New York Amsterdam News Issue: July 27, 2023 by AmsterdamNews

(See story on page 3)

Harlem’s

33rd caravan to Cuba

(See story on page 4)

(See story on page 6)

Till monument is finalized by President Biden

(See story on page 4)

State cooling assistance funds already spent

IFCO leads

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Eric

announces additional policies to help asylum-seekers in the city’s care move out of shelters and create critically-needed space for arriving families with children seeking asylum. City Hall. Wednesday, July 19, 2023 (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

ADAMS ANNOUNCES 60-DAY LEAVE NOTICES FOR ASYLUM-SEEKERS IN CITY SHELTERS, ADVOCATES DISAPPROVE

(Angi Langdon photo)

Mayor

Adams

MAYOR

MAYOR EVICTS ASYLUM-SEEKERS

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INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Page 17

» Astro Page 20

» Books Page 19, 21

» Jazz Page 24

Caribbean Update Page 14

Classified Page 32

Editorial/Opinion Pages 12,13

Education Page 28

Go with the Flo Page 8

Health Page 16

In the Classroom Page 26

Nightlife Page 9

Religion & Spirituality Page 30

Sports Page 40

Union Matters Page 10

SUBSCRIPTIONS

International News

Cake Studios. Set in a futuristic Lusaka, “Supa Team 4,” as the series is called, tells of four school-age teenagers recruited by a retired secret agent to become superheroes.

buster “Black Panther,” and Nancy Sekhokoane (“Woman King”), with a theme song by Zambian rapper/ singer Sampa the Great.

shows, films, and video games.

NEW HUB FOR ANIME IS BORN IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

(GIN) — Zambia, well-known for its copper, emeralds, and other pricey gems, may soon have a new feather in its cap as a hub for aspiring Zambian artists and other creators eager to try their hand in the newest anime scene.

Capital city Lusaka has been drawing from an immense well of artistic talent to be found in southern Africa.

Now, an eight-part Netflix series is scheduled to debut on July 20, co-produced by South African animation studio Triggerfish and London-based kids’ specialist

With “Supa Team 4,” Netflix will have its first-ever original African animated series: a significant milestone for young Zambian animators who have turned the southern African country into a buzzing animation hub.

“Supa Team 4” was created by Lusaka-based Malenga Mulendema, who has spent the last few years working with her co-producers and Netflix to bring the show to life. “The show, to me, is like a multi-layered cake. I want the audience to dig in and discover the flavors for themselves,” Mulendema told the news site Semafor Africa.

African voice actors include South Africa’s John Kani, who played T’Chaka in the Hollywood block-

A few months back, Tabitha Mwale, 22, launched “The Super” at local cinemas to much acclaim here. She described it as Zambia’s first-ever anime series, as a dedicated fan of the Japanese animation style. “It was a love letter to the art form from a Zambian,” said Akende Muyumbana, the 25-year old director of “The Super.” “It was meant to show people that Zambians can make something that has international appeal.”

Anime already has a foothold in Nigeria. Just recently, Èkó Anime Fest, Nigeria’s second-ever anime festival, took place in the country’s commercial capital, Lagos, and saw almost 1,000 fans from across the continent gather to show their appreciation for the Japanese art form.

Many of the fans at the Èkó Anime Festival, one of the few anime conventions in Africa, dressed up as their favorite characters from various TV

Muko Tsubasa, 27, who taught himself animation by watching YouTube instruction videos, said he’s seen a rise in local interest in professional animation around Lusaka but that more international production companies should take a chance on local talent and “dip their feet in the water.”

Meanwhile, in Uganda, Raymond Malinga has been working on a Disney project and hopes to build the Ugandan industry and contribute to the African industry.

“We are trying to put Africa on the map, and we are trying to prove that we, too, can play with the big boys,” he said.

NEW PACT WITH TUNISIAN LEADER AIMS TO COMBAT DEADLY SEA MIGRATION

(GIN) — The European Union and Tunisia have signed a memorandum of understanding to combat irregular migration that has led most recently to the deaths of 29 migrants from impoverished

Int’l Afro Latin American Women’s Day: Remembering Marielle Franco

Councilwoman

Marielle Franco, was a noted feminist and fighter for LGBTQI+rights. She was assassinated on March 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Bruna

By JESÚS CHUCHO GARCIA Special

to the AmNews

Translated by KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The 25th of July is celebrated as the International Afro Latin American, Afro Caribbean, and Diaspora Women’s Day. This commemoration was initially created by the Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y de la Diáspora (Latin American and Caribbean Black Women’s Network) in 1992 when the women came together to establish the organization in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The network began speaking up about the global struggles women of the African diaspora and their descendants have faced for decades.

In Venezuela, the Union de Mujeres Negras and the Fundación Afroamerica, has worked since the 1980s alongside Afrodescendant women such as Argelia Laya, Irene Ugueto, Josefina Brighton and Maria Leon to fight for recognition of the role that women have played in the country’s history.

Violence has been one of the most reprehensible behaviors to persist against women. To combat the horrors of violence against women, the United Nations approved in 1994 one of the world’s great legal achievements—the Convention of Belém do Pará, which, as expressed in its article 3, ensures that “every woman has the right to a life free of violence, both in the public and private sphere.” Article 4 states that “every woman has the right to the recognition, enjoy-

ment and protection of all human rights and freedoms enshrined in regional and international instruments, including respect, human dignity and freedom from torture.”

The reality in Latin America: Marielle Franco

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), Brazil has been the country with the highest number of femicides throughout 2023, followed by Mexico. There were 619 murders committed against women in Colombia alone last year, nearly 40 women murdered monthly, according to the country’s Observatorio Colombiano de Feminicidios. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ECLAC estimates 4,473 women were victims of femicide. According to this organization and the Observatory of Gender Equality in Latin America, this constitutes 12 violent deaths of women every day in the region.

Racism only exacerbates the situation. A notable case was that of the Afro Brazilian leader Marielle Franco, who rose from the favelas— one of the most impoverished sectors of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A sociologist, she was elected to serve as councilwoman after garnering heavy support in the 2016 elections. Franco was a defender of women, a caring mother, and a fighter for LGBTQI+ groups. She was assassinated on March 14, 2018.

Today, violations of women’s rights are akin See MARIELLE FRANCO on page 29

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Prado) Malenga Mulendema and Supa Team 4 (GIN photo)

AT CAPACITY: Mayor Adams announces 60day leave notices for asylum-seekers in city shelters, advocates disapprove

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

Mayor Eric Adams announced the city has started sending out 60-day ‘leave’ notices to adult asylum-seekers and handing out flyers at the border discouraging others from coming due to a lack of space. Advocates on the ground condemn the move as “morally repugnant.”

According to the mayor’s office, over 90,000 asylum-seekers have come to the city since last year. Of the tens of thousands that have left already, at least 54,800 have stayed.

The notices will go to adults that have been here the longest, not families, in the over 185 emergency shelters and 13 humanitarian relief centers. The notices will be paired with case workers so asylumseekers can find alternative housing either with friends and families or other networks. The city requires those who can’t find somewhere else within the 60-day period to reapply for a new placement at the arrival center.

Power Malu is founder of the Artists, Athletes and Activists (AAA) organization. Both his parents are Puerto Rican immigrants. He was born and raised on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. He initially created AAA to help the island of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and then with pandemic relief in 2020.

Malu heard, from rumors among his undocumented friends, that there would be buses arriving with people from the Texas border last year. His group has been onthe-ground triaging and assisting migrant arrivals at Port Authority bus terminals and airports ever since. They offer food, assist on cases, provide Ubers and Lyfts for transportation, enroll kids in schools, and help asylum-seekers apply for benefits with grassroots fundraising, said Malu.

Plenty of asylum-seekers have left for Canada, upstate, and other cities, while there

are many in the city who have managed to find work, figured out how to share apartments, and overall want to leave the shelter system already, said Malu. Still, there’s a real language and culture barrier for migrants as well as instances of serious discrimination preventing people from accessing housing and services. And others decide to sleep on the streets, said Malu. He predicts that more people will take that route under the new policy.

“There’s a lot of BS going on in the system,” he said.

He takes a real issue with the “horrible tactics” the city has engaged in to actively discourage migrants from coming, namely the temporary housing conditions and now the flyers at the border. He also doesn’t agree with the lack of long-term solutions to heal the city’s current homelessness crisis or the divisive rhetoric pitting vulnerable migrants against homeless individuals in need.

“There are unhoused who have been in the shelter system for years, and they’ve been neglected,” said Malu. “Now that migrants are coming in, it’s like you’re forced to look at

the shelter system and unveil what’s been happening since before they got here. The migrants are being punished because they are revealing how horrific the system has been for our unhoused population for years.”

Malu applauded the city council’s move to get the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) voucher bills passed. He said the vouchers and more efforts to unwarehouse vacant apartments should help homeless people move their way into permanent housing, and feels that the expedition would free up more space for asylum-seekers.

Other immigrant organizations across the board are “stunned” and “outraged” in response to the announcement, said Open Hearts Initiative Advocacy Coordinator & Neighborhood Organizer Bennett Reinhardt. He is adamant that the city’s new policy will make it harder for people to access support just as they are starting to make a home in their new communities.

“Without work authorization or rental assistance, it will be incredibly difficult for the

Raise your voice for stronger renter protections across the nation

National organizations and tenant leaders are calling for activists to add their voices to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Request for Input (RFI) about creating tenant protections at multifamily properties with agency-backed mortgages. Advocates have until Monday, July 31 to help shape strong renter protections––and any renter protections created by FHFA could cover a significant share of renters across the nation.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has a sample comment letter for individual comments and an organizational sign-on letter in support of tenant protections.

“Landlords and business interests have submitted hundreds of comments against tenant protections,” NLIHC said on its website. “It is up to tenants and advocates to voice their support for federal renter protections like sourceof-income discrimination prohibitions, just cause eviction standards, and anti-rent-gouging measures. Submit your comment today, and learn more about other tenant protections at www.tenantcomment.org.”

Manhattan Arts Grants open for applications

thousands of individuals affected by this announcement to find places to go,” said Reinhardt in a statement. “Many have been trying to do so in the months since they first arrived in our city and have encountered the same struggles that so many New Yorkers face: an extremely limited amount of available affordable units and systemic barriers to access.”

Adama Bah, 35, runs a grassroots organization, Afrikana, that has been on the ground helping Latino, Hispanic, African, and Caribbean migrants for the past year as well. Bah is originally from Guinea-Conakry in Africa and a former asylum seeker.

She grew up in East Harlem with her family. In her book, “Accused: My Story of Injustice,” Bah tells her story as a Muslim American living in the city after the 9/11 terror attack in 2001. Subsequently, she was arrested as a teen with her father under false suspicions of being a terrorist in 2005.

“Do they have any idea what I went through? It took me 16 years to become a citizen. I’ve already gone through the

Manhattan-based artists, arts groups, and community-focused organizations can apply for the 2024 Manhattan Arts Grants. Funding of up to $16,000 is available for a single project.

“Our grants are often among the first awards an artist or group receives and can help recipients to leverage additional support from other sources,” according to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. “Recommendations for awards are made through a juried selection process comprising artists and arts leaders whose expertise reflects the cultural and creative diversity of Manhattan.”

Applications are due by 5 p.m. onSeptember 12. An information session for those interested in the grants will be held Thursday, July 27, from 6–8 p.m. To attend, go to https://lmcc. net/rsvp/.

Free after-school arts program for NYC high school students

The CUE Art Foundation, a nonprofit arts organization based in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, has opened applications for the October 2023–June 2024 CUE Teen Collective (CTC), an after-school arts program for NYC high school students in grades 10 and 11. CTC is a year-long free program for students interested in exploring careers in the arts. The syllabus is structured to create exposure for students to a wide range of working professionals in the arts. The program consists of talks with artists and curators, trips to gallery and museum shows, visits to art fairs, hands-on studio sessions, and more.

At the culmination of the program, CUE also

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 3

See METRO NEWS on page 25 See ASYLUM on page 25

Metro Briefs

Mayor Eric Adams announces additional policies to help asylum seekers in the city’s care move out of shelters and create critically-needed spaces for arriving families with children seeking asylum at City Hall, Wednesday, July 19 (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

Till monument is finalized by President Biden

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

It seems the murders of Malcolm X and Emmett Till will be forever with us, unresolved and resonant with the nation’s deplorable past. Both grabbed headlines this week, with a new witness emerging in Malcolm’s assassination and Till getting a monument placed in the name of him and his mother on what would have been his 82nd birthday.

Their murders a decade apart—Till’s in 1955 and Malcolm’s in 1965—are constant reminders of how far America has

gone and how much further it needs to go in reconciling the horrors of the past. The monument to Till and his relentless and devout mother Mamie Till-Mobley, will have three locations. One will be at the site of the Tallahatchie River, where his body was dredged out of the water with a huge cotton gin fan around his body; another at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville, Chicago, a historic Black neighborhood where Till’s funeral services were held; and the third at the courthouse in Mississippi where the two men charged with the crime were acquitted and later con-

Neglect leads to death of 6-year-old Fajr Atiya Williams

fessed in a magazine article, knowing they would not be convicted because of the double jeopardy law. Each will be in the care of the National Park Service.

On Tuesday, surrounded by several lawmakers and Till family members, including Rev. Wheeler Parker, who was with Till the night of the lynching, President Biden signed the bill authorizing the monument, saying, “I found myself trying to temper my anger. I can’t fathom what it must have been like.” Biden said he was 12 years old when the murder

Harlem’s IFCO leads 33rd caravan to Cuba

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Dr. Jean Kennedy is in Cuba this week, taking part in the 33rd IFCO/Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to the island nation.

“Actually, coming here in person is so much more enlightening for me,” Dr. Kennedy, a Fresno, California resident, said in a video message to the Amsterdam News. “For me, I want this to be a legacy––not just for myself, as an educator, or for my students, but even for my own grandchildren. As a grandmother, I’m hoping that I’m creating a pathway so that my son will be able to come, and my daughter will be able to come, and my grandchildren will be able to come. I leave them that legacy.”

This is Dr. Kennedy’s second time joining a Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba. She’s one of 30 U.S. citizens taking part in a trip sponsored by the Harlem-based nonprofit IFCO (Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization),

which has been leading groups to the island nation since 1992.

This year’s caravan takes place from July 15 through July 29. IFCO promoted participation in the caravan as an opportunity for U.S. citizens to have “the impact of seeing Cuba for yourself.” With a home-base in the city of Santiago de Cuba, caravan participants are making visits to the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, site of the graves of famed Cubans like Fidel Castro; 19th-century nationalist and independence hero José Martí; Mambi Army of Liberation General Antonio Maceo and his revolution-oriented mother, Mariana Grajales; and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, the nation’s first president. Caravanners have been able to retrace the paths taken by Fidel Castro and his rebel army in the Sierra Maestra mountains as they strategized methods to overthrow the dictator, Fulgencio Batista. They are taking day trips to visit locations like the small fishing village of Caimanera which sits outside the U.S. naval base and prison on Guantána-

mo Bay. They volunteered to help clean at a hospital, went to the Bayamo Wax Museum, and visited Oscar Lambert’s “Las Elenas” farm.

Caravan participant Kelly Camacho, from Buffalo, N.Y., said she has felt inspired by the caravan tour. “Yesterday we got to go to a community garden, and

See IFCO on page 25

Rikers Island 2023 death count doubles to six in deadly July

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

The recent deaths of two Black New Yorkers held on Rikers Island push the notorious jail complex’s death count this year to six, double since July started.

Curtis Davis, 44, was pronounced dead shortly after he was found unresponsive in his cell during the early morning this past Sunday, July 23. He entered NYC Department of Correc-

tions (DOC) custody on June 1 and was held at the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC) jail.

“It’s still an investigation—we know that,” said Mayor Eric Adams on Monday. “And we don’t know the cause of death. The [medical examiner] will make that determination. And every death should be taken seriously and every death is a tragedy.”

William Johnstone was similarly found unresponsive in his GRVC cell on July 15, the weekend before. The 47-year-old man was transported to

Mount Sinai Queens, where he was pronounced dead two hours later. The DOC could not locate Johnstone’s next of kin at the time of the incident report.

July is the deadliest month so far in New York City jails this year, with four people dying in custody. Three were held on Rikers. The complex’s other three deaths took place over the first six months of 2023: 40-year-old Felix Taveras died on Rikers during the Fourth of July holiday from a medical condition,and several jail employees

See RIKERS on page 27

Fajr Atiya Williams, the 6-year-old daughter of Najmah Nash and Wali Williams, died after being strangled on a school bus on July 17th. She was the victim of negligence after her bus monitor, Amanda Davila, failed to attend to the child after she strapped her into a seat with a safety harness during a ride to school.

Williams was attending an extended school program at Claremont Elementary School. The child had special needs and was non-verbal; cameras in the bus captured the child fighting for her life in the back of the bus while Davila was seated in the front, earbuds in while she perused apps on her cell phone.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office stated in a July 20th press release that: “During the transport, a series of bumps in the road caused the 6-year-old to slump in her wheelchair seat making the 4-point harness which secured her to the chair to become tight around her neck, ultimately blocking her airway. During the ride, the school bus monitor, Amanda Davila was seated towards the front of the bus and was utilizing a cellular telephone while wearing ear bud headphone devices in both ears. The investigation revealed that this was in violation of policies and procedures.”

The 27-year-old Davila, from New Brunswick, has been an employee of the Montauk Transit LLC bus company for seven years. She is charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

During a bail hearing on July 25th, prosecutors argued that Davila should be kept behind bars at the Somerset County Jail, but her lawyer successfully countered that she is the mother of a two-year old who also has special needs and as a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, she should be trusted with remaining in the state and available for prosecution. Najmah Nash and Wali Williams have set up a GoFundMe account to pay for Fajr Atiya’s funeral expenses. “I am asking anyone that is able to donate whatever they can to help our family with funeral (janaza) arrangements as well as any outstanding medical expenses that have accrued for my Fajr,” the child’s mother wrote . “My family and I are truly devastated by this and would appreciate anyone that can help.”

NJ schools rank No. 3 in nation

A new WalletHub analysis found that New Jersey has the United States’ third best school system. In a survey that looked at “performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials,” the personal finance website found that New Jersey has the fourth lowest dropout rate, its students post the second highest reading scores, and the state has the fifth best pupil-to-teacher ratio.

Tyrone C. Howard, the director of UCLA’s School of Education & Information Studies, told WalletHub that “per-pupil spending is a factor, but not the biggest factor in defining school quality.

“I think taking a closer look at how funding is being spent matters. It is also important to look at larger contextual factors within a given community to determine school quality,” continued Howard.

4 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

NewJerseyNews

See TILL on page 27 See NEW JERSEY on page 25

Dr. Jean Kennedy takes notes at Cuba’s Wax Museum (Angi Langdon photos)

Brooklynite Leah Goodridge lays out her work as NYC planning commissioner and leading tenant rights lawyer

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

Leah Goodridge rattles off facts and figures on Black homeownership and displacement around town without pause. But the renowned tenant rights lawyer, who also serves on the NYC Planning Commission, is less confident when asked about where she’s eaten her favorite meal.

