New York Amsterdam News Issue #30 July 28-August 3, 2022

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Vol. 113 No. 30 | July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW BLACK VIEW

SCHOOL FUNDS FIASCO

©2022 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City

Downed mansion tears up Bed-Stuy community (See story on page 3)

JUDGE UPHOLDS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST NYC BUDGET CUTS TO SCHOOLS (See story on page 28)

(Assembly Woman Stefani Zinerman photo)

Harlem hosts gun safety forum (See story on page 3)

(Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office)

Activists and graduates celebrated at ENY Paint Your Blessings (See story on page 28)

(Ariama C. Long photo)

(Lem Peterkin photo)

2 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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INDEX Arts & Entertainment ���������������� Page 17 » Astro/Numerology �������������������Page 20 » Travel ����������������������������������������� Page 21 » Jazz ��������������������������������������������Page 24 Caribbean Update ���������������������� Page 14 Career/Business �������������������������Page 32 Classified ������������������������������������� Page 33 Editorial/Opinion ��������������������Pages 12,13 Education ������������������������������������ Page 28 Go with the Flo ����������������������������Page 8 Health ������������������������������������������� Page 30 In the Classroom ����������������������� Page 25 Nightlife ������������������������������������������Page 9 Religion & Spirituality �������������������Page 16 Sports �������������������������������������������Page 40 Union Matters ������������������������������� Page 10 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS INFORMATION U.S. Territories & Canada weekly subscriptions: 1 year $49.99 2 Years $79.99 6 months $30.00 Foreign subscriptions: 1 year $59.99 2 Years $89.99 6 Months $40.00

By Ariama C. Long Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez released legislation last week aimed at decolonizing Puerto Rico called the Puerto Rico Status Act. There is a long history of Puerto Ricans migrating to New York City, and to this day, the city still “has the largest Puerto Rican population of any city in the world.” The looming question of chasing statehood versus maintaining territory status has come up time and again over the decades for Puerto Ricans both on the island and back in the states.

“We’re here today because we have a moral obligation to decolonize Puerto Rico,” said Velázquez in an address. “This is a human rights issue because the current status is unsustainable and unfair.”

A brief history of the island tells us that the native people of Puerto Rico were under colonial Spanish rule for centuries after being invaded by Christopher Columbus in 1493. In the 16th century the Spanish violently imported and enslaved Africans on the island so that they could produce cash crops such as sugar cane, ginger, tobacco and coffee. By 1868 there

nine months of “extremely difficult” negotiations, she said. The bill clearly defines the island’s non-territory status options towards statehood, independence, and free association. Puerto Ricans will be able to vote on which.

“I’m a proud Puerto Rican woman, born and raised here in the Lower East Side. Much of my family is still on the island so the status of Puerto Rico is personal to me as it is to so many New Yorkers. Sometimes they call Puerto Rico the 6th borough,” said Councilmember Carlina Rivera. “I support anything that gives the Puerto Rican people on the island autonFree Pexel Stock Image. By Jo Kassis omy over their future. Any deciwere waves of rebellious uprisings Basically, the only thing they can’t sion over their status should be against the Spanish that didn’t do is vote for the president, said theirs and theirs alone. I think come to bear. During the Span- History.com. most Boricuas you talk to would ish-American War in 1898, the U.S. “From the very beginning, I agree with that,” continued Rivera invaded Puerto Rico and it soon was very clear with all the par- about decolonization options. after became a territory, said His- ties at the table that we needed tory.com. to listen to Puerto Ricans and pay Ariama C. Long is a Report for The U.S. congress passed the close attention to their feedback. America corps member and writes Jones-Shafroth Act in 1917, giving There cannot be a true decoloni- about culture and politics in New all Puerto Ricans citizenship and zation process without the voices York City for The Amsterdam News. made men eligible for the military of Puerto Ricans being front and Your donation to match our RFA draft. As a result, about 18,000 is- center,” said Velázquez. “After all it grant helps keep her writing stolanders were drafted into World will be up to them to choose the ries like this one; please consider War I. It wasn’t until after WWII decolonization option that they making a tax-deductible gift of any that Puerto Rico became a self- deem best.” amount today by visiting: https:// governing U.S. commonwealth.

Velázquez’s bill, HR8393, took tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

International UNSOLVED CASES OF POLICE BRUTALITY ON THE RISE IN KENYA (GIN)––For Kenyans who waited six years and one month for justice, a Nairobi court finally handed them a decision––finding three police officers guilty in the kidnapping and murder of a human rights lawyer, his client and their taxi driver––all of whom disappeared after being locked up at a police station.

The mutilated bodies of Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendi and the driver Joseph Muiruri were found two weeks after their disappearance in June 2016. They had reportedly been taken to an open field at night, executed and dumped in a river.

The public outcry that followed the discovery of their tortured bodies rekindled public interest in addressing the issue. The case highlighted the many extrajudicial killings and disappearances that have been linked to the Kenyan police.

When he was abducted, Kimani had been working for the Washington, D.C.-based International Justice Mission, a global organization that combats trafficking and slavery, vi-

olence against women and children and police abuse of power. At the time he was representing Mwenda who accused policeman Fredrick Leliman––one of the three officers found guilty––of shooting him for no reason at a traffic stop in 2015.

After the court ruling, Kimani’s wife Hannah spoke of six difficult years waiting for a decision. “I would like to say that us getting justice today offers a source of comfort to our hearts,” she said. “Although it may not bring Willie Kimani back, it may bring comfort to our hearts.”

Benson Shamala, the Kenya director of the International Justice Mission where Kimani worked, said: “No one should go through what our friends...went through and especially from the very people mandated to protect them.”

Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has received and processed 20,979 complaints in the 11 years since it was established, but only 3,437 investigations have been completed. By the end of last year, there had been 17 convictions and 141 cases filed before courts, the

News

Guardian newspaper reported.

When the murder of George Floyd sparked global uprisings against police violence, Kenyans also mounted greater public demands for accountability through grassroots organizing and a series of anti-police-brutality demonstrations. However, these protests have not been met with fewer killings or a significant change in police operations.

In 2020, police killed or abducted 167 people, according to Missing Voices Kenya, a consortium of human rights groups tracking extrajudicial killings. They wrote in their annual report of 2020: “When confronted with human rights reports or media accounts, Kenyan authorities continue to either deny or dismiss the existence of what appears to be a government policy on enforced disappearances and police killings,” “We want to honor every life, but there are so many [killings],” said Wangui Kimari, an urban ethnographer who co-founded a social justice center in Mathare. “They become blurred in your mind because there are so many. Some we don’t even an-

nounce because it just happens so fast.”

Kenyans have also turned to cell phone videos to record police violence and many can now be seen on YouTube.

Sentencing of the three officers and a police informer will be announced at a later date.

IVORIAN PARLIAMENT TO RECONSIDER POLYGAMY IN A SETBACK FOR WOMEN’S EQUALITY (GIN)––A bill before parliament in the Ivory Coast would upend monogamy and restore polygamy––a marriage that includes one husband and at least two wives. Outraged women’s groups call it a return to inequality.

The move mirrors setbacks around the world including the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Roe vs Wade. The bill, proposed by Yacouba Sangare of the ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace, would acknowledge a practice still widespread across the country and therefore, he says, one that should be legally permitted.

“Men have multiple wives and See INTERNATIONAL on page 26

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Harlem hosts gun safety forum

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews The upsurge in violence during the pandemic throughout the past couple years has caused concern for many of New York City’s citizens. Due to this fact, the “Fitness, Fuel and Fire” outfit sponsored a very informative gun safety forum at Harlem’s Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building (163 W. 125th St.) this past Friday evening where five expert panelists discussed the topic. Legal ownership and proper training of firearms was the main theme.

“I want to train Black people, so they can also teach their children,” stated Kwasi Asante, a firearm in(Mal’akiy 17 Allah photo) structor and competition shooter. He added that Black people The U.S. Constitution grants all cit- arms in self-defense,” informed should be prepared for any po- izens the legal right to possess guns. sister Julia Jenkins from the tential enemies because “we only “There is a 2nd Amendment Bronx’s Legal Aid Society, who make up 13% of the population.” right, since 2008, for us to bear See HARLEM on page 6

Subway arson/murder convictions overturned

By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Vincent “Vince” Ellerbe, James Irons, and Thomas “Tommy” Malik will be cleared for the 1995 arson murder of Harry P. Kaufman after Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez moved to vacate the convictions earlier this month.

The trio was sentenced to 25 years to life, with Ellerbe paroled in 2020.

Irons and Malik were released last Friday.

On Nov. 26, 1995, two men killed the subway token booth attendant Kaufman in a Bed-Stuy station while he was putting in overtime hours to save up for his son’s future

college costs. Irons was accused of serving as the killers’ lookout and pressed by detectives to implicate Ellerbe and Malik. The three “confessed” and were subsequently convicted. But Gonzalez’s Conviction Review Unit found a “myriad factual contradictions between the confessions and the evidence recovered at the scene” during the initial case.

“The horrific murder of Harry Kaufman shocked our city and devastated a loving family, but the findings of an exhaustive, years long reinvestigation of this case leave us unable to stand by the convictions of those charged,” said Gonzalez in a statement. “Above all, my obligation is to do justice,

and because of the serious problems with the evidence on which these convictions are based, we must move to vacate them and acknowledge the harm done to these men by this failure of our system.

My heart aches for the Kaufman family and my office remains resolute in our commitment to seek justice for victims, while ensuring fairness to all.”

The review says lead detectives Louis Scarcella and Stephen Chmil fed Irons information for his confession while a key witness who identified Malik was previously convinced another pair of suspects were the killers. And significant details of the trio’s confessions were See FIRE on page 26

Downed mansion tears up Bed-Stuy community

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member The Bed-Stuy community is heartbroken after a mansion was viciously torn down last week by developers.

Local electeds and leaders were fervently racing against the clock to get the “beloved” building landmarked, but were unsuccessful.

Brooklyn Councilmember Chi Ossé, Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman, and members of the Willoughby Nostrand Marcy Block Association were heavily involved in the fight to save the mansion. They were as equally distraught as passersby that saw the building torn into

with a giant wrecking ball and excavator last Thursday, July 21.

“I’m definitely disturbed by the process that led to this point,” said Ossé, “especially the unacceptable lack of transparency and community input from these developers.

Tomer Erlich in particular. BedStuy has an important history to preserve.”

Ossé said that there is of course a housing crisis that necessitates building, but he condemned the “shady tactics” that developers used in this case.

The over 120-year-old French gothic revival mansion was located at 441 Willoughby Avenue, on the corner of Nostrand Avenue,

in Brooklyn. It had been owned since 1967 by the Free Masons of New York United Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, which is a Black, Christian non profit organization that contributes to the NAACP, The Deborah Heart Foundation, The Sickle Cell Anemia Fund, and Save the Children of Somalia Foundation, as well as various other causes.

The masonic organization reportedly had a $2.3 million lien on the property, and they ultimately decided to sell to real estate developer Tomer Erlich for about $1.5 million. Erlich has been erecting residential buildings across See MANSION on page 32

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 3

MetroBriefs Metro Briefs Educators call on Chancellor Banks to provide an update on the Mosaic curriculum During the last several months, more than 800 New York City educators have signed a petition calling on Chancellor David Banks to provide an update on the Mosaic curriculum. Mosaic is a universal, culturally relevant curriculum that former Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to create and spend more than $200 million on in the summer of 2021. Despite being a full year later, the Department of Education hasn’t released plans on how Mosaic will be implemented in schools, how the $200 million is going to be spent, or how teacher input will be incorporated.

Educators cite the lack of a long-term plan as a key issue when it comes to the curriculum’s implementation.

“We signed the petition because we want to see a long-term plan,” said Sytricia Mears, an elementary school teacher in Queens. “It’s encouraging to see that New York City announced an Asian American studies curriculum several months ago, but releasing the program in chunks that are divided by ethnicity and race undercuts the curriculum’s supposed universality, and the spontaneous decisions add unnecessary difficulty for teachers.”

Educators also cite the lack of spending transparency as an issue. They say that $200 million is a large amount of money, and every day that the money goes unspent, students pay the price.

“A list of books to read or a guide of resources isn’t enough when we’re talking about $200 million,” said Tresha Mason, a paraprofessional in Queens. “When we say we are going to spend $200 million on a universal, culturally relevant curriculum, we should expect a high-quality product and curriculum for our students.”

City hosts resource fair for local homeowners Local homeowners, City housing officials, Brooklyn-based housing organizations from the Homeowner Help Desk initiative, HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr., and local elected leaders State Sen. Jabari Brisport and State Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman took part in a homeowner resource fair to share information and resources to protect and maintain homeownership. The event took place Wednesday, July 27 and was co-hosted by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Buildings, and New York City Department of Finance.

The Adams administration’s recommitment to homeownership comes amidst a 20-year decline in the homeownership rate among Black New Yorkers, exacerbated by the 2008 foreclosure crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeowners can contact the Help Desk for information and oneon-one support to help with rising housing costs and to fight against real estate speculation, deed scams, and fraud. The Help Desk partnership is an initiative piloted in Central Brooklyn, Southeast Queens, and the North Bronx to support homeowners facing the greatest risk of displacement.

Adams announces $1.5 million investment in NYC Small Business Resource Network Mayor Eric Adams has announced a $1.5 million investment in the NYC Small Business Resource Network (SBRN), a nonprofit initiative that was launched in 2020 to help NYC’s small businesses bounce back from pandemic-related challenges.

City Hall’s investment will enable the SBRN to continue providing local businesses with free grant and loan application support, marketing assistance, business strategy, accounting and legal services, and digital tools through 2023.

To date, the SBRN has connected more than 10,000 small businesses with grants, loans, and marketing tools—76% of which are minority- or women-owned. New York City has the highest proportion of minorityowned businesses of any major U.S. city.

The SBRN was launched as a public-private partnership between the NYCEDC, the Partnership Fund for New York City, the five borough chambers of commerce, and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

See METRO BRIEFS on page 26

4 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Is there a subpoena, Virginia?

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Sleeping with the enemy has never been a problem for Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, since they apparently share some of the same dreams, nor is Mrs. Thomas immune to shifting from one cult to another. And these shifts and her correspondence with elected officials pushing fake electors may get her subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 House select committee.

Her background and history of being in and out of cults is part of the public record, beginning in the 1980s with her membership in Lifespring that expressed “human potential” and was accused of unsavory practices after several trainees died. Eventually, she left the group charging that it had pushed her away from her loved ones.

An anti-cult activist phase was the next stop for her and now she is reportedly aligned with QAnon, which has promoted a number of conspiracy theories and this brings her back into the cult sphere.

According to one report, Mrs. Thomas was deprogrammed after leaving Lifespring, but perhaps not sufficient enough, given a round of fresh allegations. Some of the charges about her connection to conspiracy theories dovetail with

her possibly being called to testify to the select committee and subpoenaed if she refuses.

Last Sunday when Rep. Liz Cheney, (R-Wyo), vice chair of the committee, appeared on “State of Union,” the show’s host Jake Tapper said, Mrs. Thomas was in constant contact with former White House chief of Staff Mark Meadows and John Eastman, Trump’s lawyer “who was pushing this deranged theory,” he said, about plans to keep Trump in power.

“She was writing to them about efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, not to mention her correspondence with Arizona lawmakers pushing fake electors,” Tapper added.

“Is your committee planning on talking to Ginni Thomas, even though her lawyer has expressed a reluctance to cooperate?”

Cheney replied, “We certainly hope that she will agree to come in voluntarily. But the committee is fully prepared to contemplate a subpoena if she does not. I hope it doesn’t get to that.”

Back in June, Mrs. Thomas said she couldn’t wait to speak to the committee and was eager to “clear up misconceptions” about her communications with Meadows and Eastman.

Later, her lawyer Mark Paoletta, requested more information and why her testimony was necessary, adding that her testimony would only serve as more “baseless harassment she has been subjected to since Jan. 6,” including the death threats the couple has experienced.

NewJerseyNews Youth win $10k in scholarships during NAACP’s Atlantic City convention Some 40 NAACP youth members were presented with $10,000 scholarships during last week’s NAACP’s 113th Convention in Atlantic City, N.J. The students were winners of the Lancôme Write Her Future Scholarship Fund which focuses on empowering women through literacy and education, as well as mentoring and entrepreneurship opportunities. Oscar award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, who serves as the ambassadress for Lancôme, presented the scholarships to the award winners during the (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) National Competition and Ceremonies in Atlantic City as part of the NAACP’s convention.

Lancôme and Nyong’o announced the NAACP partnership in September 2021, to help bring equity to education and encourage career development in the United States. The award ceremony represented the culmination of the first year of the part-

nership, for which the brand has pledged to donate $2 million by 2025.

“Since I was a child, I have always had big dreams, and my education has played a huge part in helping me realize them,” Nyong’o said during the ceremony. “I’ve always loved learning and I believe that learners change the world. I am so thrilled to join Lancôme, on behalf of their Write Her Future Scholarship Fund, to award this incredible group of women with these game-changing scholarships.”

ACT-SO is a year-long program targeted at high school students across that country that promotes their growth in disciplines ranging from visual arts and business to performing and culinary arts and provides scholarship opportunities. The NAACP national ACT-SO program, founded by Vernon Jarrett in 1978, has been serving communities throughout the United States for 45 years, touching over 300,000 students.

Stigma Free Englewood will be hosting a town hall meeting featuring former professional baseball right fielder and author Darryl Strawberry. During his 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, Darryl Strawberry won a World Series championship in 1986 with the New York Mets and won three World Series championships in 1996, 1998 and 1999 with the New York Yankees. But while Strawberry was extremely successful in his career, his personal life was plagued with addictions, abuse, divorces, cancer, jail-time and other issues. Strawberry will speak about his triumphs during this free town hall meeting event on Monday, Oct.

24, 2022, at 7 p.m. The event will take place at Dwight Morrow High School’s Dizzy Gillespie Auditorium, 274 Knickerbocker Road, Englewood, NJ 07631. Tickets are free and are required for entry: visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ stigma-free-town-hall-tickets-371178092667 or call 201-5683450 X.523. Registration opens Aug. 1. Ticket numbers will be entered in door prize raffles.

The Stigma Free Initiative is a program of the Division of Mental Health, at the Bergen County Department of Health Services in Hackensack. Englewood’s City Council passed a resolution designating Englewood a Stigma Free Community in July 2015

The diverse women leading the pack in NY10 congressional race Stigma Free Englewood presents MLB legend Darryl Strawberry

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

Women are leading from the front in the race to elect a new congress member for newly configured Congressional District 10, redistricted after the 2020 Census. According to recent polling, Councilmember Carlina Rivera and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou were the two most likely to take the race among a crowded field of candidates.

