have occurred during this period.

A report in the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit says there have been 314 mass shootings in this nation so far this year. Hate, mental health, copycat and not valuing life are all reasons why we are seeing these heinous crimes committed. This same report says that more than 22,000 people have died because of gun violence this year. We have come to a point in our beloved country where we watch where we go. Being in a crowded area has now almost become a recipe for instant disaster. Parades and outdoor celebrations have become favorite targets for these would-be killers. The 4th of July has always been a holiday filled with joyous activities of all kinds. This 4th of July was tragic and life-ending for some citizens in Highland Park, Illinois. At a parade, seven people were killed and See MASS SHOOTINGS on page 29

AMNEWS READERS WRITE

Thank you to our warrior, Dr. Al Vann To the family of Dr. Al Vann, I offer to you my heartfelt condolences on the transition of your husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. On behalf of the 56th Assembly District, I thank you for sharing him with us for his six decades of public service and for supporting his dedication to the education, empowerment, the progress of Black people and the advancement of Black political power. Your sacrifices gave breath to his service and set the foundation of his enduring legacy. Dr. Al Vann was my mentor, my political godfather, my civic partner, and my confidant. His passing leaves a void that cannot be replaced. I will miss him deeply and will forever be grateful for the time I was blessed to study at his feet. He has been by my side at every important moment in my professional life, from the day that I announced my candidacy for the New York State Assembly, at his encouragement, and the day I presented the Cultural Museum of African Art with a $1M

check to house the Eric Edwards Collection at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza, to when we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Age Friendly Central Brooklyn. He was an integral part of institution building in this community. He will not see the groundbreaking of the museum next month, the reimagining of the armory on Marcus Garvey Blvd., or witness the Bed Stuy Ambulance Corporation get the deed to their lot, but he will forever be in the midst of these monumental accomplishments. I am thankful for the honor of serving the 56th Assembly District, the very district he loved and served for 26 years. Under his tutelage I’m grateful to continue supporting the work of paving the way for the next generations of community-minded public servants, implementing meaningful change. For Dr. Vann it was always about community empowerment, the power of the many over the few. Dr. Vann’s life work was about the true, holistic liberation of his people. He set the standard and provided a

blueprint through the founding of the Vanguard Independent Democratic Association (VIDA), Medgar Evers College, the Community Advisory Board, and an Age-Friendly district. He is the model from which we can glean as we assume the mantle of freedom, charging forth with vigor to achieve equity and liberty. This district is forever changed for the better because of his groundbreaking legislation that empowered people like me and people in this district to be the architects of our freedom and to build thriving communities that served our needs. Vann was a man for the people and did not waver in his efforts, nor shall we. He truly believed the power was with the people, and he built coalitions and institutions to support them and so shall we. He modeled change through his work and sacrifice. Through our self-determination and collective work and responsibility, we will keep his memory by See DR. AL VANN on page 29

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O P I N I O

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 13 N

Biden’s Middle East trip met with controversy, disrespect 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.

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month CHRISTINA

GREER PH.D.

ARMSTRONG

WILLIAMS

President Biden returned to the United States after his high-profile yet controversial trip to the Middle East. While there, he visited Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Though there were some positive headlines, the trip seems for now to be mostly a flop. Biden landed in Tel Aviv, Israel to great fanfare. The president is no stranger to Israel, this being his 10th trip to the Holy Land. In fact, Biden has met with every Israeli Prime Minister since Golda Meir. Biden himself has said in the past, and reiterated upon landing that, “you do not need to be Jewish to be a Zionist.” The president quickly made headlines as he broke the “no-handshake protocol” that has been in place since COVID. Immediately upon landing, Biden visited an Israeli military base to see the new “Iron Laser” in action. The newest military innovation to come out of Israel built in part with American money, the laser has the ability to shoot down enemy missiles, drones, and planes at a fraction of the cost that the Iron Dome has in the past. While there, Biden committed to helping to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge, meaning to always ensure that Israel’s military capabilities are ahead of their enemies.

Afterward, Biden traveled to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Memorial, to pay homage to the victims of the tragic Nazi genocide. While there, a touching moment occurred when the president met with survivors of the Holocaust and came to his knee to speak to them. He then laid a wreath at the site’s eternal flame. The following day the president held extensive talks with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid to discuss Iran’s nuclear threat and the potential revival of the Iran Nuclear Deal. It was quite embarrassing for Biden as his Israeli counterpart remarked during a joint press conference that Israel believes such a revival is impossible, and they are prepared to act militarily to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. To that end, Biden gave a half-heartened agreement. Biden further committed to a two-state solution, stating that he believes it is the only possible way forward. The following day Biden met with the Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas to discuss renewed American funding and to once again reiterate his support for a two-state decision. While arriving for the meeting, Biden angered many in Israel by removing the Israeli flag from his mo-

torcade. Those in Israel viewed this as an affront and to mean that Biden is not committed to Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem. In general, it appears Biden’s Israel-Palestinian strategy is stuck 20 years in the past. While a commitment to a twostate solution is likely to please some on the left, the fact is that the facts on the ground have made two states practically impossible. This leaves out the fact that most Israelis and Palestinians do not want two states themselves. Biden did commit to helping facilitate conversations to find some middle ground, which though unlikely, may lead to positive progress. After finishing his meetings in Israel, Biden flew to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS). The mere possibility of this type of meeting angered those on the left. In fact, during the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden pledged not to meet with MBS due to the CIA’s assessment that he personally ordered the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In any event, Biden committed to a meeting and followed through on it. It is worthwhile to point out that many observers in the Middle East believe that Biden only went to Israel first to distract from his meeting with MBS. Once arriving, Biden and the White House seemed to break local customs and protocol. It is generally deemed extremely inappropriate to schedule a meeting such

as this on Friday, the day being a sacred day in the Muslim tradition. This created a crisis within Saudi Arabia, as white gowns are traditionally worn on Fridays, while their diplomatic protocol calls for the wearing of black formal robes for meetings with heads of state. Since they felt their religious tradition to be more important, they wore white, which to the locals is deemed as the utmost disrespect to the president and his team. To make matters worse, the Saudis sent a delegation led by a regional governor, as opposed to the king or crown prince. Indeed, the White House seemed oblivious to this. In all, foreign policy commentators are calling the trip a huge failure. Even the only positive gain, the Saudis announcing they will let Israeli aircraft fly overhead, was dismissed by Saudi officials as a mere formality. Biden did little more than anger his already frustrated base while alienating one of America’s greatest allies––Israel––with further acts of disrespect. The trip was another case study of the incompetence of the current administration and their inability to deliver real, tangible results for the American people. 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 found out July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to support Black and Indigenous people on their journey towards a more holistic and healthy mental health. So many people in our communities suffer from stress and anxiety, which affects not only mental health but physical health as well. Black and Indigenous communities have disproportionate rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and so many other ailments large and small due to the systemic and institutional forces of racism that surround them in all facets of their lives, in education, the work force, housing, the environment, and more. So many Black and Indigenous people suffer from a myriad of mental health issues that stem from not being able to fully speak their peace, dealing with family and society traumas, and overall feelings of not being listened to. There are so many people who are trying to hold it all together and sometimes it is just too much. I often remind my students (and myself ), we are still in the midst of a global pandemic. We are constantly witnessing suffering all around us, whether watching war on the news or seeing unhoused men, women, and children sleeping on the streets or our cities and towns. We are dealing with the financial strains of rising prices on everything from gas to groceries. By and large, our wages are staying the same and the prices for so many goods and services continue to rise. People are dealing with crippling medical and school

debt and for many, they do not see a light at the end of the very long tunnel. There are a host of workshops provided by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network to help people deal with issues ranging from bias to burnout, geriatric mental health, and even peer group work. So many families are dealing with a loved one who is experiencing varying levels of psychosis or dissociative disorders or depression, ranging from minor to crippling. So how can we support those suffering from mental health challenges as well as their family members who are trying to navigate these challenging relationships? First, we can serve as a listening ear to those in need and those who love and support them. We can be present to let people vent and feel heard. Second, we can offer to find resources in different communities for different challenges. The National Institute of Mental Health has a host of resources and services for individuals and families that can be found at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ health/find-help Lastly, we can educate ourselves to help better identify when friends and family members are experiencing a mental health crisis. The world seems to be “a lot” for many people these days and we must remember to proceed with compassion as we navigate these challenging waters. 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.

14 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Caribbean Update

St. Kitts-Nevis votes next month By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews The Eastern Caribbean twin-island nation of St. Kitts-Nevis will vote for a new government on Aug. 5, almost three months after Prime Minister Timothy Harris’ Team Unity coalition government had splintered in the wake of a bitter internal row among cabinet ministers. Back then Harris, 57, had fired six of his cabinet ministers, accusing them of abandoning their posts, while they wrote the governor general asking him to fire the PM because they had lost confidence in his stewardship. Instead of waiting on the governor to act, Harris sent home the six, including deputy Shawn Richards and others, dissolving the parliament and warning the federation that he would call elections before the mid-August constitutional deadline. He had filled their spaces with replacement ministers to run the country until fresh polls.

At a rally in Basseterre, the capital on Sunday night, Harris named August 5th as the new election date, hoping that he and the new team of replacement cabinet ministers, as well as district representatives, would be returned to office without the political quarrels of the very recent past. Campaigning under a Team Unity banner that had involved his own People’s Labor Party and two others, the grouping had won the majority of seats in the legislature in elections held in 2020. A series of public quarrels over his alleged dictatorial management style and mumblings about his lack of consultations with coalition partners led to the collapse of the government after just two years. The PM’s main rival would be the St. Kitts-Nev-

makes much of its revenue from tourism but has gone through some tough times owing to the COVID pandemic. And now that the date has been named, campaigning will be stepped up even as it is unclear which coalition combination will have enough of the 15 seats to form the government, whether Harris will patch up differences with former partners or whether the partners will team up with the SKLNP to kick him out of office. Since the mid May collapse of Team Unity, civil society organizations had grown angry with the PM for delaying naming a date, saying they had feared abuse of power because of the absence of parliament. “We have some concerns observed by our non-gov-

ernmental organizations which can diminish our people’s confidence in our electoral system, create social instability, cause widespread anxiety, negatively affect the local economic climate, and undermine the respect for true democracy and the rule of law in our federation. The executive, led by your cabinet of ministers, should refrain from implementing major policy decisions that are likely to commit an incoming government, churches and other civil groups had said in a statement. The runoff in St. KittsNevis will occur less than two months after voters in Grenada, also an Eastern Caribbean nation, picked the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the New National Party (NNP) despite the fact that the NNP had won 15 seats in the previous two elections. The NDC picked up nine and 44-year-old Dickon Mitchell, an attorney, was elected prime minister.

on the other line right now.” See how fast they scamper off. 2: Neither ICE nor USCIS accept payments using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. If someone asks you to pay this way, it’s a scam. Always! Do not fall for it. 3: Even if it says USCIS or U.S. ICE, don’t trust the caller ID. Scammers today are making their phone numbers look real even if they’re not. Sometimes they’ll have you look up their number to confirm it’s what’s listed on the agency’s website but even if it matches, it could be a trick. Check with ICE or USCIS

if you’re unsure about whether a call or email is real. Never call back phone numbers in caller ID or left in voicemails or emails. Instead, type the agency name into a search bar and click on their webpage to find contact information. And remember, if you or a loved one you know has been the victim of such a scam or spot it, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc. gov pronto. For more information on these types of scams, visit ftc.gov/imposters. The writer is publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com – The Black Immigrant Daily News.

“Back then Harris, 57, had fired six of his cabinet ministers, accusing them of abandoning their posts, while they wrote the governor general asking him to fire the PM because they had lost confidence in his stewardship.” is Labor Party (SKLNP) of Leader Terrance Drew, former coalition partner the People’s Action Movement (PAM) of Shawn Richards, the Concerned Citizens Movement of Mark Brantley and the Nevis Reformation Party led by Janice DanielHodge, the only woman leader in the race.

“In your name of all democracy lovers, I now declare that I have advised his excellency the governor-general earlier that he should prepare for us to go to general elections on Friday, August 5, 2022,” Harris said to resounding applause. The federation near Antigua and St. Maarten

Immigrants beware! FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER Calling all immigrants! Have you received a call from someone claiming to be an “U.S. immigration officer” who asked for money for a family member bond hearing perhaps? Then read on. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning immigrants to be extra aware as scammers pretending to be from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Im-

migration Services (USCIS) are calling or sending out emails to trick them into giving up money or personal information. Here’s how this immigration scam often goes, according to the FTC. An immigrant gets a call or email saying they’ve violated the U.S. immigration law; that their identity information is wrong or out of date; or that they owe fees or need to pay an immigration bond. The scammers, all the time pretending to be an U.S. immigration officer calling from USCIS or ICE, will threaten to alert the police or to have you de-

ported if you don’t give them the information they want. Fueled by fear and desperation, many poor immigrants, many of them with families seeking asylum in the U.S. and who are locked away by the tens of thousands each year as their cases proceed, fall for the scam, as they desperately want to see them released and to be reunited. The scammers will also tell you not to talk to anyone else about it––which means you can’t double-check their story and find out it’s nothing but a SCAM. This is similar to scammers pretending to be calling you from government agencies

like the Social Security Administration, Medicare and the IRS. But it’s a trick. Learn the signs and avoid being their next victim. Here are things you should know about how U.S. immigration works to avoid being taken: 1: No officer from ICE or USCIS will ever call out of the blue and demand money. So, if you get such a call and the caller wants you to pay a fee or share personal details like your date of birth or bank account numbers, hang up or call them out for their scam and then hang up. I would say something like: “OK scammer, I’m going to dial the cops

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COVID-19 Resources Quicklinks:

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 15

ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS I ANTIBODY TREATMENT I VACCINATIONS I AT-HOME TESTS I FUNERAL ASSISTANCE

COVID-19 TESTING

If you think you might have COVID-19 and want to be tested, New York offers free testing at many sites across the city. Visit: www1.nyc.gov/site/coronavirus/get-tested/covid-19-testing.page to find the location nearest to you or text “COVID TEST” to 855-48. Below are a few sites where you can be tested for free: Manhattan NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue 462 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016 212-562-5555

234 East 149th Street, Bronx, New York 10451

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Tuesday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

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PCR Testing Offered Here

Monday – Saturday, Walk Ins: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, New York 10461

Sunday, CLOSED PCR Testing Offered Here

Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. (last patient taken at 3:30 p.m.)