Thankfully for Goodridge, her parakeets abruptly chime in with a caw-cophony of chattering and screeching, saving their bird mom from finishing her unavoidably controversial answer. At least initially. She ultimately votes with a ranked-choice ballot of New York City, California and Barbados, where one side of her family is from.

There’s no winning answer for Goodridge, whose scholarship and curiosity took her all over the world. The Brooklynite hails from Brownsville and attended Vassar College, where she studied abroad in Cuba and the United Kingdom. She started projects on teen girl empowerment in the Dominican Republic after graduating, went to Los Angeles for her UCLA law degree, and lectured in Malta as a Fulbright specialist.

Yet the globetrotting Goodridge is ironically one of the few remaining in New York City

from her family today.

“This is what I speak up on the commission—the fact that Black families and residents are being pushed out,” she said. “Sometimes, it is framed as simply Black residents moving down south, but I always push the question, the why. It happened in my own family. I’m one of the very few people who are still here, most of my family moved down south, and for the reasons that many other Black New Yorkers are [moving]: You can’t afford to buy a home here.

“Housing affordability [is] driving a lot of this. You can work here, sometimes even work for the actual city government and still not be able to afford a home here.”

So Goodridge works as a legal services attorney, assisting New Yorkers with low incomes for no cost in the field of tenant law over the past 11 years. She’s currently at Mobilization for Justice. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams appointed her to the NYC Planning Commission in 2021. The commission largely deals with hous-

ing, and since this is New York City, most proposals Goodridge and her colleagues handle are about rentals. So the most affected are, naturally, renters.

“I think that it’s really important to have someone on the commission who works directly with tenants and knows their concerns and the structural barriers that are impacting them,” said Goodridge. “When you’re a tenant rights attorney, you see that literally every day. It doesn’t just stop at the rent [being] too high—deeper questions come into play, like families having an issue [finding] an apartment. These are questions that I ask. If there are [more] one bedrooms and studios, that means that it’s gearing towards a certain demographic that are not families. It is really important to be able to have housing that accommodates families who want to stay in New York.”

But she’s the first and only tenant rights lawyer on the commission. Goodridge says she’s learned to speak up when advocating for Black New Yorkers, even at the expense of “uniform standard of professionalism.” She

often advises people of color not to quietly weather the racism storm at work, whether that means speaking up, filing complaints or suing their employers. Her essay titled “Professionalism as a Racial Construct” for the UCLA Law Review, detailed how the legal world weaponizes workplace decorum against nonwhite people in the field.

“This drives a lot of my conscience about the work on the commission,” said Goodridge. “I don’t pouch what I have to say. I’m a lawyer, so I know how to get things across in a very direct way. I am not going to not speak up and not engage in conversation about this for the simple fact that it angers or frustrates some people, which it does…saying that people are moving out of New York City is one thing.

“But really talking about the fact that it is a disproportionately high percentage of people of color, especially Black people, it needs to be spoken about in terms of what it is, which is racialized displacement.”

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

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023• 5

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Rising Temps and Falling Support: State Cooling Assistance Funds Already Spent

By HELINA SELEMON Blacklight Science Reporter

The federal energy assistance program that helps New Yorkers with low incomes stay cool in the summer has run out of funds, just 24 days into what’s projected to be a record-breaking summer season.

The program, known as the Lowincome Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is administered by the state and city and provides emergency and non-emergency cooling services for years to tens of thousands of seniors and households with low incomes. However, on July 14, the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) stated that it would not be accepting new applications for assistance this summer due to the exhaustion of cooling assistance funds.

“We’re frustrated because we’ve been saying that the cooling assistance program has needed more money for a very long time, and the cooling assistance funding has run out before,” says Sonal Jessel, director of Policy for WE ACT for Environ-

mental Justice, a nonprofit advocacy organization. “And so, how come we’re not learning from mistakes?”

The funding for LIHEAP had been instrumental in providing eligible New Yorkers and seniors earning low incomes with documented medical conditions, who are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, with a one-time installation of an air conditioner or fan. Many community organizations and city agencies have advocated for the program to go further by providing additional support for paying energy bills during the summer.

“One A/C often isn’t enough for a family of four, for example,” Jessel says. “You’re picking the room to be cool in.” New Jersey, by comparison, provides a $300 subsidy for LIHEAP participants to pay utility bills, “so we know it can be done,” she adds.

Extreme heat poses a significant health risk, particularly to people in marginalized communities. Heat-related illnesses are deadlier than extreme floods, hurricanes, and storms combined—with mortality rates more than twice as high among Black New Yorkers and an estimated 350 New Yorkers dying prematurely because of hot weath-

er each year. Neighborhoods that are predominantly Black, brown or poor tend to experience higher temperatures and the least shielding from heat.

To stay safe during the summer, it is important to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and take prompt action. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying hydrated, wearing lightweight, loose-fitting and breathable clothing, and avoiding direct sun exposure during peak hours in the early afternoons. Taking frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas and being mindful of the signs of heat-related illness symptoms is essential for everyone’s well-being during hot weather.

In the last fiscal year, $23 million was allocated to assist 23,936 New York households with cooling, with 8,860 of those households in NYC. This year’s allocation of just $15 million has so far reached 9,722 households, including 3,293 in the city. The decrease in funding has raised concerns among some advocates who argue that more financial support is needed to ensure that vulnerable commu-

nities are adequately protected from the dangers of extreme heat.

The cooling component of LIHEAP’s budget makes up just 4% of the program’s total, compared to 50% allocated for heating assistance in cooler months. Efforts by environmental and community advocacy organizations, along with New York City agencies, have been ongoing to increase funding for cooling assistance programs. They have pushed for expanded benefits during the summer, such as providing a small monthly subsidy of $40 from May to September to help low-income New Yorkers better afford air conditioning bills. The city’s health department, among others, has also pushed for the health condition stipulation for seniors to be dropped, a requirement that was waived during the pandemic.

Despite efforts to secure additional funding, legislative progress has been slow. Last October, the program received $1 billion in temporary funding, which benefited thousands of New York households. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said at the time that he sought to get an additional $4 billion for the final budget. A bill re-introduced

by Congressman Jamaal Bowman

and Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) earlier this year to provide more support for the program remains stalled in the Senate.

“It is unacceptable that New York has already run out of funds for cooling this summer, the hottest on record,” Congressman Bowman told the Amsterdam News. “Funding for LIHEAP is an economic and racial justice issue. Failure to sufficiently fund it will disproportionately impact Black, Latino, and Indigenous households, all of whom already experience higher energy burdens. We hear from constituents in my district every day about their struggle to pay their energy bills, and they deserve relief.”Jessel says that this isn’t the first time that cooling assistance funds have run out before the end of summer, and the city and state are responsible for stepping in when federal funds aren’t enough to ensure that New Yorkers who need the program are able to stay cool.

“The state has not learned over the years of the money running out that we need more money to support people,” she says. “If it’s running out, that means there’s a need.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 6 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

(D-NY) A woman looks out from her apartment window on a hot summer day in July of 2017, in the Bronx. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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

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

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

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

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 7

Our Community Homeownership Commitment1 can help you turn your vision into reality. Here’s how: Closing costs grant up to $7,500 as a lender credit. 2 Down payment as low as 3% . Income limits apply.4 Down payment grant up to $10,000 or 3% of the purchase price, whichever is less. Product availability and income restrictions apply. 3 $10,000 3% $7,500 Learn more at bankofamerica.com/homeowner You are invited to apply. Your receipt of this material does not mean you have been prequalified or preapproved for any product or service we offer. This is not a commitment to lend; you must submit additional information for review and approval. 1 Down Payment program and America’s Home Grant program: Qualified borrowers must meet eligibility requirements such as being owner-occupants and purchasing a home within a certain geographical area. Maximum income and loan amount limits apply. Minimum combined loan-to-value must be greater than or equal to 80%. The home loan must fund with Bank of America. Bank of America may change or discontinue the Bank of America Down Payment Grant program or America’s Home Grant program or any portion of either without notice. Not available with all loan products, please ask for details. 2 Additional information about the America’s Home Grant program: The America’s Home Grant program is

Can’t

Go With The Flo

Brooklyn bikers have fun in the sun in Crown Heights

The roar of the masses of big, beautiful, gleaming motorbikes; the chatter of a happy crowd; and the earth-shaking bass from the DJ’s selection perfectly summed up a gorgeous commu-

Jamie Foxx is back to work. Prior to posting a video of himself on Instagram to thank everyone for their prayers and support while he was recovering from a medical emergency, the Oscar-winning actor was seen in Las Vegas for the first time since he was rushed to the hospital in Atlanta in April, according to OK! Magazine. Foxx was spotted on July 21, filming a commercial for the online sportsbook BetMGM. “Thankful for my @betmgm family and a few nights in Vegas. We got BIG things coming soon,” The actor posted on Instagram next to a photo of himself and an MGM-branded Formula 1-style vehicle.......

Mary J. Blige rolled up to legendary roller rink and cultural hotspot Flipper’s Boogie Palace at Rockefeller Center on July 21 to host a special evening showcasing WanMor, featuring tunes by DJ Funkmaster Flex. The Queen of Hip Hop Soul has been a friend of Flipper’s from the very beginning, from attending their opening party in 2022 to working together on the S.I.S. Sister Love jewelry collaboration in the present. Blige also performed at The Surf Lodge in the Hamptons’ Montauk on July 16.....

Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin was in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 22 for a hands-on CPR training session. This marked the NFL player’s first return to Cincinnati since he went into cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills’ playoff game against the Bengals in January. Hamlin’s organization, The Chasing M’s Foundation, is on a mission to teach people how to perform CPR and make sure automated external defibrillators (AED) are everywhere........

According to UPI, Peacock is teasing Killing It Season 2. The streaming service shared a trailer for the upcoming season on July 18 that featured actor Craig Robinson. The comedic series revolves around Robinson’s character Craig Foster, a struggling entrepreneur who “enters a python hunting competition in Florida. “ The trailer shows Craig trying to protect his family and failing business from a “creepy swamp family” and officials that want to close his business.....

Vigil for Shayal Johnson

Stephanie McGraw and her We All Really Matter (WARM) community support organization, along with family, the Harlem community, and friends, held a celebration of life

vigil for Shayla Johnson. The 20-year-old was stabbed to death last week, allegedly by her brother Rodney Johnson, 26, at their apartment in NYCHA’s Lincoln Houses in East

Harlem. Her funeral service will be held Unity Funeral Chapel (2352 Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem), on Sunday, July 30, from 12–2 p.m. For more information, call 917-736-0680.

8 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS GO WITH THE FLO

FLO ANTHONY

nity-celebrating, hot, and sunny summer day on St. Marks Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Brooklyn Bikers in Crown Heights, the community having fun in the sun. (Nayaba Arinde photos) (Bill Moore photos)

Black Theater plays in Marcus Garvey Park

Nightlife

Written by David Goodson

Celebrating the Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC)

The past 50 years have had their share of valley lows regarding hip-hop culture. As we celebrate, let’s also reflect on how and if we’ve grown. It’s fo’ sho’ needed, but are we moving in that direction? Is there a proverbial adult in the room? If someone had injected thought, hindsight, and vision into that volatile cocktail of ego, greed, wealth, and ignorance, maybe, just maybe, some of the biggest travesties for some of the biggest artists in hip-hop could have been averted.

Fans still lament the senseless deaths of Scott La Rock, Freaky Tah, Jam Master Jay, Pac, Big, Nipsy, XXXTentacion, and Pop Smoke amongst an ever-expanding list whose passings are met with a huge question mark—mainly, what would they have gone on to do and how would artistry have been altered had they were still with us?

Imagine what the night of August 11 at Yankee Stadium could have been. What if that date had been the second part of a bicoastal two-night affair that, with Dodger Stadium being the other host, saw a VS-type battle between the Deathrow Records crew and Bad Boy Records? Team Pac vs. Team Big, pitting music and swag against each other? How crazy would that have been? Topping of the night would be headliners D and Run, with Jay manning his spot behind the wheels of steel. The unfortunate fact is that the streets have no heart, and the beat goes on. Just a thought…now back on brand.

This weekend—Friday, July 28 through Sunday, July 30— marks the inaugural presentation of the Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC). The lofty long-term goal of the three-day music festival, taking place on Randalls Island, is to become the premiere celebration of Black music and Black culture. It will be hosted in year one by hip-hop legend MC Lyte, celebrating the heritage and vibrant cultural mosaic of Harlem. The star-studded line-up will showcase live performances by musicians, artists, and performers hailing from the iconic neighborhood and beyond.

Thus far, the projected lineup is:

Day 1: Friday, July 28

Bell Biv DeVoe

Cam’ron

Doug E. Fresh

Ferg

MA$E

Estelle Presents “The LinkUp” featuring Patra, Lumidee, Max Glazer, Mr. Killa, Nadine Sutherland, Nina Sky, Rupee, Serani, Wayne Wonder

Day 2: Saturday, July 29

Jozzy

Major

Muni Long

Teyana Taylor

Tink

Day 3: Sunday, July 30

Adam Blackstone

Coco Jones

Eric Bellinger

Fat Joe

Remy Ma

Ro James

Wyclef Jean

In addition to the music, the festival will include a curated food experience featuring the taste of Harlem and other cultural delights, and the Mart 125 experience, featuring local Harlem-owned businesses. On paper, it looks like we may have something else to bring to the world of Harlem. Team support is of the essence, however, so cop your tickets at Ticketmaster.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023• 9

OUT & ABOUT

Marcus Garvey Park hosts Theater in the Park with “Malvolio,” a Classical Theater of Harlem Production now through July 30. (Bill Moore photos)

Union Matters

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 2023

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

Prominent Black women leaders gathered this week to discuss the persistent issue of the gender and race wage gap for women of color. This year’s Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is on July 27, 2023.

Studies from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) indicate that Black women who work full time, year round currently make “67 cents for every dollar” made by white men and “93 cents for every dollar” paid to Black men.

This pay disparity is mirrored locally in New York City. Last year, a pay equity report put out by the city council, showed that over half of the city’s workforce consists of women and most of them are Black and brown women. In the city’s “non-adjusted pay gap,” which compares the average median salaries across different categories, Black women earn “71 cents to every dollar” white employees make.

“It is not a holiday or celebration. It is a reminder of how far Black women have to go into the new year in order to simply catch up to what white men earned in the previous year,” said National Partnership for Women & Families President Jocelyn Frye on the conference call. “We have to start with an understanding that racism and sexism continue to define and devalue the work that women do, particularly the work that Black women do.”

Frye attributes the pay gap to occupational segregation, the over- or under-representation of certain demographics in a particular job, caregiver discrimination, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

“We find ourselves in the midst of an earthquake and Black women are at the fault line,” said Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO for National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

Campbell and others advocated for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill aimed at addressing wage discrimination, in Congress and other pay parity laws that promote transparency. New York City Council passed the Pay Equity Law in 2019, which demands more data on pay gaps

and analyses hiring practices. In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul passed a Pay Transparency Law in New York State that requires jobs to list salary ranges.

Cassandra Welchlin, executive director at Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, pointed out that even employers asking for salary history in interviews can lead to discriminatory treatment.

“We know that salary history is one of the tenants that continue to make the wage gap wider because we’re not paid what we ought to be,” said Welchlin.

Along with salary history, said Welchlin, salary negotiations are tricky for Black women regardless of education level. Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice for NWLC Emily Martin confirmed that despite the “rapid increase” of Black women with degrees in the past few decades, many are typically still paid less than white men with the same

level of education and they are paid less than white men with less education than them.

“You can’t just educate yourself out of the wage gap,” said Martin.

Martin added that one driver behind the wage gap is that the lion’s share of women and Black women are working in the lowest paying jobs nationwide. They are child care workers, home health aides and personal care aides, food service workers, and other “underpaid and undervalued jobs,” according to the NWLC.

Some believe strongly that funneling more Black women into union jobs will help counteract the wage gap.

Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) President Elise Bryant said that Black women in unions unequivocally make more money and have better access to benefits, though she does acknowledge that unions have their own history with being racist and sexist as well. She worries that

policies meant to close the pay gap aren’t always enforced and laws are often circumvented. Bryant remembers the indignation from friends who attended Ivy League schools and became lawyers at separate places, and then discovered through slipups at work that they were being paid less than their white counterparts.

“Sexism. It is manifested all over the place, across the board, across financial and social status,” said Bryant. “But those of us who are in the most disenfranchised and lowest paying jobs, the ones without benefits, are the women of color, specifically African American women.”

In addition to more union jobs, Bryant said higher minimum wages, vocational training and negotiation skills for high school girls would also help to close the wage gap for Black women.

George Gresham, president of 1199SEIU United Health-

care Workers East, had a similar standpoint. He said that New York should make it easier for workers to exercise their rights to form and join unions to advance pay equity.

“Closing racial and gender pay gaps requires building a mass movement of working people to build power and advance collective bargaining,” said Gresham. “Black women who belong to unions earn nearly a quarter more than they do in non-union settings and experience dramatically reduced pay disparities, a result of negotiated standards and wage transparency.”

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

10 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

(Katerina Holmes via Pexel photo)

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 11

Biden delivers double dose of good news

On Tuesday, Aug. 1, some 7,400 borrowers will have their student debt forgiven, at an amount totaling $130 million. This has to be good news for many others in debt, and possibly a harbinger of relief for them.

There is, however, a caveat about this action: It applies only to students who attended CollegeAmerica in Colorado, which shut down three years ago and was charged with misleading students about their loans and futures.

CollegeAmerica borrowers, President Biden said in a statement, “were lied to, ripped off, and saddled with mountains of debt.”

Perhaps the same charges can be applied to other institutions that misled students and denied promises, but that’s a long shot. Even so, Biden should be emboldened by this latest move and renew his overall play to forgive the countless others facing debt.

We also thank the president for establishing the Emmett Till/Mamie TillMobley National Monument at three locations—in Sumner and Glendora, Mississippi, and Chicago, Illinois—under the protective arms of the National Park Service, which we believe will do a better job of securing the sites than previously, when these important sites were vandalized. The new monuments will enable partnerships between the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, and local communities and organizations. It was, though, unfortunate that many of the Till family members and associates were not there at the White House for this announcement, including many who have devoted years of life and resources to keep Till’s legacy alive. Let’s see how things go when the actual monuments are installed.

Florida’s Complex History: A Call for Inclusivity and Change

By SEVEN WILLIAMS

Florida, known as the Sunshine State, has attracted a diverse population over the years, with retirees, immigrants, and individuals seeking refuge from harsh winters in the North. While some may view Florida as a progressive state, it is vital to recognize that it is not exempt from the racial tensions and conservative values often associated with the deep South. Recent events and historical contexts reveal a darker side to Florida’s past, with racial discrimination and voter suppression being significant concerns that demand attention and change.

On May 20, 2023, the NAACP in Florida issued a travel advisory, cautioning African Americans and other people of color to exercise caution while travel-

AMNEWS READERS WRITE

ing within the state. This response was partly due to Governor DeSantis and local politicians’ attempts to erase black history from public schools, reflecting growing concerns about the state’s attitude towards minority communities. The desire for tourism growth appears to have created anxieties among policymakers regarding the increasing nonwhite population in the state, raising questions about Florida’s commitment to inclusivity.