Others running include Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, lawyer Daniel Goldman, former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman, and Maud Maron. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio unceremoniously left the congressional race in District 10 last week.

The district now covers parts of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan in predominantly Asian, Latino, and an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. The seat was held by incumbent U.S. Rep Jerry Nadler.

Rivera said she’s excited that the campaign has momentum but the only polls that really matter are on Election Day. “I’m connected to the district, this is where my roots are. I’m running for Con-

gress to continue representing the communities that raised me and to help build a city that everyone can see themselves in,” said Rivera about why she’s running.

Rivera was born and raised in what’s now District 10 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She grew up in Section 8 housing with a single mother who emigrated from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn. She’s been a council member since 2018 and has passed 24 laws, including the country’s first municipal abortion access fund.

Rivera said the main issues she’s concentrating on are housing, fully federally funding NYCHA, health care and an equitable COVID recovery, treating gun violence as a public health crisis, and transportation. Especially, since parts of downtown are prone to flooding and the effects of climate change, she said.

“People know me for being a hard working person that gets things done because I Iove these communities and this city,” said Rivera.

Niou, who was shadowing right behind Rivera in the polls, has been representing the 65th Assembly District for the last six years.

Her assembly district is now completely

—Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo See NY 10 CONGRESSIONAL RACE on page 29

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 5

Shawn Mason leads the Brooklyn Long Island Kappa League in influential ways

By ZOE ROSE Special to the AmNews The Brooklyn Long Island Kappa League is a program for young men of color in grades 6th through 12th that aims to provide leadership, educational, and careerready skills that ensure success.

Shawn Mason provides insight and knowledge for the participants of the Brooklyn Long Island Kappa League as he serves as the ‘Guide Right’ chairman and advisor. He emphasizes the importance of education and the value of being a great leader in one’s community as well.

Mason is a 25-year certified New York City Department of Education teacher, as well as a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He’s from the Southside of Jamaica, Queens and described his time growing up as one that has driven the passion behind the work and service he continues to do today. Mason shared how some of the setbacks he was faced

with growing up pushed his Shawn Mason (Courtesy of Shawn Mason) limits, reminding him that there is nothing he cannot accomplish. “Not allowing childhood poverty, abuse, and the struggles of everyday life to bind me mentally, and understanding that I have a purpose in this world, and staying true to who I am, has reminded me that there’s nothing I cannot accomplish, and I get that faith, strength, courage, and wisdom from my mother and grandmother, who always instilled that in me,” said Mason.

Mason has been a great New Yorker leader in his community with his involvement in the BLI ties that allow them to get familiar Kappa League, as he expressed, “I with vital subjects of success, such have a passion for leadership de- as college prep, financial literacy, velopment when it comes to help- STEM, and various community ing young men, in making sure service initiatives. One of the main that they have the tools and skills targets of this program is prioritiznecessary to be successful.” The ing men’s success through activiBLI Kappa League provides young ties and opportunities that aim men with a plethora of opportuni- to give them the ability to explore

Black

the many career paths they wish to pursue. This prepares them for what Mason calls “career readiness” which is an essential aspect to preparing them for life post-grad and beyond. “I make sure my kids are civically engaged in various ways, like making sure that they are constantly involved in community service, the college tours, and the innovation panels we hold,” explained Mason.

This past month, on June 12, The Brooklyn Long Island Kappa League held their college signing ceremony, where several young men were highlighted for their academic successes and accomplishments. Among some of the scholarships and awards given was the Oprah Winfrey Scholar award, which looks for someone who embodies the true values that the BLI Kappa League possesses.

Jalen Williams is the recipient of

the Oprah Winfrey scholarship to Morehouse College which means his college education is paid for a full four years due to his participation and civic engagement in the program. “This young man embodies what the Kappa League represents—he is the ultimate example of what I continue to hope the Kappa League can continue to provide for these young men,” expressed Mason.

The devotion Shawn Mason puts forth in his work will lead him and the BLI Kappa League to all of the great successes it’s destined for. Mason’s ultimate hope for the League would be to eventually be able to provide every one of these young men with scholarships, and most importantly to witness them excel in whatever profession they embark upon in life. “To see each of these young men be successful in their various career fields and that they are in turn now giving back and investing back in their communities would be my ultimate hope,” he concluded.

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6 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Central Park Five become the Exonerated Six

By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member The “Central Park Five’’ was once six. Steven Lopez never found himself portrayed as a main character in a Ken Burns documentary or an Oprah Winfrey Network series. But he too was arrested and indicted in his youth for the rape and attempted murder of white jogger Trisha Meili alongside his famous quintent of Black and brown teen co-defendants back in 1989.

While the others were wrongfully convicted of the crime and vindicated in 2002, Lopez pled guilty to the lesser charge of robbing another victim on that fateful night to avoid the rape case and remained on the hook for the bargain up until this week.

On a stormy Monday morning, Judge Ellen N. Biben granted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s motion to vacate Lopez’s conviction and dismiss the indictment.

“This matter cast a long shadow over our criminal justice system for a long time,” said Bragg. “Today, we take a step forward, but I think we should not forget, one of the main pillars of our Post-Conviction Justice Unit is applying forward lessons.

So we’ve got this specific of Mr. Lopez’s conviction, but we also have [to generally look] at things like how people are questioned that result in false confessions, or DNA analysis and forensics— looking at that and applying those lessons going forward is very important.”

Now in the history books, the “Central Park Five” case remains

Harlem Continued from page 3

wrote the amicus brief which overturned New York’s gun law.

She also mentioned that being convicted of gun possession is a “Class C violent felony, carrying a three-year minimum sentence.

What we’re seeing in New York is that people are being aggressively prosecuted for mere possession of a firearm.”

She added how gun suspects “receive high bails,” and that convictions “cause discrimination in education, employment and housing” opportunities, and also devas-

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announces Steven Lopez’s exoneration with Eric Renfroe (right) and Terri Rosenblatt (left) (Manhattan District Attorney’s Office photo)

one of the most egregious examples of racist, racial profiling by the criminal justice system and media sensationalization by nonBlack news organizations in New York City history. Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise were pressured into confessions by police and vilified by journalists, who referred to the teens, none older than 16, as a “wolf pack” and “roving gang” while misconstruing the African American Vernacular English term “wilding” to define violent crime waves. Turns out, there was no “pack” or “gang” at all, with con-

victed serial rapist Matias Reyes confessing to the actual crime in 2002. Over a decade later, the City of New York settled with the now “Exonerated Five” for $41 million.

But as Lopez’s recent exculpation shows, justice is still a work in progress for the damage done by the infamous trial. According to his lawyer Eric Renfroe, he served roughly four years in prison, close to his maximum sentence. While Lopez will never regain the lost time, overturning the conviction makes the 48-year-old’s life easier.

“The collateral consequences of a conviction are many,” said Bragg.

“Even though the laws have changed

somewhat in recent years, and even though we’ve got a state law prohibiting reflexive discrimination based on criminal history record, we all know from the statistics of the job application process that the effects of having a conviction on employment are significant.”

The overturned conviction is the work of Bragg’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit. Announced back in April and headed by Terri Rosenblatt, the taskforce overlooks former cases from the Manhattan DA’s Office that require a second glance.

As for Lopez, he’s happy to stay the “forgotten” sixth member of the “Central Park Five,” as Ren-

froe repeatedly maintained the newly exonerated man wanted his privacy. He declined to speak as he left the court, aside from a brief “thank you” to Judge Biben.

Little more needs to be said than the simple message Bragg recalls hearing from Lopez’s lawyer: he got his name back.

tate household compositions.

Firearms instructor, Gabriella Muhammad, suggested training children by “dry firing” (guns without bullets) so they become acquainted with handling guns at an early age, and not be intimidated by them, then “advancing to live ammo as they mature.”

Attorney Robert Schecter commented about a recent court ruling: “In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court said that if you’re going to evaluate laws against the 2nd Amendment, we have to look at them in the lens of its tradition, which meant, if you pass a law, it had to be in effect in 1776, which means most, if not all, gun regulation laws would be un-

constitutional.”

He added that gun carrying permits are only given in specific cases, like “if you are able to establish some special need greater than the general public [business owners or security] and the people in your neighborhood. The people in power wanted to limit who could [legally] get guns.”

He also mentioned the process those previously convicted for crimes have to go through in order to have their rights restored, and that they must file a Certificate of Relief from Disability.

“If you’ve been convicted of one or less felonies [misdemeanors], and you were not sent to state

prison, you can go to the courts,” he noted. “If you were sentenced to state prison, you have to apply at the department of corrections [to restore your rights].”

Moderator Batim Asante urged, “We’re gonna have to use proper language [in court]. You can’t be denied that, and once you have that in hand, along with the disposition that comes with it, you should be on the road [to getting your rights restored].”

For those denied a gun permit, attorney Schecter suggested, “Go to court and file a Supreme Court action called an ‘Article 78 action,’ which you have less than a 50% chance there. You can apply for a

Certificate of Civil Disposition in the courts.”

Asante suggested people read a sheet of paper he made available from “an extraordinary session in the senate, cause it will tell you all the new, absurd, Draconian laws that they implemented,” regarding gun rights.

He added, “For the majority, women can get their gun permits [easier than men] cause they really don’t get into too many problems with the law, so you’re in a wonderful position. I encourage every woman in here [to get their gun permits].

This is not just a feel-good meeting about firearms. Be proactive to take advantage of this conversation.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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What would you like the power to do?® Learn more at bankofamerica.com/metroNY Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC © 2022 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 7

8 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

Go With The Flo

FLO

ANTHONY Donald Glover was spotted walking through SoHo in New York City, shirtless and wearing little tiny shorts on July 24, trying to beat the heat. After waiting almost four years between seasons 2 and 3, his show, FX’s “Atlanta,” will now release seasons 3 and 4 in a few months.

The Disney-owned cable network has set a September 2022 premiere for the fourth and final season of Glover’s Emmy-winning series. The premiere will take place around four months after the last episode of season 3 aired May 10.

experiences.

Power couple Jean Shafiroff and Martin Shafiroff will once again cochair the Southampton African American Museum’s Summer Benefit to be held July 18 at Blu Mar in Southampton, New York.

They will chair the soiree along with Aisha Christian and Martin Steifman. Last year’s event was a soldout affair and boasted a sophisticated group of supporters including public officials, business leaders, celebrities and those who wanted to show their inAccording to mul- terest in supporttiple outlets, Breana ing the museum.

(Bre) Tiesi gave birth For further inforto her first child with mation go to www.

Nick Cannon. The saamuseum.org. baby boy, whose name is LegendGrammy awardary, is “The Masked winning Gospel Singer” host’s eighth superstar Tamela child with four dif- Mann released her ferent women, in- latest album “Overcluding superstar comer: Deluxe Mariah Carey. Tiesi Edition,” across posted on Insta- all major digital gram, “I did it…an streaming platall natural unmed- forms on July 22. icated home birth. The new version This was the most of her critically humbling pushing acclaimed album yet awakening and “Overcomer” feacompletely empow- tures both reimagering experience. I ined renditions of can’t thank my team fan favorites and enough for deliver- all-new music, ining my son safely.” cluding the newly The model added, released streaming “The Vlog of his single, “Superhebirth is now live on roes Prayer” featur[my] YouTube,” so ing Yolanda Adams the fans can follow and a new live veralong on the journey sion of “Finished,” of her pregnancy, which hit gospel labor and midwife radio on July 25.

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

E

F

L O

Moshood annual fashion show to celebrate ‘culture, fashion and community’

Moshood and customers (Nayaba Arinde photo)

By NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor Culture, fashion and community will be on the scene at Bed-Stuy’s Restoration Plaza on Sunday, July 31, as renowned designer Moshood Afariogun celebrates 28 years of embracing, “Having your style, your Afrikan-inspired clothes showing who you are.”

He told the Amsterdam News, “Wear Moshood, wear yourself. We have for 28 years enjoyed sharing our art and fashion with our very loyal customers—who are now our friends, family and community. An outfit by Moshood is an expression of culture. More than fashion, we say that it is wearing your spirituality and honoring our ancestors.”

Walking into the central Brooklyn store is like walking into a family living room as at any time of opening hours there can be a gathering of folk meeting and greeting, talking, sharing a snack, picking up orders, shopping amongst the loaded racks of brand new or favorite designs. Customized outfits, watches, shoes, masks, bags and coats.

In spite of the impact he has had for decades on the New York community, Moshood is a shy, introverted icon, who does not like giving press, and yet in his store he is the happy, always gregarious, genius entrepreneur, designer and fashion creative from Nigeria to Bed-Stuy. His customers come from all over the world, and all across the pop culture panorama, political and celebrity spectrum.

Teachers, union leaders, politicians, actors, activists, essential workers, everyday people, fellow designers and artists…wear Moshood. Loyal customers travel from all over the tri-state and beyond, for that wedding, graduation, reunion, special occasion, custommade or off his rails outfits.

The annual fashion show will bring out the essence that has made Moshood a popular Brooklyn-based, Afrikan-diaspora-inspired staple. Moshood is!

The event kicks off from 3-8 p.m., with showtime at 6 p.m., at Restoration Plaza, 1360 Fulton Street (between New York and Brooklyn Avenues), BedStuy, Brooklyn.

Tremaine Wright (Bill Moore photo)

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O U T & A B

Harlem celebrates the life of Darius Lee Harlem United Neighborhood Community (HUNC) hosted a Celebrate the Life of Darius Lee event for family and friends.

Lee, 21, a dedicated student, basketball phenom and popular son of Harlem was killed in crossfire in a still-unsolved fatal shooting at a Father’s Day/Juneteenth cookout, on June19th/20th morning. His mother, Taren Weaver, family and friends celebrated his life at a basket(Bill Moore photos)

ball game. Darius played ball at Houston Baptist University where he was to graduate in December with a bachelors in sports management. His honors at Houston were Most Valuable Player, All- American and Player of the Year, to name a few.

Teams White and Gray were coached by Rapper Mysonne and Michelle Smalls. At the games’ end they released balloons in his honor.

O

U

T

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 9

Nightlife Comedy GOATs: Chappelle, Rock, Hart, and an actual goat Written by David Goodson

Love going to Madison Square Garden!!! Well, except in the summer.

Here’s why…there was a scene in the film “American Gangster” where the lead character arrives to the Ali vs Frazier: Fight of The Century with a floor length mink with the matching fur Stetson hat, cocked to the left.

Growing up I personally saw brothers put on their finest when going to that arena and vowed when I go there, I too was gonna be RIGHT!! So yeah, while it was a little uncomfortable in 95-degree weather out came my version of the fur coat/hat combo because Prime Time Saturday night, I was headed to Madison Square Garden for what was surely going to be a special evening: HEADLINERS ONLY: Rock/Hart On the floor, stage right 26th row, let’s GO!!

So, who’s going to close, the hometown hero from Brooklyn in Chris Rock or the multi-uber mogul about to take the nation by storm in Kevin Hart? After about a half hour wait the lights dim and the speculation as to who was going to open was about to be answered and to the delight of a house that was about ¾ capacity we get the Black, capital C shrouded in red and green. That familiar looking logo belonged to the actual “Closer,” Dave Chappelle. Mistake maybe? Guest host? Nahh, we getting a set. Chappelle’s appearance at MSG comes days after his show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota earlier in the week. The venue issued the following statement “To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you and we are sorry,” the statement begins. “We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave. is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls.” While the show was moved to another venue called the Varsity Theater, a true message was sent.

Their loss was truly our gain. You can tell Dave was fueled.

So now that the bar was set, who next?

Old-school hip hop fans knew as soon as we heard the strains of the classic breakbeat “UFO” from the group ESG. Soon after the beat dropped, verbal bombs dropped. The state of the world and personal trials, tribulations and accolades provided enough fodder to remind people that he is one the generation’s best and he didn’t even have to mention the incident that had him

thrust in the headlines. “I took it and was back to work the next DAY,” was how he addressed it. Period end of story! In typical Rock fashion he’ll issue a zinger that SOMEONE in the audiences will wilt! “I can walk into any place and identify who’s the hardest worker there, because nobody works harder than a short, Black man,” was the line he used to introduce Kevin Hart, but I had to stop mid laugh as I realized I had to work a double the next day. 12th row seats though, so who’s complaining.

Hart, too, was in rare form but real talk it wasn’t about what he was saying. At the end of the night Kevin provided what we expected at a Madison Square Garden performance.

He summoned his peers onstage and gifted a gold chained wearing goat to gift Chris Rock. He explained in detail on “The Jimmy Fallon Show,” “Chris is a mentor, friend, inspiration, but he’s a large part of the reason I am where I am today in my career, just from his advice, his insight, et cetera, and he’s my GOAT. Like, he’s my guy and I wanted him to feel that and experience the world of understanding of how I feel about him in front of that audience. So, I gave him the goat and said please give my guy his flowers.”

Dave also shared some memories and plaudits for Chris and both he and Kevin deduced that Rock is “an old fill in the blank.”

Chappelle, perhaps after a few sips from Gran Coramino, the new Tequila brand founded by Hart, took a few minutes to speak on their camaraderie before the crowd dispersed. “Tonight, being with these guys means the world to me,” he said. “They try to cancel people, but you have to understand something: I’ve been doing this for 35 years. Comedians, we go to their birthday parties, we go to their weddings, we go to their baby showers, we go to each other’s funerals.

These men and women that do standup comedy have a culture that would be very hard for you to understand. I’ve said it before, each and every one of you, no matter what you believe, has a champion in our room and we would never silence each other. And when my brothers call me, I come running.”

Wise somewhat sober words on what was one of the nights where 100,000 people are going to stretch the truth and claim to be in a 25,000seat arena, I was in the house front row center.

Over and out. Hola next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.

10 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Union Matters

Trader Joe’s is up against a union vote, and managers aren’t happy

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Special to the AmNews

Everyone’s favorite store, Trader Joe’s, is facing a unionization push—and it seems some managers are not happy with this fact.

With the possibility of a union being formed in the chain-store’s Hadley, Massachusetts location, there are reports that employees are being pulled aside and specifically asked by supervisors to vote against the quickly forming Trader Joe’s United.

Trader Joe’s United is currently a startup association—they are working with pro bono labor lawyers to put their organization together legally. In an open letter to the company CEO Dan Bane, the organizers wrote: “Two years ago, in March of 2020, you mailed a letter to our homes. In this letter, you argued against unionization, asserting that unions were attempting to ‘drive discontent’ in our stores, and that unions were falsely ‘claiming only joining [a] union will protect the pay and benefits you currently enjoy.’