*Walk-in hours may be subject to change depending on patient volume.

Saturday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. (last patient taken at 12:30 p.m.)

NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem 506 Lenox Avenue, New York, New York 10037

Pediatric Services Mon-Thu 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Fri 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sat 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 718-883-3000 PCR Testing Offered Here

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Bronx

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NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln

NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens

100 North Portland Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11205 Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692) PCR Testing Offered Here NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, East New York 2094 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11207 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

PCR Testing Offered Here Staten Island NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Vanderbilt 165 Vanderbilt Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10304 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692) PCR Testing Offered Here Staten Island Ferry Terminal 1 Bay St., Retail Space 103 (Level 1 of the Ferry Terminal, next to the North Shore Esplanade exit) Staten Island, NY 10301 Monday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. * July 16th will be the final day of testing at this location *

*For a complete list of COVID-19 resources visit https://amsterdamnews.com/covid/

16 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Health Monkeypox—who is at risk and what to do if you suspect you might have a case

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (green) cultivated and purified from cell culture (NIAID photo)

By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA Special to the AmNews Since early May 2022, when the first monkeypox cases appeared, there have been a total of almost 2,000 cases reported worldwide. Recently, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine held a livestreamed public event with other elected officials and experts to discuss what New Yorkers can do to safeguard themselves against monkeypox and what resources are available. Monkeypox (Orthopox Virus) is a viral disease that is infectious and produces symptoms such as a rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, tiredness, and headaches. Time from exposure to symptoms is anywhere from 7 days to 21 days. More severe cases can present in

For additional resources around monkeypox, please visit: https:// www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/ health-topics/monkeypox.page Or call 311 to learn where you can get tested and receive medication. those with compromised immune systems, children and other medically vulnerable populations. Levine started the public event by introducing State Senator Brad Hoylman who addressed basic questions that the public event was going to cover: “What

does monkeypox even look like? How is it transmitted? Who is at risk and what do you do if you suspect you might have a case or know someone might have a case? These are basic fundamental questions that we asked around COVID as you recall

of course and we need to start asking them now to be prepared and this could not be a more crucial time because of so many visitors to New York City.” Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, university professor and Dr. Mathilde Krim-amfAR, chair of global health epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health added their perspectives as public health experts. Dr. El-Sadr first discussed the fact that monkeypox “has been recognized for several decades already and is…what we call endemic. It has been reported for decades largely from Central African and West African countries.” According to Dr. El-Sadr, one of the interesting aspects of this particular outbreak is that the cases reported are outside the region where monkeypox is usually detected. Regarding what individuals can do if they believe they may have been exposed to monkeypox, Dr. El-Sadr stressed, “It’s really important to seek health care if you suspect [you have] been in contact with somebody who has monkeypox or if you have symptoms yourself, to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. There are some [antiviral medications] that are available through consultation with CDC and contacts of the patients should monitor their health for 21 days and if you develop any symptom to immediately isolate.” Dr. Jay Varma, professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College focussed on the issue of the “balance between making sure that people have the information they need to protect their health but also not generating a level of alarm that is disproportionate to the level of the problem…on the one hand I think the good news that…so far in the United States there have not been any severe complications of this disease.” “At the same time, what is concerning is that this is an infection that is quite contagious when people have it and more

importantly, it can be associated with other complications. Damage to your eyes, damage to your lungs, damage to your brain,” Varma added. He also addressed concerns around bias and bigotry: “I also want to emphasize that the stigmatization of infectious diseases doesn’t just happen for LGBT people it, happens for people of color, it happens for sexually active people, it happens for women, it happens for Asians, it happens for Africans, happens for Haitians and so…when we talk about infectious diseases I would like to suggest that we move away from the kind of stigmatizing language that we’ve been having for the last more than 100 years.” Regarding next steps, Varma stated, “I think that we’re gonna we need to get tests to be closer to where people live, having the CDC have a monopoly on testing and treatment and vaccine supply is not good…one of the most effective ways that smallpox was eradicated was through a strategy called ring vaccination which is where you vaccinated everyone that was close to somebody that had been identified as having smallpox and that’s something that can be done with the existing vaccines.” Varma referenced the CDC fact sheet regarding monkeypox that he described as “quite helpful and useful in plain language” and providing “pragmatic practice advice.” The fact sheet has information including symptoms to be on the lookout for, what to do if you or your partner have monkeypox, as well as the CDC monkeypox webpage, for more information. The event was then opened to questions from the public. One question was about the available vaccines. Dr. El-Sadr discussed the two vaccines available for monkeypox. One is the smallpox vaccine, with the second approved specifically for monkeypox called the Jynneos vaccine, made by Bavarian Nordic.

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Arts & Entertainment Theater pg 17 | | Dance pg 21 | Jazz pg 24

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 17

Pg. 20 Your Stars

B’way’s ‘Phantom’ has two Black leads thru Aug. 1 By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews Right now, the longest running show in Broadway history, “Phantom of the Opera” at the Majestic Theater on West 44th Street, is making another kind of history with two Black performers in the lead roles of Christine and Raoul. Emilie Kouatchou and Jordan Donica are working together through Aug. 1 and they are worth your time! Kouatchou made history when she became the first Black performer to get the principal role as Christine, and Donica made history when he became the first Black performer to play Raoul on Broadway. They also both made their Broadway debuts with this incredibly powerful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. While Kouatchou will continue as principal in the musical, Donica, who first graced the stage in this role from June 13, 2016 to January 28, 2017, will only be there a short time. When you go to see “Phantom,” as millions have done for decades, you should already expect some of the most energized and thrilling songs

Emilie Kouatchou is Christine in a scene from “Phantom of the Opera” (Matthew Murphy photos)

you will experience in a theater, because let’s face it, Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius and “Phantom” is an amazing legacy that he has given Broadway. But to combine that with two Black leads, it’s simply fantastic! With that heart-pounding music and the emotional storyline—the Phantom is in love with Christine, but Christine and Raoul, who are childhood friends, reunite and fall in love while the Phantom is left feeling betrayed—and you have an explosive scenario. Both Kouatchou and Donica put their hearts, souls, and stupendous voices into these roles and they make the intensity of their feelings come alive. This is definitely a reason to go to see this musical that has entertained the masses for so long. These actors work so very well together. There is a bonding that builds right before your eyes and it is lovely to experience. I also love the fact that they have such commanding stage presence. Make your plans to take the family and see “Phantom of the Opera.”Visit www.us.thephantomoftheopera. com for more info.

Jordan Donica is Raoul in a scene from “Phantom of the Opera”

Oldest Black musicians’ org celebrates 100th year

(Bill Moore photos)

The New Amsterdam Musical Association (NAMA), founded in 1904 and incorporated on Jan. 9, 1905, is the oldest musical organization founded for Black musicians in the United States. Members including James Reese Europe, Eubie Blake, John Coltrane, Max Roach and others rehearsed on the ground floor of NAMA’s brownstone, and NAMA allowed musicians to live in the upper rooms when they came to town. The organization celebrated 100 years in its landmark building with a gala held at Harlem School of the Arts, St. Nicholas Ave. Imani Scott welcomed awardees including Willie Mack, Steve Sink, Don Baron Sr., Antoinette Hamlin, Robeson Norton and Gia Williams. Councilmember Gale Brewer and Congressman Adriano Espaillat presented certificates and proclamations to members.

18 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 A

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Theatre World Awards honors exceptional debuts on and off B’way By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

World Award to Sharon D. Clarke, who made an amazing Broadway debut in “Caroline Or Change.” At the 76th annual Theatre “I’m humbled, honored and overWorld Awards half of the winners joyed. What started out for six were Black, and it was glorious! If weeks in Southern England has you’re not familiar with the Thetaken me across the pond. I want atre World Awards, let me tell you to thank the writers for the role about them. A special moment for of a lifetime.” Clarke thanked her every actor is when they make their “Caroline” family, her parents and stage debut, whether on Broadway her wife Susie. or Off-Broadway and that’s what Tremendously gifted actress Theatre World celebrates. The Kara Young received her award Theatre World Awards commitfor her stunning debut perfortee attends productions throughmance on Broadway in Lynn out the season, notes those actors Nottage’s “Clyde’s.” This incredwith outstanding stage debuts and ible actress oozed warmth and decides on the top 12 debuts. This was so much fun to watch in year the awards occurred at Circle this new play. Young cried as she in the Square Theatre on W. 50th thanked the audiences that came Street, home of “American Buffaout through the pandemic. She lo.” There was a marvelous thethanked the actors she worked atrical vibe and intimacy, as the with and the playwrights that let stage was intact for the show and him share their stories. She also it made for a very interesting setthanked her parents. up. The awards were hosted by Justin Cooley won for his debut Peter Filichia, Awards committee performance Off-Broadway in member and Newark Star-Ledger’s “Kimberly Akimbo.” Cooley, a emeritus critic, and he was absorecent high school graduate from lutely delightful. Filichia, a walking suburbs in Kansas shared, “There theatrical treasure, has been coverwas an incredible sense of unity ing theater for decades and he can and support in this communitell the detailed stories to prove it. ty…Thank you to my castmates He’s charming, funny, charismatfor pulling every bit of creativity ic, a treasure of the Theatre World out of me.” Awards and a seasoned journalist. Star of “A Strange Loop,” Jaquel The vibe at the Theatre World Spivey, won for his Broadway Awards was one of love, support performance as Usher. Spivey and celebration. It was a wonderthanked God, and Michael R. Jackful, private affair whose audience son for creating the show. consisted of this year’s winners, Myles Frost won for his Broadpast winners who presented this way debut as Michael Jackson in year’s winners and the families the Lynn Nottage musical “MJ.” of the winners. There was a great Anyone who has seen “MJ” knows sense of passing on the baton, so he does the role to perfection, to speak. Past winners who were maintaining the utmost respect, now presenters ran the gamut and great dance moves and mesmerincluded Matthew Broderick; Philizing delivery. lip Boykin; Geneva Carr; Rosemary Andre De Shields, winner of the Harris; Brenda Vaccaro; Karen PittJohn Willis Award for Lifetime man, Bonnie Milligan; Tracie BenAchievement in 2021 performed nett; Brandon J. Dirden and Andre “I Am What I Am” from La Cage De Shields. Each presenter recalled Aux Folles to the 2022 recipient, what winning this award meant to Harvey Fienstein. The remainthem, mentioning the play they York Daily News, emeritus; David Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Appar- ancestors, but I did with this story ing six Theatre World Award windebuted in. Those debuts ranged Finkle, New York Stage Review; el,” at Lincoln Center. Incredible and I want to thank Lynn Not- ners were Patrick J. Adams for the from 1962 to 2021. I felt so honored Elysa Gardner, USA Today, emer- talent, Phillip Boykin present- tage for that. She made me sweat. Broadway play “Take Me Away”— to be a person in the room where it itus; Harry Haun, The Observer; ed Brown with her award. Brown She gave such a beautiful libretto he was amazing, Yair Ben-Dor for happened. I was also honored be- Cary Wong, freelancer; and Frank shared, “I’m at a loss for words. I’m for opera…Thank you for writing “Prayer For The French Repubcause this year I became one of the Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter. a woman of deep faith.” Speak- something that felt so natural.” lic,” Enrico Colantoni and Crystal only nine-member committee that The Black winners distinguished ing about the importance of Not- Brown thanked the rest of the cre- Finn for “Birthday Candles,” Gaby decides the Theatre World winners. themselves beautifully. Kearst- tage’s story in her career as an ative team and her husband and French for “Hangmen,” and ShanThe other nominating committee in Piper Brown proved that Black opera singer Brown said, “As a two sons. non Tyo for “The Chinese Lady.” members include David Cote, The opera singers definitely rule, as Black woman and opera singer, I The one and only Andre De It was an absolutely stellar eveObserver; Joe Dziemianowicz, New she won for her stage debut in don’t get to tell the stories of our Shields presented the Theatre ning. I can’t wait until next year! Jaquel Spivey, 2022 Theatre Award winner

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July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 19 I

Comedian, ‘Black-ish’ writer Jak Knight dies at 28 By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews It has been confirmed by his family, that the 28-year-old, writer, actor and comedian Jak Knight has died at 28 years old. Prior to the date of his death, Knight stayed very active in the entertainment industry. He had just wrapped the filming of “First Female Director,” a film created by fellow comedian, Chelsea Peretti. He continued to act as the voiceover star of the animated series “Big Mouth” and has been appearing in the Peacock series “Bust Down” since March of 2022. From 2019 to 2020, he wrote for the popular ABC television show, “Black-ish.” The news of the death of this young, accomplished Black creative shocked his fans and colleagues, as many took to social media to express their sadness and condolences. As reported by People magazine, “The writer, actor and comedian was found on a Los Angeles Calif. embankment Thursday suffering from a gunshot wound, according to a coroner’s report obtained

by PEOPLE Monday. The 28-yearold’s cause of death has been ruled a suicide by the coroner.” “Knight’s loved ones ask that their privacy please be respected during this extremely difficult time,” said his agency rep, who

announced the actor’s passing. Knight was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for his contributions to the HBO talk formatted series “Pause with Sam Jay.” Knight’s considerable body of work is a testa-

ment to his talent and comedic savvy. On stage he opened for Dave Chappelle, an inspiration of Knight’s and shared stages with Eric Andre, Joel McHale, Moshe Kasher and others. The actor and comedian’s

175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street

career was taking off quickly and his light shone brightly in Hollywood. One will never know how far he could have gone in his career before being cut so short. But it is clear that Knight was well on his way to greatness.

