New York Amsterdam News Issue Aug.3-9, 2023

VENDORS VENT

BLACK STREET VENDORS SPEAK OUT ABOUT MAYOR ADAMS’ CRACKDOWN

As southern border arrivals turn one, African migrants face extensive challenges

(See story on page 3)

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver dies at 71

(See story on page 4)

Moshood Creations celebrates 29 years in Brooklyn

(See story on page 8 & 9)

Mr. Mayor: Stop NYPD Profiling of Youth of Color

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

Street vendors in Harlem in 2023. (Photo credit: Ariama C. Long, Jason Ponterotto)

(See story on page 3)

(NJ Governor’s Office photo)

(Nayaba Arinde photo)

(Tandy Lau photo)

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INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Page 17

» Books Page 21

» Jazz Page 24

Caribbean Update Page 14

Classified Page 32

Editorial/Opinion Pages 12,13

Education Page 28

Go with the Flo Page 8 Health Page 16 In the Classroom Page 26

Nightlife Page 9

Religion & Spirituality Page 30

Sports Page 40

Union Matters Page 10

International News

sis shows—there is global talent that is eager and poised to study and succeed in the U.S. yet is turned away.”

Korea (4%). Nigerians are sub-Saharan Africa, andmajor representatives with 1% or about 12,860 students.

AFRICANS SEEKING US STUDENT VISAS FIND DOOR SLAMMED AGAINST THEM, NEW REPORT FINDS

(GIN) As the effects of the recent Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action come to light, another opportunity for students of color is being strangled, according to data from the U.S. government, the U.N. and World Bank.

According to reporting by Alexander Onukwue this week, the data from these institutions reveals that

the rate of U.S. visa refusals for African students increased to more than 1 in 2 (54%) in 2022 from 44% in 2015. The data appears in a document titled;“New Report Finds Disproportion F-1 Visa Denials in Africa and the Global South.”

Rajika Bhandari, senior advisor at the Presidents’ Alliance, observed: “There is much hand-wringing about why the U.S. is not attracting more international students and yet—as our new and first ever analy-

“International students today overcome many hurdles to study in the U.S., but a visa represents the ultimate barrier to entry that can thwart the dreams and potential of these students while also shortchanging U.S. institutions, the workforce and our economy. Everybody loses when a well-qualified student is denied a visa,” he added.

Authors of the report looked at the period from 2015 to 2022. With a few exceptions (South Africa, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East), visa denial rates for African countries remained the highest.

International student enrollment in the U.S. has shot up 72% since the turn of the century, reports the online publication Semafor. Most foreign students in the U.S. are from China (35%), India (18%), and South

In the Presidents’ Alliance report, Onukwue writes, the authors question whether the increase in refusals reflects an overall negative public narrative toward international students and immigrants in general, especially those from certain countries and regions.

But the 15% rise in refusal rates for Africans coincided with former President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration stance, including a travel ban that affected Nigeria.

College-educated immigrants have repeatedly been reported to be good for American productivity, yet student visa refusals are on the rise for Africans. As a consequence, Onukwue says, a Carnegie Mellon University $12 million campus in Rwanda and the

BP Antonio Reynoso celebrates Dominican Heritage at Borough Hall

Hundreds of Brooklynites joined Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to celebrate Dominican Heritage last Thursday with an evening of dance, music, and delicious Dominican foods at Brooklyn Borough Hall, hosted in partnership with the National Dominican Day Parade for the second year in a row after Reynoso became the city’s first Dominican borough president. The evening kicked off with the Dominican and United States’ national anthems sung by Franco Morillo from Café Wha?; featured baile folklórico and a merengue lesson from bailarines dominicanos Leticia Raquel Olivero Garcia, Elizabeth Crooke, Joel Cespedes Herrera, and Santiago Radhames Antigua Muñoz; and was followed by the merengue típico stylings of Berto Reyes and his band.

“Growing up, celebrations of Dominican culture filled our homes and the streets I grew up in. I’m so excited that we could bring that celebration into Borough Hall so that all of Brooklyn could come and enjoy the culture, music, and dance of the Dominican Republic and our diaspora,” said Reynoso. “This evening isn’t just about having fun. It’s also about honoring the Dominican and Caribbean dream— the sacrifices we make so that our kids have the freedom to accomplish their dreams and the community and home we have grown here in Brooklyn. Thank you to the National Dominican Day Parade and everyone else who brought the party this Thursday!”