“Since that letter arrived in our mailboxes, Trader Joe’s has continued to slash our benefits as our wages stagnate and our safety concerns go unaddressed. We’ve come to the conclusion that, in fact, a union is the only way to protect and improve our pay and benefits. The company’s actions have made this clear.

“Yet no union organizers came to us. We organized ourselves.”

One Hadley, Mass. worker, affiliated with

Trader Joe’s United, told HuffPost that recently “supervisors roped her into what’s commonly called a ‘captive audience’ meeting ahead of a union vote. Speaking on the store’s loading dock, managers focused their discussion on how the union campaign had been hard on supervisors in the store.”

Trader Joe’s, the grocery chain with over 530 stores, is headquartered in Monrovia, California. Among shoppers TJ’s has a near cult-like reputation: its food, low prices and friendly workers make going to the store an entire experience.

But on top of that, Trader Joe’s has the reputation of being a great place to work: stores are operated along a work culture that promotes the idea that each store location is a ship with a captain (the leader of the store), a team of eight to 12 mates (or managers), and a crew. All team members are said to be guaranteed a competitive pay with a 7% annual increase; a health plan; paid time-off; a 401(k)-retirement plan; and a store discount.

But working at Trader Joe’s has frequently turned out to be different from what’s promised. During the pandemic, employees complained that their retirement benefits were cut, healthcare coverage became harder to qualify for, and that COVID-19 protections, like enforcing facemask wearing among customers, were infrequently put in place. “The company removed mask policies as soon as the CDC stated vaccinated people didn’t need them, with no plans to check if a customer was vaccinat-

ed or not. Just to avoid the hassle altogether,” notes a Trader Joe’s employee, who, like the others quoted in this article, wished to remain anonymous.

At one point the company offered COVID19 hazard pay and paid time off for workers with COVID symptoms, but last spring they did away with that policy.

Even prior to the pandemic, one former Trader Joe’s crew member said, “In the Trader Joe’s manual it tells you that there’s no bureaucracy, that there’s no hierarchy.

But yeah, there’s absolutely a hierarchy, absolutely. Like they can make up the rules as they go as to why they don’t want to keep you. And they reserve the right to deny you a raise: it doesn’t matter, whatever reason. It doesn’t matter if you did everything that was on the book to get the raise, they can deny it, for whatever reason. And that’s acceptable.”

Union organizing efforts are not new among the grocery chain’s workers. Many past attempts to unionize have led to firings, employees say. “Trader Joe’s is known to fire employees who are unionizing,” said a former Trader Joe’s worker. “They’ll find any excuse—like excessive bathroom breaks or not smiling enough.”

“The last time they tried to unionize here was during the initial start of the Roni,” explained a current Manhattan-based Trader Joe’s crew member. “They actually had huddles about the limitations of a union. I heard rumors of unionizing at my current store but nothing official. We just know that they are worried about it at TJ because of the additional benefits that are being offered.”

If Trader Joe’s United establishes a union at the Hadley, Massachusetts store, it will

obviously have trickle down effects on the chain’s other stores—and workers in New York are keeping an eye out for how the union vote progresses.

“Speaking from experience,” a current employee commented, “it’s tough for any of the crew members in NYC to unionize with the roughly 300 employees in each store and the constant disinformation about unions present. But I’m glad there are stores that can collectively come together to unionize the crew.

“The benefit announcements by Trader Joe’s last week was a clear ploy to get in the good graces of the crew as the concern of more stores possibly wanting to unionize.

Many people I’ve talked to in person and on TJ’s crew-related internet forums have read between the lines, I’m cautiously optimistic that a majority of the crew are aware of the bait. Any of us who worked when Trader Joe’s announced a $4 bonus per hour we worked, remember how quickly that was removed.”

“I, I really wish for them that they actually can unionize,” another former employee added, “because I know for a fact that people that try to unionize get fired.” The ex-employee spoke of a worker who had been employed with Trader Joe’s for years, but once he took on the role of being the store’s union rep, manager’s found issues with his work performance. Notably, there were complaints that he took too many bathroom breaks. He was ultimately fired.

Trader Joe’s has contested some of the claims made by Hadley, Mass. store employees but the company officially states that it welcomes the union vote because they believe their company offers good benefits.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 11

PARK 79 Landmark Senior Living

117 W 79th Street | NY 10024

A transformation worthy of headlines, Park 79 will soon feature new affordable studio apartments for seniors.

Park 79 has been reimagined as a place for our senior community to call home. Live in the heart of the Upper West Side, where you are steps away from Riverside and Central Park, museums, and the best neighborhood amenities.

• • • • •

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

APPLY TODAY

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

Affordable Housing for Rent

How Do You Apply?

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

***updated to reflect 2022 income limits*** Amenities: Shared laundry room, High-end kitchen appliances, High-end countertops and finishes, Energy-efficient appliances, Hardwood floors, Common area Wifi High-speed internet, Online options for leasing, paying rent, and making maintenance requests, Community center, Community events and classes, Jogging/walking/bike path or access to one nearby, Security cameras, Security guard, On-site resident manager, Green space Intercommunication device, Elevator, Accessible entrance Transit: 1, 2, C, and B Trains, M11, M7, M79-SBS Buses No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: www.park79apts.com This building is being constructed through the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) Program and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LITHC) Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

Who Should Apply?

Individuals or households that have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older and who meet the income and household size requirements listed below.

Eligible tenants will pay 30% of their income and applicants will need to qualify for section 8. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria.

Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

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

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than [August 5, 2022]. Late applications will not be considered.

What Happens After You Submit an Application?

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

Español

Presente una solicitud en línea en https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de [5 de Agosto de 2022].

简体中文

访问https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送 至：Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. 信封背面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日期 之前在线提交申请或邮寄书面申请 [2022 年 8 月 5 日].

Русский

Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее [5 август 2022].

한국어

https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오. 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를 Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037으로 보내주십시오. 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오. [2022 년 8 월 5] 일까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이 찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다.

Kreyòl Ayisyien

Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat [out 5, 2022].

‫ةيبرعلا‬

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

Polskie

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

Français

Pour déposer votre demande en ligne, rendez-vous sur le site nyc.gov/housingconnect. Pour recevoir une traduction en français de cet avis ainsi qu’un dossier de demande papier, envoyez une enveloppe libellée à votre nom et votre adresse à l’adresse suivante: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. Inscrivez le mot « FRENCH » au dos de l’enveloppe.

Les demandes doivent être envoyées par la poste ou soumises en ligne au plus tard le [5 Août 2022], le cachet de la poste faisant foi.

বা​াংলা

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

‫ودرا‬

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Mayor Eric Adams • HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr.

12 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Opinion The slow, creaky Children need safe and productive summers wheels of justice

By CARMEN FARIÑA, former Schools Chancellor

EDITORIAL

Not a week, and in too many instances, not a day passes that a Black person falsely accused, arrested and imprisoned, is exonerated. We often note that the wheels of justice are sclerotic and exceptionally slow for Black men, and presented here are three examples of that insidiously slow process.

Back in February, Vincent Simmons, who for 44 years fought to overturn his conviction on attempted aggravated rape charges in Louisiana, had the judgment vacated and the charges dismissed. In 1977, it took a jury of 11 white men and one Black woman to convict Simmons for attempting to assault 14-year-old white twin sisters.

After a judge ordered a new trial because of evidence not presented in the original trial, the prosecution dropped the charges, stating it was unwilling to put the women through another ordeal, which, of course, doesn’t mean a declaration of innocence for Simmons.

Elijah McClain, 23, of Aurora, Colo., whose tragedy we covered in our pages and was killed while in police custody three years ago, is not around to witness that

a judge has found sufficient evidence to pursue action in his case. A judge decided that the five accused white men, two paramedics and three officers, almost a year after they were indicted by a grand jury on a combined 32 counts, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, will not have their cases thrown out.

Closer to home, Steven Lopez, the forgotten defendant in the “Central Park Five” case was exonerated three decades after he was falsely accused.

Unlike the others charged and who had their cases vacated, Lopez, seeking a lesser charge at the time of the assault on the white woman, had actually robbed and beaten a white male jogger in the park earlier.

Even so, that he was charged for the first crime, is no reason for us to withdraw our contention about the snail-like pace of justice for Black and Hispanic men and women.

Of course, none of this comes as a surprise when you consider these wheels operate in a system suffused with racism and discrimination. Fortunately, there are those occasional moments, those jubilant outcomes that illuminate the gross hypocrisy and terrible injustice.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher Member

Alliance for Audited Media

and Editor in Chief

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Nayaba Arinde: Editor Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor Damaso Reyes: Investigative Editor Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising

Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus

While school districts like New York City’s are smartly investing in summer programs, much broader support is needed to address the immediate needs of our students. Amid the pandemic, many youths and young adults experienced the traumatic losses of loved ones and the inability to engage with friends and get quality in-person interaction with teachers. Schools–– public, private and charters––cannot remedy this disconnect alone.

Our obligation requires commit-

ments from the private sector, too, because these are the students who will eventually join the workforce, and we must provide them with the resources to succeed in their jobs. Nonprofit organizations such as Horizons New York City, where I serve on the Board, are focusing this period on mental well-being support as well as strengthening social development and academic skills.

This summer should also be about joy and engagement. This involves reorienting students in activities that let them discover new things about themselves and their ability to think creatively. It involves a deep focus on

reading, teamwork, and building confidence. It includes debating and recreational activities, such as swimming for instance, which make learning and discovery fun.

This type of support should be a model replicated across our city and country at this time. Our students need this summer to discover that the pandemic may have been a setback but should not define their lives.

Carmen Fariña is a board member of Horizons NYC and a former New York City Schools Chancellor.

AMNEWS READERS WRITE

All demographics like Ranked Choice Voting in NYC

By TERRANCE CARROLL It’s been a little more than a year since New York City became the largest and most diverse jurisdiction in the world to implement Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). The election in June 2021 resulted in the city’s most gender-balanced and diverse city council ever, as well as the second-ever African American to be elected the city’s mayor, Eric Adams.

It’s been long enough to ask and have answered the question, “What have we learned?” While Ranked Choice Voting alone is not solely responsible for the diversity of candidates who ran and were subsequently elected, the case study provides an illustrative example of how voters of all demographics, backgrounds, and experiences interacted with the new ballot style. Two new white papers, in particular, have a clear takeaway: that in large majorities, voters understood, used, and ultimately liked the options the new system afforded them.

In one of the papers, published by the Unite America Institute, Daemen University academics Dr. Erin Carman and Dr. Jay Wendland synthesized exit polling from the primary, which has particularly important observations of voter behavior across demographic groups. A common and incredibly condescending critique of RCV is that voters—especially voters of color—will find RCV too complicated. On the contrary, Carman and Wendland found that 97% of Black voters, 80% of His-

panic voters, 77% of Asian voters, and 81% of white voters said they understood RCV; and 93% of Black voters, 95% of Hispanic voters, 97% of Asian voters, and 95% of white voters found their ballot simple to complete.

In practice, voters had the opportunity to rank up to five candidates for council and mayoral races in order of their preference. If no candidate received 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate who received the lowest number of votes was eliminated, and these votes were redistributed to the voter’s second-choice candidate until a consensus winner emerged.

A separate paper from the Center for Urban Research at CUNY found that a significant majority of voters in the Democratic primary took advantage of this option to rank. Of those who cast Democratic primary ballots, 86.6% ranked two or more candidates—as the authors observe, more than the average of 77% in RCV elections across the nation. Contextualized for racial data, this is a promising finding. Carman and Wendland found that a majority of voters across racial identities (78%) chose to rank candidates for both mayoral and council candidates, with an important distinction: among the small percentage of voters who decided not to rank candidates in either the mayoral or city council races.

The top reason voters chose not to rank was because they preferred only one candidate, suggesting the decision was purposeful and not related to ballot confusion.

As Carman and Wendland note, the reform and subsequent outcomes are important to contextualize in the history of New York City’s voter disenfran-

chisement. Prior to the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v.

Holder, three of the five NYC counties were held to federal review under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. However, they write, “the research and legal trajectory thus far suggest that RCV may actually be a helpful mechanism to protect voting rights and increase various forms of experiences of engagement and representation in our democracy for women and voters of color.”

That most voters understood their ballot and ranked candidates is thanks in no small part to the in-state advocates—such as Common Cause New York and Rank the Vote NYC—whose leaders and volunteers executed a robust voter education campaign (despite the headwinds from the global pandemic). Advocates orchestrated hundreds of trainings for candidates, leveraged unique voter education mediums, and targeted communities that might otherwise have lower voter engagement.

The intent of reforming elections is not to change who can and can’t participate, nor the candidates that can or can’t win. The intent is to ensure equal opportunity and full representation for all. RCV in New York City put more power in the hands of all voters.

Terrance Carroll is a former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, the first and only African American to ever hold that position in Colorado. He is a Senior Fellow at Unite America where his work focuses on race and democracy. He is a Baptist preacher and attorney. He is on Twitter at @speakercarroll.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O P I N I O

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 13 N

Does the United States have standing to rebuke or sanction other nations over human rights atrocities?

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.

Election season is heating up CHRISTINA

GREER PH.D.

ARMSTRONG

WILLIAMS

There is an iron law of the universe as inescapable as Newton’s laws of motion. The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. The law echoes power. Justice is exiled.

In Nazi Germany, murdering and plundering Jews was legal to protect the Aryan race from contamination.

A putative master race can do anything.

Saudi Arabia has followed the Nazi footsteps. Its grisly assassination of Jamal Kashoggi was legal under brutish Shariah law. MBS repeatedly warned Kashoggi against criticizing the royal family for crushing every human right known to civilization.

In the eyes of Saudi Neanderthals, however, Kashoggi’s murder was legal because he had committed treason by defecting to the cause of justice. Shariah teaches that savagery to satiate radical Islamic infatuation with theocracy and rule by imams is either venial or praiseworthy.

But is the United States positioned to rebuke the Nazis or MBS? During the Vietnam War misadventure, American war crimes were as common as the rising and setting of the sun. The Mỹ Lai massacre was but the tip of the iceberg. Yet the only

person held responsible for the industrial scale atrocities over a decade was Lt. William Calley, who was pardoned.

Killing civilian Vietnamese was legal. William Colby’s notorious Phoenix program is convincing testimony.

After 9/11, the United States inaugurated an official assassination program targeting persons deemed by the president to pose a present or future threat to the national security based on secret, unsubstantiated speculation. The killing process is denuded of due process. The president alone decides whether any inhabitant of the planet can live. There is no place to hide. The president plays prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner—the very definition of tyranny according to the makers of our Constitution.

Even high-level Nazi officials like Hermann Göring received due process at Nuremberg.

Moreover, Executive Order 12333 expressly prohibits United States officials or agents from complicity in assassinations. But as Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy volunteered in defending racist concentration camps for 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans during World War II, “the Constitution is just a scrap

of paper to me.”

One of the indeterminate numbers of innocent civilians who have perished in the presidentially ordained carnage after 9/11 was Anwar Al-Awaki’s teenage son, an American citizen. After his murder, the son was immediately airbrushed out of history by the American government, media and multi-trillion-dollar militaryindustrial-security complex.

Anwar al-Awaki, an American citizen himself, and associates accused of crime, were also killed by a CIA drone strike not on a battlefield and not engaged in hostilities against the United States. Litigating efforts to learn the reason for al-Awaki’s selection for assassination stumbled over the state secrets doctrine.

The United States dehumanizes the civilian victims of its war against terrorism as “collateral damage.”

Really? Not collateral to the victim’s family and friends.

The exact number of innocents murdered by the United States is classified. The figure may never be known.

The Guardian estimates that between 22,000 and 48,000 civilians have been killed in CIA drone strikes since 9/11. Exemplary was a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan last year as the United States exited after a gruesome 20year, $2 trillion debacle.

In an exception from the norm of secrecy,

the United States declassified surveillance footage showing how a drone strike on August 29 killed 10 Afghan innocents, including seven children. No one has been held accountable for the war crime.

This is no surprise.

Do you think the Third Reich prosecuted Aryans for murdering or robbing Jews? According to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, United States Air Force General Curtis Lemay was responsible for the firebombing of Tokyo during World War II inflicting casualties greater than at Hiroshima or Nagasaki, the United States officers would have been prosecuted for war crimes if the war had been lost to Japan.

There is nothing new under the sun. You reap what you sow. The United States made a Faustian bargain after 9/11 to crucify justice on a cross of counterterrorism.

Depend upon it. As soon as our enemies acquire the means, they will better our instruction. American civilians will be in the crosshairs.

Doesn’t anyone in authority think about blowback?

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

Can you believe it, we need to start preparing for Election Day again here in New York? On Tuesday August 23rd, New Yorkers will go to the polls to vote for their state senators and members of the House of Representatives. Election Day is swiftly approaching and if you are not registered to vote you should do so ASAP, better yet, PDQ! Early voting for the August Primary runs August 13-21, 2022 and to find out who is on your ballot and your polling station, check out www. whosontheballot.org. If you are not going to be in town on Election Day and are unable to vote during the early voting window, you can apply for an absentee ballot at www.absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov. You can apply in-person at your local county board of elections or you can designate another person to deliver your application in-person. Go to www.elections.ny.gov/CountyBoards.html for more complete information.

There is still time to register for the Aug. 23 primary (not much), but you must do so by July 29th. It may be inconvenient to register to vote on such short notice but if you aren’t already registered you must consider participating in this important election. As many of you may know, your state senator helps make policy in Albany by working with the governor and their colleagues in the state legislature, two offices we voted for in June.

To help us understand the importance of state senators, the New York State budget for 2022 is $220 billion. Billion dollars not million dollars. They also decide policy on everything from

the environment, protecting a woman’s right to choose, education, gun legislation, voting rights, and so much more for New Yorkers.

The August election will also give us the opportunity to vote for our member of the House of Representatives. However, you may feel about the function (or disfunction) in Washington, D.C., New York members of the House of Representatives are responsible for representing the needs of New Yorkers, and depending on your district, upholding the policies of the president and his party (or fighting against him and for the future of our democracy).

Reminder, if you are registered to vote and provided identification when you registered, you do not need an ID or any other documentation when you go to vote in August (and again on November 8th for the General Election) according to New York State law. If you did not provide identification when you first registered, you can still vote at a polling location with an affidavit ballot.

If you go to www.vote.nyc you can find all of the information you need.

I know political analysts often say the upcoming election is the most important election, but our fragile democracy hangs in the balance, and we need all hands on deck participating and helping to choose the best leaders for this crucial moment.