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20 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

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HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By GODDESS KYA July 21, 2022 — July 27, 2022 Rebirth of a New Nation: Make a wish: there is pressure on to strike while the iron is hot and food is nicely ripe. Uranus is in Taurus conjunct north node from July 18 until sunset of Aug. 6. It’s time to hop on the bus and not get left behind, for those who are ready before Uranus in Taurus retrogrades on Aug. 24 just after 9 a.m. Amid the heat are twists, turns, and fated events. The divine gods and goddesses are rightly standing up to claim what’s rightfully their contribution, and the demand is on humanity to play its part to stand aside and allow your spirit to guide you. Your ancestors are your protection when Vinateria bang of flavors added to the rainbow. On the evening of July 31, Mars the super warrior you believe they are forever present. Their presence is divine timing in the old-fashioned way with an extraordinary pushes the envelope and ups your ante until sunrise Aug. 2, to give you a rush of passion, adrenaline, and force needed to propel you to make a move. “To forget one’s ancestors is to be a book without a source, a tree without a root.” Chinese proverb

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Divinely intuitive messages are flowing through your veins iniIt’s prime time as cancer season is ending and you are thrivtiated by a spiritual pursuit to follow up. Do what’s right in your ing in your profession and home life. Health, family, investCancer soul. Allow your hunches to guide you with a positive get-it-done ments, and relationships are taking a turn for the better. You Dec 22 June 22 attitude. Say what you mean, as swift changes in decision-makmust be willing to admit your flaws and the role you play as Jan 21 July 23 ing are transpiring. Publishing, writing, TV, radio, public events, well. Forgiveness is key as this week holds financial gain from and advertising your service or product are in your weekly foreprior compensation for services rendered. July 25th-27th you cast. An auspicious cycle, one that requires a double take with a smile around are feeling yourself; it’s best to utilize that energy for the betterment of self July 20th-22nd. and health. When your projects are finalized and ready for production it Partnerships are forming with a splash and twist of fated makes your heart sing and jump for joy. July was a tough month to events sent with a gift from the divine creator. Emails, messagput in the work to fulfill your dream or task. You are in the spotes, calls, and other forms of communication need a response. Aquarius light to promote your services and products, share your expertise, Do you have a secretary, as your schedule is full? This week Leo Jan 22 July 24 Feb 19 even trade for trade. A phenomenal week to make investments and no doubt there’s a feeling of a soul mission, and the call to Aug 23 follow your first thought. Drastic changes are floating in the air to step up and do your part. You have a message to deliver. Apaddress certain circumstances before excelling to the next level. July 23rd-24th proaching the days July 28th-29th, shine your light as your is a bittersweet moment. aura is glistening.

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During certain phases of our lives, things are kept from us until we are ready for the lesson or mission. This weekly cycle is one of those weeks of self-inventory and things being revealed, bringing Pisces ah-ha moments. Listen closely as there is a message the divine is Feb 20 Mar 20 delivering to you for better understanding. A feeling of a tug here and there, is there for you to take notice of details while being in the midst of everything. July 25th-27th, slow down a bit.

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Virgo Aug 24 Sept 23

The anticipated conversation that needs to be addressed is being acknowledged and communicated to get back on track. Your emotions and intuition are high, you are advised to listen carefully and pay attention when your behaviors and tone change. You are experiencing an incline within your business, work, and home duty. Groups and other organizations are scouting you to join their team. July 20th-22nd choose wisely.

A tug in the love, work, and family department is demanding your All eyes are on you with lights, camera, and action. The quespresence. Attend to duties and get them done to ease and free up tion is, are you ready and prepared? This cycle week entails your time. There are a few things taking priority within your enpartnerships, semi-legal matters, and a one-on-one soul-toAries Libra vironment such as work, a wedding, a marriage proposal, busisoul conversation with self, conveying a message for you to Mar 21 Sept 24 Apr 21 ness meetings, and completion of projects. You have a full agenda, change. Redirect your walk, talk, drive, words, action, and enOct 23 one that needs structure and time management as being on time vironment to what better suits your style and to fulfill your misor running behind schedule is a theme this week. Some things come fast while sion for advancement. July 23rd-24th things occur once in a others lag. Things start to ease up approaching July 28th-29th. blue moon, as folks say.

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Take the lead on your affairs because you are your own boss surWhen life gives you lemons make lemonade, lemon pie, rounded by other bosses collaborating under one umbrella. The lemon juice, lemon popsicles, lemon drops, and lemon oils, universal frequency is ripe to conclude roundtable discussions, making life sweeter and more zestful. You feel the calling inTaurus Scorpio board meetings, press conferences, and joint ventures in parttensely where you feel it in your bones with shakes and quivApr 22 Oct 24 May 21 nerships. A sure feeling of divine alignment that is part of your ers like a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly. Allow Nov 22 soul mission. A new profound feeling is sparked inside. Uranus it to flow, as it may seem a heavy force is upon you. Keep in Taurus conjunct north node from July 18-Aug. 6, 2022, until around sunset. moving to reach the finish line. July 26th-27th take the iniYou’ve got the green light and keys to unlock your awaiting gifts. July 20th-22nd tiative and listen before acting. share your knowledge at a speaking engagement or audience. Your dreams, vision, and thought process are very lucid to the What’s better than divine timing to get things done during the point you feel like it’s an illusion. Nope, it’s real as everyday slow-motion process? Patience is required to hit a grand slam with people and life aspects. The scholarly knowledge and informaan extra bang sending all your team members home. Check in with tion and sharing it with the world—it’s your turn to apply that Sagittarius Gemini your emotions so that you keep calm, allowing no one to get you data to you forming a foundation on a global scale. Process of Nov 23 May 22 Dec 21 off your square. Termination and elimination are part of the proelimination, termination for those who no longer serve a purJune 21 cess this month to move forward in life. Clean out your closet and pose within your establishment. It’s time to downsize or upyour home, weeding out distractions. You are purging with tears flowing, aiding grade. Your call. Days leading up to July 28th-29th you will understand the in the healing process. July 23rd-24th, muscle up. plan better as you see the details through and out.

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July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 21 I

Calvin Royal III shines in ABT’s ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘Romeo & Juliet’ By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews Calvin Royal III, the third African American ballet dancer to rise to the rank of principal in American Ballet Theatre’s 82-year-history, made history yet once again during the company’s 2022 Summer Season (June 13July 16), when he performed lead rolls in two of ballet’s iconic classics, “Swan Lake” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Royal was also featured in the New York premieres of Alonzo King’s “Single Eye” and Alexi Ratmansky’s “Of Love and Rage” as well as Jessica Lang’s homage to singer Tony Bennett, “ZigZag.” The Amsterdam News announced the promotion of this exquisitely elegant dancer by ABT’s Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, just before the pandemic two years ago, noting that he had become, with ballerina Misty Copeland, the third Black principal dancer in ABT’s now 82-year history, becoming its first Black male principal dancer in over two decades. The third member of that illustrious group being ABT’s first Black principal dancer, the legendary Desmond Richardson. But, as ABT customarily announces promotions at the end of its season, now, two years after his promotion, this season was the first time Royal steps onstage at the Met as principal dancer. As anyone aware of the racially marred history of classical ballet knows, there was nothing foregone about Royal’s journey to this moment from those days 20 years ago when he was a talented youngster studying jazz, hip hop, West African dance and ballet and performing in the annual local production of the Chocolate Nutcracker in St. Petersburg, Florida. Yet, in 2006, after standing out as a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Scholarship Competition in New York, he joined ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis school, then joined ABT II (now ABT’s Studio Company) in December 2007 displaying such talent that a few years later he was invited to join ABT as an apprentice, soon after becoming a corps de ballet member, and being promoted several years later, in 2017, to soloist. All the while his stunning technical proficiency and dazzling charisma has won critical acclaim and audience approval. With a career path that has had no false steps, Royal entered what would be one of the most challenging seasons in any principal

Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal III in “Romeo and Juliet” (João Menegussi photos)

ballet dancer’s career with performances as Prince Siegfried in “Swan Lake” and Romeo in Kenneth MacMillan’s ravishingly romantic “Romeo and Juliet.” Earlier this year, just before the season kicked off, the Amsterdam News snared a few precious moments to get his thoughts on being back in a live performance and his career thus far. Here is that conversation, unfiltered and unfettered. Calvin Royal: This my first season at the Met dancing as a principal in these iconic classic roles which, in many ways, define you as a principal, not only by what you bring to the technical execution of the steps but now I will have this huge opportunity to interpret these roles that have been danced for hundreds of years. I will be able to interpret them in a way that not only honors the past but brings my own perception and perspective of who these characters are to me. For instance, with Siegfried, when I did research on the role, I found so many parallels with many of his character traits and his struggles, struggles with how he’s seen by others, how he sees himself, what he wants for himself and his path forward, what’s real and what’s imaginary, what he can change and what he can’t. I feel like a lot of those parallel what I’ve been experiencing coming back to the stage wanting to deliver on my responsibility as a principal dancer and trying to be the best I can be and hopefully

inspire audiences and those kids, much, his talent and his contribuwho are as I once was, to love ballet tion to this art form, it’s remarkable and to want to see more. what he’s done and when I did research on his short time at ABT, I was AmNews: In the past, the Black looking for when he did his Siegfried male dancers who performed those or his Romeo, and I didn’t find it. I’m iconic classical ballet roles, like Sieg- just…this is an exceptional moment fried and Romeo, did so with for- to really not only just do it but to be eign ballet companies, for instance able to show that there’s possibility there was Sylvester Campbell danc- for those that look like me, too, and ing with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet to sort of swing that door open and and Christopher Boatwright who say, “I’m not the first and only, nor was Romeo in the Stuttgart Bal- do I want to be,” but this has to be let’s performance at the New York something that people will look to Metropolitan Opera House back in and say, “I can do that, too.” 1979. (The Amsterdam News featured his debut in an article from AmNews: The ABT Summer June 30, 1979 titled “Boatright Con- season kicks off in June which is quers Classical Ballet Bias.” ) Pride Month and you’ve done work that honors all of you, that honors CR: As a Black man I’m completely you as a Black man, you as a gay aware of the gravity, the importance Black man, and not many people and historic nature of this. But there have been able to live their truth is the inner voice in me reminding on stage as you have. I’m thinkmyself when I was a young kid in love ing of the duet you did with anothwith ballet and being swept up by er male dancer in the dance titled the local Chocolate Nutcracker proj- “Touché.” Talk about how it feels to ect and being able to now look back be able to exercise that level of arand see how far I’ve come and the tistic and personal freedom today. work I’ve put in to be able to stand on the stage of the Met. It’s historic CR: Yes, Christopher Rudd’s but it’s also an honor…When young “Touché” was about two young dancers are coming up through a men, performed by me and João company they’re often compared Meneguss,who were in the dark with who once was, like “Oh, she re- and afraid to share their inner minds me so much of Suzanne Far- thoughts and feelings and sexurell,” or “He reminds me of Misha ality with each other and with the [Mikhail Baryshnikov].” But, there world and then stripping away all were so few of us, of Black people at of that and finally embracing it. I the top who’ve had the opportuni- felt like, not only with “Touché,” ty to interpret these big classic roles. but even with other roles I’m able When I did research on even Des- to play those emotional ties as mond [Richardson], I admire him so connections that I’ve felt in life

somehow make it easier to translate them into the works that I’m doing. Being able to know what being afraid feels like, knowing what losing someone feels like, knowing what wanting to go after something that society is telling you is not acceptable, or your parents not thinking that you should, and you wanting too, like in “Romeo and Juliet” or “Touché.” It’s being able to share all of that and I feel like life’s experiences have allowed me to tap into a lot of those universal human themes. AmNews: It seems like ballet can be a vehicle for social change, whether consciously or unconsciously. CR: I think it’s both conscious and subconscious. I think that as a young person getting into dance it was purely the love of movement and music and being able to interpret those movements and make them speak. But, I feel like as artists we have this responsibility and also this power to change perceptions of what people think, of what they even think a prince looks like. So, for me, I’m aiming to bring a certain level of excellence to my work which in turn is a reflection to the public on their own perceptions. It’s not aggressive. It is what it is. Here we are, it’s “Swan Lake” and Calvin’s doing Prince Siegfried tonight. (laughter) AmNews: And, just like that, the times they are a changin’.