Though not a native Floridian, my deep connection to Florida dates back to my father’s birth in Jackson County in the 1940s; this particular region in Florida’s panhandle area holds generations of family history. My ancestors were enslaved on plantations in Jackson and Gadsen County. Spending summer breaks in Florida allowed me to learn about my family’s history

and the broader Black history of the state, shared by elders within their community.

Florida officially became a state in 1845 after overcoming resistance from Seminoles and formerly enslaved Blacks during the Seminole Wars. The aftermath of these conflicts resulted in the institution of chattel slavery and the distribution of land to white soldiers who fought in these wars and plantation owners from other states. Slavery persisted for two decades until its abolition, with Black Union soldiers playing vital roles in battles fought in Marianna and Tallahassee. However, historical accounts often overlook their contributions.

The Reconstruction era was violent in Florida, especially in Jackson County. This era would be called the See FLORIDA’S HISTORY on page 29

Cultivating the next crop of America’s farmers

By DANIELLE BROWNE

America’s farmers are aging. To avoid a crisis, we need to lower the economic barriers of entry for young farmers.

I consider my days in the sun as a young, organic farmer to be the most rewarding work I’ve done. The days were long, hot, and unforgiving, but I felt free. Farmers have my utmost respect and I believe them to be the backbone of America.

But for young people like me, becoming a full-time farmer is nearly an impossible dream. If we truly care about the future of our food, we must unpack why—and offer solutions to preserve America’s farming culture.

lower in real terms than a decade ago. Meanwhile, the costs of agricultural land and machinery have skyrocketed. Even a second hand John Deere combine can easily run more than $750,000.

Only a young person with family wealth could even get a loan for that amount — and that’s if they can afford to buy farmland in the first place.

The average price per acre of cropland reached $5,050 in 2022, nearly double the 2009 rate, according to USDA. With high inflation, prices shot up by more than 15% in the Midwest and by nearly 20% in the Northern Plains between 2021 and 2022.

negotiations over the new Farm Bill are a huge opportunity to change course. Congress passes this omnibus legislation every five years.

The last one, in 2018, allocated some funding for loans and other support for a multitude of farming operations and rural healthcare. It supported outreach programs for beginning, veteran, and historically underserved farmers, as well as youth agricultural employment. But these initiatives made up just 1% of the 2018 Farm Bill’s total spending.

Member Alliance for Audited Media

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher 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

According to the USDA, the median age for agricultural producers increased from 56.3 to 57.5 years old between 2012 and 2017—making farmers among the oldest workforces in America. People 35 or younger account for only 9% of the country’s farm producers.

Why are so few young people going into farming? The 2022 National Young Farmers Survey names access to land, funding, health care, and the cost of production as the top challenges.

The average net income for family farms in 2023 is expected to be less than $40,000,

The federal government spends billions every year on farm subsidies, but most of the money goes to the largest and wealthiest operators. And because of systemic racism, Black and indigenous farmers have faced particular difficulty in accessing these funds. In 2022, white applicants for government support were approved 72% of the time—compared to just 36% of Black applicants.

In 2021, Congress set aside $4 billion in loan forgiveness for minority farmers to address the long history of discrimination against Black farmers. But the courts blocked the program, claiming it would be unfair to white farmers.

So what can be done to address the crisis of America’s aging farmers? The

If we’re serious about cultivating the next crop of young farmers in America, we need to do much more to clear the roadblocks stopping young farmers from taking their place in the agricultural workforce.

I’ve been privileged to be able to experience what it’s like to work the land. At the end of every day, I slept well, partly from sheer fatigue but also because I felt the satisfaction of knowing I was helping to put healthy food on someone’s table. I want other young people to have the opportunity to share in the experience of cultivating the earth, connecting with nature, and understanding the true value of sustainable food production.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 12 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

Danielle Browne is a Next Leader at the Institute for Policy Studies. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.

EDITORIAL

Opinion

Human Trafficking: An American Tradition of Silence

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

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

In the hushed corners of our society, a sinister industry flourishes, largely hidden and unspoken of. It’s an issue so shocking and perplexing that people tend to ignore it when brought to light. This is the pandemic of sex trafficking and child sex trafficking.

One might presume that in a civilized, developed nation like the United States, such a crime would be promptly detected, prosecuted, and eradicated. Yet, this is far from the truth. Sex trafficking thrives within our borders, and its true extent remains largely unknown. Prosecutors seldom uncover the crimes of traffickers, and sometimes, alarmingly, they choose to overlook them.

Consider the notorious case of Jeffrey Epstein. Despite a substantial federal investigation revealing enough evidence to out him behind bars for several lifetimes, Epstein was barely punished. Instead of dismantling a major human sex trafficking network which would have likely taken down numerous high profile celebrities and politicians, Epstein received a minor penalty, serving only 13 months in county jail, with the privilege of leaving for work six days a week.

In the United States, nearly 17,000 people are trafficked annually. And that’s all we know of.. Estimates from the Department of Health and Human Services suggest this number could range from 240,000 to 325,000. Each person trafficked represents a terrified, captive individual forced into a life of exploitation. They are sold from one person to another; their tales are each unique, compelling, and tragic.

Despite the harsh reality of human trafficking, why does it garner so little attention? Why is it that when a film like The Sound Of Freedom is released to spotlight human trafficking, it’s criticized as extremist and associated with QAnon? Why did the California Assembly reject a bill to increase penalties for human traf-

Vitamin N

fickers without any media backlash? Why do we often focus on less impactful issues?

The real question is, who is funding these campaigns to deride people who attempt to expose human traffickers?

It is tragically easy to find stories of human trafficking victims online. Here’s a story you’ve probably never heard of. A woman who was a victim of sex trafficking wrote an opinion piece about her harrowing experience in the Orlando Sentinel under the pseudonym Maria.

Mariavdealt with the terrifying Hurricane Dorian which left her and her children homeless. Amidst the turmoil, she decided to send her children to live with their father’s family, while she sought refuge in a shelter. Soon after, she was approached by a man promising work and a new life. Tragically, this man turned out to be her trafficker. He lured her with false promises of a job, a home, and the chance to reunite with her children. She realized something was wrong upon arrival at a dilapidated house, far from the sunny Florida cottage she was promised. Thirteen people were crammed into this tiny space, working day and night for a meager wage that barely met their basic needs, let alone providing an escape. She was trafficked in plain sight, working as a maid at a highend Florida resort and on the cleaning crew of a major theme park, all under the guise of a staffing agency run by her captors. Her ordeal only ended when law enforcement raided her workplace.

Children, due to their innocence and naivety, are particularly vulnerable too. Traffickers may lure them with gifts, friendship, or attention, gradually grooming them to trust and depend on their abuser. In other cases, children may be sold or coerced into trafficking by family members or acquaintances.

Sex trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry, fueled by demand

and facilitated by a lack of stringent enforcement and societal indifference. It thrives in the shadows, preying on the vulnerabilities of those least able to defend themselves. It’s a market where innocence is bought and sold, and where childhoods are stolen.

This is not merely a problem; it’s a crisis of our humanity. It’s a stain on our collective conscience, a stark reminder of the depths of human depravity. We must shatter the silence that surrounds sex trafficking. We must educate ourselves and our communities about the signs of trafficking and the ways in which we can help combat it. We must support survivors and advocate for stronger laws and stricter enforcement.

The fight against sex trafficking is a fight for the soul of our society. It’s a battle against the commodification of human beings, the exploitation of innocence, and the very idea that any person can be reduced to an object for sale.

In the face of this grave injustice, we must rise as a united front. The fight against sex trafficking is a fight for the very essence of human dignity and freedom. It is a fight that calls for our courage, our compassion, and our unwavering commitment. We must stand firm, stand strong, and stand together, vowing to illuminate the shadows where this trade thrives, to shatter the silence that allows it to persist. For every woman, for every child, for every life scarred by this horrific crime, we must pledge to turn our outrage into action, our despair into hope. The time to end the silent pandemic of sex trafficking is not tomorrow, not someday, but now.

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

For many of us who teach or are still in school, the close of summer is just a month away. It is amazing at how quickly time flies these days. I remember being a child in elementary school when summers used to last for what seemed like an eternity. When I was younger, it took so long for the sun to set, and I would run around and chase lightening bugs until I was utterly exhausted. These days I seem to blink, and the summer is over. Therefore, I must continue to make a concerted effort to spend time outdoors getting my Vitamin N for nature.

Just like sunshine and Vitamin D are necessary for us to grow and remain healthy, so is spending time outside. These days the temperatures can be dangerously hot, and the midday air quality leaves much to be desired. Because of these realities, I have taken to waking up a bit earlier to enjoy some of the cooler morning air, listen to the activity of the morning birds, and really see the nature around me before the stresses of the day take my mind off of the beauty that surrounds me.

I am so thankful for the free parks throughout the city. Obviously, Central Park and Prospect Park get a lot of acclaim and fame, but there are countless small parks in all five boroughs. You can discover all of the parks near you on the NYC Parks and Recreation website www.nycgovparks.org.

This website also has great resources about events, facilities (pools, beaches, playgrounds, tennis courts, dog runs, golf courses, and more), volunteer, and even job opportunities.

New York City has so many free resources for us to enjoy, especially in the summer. We must continue to get out into nature and hug some trees, smell some flowers,

chase some butterflies, and let our feet touch grass. The NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx and The Brooklyn Botanic Garden both have amazing grounds filled with diverse flora and fauna. They also have community pricing opportunities for you to enjoy their facilities as well. You can find information about these great institutions at www.nybg.org and www.bbg.org.

So, whatever your comfort level or your budget, get out into nature and grab some Vitamin N. As someone who is on the go, nature has been a great way for me to slow down, even if only for a few minutes. Studies are clear that it is nature that can stabilize blood pressure and reduce stress. I am going to visit the NY Parks website and look into some of the free hikes they offer in various parks in my borough. Nature keeps us young. Nature nourishes us. Nature will help us feel free…even while we’re working on freedom.

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

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 13 OPINION

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D. Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY (Amanda Ulloa photo)

Caribbean Update

Caribbean nervous about visa travel for nationals

By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

Caricom governments, most of them in the smaller Eastern Caribbean subgrouping, are on edge following a decision by the UK government to reimpose visa requirements for citizens of Dominica amid concerns that its cash-for-passport scheme is letting in “undesirables.”

London announced the move in the past week, saying it comes into immediate effect except for passengers who would already have confirmed tickets for travel until mid-August. Thereafter, they will also have to find a British embassy, most likely in nearby Barbados, to apply for a visa as the UK is unhappy that Russians and other nationals are obtaining Dominican passports and entering the UK as Dominican citizens.

Countries across the Caribbean from St. Kitts and Antigua in the north to Grenada in the south are nervous, fearing that they may be in the next phase of the plan by the UK to block what it calls an easy loophole for unqualified people to enter British ports.

Authorities in the subgrouping worry that the UK is punishing them because of their lucrative Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) which allows foreign nationals to apply for local pass -

ports and citizenship once they spend relatively small sums like $100,000, invest in local real estate, or start up a business employing locals. Those with active CIP schemes include St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Grenada. St. Vincent has flatly refused to do so under current Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves who argues that “citizenship is not a commodity for sale.”

The UK and the European Union have been urging the CIP participating countries to abandon that scheme, saying it is a security risk as wealthy people with dubious backgrounds take advantage of visa-free travel to this part of the region to enter the UK.

CIP counters by arguing that the hundreds of millions generated from these schemes have replaced the exports of banana and sugar to the UK and the EU, which have abandoned duty-free and other preferential benefits for former colonies in recent decades. The shortfall in state revenues have to be made up elsewhere. Free trade in the 15-nation Caribbean single trading system has also resulted in a loss of import duties as well as other policy decisions made by western nations over the years.

Suella Braverman, the British home secretary for immigration, said in a recent statement that the move to reimpose visa requirements for nationals of

Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, TimorLeste, and Vanuatu has been taken solely for migration and border security reasons and is not a sign of poor relations with these countries.

Shaken up by the move, Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne warned his countrymen to brace for a possible negative impact in the coming months, being well aware of the opposition to the CIP scheme the west has maintained in recent years.

He told the Observer newspaper that “although the UK has said nothing about the other OECS countries, when your neighbor’s house catches fire, wet yours.” Meanwhile, the acting British envoy to the Eastern Caribbean Charley Williams also weighed in. “The UK and Dominica enjoy a close relationship and our governments work together on a range of international issues. Today’s announcement is a response to our long-standing concerns about Dominica’s citizenship by investment program and the risk it poses to the UK. The changes will bring Dominica in line with many other visa national countries around the world with which the UK has strong and friendly relations. They do not change our commitment to the relationship between our countries or to Dominica’s future. Visas provide access to the UK while helping to secure the UK border,” he said.

Immigrants in ICE custody today

FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER

While the focus this past week has been on Texas› “inhumane” immigration orders, barbed wire fences, buoys, and a backlog of nearly 2 million cases in the U.S. immigration court system, the latest update on migrants in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has been lost in the news cycle.

Latest data released on July 16 by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) show there are now over 31,000 migrants in ICE detention. That’s an increase from June when the number was 29,613, and a clear spike from last year’s number of 22,886.

ICE arrested 7,734 and U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested 16,304 of the 24,038 people booked into detention by ICE during June 2023.

But want to guess how many have no criminal record? According to TRAC Immigration, the total is over 62% or a whopping 19,330. Many held have only minor offenses, like traffic violations. The number of convicted criminals in custody is 8,504.

The majority of detainees are in Texas facilities—a total of 9,892. The South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall held the largest number of detainees so far in 2023, averaging 1,259 per day as of this month, TRAC data shows.

Louisiana has the second largest number of detainees at 4,400, followed by California with 1,862; Arizona with 1,716 and Georgia with 1,662.

This news comes amid reports from an explosive email from a medic in the Texas Department of Public Safety that was published last week by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.

“I believe we have stepped over a line into the in humane [sic],” the medic, Nicholas Wingate, wrote in the email. “A pregnant teenager writhing in pain as she

suffered a miscarriage while trapped in the barbed wire that Texas has strung along miles of the state’s southern border.” He also wrote about a 4-year-old girl collapsing from heat exhaustion after Texas National Guard members pushed her away from the wire as she tried to cross it with her family; Texas state troopers receiving orders from their superiors to deny water to migrants in triple-digit heat and officers on another occasion ordering troopers to drive back into the Rio Grande a group of migrants, including children and babies, that they found huddling alongside a fence by the river.

Wingate’s account was substantiated by two pregnant immigrant women who were trying to turn themselves in to U.S. immigration authorities. Speaking to CNN at a shelter in Eagle Pass, Texas, the two women, identified as Carmen from Honduras and María from El Salvador, recounted their experiences at the border amid recent reports of “inhumane” behavior by Texas border authorities.

“They told us it was a crime to cross into the U.S. and that we should return to Mexico,” Carmen, who said she is six months pregnant, told CNN. She added that she and her husband initially tried to cross the Rio Grande on July 12 but were stopped by Texas national guard soldiers.

“They told us that they couldn’t give us water because it was not their responsibility,” Carmen told CNN after she tried asking for water.

Meanwhile, ICE Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs, which allow migrants to release on their own recognizance – that is, no detention and no conditions on be released, except monitoring — now totals 204,802 families and single individuals, according to data current as of July 15. The majority are in Miami, which has 19,496, followed by 19,015 in San Francisco.

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

14 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

“He told the Observer newspaper that ‘although the UK has said nothing about the other OECS countries, when your neighbor’s house catches fire, wet yours.’”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 15 JOIN THE NY AMSTERDAM NEWS FAMILY! Support our 113 years of award winning racial equity work. Reporting the news of the day from a Black perspective. Subscribe today! amsterdamnews.com/product/subscription/ BEYOND THE OF THE EDITORIALLY BLACK

Health

NYC Health + Hospitals expands behavioral health workforce with 50 Peer Academy grads

NYC Health + Hospitals has announced that more than 50 people with lived experience in mental health or substance use conditions have graduated to become peer counselors. Of them, 25 of the 38 graduates in the first two classes have been hired as peer counselors, 17 work within NYC Health + Hospitals, and 12 more students graduated from the program this month.

Peer counselors can connect with traditionally hard-to-reach patients by sharing their lived experience because peers are living proof that recovery is possible. They are highly adept at inspiring hope for those whom they serve.

“Peer services are a critical part of the behavioral health care that we provide to our patients,” said Omar Fattal, MD, MPH, NYC Health + Hospitals co-deputy chief medical officer and system chief at Behavioral Health. “We are proud to continue our investment in the city’s behavioral health workforce through our Peer Academy, which trains people with lived experience with mental health or substance use disorders to become certified peer counselors. NYC Health + Hospitals is proud to have the largest hospital-based peer workforce in the city, and excited to continue to grow this valuable role for New Yorkers.”

IF YOU SMOKED, GET SCANNED.

NYC Health + Hospitals currently has 86 peers on staff throughout the system. The program includes six weeks of classroom training; a six-week, full-time, hospital-based internship with rotations in the inpatient mental health unit, emergency department, and mobile crisis teams; and self-directed hours required for state certification.

Peer Academy staff work with students to help them find and maintain employment for up to six months after graduation. The next session of the Peer Academy will take place in the fall.

“The Peer Academy was different from anything I’ve experienced,” said Regina Fambro, CRPA-P, a peer counselor at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. “I went from living in a world where I felt no one understood me to being in a room where easily 20 people can relate to me. That was huge for me. We learned through classroom instruction and were hands-on during our internship. We built a family amongst ourselves through community-building exercises. We supported each other, but also held each other accountable. Our team laughed, cried, and danced together. The Peer Academy has prepared me in my current role as a peer counselor by giving me the courage to open up and be able to help patients I encounter. It increased the amount of empathy I already had for people. It’s also allowed me to learn appropriate ways to advocate for my patients and ensure they

are treated from their illness and not their condition, whether it’s substance abuse or mental health.”

“The Peer Academy gave me this incredible opportunity to inspire and support others who are suffering from addiction, so they don’t have to go through it alone,” said Jack Chudasama, a student in the first cohort of the Peer Academy who is now a peer counselor at NYC Health + Hospitals/ Elmhurst. “For 30 years, I battled addiction, so being a peer counselor is good for my own recovery, too. It grounds me and gives me a strong sense of purpose.”

“For years, I saw a psychiatrist and a therapist, but when I started working with a peer counselor and going to a peer support group, I had a breakthrough,” said Brian Pelzer, who receives services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. “You’re with other people who have similar problems, and you realize there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I reconnected with my family, and I learned techniques that help me in my day-to-day life. Now I go to my peer group every week, and it’s a part of my recovery.”

An important part of the system’s workforce development efforts, the NYC Health + Hospitals’ Peer Academy is a comprehensive that trains individuals with a lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges to become peer counselors employed by a hospital system.

Peer counselors are an important and growing occupation in the behavioral health field, but the jobs are hard to fill. Before creation of the Peer Academy in 2022, peer counselors had the highest vacancy rate of any behavioral health occupation at NYC Health + Hospitals. The peer counselor workforce continues to grow, as more programs and services expand their use of peer services and the vacancy rate remains high.