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

14 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Caribbean Update

Labor, parties, students join anti-government protests in Suriname

By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews Labor unions, political parties, student groups and others Monday joined forces with a group of civil society advocates leading two weeks of street protests in Suriname against corruption, rising food and other prices, nepotism and poor governance practices as they up the pressure on authorities to improve living conditions in the Caribbean Community nation.

The main opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) of former military strongman Desi Bouterse threw its support behind the demonstrations at the weekend, but leaders of Team Organic running the protests have made it clear political parties, while welcome, would not be allowed to take over the demonstrations in any shape or form.

Several other parties, labor unions, student groups,

lawmakers and others have also announced plans to take to the streets this week to force the Hindu-led coalition government to improve conditions or resign.

So far protest leaders have refused to meet with President Chan Santokhi and his cabinet largely because the administration has dithered on demands to force the resignation of First Lady Melissa Santokhi from several official state positions she holds, including that of the state’s oil company. They refer to her appointments to official positions as lawless nepotism. The same is true of Leo Brunswijk (the brother of Vice-President Ronnie Brunswijk) and other top officials. Local media and activists have railed against the increasing practices of awards of plum state jobs and prime state lands to connected friends and families of the ruling elite. Santokhi has offered to meet, but the leaders say the two and others in

“Several other parties, labor unions, student groups, lawmakers and others have also announced plans to take to the streets this week to force the Hinduled coalition government to improve conditions or resign.” similar positions must go as a condition for any sit-down session to discuss societal ills.

“What is wrong must be fixed. No blaming others.

Let’s keep the peace and talk to each other. That is also why I have decided to cancel a foreign commitment to be here with you now. When I took office, I indicated that the path of recovery would not be an easy one. That it would hurt.

I also said that we will walk the journey of recovery together. That still holds true today, just like when I said it the first time,” he said in a

weekend statement.

The group has also demanded the reduction in fuel prices at the pump as well demanding that measures to reduce inflation be put in place immediately. Protestors last week had forced Santokhi to cancel attendance at a South American summit in Paraguay especially after they had threatened to head to the airport en masse to prevent his departure.

As the protestors have vowed to continue into this week, authorities are also battling with the second

major fraud scandal at the central bank in the past three years with $240 million being stolen or diverted to private bank accounts.

Police have arrested the main suspect—a bank employee, some of her relatives and others believed to be connected to the case.

In the first case during the era of the DNP-led government, thieves had carted away $100 million from the country’s foreign reserve account. Several arrests have been made but the main suspect remains at large.

Additionally, local police reported at the weekend that unknown persons hurled several pieces of unexploded Molotov cocktails at the VHP party headquarters in the city. The Hinduled VHP is the main party in the governing coalition with 20 of the 51 seats. There was an attempt to burn a government building as well, police said. Team Organic says this is one reason why

they do not want political activists in their midst on the streets.

The coalition won general elections exactly two years ago, deposing the NDP of former military strongman Desi Bouterse as the economy was in steep decline, the currency weakening severely against the U.S. and as food and other prices had started to climb.

Like neighboring Guyana, Suriname has found humongous amounts of oil and gas offshore in the past three years as it prepares for an economic windfall when production begins by 2025. Race relations between Indo and Afro Surinamese have also deteriorated in recent months on suspicions Blacks are being ignored, charges authorities deny.

Police have been supervising the largely peaceful protests, well aware that political infiltrators can work to derail the situation.

Justice Jackson’s diss of Biden and immigrants FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER I’m still trying to get over the giant diss the history maker and U.S. Supreme Court’s first Black, female justice delivered to immigrants and the Joe Biden administration last week.

The hurt I feel is like Nia Ali’s shocking fall in the 100-m finals of the hurdles event at the World Championship or like a Lionel Messi ball shot straight to the gut.

For Joe Biden and Democrats, who fought hard to get Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Court, it must feel like a slap in the

face and a kick in the teeth at once.

The diss I refer to, dear readers, is the dissent by Justice Brown Jackson on July 21—in what was her historic first vote since joining the court. If Jackson wanted to make a great first impression in a hot summer, this was her opportunity.

The case before the court could not have been aligned more perfectly by the gods—the court’s first Black female justice taking her first vote on an immigration case and determining the future of poor immigrants.

But instead of showing she could be the court’s new mover and shaker,

voting with empathy, Brown Jackson dropped the ball and dissented. Why? What possible reason could she have for that? Was she feeling nervous and following the pack of other female justices—Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett? Did she not recognize the moment she was in?

The case was the appeal by the Department of Homeland Security to implement new immigration enforcement priorities that limit immigration arrests in order to focus on security risks—instead of the more aggressive approach taken under the Trump administration. A commonsense approach indeed when you

consider many immigrants arrested and put into deportation proceedings are there for largely living in the country without working permits and even a simple misdemeanor like a traffic violation.

Brown Jackson, much like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema in the Senate blocking every rational policy from the president in the name of the great filibuster, chose instead to block the order by dissenting.

In so doing, she delivered a 5-4 win for the right-wing attorneys general of Texas and Louisiana who had taken the DHS to court in Texas.

There a Trump-appointed federal judge vacated

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ guidance. The administration then appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which denied the Justice Department’s request to stay the lower court order pending appeal.

The administration then asked the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis arguing that the DHS has “long relied” on guidance regarding national immigration enforcement priorities in order to “harmonize its efforts and focus its limited resources.”

So, the consequence of this giant Brown Jackson diss is that the Department of Homeland Security is now “obligated to…contin-

ue to abide” by the Texas court decision as the AGs of Texas and Louisiana grin from ear to ear.

It is unfortunate that because of Justice Brown Jackson, immigrants could be deported, and lives torn apart as ICE officers are now the ones left to make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis. We’ve seen what that looks like, so I have little confidence in that process.

For that, we have Justice Brown Jackson to thank and that will go down in history.

The writer is publisher of NewsAmericasNow. com – The Black Immigrant Daily News.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 15

A neighborhood is only as healthy as its neighbors.

Art by SOPHIA YESHI

Regular checkups can help communities thrive. That’s why we go beyond coverage to connect you to local doctors, free nutrition and fitness classes, and in-person support at our Neighborhood Care centers. Get connected at emblemhealth.com/annualcheckup.

16 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Religion & Spirituality Harlem’s Prince Hall Lodge hosts kiddie outing

(Kenya L. Smith photo)

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews On Friday, July 8, dozens of local youths were treated to a full day of inspirational activities by one of this country’s oldest African American establishments, the Prince Hall Lodge (454 W. 155th St., Harlem USA), aka Medina Temple No. 19, the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. This annual event continued the prestige of their efforts conducted last month for Father’s Day, as well as for Juneteenth. It was conducted at Central Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park

during beautiful summer weather.

In conjunction with personnel from area Fire Department of New York, and the New York Police Department, they provided many hours of education and entertainment for the inner-city youths.

Many of them mounted the EMS vehicles and fire trucks which were on display, as they also got to ask questions and receive first-hand answers from several veteran city officials.

“These kids were able to go inside the trucks, wear the policemen’s and firemen’s helmets, and experience it for themselves,” noted active member, Kenya L. Smith. “They were able to see

policemen that looked like them, and ask them questions.”

He also noted how the inquisitive youths kept asking the police and firemen about their daily duties, as well as about some of their exciting past experiences on the job. Several of them even posed for photos in the emergency vehicles with the city officials while wearing their headgears.

Having been conducted for over 50 years, this all-day event provided the youths with barbequed food, clowns, games, music, and sporting activities; to keep them occupied. Other various activities are also available at the

lodge throughout the remainder of the summer. Being that it’s a known fact that the children are the future of every community, it makes perfect sense to keep them productively occupied during the summer months.

Featured guests included Nobles, the original guide, James Vaughn, and the illustrious Rodney M. Chadwick. Also, a special guest appearance by Harlem hip hop legend, Kool DJ Red Alert.

Medina’s Temple No. 19 is preparing to conduct their annual back-to-school drive next month in preparation for the resuming of academic activities in public schools during September.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Arts & Entertainment Film/TV pg 17 | Theater pg 18 | Travel pg 21 | Jazz pg 24

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 17

Pg. 20 Your Stars

Jordan Peele did the damn thing with ‘Nope’

By MAGRIRA Special to the AmNews I don’t want to hear anyone say “I don’t like horror movies” when thinking about sliding into a cool movie theater to experience (yes, experience) Jordan Peele’s newest masterpiece “Nope,” which can be accurately described as wonderfully creepy and a clever mashup of modern sci-fi, which is also a stone-cold thriller.

The interesting thing about jumping into horror is that we, the collective we, seem to enjoy tapping into our fears. And the closer to the “truth” the experience, it seems, the better the scare. So, it’s safe to say that most of us are afraid of UFOs, with a large section of the global population believing that they have been “hiding in plain sight” for millions of years, if not longer.

Some critics have mentioned how Peele’s been influenced by Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” but it’s been so long since I’ve watched the film, I can’t say that I agree with my esteemed colleagues.

“Nope” stands on its own and with strong actors like Daniel Kaluuya bringing his character Otis Haywood Jr., nicknamed OJ, to life, you already know the film is on the right track. Early on, he reunites with his spirited, chatterbox sister, Emerald (Keke Palmer), on the California horse ranch they inherited from their father, Otis Sr. (Keith David), who dies during a mysterious shower of inanimate debris.

This has been a family business for generations, making their money renting out horses to the entertainment industry, with the Haywoods serving as on-set wranglers and horse whisperers.

But OJ isn’t interested in keeping the family business alive and wants to sell it.

But we all know how life goes and before he can get the opportunity, he’s forced to chase a horse that has leapt the fence of its training arena. Remember, animals always know when something evil is brewing.

What OJ witnesses, in the distance, is an unusually big and

Daniel Kaluuya in Jordan Peele’s “Nope” (Courtesy photos)

active crowd that’s lit by floodlights, giving that creepy feeling of an assembled outer-space cult.

More signs appear with each one growing weirder: a cloud that doesn’t move and has not budged in weeks; winds that act like devastating, fast-moving tornados; and, finally, a dark object that glides and moves through the air like nothing we’ve seen on this earth.

Now, we all know how we feel when witnessing something we just don’t want to deal with— offering the strong statement “NOPE”—and this is cleverly and amusingly laced throughout the film.

We all know that many cultures maintain that their origins are from the stars, so the belief that we are not alone in this universe is as old as time itself with UFOs holding a special place in our hearts. When I read that officials continue to maintain there is “no evidence” to prove it, I understand just how deep the conspiracy is to hide the truth from the world.

Now, what makes “Nope,” Peele’s third feature, such a stand-out film: to begin, it sets (and maintains) a seductive mood that makes you feel a sense of unease and unrest, with the gifted director luring us into the quirky lives of OJ and Emerald and highlighting the fact that their business, Haywood’s Hollywood Horses, is a source of racial pride. And it’s those small

details that he brings to the film that adds that depth, like suggesting that the African American jockey that appears for a few seconds was actually the greatgreat-grandfather of Otis Sr. To really appreciate the value of a strong actor, look at the body language; Mr. Kaluuya is skilled in this mode of communication. Just remember his intense gaze. And Palmer puts her DNA (cell-by-cell) into her character, making her so lovable you forgive her need to talk non-stop.

It would not be a Peele masterpiece if interesting characters weren’t also introduced, like Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun), a former child star who now owns and operates a Wild West theme park called Jupiter’s Claim, and Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), a skilled techie and salesman at Fry’s Electronics who assists the Haywoods in setting up their surveillance system to record the alien spaceship that appears to have parked itself on their property.

What’s humorous is that the flying saucer looks like a big sand dollar, with a hungry intention.

Naturally, OJ and Emerald decide to photograph it and sell this evidence to the highest media buyer possible, even toying with adding Oprah to the list. But their plan needs help, and they engage cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) to help capture everything happening on their

Keke Palmer costars in “Nope”

Steven Yeun in “Nope”

property.

Now, it’s not unusual for the brother and sister to mistrust white media. I offer that it’s one of their smartest moves. But the challenge looms—how do they get the visual evidence to the world and not get any authorities involved?

The spaceship is almost like its own character, and if you look directly into it, well, you will get sucked into its membrane hole; and because this machine is “hungry” as previously mentioned, it sucks things inside even if they don’t look directly at it.

There’s a lot that I could share but they would border on spoil-

ing the film, which I will not do.

That being said, there are some very disturbing scenes that would qualify this film as a horror, without question. One such in the film occurs in a flashback to Ricky’s ’90s cable sitcom, which turned into a horror set when the lovable chimp, Gordy, went on a bloody rampage. When the ship finally declares itself…we are all waiting and here’s where I will leave this review.

“Nope” will go down in cinematic history as one of Jordan Peele’s best works. This is a creative mind that loves to bring that level of chaos that forces internal and external conversation.

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BroadwayCon 2022: A theater-lovers’ oasis

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews Every year I look forward to BroadwayCon, and this year was especially marvelous. BroadwayCon 2022, which took place at the Manhattan Center and the New Yorker Hotel on 34th Street, was definitely the place to be for everything theater, including amazing panels, merchandise, and an opportunity to grab a microphone and let some Broadway show tunes rip at the Marketplace in the Manhattan Center.

There was definitely something for everyone, including panels on dance, lighting, set design, stage management, and music direction, among others. There were cos-plays galore and those are always fun, along with autograph sessions with Anthony Rapp from “Rent,” who is also a co-creator of BroadwayCon, along with Melissa Anelli and talent contests with judges including Fredi WalkerBrowne, an original cast member of “Rent” on Broadway.

On the opening day the Manhattan Center was full of happy theater-lovers. Last year, the event had to be virtual, but thank goodness this year we were all in-person. There is something almost spiritual about being surrounded by fellow theater lovers. Everyone was excited, full of cheers and screams. And BroadwayCon 2022 started its first day with some heavy hitters. What do you think about Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton moderating a panel? I’m serious. They say that BroadwayCon is for the fans and she is definitely a huge fan. She hosted a panel called “Here’s to the Ladies” with four First Ladies of the Broadway stage: LaChanze, Vanessa Williams, Donna Murphy and Julie White. It was thrilling to sit in the completely full, enormous auditorium and hear these ladies introduced, see them take the stage, sit down and just have a conversation about their lives, careers and personal hardships. It was incredible to see Clinton interview these ladies, with whom she obviously has relationships, as she asked them to share some of the tragedies, challenges and triumphs in their lives and they did so without hesitation. It was moving to hear these ladies, such as LaChanze and Murphy talk about their husbands both dying, the unique circumstances con-

Cast and creatives of A Strange Loop in a BroadwayCon 2022 panel. (Linda Armstrong photo)

LaChanze talks about her life at BroadwayCon 2022. (Linda Armstrong photo)

Thoughts on Thoughts of a Colored Man panel (l-r) Esau Pritchett, Linda Armstrong and Keenan Scott II. (Jasmine Armstrong photo)

nected to their deaths and what life was like to raise their children without their partners while figuring out their careers. This panel went into great depth about these phenomenal women and their struggles, but also their creative process and their passion and love of their craft. It was inspiring to hear them share and Clinton was an exceptional moderator.

Another panel focused on the Tony Award winning musical “A Strange Loop.” Moderated by Ayanna Prescod, it featured several people from “A Strange Loop,” including L Morgan Lee, Mars Rucker, Antwayn Hopper, Jason Veasey, John-Andrew Morrison, Jon-Michael Reese, Charlie Rosen and Cherie B. Tay. The panel covered the importance of a musical like this on Broadway, a musical that

talks about Black Lives Matter on Broadway panel (l-r) T. Oliver the strugReid, Linda Armstrong, Michael Dinwiddie and Lillias gles of a fat, White. (Jasmine Armstrong photo) Black gay man. The cast was proud of what Child,” “Chicago,” “SIX,” “POTUS,” this musical means to the LGBTQ- “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Kite IA community and how many are Runner,” and there were panels on feeling seen. Many casts recalled Disney princesses and singalongs how people come up to them after for “Spongebob Squarepants The the show in tears and say thank you. Broadway Musical.”

How people tell them that they are I also had an incredible time as I telling their stories. They shared moderated two of my own panels: how they are hearing people’s per- “Black Lives Matter on Broadsonal stories. And of course, they way” and “Thoughts on Thoughts talked about the steadfastness of of a Colored Man.” At the “Black Michael R. Jackson, the musical’s Lives Matter on Broadway” panel creator. It was wonderful to feel the I had Tony Award winner Lillias power that this musical is having in White who represents Black Thepeople’s lives. atre United as one of its founding Throughout the weekend, panels members; T. Oliver Reid, co-foundfocused on many amazing Broad- er of Black Theatre Coalition; and way productions including “Beetle- Michael Dinwiddie, a founding juice,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed member of Black Theatre Network.

They talked about why these organizations are around and what they are doing to make life more equitable, accessible and fair to Blacks.

Black Theatre United created the New Deal which clearly lays out the changes that have to happen with all aspects of Broadway productions to make them more accessible to Blacks and it was agreed on by all the movers and shakers in the theater industry. Each panelist let the audience know what issues their organizations focus on and let people know how they could join and what are some of the programs that they currently offer to members.

During the “Thoughts on Thoughts of a Colored Man” panel I had playwright Keenan Scott II and actor Esau Pritchett who played Wisdom, talk about the production, which meant so much to me when it was on Broadway—though COVID made its time short-lived.

This was without a doubt one of the most powerful productions I have seen on Broadway, which showed the many beautiful layers that Black men have, and Scott wrote it with love and respect. He has a great respect for the Black man and Black woman and I wanted everyone to know this play existed. Scott talked about why he wrote the play, his process and how it was a labor of love for over 16 years. Pritchett reflected on how important it was for him to be part of the Broadway show and the workshops for the play prior to it coming to Broadway.

He talked about the characteristics of his character Wisdom. During the panel Scott talked about his biggest reason for creating the play, which was to have people walk out with more empathy for Black men than they had when they first walked in. Scott created this environment through having his seven characters named after emotions, speak in dialogues, monologues and poems and even sing beautiful songs. Talking about the future of the play, Scott shared that there is talk of it becoming a television series. One thing he was proud to share is that Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library came in and videotaped the production and it is in the Library with the original Broadway cast.

That was great news to hear for those who didn’t get to experience it and even for those who did.

BroadwayCon 2022 was nothing less than fantastic! I can’t wait until 2023. This theater-lovers’ dream event is produced by Mischief Management.

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Kevin Liles, Rev. Al Sharpton talk success, politics, longevity in Black music

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews The Rev. Al Sharpton and music executive Kevin Liles recently came together for a fireside chat entitled “A New Day.” Both men set out to have a conversation surrounding Juneteenth, Black Music Month and Black culture going forward. A select group of Black creatives attended the chat in the NASDAQ building in New York City.