22 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

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Harlem artist Paul Deo fights to get landmark status Richard Rodriquez and Paul Deo in Harlem (Margrira photo)

By MARGRIRA Special to the AmNews In 2019, New York Magazine voted visionary artist Paul Deo’s renowned, mixed media mural, “Planet Harlem” as one of New York City’s Best Places to Visit. Fast forward to 2022 and the very same piece of art, located on the northwest corner of Malcolm X Blvd and 126th Street, is partially covered up by the new restaurant ZZ which is located across from where Harlem’s Trader Joe’s is scheduled to open, located at 121 W. 125th Street between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. The goal is to have the “Planet Harlem” mural declared a protected, New York landmark. And what qualifies as a landmark? That’s a great question. Here’s the answer. In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure. It is the main term used to designate places that might be of interest to tourists due to notable physical features or historical significance. The reason for saving “Planet Harlem” for future generations is clear, to most, who live in these historic meccas and are personally surrounded by gentrification. They tell us that gentrification is something we cannot stop and toss back words like diversity and inclusion at us forgetting this history of why our people are walking on these shores in the first place. So when I discovered that Paul’s mural was not being respected, well I felt a certain way about it. Kicking it with him in Harlem, where we are separated by only a few blocks, we connected because he’s actually teaching art to a group of spirited senior citizens at the local church. Paul’s a man who understands the world of grants and because of one provided by the

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (https://lmcc.net/resources/manhattan-arts-grants/) he’s teaching art to a group of Uptown, Harlem senior citizens. My first impression of Paul was that he was very tall. Basketball player tall, which fits because he grew up playing fast and hard ball downtown, in the Village at “the cage”—West 4th Street, where legends are born and weak moves to the rim are publicly ridiculed. It’s said that the cage rewards those who can squeeze off shots in narrow windows of space. In looking at this artist’s growing resume, you can feel the competitive nature that pulsates through his body, like sparks, squeezing off those “opportunities” just like a flying basketball whooshing through a hoop. My second impression of Paul is that he’s sentimental, fondly remembering his beloved aunt who was a teacher and Harlem resident who instilled in him a love of creating from an early age. “Can I talk about my aunt in this article? She loved the Amsterdam News. It’s the Amsterdam News,” Deo said. How can I not throw that statement into the mix? His heartfelt requests stepped perfectly into the point that I am trying to make, which is, that Deo honors the past. Something gentrification does not do. In fact, I would venture to offer that the act of gentrifying a cultural space is to seek ways (seen and hidden) to destroy those vestiges of history in an effort to erase from memory the people they forced out. Deo’s resume is impressive. At the age of seven, he started painting street gang jackets to earn his pocket money. Perpetually curious, his thirst for learning led him to immerse himself in the world of designing 3D virtual reality spaces. Deo earned a degree in Information Technology and continued to explore the connections between the

left and right brain in an effort to tap into infinite creative potential. Inspired by his work with refugee orphans from Guatemala and Honduras, Deo developed MyndTeam, an Intelligent Personal Assistant which allows users to create personalized teams of advisers in cyberspace. As artist-in-residence at Harvard University, Deo worked with students and local Native American tribes to merge an understanding, teaming with Augmented Pictures and creating the first augmented reality mural on the campus. Note, Harvard University is located on the traditional and ancestral land of the Massachusett, the original inhabitants of what is now known as Boston and Cambridge. And this stolen and occupied land still remains sacred to the Massachusett People. In 2019, Deo was selected by visionary director Spike Lee to paint the official mural for his 30th anniversary celebration of the film, “Do the Right Thing.” Currently, through his StuDeo company, Deo continues to teach and spark inspiration to students including incarcerated, at-risk high school teens, and young people from elementary to college level. Most recently, he received the prestigious Carnegie Hall NeON Arts Grant and used it to start StarSeed Art and Technology, a digital arts entrepreneur school. “There’s so much an artist can do inside the virtual space,” says Deo. “You can sculpt in the three-dimensional space, create your own worlds, and have people pay to enter it. Artists can create their own intellectual property.” Here’s what I discovered about Harlem’s Paul Deo and his work.

Paul Deo: Painting. Teaching. Trying to circulate a petition to turn my mural “Planet Harlem” into a landmark.

remember James Brown entering the stage already sweating. Was he dancing backstage getting ready to take us to the cosmos? I think so. I wanted to be James Brown. I AmNews: So, in other words, wanted the ability to take people to you’ve been busy. their highest joyful feeling, giving and over-delivering that love with PD: Harlem busy. effort and imagination. AmNews: Describe your art? PD: I create art that evokes the collective, drawing upon ancestral oral tradition as well as threads of modern mythology in order to establish a space for communal dialogue.

AmNews: What are you doing now?

PD: I’m working with formerly incarcerated people in the Bronx, to help them learn how to build worlds using virtual reality. You can literally build a virtual world and invite people inside and make money. It’s AmNews: Deep, like jumping the artist’s creation. Their intellecaround in a space suit, deep. Paul, tual property. break that down, bro. AmNews: Using what? PD: (laughing) Essentially, the murals, multimedia projects, sculpPD: Using an Oculus [Quest 2]. It’s tures, and canvas works are crafted a VR headset and you download an with the vision of telling a story that app. You. Can. Create. Your. Own. seeks to engage and inspire abso- World. lutely everyone. AmNews: Do you teach this AmNews: Tell me about your alone? ties to Harlem, and aunt Auressa Moore. PD: No. I teach with Will Roberts ( https://www.augmentedpictures. PD: My aunt Auressa [Moore] com), who was an Oculus Launch is my inspiration. Growing up, I Pad Fellow in 2018. His solid technilived between New Orleans and cal knowledge is a perfect balance New York City. My aunt is my in- for my abstract, spiritual, and rightspiration; she was a fine arts artist brain thinking. and taught me various art techniques while she was a student AmNews: That sounds like a winat the School of the Visual Arts in ning combination to me. New York City. PD: (laughing) Thank you. ExAmNews: Paul, the love flowing is perts say we only use 10% of our real. Your aunt, Mrs. Moore really brain. What is in that remaining had an impact. 90% of our brain? What is beyond light? Infinity. PD: She did, exposing me to the culture of Harlem and the Apollo To learn more about how to use AmNews: Paul Deo, I can’t be- Theater, and my art aesthetics were virtual reality to create intellectulieve we are neighbors. Where born. I saw art and the Apollo The- al property and NFT, go to https:// have you been? ater experiences as one in spirit. I www.augmentedpictures.com/.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS R T S & E N T E R T A

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 23

MUSE: A fragrance journey in Harlem Inside the MUSE store

By MARGRIRA Special to the AmNews It’s no secret that I am stepping into my fragrance journey because I grew up in a home without scent. My parents were adamant about natural smells and shied away from anything that didn’t fit their philosophy. In my search to learn what makes a great fragrance great, I was introduced to the world of MUSE, which is best described as a modern, urban, sensory experience. Located inside a stunning brownstone, MUSE was founded in 2017 by creative director Kimberly Waters, where she curates exclusive and niche fragrances from global, independent, and emerging brands. Here’s what MUSE’s creative director, Kimberly Waters had to share about why she’s made fragrance her life.

Kimberly Waters, creator of MUSE (Photos courtesy of MUSE)

ambiance to introduce folks to fragrance. My friends owned a brownstone on Convent Avenue, which has been in their family for 85 years. Such rich history. That was MUSE’s first location. Their grandmother was an entrepreneur and I thought it was a fitting destination, as I continued my journey. I also wanted a place where I can entertain and manage my risk as a new entrepreneur. AmNews: How can fragrance lovers connect with you?

90s, looking for their birthday fragrances, to radiologists from Chicago that come to New York regularly, we welcome locals, tourists, and anyone wanting the local experience. AmNews: How would a person step into a lifelong fragrance journey? KW: By starting. By being curious. By having an open nose to all possibilities.

AmNews: That’s me and I’ve KW: I am a phone call away! started, thank you, for helping Fragrance lovers can check my me on this journey. website, www.museexperiences.com, or follow me on IG: @ KW: You are so welcome. I’ve muse_experiences. always worn fragrances. It was very much a part of my upbringAmNews: Curious, what type of ing. From watching my mother fragrance lovers actually step into apply it, to sneaking a few your lovely space? spritzes from my grandmother’s perfume of choice, CoCo KW: Great question. Well, I Mademoiselle, scent has always AmNews: Your brownstone on started MUSE with the inten- been an integral part of my life, Edgecombe is stunning. Why did tion to introduce my community my grooming, and how I present you choose to set up Muse inside to artistic and niche fragranc- myself to the world. a classic brownstone? es. However, NYC is so diverse, my neighborhood is changing, AmNews: I can only imagine Kimberly Waters: Thank you. so my clients are very unique. your fragrance list. Is it divided I wanted a nostalgic place and From older clients, in the early by seasons, occasions, locale,

and price range?

curate based on what the client is looking for on their visit.

KW: Great question. At Modern Urban Sensory Experiences we AmNews: Fascinating. I love it. act with intention. We focus on Brooklyn Eau De Parfum looks the versatility of the brand, price amazing. Next stop, reviewing all point, and brand categories, or we of the fragrances. One by one.

24 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 A

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS R T S & E N T E R T A

JAMES BRANDON LEWIS, GILMORE AT VANGUARD he laughingly stated, “I had to add the end of the year. “I have a lot of a little funk to keep it happening.’’ things in the hopper,” he said. “I Lewis was commissioned to can’t wait to put out stuff. Maybe I write this piece for strings that was got it from Wadada [one of his menscheduled to debut in Poland, but tors who helped him develop his inthe pandemic hit. “Wadada [Leo dividual musical voice].” The tenor saxophonist, compos- Smith] had encouraged me to comThe Buffalo native leads four er, and writer James Brandon Lewis pose something for strings and working groups all pinned under his was recently voted Rising Star Tenor it reappeared with this commis- name: his trio featuring cellist Chris Saxophonist by Downbeat mag- sion. I had a year to write it,” said Hoffman and drummer Max jaffe; azine's 2020s International Crit- Lewis. “I tried to put my foot in it, his now touring quartet with pianist ics poll. That sounds good—polls always do—but upon listening, it’s apparent: no imitation happening here. Lewis brings a crisp boundless perspective to the jazz sea. His sounds are a congregation of colorful tones jumping from traditional to the outer galaxy but anchored in a spirituality that hugs the soul similar to Coltrane’s rhythmic praises or Paroah Sanders’ spirited hymn recording “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” Most recently at the Jazztopad Festival, at Dizzy’s jazz club, Lewis embarked on another aspect of the music performing with the Lutosławski Quartet, one of the leading string quartets in Poland. Since 2007, they have been active as a resident ensemble of the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, playing classical and contemporary music. The Quartet included: 1st violinist James Brandon Lewis with the Lutoslawski Quartet (Ron Scott photo) Szymon Krzeszowiec (guest musician); 2nd violinist Marcin Marko- checking out classical composers Aruan Ortiz, bassist Brad Jones and wicz; Artur Rozmysłowicz on viola; like Brahms, Mozart and Stravin- drummer Chad Taylor that released and cellist Maciej Młodawski came sky. It was a real challenge navigat- “Code of Being” (Intakt Records together with their guest Lewis for ing all the writing parts but it was 2021); and his Red Lily Quintet feathe United States premiere of his a great experience.” Lewis and the turing cornet Kirk Knuffke, bassist/ commissioned work (by the Jazz- Lutosławski Quartet originally pre- gimbri William Parker, cello Chris topad Festival) “These Are Soul- miered the piece in Poland earli- Hoffman and drummer Chad Taylor. ful Days.” It is a masterpiece with er this year in October. “It was very The James Brandon Lewis Red Lily moving genres of classical meets well received,” said the composer. Quintet released “Jesup Wagon,” his spirituals meets jazz meets blues. “The string quartet taught me a lot debut on Toa Forms (2021). He celThe strings were the undercurrent about myself; my melodic abilities ebrates the life of agricultural scilike a strong wind before the hurri- are deep inside my soul.” entist, inventor and artist George cane, at times smooth as a summer In New York City Lewis has a high Washington Carver. In an effort to breeze, while Lewis’ deep tones profile as a musician, music activ- help Black farmers, Carver invented (reminiscent of Dexter Gordon) ist and intellectualist on the lower the Jesup wagon, a kind of mobile danced in and out sometimes with east side where the avant garde (horse-drawn) classroom and labavant garde hollers, melodic spiri- set is high velocity. There seems to oratory used to demonstrate soil tual riffs in the midst of showering be an invisible political jazz fence techniques and share farming inforstrings, blues melodies flowing in that doesn’t allow avant garde cats mation. Lewis was a serious student some tenor sax funk. uptown although lately Dizzy’s of Carver partly due to his mother The music left the audience spell- seems to be attempting to open its being a science and math teachbound, as they shouted for more door very cautiously. Ironically, it’s er. “I like to work with a lot of differwith a standing ovation. Lewis’ not the jazz clubs but the trombon- ent people, I get bored easy,” stated commissioned work combines ist, composer and arranger, Craig Lewis during our phone interview. facets of music that seldom unite. Harris, who presents the musicians The self-titled tune “Jesup The composer’s spiritual core was at his weekly Harlem jazz series. Wagon” opens with Lewis’ sax instilled by his father, a minister. “I don’t worry about labels be- shoutin and moanin before Taylor At the end of the performance cause it bogs me down, there is too converses on drums, they all come Lewis informed the audience, much history going on,” says Lewis. together in a somber moment. “Writing this composition for jazz “I want to have multiple things The music reflects Carver’s great and classical strings wasn’t easy. happening. I am just building on accomplishments through solos, But when they asked me to do it, I what I know.’’ The saxophonist has improvisations and blues melowas up for the challenge. I’m glad it recorded 10 albums and is work- dies with intense repetitive chords all worked out.” Later as a side bar ing to release another three before acknowledging the difficult, often

cruel times of segregation and Jim Crow laws in motion. “It’s a shame people only know about Carver’s success with the peanut, he’s contributed so much more,” said Lewis. “I never lose sight of spirituality in the context of nature.” “Jesup Wagon” is a conceptual project of Black history unfolding into a creative musicianship that reflects such influential re-