After welcoming the crowd to Brooklyn Borough Hall, Reynoso recognized Stuart Cinema &

(GIN photo)

(Nayaba Arinde photos)

As southern border arrivals turn one, African migrants face extensive challenges

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Author’s Note: The migrants interviewed are only identified by their first names in this story. Their interviews were conducted in French and translated by an ACT employee.

African Communities Together (ACT) greets visitors with a glass of water first thing after entering its Harlem Offices, followed by offers of coffee and tea. The organization—which connects African migrants to key legal, employment, and governmental services—hopes those who seek its help feel at home. But ACT’s Community Navigator Sophie Kouyate feels

See

Black street vendors talk about issues amidst recent moves by Mayor Adams

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

By JASON PONTEROTTO Amsterdam News Intern

In places like Harlem, Black entrepreneurship is a part of the lifeblood that has supported the local economy for decades, before the forces of gentrification and commercialization arrived. However, street vending, a fairly visible form of entrepreneurship along Harlem’s major corridors, has been met with resistance both historically and in the present day under Mayor Eric Adams.

A few months ago, Adams handed off enforcement over street vendors from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to the Department of Sani-

BronxWorks hiring event

BronxWorks presents a Jobs Plus Hiring event on Thursday, Aug. 3, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. in the BronxWorks courtyard (547 East 146th St., Bronx, NY 10454). Available positions include maintenance, warehouse, customer services, social services, hospitality, food services, and many more.

Interested? Contact Ricardo Roman, 347-773-3270, rroman@bronxworks.org, or Corinthia Tart, 718-993-8880, cotart@ bronxworks.org.

HBCU Allstar Dream Classic

Bridging Structural Holes Inc/The HRC will present the HBCU Allstar Dream Classic this Saturday, Aug. 5, from 3–9 p.m. at Harlem’s Rucker Park.

This HBCU Harlem Takeover features 40 of the best HBCU basketball players. It will be a merging of HBCU sports, education, and traditions with Urban Streetball Culture.

The HBCU Allstar Dream Classic will feature a step show, cheerleaders, and live music, plus coaches, representatives from G-Leagues, European Leagues, and sports agents in attendance.

Free tickets are available on EventBrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hbcu-allstar-dream-classic-tickets-644887003387.

Rain barrel giveaways

tation (DSNY), which the NYPD assists with. The concern arose that the shift would lead to more criminalization and discrimination since the city’s street vendors, licensed or not, are primarily Black, African, or Caribbe-

NYers rally for Fair Chance Housing Act

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

The passage of the Clean Slate Act, which works to automatically seal people’s conviction records after a certain time period, earlier this year was just the tip of the iceberg for criminal justice advocates. They are determined to fight discrimination against formerly incarcerated New Yorkers on all fronts—especially housing.

The Fair Chance for Housing Campaign supports a city council bill that would end housing discrimination against people with convictions in New York City. They gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan last Wed with local electeds.

Andre Ward, associate vice president of public policy at the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP) Fortune

Society, led the rally. He has been pushing for the passage of Fair Chance for public and personal reasons for the last four years, he said.

Ward was deeply involved in illegal activities as a teen and was sentenced to 24 years in prison by age 20. He has been out for the last 14 and a half years, he said. Since then, he has achieved numerous accolades, a prestigious position, a high level of education, and taught at institutions.

“I’m someone who came out, did the right thing, contributes to our community, and yet, I didn’t put my name on the housing application that my wife applied for because I knew that if I did, they probably wouldn’t allow me to live there,” he said, about a lease situation with his family in 2016. “Because I have a conviction record.”

His organization runs several supportive and transitional housing locations

an immigrants, and Latino migrants. There are currently just over 2,000 licensed general vendors, according to the DCWP. Under the law established by

Residents of Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park, Queens, can register to receive free rain barrels this coming Sunday, Aug. 6. State Sen. Joseph Addabbo and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will give away 55-gallon plastic rain barrels at the Lefferts Boulevard/Linden Boulevard parking lot, across the street from the Key Food supermarket.

around the city for formerly incarcerated people, including Long Island City, Harlem, and the Bronx. They have extensive rehabilitative services for people once they’ve been released, emergency housing for those with nowhere to go, and reintegration plans for people willing to commit to programming. “Central to the work is believing in people’s capacity to change and transform their lives,” said Ward.