Liles, the founder of the successful record label 300 Entertainment, which supports the careers of Young Thug, Megan Thee Stallion, Fetty Wap and Mary J. Blige, was also celebrating an incredible merger between 300 Entertainment and Elektra Records.

Warner Music Group made the decisive choice to combine their most successful labels to create a major label supergroup that still held the spirit of an indie record label. Liles and Sharpton shared their wisdom and stories with one another and the ambitious and successful young Black group of creatives who listened intently.

The Amsterdam News was in attendance and excited to share excerpts from the momentous conversation between two Black cultural icons, including their insight on the political effects on Black people individually, our careers and as an interconnected community. Sharpton also spoke about his early beginning and James Brown’s powerful impact on his life and Black music.

Kevin Liles: We all got shocked with Roe v. Wade getting turned over today. When you saw it Rev., what did it say to you, how did you feel about it and what are the steps we should be taking to avoid the mistakes that we made, to even HAVE this get here?

Reverend Al Sharpton: Well, I think the first thing is, it is going to disproportionately impact our community, the Black community. Because we are the ones who can least afford to find other ways to deal, if we decide to not have a child. I think that it is definitely a slap in the face of people’s right to choose. I don’t understand how we can, in one breath, say that we

Kevin Liles and the Rev. Al Sharpton (@hijo_elconquistador photo)

want to make sure that all children are born but then once they’re born we cut off all the services for the children. You cut off childcare; you cut off daycare; you cut off things [for] public education.

So you love me in the womb but when I come out the womb you try to kill me…it’s all politics.

Which is why we should never underestimate voting. You’ve been very instrumental in the hiphop community [advocating for] voting. The reason why they did us in with Roe v. Wade is [because] Donald Trump put three people on the Supreme Court. If Donald Trump had not been president he couldn’t have done that.

At the end of the day you tell me “Rev., I’m not into politics”—yes you are. The clothes we wear— the apparel people in government said, “You can sell that.” The food we eat—the FDA [Food Drug Administration] said, “That’s all right to sell.” The shoes you wear…all that was a political decision [from] all the people that were elected.

The most ignorant thing in the world is we still end up with government-approved clothes, eating government-approved food, walking in government-approved shoes saying you’re not into politics. You just don’t recognize that you are—and letting them run it.

We have enough strength to run it ourselves and we just need to wake up and do it.

Liles: Politics, civil rights and music. I’m going to go all the way back to your relationship with James Brown. He was the first African American artist to clearly come to a place where he was going to risk everything for our people. So tell us a story.

Sharpton: In the early ’70s a guy came up to me—I had [the] National Youth Movement, my civil rights group (I was 16)—and a guy came up to New York, wanting to go to Columbia [University] Law School. His name was Teddy.

Seven, eight months later he got

killed in a car accident. His father was James Brown. Hank Spann, the biggest disc jockey [WWRL] in New York, told James Brown if [he] wanted to do something for his son, build a memorial, there’s this teenaged preacher your son liked. You should do the memorial and give some of the money to [Sharpton and his movement]. [Brown] said, “Have the boy preacher come on out there.”

So I went out there, in the dressing room, with James Brown—I thought I met God. We grew up under James Brown, “Say it Out: I’m Black and I’m Proud,” all of that. He told me, “Son, you do what I tell ya, I’mma do the show and give y’all the money. But you gotta promote it the way I tell ya.”

We did everything he said.

Two weeks later he has his manager call me and say, “Meet Mr. Brown in California. We got a first-class ticket for you.” So now I’m going to California. Next thing I know I’m on “Soul Train,” giving him an award. And slowly

we became close. My father left when I was 10; James became the father I didn’t have. James Brown gave me a validation as a man that I didn’t get from my father.

My father never asked me to do anything. So this was a bond between a man and a son. He said, “I want you to promise me one thing: don’t be one of the boys.”

He said, “You got to make the thing go forward. You got to be able to do it different.” He said, “When I did my music I stopped on the half-beat and did the ONE-THREE; everybody else was on the TWO-FOUR. They told me my music was wrong. I did not go mainstream—I made mainstream come back.”

The best teachers are the best students.

Liles: Yeah. And so [Russell Simmons] single-handedly told me, “You’re here to serve. You’re here to give back. With success comes responsibility.” I’m still listening and learning.

20 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

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HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By GODDESS KYA

July 28, 2022 — August 3, 2022 Rebirth of A New Nation: The new moon in Leo at 5 degrees is igniting Jupiter in Aries, rekindling the fire and the sun and bursting with love, and satisfaction of self with amorous feelings. The unimagined unanticipated intense fated events globally and personally are purging and transforming your life. You can feel electromagnetic shocks pulsate within your body, upgrading your DNA inheritance. Rest is needed. Neptune is asking you to reawaken to love, and compassion, and getting to know yourself better. Healing and forgiveness are taking place since Chiron and Jupiter in Aries are in conjunction, causing you to emerge from the old into the new you. The stars are in alignment Vinateriaand in conversation, powering humanity to raise your vibration and ride the faith train into the unknown, soul mission, and discovery of you. Work towards a goal, and daily progress and results will follow. “When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society.” Pope John Paul ll

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Capricorn Dec 22 Jan 21

A climactic moment where resolution and commitment are a theme, to submit to a higher version of you. A matrix type of theme where the spiritual and physical realm are in alignment delivering a message through a dream state, feeling, or through daily encounters. An extremely productive and fruitful week to be a service to your community and ride the faith train. Dreams become reality when you apply yourself. July 30th-Aug 1st: do you.

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Cancer June 22 July 23

The blueprint of your plan paid off handsomely due to your discipline and steadfast staying to your commitment. Doesn’t it feel miraculous to be rewarded when your fruits of labor bear fruit? Expecting company or guests coming by also squeezing in a date. Hit the nail on the head this week to fulfill any obligations as the pressure is on.

You have the definite keys to unlock the treasure chest hidden This week sees decision-making and boss moves and thinking in the sea or simply right in front of you. First, restrain yourself or planning to relocate. Projects you completed are fruitful along from running in the same cycles. This is a soar-high zone where Leo with finishing up major projects, setting a debut for launch. Travyour expertise is needed and heavenly protected from the spirJuly 24 Aquarius eling to a foreign land or speaking, working with people who speak itual realm. Certain areas of your life required change, eliminaAug 23 Jan 22 Feb 19 a different dialect and culture than yours. This is a win-win cycle. tion, and canceling your subscription for advancement. Take the It’s best to control your emotions with humbleness and gratitude. trash out along with the distraction of nonfactors in your life. July 28th-29th: Great outcomes and an incline within your services. Aug 3rd-4th: get ready and expect new alliances and ventures of turning events. stay ready, also plan accordingly.

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A spiritual awakening that occurs out of the blue tapping you on your shoulder with data to be recorded. Contracts, semi-leVirgo gal matters, and seeking counsel if needed when you don’t underAug 24 Pisces stand.

Question what you don’t know.

Thinking about investing in Sept 23 Feb 20 real estate, insurance policy, and establishing a business blueprint Mar 20 plan this cycle—think in grand terms beyond what’s in your imme- mation upon diate reach. You are the boss and Goddess/God of your soul. through.

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The way cupid shoots his arrows is the feeling of divine information upgrading you. That’s the divine way of saying “you’re welcome” for reaching higher levels of self. The slow process is for you to keep a record for future phenomenon revelations.

When the tough get going, muster up to continue working on your agenda, one that requires structure, consistency, and forcompletion. July 20th-31st: for what it’s worth, keep pushing

A weekly cycle for reconciliation, commitment, work, family matThe bees are buzzing, birds are chirping, squirrels are playing, ters, and an apology forthcoming from you or vice versa. Allow and butterflies are flying, and so are your words and your acbygones to be bygones. Everyone plays a role in people’s lives for tions. Mirror mirror on the wall, who do you see in your reflecAries Libra a reason, lesson, or blessing to understand the assignment for tion? What question does spirit have for you? What assignment Mar 21 Sept 24 Apr 21 Oct 23 growth and change. Business and personal proceedings take priordo you need to complete? It’s time to take it to the next level as ity when dealing with matters of the heart and finances. July 28thyou are in the spotlight now. Be mindful of the words you choose 29th balance and harmony is key. Do what’s right in your heart. as the Golden Rule is in effect. August 20th-31st: it’s about being ready for the unexpected turn of events, so take heed of the messages forthcoming.

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You are buzzing within your community, profession, and partnerships, beaming with opportunities to cultivate and position yourself for growth. Review any contracts or legal documents before Taurus saying yes and find counsel if needed for additional insight. Your Apr 22 name is flying through the airways and ethers circling back to you.

May 21 Divine spiritual messages are imminent for your comprehension to recall details of the divine plan in place. July 30th-31st the ball is in your court.

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Scorpio Oct 24 Nov 22

Can you say crown me, king me, queen me, wife me, husband me as things are turning up in the department of business, love, and profession, so choose your partnerships wisely. You are occupied here and there. Schedule time to break and breathe for a minute. Balance is key and finances are raining diamonds as some are dawdling for precaution to ensure it reaches the right hand.

Things are moving deliberately in slow motion for you to see the Are you marching, jitterbugging, dancing after you completed description and headline or warning signals. Stop, you may need a major project, or receiving phenomenal feedback? This week to sit still while everything is still moving. Allow the information is comparable to the world card and the sun card in the tarot Gemini Sagitarius deck. A stellar week also keeps your emotion in check as you to come to you for once to reap the benefits.

You are the prize you May 22 Nov 23 need to keep an eye on. Nowadays you can make boss moves with celebrate your victory and of course, people talk. Take it, as you June 21 Dec 21 the push or click of a button. Check your voicemail and emails and are doing something right. Organizations and groups want you follow up on them. You may just have a lead on something. August 2nd-3rd it’s on the team and the decision is up to you. July 28th-29th: claim more of your a win-win situation. inheritance.

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

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July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 21

Travel & Resort

Tips for travelers to save money, stay connected this summer (Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

After more than two years of pandemic-related restrictions, Americans are ready to break free and travel again. According to Expedia’s 2022 Travel Trends Report, more than two-thirds of Americans say they’re planning to “go big” on their next trip.

But planning and budgeting for a trip can be stressful. With inflation rising, many people are watching their wallets more closely, so finding ways to save money and stay connected while traveling this summer is more important than ever.

Here are some of the latest travel tips to make your next getaway more affordable: • Book flights like a pro: According to NerdWallet, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to travel when flying within the United States. NerdWallet also suggests booking domestic airline tickets one to three months in advance. The more flexible you can be with your desired timeframe, destination, and airport, the better. Be on the hunt for exclusive partnerships that offer travel discounts, such as T-Mobile TRAVEL with Priceline, a new site with travel deals

(Image by ThePixelman from Pixabay)

of up to 40% off hotels and select rental cars, available exclusively for T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers.

• Bring it, don’t buy it: If you’re looking to save a few dollars while traveling, bring your own snacks and reusable water bottle. Many airports have refillable water stations available. Having a designated travel charging kit in your luggage with charging cables for your smartwatch, phone, computer and more will save you the added and often inflated cost of buying on the go.

• Maximize your phone plan internationally: When traveling overseas, purchasing a local SIM for that designated country will save you roaming charges and fees. An international SIM card is another option for those traveling to multiple countries for short periods of time. Make sure to check with your wireless provider for what’s included in your plan. For example, T-Mobile customers get 5GB of free highspeed data each month with no international data-roaming charges, with up to 5G speeds where available, in more than

210 countries and destinations on the provider’s most popular plan, Magenta MAX, and on the Business Unlimited Ultimate plan.

• Road trip smarter: Even though gas prices are soaring, those with large families, pets and a love for singalongs often still prefer to travel the open road when vacationing. Finding the best gas prices is easy with apps like GasBuddy and Gas Guru, which provide updated gas prices in your area.

You can also save money at the pump leveraging other rewards programs, such as those offered by your phone provider. T-Mobile teamed up with Shell and the Fuel Rewards program to offer customers on qualifying plans an exclusive 25 cents off per gallon of gas this summer through the week of Labor Day via T-Mobile Tuesdays.

With the price of everything on the rise, you’ll want to tap into benefits and cost-cutting opportunities where you can stretch your dollar further, and take the amazing vacation you’ve been planning for so long.

(Image by Stuart Bailey from Pixabay)

22 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

AmNews Food Serve up a bunch of healthy summer meals If you’re like many Americans who put a priority on well-being, choosing simple yet healthy snacks and ingredients is an easy first step. For example, grapes are a popular and convenient fruit that can also be an ally in wellness, offering an abundance of health benefits that can help you get (and stay) on the right track.

The next time you enjoy an outdoor adventure, pack along a healthy snack such as California grapes. They can go with you on hikes and bike rides or to the gym as a healthy and hydrating source of energy. Heart-healthy grapes also deliver beneficial antioxidants and other

polyphenols and are a good source of vitamin K, which supports bone and heart health. With no need to peel, cut, core or slice, grapes are perfectly portable when you’re on the go.

As an easy, versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of recipes, grapes offer delicious taste, texture and color— plus a healthy boost—that make them an appealing addition to snacks and meals.

An added bonus: Grapes help support heart, brain, colon and skin health.

Crunchy Salad Pizza on Cauliflower Crust is a simple way to get your fruits and veggies in a fun, tasty recipe. When it’s time for

Crunchy Salad Pizza on Cauliflower Crust Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Servings: 4

trimmed ½ medium red onion 16 black California grapes, halved 1 frozen cauliflower pizza 1 cup canned or cooked crust (11 ounces) chickpeas, drained and 1 tablespoon, plus 4 tea- rinsed, divided spoons, extra-virgin olive 2 tablespoons finely oil, divided chopped fresh parsley 2 medium carrots, peeled 2 tablespoons pesto and trimmed salt, to taste 1 medium fennel bulb, freshly ground black quartered and trimmed pepper, to taste 1 medium yellow bell 1 ounce fresh goat cheese, pepper, halved and crumbled Heat oven to 400° F. Place frozen crust on large, parchment-lined baking sheet and brush top lightly with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake until crust is lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and cut into quarters.

Using mandolin, peeler or large, sharp knife and cutting board, thinly slice carrots, fennel, bell pepper and onion. Transfer to mixing bowl and add grapes and 1/2 cup chickpeas. Add parsley, pesto and 1 table-

spoon olive oil; toss well.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using fork, coarsely mash remaining chickpeas and remaining oil; spread among pieces of crust. Mound grapevegetable mixture on top. Dot with goat cheese and serve.

Nutritional information per serving: 490 calories; 9 g protein; 66 g carbohydrates; 22 g fat (40% calories from fat); 4 g saturated fat (7% calories from saturated fat); 30 mg cholesterol; 380 mg sodium; 4 g fiber.

a filling yet nutritional dinner, Warm-Spiced Chickpeas and Couscous with Grapes and Arugula makes for an ideal vegetarian meal.

Plus, this easy-to-make dish includes 8 grams of fiber to help support colon health.

Grapes and seafood are a classic combination, and this Roasted Salmon and Grapes with Pistachios Over Fresh Greens is no exception. A perfect dish for family dinners or inviting guests for a meal, it offers antioxidants and other polyphenols from grapes along with healthy omega-3 fats from fish.

Whatever your path to health, eating well and encouraging healthy habits can be de-

Roasted Salmon and Grapes with Pistachios Over Fresh Greens Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 7-8 minutes Servings: 4 4 wild sockeye or coho salmon filets (about 5 ounces each) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup dry white wine 1 cup green California grapes ¼ cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley 5 ounces baby spinach ¼ red onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Heat oven to 400° F. Lightly oil shallow, 9-by13-inch baking dish.

Pat fish dry and place skin side down in pan.

Brush filets lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour wine in pan, scatter grapes around and sprinkle pistachios and parsley on fish.

Roast salmon 7 minutes for medium-rare; 8 minutes for medium.

In large bowl, toss spinach, onion, re-

maining oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste; toss again and divide among four plates.

Place fish on top of greens. Spoon roasted grapes around fish.

Nutritional information per serving: 360 calories; 31 g protein; 12 g carbohydrates; 19 g fat (48% calories from fat); 3 g saturated fat (8% calories from saturated fat); 65 mg cholesterol; 105 mg sodium; 2 g fiber

liciously easy with the benefits of grapes.

Find more health benefits and good-for-you recipe ideas at GrapesFromCalifornia.com Grapes and your skin While naturally hydrating and delivering beneficial antioxidants and other polyphenols, grapes also offer more: they may help support healthy skin even when exposed to UV light. In a study conducted by the University of Alabama, subjects consuming 2 1/4 cups of grapes every day for two weeks showed increased resistance to sunburn and reduced markers of UV damage in skin cells.

Warm-Spiced Chickpeas and Couscous with Grapes and Arugula Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 4 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1½ teaspoons ground cumin ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1 cup Israeli pearl cous-

cous ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric 1½ cups water 1 can (15 ounces) no-saltadded chickpeas, drained 1 cup red California grapes, halved 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 cups lightly packed baby arugula lemon wedges

In large saucepan over medium heat, heat oil.

Add onion, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and allspice; cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add couscous and stir 1 minute to toast lightly. Add turmeric and water; bring to boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until couscous is tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir chickpeas, grapes and cilantro into couscous

then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer couscous-grape mixture to large bowl, add arugula and toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Nutritional information per serving: 370 calories; 12 g protein; 61 g carbohydrates; 9 g fat (17% calories from fat); 1 g saturated fat (2% calories from saturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 160 mg sodium; 8 g fiber.

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Summerstage offers free summer fun in the city Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City’s beloved outdoor performing arts festival, is continuing with their free summer performances this week.

On July 30, Saba, Eryn Allen Kane, theMIND, and Zillion will come to Central Park for a free show in association with Move Forward Music at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.). Chicago rapper Saba—co-founder of the musical collective Pivot Gang and one third of the supergroup Ghetto Sage with Smino and Noname—first drew widespread attention for his early collaborations with Chance the Rapper, and has since established himself as a diaristic storyteller, channeling his grief into the instant classic LP “Care for Me.” Saba says that his latest album “Few Good Things” is “the realization of self after a search for exterior fulfillment,” incorporating Black-owned companies, independent creators, and filmmakers into the album’s content. He’s joined

by Eryn Allen Kane, a Detroit-born and raised recording artist, songwriter, and producer whose work explores stories of love, loss, social injustice, and the fragility of life; and theMIND, a Philadelphia-born hip hop and R&B artist whose latest album “Don’t Let it Go to Your Head” references René Magritte’s 1928 surrealist painting “The Lovers” while speaking directly to our culture’s erasure of Black bodies. For more information, visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/saba/

Clockwise from top left: Sons of Kemet; Makaya Mccraven; L'rain; DJ Lindsey (Courtesy photo)

On July 31, Sons of Kemet, Makaya McCraven, L’Rain, DJ Lindsey will come to Central Park for a free show at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.).