cordings as Wadada Leo Smith’s “Ten Freedom Summers,” one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music (Cuneiform 2012), Henry Threadgill’s Pulitzer Prize winner for music “In For a Penny, In for a Pound” (Pi 2015), as well J.D. Allen’s “Barracoon” (Savant 2019), Craig Harris’ “Brown Butterfly” (Aquastra Music 2019) and Adrian Younge’s “The American Negro” (Jazz Is Dead 2021). Playing and composing on the fringes, Lewis often incorporates other genres of music and sometimes takes to out-of-the-box instrumentation. In 2014 he and poet, photographer Thomas Sayers Ellis co-founded Heroes Are Gang Leaders as a tribute to the late poet, playwright, author and activist Amiri Baraka. After four CDs HAGL has become a platform for revolutionary verse set to fiery out jazz (the group’s name is the title of a poem from “Tales by LeRoi Jones,” Grove Press 1967). Their current album is “Artificial Happiness Button” (2020). The band carries on in the tradition of Baraka’s bands Word Music and Blue Ark. “When I was a junior in high school, a senior was graduating so I took over his chair playing tenor

sax,” explained Lewis. “I did some research on John Coltrane and fell in love with that tenor voice. I love the history of the instrument… tenor for life! I’m just trying to represent my city, Buffalo.” This was my first time to the Village Vanguard since the pandemic, a two-year absence. Upon opening the well-known red door and venturing down the very narrow staircase there was a big burst of joy. The prodigal jazz son had returned home. Fond memories in the storied club recalled seeing Hank Jones work his piano magic or the nights the Clark Terry Quartet performed with a young teenager playing drums. On this night that young teenager Marcus Gilmore, now a young man and established drummer, was making his debut as a leader. The Marcus Gilmore Trio featured pianist David Virelles and bassist Rashaan Carter. “We want to have fun and mix it up with everything we are doing separately,” said Gilmore. “Yes, we plan on recording. I keep forgetting this is my debut as a leader but it feels good and I am honored.” This configuration is an all-star line-up; they are composers and bandleaders in their own right, having toured the world extensively. They are a collaborative force known on both the avant garde and straight-ahead scenes with Virelles, a native of Cuba also influential on the Latin scene. “I am happy to be a part of this incredible group, I think we all have a lot to offer,” noted Virelles. They are on the verge of redefining trio form, originally set in motion by Trio3, which featured bassist Reggie Workman, saxophonist Oliver Lake and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The trio played originals and little-known gems to a packed house. Gilmore has mastered the brushes and foot-pedal swinging like someone doing a hip soft shoe act. On Fats Waller’s tune “Wailin” the trio was in high gear, weaving rhythms together in motion, taking solos, never overbearing. Carter has a deep melodic voice that glows. Virelles inserts colorful AfroCuban percussive melodies with classical phrases adding a different swing to the mix of Gilmore and Carter’s traditional and avant garde take-offs. “This is a special collective, we come with experiences to share along with all the great history of the music,” said Carter. “It’s great to be working with musicians from my generation.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 25

AS YOU PREPARE TO HEAD TO THE POLLS FOR THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS, WHAT ISSUE(S) MATTER MOST TO YOU? FOR EXAMPLE: • Are you concerned about the rising cost of living? • Is crime a top concern? • Does the impact of COVID-19 remain a concern? • Is climate change top of mind? • Are you concerned about prescription drug costs? • Are you concerned about the future of abortion rights? The New York Amsterdam News is partnering with WNYC Public Radio to amplify the voices of residents in communities throughout the New York metropolitan area. Tell us what’s on your mind ahead of the mid-term elections in the form of a 400-to-700-word first-person essay. Selected essays will be published in The New York Amsterdam News. WNYC’s Community Partnerships & Training Editor George Bodarky may also work with you to create an audio version of your essay to air on WNYC Public Radio and appear on Gothamist.com

WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD ESSAY? • •

Get to the point quickly. Tell us what matters to you

•

Embrace your own personal voice. Talk it out while

right away.

writing. Think about how you would say it to a friend

Provide examples and anecdotes to help the audience

or family member.

understand the impact of the issue(s) on your life.

•

Use short sentences and paragraphs.

Please submit essays no later than Friday, August 26, 2022 to damaso.reyes@amsterdamnews.com

26 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

THE

CLASSROOM

Sister Patricia Marie Williams

ACTIVITIES FIND OUT MORE I am sure that with time and his convenience, Brother Tyrone would expand on her life and legacy as well as the other members of her order. DISCUSSION And those members would be asked the questions about the order and its history that we were unable to ask Sister Patricia Marie. PLACE IN CONTEXT She lived nearly the whole 20th century, and made her mark among those dedicated to making life easier for others.

Sister Patricia Marie Williams (Photo courtesy of The Africa Paper)

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews In 2015, journalist Benjamin Parkin of The Africa Paper published a wonderful profile on Sister Patricia Marie Williams, a renowned Black nun and member of the Franciscan Handmaids of Harlem. On that occasion the Handmaids were celebrating their 100th anniversary, and Sister Patricia Marie had been with the order almost from its inception. Their convent in Harlem, as Parkin noted, was struggling to survive with a diminishing number of nuns. Three years later, the order was further reduced with the death of Sister Patricia Marie, who was 93 when she died. In one way she’s gone, but in so many other splendid ways she remains and her legacy is something that will always stand as a reminder of her contributions, particularly in the realm of education and spirituality. She was born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and entered the Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in 1945. Eight years later she professed final vows. The early years of her education are not known but we do know that she earned a bache-

lor’s degree in education from Fordham University and a master’s degree in early childhood education and administration from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. For many years she was a teacher at St. Aloysius School in Harlem and also served as an assistant teacher and education director at St. Benedict’s Day Nursery, Manhattan. Her duty as a Eucharistic minister to residents were precious moments for many who gloried in her presence, and this was particularly heartwarming occasions for those affiliated with the Northern Manhattan Nursing Home and to the homebound in Harlem. Beyond her loving commitment to New York City, Sister Patricia Marie was a teacher and principal at schools in North and South Carolina. She was often a very vocal and visible advocate of pro-life activities and a regular participant in the Pro-Life Black Leadership Conference as well as a member of Black Catholics Against Abortion. But it was her connection with the convent in Harlem that brought her national and international recognition, and during her many interviews she

often recounted the history of the Handmaids that was founded in Savannah, Georgia in 1916. They came into existence in defiance of a law that would prohibit white nuns from teaching Black children, and when the law didn’t pass, the Franciscan Handmaids came to Harlem in 1923. In 1930, the Handmaids joined the Franciscan Order. “The Catholic Church wouldn’t be Catholic if it wasn’t for us,” said Sister Loretta Theresa, a Harlem native and at one time administrative minister for the Franciscan Handmaids’ congregation. “I knew I was Black, I knew I was Catholic.” And when the church was instituted, she continued with her account to the press, “it was made for all of us; my job is to be proud of both.” This reporter, thanks to Brother Timothy Davis, recently appointed executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Black Ministry, was able to travel with him and Sister Loretta on a trip to the Middle East. In her company was an opportunity to learn more about the issues facing Black nuns in general and the Handmaids in particular. During the early years in Harlem, the order sustained itself through the creation of a laundry

business, which included a few other community services. Their location, called “the Motherhouse” for many years, was next door to the 124th Street Public Library near Marcus Garvey Park. Passersby would marvel at the building where they were housed and where often they could be seen keeping the grounds tidy and discussing the order and its business with inquiries. In 1979, when Pope John Paul II visited Harlem, she was among those countless numbers of Catholics in attendance at the various events. Primarily, the order was composed of African American nuns but over the years it has grown to become an international body, especially the increasing number of nuns from the Caribbean and Africa. In fact, no American-born nuns have joined since 2001, and the order has opened a convent in Owerri, Nigeria, enlisting three sisters so far, according to Parkin’s article. A Funeral Mass was celebrated for her on Nov. 19, 2018, at St. Aloysius Church and she was buried at St. Charles Resurrection Cemetery, Farmingdale, N.Y. She is survived by her sister, Dolorita Massiah.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY July 18, 1918: Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa, where he died in 2013. July 18, 1941: Singer Martha Reeves was born in Eufaula, Ala. July 20, 1925: Author and revolutionary Frantz Fanon was born in Martinique. He died in 1961.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Maps Continued from page 3

“Harlem is without question the ‘Mecca of the Black Diaspora’ but it is so much more to all of us,” read the letter. “It is our history, it is our home, and it is our future. We proudly stand together in absolute solidarity for our beloved Harlem. We do not know where or whom these recommendations are coming from, or the agenda that is behind them. However, we do know that we are prepared to fight fiercely to defend and preserve Harlem.” Cleare said that the commission didn’t take out the aforementioned northern areas of the district, but some southern parts that were excluded on the draft maps were still of concern. Furthermore, Cleare and others are still requesting a “well-publicized” public hearing be held in Harlem to give community members a chance to advocate for their district. “I feel that Harlem is such a unique community and it is so marginalized. I think it is imperative that a hearing happen in Harlem, so that is one of the things I’m advocating for with maximum promotion and marketing to

make sure that voices are heard,” said Cleare. “We’re the ones dwindling in our community.” Unfortunately, because of gentrification and expensive housing many strongholds in Harlem’s Black community are either priced out or leaving. A similar situation occurred 10 years ago after the 2010 Census kicked off city council redistricting. Then-Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito, who represented District 8, lost about 30% of East Harlem in the redistricting plan, reported the Mott Haven Herald. Mark-Viverito had advocated that the neighborhoods that were “strongly Latino” remain since it was a community of interest, said the Herald. On Staten Island, all three districts, 49, 50, and 51, demanded to be kept wholly on the island and not split up with other boroughs to accommodate the new population sizes. Black, Brown, and immigrant residents in District 49 were especially vocal about the possible dissolution of the only Black council leadership on Staten Island. At the moment the council districts on the island are being kept largely as is, but at a bit of a cost to the other boroughs. Ben Weinberg is director of Public Policy & Programs for Cit-

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 27

The New York City Districting Commission put out their preliminary maps last Friday, July 15 (Contributed photo)

izens Union, a 125 year nonpartisan organization that’s focused on government accountability. He pointed out that by keeping Staten Island city council districts wholly on the island the commission uses up most, if not all, of the deviation available to balance the populations across other districts. This leaves less legal “wiggle room” to move around other district lines. “This Staten Island configuration creates less flexibility in other areas,” said Weinberg. “Meaning the Staten Island districts are about 165,000 people while the rest of the districts are way larger. The rest are about 173,000. They can only do

5% between the smallest and the largest, so they did Staten Island as small as possible.” A surprising element of the draft maps was a primarily “Asian opportunity district,” or Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) majority district, the commission decided to create in southern Brooklyn out of Districts 38 and 43. As it is configured now it will cover parts of Sunset Park, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, which cuts huge chunks out of the surrounding districts. The decision has already riled up neighboring Councilmembers Justin Brannan and Alexa Aviles, who see it as an

attempt to pit Asian and Latino communities against one another. “The 38th Council District was created in 1991 as the city council expanded to better reflect the diversity of our city,” said Brannan and Aviles in a joint statement via Twitter. “It is perplexing that the creation of an AAPI-majority seat in southern Brooklyn would lead to dissolution and division of Red Hook, Sunset Park—in addition to Dyker Heights—and it is certainly not necessary.” The maps are available for public review online at nyc.gov/ districting. There will be another round of hearings in each of the boroughs to get public testimony on the draft maps. The hearings are scheduled for Aug. 15, 16, 17, 18, and 22. Testimony also may be provided via Zoom during the public hearings or by email at publictestimony@redistricting.nyc.gov.

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City 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://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

28 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Education NYC parents/teachers file lawsuit against city over cuts to school budgets

Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Education Chancellor David Banks announce the appointment of new superintendents at Tweed Courthouse on Monday, June 27, 2022. (Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Fed up with the impending education budget cuts, two teachers and two parents jointly filed a lawsuit this week against New York City, the Department of Education (DOE), and Schools Chancellor David Banks. The group is demanding an injunction to halt the $215 million budget cuts to public schools planned for next year. After Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council agreed to the adopted budget early, there was an immediate backlash over cuts to schools. The $215 million slash to schools budgets, out of the DOE’s total $37.6 billion budget, was based on the Fair Student Funding formula and projected decreases in school enrollments. City council convened a joint hearing on education and oversight, which devastated teachers’ unions and parents rallied out-

side of demanding that Adams ‘restore the cuts’ before June 30. That didn’t happen, and now parents and teachers are attempting to take the reins with a temporary restraining order that prohibits cuts to the budget. The lawsuit also asks for the city council to re-vote in order to ensure the proper process is followed and that council members get to hear public testimony from parents and teachers who spoke out at the joint education hearing. “What the chancellor did, as chancellors have done for the past 12 out of 13 years, is to issue an emergency declaration. Which is a power the chancellor has in the event of an emergency which would authorize the budget to go forward if they couldn’t call a meeting,” said Education Law Attorney for Advocates for Justice Laura D. Barbieri, 63. The lawsuit states under the law that a mandated process, called Panel for Educational Policy