The self-directed learning and classroom hours needed for state certifications to become a Certified Peer Specialist for mental health and a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate for substance abuse are part of the Peer Academy program. It includes more than 20 hours of online workshops, 168 hours of classroom training, and 168 hours at a hospital-based internship.

An increasing number of the students are former NYC Heath + Hospital patients who were referred by clinicians throughout the system and are in recovery, yet have limited work histories. There is huge interest in participating in the program because it is a job that provides meaning and purpose. The work is also attractive because it is a unionized city job, with built-in career ladders and ample opportunity to grow professionally at a large organization.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 16 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

Thanks to a new scan, lung cancer can now be detected early when it’s more curable. Talk to your doctor or visit S aved B y T he S can.org Graduates of Peer Academy who now work as peer counselors at NYC Health + Hospitals/ Elmhurst (Photo provided by NYC Health + Hospitals)

Arts & Entertainment

Synchronicities create a fashion collection and opportunities in Harlem

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Childhood dreams and synchronicities transformed a launch dinner into endless possibilities. The Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation and Steve Madden hosted a feast on Tuesday, July 18 to celebrate their new limited collection with DaQuane Cherry, the winner of their design challenge. The self-taught painter was enthusiastic and in good spirits during the night’s celebration. The dinner, which took place at Settepani in Harlem, showcased Cherry’s three-piece wearable art including his Mirage jacket, Phantom boot and Shadow bag. Cherry, 25, allowed his creativity to turn his dreamy nightmare painting, titled “The Phantom of The Child,” into a stylish three-piece outfit.

Cherry was announced as the design challenge winner on March 8, a spiritual day for him. He drafted his acceptance speech hours before it was announced because his intuition predicted the win. “I was manifesting like I already won so walking into it, I had

Harlem Festival of Culture starts July 28

The next monumental event for the Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation is the festival starting on Friday, July 28 through Sunday, July 30. This celebration is 54 years in the remaking, with its last gathering in 1969. Weekend headliners include Doug E. Fresh and Teyana Taylor and will be hosted by MC Lyte. Ticket sales are $75 for Harlem residents. Jackson and Evans-Hendricks also launched a fundraiser intended for raising money to send as many NYCHA residents to the festival for free. “The main reason was because Musa grew up in the NYCHA developments,” said Evans-Hendricks. “His mother still lives there today and so it was very important to him and to us that the festival in 1969 was free for people to attend and so his mother was able to bring him to that festival and it changed his life.” For more info, visit www.harlemfestivalofculture.com.

that energy of ‘thank you’ and me waiting to hear the announcement of my name versus hoping for it,” said Cherry. He expressed operating in the energy of already claiming what he believes is his. That day proved to be no different and it seemed to have worked in his favor. “That is the key to manifestation, you have to claim that you have it.”

Synchronicities were present when Cherry, days before the launch, saw a Bloomingdale’s truck outside of the coffee shop where he once worked before his shift at the famed department store. Other synchronous events included him working in the shoe department where Steve Madden was sold. Cherry’s newest synchronicity was driving through Manhattan and seeing the Empire State Building lit up with colors blue, yellow and red—his collection’s colors. “This is a very pivotal time, and I could not have done it easier or better without any of you so thank you for having this moment with me,” he said at the launch dinner.

Also in attendance was Nikoa Evans-Hendricks, co-Founder of the Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation. The socially impactful visionary and go-getter strongly believes in figuring out how to get important things done, especially for Harlem. EvansHendricks and her co-founder, Musa Jackson, are thrilled to have this collaboration with Steve Madden. The Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation and Steve Madden’s partnership represents the kind of collaboration Evans-Hendricks consistently aims to grant the community of Harlem. Evans-Hendricks was once a retail

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 17

Books pg 19 | Art pg 22 | Jazz pg 24 Pg. 20 Your Stars

The Mirage jean jacket from HFC x SM Collab by DaQuane Cherry at launch dinner (Brenika Banks photos) The Shadow bag from HFC x SM Collab by DaQuane Cherry at launch dinner

See HARLEM on page 18

The Phantom boots from HFC x SM Collab by DaQuane Cherry

Continued from page 17

developer and Steve Madden was her first account in 1995. “I opened some of the first Steve Madden stores in shopping centers—that’s how full circle this whole thing is for me,” she said. It has always been important for her to showcase Black designers and help Black companies get into shopping centers. This is the main reason for the youth section in their foundation’s mission, which includes, “Mentoring, apprenticeship opportunities and curriculum designed to cultivate Harlem’s next generation of leaders in music, media, art, fashion, technology and entertainment.”

With the design challenge, several applicants submitted their works in January 2023. Being a creator was important and Evans-Hendricks was happy the applicants were graphic designers as well. “DaQuane being a fine artist almost didn’t even apply, because he was convinced that [the design challenge] wasn’t for him because he’s a painter,” said Evans-Hendricks.

Cherry submitted his art and application right before the deadline. Evans-Hendricks said Cherry’s art, “The Phantom of The Child,” was something everyone at the Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation and Steve Madden were struck by, including Steve Madden himself. Evans-Hendricks, Jackson, and Steve Madden executives who oversaw choosing the final five candidates of the design challenge were in awe. Cherry now understands the possibilities for a creative like himself and to never miss out on an opportunity. “For DaQuane, now he realizes he’s an artist, but he also created wearable art,” said Evans-Hendricks.

Since the launch of Cherry’s wearable art, April Dinwoodie, marketing and branding professional, described the energy at Steve Madden as “fantastic.” “When we locked into this partnership, the energy has been really amazing and it only got better when we started to engage with the artists and the creatives in the community,” said Dinwoodie. She enthusiastically stated the partnership was already ideal because music, culture, Harlem, and New York City fit in seamlessly with their brand ethos. “Once we locked in with those five finalists, DaQuane being one of them, the level went a thousand-fold,” she said.

Dinwoodie recalled great vibes reflecting the importance and how special the design challenge was. She credits Cherry for being the finalist who represented the collective intersection of both Steve Madden and the Harlem Festival of Culture the most. “DaQuane had something just extremely special in terms of his art which speaks for itself, in terms of the motif and the way that he represents his way of bringing things to life with the teddy bear and the primary colors,” said Dinwoodie.

In 2019, Cherry was inspired by Beyoncé’s song, “Brown Skin Girl,” to paint a piece with a teddy bear. The bear represented Cherry keeping that inner child alive. “And, it was not just what he created, it was also how he spoke of what is alive in Harlem today creatively and what speaks to the legacy of what Harlem is in

terms of creativity and it’s what it brings to the world,” said Dinwoodie.

Cherry moved to NYC at 19 years old, which added to his total of 27 moves as a youth. His hardships and abandonment issues are testament to rebranding himself as well as reclaiming the child inside.“I'm trying to do the same thing for everyone else that's out here adulting in life and telling them even though it feels like your inner child, [your] imagination... gets diminished as you get older. It's still in you.” Cherry is encouraging everyone to live in their dreams and says there is a hidden, deeper meaning behind the collection. “Find that teddy bear, find those primary colors in you again.”

Evans-Hendricks revealed Madden is an art collector, which added to how well Cherry’s painting resonated. “When [Steve Madden] saw DaQuane’s work, when we were in the offices, when the finalists got to do a visit to the offices and headquarters, [Steve] really loved his art,” she said.

Dinwoodie candidly spoke about Madden’s love for art, especially Harlem-based artists, and how their partnership with Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation is beyond branding and extends to bettering the community. “Part of our money went to the festival itself, which is a typical sort of branding, activation dollars for branding. [It] was the perfect kind of combo of things because we can do really cool things and be a part of music and history,” she said. For more info, visit www.hfcfoundation.org/shop.

18 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Harlem

DaQuane Cherry pictured with Nikoa Evans-Hendricks, Musa Jackson, April Dinwoodie and James R. Sanders DaQuane Cherry at his launch dinner in Harlem (Brenika Banks photos) DaQuane Cherry at his launch dinner in Harlem

New in Poetry: Terrance Hayes’ double book release, Carl Phillips’ “Seven Meditations”

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

There is nothing like Black poetry: soulful styles, syncopated beats within the middle and end of each line—making each stanza an adventure jumping from one artistic declaration to the next. Black poets have so much ground to cover, in a good way, that their breadth of Black life expertise goes beyond knowing what is going on around them and inside, but also a knowledge of how to express it in such a way that evokes chills, love, disturbing visions, singular spiritual ideologies, and simple daily losses and wins. Two of the best, Terance Hayes and Carl Phillips, have new poetic offerings due out this summer. How Hayes was able to finesse having two poetry books released on the same day, July 25, by the same publisher is a mystery that very few may uncover. Nonetheless, the fact is that he achieved it.

Another poetic titan, Carl Phillips has a new collection to be published next month. “My Trade Is Mystery: Seven Meditations from a Life in Writing,” is a lovely collection of what are described as meditations on Phillips’ four decades of living the “writer’s life,” as he gives thoughts on his longevity as a writer, and his wealth of knowledge as a mentor to several emerging poets. The book is calming, healing and full of intelligent, elegant writing and wisdom.

Hayes’ books, “So To Speak” and “Watch Your

Language: Visual and Literary Reflections on a Century of American Poetry,” differ as the former stands as his seventh collection of literary poetry where he weaves his African American folklor-

ic meanderings masterfully. The latter is a collection of visually striking prose along with an array of colorful imagery melded with his witty, bright and profoundly interesting wordplay.

All three books are gifts to the Black American literary canon, and we should be so lucky to read more and more work, while returning to these collections often, as the future unfolds.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 19

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HOROSCOPES BY

KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME GODDESS

KYA

July 27, 2023—August 2, 2023

Rebirth of A New Nation: The song “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins is a theme for August. This full moon in Aquarius on Tuesday Aug. 1 at 9-degrees EST is a six-month progress review from the last new moon in Aquarius on January 21, 2023. What manifested in your life? What occurred during that period of time, personally, globally, environmentally, financially, etc.? Well, what’s in store for you this full moon has more curves, twists, and turns rather than a straight ball coming at you. How have your dreams, and vision been lately, as well as your partnerships, from spouses to life partners and even to best friends? The universe has its way of announcing its presence and sending people in our life to assist humanity on our journey. “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” Henry Ford

Major milestones have been accomplished and rewards are showing up gracefully. Rewards are not always physical; some are spiritual and surprisingly unexpected. Allow word of mouth to travel and bring the news to the receptor’s ears, minds, and hearts. As August begins, change and travel are a theme; as is a major shift within your profession. From July 29th around 11:44 p.m. until July 31st 11:58 p.m., change starts within you, along with the mindset to carry out the mission.

The feeling of the new energy being ushered in is an upgrade to your existing program. Be strong enough to weather the stormy, rainy, cloudy, foggy, flood, and hurricane days, as the sun will shine its light even when you don’t feel progress is happening yet; it’s the internal phase occurring before it expresses out on the external phase. Keep making headway on your new upgrade journey. From July 31st around 11:58 p.m. until August 2 at 11:05 p.m., the sun has cleared the foggy mist to see clearly. Folks say seeing is believing.

When was the last time you really let go to express yourself internally? Speak your truth and, like the Usher song goes, these are my confessions. Confess to what is boiling inside of you. Talk it out with yourself or the person to whom you need to convey the message. When you do, you’ll feel better with clarity. Nourish yourself with love, quality food, some alone time, and the company of great people who uplift you. Beginning August 2nd until August 4th, the games are over if you are serious about your personal and business affairs. Make a move or sit on the bench.

What a magical moment August has in store for you. First, get real with yourself to make a commitment to do what makes your heart sing. What feeds your soul and mind? Get clear on your obligations and duty, and make the necessary arrangements to clear your path. Get rid of the old news and ways of operating. As folks say, there’s a new sheriff in town. Apply the effort, dedicated work, and adjustments to make your life easier. From July 27th around 8:24 p.m. until July 29th close to 12 p.m., something strange yet exciting is taking place. It’s time to catch up.

Travel within your mind, or do some cross-country traveling with folks aligned on a similar journey. Information is buzzing, tweeting through the grapevine of what you need to hear and those who need to hear about you. There is something occurring on a spiritual level, bearing messages only for you to know. Some information is private and some public; you decide how much you will tell. From July 29th around 11:44 p.m. until July 31st around 11:58 p.m., you can see the evolution of self-growth when you look in the mirror, and the people that you inspire are also in your immediate environment.

What goes around comes around. August is a month to digest your actions and behaviors, and take a back seat to view your life. Reflection is only a temporary moment to make adjustments in the present moment while learning a lesson you hadn’t learned before. As things move slowly on purpose, make kind gestures on purpose and watch the feedback you receive. Be gentle with yourself and pay attention to details, information, scenes, and the people with whom you engage. From July 31st around 11:58 p.m. until August 2 at 11:05 p.m., there is an important delivery coming through and only for your eyes to see, and your heart will recognize it when you feel it.

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What in the world has your knees buckling and begging “please, not this time around?” Just know you have a date with destiny, so don’t shortchange yourself. It’s a time to listen to your body as it has a message for you to reprogram any habits that no longer serve a meaning in your life and only make you weaker by the day and older by the hour. Mentally get over yourself. You have a grand mission to accomplish that moves and shakes the earth like a high magnitude earthquake. Beginning on August 2nd until August 4th, either you make a move, or the universe will make you move. Don’t wait for things to show up—take action.

What time and day is it? You have been so productive that time and day only matter for flights, business matters and important major things to show up for. Stay in your zone; this Leo/Lion season you are getting more seasoned by the sunrise and sunset. August has a spiritual reservation for you, one you may not see coming, yet the buildup has already begun. From July 27th around 8:24 p.m. until July 29th close to 12 p.m. be bold, ambitious, and confident within your plans and as you make moves with the CEO and their boss. Stay grounded as you elevate.

This is not a time to be messed with, only inner-standing your position and the role you play with yourself and others in your immediate environment. Listen more than you speak, as you effortlessly will into being the answers to the questions you ask. Increase your water intake as the water is showing you a sign of something you need in your life. Pay attention when you drink water to what it does to your body and also to how you feel. From July 29th around 11:44 p.m. until July 31st at 11:58 p.m., when you are still enough to hear the rhythm of your heart and the flow of your blood flowing through your body you are at peace, and what you need to know will come to you.

There is something in your blind spot you didn’t see coming? No worries, now you see it approaching you unexpectedly. It’s now time to face the funk and get over it, and allow bygones to be bygones to progress forward. As you are building your team and reputation, the old ways of doing things are out the door and people will test you. How you react is the test. Remember, that was the old you and you have matured, so act like it and don’t allow someone to get the best of you and draw you into their shenanigans. From July 31st around 11:58 p.m. until August 2 at 11:05 p.m., keep moving forward and brush the dust off your shoulder.

Yes, you are amazing. Any form of group activity and partnerships will work out just fine. Be clear on everyone’s intentions, as people’s intentions change along with their ideas. Everyone plays a position in your life, also in the business perspective. Traveling is great, be it in your mind, through meditation, or traveling on a nature path. A one-on-one, heart-to-heart conversation is needed to hear the other side of the story. Besides, your profession and finances are looking bright due to you applying the necessary work to see results. Beginning August 2nd until August 4th, normally, what’s on the heart that hasn’t been addressed are the very things keeping us from moving forward.

A new journey is reaching out to you to just do it without any hesitation. It’s all up to you now as the magic is flowing in the air. Your needs are being met with resources showering upon you like a thunderstorm pouring down. The time is ripe, and the fruit is ripe to get yourself in position. By all means necessary, ask for what you need and follow through on your part while things flow like the river in your life. This is an extension of your journey of what was started about 9 years ago. From July 27th around 8:24 p.m. until July 29th close to 12 p.m., action is required, rather than sitting back to think about what you are going to do.

20 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Vinateria

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

New Black femme books: ‘Black Girl Autopoetics’ & ‘Temple Folk’

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

Black women are the crux of our culture. Our voices, imaginations, and individualistic musings on the intricacies of navigating any pursuit or endeavor—such as art, literature, corporate culture, math, science, motherhood, singledom, marriage, and so on—creates a powerful tapestry of experience, wisdom, and invaluable contributions to our global, technological culture, and emotionally potent world views. Literature has been a way for Black women to humanize, and create change and garner empathy for our great plights since the beginning of all Black (diasporic), American and colonized nations. It’s always exciting to introduce and preview upcoming books from intelligent and deserving writers who continue the tradition of Black women storytelling, from those who make strides in creating roadmaps into digital technology. Ashleigh Wade Greene’s “Black Girl Autopoetics,” and Aaliyah Bilal’s new novel “Temple Folk” are books that every bookshelf should have, due to their colorful uniqueness and boldness in nonfiction and fiction literary exploration.

Black Girl Autopoetics by Ashleigh Wade Greene, Ph.D. (Duke University Press)

Ashleigh Greene Wade, Ph.D., assistant

professor of Digital Studies, Media Studies and African American Studies at University of Virginia, writes a fascinating book exam-

ining the intersection of Black girlhood and digital arts. She argues that Black girls who express themselves creatively in the digital sphere are exposed to the trauma of cyberbullying and harassment as they become hyper-visible, yet at the same time, seldom receive credit for their digital intellectual property and are rendered invisible. What is described as a “double bind” is carefully and thoroughly explored as she breaks more ground in the conversation of Black girls in STEM.

Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal (Simon and Schuster)

In this collection of ten short stories, author Aaliyah Bilal writes thoughtful and insightful accounts of Black Muslim life in America. Each story is penetrating and compassionate in its complex, and at times humorous, illustrations of how religion, moral balance, human failure, and frailty are all prevalent in the lives of a culture of people that are quite overlooked in the American literary market. Therefore, “Temple Folk” is refreshingly necessary to help bring a full spectrum of the Black experience in the United States.

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 21

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘You Are the Myth’ explores African Diasporic spirituality and symbolism

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

Biblical stories, Egyptian mythology, Yoruba Orisha legends, and other narratives with modern African diasporic themes were present during a recent Artist Talk on Wednesday, July 12. Independent curator and artist Jomani Danielle moderated the talk with Haitian American artist Watson Mere about his solo exhibition, “You Are the Myth,” at ChaShaMa art gallery (227 West 29th Street).

The discussion focused on Mere’s Haitian background and interests during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to his vision of creating captivating composi-

tions. Mere’s paintings translate narratives of the past and dialogues about the present and the future, according to the exhibit’s description of the show.

Danielle inquired about the themes of Mere’s exhibit and the message he intended to convey.

The responses highlighted his interest in learning about mythology and Black people’s stories from ancient times. “As I was learning,

I started to see parallels [with] not only our stories of the present, in terms of the Black community, but also our stories of the past,” said Mere. He decided to paint these mythological parallels in a way for his Black viewers to see representation. In mythology, Af-

ricans aren’t usually primary figures; Greeks are mainly thought of in terms of this subject. “I wanted to make images where my community could not only see themselves but also see the parallels I’m trying to point out and align with more so our past, present, and future,” said Mere.

During this artist talk, Mere said that knowing in what direction he’s going helps him prepare to create his compositions. “I’m really trying to inject the spirit of that situation or that visual inside of me.”