This dual-headliner bill showcases two pillars of modern jazz, bolstering communities fostering the next generation of jazz greats. Shabaka Hutchings is one of the brightest stars in a London jazz scene that’s stretching the boundaries of the genre. Sons of Kemet is his project with Tom Skinner, Theon Cross, and Eddie Hick; the lineup features two drummers, a tuba, and SummerStage Anywhere alum Hutchings on saxophone and clarinet. Their latest LP “Black to the Future” unites the African diaspora

on both sides of the Atlantic, working with vocalists and rappers from the U.K. and U.S., making jazz that encourages political dialogue as much as individual expression. Drummer, bandleader and recent SummerStage Anywhere alum Makaya McCraven’s take on jazz is viewed through the lens of hip hop production, deconstructing and reassembling jazz and soul standards with the ear of a crate-digger. His 2020 LP “We’re New Again” reimagined Gil Scott-Heron’s final album through his own POV. On his latest, this year’s “Deciphering the Message,” he pilfers the Blue

On Sat, Aug. 20, Maroons & Suffragettes: A Greg Tate Tribute Concert Celebrating The 20th Anniversary Of Burnt Sugar/Danz will come to Marcus Garvey Park at 6 p.m. for a free program featuring Burnt Sugar/ Danz, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, Harriet Tubman, Resistance Revival Chorus, Bardo Steppers, and DJ Reborn.

Burnt Sugar/Danz was founded in 2002 by writer/musician/conductor Greg Tate and dancer/choreographer/filmmaker Gabri Christa as a radical melding of Christa’s profound relationship to movement and Tate’s equally rigorous approach to music. The collaboration they formed was rooted in the work of Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, the sprawling band of virtuosos that Tate founded and co-led—

a multi-generational ensemble inspired

by Butch Morris’ CONDUCTION system for improvising orchestras. Burnt Sugar/ Danz, which made its debut at SummerStage in Central Park that same year, draws upon the cream of the crop in New York City’s music, choreographic, and danceperformance talent to create innovative, never-before-seen works, live, and in real time. Adopting Morris’ baton gestures and hand-sign vocabulary to dance, Burnt Sugar/Danz presents an alchemical blend of spontaneously composed music and choreography. This 20th-anniversary celebration, held in tribute to Tate, includes

guest appearances by Harriet Tubman, the avant power trio known for its deep fusion of soul, rock, and jazz; the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of more than 60 women and non-binary singers; the Bardo Steppers, a deep-funk secondline procession of drums and horns led by bassist Melvin Gibbs; and DJ Reborn, a trailblazing international DJ, sound collage artist, and arts educator, also the resident DJ for Ms. Lauryn Hill’s world tour and the founder of DJs for Justice.

Marcus Garvey Park. For more information, visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/ events/greg-tate-tribute/.

Note catalog for samples like a kid in a candy store, creating a virtual band of jazz legends from Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and rising contemporary stars like Junius Paul and Marquis Hill. They’re joined by L’Rain, a Brooklyn-based songwriter and sound artist with a jazz lineage at the forefront of New York’s experimental community, and DJ Lindsey on the decks. There will also be a side stage performance by Danielle Ponder, a NY-based R&B/Soul artist. For more information, visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/sons-of-kemet-makaya/

On September 10, World Music Institute will host a free showcase in Central Park called Improvisations: Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra featuring Hassan Hakmoun, Dave Liebman, Marcus Gilmore, Graham Haynes and Brooklyn Raga Massive. The lineup will also include Gift of Gnawa Honoring Don Cherry, Brandee Younger and Joel Ross.

For more information, visit https:// cityparksfoundation.org/events/ improvisations/?date=20220910

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LEROY WILLIAMS, CONSUMMATE DRUMMER, DIES AT 85

Leroy Williams playing with Jason Moran in celebration of Thelonius Monk (Susan Reeves photo)

Leroy Williams the consummate drummer, who earned an international reputation playing in large and small ensembles, primarily as a defined contributor (calling him a sideman would be an understatement), recording with the likes of Hank Mobley, Andrew Hill, Barry Harris and Charles McPherson, died on June 1. He was 85.

Upon arriving in New York City in the 1960s, his reputation preceded him having honed his percussion skills, playing in a variety of clubs in his hometown of Chicago. Williams is best known for his 50-year span performing and recording with pianist and composer Barry Harris.

He also along with fellow drummer Jimmy Lovelace played integral roles as teacher and mentor in Harris’ weekly jazz workshops.

During the late 1970s, he played with a host of noted bands at Jazzmobile summer concerts, where he performed intermittently into the 1990s. Williams inspired many young musicians as an instructor at Jazzmobile’s weekly Saturday jazz workshops in Harlem.

“Leroy was a good friend and musician-mate, who was not only an excellent drummer but wonderful person to work with and be associated with,” said bassist and composer Paul West (former director of Jazzmobile 1969-73).

Williams was a respected elder-

statesman of jazz, having the opportunity to see the legends Charlie Parker and Lester Young perform live while having conversations with drummers Papa Joe Jones and Art Blakey. These experiences represented decades of musical wisdom and rich traditions that he gladly shared with a cross-section of students throughout the United States and abroad.

When not on the road, Williams was a regular at the Columbia University Center for Jazz Studies functions. “He often visited my jazz classes. Once we had a program called [Percussion Discussion], with tap dancers featured along with great drummers,” said Robert O’Meally, Zora Neale Hurston professor, Columbia University. “When in a pinch we needed someone to trade eights with Jimmy Slyde, the master tapper, Leroy volunteered. And the two of them lit up the room: Jimmy drumming with his feet, Leroy tap dancing with his sticks on the drums.”

“You need to see the beat,” he said to a group of students at Columbia University encouraging them to attend “live” music in concerts or clubs, to watch the music-makers in action.

Leroy Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois on Feb. 3, 1937, his mother was the choir pianist for the church pastored by her father.

He attended DuSable High School, famous for its music program under the direction of legendary Captain Walter H. Dyett, whose pupils included Johnny Griffin, Clifford Jordan, and Charles Davis. Williams

did not study with Dyett, but he recommended him for tutelage under the local master-percussionist, Oliver Coleman.

Williams’ first gigs included work with bassist Wilbur Ware, who was his most important early mentor. In 1967 when Williams arrived in New York, Ware was already there.

“Wilbur was very encouraging to me, he helped give me confidence.

It was Wilbur who hooked me Leroy Williams (S. Ferry photo) (Jill Williams photo) up with Hank Mobley in New York,” explained from that to make everything I the beat allows the other musicians Williams. In the summer of 1970 did play count for something, no to play in front of it or behind it withWare recommended Williams to extra flash.” In the 1990s he was a out losing the flow,” stated author play with Thelonious Monk, whose member of the group El Molleni- and critic Stanley Crouch. regular band had just broken up. um with guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, Williams was a deeply spiritual “Come on, man,” Wilbur had said, pianist Bertha Hope, and bassist player who could light up a room “are you ready?!” With Monk, Wil- Walter Booker. with his smile or sizzling drum liams played a week at the Village Williams’ great musicianship as a kit. Those who knew him would Vanguard, a week in Raleigh, and drummer, which made blissful and notice him approaching at least a local gigs around Manhattan. “I hard swinging notes colorful visions block away, he had this super cool learned a lot just watching Monk, floating in the air, was grossly un- strut, a Chicago-Harlem stroll, and from the few things he would derrated by the critics at large. To a hip flow like a Lou Donaldson tell me directly,” said Williams in a his fellow musicians such as Johnny solo, he will be missed. conversation shared with O’Meally. Griffin, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Heath, Save this date: September 14, “He dug my time, but one night, and Ray Bryant, he was on the top 2022 is when family and friends will maybe I was trying to show too of their drummer call list. He record- celebrate the life of Leroy Williams much technique, and he turned to ed extensively with Barry Harris, at the Interchurch Center, Clareme and said, ‘Leroy, we’ve got all Junior Cook and Charles McPher- mont Avenue at 120th St. Manhatnight to play, baby.’ Well, I learned son. “Leroy Williams’ placement of tan. More details will follow.

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July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 25

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Horace Jenkins, an extraordinary filmmaker and documentarian

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews Recently, when Turner Classic Movies presented “Cane,” it provided a double discovery for me: first, and most significantly, a film I had never heard of was introduced and then to learn who the leading lady was. “Cane,” a film directed by Horace B. Jenkins, was released in 1982 but flew so low under the critical radar that it practically vanished.

I was surprised to see Tommye Myrick, someone I had worked with in Detroit, starring with Richard Romain in the leading roles. Apparently, Tommye was either in the process of signing on to the project or completing it since we were hired to produce a show at the Ford Auditorium in 1978 commemorating the birthday of Paul Robeson. It should also At the far right is Horace Jenkins as a young man in discussion with his elders. be noted that for years I worked here at the paper with series. He was also instrumental in process as a kid. As an adult, lookGideon Manasseh, the late pho- developing “Black Journal,” which ing at his work today, it gives me a tographer, the film’s director of was once hosted by media maven totally different understanding of cinematography.

Tony Brown. Jenkins worked in who he was.”

While I didn’t get the opportunity Europe for NBC International and The setting for “Cane” is Natchito embrace and romance Tommye managed the film department of toches and Jenkins captures all the like Romain in the film, I was a television stations in Saudi Arabia, lushness of the landscape, much beneficiary of her theatrical talent, all of which nourished his film am- of it reeling by while Romain and her way of shaping a production bitions. From 1973 to 1975 he was Myrick gallop on horseback or to keep Robeson’s integrity intact on the faculty of Howard Univer- swim in the river. They are in a within an overall evening of dance, sity’s School of Communications, sense star-crossed lovers, conflictpoetry, and speeches. It’s a shame and there’s a good chance he might ed by their different caste and color Jenkins, who died in December the have spent time with Brown who backgrounds, and it’s a problem same year the film was released, was the founder of the college’s they tackle but have difficulty overdidn’t get a chance to oversee the School of Communications. coming. Carol Balthazar, who partpossible distribution that never Sacha Jenkins, Horace’s son, nered with Jenkins, commented occurred. His insight and genius during an interview reflected on on the color question, noting, “It’s might have been the sparks needed his father and his career. “He was a common issue, because there to assist in the promotion, which is very inquisitive, curious, and that was a lot of intermarriage and, of often the responsibility of produc- fed his storytelling,” he said. “He course, slavery,” she said, and her ers and the director. was driven to tell this story after family history provided the movie’s Jenkins was born Feb. 9, 1941, in he went to Natchitoches, where historical backdrop.

Scranton, Penn. Not much infor- his girlfriend was from, and saw Sacha, after seeing the film, mation is available about his early what was happening in terms of began a deeper inquiry, seeking years, but we know he received an land ownership and color, and to learn more about him. “My dad education at the Sorbonne Film thought it was a great entry into a was a filmmaker who was driven Institute in Paris and later won story. His desire to marry history to make films that honored Black Emmys for producing segments with contemporary conversations people, and showed how rich our of “Advocates,” a PBS legal affairs was something that I couldn’t fully histories are, and how varied and

complex we are, but he was not a businessman, so we’re trying to get it right this time,” Sacha said. “But if you would’ve told me 25, 30 years ago, or when I was a kid, after he passed away, that I would one day have a hand in bringing ‘Cane River’ to audiences, with people actually appreciating it and talking about it, I never would have believed you.”

Among his discoveries about his father was that he was also a documentarian, including such productions as “Sudan Pyramids: A Zandi’s Dream,” and that he won the 1978 Oscar Micheaux Award for best film and best documentary.

Jenkins anticipated the coterie of Black filmmakers who continued his pioneering spirit, both in the realm of fiction and nonfiction. And his son is a direct recipient of that enterprise as he works to complete his film projects and work as a journalist. His documentary “Burn Motherf*cker Burn” (2017) appeared on Showtime and in 2019 he released “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men.” His documentary on Rick James, “Bitchin: The Sound and Fury of Rick James” was featured on Showtime.

“I just wonder how my father would have been recognized for what he did, and how life might have been different for myself, my sister and my mom, if the film was officially released when it was supposed to, with Richard Pryor, or whoever else was interested in releasing it,” Sacha said, who was 11 when his father died. “I grew up in a single-parent household, in the ’hood, telling people that my dad was a filmmaker. But no one really believed me because there was nothing really tangible to show people.” Now there is.

ACTIVITIES FIND OUT MORE An obituary appeared in The New York Times, an indication that he was not entirely forgotten, but it does not provide any additional information on his early years.

DISCUSSION Only scant background information is provided about his family and the cause of death.

PLACE IN CONTEXT Jenkins’ great potential was cut short, but he left behind a remarkable record of achievement.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY July 26, 1847: Joseph Jenkins Roberts, Liberia’s first president, was born in Norfolk, Va. He died in 1876.

July 26, 1865: Patrick Francis Healy, first Black American to earn a doctorate, was born in Macon, Ga. He died in 1910.

July 27, 1897: Pioneering aviator William J. Powell was born in Henderson, Ky. He died in 1942.

26 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

Metro Briefs Continued from page 3

Chancellor Banks checks out PS 161’s Summer Rising program

Fire Continued from page 3

found veritably false and likely coerced.

These overturned convictions mark 33 individuals exonerated by Gonzalez’s Conviction Review Unit. According to VOCAL-NY, New York wrongfully convicts the third most people nationwide, with a staggering 3,068 years stolen from those imprisoned since 1989. To the nonprofit’s Civil Rights Union leader Roger Clark, the trio’s exoneration is just the “tip of the iceberg.”

“We have a wrongful conviction problem,” he said. “There were unscrupulous prosecutors who would do anything to get somebody convicted. They didn’t care what the charges were, [they didn’t] care if you were innocent or guilty. They simply used to convict. And I remember that clearly, because when I was 20 years old, I was accused of a shooting that I did not commit.”

Irons and Malik returned home after nearly three decades in prison. And Ellerbe recently wrapped up his parole while avoiding recidivism. Ronald Kuby, who repre-

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks visited PS 161 Pedro Albizu Campos at 499 W. 133 Street in Manhattan to tour the school’s Summer Rising site.

PS 161, which serves grades kindergarten through 8th grade, is conducting its Summer Rising program from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through sents Malik and Ellerbe, believes his clients are doing well, given the circumstances. The renowned civil rights lawyer says the two returned to supportive families. For Ellerbe, the overturned conviction means an easier time applying for work around the city, while Malik is moving out of New York to live in the countryside with his wife, who he knew before his sentence and married in prison. He met with his mom before departing town.

But leaving the outside as a teenager in 1995 and returning to a world of smart fridges, face-recognition lock screens and selfdriving cars is quite the time portal.

“I don’t think Tommy has moved up to QR codes yet,” said Kuby. “I know he has an email address his wife is setting up for him.

He’s getting a cellphone.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift today by visiting: https:// tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

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August 19. The school places high priority on student engagement and has focused classroom learning this summer on an array of hands-on learning activities, especially in their arts and STEM classes.

Chancellor Banks had the opportunity to jump into a STEM class and an arts class

International

to fully engage with Summer Rising programming before transitioning to the “CBO Carnival Space” where partnered CBOs (community-based organizations) host games and activities for students daily.

—Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo against women and have recommended their prohibition.

Continued from page 2

communities accept that. Exclusive monogamy doesn’t fit with our realities, our customs.

“We can’t just copy-paste legislation that was put in place in Western countries. We have to give people the option,” he maintains.

While polygamy has declined in recent years it is still widely accepted in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria, with a 10th of the population living in polygamous households, according to a 2019 study conducted by the Pew Research Center.

In Ivory Coast, 12% of all households are polygamous, according to the same study.

In Kenya, almost 1.5 million Kenyans–– or 10% of the married population––are in a polygamous marriage, according to the Kenya Population and Housing Census. But women’s rights groups call this a gross underestimate as most of these marriages are customary and not registered.

The prospect of returning to outdated traditions has women’s rights advocates seeing a step back in the fight for equality.

“We can’t legalize polygamy to satisfy a man’s libido,” legal expert Désirée Okobé told the French news service France24.

“A man chooses to have more than one wife for personal, egotistical reasons. Legalizing polygamy would be a setback for Ivorian women who still face systemic inequalities and discrimination,” she said in an interview.

“It’s an excuse to justify the unjustifiable.

This is not for women. This is all about men getting their way,” she says.

Most polygamous marriages across Africa fuel poverty, activists say, with husbands neglecting one family over another––leaving thousands of women and children impoverished and easy prey for exploitation.

Women’s rights organizations in Ivory Coast say they will fight the bill and do everything they can to prevent it from becoming part of the law. Former solidarity and women’s rights minister Constance Yai has been one of the most vocal critics of Sangare’s plan.

“All the noise you are hearing is being made by people who are using this law as a pretext to express once again their resentment of women,” she said. “This is nothing new. The [equality] law merely formalizes what we all knew already - gender equality in marriage. Protesting against this law should stop.”

The U.N. Commission on Human Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women consider that polygamous marriages discriminate

FUNDING FOR AFRICAN VICTIMS OF DROUGHT SEES DEEP CUTS AS MONEY FLOWS TO EUROPE (GIN)––The war in Ukraine is draining millions of dollars away from crises in Africa as funds are being redirected to Europe.

Somalia, facing a food shortage largely driven by the war, could be the most vulnerable. Its aid funding is less than half of last year’s level while Western donors have sent more than $1.7 billion to respond to the war in Europe.

A $2.2 billion appeal for Ukraine is almost 80% funded, according to U.N. data––an “exceptional” level for any crisis at the midway point of the year. By comparison, a smaller appeal for Somalia is just 30% funded.

“They’re not saying openly, ‘We’re focused on Ukraine,’” said Nimo Hassan, director of the Somalia NGO Consortium. “But you can see what they’re doing in Ukraine.”

Hassan and several others said they believe donor countries understand the urgency, but decision-makers in capitals like Brussels and London appear distracted by the war in Europe.

In one case, a donor preparing to give a half-million dollars to a Somali aid group told its executive director and former Somali vice president Hussein Kulmiye it was redirecting the money to help Ukrainians instead.

Meanwhile, over 80 million people in the eastern African region are food insecure. Acute malnutrition is high, especially among children.