(PEP), was violated when Banks issued a vague “Emergency Declaration” on May 31 to adopt the budget without any board vote. The plaintiffs said that there was no real emergency though. “We take pains to point out in our lawsuit that there is and was no emergency, that in fact they could have had a PEP prior to city council voting and they’re required by law,” said Barbieri. She maintains that there was no mention of the ‘emergency’ being COVID-19 or pandemic related. Council members, who largely voted yes on the adopted budget except for a handful of members, are apparently regretful about their decisions and eager to walk it back should there be another vote, said Barbieri. Plaintiffs Melanie Kottler, Sarah Brooks, Tamara Tucker, and Paul Trust banded together on the lawsuit. Brooks is a special education/ ICT teacher at PS 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. She said that

the school would lose paraprofessionals, afterschool programming, school trips, and possibly their school counselor because of the cuts. “The budget cuts will cause all the students at PS 169 to suffer,” said Brooks in a statement. “They will lose out on specialized instruction, mental and academic support, and the vital opportunity to learn outside of the confines of their own neighborhoods. The Special Education program will be markedly and significantly impaired. Our students deserve more from their schools.” Tucker is a parent of two children at PS 125 in Harlem, Manhattan. The school may be facing the loss of its arts programs and an increase in class sizes. “Everyone at PS 125 has already been stretched so thin, and this will only become worse in light of the budget cuts for this upcoming year. The students are going to be the ones who will bear the brunt of this poor decision,” said

Tucker in a statement. “The formula that is used to calculate school budgets is fundamentally broken and does not account for the actual needs of schools. It is not fair and is not benefiting students in any way.” Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters, said that she was initially horrified by the cuts and has been sounding the alarm since February. “Particularly on its impact on class size. The state legislature passed a bill just last month requiring New York City to be reducing class size and instead this would cause class size to increase,” said Haimson. Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City 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://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Mass Shootings Continued from page 12

46 people were injured by a lone gunman. Robert Crimo III, the shooter now faces seven charges of first-degree murder. He was shooting his victims from a rooftop with a high-powered assault rifle. He is 21 years of age. What kind of vile and vicious thoughts build up in a guy of that tender age? We will probably never know the answer to that question. Now this community outside of Chicago is left to pick up the shattered pieces

Dr. Al Vann Continued from page 12

strengthening the institutions he built, securing the justice he sought, and voting to ensure that our current and future representation shares our traditions and holds our values. As the villages of Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, the State of New York, and those dedicated to liberation worldwide who loved and respected the man, the mission, and the movement, prepare to celebrate his life and legacy, let us be resolved that we are now Vann and we stand as the VANN-guard against the ongoing on-

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 29

of their lives. R. Thurman Barnes, the assistant director of Rutgers University’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and faculty at the Rutgers School of Public Health said, “In a country like ours, we have a lot of guns.” He added, “And when you have as many guns as we have which we have more guns than people, you’re going to have more gun violence in all of its forms.” Sometimes, it seems as if we are waiting for something to happen to us. That cannot be our only course of action. Stronger gun laws is a course of action that more Americans want now.

slaught of racism, racial terror, deed theft, maternal morbidity, miseducation and curricular violence, and the devastating wealth gap. The warrior has transitioned and earned his celestial sword and shield, which means we must lead and achieve economic, housing, and racial justice. He will continue to have our back. It is up to us to harness our collective power. This is how we honor the legacy of Dr. Al Vann.

There are a lot of things we can’t control right now. But there’s one thing we can: making sure our kids can’t get their hands on guns in the home. Learn how to make your home safer at ENDFAMILYFIRE.org

With love and an eternally grateful heart, Stefani L. Zinerman Assemblymember ofa the 56th District

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Religion & Spirituality Al Vann

Continued from page 4

former colleagues are offering remembrances. “We called him ‘Vann the man!’ His cool demeanor was profoundly matched with his ‘quiet fire!’’’ said Councilman Charles Barron and former Assemblywoman/Councilwoman Inez Barron in a joint statement to the Amsterdam News. Charles Barron continued, “I thank God that I had the opportunity to serve the people with him in the Black United Front and in the NYC council! Inez had the privilege of working with him in the African American Teachers Association as they fought for community control of schools. Inez and I had the honor to visit him two days before he made his transition! There was spirited reminiscing and a whole lot of love and respect! Rest in peace and power my Brother for a job well done! You will be sorely missed!” “Al Vann was a true pioneer of the progressive movement in New York Politics,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton. “His involvement from the ’70s going forward gave real strength to a new era of not only electing people of color, Black and Latino, but people of a progressive political bent. “We cannot tell the story of political empowerment in Brooklyn without the name of Al Vann being higher on the list of those that made a difference and did so longer and stronger than most. Though he and I did not always agree on local races, we always agreed on the goal, and it was a sign of his statesmanship and political maturity that we could disagree without being disagreeable. “One of the proud moments I’ve had, was when he stood on the steps of City Hall as a city councilman and endorsed me for president of the United States in 2004; giving us a model that just because you may have differences on some local issues it is the big objective that is important. “Al Vann never became confused or distracted from the big objective, which is why we must always salute this giant of a man that made us all better. May he rest in Peace and Power!” During a radio interview with Imhotep Gary Byrd on his Sunday morning show last week, Daugh-

try fondly recalled the years working with Vann and watching him grow in political awareness. “In the summer of 1977, Sam Pinn, Al Vann, Jitu Weusi, and I began to meet and to set aside one morning a week just to analyze and evaluate our political situation and to plan for better conditions.” That memory was consistent with what the reverend had written in his book “No Monopoly on Suffering,” when he reflected on Vann’s role in building a movement. “Al Vann was thoughtful and theoretical,” he wrote, “and was to receive the political credibility and power generated from our movement, and he, in turn, agreed to serve the people.” And serving the people he did with vigor and insight as a state assemblyman from 1975 to 2001 and as councilman from 2002 to 2013. No matter where he hung his political cap the unswerving integrity followed and not an issue of community importance escaped his scrutiny, his commitment. Again, we turn to Rev. Daughtry as he recounted a significant victory by Vann in 1982. “Vann had been the assemblyman for six years in [the 56th District] and had served the community well,” he wrote. “His independent, honest, effective political work endeared him to most Blacks, even those beyond the confines of his district…[he] was a troublesome crusader to Machiavellian Black politicians, and he was a thorn in the side of white machine politicians.” The good reverend was summarizing the political differences then at play in the district culminating in an attempt to nullify Vann’s clout. To offset that move, Vann decided to run on the Liberal Party line. When the race was over Vann was victorious, having overcome what Rev. Daughtry described as the combined efforts of the “white political machine and Black Uncle Toms.” This phase was characteristic of Vann’s long and productive career as a political stalwart in Brooklyn where he was born Nov. 19, 1934. He earned his B.A. degree from Toledo University and mas-

ter’s degree from Yeshiva University and Long Island University. “Al Vann was the ultimate hometown hero,” noted the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, where he was a founding member. “Before launching his political career, he rose to the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps…and taught in New York City public schools and became an administrator.” He was also an outstanding hoops

“He was a very special and dear friend, and we all sit on his shoulders of leadership.” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams voiced a similar encomium, noting, “Today, a pillar of our community has passed away. New York City will remember Al Vann as a public servant, one who created real, transformative progress for the people of his district and all of New York City state.” Wayne Devonish, co-founder of 500 Making a DifAl Vann with Dr. Monique (Lem Peterkin Photos) ference, told the Amsterdam News, “Al Vann was a true public servant who really loved his people and community. He connected with me and supported me when I knew nobody. He saw my sincerity for service and gave me real support. He was among the best of us!” Daniel Goodine, co-founder of Men Elevating Leadstar at Franklin Lane High School. ership, told the Amsterdam News, From the 181st to the 194th he sat “Yes, it’s a great loss for those of us on state legislatures, always making in the movement. We lost a brother his presence known, voicing his con- that knew plight and the fight. He cerns about what laws were favorable was key and someone one that was for his constituency. When the city approachable. He will be missed.” council enacted term limits, Vann “Dr. Vann’s life work was about exchanged seats with Annette Rob- the true, holistic liberation of his inson. In 2001, he was elected to the people,” said Assemblymember of council and Robinson was elected to the 56th District Stefani L. Stefani. the assembly in 2002 to fill the vacan- “He set the standard and provided cy. In these capacities he was a relent- a blueprint through the founding of less foe of racial gerrymandering. the Vanguard Independent DemoFormer colleague Assemblywom- cratic Association (VIDA), Medgar an/Councilwoman Annette Robin- Evers College, the Community Advison told the Amsterdam News, “Al sory Board, and an Age-Friendly disVann was thoughtful and deliber- trict. He is the model from which we ative and wise. He was my politi- can glean as we assume the mantle cal partner for over 40 plus years. of freedom, charging forth with He expanded the political land- vigor to achieve equity and liberty. scape. His quest for social and “This district is forever changed economic justice created various for the better because of his groundcoalitions. The Coalition for a Just breaking legislation that empowNY and the Coalition for Commu- ered people like me and people in nity Empowerment. Both of these this district to be the architects of coalitions were to increase politi- our freedom and to build thriving cal representation and exercise self communities that served our needs. determination. Al Vann believed in “As the villages of Bedford Stuyvesthe people and the people believed ant and Crown Heights, the state of in him. THANK YOU AL FOR YOUR New York, and those dedicated to FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT!” liberation worldwide who loved and “Al Vann was a real mentor to me respected the man, the mission, and and countless others, in our admin- the movement, prepare to celebrate istration and across the landscape his life and legacy, let us be resolved of civic life,” Mayor Eric Adams said. that we are now Vann and we stand

as the VANN-guard against the ongoing onslaught of racism, racial terror, deed theft, maternal morbidity, miseducation and curricular violence, and the devastating wealth gap…It is up to us to harness our collective power.” Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation too is mourning the “beloved founding member of Restoration’s board of directors and Brooklynite who mentored younger generations of up-and-coming leaders in New York politics and within the grassroots community. “Our 50-year relationship with Al began during his tenure on our board and extended into his work as a state Assemblyman (1975-2001) and NYC Councilman (2002-2013), having retired due to expired term limits. “His legacy and achievements will forever be tethered to Restoration’s mission to improve the lives of Black people who are locked out of opportunities to build wealth through unfair lending practices, employment, and other discriminatory policies. He founded and led the African American Teachers Association and argued successfully for the diversification of educators that resulted in the recruitment of more Black teachers in marginalized Brooklyn schools and was co-founder of CUNY’s Medgar Evers College.” Restoration continued, “Al Vann was the ultimate hometown hero. Before launching his political career, he rose to the rank of sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and later earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in education, taught in New York City public schools, and became an administrator. “Throughout his service in the New York City Council serving on the education, economic development, finance, health, land use, rules, privileges, and election committees, he always kept Restoration top of mind and remained a confidante and friend to our past presidents and chief executive officers. And much of the progress we have made and sustained over the decades wouldn’t have been possible if not for stalwart advocates like Al Vann.” Restoration concluded, “We celebrate his legacy as a civil rights advocate, legend, American hero, and stellar community organizer dedicated to justice and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

International Continued from page 2

perpetrators who took refuge on French soil afterwards. At the time of the genocide the French government had been a long-standing backer of the Hutu regime in power, which caused decades of tensions between the two countries since. A separate French probe into the act that sparked the genocide—the shooting down of Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane—was closed earlier this year. At the heart of the case against the 78-year-old were several “security” meetings, either ordered or attended by Bucyibaruta, which prosecutors had argued were actually planning sessions for the killings. Specifically, the former chief officer of the southern province of Gikongoro was accused of having persuaded thousands of people to take refuge in the Murambi Technical School, by promising them food, water and protection. Days later, in the early hours of April 21, tens of thousands of Tutsis were executed there in one of the genocide’s bloodiest episodes. The court also examined Bucyibaruta’s responsibility in the massacre of around 90 Tutsi pupils at the Marie Merci school in Kibeho on May 7, 1994, and in the execution of Tutsi prisoners—including three priests—in Gikongoro prison.

During his trial, Bucyibaruta denied any involvement in the killings. ”I was never on the side of the killers,” Bucyibaruta insisted. “Did I lack courage? Could I have saved them? Those questions, those regrets even, have been haunting me for over 28 years.” His lawyers called for the court to take “a courageous decision” and acquit him. The trial involved more than 100 witness statements, including some from survivors from Rwanda, either in person or by video conference. Bucyibaruta has been in France since 1997 with myriad health problems. He was allowed to remain under house arrest during trial to receive treatments. A report commissioned by the administration of Pres. Paul Kagame asserts that France “did nothing to stop” the massacres, in April and May 1994, and in the years after the genocide tried to cover up its role and even offered protection to some perpetrators. It concludes that France “bears significant responsibility” for enabling the genocide in Rwanda and still refuses to acknowledge its true role in the 1994 horror. “The French government was neither blind nor unconscious about the foreseeable genocide,” the authors stress, disputing an earlier report by the French President Emmanuel Macron who concluded that French authorities had been “blind” to the preparations for genocide and then reacted too slowly.

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 31 concrete pillars symbolizing 12 campaigns from the Revolutionary War to the War on Afghanistan. It stands for the integrity, strength, and resilience of African Americans from Continued from page 3 every branch of service. in all six branches of the military, during the war African Americans have served in all 12 of the and in peace times whether they enlisted volun- country’s major conflicts, beginning with the tarily or were drafted. The monument honors the Revolutionary War in 1775. A disenfranchised contributions made by African American Veter- group, African American Veterans fought for the ans. The dedication and unveiling ceremony is ideals of our country since its inception, despite scheduled for Sept. 24. facing unequal representation, disrespect, and The monument design features 12 black disregard for their basic civil rights.