Ward believes that once someone does the work, they deserve a fair shot at life, and a conviction history shouldn’t deter that.

From 1980 to 2021, there were about “6.6 million New York criminal cases impacting nearly 2.2 million people that ended in a conviction,” said research collected by the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ). New York City accounted for 53% of these convictions in 1980. The rate

Residents must pre-register with State Sen. Addabbo’s office at 718-738-1111 and have their name, address, and phone number added to the list for the giveaway. Pre-registrants will be able to pick up their rain barrels from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Barrels left over after scheduled registrants are supposed to receive them will be given out to the public on a first-come, first-served basis from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Registrants will have to show a photo ID to confirm their name and address to claim their barrel.

Back to School/Business to Business Street Festival

Join Councilmember Althea Stevens, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, New Settlement, and NYC government agencies in celebrating the annual return to school at the Back to School/Business to Business Street Festival (1377 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx) on Aug. 31, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Street vendors in Harlem in 2023. (Ariama C. Long, Jason Ponterotto)

Community Navigator Sophie Kouyate outside the African Communities Together offices in Harlem (Tandy Lau photo)

Presidential race—a rock and a hard right

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

If a recent, highly regarded poll is a barometer of the 2024 presidential race, neither Biden nor Trump is that popular, each getting only 43 percent of registered voters. Bear in mind that this is just the first poll in the upcoming election cycle by the New York Times and there’s plenty of time and space for change.

As the poll clearly notes, this is only 86 percent of the registered voters. What about the other 14 percent? Well, they either declined to choose a candidate or said they will sit out the election, the poll stated.

Both candidates are saddled with challenging issues that may have some bearing

on the current poll results—Biden’s trouble is right at home with his son, Hunter, and his problems; Trump’s plagues may be even more devastating with an indictment on multiple charges from a special prosecutor.

A few of those polled said they would consider voting for a third-party candidate, and that possibility becomes more and more a point of discussion, particularly with Professor Cornel West as the Green Party candidate.

With voters not that excited about Biden and unenthusiastic about Trump, their number can be added to the disenchanted independents, making the race all the more difficult to call this early.

Biden and his team are doing a good thing by accentuating the positive chang-

es they have brought to the American public, while Trump is lacerating his contenders, most specifically Gov. Ron DeSantis. Rather than beating up on DeSantis, he should be paying—and that’s the operative word—more attention to the possible indictment. But since he’s come out unscathed in the past on two impeachments and with one of his judges waiting to handle the case, perhaps it’s understandable that his focus is elsewhere. No matter the polls, issues, and other circumstances that may arise, Biden will be the Democratic nominee and Trump will hoist the GOP banner, and the American voters will be uncomfortably caught between the proverbial hard right and Biden’s rock of ages.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, first Black woman to serve as state Assembly speaker, dies at 71

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO

Amsterdam News Staff with The Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who made history as the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly, died Tuesday, Aug. 1. She was 71.

Oliver served as Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s top deputy, stepping in for him while the governor was out of state and also overseeing the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and supervises code enforcement.

Oliver’s coordination of the DCA was a major profile win in her political career: it’s what may help cement her political legacy, political insiders told the Amsterdam News.

As head of the DCA, Oliver oversaw

one of the largest agencies in the state, an agency that deals with housing issues for communities throughout New Jersey.

Rev. Derrick L. Green, a former senior advisor to Phil Murphy during his gubernatorial campaign, knew Sheila Oliver for a period of over 30 years. Oliver had worked as a social worker and throughout her political trajectory, she made strong connections with individuals and organizations who helped further political causes she was aligned with, he said.

Oliver’s role as lieutenant governor was not only emblematic, it was also necessary. Murphy deliberately picked her to serve as the state’s lieutenant governor, Rev. Green says: “There are very few people who know the state of New Jersey as far as the politics, the legislature, the community, the diversity, the businesses, the educational system, than Sheila

Jeffries gave $1M to MET Council

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

House Democratic Leader and Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries spent this past Sunday distributing kosher and halal food with the Met Council, the nation’s largest Jewish charity, in Starrett City, Brooklyn. Jeffries also announced $1 million in federal funding for the organization.