Mere researched books and articles about his artwork’s topics to ensure accuracy. Danielle suggested that, through his artwork, Mere is bearing emotions in the true

fashion of his zodiac sign Aquarius, the water bearer.

Mere said that when something affects the Black community, such as a murder, it’s not on the news for as long as an artist sits with that moment to create a piece. “When you’re creating something, especially an art piece, it takes maybe a month to create it; you’re injecting all of the research that goes into it and all those hours sitting in front of a piece…all that energy [is] transferring,” he said. He described the feeling of having an issue embedded for the sake of art while the rest of the world moves on. In recent years, he learned how to handle those feelings and ener-

gies. “I had to learn different ways of separating myself once I’m done creating a piece,” he said.

Mere’s piece “Children of the Sun” showcases a father, mother, and son meditating over what appears to be their neighbors, fearful and stressed about the media’s portrayal of COVID-19. Mere incorporates Adinkra and other widely recognized African symbols in this work. “They are directly over those who are dreading the numbers and the data,” Danielle said. When Danielle asked Mere, “What are some self-healing ways that you were able to find yourself in and how did that translate through this piece?,” Mere

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 22 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT See ‘YOU ARE THE MYTH’ continued on next page

Watson Mere speaking with Muneerah “Moon” Livingston (Brenika Banks photos) Mere’s piece, “Children of the Sun”

said he began making this piece during April 2020 while quarantined in a Brooklyn basement with no windows.

“I would say my creativity, my imagination, took over, not only in my artwork but also just all around,” said Mere. “I became a more creative individual.”

When Mere was outside grounding himself, he chose to meditate and sunbathe on the roof after seeing a young woman do so. “As I was meditating, a complete vision of this piece came to me, exactly how it is.” He was aware of how great he felt on the roof, yet concerned for those in their homes who were being “indoctrinated” with the media “pumping in a lot

of fear into their heads…That’s why you see the figures in that piece, they’re not only looking at their phones but looking at TV,” said Mere. He purposely used blue light as a representation of being “programmed,” with pupils lacking in the eyes of those under the meditating Black family.

Mere’s painting “Protection, 2020” shows a Black couple sleeping with gun protection behind them as they ignore “fear of the pandemic” on the TV. He informed the art crowd that he created this painting using Microsoft Paint. His last piece, “SANGO Baba Wa, 2023,” is all paint, yet he used the techniques learned from Microsoft Paint and applied them to physical painting on a canvas. Both artworks hung across from each other

during the Artist Talk.

Danielle said Mere was “light years ahead” with his style and encouraged him to keep honing his rare craft.

The Artist Talk included a special short reenactment of a scene from the award-winning play “The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo” by Taiwo Aloba. The scene was performed for the audience in front of the piece “SANGO Baba Wa, 2023,” based on the experience of starring in the leading role as Sango.

Mere’s goal for a legacy is to create an art school in Haiti. He hopes to use his connections and influence to help the artistic youth from his country. He aims to help the next generation of great talents. For more information, visit https://watsonmere.com/.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 23

Watson Mere, award-winning actor Elisha Glass IV, and King Downing performing drums during short reenactment of scene from award-winning play, “The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo” by Taiwo Aloba. Mere’s pieces, “Famous” and “Protection”

Continued from previous page ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Artist Talk for Watson Mere’s “You Are the Myth” with moderator Jomani Danielle and crowd

Papa Lou Donaldson, G.W. Carver Museum

Prior to the presidency of the twice-impeached dictator idol-worshipper Red Barron 45, Florida was the ideal place to be, with sun-filled days and beautiful starry nights. The weather remains superb but now there’s an insane governor who believes in banning books and his deranged rants suggest the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was just a century long, live-in internship program that prepared our ancestors for great jobs as farmers and tradesmen. And all the daily torment, physical and mental abuse, rape, and lynchings were just overzealous slave owners helping their students adapt.

Regardless of the negative “Right” obsessions, what inspires my visits to Florida is spending time with the humorous, charismatic, and renowned alto saxophonist “Sweet Papa” Lou Donaldson. My good friend Scott Thompson (former publicist for Jazz at Lincoln Center, and now an independent publicist) and I take joy in driving down to Fort Lauderdale to visit Donaldson (oh, and did I mention it’s Scott’s car). Visiting him has been our joy for some years. Prior to Dr. Lonnie Smith’s transition, he made our foursome. We would stop and pick up the famed organist and meet Donaldson at the Golden Corral ; at the time he was driving his mean El Dorado that was transported down from New York.

Sweet Lou has since retired his El Dorado and is living in a luxurious assisted living complex with a swimming pool, tennis courts, a health club, and golf course. Jazz is piped in throughout the building; pretty sure Papa Lou had something to do with the choice of music. Of course, the retired saxophonist is a superstar at the complex: all the women giggle like schoolgirls when speaking with him and the guys take time for quick chit chat. And the staff, from what Scott and I saw, all praise his name.

Unfortunately, the Golden Corral, our favorite restaurant, had closed, so we quickly found a substitute: A Chinese restaurant, all you can eat…the food was good and for at least two hours, probably more, the NEA Jazz Master, now 96, astounded us with his captivating jazz tidbits, now history. We were hysterical listening to his jokes; some by Redd Foxx. Lou could have survived as a comedian, which was evident during his six decades of jazz performances riddled with comedy. He and Foxx were friends, as were Slappy White, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. And trust, he has stories for all of them. An avid sports fan, he loves Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes. He loved playing alto sax, but his true love was baseball with aspirations of becoming a professional.

That dream was shattered after an injury he suffered while playing as a student at North Carolina A&T State University. Fortunately, when we are together, he allows me to record his in-depth oral history lessons. He always says, “Ron, you recording this, right? This is stuff nobody knows unless they were there.” Book agents should note Donaldson has a completed manuscript with a plethora of information as it relates to his unique experiences as a Black jazz musician from segregation to Harlem; Blue Note Records with dilemmas and triumphs in between. Having read the manuscript, it is well worth reading: fascinating, humorous, and seasoned with the brutal jazz truth.

Donaldson very seldom returns to Gotham these days, but expect to see him at Dizzy’s jazz club celebrating his 97th birthday (November 1), which is usually a week or two before or after the actual date. The evening will include an all-star band featuring a host of special guests and words from Donaldson, maybe even a song. There’s only one Sweet Papa Lou!

Walking into the G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum in Dothan, Alabama, is like entering Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone. The building that now accommodates this onestory cultural institution was originally the Dothan U.S. Post Office during the 1940s. It was a time when Alabama, among other southern states, was committed to a dystopian society, proud of its segregation policies, Jim Crow laws, and domestic terrorist acts against Black citizens. The then-Governor George Sparks (1943-47) believed in “absolute segregation” and said the Ala-

bama Democratic Party should “do everything necessary to maintain an all-white party.” George Wallace became governor of Alabama in 1963 and vehemently continued its segregationist practices. Current Governor Kay Ivey is attempting to dilute minority voting in the state by following other Alabama lawmakers who refuse to follow the Supreme Court ruling.

Who was to know that Alabama, with its defiant racial inequality policies, would become a battlefield for the Civil Rights Movement? And that years later in 2000, the segregated Dothan Post Office would be converted into one of the state’s most important Black museums? It was founded by Dr. Francina Williams (member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority), in an effort to use Dr. Carver’s fame and legacy to highlight other African-Americans who have not been as widely recognized, and to highlight positive aspects of Black history throughout the year.

Thanks to Latasha Hyatt, the museum’s director of community programming, the Scott family was given a private tour of the museum for their family reunion in Alabama (spending time with their favorite relatives Claudia and Calvin Porter). The little children were overjoyed to freely run around, and the adolescents and adults were presented with a brief history of the museum and insight into the life of Dr. Carver, a prominent agricultural science genius, botanist, inventor, and a pioneer environmentalist. While walking through this storied space, one will find information on Dr. Carver’s life (on exhibit are

his microscope, and some photos from during his professorship at Tuskegee Institute); local African-American ancestry; and notable accomplishments from Black scientists such as Dr. Ernest Just, pioneering biologist; inventors like Dr. Patricia Bath, who begin early studies in laser cataract surgery and invented the cataract laserphaco probe, and who performed the first eye surgery at Harlem Hospital where she was also born; and explorers like Matthew Henson.

“The G.W. Carver Museum is a safe place to have Black conversation, diversity and explore the topic of agriculture that is still an important issue in Alabama,” said Hyatt. “We want to get back into agriculture, and some want to hold on to the land they have. Much of the land is dominated by major corporations; we want to own more land and be productive.”

During his tenure at Tuskegee Institute (now University), Carver was prompted to design the Jesup Agricultural Wagon. Carver used this wagon to travel the Alabama countryside instructing and assisting Black farmers in alternating crops to prevent soil depletion.

Carver is possibly the only Black scientist and inventor to be honored with an album, “Jesup Wagon” (TAO Forms), composed by saxophonist and arranger James Brandon Lewis. As a youngster, Lewis loved science and wrote a paper on Carver, and years later followed up with some intense research. His mother often quoted the scientist: “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” The album features Lewis and the Red Lily Quintet exploring Carver’s life through music in a bottomless sea of sounds, raging blues, jazz, and avant garde reflecting the genius of a Black scientist, who was also a painter, musician and intellectual that changed America.

Like “Jesup Wagon,” This G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum exhibit demonstrates the phenomenal impact Blacks had in shaping America and other countries around the globe in their early years. “We want to heal and grow in whatever capacity that may be,” said Hyatt. “We want to flourish and want people in the community and beyond to visit us and spread the word.”

Dothan, Alabama, isn’t a hotspot for most New Yorkers: It is 198 miles south of Birmingham and 161.15 miles from Mobile to Dothan in a northeasterly direction. It’s Alabama’s eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 as of the 2020 census. The sweet melodies of chirping birds is the soundtrack for this laid-back, mellow southern town. Their soul food restaurant Thelma’s is exceptional, the cornbread worth fighting for.

Visit the Carver Museum online at gwcarvermuseum.com.

**Correction: This is the correct spelling for the trumpeter and composer Ahmed Abdullah that was misspelled last week.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 24 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Scott Thompson, Lou Donaldson and Ron Scott (Ron Scott photo)

Asylum

Continued from page 3

system,” said Bah. “It hasn’t changed.”

Bah said that the Mayor’s office has not fully acknowledged the plight of “Black migrants,” like the influx of Sudanese or Haitians, during this crisis. “Black migrants have really been left out of this conversation,” said Bah.

Bah concurred that people have managed to find some jobs in places like restaurants or as home health aides as they try to get settled in the city. The notices are making people “nervous” though, said Bah.

Her main concern is an increase in homelessness because of the leave notices. “A lot of these migrants have lived in tents and are good at making makeshift shelters. You have now increased homelessness,” said Bah. She believes that the city should turn over shelter operations to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), similar to some places along the southern border.

Despite constant criticism, Adams said at

Continued from page 4

it was really beautiful to see the way community love exists here in Cuba,” she said. “Back home, we’re really taught to be individualistic. We’re taught a scarcity mindset: that there’s not enough for everybody. But here in Cuba, where there are a lot less resources because of the blockade of the United States, they’re doing so much more with so much less. They take care of each other: it is what it truly means to be a community, and that is extremely revolutionary.

“The blockade was put in place to keep those revolutionary ideas confined to here because they are afraid of the power that it would generate in places like Puerto Rico, the rest of the Caribbean, even in the United States. … More people need to come here to Cuba and see what is out here because there is so much more to offer.”

Mariam Osman from Denver, Colorado, was also encouraged by her time with the IFCO caravan. She said the trip gives her the chance to “see what it means to live in a place where people seem committed to the struggle and seem committed to each other’s needs being met and seem committed to what it means to exist in community and care for one another.”

Importantly, the 33rd Friendshipment Caravan brought with it a shipment of antibiotics, painkillers, and other priority medicines for residents on the island. Cuba has had pharmaceutical drug shortages in recent years and there are reports of people becoming reliant on herbal medicines and drug swap markets.

A paucity of food and lack of access to international markets have continued in Cuba ever since the United States imposed an economic embargo on the socialist nation in the wake of its 1959 revolution.

his conference that he considers his administration’s handling of the crisis “extremely successful” given the amount of pressure to immediately care for tens of thousands of people and handle other city obligations. He said that the city, along with Washington, Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago, are being targeted. “This cannot continue. It’s not sustainable, and we’re not going to pretend as though it is sustainable,” said Adams. “This is wrong that New York City is carrying the weight of a national problem.”

Adams is clear on his stance that there is “no more room in the city” and that there is desperate need for federal government support, he said. For him, it was a “difficult choice” but necessary to “honestly communicate” the severity of the situation the city is in regarding resources.

“Our goal is not to increase street homelessness. We don’t want to do that,” said Adams, “You don’t see the encampments, the tents, the cardboard boxes, people living the way you see in other municipalities, and we’re going to do everything that’s possible not to, but our cup has runneth over. We

Cuba’s revolution transitioned its national economy from functioning based on a deeply corrupt capitalism and evolved into a mostly state-run socialist system. Cubans were granted free education; healthcare for all; agrarian reform; and social supports. But, to this day, thousands of Cubans who flee the island say political freedoms are lacking, and the instability of the island’s economy makes it difficult to live there.

don’t have any more physical space.”

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom added that the policy will allow greater flexibility in assisting asylum-seekers in finding where they may settle here in the city or with loved ones and friends. “The city is and will continue to help individuals and families find shelter and connect with services at their initial connection point with us,” she said. “We must then work together with partners at all levels of government to find options for where people will settle in order to continue relieving the pressure on New York City.”

Williams-Isom said that she and the mayor have not discussed closing down emergency sites yet.

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, notably tweeted a special birthday message to Walker to congratulate her.

As part of their trip, the 33rd IFCO caravan participants will get to witness the 70th anniversary celebrations of Castro’s rebel army assault on the Moncada Barracks. It will be a commemoration of the

Metro Briefs

Continued from page 3

works with students to envision and produce their own exhibition in CUE’s gallery space, a unique opportunity that prepares students for working in a professional arts context. The deadline to apply is September 24. The CTC application form is available at https:// cueartfoundation.org/cue-teen-collective.

New Jersey

Continued from page 4

“Access to resources, affordable housing, transportation, and environmental factors all influence school quality.”

––Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

rebel army’s unsuccessful attempt to steal weapons from the military barracks on July 26, 1953. The assault on the barracks failed, but it made Fidel Castro a national figure and it led to his famous speech in court where he claimed that “history would absolve” him, because it would point to the purpose behind his actions.

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CSEA, one of New York State’s largest public employee unions, is seeking resumes for a Occupational Safety and Health Specialist for our Beacon, NY office covering the Mid-Hudson Valley and Metropolitan NY. The specialist will work under the supervision of the Director of Occupational Safety and Health and will be responsible for investigating complaints received or initiated by the Union alleging safety and health violations as well as circumstances and conditions resulting in workplace accidents causing injury or fatalities.

It was the U.S. embargo that led the late Rev. Lucius Walker, IFCO’s founding director, to create Pastors for Peace which brought caravans of supplies to Latin American nations suffering from U.S.-enforced embargos. Rev. Walker deemed the embargoes a form of U.S. imperialism.

IFCO is now led by Gail Walker, Rev. Walker’s daughter. Her many years of contact with Cuban government representatives has helped maintain IFCO’s open-arms welcome on the island. Gail Walker’s birthday took place during the caravan and

RESPONSIBILITIES: The Safety Specialist prepares comprehensive reports; provides advice/assistance to union members; prepares or assists in preparation of complaints to the State Department of Labor; communicates with the State Department of Labor for material/information; prepares material for and participates in educational safety programs for CSEA members; advises members of their rights/responsibilities under the Safety Law; and other related duties as required.

Starting salary $66,760 with excellent benefits including health vision and dental coverage; generous paid time off and defined pension.

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 25

IFCO

––Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

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send resume to Director of Human Resources, PO Box 7125, Capitol Station, Albany, NY 12224. Please note BeaconOSHSnyan on all correspondence. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Mariam Osman taking part in IFCO’s 33rd caravan to Cuba (Angi Langdon photos)

David L. Evans, renowned electrical engineer, and college admissions officer

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

At a recent Committee to Eliminate Media Offensive to African People (CEMOTAP) panel discussion about the legacy and contributions of the late Dr. S. Allen Counter, considerable attention was given to his explorations to Greenland and Surinam. On the venture to Surinam, the polymath doctor was accompanied by David L. Evans, an electrical engineer, but other than noting this, little else was said about Evans.

This is an attempt to bring Evans out of the immense shadow of his companion. However, there is no absolute certainty that the man profiled is actually who we think he is—that is, in several articles about him, none of them note anything about his travel with Counter. Still, there is, as they say, enough circumstantial information to suggest he is, and if it isn’t who we think he is, this Evans will suffice.

Most of the evidence compiled here comes from his trip with Counter, who in the introduction of his book “I Sought My Brother” explains how Evans took the journey with him. More accurately, the account here was taken from the book’s foreword by Alex Haley, who studied their trip as a way to chart his own course of research for his book, “Roots”.

“When I first heard about a pair of Black scholars from Harvard University—S. Allen Counter, a neuro-biologist, and David L. Evans, an electrical engineer—who had traveled deep into a jungle expanse of Suriname, South America, where few other outsiders had ever been, I heard with a thrill that they had visited the villages of a black bush people representing some three centuries of unmixed African descent—a bush people

CLASSROOM IN THE ACTIVITIES

quickly recognized that the students needed much more than his counseling.

“I wrote to 60 or 70 colleges with my background and said, ‘I think some of these people may qualify for your institution,’” Evans told The HistoryMakers. That outlet said, “The first two he counseled got into Princeton’s Class of 1973. Others were accepted at Smith, Brandeis, Columbia, Stanford, Dartmouth, Morehouse, Amherst, Chicago, and more. MIT and the College Board reached out to talk to Evans about working for them.”

FIND OUT MORE

Along with HistoryMakers, Evans has been profiled by several companies and colleges, including Harvard University.

DISCUSSION

We think this is the same David Evans who traveled with Dr. S. Allen Counter, although there’s no clearcut confirmation.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

who had retained their ancestral African culture to such a dramatic degree that an equal could not easily be found today even in Africa itself,” Haley wrote.

After failing to convince any of his colleagues to join him, Counter heard from an old friend, Evans, then a senior admissions officer at Harvard. “For many years I’d known David as a veritable storehouse of knowledge on U.S. Black history and culture, and his developing interest in my project was related to his general interest in Afro-American culture,” Counter said.

“We found ourselves discussing the lives and stories of our grandparents and thought it interesting that neither my greatgrandmother, who lived to be close to 100[,] nor his grandmother, who had died a few years later at 103, had

to our knowledge retained any African language or culture. Yet they had known ex-slaves who had been brought directly from Africa during their lifetimes.

“David began reading material about the early Afro-Americans and their struggles against slavery,” Counter continued. “One night he announced that he would join me on the expedition but could only stay for two months. I was delighted to have found a person with such a profound sensitivity for the plight of Afro-American people, one who understood our desperate need for positive identities.”