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Brown New Yorkers, violating their Fourth and FourContinued from page 3 teenth Amendment rights in the process. “He’s been working to eliminate racial profiling in New York City policing for 20 years,” said Andrew Case, senior counsel of LatinoJustice. “He’s an absolute star of this world. And it’s really exciting that the CCRB hired him because it shows that they’re taking the issue seriously, and I think that people should know that the CCRB now has this power, it’s going to be a challenge for them to execute it properly.” In their testimonies, both Sisay and Case welcomed the addition of “improper use of body-worn cameras” under the definition of “abuse of authority.” Sisay recommended expanding the term to also refer to improper reporting of stops, while Case advised the 13 CCRB members, who review each individual allegation, to delegate complaints and focus on sample cases to ensure thoroughness and efficiency. City council speaker Adrienne Adams fully supported the proposed rules while the NYPD and police unions, Captains Endowment Association and the Police Benevolent

Board

Association of the City of NewYork, offered written testimonies criticizing the changes. Like the Internal Affairs Bureau, the CCRB cannot dole out disciplinary actions, only recommendations. So the ball remains in the court of Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Keechant Sewell, who typically has the final say. “Mayor Adams, though he’s pro-police, has made it clear he thinks that those officers who engage in wrongful conduct should be punished for it,” said Case. “And this will be the real test when the CCRB start saying ‘yes, this officer engaged in racial profiling, what are you going to do about it?’ We’ll see if the department will take seriously racial profiling, which it hasn’t taken seriously before, once the CCRB identifies officers who engage in it.” 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 today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

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Bodega Continued from page 3

regarding the tragedy that took place earlier this month, and it remains critical that we do all that it takes to address crime and violence that has become a near daily occurrence in my district.” occurred 2 •The May 26,incident 2022 - June 1, 2022 on July 1 at the Blue

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS Moon Convenience store The DA’s office initialon Broadway and 139th ly charged Alba with secStreet in West Harlem. ond-degree murder and Austin Simon, 37, and his took him to Riker’s Island. girlfriend got into an al- After negotiating, his bail tercation with Alba on the was reduced to $5,000. store’s security footage. The district attorney’s Simon then walks behind press office said that the the counter and attacks case has been advanced to Alba. The girlfriend alleg- Tuesday, July 19, and that edly stabbed Alba as well. Alba, who was released on Alba then stabbed Simon a lowered bail, would not five times, acting THE in selfappear in court. NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS defense he’s said. “Following an investiga-

tion, the People have determined that we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not justified in his use of deadly physical force,” reads the motion to dismiss all charges against Alba. Many deli and bodega owners in the city are largely from Hispanic, Latino, Muslim, and immigrant backgrounds.

They complained at a rally for Alba that violence is a plague against small business owners that literally support the community and aren’t protected. Dr. Debbie Almontaser, who heads the Yemeni American Merchants Association, said that they proudly stood with the Dominican community at a rally for Alba. Almontaser said they have asked the

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state for funding to provide bodega owners with state-of-the-art video recording equipment with sound capabilities. She said she is hopeful that more community policing and a better police response to store owners’ calls would restore safety and cut down on crime. Almontaser said at the rally that bodega owners were frontline workers during the pandemic, often providing foods and goods when larger places shuttered. “Today all of these lifeline businesses are feeling a sense of betrayal, a sense of not belonging in those communities because of the rise in crime,” said Almontaser. Almontaser, the Yemeni American Merchants Association, and its members were “extremely happy” to learn that the charges against Alba are being dropped. Maria Ortiz, a spokesperson for United Bodegas of America, said that the organization is ecstatic that charges are being dropped against Alba. Ortiz said that they discussed the “evident” case of self-defense with Bragg last week. “All of the store owners are afraid. This is something that’s been happening forever,” continued Ortiz. “This one made the news because someone died, but store owners have been attacked, spit on, slapped, stabbed, you name it. They’ve lived through every experience where these criminals come into their stores, steal their products, eat it or drink it in their face and then come back for more.”

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July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 33

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The New York City Department of Transportation, Cityscape & Franchises invites your organization to submit a proposal in response to the Request for Proposals for the Development, Operation, and Maintenance of an Outdoor Market with an Optional Kiosk at Fordham Plaza in the Borough of the Bronx. The RFP will be available for the duration of the solicitation period and can be downloaded free of charge from the City Record website at: https://a856cityrecord.nygov/A printed copy of the RFP can also be obtained at no cost by mail by calling 212-8396550. Requests for a mailed copy of the RFP must be made by August 2, 2022. All proposals must be hand delivered to: New York City Department of Transportation, 55 Water Street, Bid Window (ground floor rear next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial), New York, NY 10041, Monday-Friday from 9:00AM 3:00PM (closed on holidays) Sealed proposal must be received by 2:00 PM on or before the due date. All proposals must include the proposal deposit in the form of a certified check or money order. No cash will be accepted.

Notice of formation of Audacity Enterprises, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/22/2022. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 99 Wall Street, Ste. 1818, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Qualification of COLD START STUDIO LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/08/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/08/20. Princ. office of LLC: 2875 NE 191st St., Ste. 500, Office 504, Aventura, FL 33180. 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, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Venture capital. Notice of Formation of JJR Property Management, LLC Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 10/04/21. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 1395 South Platte River Drive, Denver, CO 80323. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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Notice of Qualification of DF FUND 5, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/27/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/10/22. Princ. office of LLC: 152 W. 57th St., 26th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, State of DE, Dept. of State, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of FITBIT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/13/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/26/07. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of FIVE IRON GOLF CLEVELAND LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State NY (SSNY) on 05/10/2022. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to c/o 883 Avenue of the Americas, Fl 3, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of EM REVIVAL FUND GP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/16/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/07/22. Princ. office of LLC: 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Ste. 1610, NY, NY 10020. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Investments. Notice of Formation of FIRECOM NY MERGER SUB 4 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. 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, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of FIRECOM NY MERGER SUB 6 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. 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, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #1348424 for beer & wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a Cafe under the ABC Law at 750 8th Ave., NYC 10036 for on-premises consumption; 703 Bakery Corp.

Notice of Qualification of ModernFi Advisers LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/14/22. Princ. office of LLC: 135 W 50th St., 2nd Fl., Ste. 200, NY, NY 10020. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of State of DE, Div. of Corps., Office of the Secy., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of formation of 688 BRONX COMMISSARY, LLC Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 9/30/2020. Office: NY 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, CT Corporation System, 111 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Akselrod Investigations, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/27/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The P.O. address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon is: 226 E 74th St. #5D New York, NY 10021. The principal business address of the LLC is: 226 E 74th St. #5D New York, NY. 10021. Purpose: any lawful act or activity NOTICE OF FORMATION of Alicia Young-Collins LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Location: Manhattan. SSNY designated as agent for service of process on LLC. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 2103 8th Ave, Apt 5A, NY, NY 10026. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of MPQ 1800 Broadway, LLC . Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/29/2020. Office: NY 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, Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., New York, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of NU WORK LLC Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 10/06/21. Office Location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 1522 E. 172nd Street, Ste 2F, Bronx, NY 10472. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of SE LUXE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/18/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 315 E. 5th St., #3B, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of Social Skills in Motion LCSW PLLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/22/2021. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 25 Vermilyea Ave, Apt #46, New York, NY 10034. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of Stacked Software, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/1/2021. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 3 Hanover Sq, New York, NY 10004. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Formation of SUZANNE BINGHAM DENNEY LLC Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 4/19/22. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: United States Corporation Agents Inc 7014 13th Ave Suite 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

34 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

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NAACP

goes back to when he was elected president of the NAACP Continued from page 4 Youth Council in South Carolina when he was 12 years old. James E. Clyburn received the “I am pleased beyond meaNAACP’s highest honor, the Sp- sure and humbled to reingarn Medal. Clyburn said his ceive the Spingarn Medal, the own history with the NAACP NAACP’s highest honor,” Cly-

burn said. “The history of this award speaks to the work done for over a century to ensure the American dream is made accessible and affordable for all her citizens.” Each year, the NAACP provides a platform for concerned

Freedom Riders

ting their lives Queens Borough President Richard Donovan honored the 60th anniversary of the 1961 Freedom on the line, Riders from Queens at Queens Borough Hall this Tuesday, July 20 (Ariama Long photos) I would not have the opportunity to serve the great 27th council district as a council representative,” said Williams. “We still have so many injustices right here in our city. Whether it’s police brutality, the continued attack on voting rights, the continued attack on our body—it is still important that we continue to highlight living legends like yourself.” Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers in District 31 added that defying a “regressive and racist government” is just as relevant today as it was in the 1960s, referring to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and an end to the federal law “When one group is denied that protected justice, we all know what the legal abortions. saying is, others are not far “An unrepre- behind that.” sentative SuThe event was co-sponsored preme Court by SCAN-Harbor, Queens Colhas taken away lege, Queens Jewish Commuthe rights of nity Council, NAACP Jamaica women. We Branch, and the Brandeis Ashave seen up- sociation. ticks in violence and Ariama C. Long is a Report hateful rhetoric for America corps member and against racial writes about culture and poland ethnic mi- itics in New York City for The norities as Amsterdam News. Your donawell as LGBT tion to match our RFA grant communities. helps keep her writing stories These fights like this one; please consider are intercon- making a tax-deductible gift of nected,” said any amount today by visiting: Brooks-Powers. https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

Continued from page 4

Manhattan Deputy Borough President Keisha Sutton-James told the story of her grandfather, Percy Sutton. The elder Sutton, when he was 40 years old, was a Freedom Rider, Tuskegee Airman, the first Black JAG military lawyer, a NAACP member, and a former Manhattan borough president, she said. Sutton-James said that her grandfather was from San Antonio, Texas and had been beaten bloody by police officers before eventually making his way to New York City. “He had witnessed neighbors and friends being forced to cower frankly to white domination in the South,” said Sutton-James. She said that her grandfather was by no means “fear-

less” on those harrowing bus rides. That he was in fact terrified, but facing his fear by going back into the terror of white supremacy he had experienced in his youth. “It was a mission for him to effectively face the fear and muster the courage,” said Sutton-James. “I remember him talking about entering hostile territory and how the fear mounted and mounted from all those prior experiences of being terrorized were mounting on this hours-long bus ride from Atlanta to Montgomery.” Councilmember Nantasha Williams in District 27 was excited to speak before the honorees. “I know that I stand here because of people like you and if it wasn’t for people like you put-

citizens to step away from the frontlines of the fight for civil rights to reflect, learn from each other, and plot the path forward. Past conventions have featured presidents and vice presidents, leading members of

congress and senators, activists, and organizers offering an opportunity to carve out the vital work we have to do to build a prosperous future as the nation faces competing civil rights crises and continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 37

One writer’s view in defense of journalists By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews At last month’s USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson came into the mixed zone and said, “I’m coming to speak, not on just my behalf, but on all athletes’ behalf, that when you guys do interviews, y’all should respect athletes more. Y’all should understand them, coming from whether they’re winning, whether they’re losing, whatever the case may be, athletes deserve way more respect than when y’all just come and throw cameras into their faces. “Understand how an athlete operates and then ask your questions. Then be more understanding of the fact that they are still human, no matter just to the fact that y’all are just trying to get something to put out in an article to make a dollar.” I’ll try and keep my response simple. First, if my primary concern was money, I wouldn’t be a journalist. With the exception of a few high profile columnists, this isn’t what you’d call a lucrative profession. Second, I won’t dispute that there are some rude and thoughtless reporters, but they are small in number. Most reporters

want to tell an honest story. Sometimes, the moment is a great victory and sometimes it’s a bitter loss. Our job is to capture the moment—often that’s what gets people interested in following a sport or its athletes. If we sugarcoat our questions, we are not telling the stories of the athletes, thus doing them a disservice. Third, it’s not a reporter’s job to celebrate when you’re winning and handhold when you’re losing. Competition is an athlete’s job, and truthful coverage is a journalist’s job. Recently, a former WNBA player told me she always appreciated how I saw the players’ humanity. If that’s what Richardson wants, I’m happy to give it, but in return I deserve mutual respect. I don’t believe she speaks for all athletes, but it’s not the first time I’ve heard an elite athlete say reporters are callous people just out to make a buck. We too have a craft we practice and pour our hearts into. A good journalist asks and a champion answers the hard questions. All this said, I do owe one person an apology. Back in my early days of covering the WNBA, Sheri Sam of the Miami Sol shed tears while graciously answering questions after a playoff loss. My instinct was to offer her tissues, but I didn’t for fear of being seen as unprofessional. I’ve always regretted that.

Runners such as Athing Mu graciously answered questions from the media at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships (Texas A&M/Errol Anderson photo)

Major changes at Iona could bolster athletics By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Last week, Iona College in New Rochelle became Iona University. In 2021, Iona acquired the Bronxville campus of Concordia College, which had ceased operations. This has enabled Iona to expand its offerings in the health sciences, including the addition of a graduate curriculum. These positive changes have energized the alumni base and are bringing a surge of energy to the athletic programs. There are athletic facilities on the Bronxville campus that will hopefully be of use to the Iona Gaels. “I hope they continue to allow us to target high-level international student-athletes,” said Iona women’s basketball coach Billi Chambers, who is heading into her 10th season. “Obviously, our roster is incredibly diverse and we recruit heavily in the international scene. This is an exciting moment. This allows us to continue to flourish in that area.

“It’s an awesome time around campus,” she added. “The buzz is unbelievable. The growth on this campus is indicative of where Iona stands going into the future and the potential we have as a university.” Several of the returning women’s basketball players came back to campus in early July to start pre-season workouts. Incoming freshman Amaya Evans from New Jersey is showing her toughness and learning the new concepts. Senior forward/center Ketsia Athias from Brooklyn is trying to step up and take on a leadership role and have an impactful final year. Among the international players, several are with their national teams. Senior guard Juana Camilion is currently playing with the Spanish national 3x3 team. In 3x3, there is no coaching during a game. “We do a lot of 3-on-3 breakdowns, but to actually go and play the game…is really opening her mind up to understanding a little

bit better and wanting to continue to take on a leadership role and seeing the game differently as she tries to prepare herself to be a professional player,” said Chambers. Chambers and her staff have been busy with recruiting. Some of them head back out on the road tomorrow. She was also one of more than 1,100 Black women who signed a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The #WinWithBlackWomen Collective called on the Biden administration to step up efforts to free basketball star Brittney Griner, who is currently detained in Russia. “We all worry about her,” said Chambers. “Having the opportunity to sign that along with the other Black women was important for me.”