“Met Council has really been a shelter in the time of storm for the people that I represent here in the 8th Congressional District,particularly East New York, Canarsie, Marine Park, Brighton Beach and Coney Island,” said Jeffries in a statement. “Met Council has done tremendous work— but that work was urgently necessary when a once in a century pandemic struck our community, struck the nation, and struck the world.”

Met Council is the largest free distributor of kosher food in the nation, and helped deliver over 21 million pounds of food to more than 250,000 New Yorkers last year, said the organization. Each month, it serves over 20,000 people in the surrounding district, which is mostly made up of immigrants and people of color.

The federal funding will be used to stock kosher and halal foods throughout pantries in Jeffries’ district. This represents Jeffries’ “enduring commitment” to his constituents and the Met, said his office.

“We are so thankful for this vital funding from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who has always been a champion for Met Council and for the Jewish community,” said Met Council CEO David Greenfield in a statement. “We know that Rep. Jeffries always has our backs in Washington and fights hard to make sure people have access to food, meals, and the ser-

vices they need. We are grateful for his leadership and look forward to our continued partnership.”

East New York’s Jewish voters in Starrett City were also considered vital in shaking up the recent city council June primary, where longtime former Councilmember Charles Barron was “ousted” in favor of newcomer Chris Banks, reported Jewish Insider. Barron has been widely called Jeffries’ “rival’’ since he ran against him for a congressional seat back in 2012.

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

Black Girls Go to Yale initiative

One hundred young Black girls from East Orange, Newark, and Hillside took a trip to Yale University on July 28th to participate in the Black Girls Go to Yale initiative. The initiative, which was created last year by Dr. Ijeoma Opara, brings young Black girls to New Haven, Connecticut, to tour the Ivy League campus, meet the many Black women who work there, and see for themselves that higher education is an attainable goal. The theme for their trip was “You Belong in the Room.”

Dr. Opara, director of Yale University’s Substances & Sexual Health (SASH) Lab, founded the Black Girls Go to Yale initiative under the auspices of her research-based Dreamer Girls Project (DGP). The DGP employs Black girl focus groups that develop sexual health and drug use prevention programs for Black girls.

The DGP has also morphed into a Black girl empowerment project, Dr. Opara explained to the AmNews. “It basically gets Black girls interested in public health so that they could be the ones actually making public health studies in the future. It’s my way to bring Black girls into public health, to get them excited about research, so that they could be the ones leading these prevention projects that are for Black girls, by Black girls. One of the ways that I want to get Black girls interested in public health is by bringing them to a place like Yale.”

The 100 girls who visited the university on July 28th were brought there via a collaboration with the East Orange Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training, Newark Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and Hillside Innovation Academy. They were preceded by 25 girls from Paterson who visited the campus on July 13th. This past January, Dr. Opara also brought 9-year-old Bobbi Wilson to Yale to ensure she was honored for the work she’s done eradicating spotted lanternflies in her hometown of Caldwell, New Jersey.Born and raised in Jersey City, Dr. Opara says she knows the challenges young Black girls face in urban communities. After her parents passed away when she was 16, she had little exposure to places like top colleges. “Nobody is telling them you can go to Yale, you can go to Harvard, you can go to Dartmouth, nobody’s exposing them to these things,” she said. Working with community partners throughout New Jersey, Dr. Opara envisioned the Black Girls Go to Yale initiative. Her ultimate goal is to bring 1,000 Black girls to Yale over the next couple of years. Young Black girls interested in participating in the Black Girls Go to Yale initiative can contact Dr. Opara at www.oparalab.org.

Funding for Locust Hill African Cemetery and Museum

New Jersey state Sen. Shirley K. Turner and state Assembly Members Verlina ReynoldsJackson, Anthony Verelli, and Dan Benson have pushed through two supplemental appropriation bills granting $400,000 to the Locust Hill African Cemetery Museum.

The funds will be used to renovate and set up operations for the Locust Hill African Cemetery Museum. The Locust Hill Cemetery, located at 73 Hart Ave. in Trenton, N.J., is the city’s largest See NEW JERSEY on page 25

See SHEILA OLIVER on page 31 Sheila Oliver (NJ Governor’s Office)

Former Erasmus Hall football standout

Wayne Morgan now paying it forward

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

Mr. Mayor: Stop NYPD Profiling of Youth of Color

The three years of the coronavirus pandemic’s acute stage of peaks and surges left a trail of fear and deaths, joblessness, rising apartment rents, soaring food prices, vacant office buildings and growing interest rates.