According to an interview at HistoryMakers, Evans said he was born on December 27, 1939, in Wabash, Arkansas, to Letha Canada and William Evans. In 1962, he received a B.S. degree in

electrical engineering from Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College and M.S.E degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 1966—among the first African Americans to earn such a degree.

His first stop with his new degree was the Boeing Company in Seattle and later, he worked for several months as an engineer at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Huntsville, Alabama. From 1967 to 1968, he was part of a team assigned to work on the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) at Grumman Aircraft Engineering. While helping to launch Apollo 11, Evans was also starting a college recruiting and placement service for young African Americans that gained national attention, including administrators at Harvard.

As a volunteer tutor, Evans

In 1971, at Princeton, Evans helped found the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of Ivy League and Sister Schools. “It was a Black group that said ‘we will not only do our regular job but also serve as emissaries to keep inclusion and diversity in the minds of our colleagues,’” Evans said, noting that Harvard allowed him to improvise, so he was able to secure even more minority students for the colleges.

From his dedication and innovative thinking, Evans accumulated numerous honors and awards. In 1990, he was named the 311th of President George H.W. Bush’s “Thousand Points of Light” for his community service work in Boston. Evans also received Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ top prize for administrative service in 2002. A year later, the Harvard Black Alumni Societyendowed the David L. Evans Scholarship Fund, which has raised more than $1 million to date. Evans was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2005.

All of these amazing achievements are often discussed without mentioning the dangers he and Counter faced during their adventure into the heart of the rainforest of South America.

Evans came along at a propitious moment in U.S. history with the surge in race relations from the Civil Rights Movement and Black student enrollment in white colleges.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

July 24, 1963: NBA great Karl “The Mailman” Malone was born in Bernice, La.

July 25, 1941: The Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) was created.

July 28, 1915: U.S. Marines landed in Haiti and remained there until 1924.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 26 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

David L. Evans (Photo courtesy of HistoryMakers)

Continued from page 4

occurred. “I know no matter how much time has passed, how many birthdays, how many events, how many anniversaries, it’s hard to relive this.”

“It has been quite a journey for me

Rikers

Continued from page 4

were reportedly suspended over “procedural violations” after the incident; Ricky Howell, 60, died in DOC custody but outside of Rikers. He was held in Manhattan’s Bellevue Prison Ward Hospital, diagnosed with terminal cancer before he was detained.

Between the six Rikers deaths and that of Howell, seven people have died this year in or immediately after DOC custody. But there’s an asterisk next to the count from the NYC Comptroller’s Office, due to the department’s recent transparency rollbacks. City jail deaths are no longer proactively reported to the media. All this follows a deadly 2022, when 19 people died in or immediately after DOC custody.

After Davis’s death, Adams pointed to

from the darkness to the light,” said Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr. of the Argo Temple Church of God in Christ in Summit, Ill., who spoke at the ceremony. Parker was 16 years old when Till, his cousin, was killed. He is the last surviving witness to Till’s abduction. Another cousin, Simeon Wright, who was also with Till , died in 2017.

Not all are satisfied with the delay in approving the marker. Attorney Jaribu Hill, who on many occasions has represented Till’s family members, said she was not at the White House ceremony, noting that “For 68 years, the last known living culprit was able to escape accountability for the central role she played in the kidnapping that led to the

lynching of 14-year-old Till. How dare Biden announce this sham measure, when his DOJ closed the case on December 22, providing yet another safe haven. For Carolyn Bryant [who died earlier this year]. This was the ultimate hypocrisy! The only real monument must be resistance and continued objections to this opportunistic posturing.”

mental health issues as a key factor for Rikers’ problems. But decarceration advocates squarely blame his administration and policies.

“The mayor knows that Curtis Davis, like thousands of other people at Rikers, was at great risk, harm, and death every day he was there, and Adams is telling New Yorkers he’s fine with that—but we’e not,” said Freedom Agenda co-director Darren Mack. “Twenty-six New Yorkers have lost their lives in NYC jails as a direct result of the mayor’s decisions to slash and starve essential services, while giving law enforcement a blank check.”

“These state-imposed deaths are policy choices, and this horrific crisis must stop now,” said #HALTsolitary Campaign co-director Victor Pate. “Electeds and officials must act immediately to release people, stop sending people to these deadly jails, end solitary confinement and other abuses, and shut down Rikers and this

entire jailing system now.”

Recommendations for federal receivership—which would take Rikers Island jails out of city hands—were renewed after U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams backed the measure last week. The federal prosecutor’s decision stems from a dissent decree in 2015’s Nunez litigation that required the DOC to address unsafe conditions through recommended reforms, which he found unsatisfactory.

“Rikers Island has been in crisis for years,” said Williams. “This is a collective failure with deep roots, spanning multiple mayoral administrations and DOC commissioners. But after eight years of trying every tool in the toolkit, we cannot wait any longer for substantial progress to materialize. That is why my office will seek a court-appointed receiver to address the conditions on Rikers Island.”

To be clear, a federal receiver doesn’t mean the federal government will run Rikers, according to activist DeRay Mckes-

son, who advocated for one to the Amsterdam News last year. Instead, a neutral third-party fiduciary appointed by a judge would take over and oversee the jails. A monitor was similarly assigned from the 2015 case and currently audits Rikers Island, but lacks the authority to make executive decisions like a receiver.

Rikers Island is legally mandated to close by 2027, with four borough-based jails stepping in to house its remaining detainee population. But there are speed bumps, because the quartet of facilities can only house 3,300 people combined—and 6,081 people were held in city jails at the start of the month.

STATEWIDE ORGANIZER (Downstate New York)

CSEA, one of New York’s largest public employee unions, is seeking resumes for a Statewide Organizer. The Statewide Organizer’s assignments span New York State, with a focus on leads in the downstate New York area and requires travel and a flexible work schedule.

Responsibilities include all aspects of organizing campaigns and building the union including all phases of organizing activities such as targeting, research, developing leads, progress assessment, recruitment, issue development, strategizing, escalating tactics, voter assessment, GOTV strategies ‐ with the objective of making union membership accessible to workers. A successful candidate will develop and apply a working knowledge of labor and employment laws, recruit and educate volunteers, make assignments, ensure accountability, gathers, analyze, manage and use data to support organizing. The Statewide Organizer builds internal and external (i.e. community) relationships that support union and worker campaigns.

Starting salary is $66,760 (higher for candidates with two years professional union organizing experience) with excellent benefits including health vision and dental coverage; generous paid time off and defined pension.

QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s Degree in labor relations or a related field OR three (3) years of responsible work experience in union organizing, union building, political or community organizing that demonstrates a planned approach to campaign development. OR a satisfactory combination of education, training and experience. Candidates must possess a valid New York State driver’s license and car for business use in order to be appointed. Significant travel required.

Scan QR Code to Email cseajobs@ cseainc.org

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 27

Or send resume to Director of Human Resources, PO Box 7125, Capitol Station, Albany, NY 12224. Please note SO/nyan on all correspondence. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Till

DOC Commissioner Louis Molina (left) and Mayor Eric Adams (right) stand in front of Rikers building during a visit earlier this month (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Education

STEM NOLA: Creating future Black doctors, engineers, scientists

White House 2023 HBCU Scholars include students from NY/NJ

By JASON PONTEROTTO Special To The AmNews

The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Development through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) announces the 2023 HBCU student scholars.

It is the ninth and largest cohort of scholars and consists of 102 undergraduate, graduate and professional students across 29 states and countries across 70 HBCUs in the country.

By BRIAN DELK Special to the Am News

Educating and illuminating youth to the emerging industries of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), is essential to STEM NOLA’s work in one of America’s Blackest cities.

STEM NOLA, a nonprofit that encourages K-12 students in STEM-based learning, recently held its 10th annual Rocket Day in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the UNO Lakefront Arena. Rocket Day is an annual free event for the community to teach kids about aerospace and rocket technology fundamentals.

“This event provides an immersive experience for students to explore and inspire them to pursue careers in STEM fields,” said Dr. Calvin Mackie, president, founder, and CEO of STEM NOLA. “Rocket Day is our launchpad to really ignite their passion for science and engineering. We want to fuel curiosity and show the next generation the limitless power of possibility.”

Rocket Day served over 450 students, parents, volunteers, and more. The three-hour event featured speakers and volunteers from the Boeing Company. Students learned about the principles of rocketry and the physics of rocket takeoff. They then built model rockets and launched them across the field, displaying what they had learned.

The Boeing Company and the Department of Defense also sponsored the event, and brought dozens of volunteers to help the students. Mackie said these sponsorships had allowed him to expand the program through-

out the state and along the Gulf Coast. STEM NOLA has also hosted events in Camden, New Jersey, and in New York at Yankee Stadium.

Morgan Hawkins, one of many volunteers at Rocket Day, said she was excited to see the event take place and help out. Hawkins works for Textron, a defense and aerospace company, and she said this was her first time volunteering at an event like this with her colleagues.

She said she taught the kindergarten to second grade group, which was a lot to handle but tons of fun. Hawkins added that she is glad that someone like Mackie is leading students into STEM paths and careers. During the event, Congressman Troy Carter handed a check for a $2 million federal grant to STEM NOLA. This funding will help build the foundation for the STEM Innovation Hub for Black Excellence. This hub will include laboratories and classrooms with the technology necessary to prepare students for a career or expertise in STEM.

Mackie created STEM NOLA out of his garage with his two sons and a few children from the neighborhood. After his children and other kids became more curious about the subject, in 2013, Mackie and his wife, Tracy Mackie, took out a loan to initiate STEM NOLA and host larger events for more kids across the community.

The first Rocket Day was months later and inspired by Mackie and his son’s regular weekend activity of firing rockets in the park. He said when you fire rockets at the park, naturally, children with

Three of the students are from New York: Raquel Liverpool from Brooklyn attends Miles College in Birmingham, Ala; Tamara Wood from the Bronx attends Shaw University in Raleigh, NC; and Carys Carr from Rochester attends Howard University in Washington, D.C.,. Two are from New Jersey: Laquann Wilson from Palmyra attends Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala; and Calvin Bell from Pennsauken attends Morehouse College in Atlanta.

According to the White House, the scholars will be offered professional and personal development, and cross-university networking opportunities with an opportunity to explore, discuss, and improve issues specifically related to the HBCU community.

They will also be invited and able to participate in the 2023 HBCU Week National Annual Conference between Sept. 24 through 28 in Virginia. This year’s conference theme is “Raising the Bar: Forging Excellence Through Innovation & Leadership.”

The HBCU Scholar Program began a partnership with NASA last year in connection to their program, the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovation Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC) aka “Mini MITTIC.” Through the Mini MITTIC program, HBCU Scholars will partner with one another, developing ideas to commercialize technology derived from NASA intellectual property that can improve their campus

and surrounding communities.

The students will have the opportunity to present their IP ideas in-person at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

After the conference, the cohorts will be able to take part in different programs, events, and class seminars to create greater access to post-graduation opportunities within non-profit, business, and federal agency partners to ensure that as a nation we remain globally competitive.

“On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and everyone across the Biden-Harris Administration, I congratulate each of our 2023 HBCU scholars on this prestigious recognition and thank them for their commitment to serving their communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Cardona. “I’m thrilled to see the HBCU Scholars program continue to expand its reach and provide such exciting professional development, networking, and educational opportunities to some of our nation’s brightest and most promising young leaders.”

The HBCU Scholar Recognition Program was created under the Obama administration in 2014.

DJ Envy set to headline HBCU New York Classic after-party

By BRIAN DELK Special to the AmNews

The world’s largest historically Black college and university (HBCU) homecoming is returning to New York with a series of events, including a football game at MetLife Stadium, and an after-party headlined by DJ Envy on September 16th.

Raashaun Casey, popularly known as DJ Envy, is the co-host of the syndicated radio show “The Breakfast Club” with Charlamagne Tha God. He will be headlining the after-party of the HBCU New York Classic, which will take place at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the second-largest mall in the country.

DJ Envy, the Queens native and Hampton University alum, said he is glad to have attended an HBCU

and wants to bring the southern HBCU spirit to his hometown.

“Let’s bring the HBCU atmosphere to New York (since) a lot of these students and people in the area don’t get to see it,” DJ Envy said. “People in the south see HBCUs all day. They see the effects of the Morehouses, Spelmans, Clarks, FAMUs, and North Carolina A&Ts. But we don’t get to see that in New York, … we don’t get this experience of an HBCU. And with this classic, a lot of students and a lot of people who may not have seen (this atmosphere) before will get to really, really enjoy it and see it.”

The after-party for the Classic will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the genre of music that shaped DJ Envy’s career. He said applying the skills he

28 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Students representing various HBCUs at The White House. (White House/Public Domain photo)

See STEM continued on page 31 See CLASSIC continued on page 31

(Photos courtesy of HBCU New York Classic)

Florida’s History

Continued from page 12

Jackson County War. During this period, local politicians and African Americans faced terror, torture, and lynching at alarming rates. During this era, over 150 people were murdered, most African Americans and White Republicans who supported the community. This period of violence was a response to the empowerment of the African American community and their encouragement to vote. reflecting an effort to keep them disenfranchised and maintain Democratic power.

International

Continued from page 2

or war-torn countries seeking a better life in Europe.

The memorandum calls for a “strategic and comprehensive partnership” that will also boost economic ties between the bloc and the North African country, which lies on a major route for migrants and refugees traveling to Europe.

The document was signed by European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on one side and Tunisian President Kais Saied on the other. It comes as

Violence persisted in Florida during the 1900s, with hundreds of African Americans being lynched between 1890 and 1930. The state experienced an alarming number of lynching’s per capita compared to neighboring states. Notorious incidents like the Rosewood and Ocoee massacres highlight the depth of racial tension in Florida.

One of the most brutal lynching’s that occurred in Jackson County in 1930. Claude Neal, a 23year old farmhand, was accused of raping and murdering a white

woman in Cottondale. Claude was arrested and taken to a jail in Alabama for his safety. An angry white mob from Jackson County went to Alabama, broke Claude out of jail, and returned him to Florida. On a small farm in Jackson County, Claude was tortured, mutilated, and killed. His lifeless body was hung on a tree in Marianna in front of the courthouse to send a message to African American community. A horrified small group of Black people looked on in disgust. One of them is a teenage girl, my grandmother. Today, Florida’s conservative politics mirror neighboring states like Alabama and Louisi -

ana. Governor DeSantis’s signing of Senate Bill 7050 is another concerning act of voter suppression. Florida’s removal of African American AP courses from public schools is another disgraceful act by the state. The belief that slavery somehow benefited African Americans is an appalling indication that progress in the state is limited.

Despite the allure of Florida’s beauty and pleasant weather, the deep-seated racism in the state cannot be ignored. While cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando represent diversity and inclusivity, the same cannot be said for the rest of the state. It

is time for change, and I stand in solidarity with the NAACP and the African American community in Florida, calling for inclusivity and a commitment to change. Many dark chapters mark Florida’s history. While the Sunshine State has undeniable appeal, it is crucial to acknowledge and confront its troubling past and present challenges. By addressing issues of racial discrimination, voter suppression, and historical erasure, Florida can become a genuinely inclusive state that embraces the diversity of its population, including African Americans and other marginalized communities.

the number of migrants and refugees leaving Tunisia and trying to reach Europe has significantly increased in recent months.

The Tunisian leader described “inhuman migration,” which he blamed on criminal networks.

After a visit last month by the three European leaders, a financial package was approved that includes a 10 million euro ($11 million) program to boost student exchanges and 65 million euros ($73 million) in EU funding to modernize Tunisian schools.

Both sides also agreed to co-

operate on border management. Von der Leyen pledged 100 million euros ($112 million) for those efforts—a figure she had already announced during the leaders’ previous visit.

Meanwhile, as of Friday, the Italian interior ministry counted more than 75,000 migrants who had arrived by boat on the Italian coast since the beginning of the year, compared to about 31,900 in the same period last year.

Yasmine Akrimi, a researcher at the Brussels International Center, criticized the memorandum as an attempt at “reshaping African mobility.”

The EU has been trying to achieve

this deal for decades, Akrimi said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “Italy wants to consider Tunisia as what they call a safe third country— meaning that everyone who passes through Tunisia can eventually be relocated back to Tunisia.”

The host of the podcast Inside Story asked whether migrants are being used as political pawns. “Kais Saied hoped to clinch a $1 billion EU bailout and in return, stem the rising migration to Europe.”

Marielle Franco

Continued from page 2

to the pandemic of racism: it is permanent, and our fight against its ills must be constant. New legal instruments will continue to emerge, and the metamorphosis of violence will continue to reproduce itself. This is why the women’s rights struggle is not only for women, but also a struggle for men and everyone to participate in to create a world without violence, without racism, without

machismo, without xenophobia––it is a daily struggle, every hour, every minute.

It is a struggle that calls for a permanent reconsideration of our values and our gestures, even for something as seemingly small as making a sexist joke. When we disrespect women and women’s rights, we perpetuate the vulgar historical annulment of the role women have played in the processes of liberation throughout the Americas and in the anti-colonial movements of Africa and the Caribbean.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 29

(GIN photo)

Religion & Spirituality

Remembering Tony Bennett

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Tony Bennett, the great singer, best known for his numerous Grammys and being the voice of the American songbook, was also an exceedingly generous man, often taking time to share a few words with a total stranger.

This kind expression occurred in August 2005 in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl after a concert performance. My wife and I were there at the invitation of Bennett’s pianist and musical conductor Lee Musiker. We had arrived in the city to visit relatives when Musiker, out of nowhere at the airport, approached and commented on my colorful shirt. When he discovered I was a music reporter, he in-

vited us to the concert.

Memory of this moment hit me on Friday, July 21, 2023, when we learned that Tony, 96, had joined the ancestors. Earlier this year, we heard that he had Alzheimer’s disease.

None of this ailment marred that lovely evening at the Bowl, an event more memorable because Tony’s daughter, Antonia, who opened the show and sang several of her father’s famous songs. Bennett, as expected, flawlessly delivered a repertoire of his favorites—and his fans’ favorites. The only one I really recall was his finale—you know: “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” When he finished, there was a standing ovation and then he worked his way back to his dressing room. To

show our gratitude to Musiker for the invitation, we waited for him. He invited us to speak with Tony and we kept it short, although I found it difficult to stifle my impulse to interview him.

Beyond his musical genius, I was always interested in Bennett’s choice of songs, his longevity (I remember the first time I heard his recording of “Because of You” and “Rags to Riches”), and especially about his political commitments. That conversation would obviously include his presence in Selma, Alabama, where he marched with Dr. King, Harry Belafonte, and other notables. Not a decade went by from the 1950s to the 21st century that didn’t include him among the Grammy winners. I am not sure where Lee Musik-

er is now and if, in fact, he’s still performing, but my wife and I will never forget that time we spent with him and Tony at the Hollywood Bowl. I still have that shirt

A new development in the murder of Malcolm X

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

For years since Malcolm X (ElHajj Malik El-Shabazz) was assassinated in 1965, there have been claims that the police and other agencies were involved in the crime. Those accusations were given fresh currency on Tuesday at the Shabazz Center during a press conference convened by attorney Ben Crump.Before Crump introduced the witness at the center of the new developments, he asserted that the “government was involved in the conspiracy to kill Malcolm X.” He then asked Mustafa Hassan, 84, to recount his experience that fateful day when he was working as security for the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). Hassan (Richard Melvin Jones) repeated parts of the June 6, 2023 deposition, particularly his reaction after Malcolm was gunned down. “I saw a man running down the aisle towards the

exit where I had been posted with a gun in his hand,” he recalled. “I made the decision to attempt to

stop the person because he had the gun in his hand and was heading directly at me. “ He said he man-

aged to knock the man down and then hurried to the stage to attend to Malcolm.Later, after seeing Malcolm’s condition, Hassan saw the man he bumped into, Talmadge Hayer (Thomas Hagan), outside the ballroom being beaten by Malcolm’s followers, when “a group of policemen suddenly showed up on the scene, asking is he [Hayer] with us while at the same time holding back Malcolm’s followers.” from beating him.”