“We’re really trying to stave off mass deaths at this point,” Sarah Charles, assistant to the administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, told the AP, adding that “unfortunately, the nature of these crises is such that they go slow and then go very fast.”

At a single hospital in Somalia, more than two dozen children have died of hunger in the past two months. Dr. Yahye Abdi Garun has watched their emaciated parents as they stumble in from rural areas that are gripped by the driest drought in decades. And yet no humanitarian aid arrives.

Fleeing the drought, Somalis fill more than 500 camps in the city of Baidoa.

There, aid workers are forced to make “horrific” choices to help one camp and ignore 10 others, Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary General Jan Egeland said, telling the Associated Press he is “angry and ashamed.” His group’s Ukraine appeal was fully funded within 48 hours, but its Somalia appeal is perhaps a quarter funded as thousands of people die.

THE NEWS THE NEW NEW YORK YORK AMSTERDAM AMSTERDAM NEWS

2022 - July 3, 20,2022 2022• 27 •1 JulyJuly 28, 14, 2022 - August

AS YOU PREPARE TO HEAD TO THE POLLS FOR THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS, WHAT ISSUE(S) MATTER MOST TO YOU? FOR EXAMPLE: • Are you concerned about the rising cost of living?

• Is crime a top concern?

• Does the impact of COVID-19 remain a concern?

• Is climate change top of mind?

• Are you concerned about prescription drug costs?

• Are you concerned about the future of abortion rights?

The New York Amsterdam News is partnering with WNYC Public Radio to amplify the voices of residents in communities throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Tell us what’s on your mind ahead of the mid-term elections in the form of a 400-to-700-word first-person essay. Selected essays will be published in (Your Publication Here).

WNYC’s Community Partnerships & Training Editor George Bodarky may also work with you to create an audio version of your essay to air on WNYC Public Radio and appear on Gothamist.com

WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD ESSAY? • •

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

•

Embrace your own personal voice. Talk it out while

right away.

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

Provide examples and anecdotes to help the audience

or family member.

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

•

Use short sentences and paragraphs.

Please submit essays no later than Friday, August 26, 2022

28 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Education Judge upholds temporary restraining order against NYC budget cuts to schools make no mistake, the budget was duly adopted by the City Council and is in accordance with all charter mandated protocols,” said Deputy Press Secretary for the Mayor’s Office Amaris Cockfield. “We hope the court will grant the city’s application expeditiously so that our schools can continue the necessary work in preparation for September.”

On Wednesday, July 27, said Barbieri, Judge Frank rejected the City’s request to vacate his restraining order. Any further cuts to school budgets will continue to be blocked until the next hearing.

The case will resume in court Aug. 4 at 10 a.m.

The teachers union rallied outside of City Hall during public hearings about education cuts in June. (Photos by Ariama C. Long)

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Tension mounted between New York City’s Department of Education (DOE) and its pissed off parents and teachers as a judge granted a restraining order to temporarily hold off millions of dollars in cuts to schools budgets last week Friday.

On July 18, two teachers and two parents jointly filed a lawsuit against the DOE and Schools Chancellor David Banks demanding an injunction to halt the $215 million budget

cuts to public schools planned for next year and for the city council to re-vote on the budget.

The City Council voted to adopt the budget on June 13, 10 days before the Board voted on June 23, 2022. In the lawsuit the plaintiffs state that the standard process, Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), was not followed and that properly informed city councilmembers would vote differently given the chance. Many council members have gone on record saying they regret saying yes to the current budget.

Judge Lyle Frank of the New

York State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the parents and teachers in the lawsuit.

Laura Barbieri, the attorney from Advocates for Justice who is handling the case pro bono on behalf of four parents and teacher plaintiffs, said she was “pleased” so far with Judge Frank’s ruling.

She said that they hope to win and are heartened that the courts saw the merit in their arguments.

“We continue to believe that the cuts are causing irreparable harm to students and teachers. We hope to win this case on the merits, as

the cuts were enacted in a manner that clearly violates state law,” said Barbieri.

Additionally, groups such as Citizens Action Now are circulating a petition demanding that Mayor Eric Adams fully fund schools and restore the education cuts.

The judge is hearing both sides as they are filing papers and submitting arguments this week Monday and Tuesday.

“Today, the city filed papers asking the court to vacate the restraining order. We will wait until the court responds before saying more, but

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

Activists and graduates celebrated at ENY Paint Your Blessings East New York Restoration Local Development Corporation Local toasted activists and graduates at their celebration on June 29, 2022, at the beautiful Paint Your Blessings event space.

They honored the work of Inez Barron, former city councilwoman and assemblywoman, teacher and administrator; and Viola Plummer, bedrock community activist and movement builder. The occasion also highlighted graduates from an innovative Central Sterilizing Program, as well as graduates from a solar installation training.

Paint Your Blessings was the

perfect venue to highlight the wonderful things happening in East New York: trainings linked to certifications with a clear pathway to jobs in high demand, community improvement projects to “Keep ENY Green & Clean,” and always healthy aging programming.

A.T. Mitchell of Man Up Inc.! and Councilman Charles Barron highlighted the dedication and leadership exemplified by the honorees. To cap the evening off, as the board members and staff of East New York Restoration proudly looked on, Ms. Inez Barron was presented with a quilt designed by area seniors.

The graduates and staff (Lem Peterkin photos)

A. T. Mitchell, Viola Plummer and Councilman Charles Barron were all honorees

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

NY10 congressional race Continued from page 4

Carlina Rivera (Contributed headshot)

inside of the new congressional district.

She’s also excited at the prospect of continuing to represent her community.

Niou is a progressive Democrat for low-income, immigrant, and working families. Her parents immigrated to the U.S with her as a baby from Taiwan. In 2016, she was elected in a “historic landslide victory” to represent Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the State Assembly and she is the first Asian American to represent Manhattan’s Chinatown in the State Legislature.

Niou said that she faced incredible backlash and anti-Asian hate not only when she was elected but in recent years. She said there’s always a level of “state-sanctioned racism” that many don’t even recognize.

“I try to fight for more accessibility, transparency, and powerful representation in our government and making sure that folks are at the table,” said Niou. “We have to make sure that every single policy

Yuh-Line Niou (Contributed headshot)

and bill that we do is looking through a racial, social, economic, environmental, and disability lens.”

Niou said the main issues she’s concentrating on are climate justice because of the waterfronts along Manhattan and Brooklyn, fully funding public housing, protecting Section 8 & 9 housing, and fighting for the Green New Deal in New York.

“We have an incredible ground game,” said Niou. “I think it’s really important that we have people who work in the area and care about the district in a real way.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 29

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Health Factcheck: False: Rapid COVID-19 results cannot be trusted, and it is always better to get a PCR test to know for sure whether or not you have COVID-19 Claim: Rapid COVID-19 tests don’t work well, and it is always better to get a (PCR) COVID-19 test to confirm whether or not you have COVID-19 Factcheck: False. While there are instances in which a PCR is advisable and warranted, COVID-19 rapid antigen tests are important tools for people to determine whether they have COVID-19.

By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA Special to the AmNews As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, there were few tests available but within months several types of tests were introduced and soon became widely available. Testing is an important tool in helping contain COVID outbreaks but a great deal of misinformation has spread online about the accuracy of the different types of tests available.

On May 8, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a COVID-19 rapid antigen test. The Emergency Use Authorization was issued to Quidel Corporation for the Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA. This came several months after the polymerase chain

reaction (PCR) tests rolled out. According to the FDA, “PCR tests can be incredibly accurate, but running the tests and analyzing the results can take time. One of the main advantages of an antigen test is the speed of the test, which can provide results in minutes.”

In an interview, Dr. Wilbur Lam, professor of pediatrics and biomedical engineering at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, stated that there are “two categories of COVID-19 tests right now. One is the rapid test which as the name implies [is] easy to do…fairly inexpensive, and…many of them have been authorized for home use.”

He explained that the science behind rapid antigen tests isn’t new, “it’s actually technology that’s been around for decades.

It’s very similar to the technology

scholarly arti- mance of SARS-CoV-2 rapid cle in which the antigen test compared with reauthors stud- al-time RT-PCR in asymptomied 225 adults atic individuals” rapid antigen and children tests “might have a significant COVID testing impact on the identification of results utiliz- asymptomatic carriers in areas ing home anti- that lack suitable laboratories gen tests versus to perform” more sensitive PCR PCR tests. Ac- tests which would also take far cording to longer. The authors concluded the authors, that, given the “fast test results” “symptomatand ability to get results for inic individuals dividuals not exhibiting COVIDwith an ini- 19 symptoms, rapid tests “might tial negative have a significant role in COVIDhome antigen 19 screening, testing and contact test result for tracing strategies to control the SARS-CoV-2 in- COVID-19 pandemic.” fection should The importance of COVIDtest again 1 to 19 rapid antigen tests cannot be A tweet falsely states that rapid tests are not accurate 2 days later be- overstated. “Before the pandemic cause test sen- there wasn’t really much thought that home pregnancy tests [use]… sitivity peaked several days after that infectious diseases could be PCR has been around for many de- illness onset and improved with re- tested at home,” Dr. Lam said. cades as well…[but] because of the peated testing.” [Emphasis added.] “But what we’ve learned with the way PCR works it usually requires The practical importance of pandemic is that with accessibilia more complex gadget and usu- the rapid tests are critical. Ac- ty and the capability for the public ally it is based in hospitals.” Lam cording to author Monica Pena to have access to all these tests went on to explain the sensitivi- et al., in the article “Perfor- that…it can actually save lives.” ty of the PCR test, stating that “the difference in utility in terms of how you use them is PCR testing tends If you wish to obtain an at-home test, you to be a little bit more sensitive…it can go to one of the city-wide pick-up sites can detect a lower amount, a much less concentrated amount of virus or visit https://www.covid.gov/tests and than a rapid test.” order a test by mail. For overall information However this does not make the rapid test any less of an important regarding testing, please go to https:// tool, and individuals can use serial testing, which is testing at differwww1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19ent points in time, to “mitigate the testing.page. These and other resources can slightly decreased sensitivity of the rapid tests,” Dr. Lam explained. also be accessed on the AmNews COVID-19 Dr. Lam’s observation on serial page: https://amsterdamnews.com/covid/ testing is shared by author Victoria T. Chu, MD, MPH et al., in a

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS H E A L T H

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 31

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst opens center to improve maternal health outcomes for WOC (Photo by William Fortunato/Pexels)

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst announced the opening of its Mother-Baby Simulation Center to help reduce maternal deaths and life-threatening conditions in patients during childbirth. Using a speciallydesigned, high-tech, full-body mannequin of color, along with a mannequin infant, obstetric (OB) physicians, anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, midwives, physician assistants, and respiratory therapists participate in simulations that further help in identifying and treating potentially life-threatening conditions during labor and childbirth. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is one of six city public hospitals to be outfitted with its own OB simulation lab to help make trainings more accessible for OB teams throughout the system, building on the City’s program to reduce maternal deaths and life-threatening complications from childbirth among women of color.

“Having an on-site OB sim lab at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is critical for so many of our patients, who often come from underserved communities and have high-risk pregnancies,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Helen Arteaga

Landaverde, MPH. “Simulation training helps ensure that our doctors, nurses, and other team members caring for our pregnant patients have the expertise they need to handle complex cases should they arise. Our staff is very excited to expand Elmhurst’s mission of eliminating health disparities and ensuring good outcomes for new moms and their babies.”

“Our new Mother-Baby Simulation Center will be an excellent medium for serving patients that have highly complex and high-risk but infrequent situations,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Director of OB/ GYN Services Dr. Frederick Friedman. “Through simulation training our physicians and nurses can learn to optimize care for these patients and develop and apply skills that result in successful deliveries, leading to better care for women of color and others who may have high risk pregnancies. The diversity of our patient population is unparalleled. While we are practicing, enhancing, and reinforcing our technical skills, we simultaneously are improving our communicative skills.”

“It is fantastic that we now have a stateof-the-art mother-baby simulation center right here in Elmhurst,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “This center will train health care professionals on the best practices for delivering healthy newborns and for caring for delivering mothers.

The result will be fewer cases of maternal and infant mortality and better outcomes for all of the mothers and newborns cared for at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.”

“Every maternal and infant death is a tragedy, and unfortunately these deaths are especially prevalent in low-income communities of color,” said New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan. “That's why I'm proud to join Elmhurst Hospital in unveiling this new mother-baby simulator, which will train caregivers to handle the most complex cases. This investment will save the lives of our most valuable and vulnerable: mothers and babies.”

“We have a maternal health crisis that is causing the deaths of mothers and babies and particularly Black and brown women in

our city and state. I’m proud to have passed Lian’s law to further educate health professionals and teachers about maternal health conditions. But we also need investment if we are going to save lives. That is why I’m so proud to join the Elmhurst Hospital CEO Helen Arteaga and staff for the opening of this Mother Baby Simulation Center. The center will help to identify potentially lifethreatening conditions during childbirth and is another example of the Elmhurst Hospital family showing up for our community,” said Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas.

The new sim lab replicates OB emergencies, including but not limited to: Maternal hemorrhage; Hypertensive emergencies; Shoulder dystocia; Maternal cardiopulmonary arrest; Stat Cesarean Section; Cord prolapse; and Neonatal resuscitation.

The simulation lab consists of two rooms: a control room, where simulation leads provide instructions in real time and manipulate the scenarios, and a staged hospital room to carry out the simulations

with OB healthcare teams and the mannequins. After the simulations, the team participates in a debrief to review the scenarios, responses, and outcomes.

Funding for the OB simulations was included as part of the City’s previous $12.8M allocation for a comprehensive plan to support the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and NYC Health + Hospitals programming aimed at reducing maternal deaths and life-threatening complications from childbirth among women of color.

The NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst OB Simulation Program started in 2016 in collaboration with the NYC Health + Hospitals Simulation Center and has trained hundreds of Elmhurst physicians, nurses, and staff.

Significant racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related mortality exist. According to the CDC, black patients have a pregnancy-related mortality ratio approximately three times as high as that of their white counterparts.

For more info, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org

32 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

Mansion Continued from page 3

Brooklyn since 2015. “They were in financial trouble,” said Zinerman. “They were offered money and they took it.”

The BKReader reported that Erlich had filed a permit for demolition back in May before the sale of the building finalized. a 1,hail 2was • May 26, 2022 - In June 2022mary, electeds and the communi-

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

ty tried to get the mansion there was already a cease and landmarked to prevent de- desist order from the Departvelopers from destroying it. ment of Buildings (DOB).

On June 7, Landmarks Pres“Apparently what happened ervation Commission (LPC) was the developer was the held a hearing about land- only one looking at the clock,” marking the building. Ziner- said Zinerman. man said that it was a 74-2 LPC did not decide whether decision, the dissenting votes or not to landmark the manbeing that of the developers sion within 40 days, which and the masons. That delayed was on July 17. Two days later, any action on the building for on the 19th, the demo perthe required 40 days mits were approved.

THEwhile NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS Henry LPC deliberated, even though L. Butler, district manager

for Community Board 3, said that this was the “most disappointing part” of the whole ordeal.

“The question everyone should be asking is why LPC did not make a decision,” said Butler, “Why call a hearing and then don’t make a decision.”

Under the ‘Landmarks Law,’ said a mayor’s office spokesperson, a DOB demolition permit issued prior to desig-

nation is valid and the work can move forward. Zinerman said that the mayor’s office learned of the demo permits then and reached out to Ossé. She said that “legally” the mayor told her that he couldn’t stop DOB or LPC. So she pivoted to file for an injunction with affidavits instead. But it was too late.

“I went over there and literally stood there while they just demolished the build-

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ing,” said Zinerman. “And the crime is, what I’m calling environmental violence, the fire chiefs were there. Somebody called them, because there was no covering around that building, no sheeting or anything that could protect anybody living on the block.”

Zinerman said she was across the street, in a yellow white polka dot dress, and was covered from head to foot with debris from the building.

“How does DOB allow a permit for something that’s being contested [and] not come on site to ensure that all the necessary precautions were taken care of? Are you kidding me?” said Zinerman.

DOB did receive a large number of 311 complaints for illegal and dangerous construction occurring at 441 Willoughby Avenue, said the mayor’s office. DOB inspectors investigated the complaints and at the conclusion of their inspection of the property “determined the complaints were unfounded.”

However, in response to calls, they routed inspectors back to the scene, said the mayor’s office.

On scene, the inspectors found that the contractors were using an ‘unpermitted’ excavator on site to assist with the permitted demolition work. DOB then issued a Full Stop Work Order at the site, which was more or less pointless at that point considering the building had already been caved in.

“As the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered this building for potential designation as a landmark, the developer was able to legally obtain demolition permits. We will continue listening to and working with the community to help address any concerns about the future of this site,” said a mayor’s office spokesperson, who declined to be named.

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Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

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July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 33

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SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. SIDDIQ MAHMOOD MALIK, Deft.- Index #850290/2017. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 11, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Wed., September 7, 2022, at 2:15 pm, a 6,000/16,783,800 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase 1 of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $32,841.45 plus costs and interest as of April 30, 2018. 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 ACI VI CLARKSON LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/07/22.

Office location: NY County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/11/22. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ALPHAMETIC FUND 2022 GP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/09/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/08/22.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 379 W. Broadway, NY, NY 10012. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, DE Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of Audacity Enterprises, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/22/2022.

Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 99 Wall Street, Ste. 1818, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of EVERGREEN RESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/11/21.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of COLD START STUDIO LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/08/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/08/20.

Princ. office of LLC: 2875 NE 191st St., Ste. 500, Office 504, Aventura, FL 33180.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Venture capital.

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

Notice of Qualification of EM REVIVAL FUND GP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/16/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/07/22.

Princ. office of LLC: 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Ste. 1610, NY, NY 10020. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Investments.

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Notice of Formation of FIRECOM NY MERGER SUB 4 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #1348424 for beer & wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a Cafe under the ABC Law at 750 8th Ave., NYC 10036 for on-premises consumption; 703 Bakery Corp.

NOTICE OF FORMATION of Alicia Young-Collins LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Location: Manhattan. SSNY designated as agent for service of process on LLC. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 2103 8th Ave, Apt 5A, NY, NY 10026.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of FIRECOM NY MERGER SUB 6 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of GCK ART LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/13/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ModernFi Advisers LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/14/22.