The pandemic also left in its wake an increase in the number of New Yorkers, ages 18-24 years old, who are “out-of-school and out-of-work.”

A new report by JobsFirstNYC and my organization, the Community Service Society of New York, estimates there are about 138,000 outof-school, out-of-work young people who are disconnected from daily life, which leaves them at risk for poverty, mental health problems, substance abuse and chronic health conditions. Without even a high school diploma, they are all but guaranteed a life below the poverty line and few skills to improve their economic station.

These NYC youth need training and jobs that, under ideal circumstances, match their skills and interests. Violence disruptors and other intervention programs are great, but nothing is more effective at keeping young people out of trouble and on a pathway to economic mobility than having a job, money in their pocket, and hope for the future.

Detention Center, a onetime rite of passage for many Black and Latino youth. In Adams and Caban, the NYPD’s first Latino commissioner, the NYPD is under the command of New Yorkers who know first-hand the dangers of rogue police behavior. By controlling the levers of police power, they are empowered to break the decades-long cycle of abusive NYPD practices, while still providing tough police protection for working-class neighborhoods.

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Wayne Morgan made a name for himself by backpedaling. But the former star cornerback now works on the front foot, preparing the next generation for a life in—and after—football. He started up Lights Out Performance pre-pandemic with the intention of getting youngsters in shape while developing skills off the field.

From Brownsville, Morgan was on the fast-track to a glittering career on the gridiron. A four-star recruit out of Erasmus Hall High School, he committed to Syracuse University in 2012 with eyes on the NFL.

But after Morgan’s freshman year, thenhead coach Doug Marrone left for a job with the Buffalo Bills. He ended up playing under three different head coaches throughout his college career and was snake-bitten by a pair of knee surgeries. Still, his raw talent was enough for NFL teams to extend a training camp invite, although he never landed on a 53-man roster. Ultimately, he ended up back in Brownsville.

“So I decided to start Lights Out Performance Training in 2019 and my first year was a learning experience but we actu -

ally did really well,” said Morgan. “I was super confident going into year two, but then COVID struck. So I reverted to online training just so I can keep up with all my clients. I was doing it for free throughout the whole pandemic.”

But things are looking up for him these days. Morgan says this is the best year yet for his venture and hopes to expand into his own facility by the time 2024 rolls around. Beyond the drills, he’s assisting his mentees with picking high schools and showing them a plan B if they don’t make the NFL.

“What I’m trying to do is teach kids that you can still be around the sport,” he said. “You can still be an agent. You can work your way in and become a coach. You can still work your way in being a trainer [or] learn about the body [and] do sports medicine. What I’m going for now is teaching them entrepreneurship, how to be a leader in the community to build up the community.”

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

This matters because youth are at a heightened risk to encounter the New York City Police Department’s Neighborhood Safety Teams officers, who a federal monitor this summer found were stopping, frisking and searching innocent Blacks and Latinos. An earlier New York Civil Liberties Union report found that 88 percent of the drivers arrested in 2022 by the NYPD during traffic stops were also Black and Latino.

No one is saying the NYPD should stop enforcing the laws. But let’s not return to the Giuliani era of stop-and-frisk and racial profiling. The decade discussion of these abuses goes to show the NYPD is hard-headed or only knows how to wield an indiscriminate unconstitutional hammer.

The federal monitor, Mylan Denerstein, audited stops by the NYPD’s Neighborhood Safety Teams for six months in 2022 and concluded a quarter of the stops were unlawful. She called for more extensive oversight and “corrective action immediately.” Her report follows whole cloth the 2013 ruling of federal Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, who found the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics violated the constitutional rights of minorities.

Mayor Eric Adams and new Police Commissioner Edward Caban – both New York City natives and men of color experienced in patrolling the five boroughs – know the peril aggressive policing places on people, especially young Black and brown men.

In his two-decade police career, Adams spoke out against police brutality, and, later, the department’s stop-and-frisk tactics. In fact, Adams at age 15 spent a night in Spofford Juvenile

They both came of age during the NYPD’s aggressive “broken windows” policing campaign of surging cops into neighborhoods experiencing crime spikes, which in turn tended to be areas with high levels of poverty, unemployment, and social problems. Consequently, Adams and Caban witnessed the costs and benefits of the broken windows strategy, which is based on social disorganization theory, a large body of research that draws a direct line between unemployment, disrupted community patterns, disconnected youth, crime and excessive police encounters. Having steady work addresses the root causes of crime, which is often times driven by poverty and unemployment. During the Great Recession, the number of Americans under age 25 that were neither educated, employed or in job-training reached as high as 15 percent in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Pew Research Center.