The words “is he with us” that Hassan reportedly overheard are perhaps the key piece of new evidence of possible police conspiracy in Malcolm’s murder, indicating that Hayer may have been one of the several undercover cops at the event and members of the OAAU.

Hassan and Crump held to their version of the incident, though for the most part, the press conference was a moment to highlight the various scenes where Hassan identified himself, and photos that have long been part of the files on

hanging in the closet, although it’s not as alluring as it was when it drew Lee to me. Each time I look at it, I can almost hear Tony’s voice and Lee at the piano.

the crime. To some degree, Hassan’s long delay in coming forth with this disclosure was posited in the affidavit which stated that it was out of concern for his family. “I sought new residence for myself and my family,” he said. “This was done out of concern for me and my family’s safety, and where I believed the United States as a society was headed.”

It will continue to be debatable as to the extent to which the police, FBI, and the CIA conspired in the murder of Malcolm., In effect, Hassan is another witness to Malcolm’s murder who was never arrested, charged, or served as a witness, including several policemen who infiltrated the OAAU. Alongside Crump and his team was Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm’s daughter, who reiterated what she and her family have declared in their concern for the truth. “We want all of the truth to be told and we want justice to be served,” she said.

30 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Tony Bennett (AP photo) Ilyasah Shabazz, Ben Crump and Mustafa Hassan at press conference (Herb Boyd photo)

curiosity will flock to the excitement.

Mackie said funding was limited, so he invited many of his engineering friends, including astronaut Jeanette Epps, to help with the event. Mackie said even with it being his first attempt, the event held more than 250 students.

“[Epps] is a Black woman with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and an astronaut. When I said an astronaut was coming, everybody was looking for a white man. And when this Black woman showed up, it blew everybody’s minds. The parents were running over the kids just to try and meet this astronaut,” said Mackie.

He added that he had tracked down some of his earliest students who attended Rocket Day, one of whom is now working at Lockheed Martin. Mackie said this is one of the many ways they track success, and those who do not pursue STEM careers are still STEM-literate for the future.

“We live in a nation that makes sure every Black and brown boy touches a football before the age of four, and no one says anything. And universities don’t have to worry about Black boys playing football or basketball. So our goal is to put STEM in the hands of kids before kindergarten,” said Mackie.

Education is the essence of Mackie and his wife’s vision in creating STEM NOLA. Mackie has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and was the first and only tenured professor at Tulane University.

In his hometown, the New Orleans Public School system houses about 44,000 students, and 92% of those pupils are students of color. He knew the hardships this community faced, especially after Hurricane Katrina, and always found a way to give back.

Mackie said he is tired of hearing calls for diversity yet has yet to see action taken on those calls. He said his community is unjustly undervalued, but when events like STEM NOLA are hosted in these communities, people begin to value themselves.

Continued from page 28

learned from his business management and marketing degree and coupling that with his passion for music led him to a fulfilling and fruitful career.

“As an iconic figure in the New York hiphop scene, DJ Envy is the perfect person to help us celebrate the 50th anniversary of hiphop and cap a full day of HBCU football and culture with style,” said Albert Williams, the HBCU New York Classic CEO.

Williams said the event will be the largest HBCU homecoming ever since all HBCU alums, future students, and football fans alike are invited and encouraged to come to the game and the events leading up to the Classic.

The events will begin on Tuesday, September 12, with a breakfast featuring New York City Mayor Eric Adams at Sylvia’s in Harlem. The week will host two high school education days in Newark, New Jersey, and Manhattan, NY.

The events will also include an HBCU-inspired debate at The Apollo, a career expo, a step show, and a pep rally before the main event of the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers against the Albany State University Golden Rams and the after-party.

Williams stressed the importance of these educational events and awareness of HBCU schools in the Northeast. He said he did not

know about the existence of predominantly-Black institutions until after he graduated high school and attended St. John’s University for some years.

Williams and DJ Envy hope to share the knowledge and power that HBCUs hold and encourage more young Black people to attend these universities.

“We did have a young man last year that decided he wasn’t going to college.. He spoke to our lady that runs our career fair. And lo and behold, he applied to (approximately) six schools, four of them were HBCUs, and he decided to go to Morehouse,” Williams said. “If you reach one mission accomplished, we want to reach many.”

Williams said the organization expanded its events compared to last year due to increased funding and awareness of the Classic. He said the sponsorships from Google, Walmart, and other large companies show a valuable investment of time and money into Black communities.

In terms of the game’s outcome, Williams said he thinks the scoreline will be interesting, regardless of which team wins.

Morehouse is coming in with a lessthan-favorable record after their (1-9) overall record last season. The team was also held scoreless in the previous year’s inaugural game against Howard University, losing 31-0. Conversely, Albany State is coming off a 7-3 record last season and has dominated Morehouse over the past decade, winning 11 games straight since 2010 over Morehouse.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023• 31

STEM Continued from page 28

(Photos courtesy of HBCU NY Classic)

Classic

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- LARS J.A. JOHNSON A/K/A LARS J. JOHNSON if living and if dead, the respective heirs-atlaw, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the amended complaint; MARETA K.A. JOHNSON AKA K.A. MARETA

JONZON GRONDAL AKA MARETA JONZON GRONDAL AKA MARETA JOHNSON if living and if dead, the respective heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the amended complaint; THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF SAGA HOUSE CONDOMINIUM; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; Defendant(s). Index No. 850240/2022 Date

Filed: 11/11/2022 Plaintiff designates NEW YORK County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action. We are attempting to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. To the above-named Defendant(s): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the amended complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the amended complaint is not served with this supplemental summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the plaintiff's attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this supplemental summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this supplemental summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) or within (60) days after service of this supplemental summons if it is the United States of America; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the amended complaint. NOTICE: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this supplemental summons and amended complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the supplemental summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing supplemental summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable Francis A. Kahn III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, dated the 23rd day of June, 2023 and duly entered in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York on the 23rd day of June, 2023. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF

SOUGHT This is an action to foreclose a mortgage lien on the premises described herein. The object of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage executed by Lars J.A. Johnson and Mareta K.A. Johnson, as Mortgagors, to Merrill Lynch Credit Corporation, a Mortgage to secure $268,000.00 and interest, dated February 4, 1994, (the Mortgage), which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on February 9, 1994 in Reel: 2056, Page: 2025 which was assigned to Bankers Trust Company of California, N.A., as Trustee, Under That Certain Pooling and Servicing Agreement Dated as of March 1, 1994, For Senior/Subordinate Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 1994-F, a New Jersey Corp by Assignment of Mortgage dated April 15, 2002, which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on June 25, 2002 in Reel: 3546, Page: 2104 which was assigned to Merrill Lynch Credit Corporation by Assignment of Mortgage dated September 26, 2008, which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on March 24, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000084626 and a second mortgage to Merrill Lynch Credit Corporation executed by Lars J. Johnson, to secure $15,104.16 and interest, dated September 29, 2008 (The “Second Mortgage”), which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on March 24, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000084625 which loan was consolidated by a Consolidation, Extension & Modification Agreement dated September 29, 2008, executed by Lars J. Johnson, which consolidated the First Mortgage and the Second Mortgage to form a single lien in the amount of $225,500.00 which was recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County on March 24, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000084624 which was assigned to BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. by Assignment of Mortgage dated September 20, 2022, to be recorded in the Office of the City Register of New York County and, covering premises known as 157 EAST 74TH STREET, UNIT 9B, NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK, STATE OF NY 10021 (Block: 1409 Lot: 1021). The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above. The Plaintiff also seeks a deficiency judgment against the Defendant, LARS J.A. JOHNSON A/K/A LARS J. JOHNSON, for any debt secured by said Mortgage which is not satisfied by the proceeds of the sale of said premises, unless discharged in bankruptcy. SEE SCHEDULE A ANNEXED HERETO Block: 1409 Lot: 1021

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

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

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

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -against- JILL M. BOSSERT-SQUERI, STEVEN J. SQUERI, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated February 21, 2023 and entered on February 23, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 23rd, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .01995% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies and Foreclosure Auction Rules. All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY. Approximate amount of lien $21,717.06 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850038/2022.

MATTHEW D. HUNTER, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 200 CHAMBERS STREET CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against- ERIC R. BRAVERMAN, DARYA BRAVERMAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated February 24, 2022 and entered on March 21, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York on August 16, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Unit being designated and described as Unit No 26C in the condominium known as "The 200 Chambers Street Condominium" together with an undivided 0.8256% interest in the common elements. Block: 142 Lot: 1183. ALSO, Unit being designated and described as Unit No. ST14 in the condominium known as "The 200 Chambers Street Condominium" together with an undivided 0.0103% interest in the common elements. Block: 142 Lot: 1375. All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction. Said premises known as 200 CHAMBERS STREET, UNIT 26C, NEW YORK, NY and UNIT ST14 (a storage unit), 200 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK NY. Approximate amount of lien $702,840.07 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 162556/2015.

MARK MCKEW, ESQ., Referee

Armstrong Teasdale LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

7 Times Square, 44th Floor, New York, NY 10036

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

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #1366505 for beer & wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 167 1st Ave., NYC 10003 for on-premises consumption; Hay Hay Roasted NYC Inc.

32 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT, Plaintiff AGAINST GEORGE BECK, DIANA E. BECK, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 9, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse on the portico, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 23, 2023 at 2:15PM, premises known as 145 EAST 48TH STREET, APT./UNIT 20D, New York, NY 10017. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block 1303, Lot 1111. Approximate amount of judgment $832,166.26 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850001/2020. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Allison Furman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 19006449 75795

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

KANAWA CIRCLE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/10/23. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, P.O. Box 507, Nyack, NY 10960. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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

Notice of Qualification of PROMETEON TYRE GROUP COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS

LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/29/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/22/16. Princ. office of LLC: 100 Pirelli Dr., Rome, GA 30161. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. ARIEL AQUINO DUYONGCO and MEGAN DUYONGCO, Defts. - Index # 850229/2019. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 10, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 14,000/16,783,800 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase 2 HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $92,553.37 plus costs and interest as of December 2, 2019. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. VINCENT J. TRIMARCO, JR., Defts. - Index # 850017/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 10, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.0450946335738578% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase 1 HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $54,964.87 plus costs and interest as of April 19, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. GLORIA JEAN WILLIAMS, Deft. - Index # 850233/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 20, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 2:15 pm, two 0.00986400000% undivided tenants in common interests in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $110,050.45 plus costs and interest as of May 5, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

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

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

Holistic Flavors LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/29/2022.

Office Location: NY County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 150 W.

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

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

Notice of Qualification of KEPPEL US MANAGEMENT LLC

110 SERVICES

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

Bomber Jacket Productions LLC filed with the SSNY on 7/05/2023. Office Location: NY County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 119 Waverly Place, Apt 1, New York, NY, 10011. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Bomber Jacket Productions LLC is an independently run film/television and media company, with particular focus on documentary and nonfiction projects.

Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/11/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/27/22. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 850 New Burton Rd., Ste. 201, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Galeriana LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/14/2023. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Galeriana LLC C/O Victor Tafur, P.O. Box 1642, New York NY 10163. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CINEMAINTENANT LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 20 March 2023. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served.

The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the served upon him/her is: 1850 Amsterdam Avenue New York NY 10031. The principal business address of the LLC is 1850 Amsterdam Avenue New York NY 10031. Dissolution date: perpetual. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 33 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES

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PUBLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT NOTICE of FORMATION of a DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP

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Charles Barron makes case for reparations

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews

While many people of various ethnicities participated in the recent Independence Day festivities, some contend the holiday was established only for a certain segment of this country’s society. Juneteenth’s recognition as a national holidayhas raised awareness as to when enslaved Africans in this country achieved some semblance of independence, as well as making a successful demand for reparations for their descendants.

“On July 4, 1776, while Betsy Ross was stitching the American flag, we were still catching stitches in slavery,” explained elected activist and Operation P.O.W.E.R. founding member Charles Barron. “Juneteenth and reparations without liberation will have us still on the American plantation. Juneteenth without reparations is not a full accomplishment.”

Although several other ethnic groups have fought for — and received — financial compensation for some of the wrongs the United States have committed against them or their ancestors, many contend that “Americanized-Africans” have not received their 40 acres and a mule, or anything else, because a strong enough case has yet to be presented against this country in a court of law.

The councilman for Brooklyn’s 42nd district then described how his co-chair,

Keron Allen, during a recent Zoom meeting “did an excellent job explaining Juneteenth and connecting it to the importance of reparations.”

Barron also went on to lay out how “the Emancipation Proclamation by Abe Lincoln, who is a racist by the way,” was a farce. “He said, ’If I could free the Union without freeing any enslaved Africans, I would,’ but he was concerned about the Union. The 13th Amendment moved slavery from the plantation to the penitentiary.”

He added how one of the first successful cases for reparations “happened in 1763, Belinda Sutton in Massachusetts and her daughter, were enslaved for 30 years and got some of their former enslavers estate.”

Then, “in 1865, Jordan Anderson called for reparations in Ohio. In 1898, Callie House fought for the ex-slave pension movement, she won, 10 years later got slapped with the same charge they hit Garvey with, trying to fraudulently collect money, when she was actually fighting for reparations.”

”Then of course, Queen Mother Moore in 1962 said, ’Pay me my reparations,’ got over a million petition signatures sent to President JFK.”

He also mentioned efforts by Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., The Black Panthers, Jesse Jackson, N’COBRA, D12, and that, in 1982, The African Peoples Socialist Party in Brooklyn held forums and tribunals on reparations. And how, “in 2001, The United

Nations World Conference against racism determined that the Trans-Atlantic slave trade is a crime against humanity. Retroactively we can take them to court because there is no statute of limitations on that.”

Barron concluded, “So now, because of our movement, New York State passed a bill

on reparations. It’s not the bill we wanted, they watered it down, so we’ll take that. The struggle needs to intensify for our liberation and radically change our political system. Socialism would be better, African communalism. We have to fight hard in our lifetime, so our children will have a better life.”

36 • July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff Enters Cooperstown | Model of Consistency Finally Gets His Hall of Fame Props

By DAVID GRUBB MLBbro, Special to the AmNews

One of the most consistent run producers and clutch performers of his era, Fred McGriff was finally inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame this past weekend.

It’s been almost two decades since McGriff collected the last of his 2,490 career hits, 493 home runs, and 1,550 RBI. The “Crime Dog” wasn’t the flashiest first basemen, but he was a vital component to contending teams for most of his 19 seasons spent in the big leagues. Perhaps McGriff would have drawn more attention had he stayed with the team that drafted him—the New York Yankees. Instead, he played in the relatively small markets of Toronto, San Diego, and Atlanta for the majority of his career.

Fred McGriff was awesome from day 1

McGriff was a great player, quite literally right off the bat. He hit 20 home runs as a rookie for

the Blue Jays, and then proceeded to hit at least 30 home runs each season for the next seven seasons, leading the American League in 1989 and then the National League in 1992. He was the first player since the dead-ball era to achieve that feat.

Between 1989 and 1994, spanning two leagues and three teams, no one in Major League Baseball hit more home runs than Fred McGriff.

Teammates changed. Scenery changed. Fred McGriff remained constant, never hitting fewer than 31 homers or driving in less than 88 runs in a season.

He was just as formidable in the postseason, batting in the middle of the lineup of those great Braves teams. During Atlanta’s 1995 run to the World Series championship, McGriff had 19 hits in 14 games, including four homers, nine RBI, and 14 runs scored.

Fred McGriff reached the postseason five times in his career and appeared in 10 series. His batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS, were all

higher in the playoffs than in the regular season.

During his peak seasons, he averaged .289/.543/.936 over 147 games with 35 home runs and 98 RBI, while scoring 91 runs. Last season, Paul Goldschmidt was the only first baseman to reach those marks.

McGriff’s numbers would probably be even better if not for the strike in 1994. That season, McGriff was batting .318 with 34 home runs and 94 RBI in only 113 games.

McGriff’s clean greatness overshadowed by PED era

Even as home runs started to fly out of the parks during the “steroid-era” of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he moved into his mid-30s, Fred McGriff was still keeping pace. Between the ages of 35–38, he slashed .291/.512/.891, averaging 30 home runs, 104 RBI, and 73 runs.

Again, Goldschmidt would be the only current first baseman to put up those kinds of numbers in all of baseball.

He and fellow MLBbro Gary

Sheffield are the only players to hit 30 or more home runs for five different teams.

McGriff smiled a lot, but didn’t say very much. He never hit 40 home runs in a season. The best seasons of his career were overshadowed by trades and one of the greatest pitching staffs ever assembled.

Perennial MVP candidate

But we need to put some respect on the name of the man who helped sell thousands upon thousands of videos for Tom Emanski and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times.

Crime Dog wasn’t built like a comic book character. Perhaps he was the Batman in an era of supermen. But no one can overlook McGriff now. He’s enshrined where many of those peers whose numbers were artificially enhanced cannot find a way past the gatekeepers. This is not

a moral judgment of those who allegedly or admittedly inflated their bodies and their stats. It is a recognition of a man who put up numbers that would make him great in any era.

Fred McGriff has been a Hall of Famer. It just took longer than it should have for that to be made official.

For more content about Black and brown and baseball players, go to MLBbro.com.

Next MLB commissioner? Curtis Granderson honored with Willie Horton

African American Legacy Award

By KEVIN MOORE MLBbro, Special to the AmNews

This past weekend, former Detroit Tigers star Curtis Granderson made his return to Detroit for a special honor. Granderson, president of the Players Alliance, was honored with the Willie Horton African American Legacy Award, part of the Detroit Tigers’ 21st annual Negro Leagues Weekend.

This award was created in 2009 “to honor African Americans who have strengthened the legacy of baseball in the African American community and have contributed to the rich history of the Tigers.”

For those who may not know, Willie Horton is a Tigers legend who made a positive impact in the city during his playing days and well after.

Granderson has a lot of respect for Horton and makes sure to spend time with him whenever he comes back to the city.

“The things that he would always talk about were just so cool,” Granderson told the Detroit Free Press about his time with Horton.

“Whether it was on the field, off the field, playing the game, the mental side, his stories from the Civil Rights Movement—you just are always hearing something exciting whenever you’re in his presence, so I’m so glad I got a chance to see him once already and then hopefully I get a chance to spend a little bit more time with him tomorrow.”