Princ. office of LLC: 135 W 50th St., 2nd Fl., Ste. 200, NY, NY 10020. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of State of DE, Div. of Corps., Office of the Secy., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial # 1348724 for beer & wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 637 2nd Ave., NYC 10016 for on-premises consumption; Roongruangsarp Inc. Notice is hereby given that a On-Premises Liquor License for beer, wine and liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to permit the sale of beer, wine and liquor at retail rates for on-premises consumption at the 3DDDD Inc. located at 421 West 202nd Street, New York, NY 10034 under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. TABOGA ROOM and 3DDDD Inc. Notice is hereby given that a On-Premises Liquor License for beer, wine and liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to permit the sale of beer, wine and liquor at retail rates for on-premises consumption at the P.F. Changs China Bistro located at 113 University Place, New York, NY 10013 under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. P.F. Changs China Bistro Inc. Notice of formation of 688 BRONX COMMISSARY, LLC Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 9/30/2020. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, CT Corporation System, 111 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Akselrod Investigations, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/27/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The P.O. address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon is: 226 E 74th St. #5D New York, NY 10021. The principal business address of the LLC is: 226 E 74th St. #5D New York, NY. 10021.

Purpose: any lawful act or activity Notice of Formation of NU WORK LLC Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 10/06/21. Office Location: Bronx County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 1522 E. 172nd Street, Ste 2F, Bronx, NY 10472. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of EXCEED TALENT CAPITAL LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/13/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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

Notice of formation of MPQ 1800 Broadway, LLC . Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/29/2020. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., New York, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of SE LUXE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/18/22. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 315 E. 5th St., #3B, New York, NY 10003.

Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of formation of Social Skills in Motion LCSW PLLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/22/2021. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 25 Vermilyea Ave, Apt #46, New York, NY 10034.

Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of formation of Stacked Software, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/1/2021. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to 3 Hanover Sq, New York, NY 10004. Purpose: any lawful act.

34 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

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110 SERVICES

Notice of Qualification of SKYDECK CAPITAL LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/26/22.

Princ. office of LLC: 1 Soldiers Field Park, Apt. 313, Boston, MA 02163. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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110 SERVICES

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 37

Darius Lee, a beacon of light, remembered at a Harlem hoops gathering

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor Last Thursday, family, friends and those committed to uplifting the collective Black community came together for a memorial basketball game and prayer vigil in Harlem at the Arlington “Ollie” Edinboro Playground on 140th Street & St. Nicholas Avenue in St. Nicholas Park to honor Darius Lee, a shining light who was struck down by the darkness of gun violence in the early morning hours

of June 20 on Father’s Day weekend.

Lee, a native of Harlem and a former standout basketball player for St. Raymond’s High School in the Bronx, was a star scholar-athlete at Houston Baptist University in Texas where he was on track to graduate this December with a bachelor’s degree. The 6-6, 21-year-old Lee, who was the leading scorer for Houston Baptist this past college basketball season, was one of nine people shot at an outdoor social gathering near 139th Street

Taren Weaver-Smith (holding balloons) the mother of the late Darius Lee, was among the many who lifted the memory of her son at a memorial basketball game in Harlem last week (Bill Moore photos)

and Fifth Avenue in a hail of 53 shots that NYPD officials stated early this month involved an unconscionable 13 guns.

An unintended target, he was the only person killed in what at the time was the 277th mass shooting in the United States this year. No one has yet been arrested for Lee’s death. Among those who celebrated Lee’s impactful life, and continued the

The Liberty look for another big win over the Sky

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Don’t count out the New York Liberty. In the glory days of 1997 to 2002, when the Liberty consistently made it to the WNBA Finals, the players used to say that the team played with so much heart and hustle. The team has struggled in recent years, but there have been glimmers of greatness and the promise of good things to come.

The hope that this season could turn out excellent was evidenced by the Liberty’s home court win over the Chicago Sky last Saturday, 83–80. “That’s what your home court advantage is about,” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello in reference to the crowd’s enthusiasm. “We have really passionate fans, and we appreciate

them coming. You see more and more people coming even though we haven’t been as successful as we would have liked. It’s great to see that they’re coming and enjoying the atmosphere. That was a really great game.”

Natasha Howard had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Stefanie Dolson had 13 points. Sabrina Ionescu came close to another triple-triple with 17 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Han Xu contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Howard said Brondello set the tone before the game, telling the players that they were going to get the win.

“We kind of struggled for the past four games, but I think we found ourselves in this game,” said Howard. “We knew what it takes to win this game, and we

talked about it over and over again. … We talked about every single game we needed to learn how to win games and it started right there [with a defensive stop]. It was a huge win.”

After the big win, the Liberty had a few days with no games.

The team has a rematch with the Sky in Chicago tomorrow night and then returns to Barclays Center to take on the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday afternoon.

After that it’s seven games in 14 days. Regular season play wraps up in Brooklyn on Aug. 14.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit, not getting wins, but what I’ve really liked about this team is that we stayed together as a team,” said Brondello. “Everyone hates losing.

You’ve just got to hang in there and grind it out.”

demand for accountability and justice, were his mother, Taren Weaver-Smith, and rapper/activist Mysonne, who coached one of the participating teams.

Lee’s tragic loss of life is emblatic of the promise of youth, intellect and positive ambition shattered by destructive elements that perpetuate Black genocide in urban areas across this nation.

Natasha Howard has been a consistent force for the Liberty (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

38 • July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

Aliyah Boston was notably absent from this year’s ESPY Awards (Courtesy photo of University of South Carolina)

Aliyah Boston’s snub at ESPYs stings women’s basketball

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews ESPN is the major broadcaster for women’s college basketball. Every game in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament is shown on one of the ESPN networks. So why wasn’t the most prominent player in women’s college basketball 2022, Aliyah Boston of the National Champion University of South Carolina, not at the ESPYs? Apparently, she wasn’t invited.

Boston was a nominee for Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports, and was shown in the intro at the start of the ESPY Awards. The reason initially given by ESPN as to why the National Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament wasn’t invited was because that award wasn’t going to be presented live during last week’s ESPYs broadcast.

Boston’s coach, Dawn Staley,

called foul.

After an uproar across social media, Boston was invited to attend but she declined. In a statement, Boston noted how much the nomination meant to her and how hurt she was that the category wouldn’t be televised. Even more hurtful was ESPN’s last minute invite only after the outrage on social media.

“It’s just another moment when the disrespect and erasure of Black women is brushed off as a ‘mistake’ or an ‘oversight,’” wrote Boston in a statement. “Another excuse for why our milestones and accomplishments aren’t a ‘priority’ this time, even now, 50 years after Title IX.” The ESPYs included a segment saluting Title IX and its positive impact. Thankfully, some of the women involved, including University of Oklahoma softball star Jocelyn Alo, the winner in Boston’s category, pointed out that there is

still much ground left to cover before equality is reached.

Ironically, in UConn star Paige Bueckers’ victory speech last year, she noted that the accomplishments of Black women deserve more attention. Clearly, the ESPYs production team didn’t take Bueckers’ words to heart.

Boston is a vital part of ESPN’s coverage of women’s college basketball. If one of the marquee names is so easily overlooked, I am concerned how much this network cares about this important entity entrusted to it. At this year’s Tournament, there were 12 Black female head coaches. In the year 2022, a sleight like this is unacceptable. It shouldn’t take a Twitter storm to do the right thing.

The ESPYs did air a powerful segment about Brittney Griner, who remains detained in Russia. “We Are BG” was a prominent theme. Clearly, there is unity in women’s sports and hopefully ESPYs producers took note.

Vanessa James announces end to competitive skating career

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Four-time Olympian Vanessa James and pairs partner Eric Radford recently announced their retirement from competitive skating. It was a second retirement for both, who each had previous partners. This one came after they formed an improbable partnership in April 2021 that took them to this year’s Olympic Winter Games and World Figure Skating Championships, winning bronze at the latter.

Retirement does not mean the end of skating, as James, 34, and Radford, 37, plan to perform in shows around the world and already have appearances lined up. “We have to head back into training, creating and exploring,” she said. “We have so many ideas and cool concepts.”

Before she reconnects with Radford, James spent the last two weeks in Oberstdorf, Germany, as part of the coaching team at a training camp for international pairs skaters. Last week, the teams were all young and most were recently formed.

“A lot them were learning new skills, and

we’re sharing our knowledge with them,” said James. “I’m helping with the girls and sharing my knowledge on things like the twist, death spirals and throws. The skat-

ers get a different perspective from my This past season, she and Radford reprepoint of view. We’re all really motivated sented Canada, the country in which James and positive with these kids. … It’s a long was born. During her first three Olympics, road to getting all the elements perfect.” James represented France. She is excited to see some new young pairs from France as there Eric Radford and Vanessa James competing at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing hasn’t been an elite competitive team since (Kolz/Skate Canada photo) she ended her previous partnership in 2019.

For more than a decade James, who began skating in Northern Virginia, where her family still lives, has been the most prominent Black skater in the world. She has always been supportive of young skaters, and plans to spend time in the years ahead helping develop skaters of color. For now, there is performing. While starting a new partnership with Radford was hard work, both say it was one of the best years of their skating lives and they’re keeping it going.

“Our perspectives were different this year—our pleasure, our enjoyment, our friendship, our training—every day was such a great day,” James said. “Training and a new partnership aren’t easy, but we were able to share and learn so much. … I was able to emote, express and feel music.

We learned a lot from each other and we’re going to keep building on that.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 39

QBs Jones and Wilson are the focal points of the Giants and Jets camps

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor The NFL is a quarterback-centric league. Teams are either in desperate search of a franchise caliber QB or spending wildly to retain them.

The Giants and Jets opened training camp this week and rightly their respective incumbent starting signal callers will garner the bulk of the scrutiny from fans and media.

The Giants’ Daniel Jones is entering his fourth season without a long-term contractual commitment from the team under the new leadership tandem of first-year general manager Joe Schoen and rookie head coach Brian Daboll. Jets head coach Robert Saleh and QB Zach Wilson were both newbies a season ago. Saleh, the former defensive coordinator for the San Francisco

49ers, was provided with a freshout-of-college Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, in his debut season as a head coach.

For Saleh and Wilson, it didn’t go so well. The Jets finished 4-13 and at times Wilson looked completely overwhelmed, throwing 11 interceptions and just nine touchdowns in 13 games. But Wilson, who will turn 23 on Aug. 3, will have more time with his team to show he can be their guy than Jones will have to prove he should be entrenched for the foreseeable future as the Giants’ starter.

Jones, whose 25th birthday was this past May, has been underwhelming in three seasons since the Giants drafted him with the sixth pick in the first round in 2019.

When former GM George Young, and Giants owners John Mara and

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will be under

Steve Tisch evaluated the heavy scrutiny by fans and media with the opening of NFL training camps this Duke product during the week (Bill Moore photos) draft process, they saw many of the same characteristics possessed by Eli Manning in Jones. The positive qualities have yet to consistently manifest.

Manning helped the Giants win two Super Bowls during his 16-year career and was a twotime Super Bowl MVP. Jones is at a career crossroads that could either lead to him gaining the faith of Shoen and Daboll, and by virtue a lucrative deal after the 2022 season, or moving on to a new team next season to battle for a starting spot or settle for a backup role.

The Mets make an opening statement in the Subway Series

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor The long awaited first game of this season’s iteration of the Subway Series between the Mets and the Yankees took place at Citi Field in Queen on Tuesday night. Major League Baseball schedule makers went deep into July to give New York baseball fans a snapshot of a potential World Series matchup.

A little over two months of the regular season calendar remains—the final game is Oct. 5—but both the Mets and Yankees have the foundation to make lengthy playoff runs. The Yankees had the best record in MLB at 66-32 heading into Game 2 last night of their short two-game series versus the Mets. Manager Aaron Boone’s squad held a comfortable 11.5 game lead in the American League East.

The Mets, guided by their skipper Buck Showalter, trailed only the Los Angeles Dodgers (64-32) in the race for the National League’s top mark when they hosted the Yankees looking for a sweep.

They were 60-37 and were up two games in the NL East over the Atlanta Braves.

Trying to ascribe too much significance to the Mets’ 6-3 win in Game 1 of the two-game series would be ill-considered. Yet there were some takeaways that

the Mets and their supporters should view as instructive. Perhaps foremost, Taijuan Walker firmly established himself as the team’s No. 2 starter behind ace Max Scherzer, who was on the mound to face the Yankees last night (Wednesday).

The 29-year-old righty battled through back-to-back home runs by Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo in the top of first to go six effective innings, holding the Yankees to three runs and seven hits versus a potent Yankees lineup. Walker improved to 8-2 and is 5-0 in his last eight starts.

Another conclusion is while the Mets’ offense has been inconsistent thus far this season, they have a core that can be versatile and dangerous run-producers with first baseman Pete Alonso as the anchor. Outfielder Starling Marte, who blasted a solo homer in the Mets’ four-run bottom of the first on Tuesday, shortstop Francisco Lindor and All-Star second baseman Jeff McNeil have the capability to be catalysts for a group that can manufacture runs without being a predominantly power-hitting outfit.

Still, adding another big bat by the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline seems to be a necessity for the Mets for them to be on equal footing with the Dodgers, Yankees and Houston Astros, baseball’s most balanced teams. Snaring the Washington Nationals’ 23-year-old prodigious

outfielder Juan Soto, who inevitably is going to be dealt, would be landing baseball’s grand prize.

One concern coming into this season that for now is allayed is closer Edwin Diaz. After saving 57 games for the Seattle Mariners in the 2018 season and posting a 1.96 ERA, Diaz was acquired by the Mets along with former Yankee Robinson Cano in December 2018 in a trade with the Mariners.

In his three prior seasons with the Mets, Diaz struggled to come close to his dominant 2018 campaign.

But 2022 has been a sterling revival for Diaz.

He went into last night with 22 saves in 41 appearances and had given up just seven runs in 40.2 innings for a 1.55 ERA. The Mets begin a sixgame road trip tomorrow playing the Miami Marlins for three games followed by three with the Washington Nationals.

Mets starter Tiajuan Walker is 8-2 this season after notching a win against the Yankees on Tuesday night at Citi Field (Wikipedia/CreativeCommons.org photo)

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

July 28, 2022 - August 3, 2022 • 40

Sports The late Buck O’Neil finally recognized as a Hall of Fame figure

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil was much more than a Negro Leagues icon. He was a glaring symbol of America as both an aspirational concept and oppressive colossus.

His long overdue enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this past Sunday was the sport finally acknowledging, if only implicitly, that O’Neil, who passed away in 2006 at the age 94, was one of the most important figures in Major League Baseball’s twofold sublime and shameful history.

“If Uncle John was here with us this afternoon, his usual spirit of humility and gratefulness would be on full display,” said O’Neil’s niece, Dr. Angela Terry, who spoke on his behalf at the induction ceremony. O’Neil was part of the 2022 class that included David Ortiz, who won three World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, and Gil Hodges, a threetime World Series champion

with the BrookNegro Leagues icon Buck O’Neil was enshrined into the National at Yankee Stalyn/Los Ange- Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this past Sunday (Wiki / dium honoring les Dodgers and Leagues KC Congdon, Rochchester, N.Y. photo) Negro 1969 New York players where I Mets. first met O’Neil.

Two pioneerThe experience ing players also was profound. joined O’Neil.

I was captivatBud Fowler, ed by his force of born in Frankpersonality, enfort, N.Y., in cyclopedic-like 1858 and raised recall of basein Cooperstown, ball and Ameris the earliest ican history, known African and his sincere, American player modest manner, in organized the latter charprofessionacteristic in spite al baseball. Orof O’Neil being a estes “Minnie” demonstrably Miñoso, a native consequential of Perico, Cuba, presence. became the While his status first Afro-Lation the field no in the major didn’t match leagues when he the towering acAM NEWS took the field for complishments the Cleveland Indians in 1949 rabelle, Florida in 1911, upheld of fellow Negro Leagues con07/07/22 and was the Chicago White the oral lore of the Negro temporaries such as Cool Papa 0 Sox’s first Black player. Addi- Leagues and the early years Bell, Josh Gibson and Satchtionally, Tony Oliva and Jim of Black players populating el Paige, O’Neil, who played all Kaat were enshrined. the major leagues. It was at an but one year of his career with O’Neil, who was born in Car- event over three decades ago the Kansas City Monarchs,

with which he won the Negro World Series as a first baseman in 1942, was significant to the progress of Blacks in baseball.

O’Neil managed the Monarchs from 1948 through 1955 and became the first Black coach in the major leagues in 1962 with the Chicago Cubs.

However, he was minimized inarguably due to the color of his skin by the Cubs and never afforded the opportunity to serve as an in-game base coach.

Even before Sunday’s festivities, O’Neil’s legacy has long lived as a preeminent voice in Ken Burns’ 1994 PBS documentary series on the history of baseball and in the the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. O’Neil was its former chairman, and a representative of the museum informed me on Tuesday that preparations are ongoing in the development of the Buck01284 O’Neil EdAM NE ucation and Research Center, 07/07/ an expansion 7project which 74470 22784 will be located at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, where in 1920 Andrew “Rube” Foster founded the Negro Leagues.

Despite holding the best record, the Yankees show some cracks

By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews With the Subway Series behind them, the bright lights dim a little for the New York Yankees as they host the Kansas City Royals at the Stadium beginning tonight through Sunday for four games.

They’ll then host the Seattle Mariners for a threegame series next Monday through Wednesday.

Since going into last week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Yanks have not been the dominant team they were Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman has had his struggles this for most of this season. season, posting a 5.48 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched heading They were 58-21 after a into last night’s game versus the Mets (MLB.com photo) 6-1 win over the Cleveland

AM NEWS 07/14/22

Guardians on July 2, but were 8-11 since for a 66-32 record before facing the Mets at Citi Field last night (Wednesday) in the second game of their two-game series.

“We can play better,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday. “We were playing about as well as you can play.

We’ve played a little less thanAM thatNEWS so far and we haven’t pulled out some of those 07/21/22 games we had been pulling out.”

The Yankees’ 6-3 loss to the Mets on Tuesday was an example. They went up 2-0 in the top of the first inning on back-to-back home runs by Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo off Mets starter Tiajuan Walker. But their own starter, Jordan Montgomery, gave it all back plus two more runs in the bottom of the inning as the Mets scoredAM four.

NEWS Maybe the most important measuring 07/28/22 stick for the Yankees has been them losing three out of five games to the Houston Astros this season, their greatest threat in the American League. The Astros were

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terday afternoon. The Yankees must now assess their most pressing needs heading into the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

With key bullpen piece Michael King out for the season with a fractured elbow sustained against the Baltimore Orioles last week, they will be seeking another reliable 01304 relief arm. Former closer Aroldis Chapman AM NE is no longer an elite pitcher and has strug07/21/ 0 7 22784 gled with74470 a 5.48 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched before last night’s game. Chad Green and Zach Britton have also had issues consistently getting outs to put it mildly.

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