To his credit, since taking office Mayor Adams has budgeted record levels of summer youth employment opportunities for young people ages 14 to 24. Research shows summer jobs save lives, cut crime, and strengthen communities. A 2021 study found that NYC Summer Youth Employment Program participation lowers participants’ chances of being arrested by 17 percent and the chance of felony arrest by 23 percent.

And we applaud the mayor’s announcement this week of a “Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Blueprint” featuring $485 million in investments aimed at curbing gun violence in high needs communities while stirring young people into better housing, employment opportunities and support services.

The mayor’s “Blueprint” mirrors some of the recommendations in our report, including creating integrated services across education and youth development agencies. Other report recommendations include permanently expanding the EITC to earners 18-24; increasing the minimum wage; strengthening wage equity policies for young adults workers; and, prioritizing support programs and investment in communities with high and rising rates of out-of-school, out-of-work youth.

By providing our young people with greater opportunities and the support they need, we can help them build a brighter future for themselves and a safer city for everyone.

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

Wayne Morgan and youth from his Lights Out Performance program (Zay Wright @ whotookthis_)

Uptown Fund: 8 CBOs serving Harlem receive Manhattan DA Bragg’s gun violence prevention grants

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member and SHANNON CHAFFERS

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Eight of the 10 communitybased organizations chosen to receive $20,000 each in gun violence prevention funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office currently serve Harlem.

“The focus here is just on engagement for the youth,” said D.A. Alvin Bragg. Projects include “everything [from] murals to youth engaging with food justice and environmental issues… The thought is ‘let’s engage them so they don’t turn to any form of gun.’”

The grant winners were announced this past Monday, July 31, and include four first-time recipients: Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis), Not Another Child (NAC), New Future Foundation, and the Police Athletic League (PAL). All of them operate at some capacity uptown. The participating youth each receive a stipend.

Many groups selected are smaller, grassroots organizations. Justin Napper, NAC’s director of Youth and Young Adult Services and Programs, spoke to the importance of funding for such organizations. “I definitely think that grassroots [organizations] need to be supported by government officials and city agencies,” he said. “We need to see those who are from the community supported, because it gives others from the community a close insight for hope. It gives the closest insight for inspiration.”

Not Another Child will use its grant money to help 10 young men they have previously worked with who now face pending gun possession or violent offense charges, “Being that funding is so sporadic, it’s difficult for us to engage with as many youth and families as we would like to, so a lot of these gentlemen have been former participants of the program that we’re now able to re-engage [with] and set on a positive track,” Napper explained.

The men will participate in a 10-week workshop with personal and professional development programming designed to help them create individualized success plans. On completion of the

program, each participant will receive a $1,500 stipend to help them achieve the goals they set.

PAL offers 10 children—five male and five female—weekly workshops for documenting what gun violence means to them. The goal is to develop conflict resolution skills.

“We’ll start to explore the conversation of gun violence and what it looks like in their community, through film, books, poetry, [and] music—taking things that they see that they’re familiar with and turning it around [with] what’s happening here,” said Meredith Gray, PAL director of education and training.

According to Khary LazarreWhite, BroSis co-founder and executive director, the program will be an extension of the organization’s usual work in encouraging young people to “articulate and speak about their feelings and emotions,” specifically through its environmental program.

“We have 50 young people working throughout the summer in our Environmental Educa -

tion Center in our garden. They are planting fruits and vegetables, and there are 35 fruits and vegetables out there,” he said. “There’s [an] aquaponics system, a composting system, a food drop-off system, and they’re learning about issues of environmental sustainability. They’re being engaged in developing a sense of self; they’re developing a skill.”

New Future Foundation is expanding its Graffiti Against Gun Violence program for seven new young people through its grant. Beyond creating art, the participants will also tend a community garden and learn financial literacy, said Patreinnah AcostaPelle, the organization’s spokesperson.