The city of Detroit holds a special place in Granderson’s heart. He was drafted by the Tigers with the third overall pick in the 2002 draft.

Granderson has continued to have an impact on the game in a meaningful way even since he retired. He has served as a mentor to young players who are beginning their baseball journey and holds a great responsibility in leading the Players Alliance.

“I remember being in those shoes and just being so excited…if I would have had a chance to ask certain questions to players I looked up to, what would I have wanted to ask, what would I have wanted to know that I didn’t know,” Granderson said. “Even for

parents—a lot of parents [who] are getting a chance to go through something they’ve never gone through before, so education for them and then understanding some of the challenges that this new generation is facing now.” This honor is well deserved for Granderson. He will always be a fan favorite in Detroit and he was a player who always gave his all out there on the field.

A leader during his time in Detroit

Granderson spent his first six seasons with the Tigers and was an instrumental piece of that 2006 team that made it to the World Series.

He hit .272 during those six seasons and during the 2007 season, became one of four players in MLB history to record 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in one season.

Aside from being a threat at the plate, Granderson could play a stellar centerfield. He could track down balls with the best of them and covered a lot of ground play-

ing at Comerica Park. Granderson was named an all-star in his final season with Detroit in 2009. That season, he hit 30 home runs, had 71 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

First Black MLB commissioner?

This organization will always remember the impact that Granderson made on the field and in the community.

Granderson has proven to be a leader of men and one of the most

respected people in the game. Is it far-fetched to think that he could become the first Black commissioner in MLB history after Robert Manfred’s tenure is complete? He checks all of the boxes and, most importantly, he played the game at a high level.

The future is bright for Curtis Granderson.

For more content about Black and brown baseball players, go to MLBbro.com.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 37

SPORTS

Former three-time MLB All-Star Curtis Granderson receives Willie Horton African American Legacy Award, part of Detroit Tigers’ 21st annual Negro Leagues Weekend (MLBbro.com photo) (David Grubb/MLBbro photo)

Howard University bowling team member Carys Carr named HBCU Scholar

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Last week, the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities announced its ninth cohort of HBCU Scholars. Among the students representing 29 different states and countries is Carys Carr, a rising junior from New York and member of the bowling team at Howard University.

“Considering my background and where I come from, to be selected out of over 300 overly qualified HBCU students across the nation lets me know that I’m on the right track and my achievements aren’t going unnoticed,” said Carr.

Carr first heard about HBCUs from her grandfather, a graduate of Tuskegee University who works as a teacher and basketball coach. She learned about Howard during a school trip to Washington, DC when she was in the eighth grade.

“We took a tour of Howard’s campus,” Carr recalled. “At the time, I was set on Tuskegee, but when we got to the Howard campus, it was very inviting. The night before I got my acceptance letter, I had a dream that I was graduating from Howard. I knew, ‘Yes, this is it!’”

Carr is one of this year’s 102 scholars from 70 different HBCUs. They are invited to attend the 2023 HBCU Week National Conference this September. Throughout the year, they will participate in programs, events and monthly master classes. She thrives on keeping busy and working toward her long-term goal of pursuing law school and a master’s degree in public health. “I plan on working in health policy, specifically health equity for Black women,” Carr said.

In addition to her studies in political science, minor in maternal/child health, and her HBCU Scholar activities, Carr will continue to compete on Howard’s bowling team. “In high school, one of my gym teachers was the bowling coach; she said, ‘I need you on the bowling team,’” said Carr. “I joined and we started bowling. It was really fun. The year I started, we actually got to New York State sectionals. When I got into Howard, I realized they had a bowling team, so I decided to try out and join.”

Carr enjoys being part of a team and competing in a sport. The discipline and focus required can be found in every aspect of her life. “I have class in the morning, then practice and then schoolwork,” she said. “Having a set routine, mostly from bowling, has helped push me to do better.”

Tamera Tomakili delivers moving performance in the play ‘Flex’

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

It’s a busy time for actress Tamera Tomakili, one of the stars of “Flex,” a play depicting a girls’ high school basketball team in rural Arkansas in 1998. “Flex” opened last week at the Lincoln Center Theater to enthusiastic reviews. In August, Tomakili will be seen in season two of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” on HBO, portraying a 1980 Cookie Kelly (now known to the world as Cookie Johnson), then the on-and-off girlfriend of Magic Johnson. Both roles provided an immersion into the world of hoops.

In “Flex,” Tomakili portrays the character Sidney Brown, a rising star on the basketball team who recently moved to Arkansas from Oakland, California. Her success frustrates team standout Starra Jones, played by Erica Matthews, causing Jones to do something diabolical. When it is discovered, Brown delivers deeply moving dialogue about teamwork.

“There was anxiety in that this character is very confident in her skills,” said Tomakili. “It’s not about

cockiness—it’s more than that. It’s ‘I’m here to win…but I need a team to do that. I need a community to do that. If we want to win, we’ve got to do this together.’”

Portraying Sidney’s confidence

from an acting perspective involved teamwork with her castmates, and so did mastering some of the basketball skills. While Tomakili grew up with a brother who played hoops, she did not.

“I looked at my brother after I booked this role and asked, ‘Are you going to help me with this because I don’t know what I’m doing?’” she said. “Before coming into rehearsals, it was definitely

two months of practice with my brother, working drills, learning how to be confident handling the ball…and not being afraid.”

Tomakili grew up in Los Angeles, so she was well-acquainted with the Lakers and knew about Cookie and Magic Johnson, but diving into the early phases of their relationship and the Showtime era took research and rehearsal. She appreciates the connection that she and actor Quincy Isaiah depict.

“Growing up, they were a big influence in our community,” Tomakili said. “I knew I had to pay homage and respect…For me, it was watching interviews, reading her memoir, and finding what she believed in.”

While “Winning Time” has taken some dramatic license with the storytelling, the actors do depict very real basketball games. Tomakili was on hand for some of the action.

“It was very exciting seeing the camera angles,” she said. “It was the most beautiful thing to watch these guys work and bring in the choreography and gracefully position themselves for the cameras, and also make it so alive.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS 38 July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023

Howard University bowler Carys Carr was named an HBCU Scholar by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Howard Athletics photo)

SPORTS

Actresses Erica Matthews (left) and Tamera Tomakili face off in dramatic scene in basketball-themed play “Flex,” currently at Lincoln Center Theater (Marc J. Franklin photo)

With tenuous standings, the Mets and Yankees meet ahead of trade deadline

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is next Tuesday. The Mets and Yankees are in the market but perhaps for different reasons. The Mets are likely to be sellers and the Yankees buyers.

After meeting yesterday in the second game of their second Subway Series of this season, the Mets and Yankees find themselves in disparate situations. Both teams were at the lower end of their respective divisions. The Mets were in fourth place in the National League East and the Yankees last in the American League East.

However, the Mets were 47–53 after beating the Yankees 9–3 in the Bronx on Tuesday night, 17.5 games behind the NL East Atlanta Braves. Even more reflective of their dire playoff circumstances was the Mets being seven games out of third wild-

card spot and looking up at five teams to supplant. Elevating above five teams with 61 games remaining is unlikely.

Conversely, although the Yankees were at the bottom of the AL East prior to facing the Mets last night, they were just 2.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the last American League wildcard spot. The Yankees have remained in the playoff hunt without having their best player since June 3. Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge strained ligaments in his right big toe nearly eight weeks ago. At the time of his injury the Yankees were 10 games over .500 at 35–25. They are 30–19 with him in the lineup.

The outfielder faced live pitching in a simulated game on Sunday for the first time since sustaining the injury and the Yankees are hopeful his return is imminent. It’s why they will be looking to bolster their everyday lineup which has struggled since

Judge’s departure. Reports of the Yankees acquiring the Los Angeles transcendent star Shohei Ohtani make for lively discussion but are ostensibly far fetched.

More realistic targets are the Mets’ outfielder Tommy Pham and reliever David Robertson, a former Yankee, and or Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Cody Bellinger. The San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto, an impending free-agent, could also be in play.

As for the Mets, along with Pham and Robertson, aging starters Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander could be appealing for playoff and World Series contenders. Today is Scherzer’s 39th birthday and Verlander is 40, but both future Hall of Famers are still quality pitchers that can help stabilize rotations.

The Mets open a four-game series versus the Washington Nationals today at Citi Field while the Yankees begin a three-game in Baltimore against the Orioles tomorrow.

Errol Spence and Terence Crawford set for long awaited battle

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

The long wait is over, as undefeated unified WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence will take on undefeated WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be broadcast on Showtime PPV. Spence and Crawford have been on a collision course since Crawford moved up to 147 lbs in June 2018.

Spence, who has been the IBF welterweight champion since May 2017, said he would face Crawford when he captured the

WBC and WBA titles, which he did by defeating Shawn Porter in September 2019 and Yordenis Ugás in April 2022.

Now, boxing fans have the most compelling fight in quite some time. The fight is a tossup; either boxer could emerge victorious. What would be unexpected, however, is an early knockout.

The fight is likely to be as entertaining as the first Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury clash in December 2018 or the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin bout last September. Both had boxing fans and media alike debating who won, with Wilder and Fury ending in a draw and Alvarez defeating Go-

lovkin by a 12-round decision.

On Tuesday, Japanese pugilist Naoya Inoue handed Stephen Fulton the first loss of his career, capturing the WBC and WBO junior featherweight world titles. Inoue (25–0, 22 KOs) floored Funton (21–1, 8 KOs) in the eighth round, and finished the fight in front of his home crowd in Japan. What’s next for the man nicknamed ‘The Monster?’ We will have to wait and see, but if there were any doubts about his abilities, he answered them resoundingly.

There was controversy this past Saturday in Shawnee, Oklahoma, as former unified lightweight world champion George Kambo-

sos Jr. avoided a three-fight losing streak by edging Maxi Hughes in a majority decision. Many boxing pundits and fans believed Hughes (26–6–2, 5 KOs) won and were dumbfounded by a 117–111 scorecard in favor of Kambosos (21–2, 10 KOs). The other cards read 115–113 and 114–114.

“We won the fight by many rounds,” said Kambosos Jr. “That’s no discredit to Maxi Hughes. He had a couple good rounds. But a couple good rounds don’t win you the fight. We won a majority of the rounds.

“That’s the reason we chose him,” the Australia native continued. “He was a hard test. A lot of

guys coming off losses wouldn’t want to take a test like him. This was a hard challenge.”

Hughes expressed his deep disappointment in the outcome. “I’m absolutely devastated,” he acknowledged. “Nobody thought I was supposed to be in George’s league. Tonight, I came and I showed that I should have had my hand raised.”

Hughes then pointed out why he thought he was victorious.

“I used my footwork,” he said. “I made him miss and pay. I landed the cleaner shots. I don’t want to sound like a sore loser, and I will watch it and assess it, but everyone

now

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 39 SPORTS

here knows who Maxi Hughes is.” Naoya Inoue captured the WBC and WBO junior featherweight world titles from Stephen Fulton, while Errol Spence (right) and Terence Crawford will meet in a classic welterweight matchup this Saturday in Las Vegas (Naoki Fukuda photo and Ester Lin photo) Mets outfielder Tommy Pham could be a target of several playoff contenders to acquire as next Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline approaches (Wikipedia photo) (L-R) Stephen Fulton, Naoya Inoue (L-R) Terence Crawford, Errol Spence

Jets and Giants begin training camp with high expectations

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sport Editor

The Giants began their training camp on Tuesday with renewed hopes as their most versatile and accomplished player committed to playing this season.

A little over one week after their two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley said he would consider sitting out this season after failing to reach a multi-year contract extension with the organization by the league-mandated deadline of July 17, the 26-year-old Bronx native signed the oneexclusive franchise tag the Giants placed on him this past March.

He will now play this season on the tag’s value of $10.1 million guaranteed and can make up to $11 million if he reaches incentives that reportedly entail attaining at least 1,350 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 65 receptions, and the team making the playoffs. Last season, the 6-foot, 230-pound Barkley rushed for 1,312 yards on 295 carries—both career highs—and 10 touchdowns. He had 57 receptions for 338 yards. His reception total tied him with wide receiver Richie James for team lead.

After being named the 2018 NFL Offen-

sive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler that same season, the Penn State alum earned his second Pro Bowl selection after a 2022 campaign in which his 1,650 yards from scrimmage ranked seventh in the league. Barkley is arguably the Giants player with the most utility, despite the franchise’s chief decision-makers inking quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year contract worth up to $160 million with $104 million guaranteed—more than 10 times the amount that Barkley’s deal guarantees him.

“Obviously, we are glad we were able to work things out with Saquon,” said General Manager Joe Schoen on Tuesday, as reported by Giants.com. “We all recognize the player and person Saquon is and what he means to our team. He is a good teammate, a leader, and a really good player.”

The Giants finished last season 9–7–1 and made their first playoff appearance since 2016, beating the Minnesota Vikings in a wildcard game 31–24 and losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 38–7 in the divisional round.

The Jets began their training camp last weekend with much less drama. The addition of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers has the Jets believing they possess the necessities to be a Super Bowl contender.

Daniel Jones has Saquon Barkley in fold after running back signed franchise tag on Tuesday, while Jets’ secondyear defensive back Sauce Gardner looks to replicate his stellar rookie season (Bill Moore photos)

But February 11, 2024, the date of Super Bowl LVIII (58) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, is seven months away—a long time between now and then. Their focus is on the process, embodying the cliché “one day at a time.”

“It’s always a good vibe, but when you’ve got Aaron, it’s cool—he brings a little vibe with him, too,” said Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who had swag before Rodgers’s

arrival: The dazzling second-year pro was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year a season ago after compiling 1,103 yards on 83 receptions and four touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner was even better. He earned the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and became the first rookie cornerback to make first-team All-Pro since Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott in 1981.

The persistent Liberty battle to maintain the second overall seeds

New York Liberty forward Betnijah Laney scored 19 points in her team’s 86–82 win over the Seattle Storm at the Barclays Center on Tuesday night. (New York Liberty photo)

By LORI WALLEN Special to the AmNews

The New York Liberty survived a valiant effort from the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night, defeating them 86–82 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The victory improved the Liberty to 17–5, keeping them in a tight race with the Connecticut Sun for the WNBA’s second overall seed.

The Liberty and Sun, which lead the Eastern Conference, trail the No. 1 seed Las Vegas Aces of the Western Conference. The Aces have won six in a row and are 22–2 following their 107–95 win against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday. The 18–6 Sun took down the Dallas Wings on Tuesday 88–83.

The Liberty are 3–0 versus the Storm this season after guard Sabrina Ionescu had a dominant triple double of 12 points,12 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead New York back from an 18-point

second-half deficit. They were behind 55–37 with 5:55 left in the third quarter. Afterwards, Ionescu noted she doesn’t have to put up high scoring numbers to help her team.

“Just continuing to find my teammates. You know, the ball is not always going to go in but there are so many ways to impact the game,” said the All-Star on an evening which she shot just 2–14. “We have so many pieces that contributed [and were] huge tonight.

The Storm’s Jewell Loyd put her stamp on the game early, shooting a scorching 5–8 from 3-point range on her way to 22 first half points, finishing with a gamehigh 32. Forward Breanna Stewart, one of the top candidates for the league MVP this season, and the Liberty’s leading scorer at 22.7 points per game, like Ionescu struggled in the first half against Seattle’s perimeter defense. The Storm had added size with the return to the lineup of forward Gabby Williams from an injury.

Stewart led six Liberty players that scored in double figures, including all five starters. She had 22 points while forward Betnijah

Laney added 19. Storm center Ezi Magbegor proved to be a handful for the Liberty, contributing 22 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocked shots.

On July 19, the Liberty featured Camp Day in a 98–88 matinee loss over the Dallas Wings. The arena was filled with cheering children in colorful camp tee-shirts.

“A lot of them don’t care what the score is but they watch how you react to losing, to winning, and that’s really important,” said Ionescu. “ If we can leave a good impression on one kid we’ve done our job.”

The Liberty will host the Atlanta Dream at home tonight and face the Minnesota Lynx at the Barclays tomorrow before two games against the Sparks in Los Angeles on Sunday and next Tuesday.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July 27, 2023 - August 2, 2023 • 40 AM News 01224 01254 AM News 01264 AM News 01274 AM News 01284 AM News 01294 AM News 01304 06/01/23 06/22/23 06/29/23 07/06/23 07/13/23 07/20/23 07/27/23

Sports

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones Sauce Gardner

New York Amsterdam News Issue: July 27, 2023

DIRECTORY

INDEX

International News

NEW HUB FOR ANIME IS BORN IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Int’l Afro Latin American Women’s Day: Remembering Marielle Franco

The reality in Latin America: Marielle Franco

AT CAPACITY: Mayor Adams announces 60day leave notices for asylum-seekers in city shelters, advocates disapprove

Raise your voice for stronger renter protections across the nation

Manhattan Arts Grants open for applications

Free after-school arts program for NYC high school students

Till monument is finalized by President Biden

Neglect leads to death of 6-year-old Fajr Atiya Williams

Harlem’s IFCO leads 33rd caravan to Cuba

Rikers Island 2023 death count doubles to six in deadly July

NJ schools rank No. 3 in nation

Brooklynite Leah Goodridge lays out her work as NYC planning commissioner and leading tenant rights lawyer

Rising Temps and Falling Support: State Cooling Assistance Funds Already Spent

stop thinking about owning a home?

Go With The Flo

Brooklyn bikers have fun in the sun in Crown Heights

Vigil for Shayal Johnson

Black Theater plays in Marcus Garvey Park

Nightlife

Celebrating the Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC)

Union Matters

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 2023

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Biden delivers double dose of good news

Florida’s Complex History: A Call for Inclusivity and Change

AMNEWS READERS WRITE

Cultivating the next crop of America’s farmers

Human Trafficking: An American Tradition of Silence

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

Vitamin N

Caribbean Update

Caribbean nervous about visa travel for nationals

Immigrants in ICE custody today

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IMMIGRATION KORNER

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NYC Health + Hospitals expands behavioral health workforce with 50 Peer Academy grads

IF YOU SMOKED, GET SCANNED.

Arts & Entertainment

Synchronicities create a fashion collection and opportunities in Harlem

Harlem Festival of Culture starts July 28

New in Poetry: Terrance Hayes’ double book release, Carl Phillips’ “Seven Meditations”

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July 27, 2023—August 2, 2023

New Black femme books: ‘Black Girl Autopoetics’ & ‘Temple Folk’

‘You Are the Myth’ explores African Diasporic spirituality and symbolism

Papa Lou Donaldson, G.W. Carver Museum

Asylum

Metro Briefs

New Jersey

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH SPECIALIST (Mid-Hudson Valley and Metro NY)

David L. Evans, renowned electrical engineer, and college admissions officer

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THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

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STATEWIDE ORGANIZER (Downstate New York)

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STEM NOLA: Creating future Black doctors, engineers, scientists

White House 2023 HBCU Scholars include students from NY/NJ

DJ Envy set to headline HBCU New York Classic after-party

Florida’s History

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Marielle Franco

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Remembering Tony Bennett

A new development in the murder of Malcolm X

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