Post player Ketsia Athias returns for a fifth season (Iona Athletics photos)

38 • July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

Despite some stellar play, Liberty not getting the Ws By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Fueled by the positive energy of the WNBA All-Star Game, the New York Liberty returned to Barclays Center for two home games against the Las Vegas Aces. Having defeated the Aces in Las Vegas the previous week, hopes were high for the Liberty to score some big home court wins, but it was not to be. The Aces, coached by former Liberty star Becky Hammon, prevailed 107-101 and 108-74. “They were hot, even Becky alluded to that at the end, but they were great. But we had no resistance and that’s where I’m the most disappointed. We didn’t bring the energy. Sometimes, defense is about hard work. I didn’t think we had teamwork. I’m talking playing together as a team. There were too many open gaps,” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello after the second loss to the Aces. In the game on the 12th, starters Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu both played well, with 20 and 27 points respectively, and Sami Whitcomb came off the bench for 17. In the game on the 14th, Howard again

brought offensive power with 19 points would likely have won the game, but she a team like the Aces score 70-plus (71) and Michaela Onyenwere came off the wishes the Liberty had shown more fight. points in the first half,” said Onyenbench for 14. Brondello said the Aces “It’s hard to come back when you let were. “A sense of lack of urgency and we looked like we lacked energy. We’ll Last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images) learn from this and move forward…and get better from there.” The Liberty is eagerly awaiting the return of Betnijah Laney, who has been spotted at practice, and the increased presence of Marine Johannes, who is still settling in. Han Xu continues to be a steady contributor. There are only three more weeks and 11 games left in the regular season, with the first two weeks of August jam packed with games. There is still time to earn a playoff spot, but everyone needs to step up. “We’ll watch film, we’ll have practice,” said Whitcomb. “These are the moments that we have to hold ourselves accountable more than each other.” Following a loss to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, which marked the return to action of Jocelyn Willoughby, the Liberty heads to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Mystics. The team returns to Barclays for a Saturday evening matchup against the league leading Chicago Sky.

The Knicks end the summer league with optimism By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor Donovan Mitchell is still a member of the Utah Jazz as the Knicks ostensibly remain as a suitor for the threetime NBA All-Star. In the meantime, the Knicks reached the championship game of the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas, losing to the Portland Trailblazers 85-77 on Sunday. The Knicks ended their five-game stay in Vegas 3-2. Understandably, a significant number of Knicks fans don’t put much stock in the summer league having tangible efficacy over the course of the regular season. It’s a small sample size and many players that excel in July rarely see the court over the 82-game schedule that matters. Others continue their development and become valuable rotation fixtures. Then there are the performers such as Houston Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr., who went No. 3 in last month’s draft, and whose solid statistics—14.4 points per game and 9.4 rebounds—don’t tell the story of how the 6-foot-10, 19-yearold from Auburn has stardom shining all over him. Knicks fans didn’t have a

Knicks guard Quentin Grimes had a strong showing at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging a team-high 22.6 points per game in five games (Bill Moore photo)

Smith, or summer league MVP Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings, this year’s No. 4 pick, or Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic rookie and No. 1 overall pick, to elicit visions of a foundational talent. But the play of guard Quentin Grimes and improvement of center Jericho Sims should be perceived as encouraging. Grimes and Sims both played quality minutes as rookies last season and it showed over their five games in the summer league. The 6-foot-5 Grimes averaged 22. 6 points per game and had increased ball handling responsibilities. While his efficiency needed to be much better as Grimes shot just 41.4% from the field and 68.6% from the foul line, he displayed shot creativity and an ability to get to the front of the rim utilizing tight ball handling and strength. Sims maximized his noteworthy athleticism to build on his skills as a lob threat, rim protector, proficiently tracking rebounds outside of his immediate space, and disruptor of screen and rolls. Yet the optimism of what Grimes and Sims can become will not temper the fans’ disappointment if the Knicks do not land Mitchell.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

The Yankees come out of the All-Star break as baseball’s best By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews The New York Yankees return to the field tonight after a three-day break for the All-Star Game. They will play the American League West leading Houston Astros two games on the road after defeating the Boston Red Sox two out of three last weekend in the Bronx. The Yankees, who at 64-28 have the best record in Major League Baseball, will face the 59-32 Astros for the sixth and seventh times this season in their short two-game series. They split a four-game series at Yankee Stadium in late June and the Astros took a 2-1 win in a makeup game in Houston on June 30.

With 70 games remaining, the Yankees, who topped MLB with six All-Star selections for the American League in Tuesday’s games, hold a 13-game lead over the second place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. They went into the break having pounded the Red Sox in Games 2 and 3 of their series. After losing Game 1, 5-4 in 11 innings on Friday, the Yanks lit up the Sox 14-1 on Saturday and crushed them 13-2 on Sunday. Boston, who had been surging the last two months, dropped from second place to fourth after the two losses, and now trail the Yankees by 16.5 games in the division. “Great job by them,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone on

Following a four-day break for the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Mets begin the proverbial second half of the season tomorrow night when they host the San Diego Padres at Citi Field in a threegame series. In actuality, the Mets have played over half of their 162game regular season schedule. They are 58-35 and have a 2.5 game lead over the second place Atlanta Braves in the AL East. The 56-38 Braves begin a threegame series tomorrow at home versus the Los Angeles Angels. This is the period of the MLB campaign when trades and trade rumors become as gripping and dominate baseball discourse as much as what is taking place on the field. The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 2. One of the central figures being discussed as a candidate likely to change teams is Juan Soto, the Washington Nationals uber talented outfielder nicknamed “Childish Bambino” for his prodigious ability. Only 23, Soto already has won a batting title, hitting .351

in 2020. He finished second in the NL MVP voting last season, helped lead the Nationals to a World Series title in 2019 and won the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday. Simply put, he is one of the best players in the sport. Soto also clearly wants out of Washington and hinted the Mets are a team he would prefer to join. “Playing in New York, against the Mets, I love it,” said Soto on Monday in Los Angeles where the All-Star events were being held. “I love to play against them and hit the ball far. If you see my numbers at [Citi Field], it’s amazing.” It may be reading too deep into Soto’s professed affection for hitting in Queens, but the Mets’ front office, led by team owner Steve Cohen, must be elated in hearing him uninhibitedly speak about a franchise on the rise and at this juncture of the season a legitimate World Series contender. They should interpret it as a signal to explore the possibility of trading for Soto, who rejected a $350 million extension from the Nationals this past February and as first reported last week rebuffed a 15-year, $440 million offer from his current team ear-

Yankees catcher Jose Trevino was one of the team’s six players selected for this past Tuesday’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game (MLB.com photo)

Sunday in complimenting his team. “Been a little bit of a rough week obviously. To answer last night and today with two pretty emphatic victories, you want to roll into the break feeling good.” Prior to hosting the Red Sox, the Yankees had lost four out of their previous five games, including the last two games of a four-game series against Boston at Fenway Park held July 7-10. The Yankees’ offense has produced impressive power numbers. Their 157 home runs are the most of any team as is their 472 RBI. The Yankees’ balance is reflected in their pitching staff. They are third in ERA at 3.08, second in shutouts with 12 and tied for third in saves with 31.

Could Juan Soto soon be the anchor of the Mets’ offense By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 39

lier this month. Soto has two more years of arbitration eligibility and could become a free-agent after the 2024 season. Conjecture abounds that the Mets, Dodgers and Yankees, teams with considerable financial resources, are at the top of the list to ultimately acquire Soto this season or in the near future. The Yankees already have Tuesday’s All-Star Game MVP, Giancarlo Stanton, under contract through the 2028 season for $175 million and will likely have to pay Aaron Judge well over $300 million to retain their best player when he hits the freeagent market this winter. The Dodgers have outfielder Mookie Betts in the fold on a megadeal after he signed a 12-year, $365 million contract with them in July of 2020. The Mets also have a highly paid player in second baseman Francisco Lindor, who inked a massive 10-year, $341 million agreement on March 31 of last year. But none of those huge financial obligations dissuade any of those teams from pursuing Soto if they deem him to be a viable addition.

Washington Nationals superstar outfielder Juan Soto could be a potential trade target of the NewYork Mets (Wikipedia/All Pro Reels photo)

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 21, 2022 - July 27, 2022 • 40

Sports Baker and Roberts, baseball’s two Black managers, produce success By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts and the Houston Astros’ Dusty Baker are the only two Black managers in Major League Baseball. There are 30 total teams in the National and American League. The low number of Black managers speaks for itself. “In years past, it would have been, ‘My job is to manage, and everything outside that is not my concern,’” said Roberts during an interview on Jackie Robinson Day this past April 15. “When you’re talking about African American ballplayers, we need to do better,” Roberts voiced. “I think about it all the time. It’s really getting uncomfortable.” There is an uptick in the number of prominent Black players. It was fitting that the Minnesota Twins Byron Buxton hit the go-ahead home run in

the All-Star Game in the top of the fourth inning to give the AL a 3-2 lead right after the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton— who was named the contest’s MVP—blasted a two-run homer to to tie the score at 2-2. It came on the 100th birthday of Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s widow, who was honored at the game. Buxton, who Black, is one of baseball’s most talented all-around players and Stanton is multi-racial including being of African American descent. The state of Black managers isn’t strong. Only 28 managerial jobs in MLBs long history have gone to Blacks, but the only two in the game today are highly successful.

The Houston Astros’ Dusty Baker (pictured), along with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, are the only two Black managers in Major League Baseball (Wikipedia/All-Pro Reels photo)

Baker, 73, the second oldest manager in MLB, is a future Hall of Famer. After a 19-year playing career, Baker started his managerial career in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants. The Astros are the fifth team Baker has managed. The list also includes the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. In May Baker reached 2,000 career wins, becoming only the 12th manager and first Black manager to reach that milestone. A three-time National League Manager of the Year, he took over the Astros in 2020 after the firings of manager A.J. Hinch and GM/President of Baseball Operations Jeff Luhnow, resulting from a sign stealing scandal. He

has been to two World Series as a manager, in 2002 guiding the Giants and last season with the Astros but has never won a championship. The 50-year-old Roberts was the 2016 National League Manager of the Year in his first season leading the Dodgers. He had losses in the 2017 and 2018 World Series before finally winning the championship in 2020 with a 4-2 series win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Roberts and Cito Gaston, who piloted the Toronto Blue Jays to the 1993 title, are the only two Black managers to win a World Series in MLB history. Baker and Roberts have their teams set up to make another title run. The Dodgers came out of the All-Star break 60-30, with a 10-game lead in the National League West and the second best record in MLB. The Astros are 59-32 when play begins today, first in AL West by nine games.

Black MLB draftees become part of a historic 2022 class By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor Within one hour of Sunday’s Major League Baseball Draft held in Los Angeles in conjunction with the All-Star festivities, it became a seminal event for the sport when with the fifth pick, the Washington Nationals selected Elijah Green of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The 18-year-old outfielder is the son of Eric Green, a former NFL tight end who was the 21st overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1990. Green was the fourth Black player taken among the first five picks, the first time that has ever occurred in the MLB Draft. Druw Jones, a five-tool 18-yearold outfielder from Wesleyan High School in Norcross, Georgia, and the consensus No. 1 prospect in the draft, started off the seismic run on Black players when he was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the second overall pick. Jones is the son of the legend-

ary outfielder Andrew Jones, a (Troy, New York) of the Frontier to be wise as Kumar was selected five-time All-Star and 10-time League this past spring and enter seven slots higher than a year ago. Gold who played most of his this year’s draft. His calculus proved Power hitting shortstop Termarr career with the AtJohnson went No. 4 AM lanta Braves. Right to theNEWS Pittsburgh Piafter Jones at No. 3, rates. The 18-year07/07/22 0 the Texas Rangers seold from Atlanta lected the erstwhile is viewed by many Vanderbilt Universiscouts as the best ty star Kumar Rocker. pure hitter coming The 22-year-old hard out of high school in throwing righty was the past two decades. taken by the Mets They rave about his with the 10th pick exceptional AM NEWS handin last year’s draft, eye coordination and 07/14/22 but injury concerns ability to hit for av0 precluded the orgaerage and knock the nization from signball out of the park. ing Rocker, who led In addition to Vandy to the 2019 the history-making NCAA championquartet, anship. other son The 2019 College of a former World Series Most elite proAM NEWS Outstanding Player fession07/21/22 honoree from Watal athlete 0 kinsville, Georgia, deFormer Vanderbilt star pitcher Kumar Rocker was selected was chosen cided to pitch for the by the Texas Rangers with the No. 3 pick in Sunday’s MLB in the first Draft (NCAA photo) round when Tri-City ValleyCats

the Philadelphia Phillies acquired 18-year-old Justin Crawford at No. 17. The outfielder from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas grew 01284 up watching AM NE his father, outfielder Carl Craw07/07/ 7 ford, the American League 74470lead 22784 in stolen bases four times with the Tampa Bay Rays (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007) and earn four All-Star Game appearances. Eighteen-year-old shortstop Jackson Holliday opened the draft’s father-son MLB connection by being taken01294 with the No. AM NE 1 overall pick by the Baltimore 07/14/ 7 Orioles. His father, Matt Holli74470 22784 day, was a seven-time All-Star and 2011 World Series champion with the St. Louis Cardinals.

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