“The program basically encompasses lots of financial literacy, because we know that for young people, their number one thing is a job,” she said. “We know that is the beginning of all the troubles: housing, social inequities, health, anything [in] an urbanized area—the main issue is always financials and young

people always looking for jobs.”

Another four organizations serving uptown—Street Corner Resources, the Children’s Village, Emergent Works, and Exodus Transitional Community—will return as grantees. Grand Street Settlement and Henry Street Settlement, which both serve the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and the East Village, are also getting second-year funding to round out the 10 grant recipients.

Similar to last year, Harlem and other uptown neighborhoods were a priority, along with the Lower East Side. And like many of Bragg’s grants, funding comes from forfeiture money seized from banks during white-collar crime investigations.

Coinciding with the fund is a citywide roadmap for gun violence prevention in neighborhoods with the highest amount of shootings, which Bragg said is a separate initiative. Six precincts have been singled out for priority: the Bronx’s 40th, 42nd, 44th, and 47th and Brooklyn’s 73rd and 75th. None are in Manhattan.

“Today, we are taking our ef -

forts to end gun violence to the next level with this new ‘Blueprint for Community Safety’—a more than $485 million plan that will double down on our public safety efforts, invest in our most impacted communities, support our young people and get them on the right path, and activate every level of city government to prioritize prevention-based approaches to public safety,” said Mayor Eric Adams.

Of that amount, $118.3 million will go toward “early intervention” efforts—in other words, preventive measures like mentorship opportunities to keep children from ever picking up a gun. As of June 30, the NYPD reported 592 shootings this year, with a total of 704 victims.

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

Justin Napper and some of the youth participating in Not Another Child’s summer programming. (Shannon Chaffers photo)

NAACP convo aims for more activism, more votes

By JEANETTE TOOMER Special to the AmNews

On Saturday afternoon, the 114th Convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meeting at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center called for more civic engagement and more votes in order “to fight and to win” against the current challenges to civil rights. The Saturday public mass meeting brought together national leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic Rep.Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, among others.

Harris participated in an interview with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “We should vote,” the vice president said when asked what we should do to curtail these affronts on civil rights. “Because people voted, seniors do not have to pay more than $2,000 a year on prescription drugs, and states can extend postpartum care coverage to mothers.”

On the other hand, Harris also pointed out that statistics indicate that gun violence is the number one cause of death among children in our country. In many states, anyone can purchase assault weapons. “It gets back to voting. We don’t have people in Congress to pass strict gun control laws,” she said.

Michael Turner, NAACP chair of the Convention Planning Committee, shared some Boston

history — the city registered the first chapter of the NAACP. The NAACP protested and campaigned for President Harry Truman to desegregate the armed forces after a brutal violent racist attack on a Black veteran in Boston. On July 26, 1948, Truman integrated the U.S. Armed Forces.

Tanisha Sullivan, president of the Boston chapter, warned members and volunteers that “this is not a time for complacency or fear.”

The city’s mayor, Michelle Wu, credited a “generation of Black leaders” for fighting against racism in immigration. Wu specifically noted the organization’s denouncement of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (not repealed until 1943). She opined that Chinese immigrants and citizens are “indebted to the NAACP.” More recently, in 2020, the NAACP “issued a joint

urgent call to action against racism and discrimination against Asian Americans related to the 2019 coronavirus.” (The Crisis, p 3, 2020).

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona encouraged support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with data to back up his claim. He reported that 40% of Black engineers, 50% of Black doctors, and 80% of Black judges have graduated from HBCUs. In light of the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action, HBCUs have promised to continue the work of diversity and equity in higher education. Cardona said that the Biden administration has already approved $16 billion in student loan forgiveness.

The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO), the youth enrichment program of the NAACP, also

awarded annual prizes and scholarships to its members. They competed for scholarships in 32 disciplines. Among the winners was New Yorker O’Ryan Douglass, who earned a silver medal in medicine and health. Sadie Carol from Milton won the bronze prize in music competition. Many of the students’ works in art, photography, and science projects were also on display in the “Glow Garden” in the Exhibit Hall.

Among the workshops offered this weekend was “Sharing a Just Technological Future: Exploring AI, Evidence-Based Science Policy and Equity.” Two panelists described how AI can be a resourceful tool for young people, educators, community-based organizations, corporations, and government services. In fact, several government offices are already using AI. Young people are teaching people how to use question and search patterns. They suggest that not-for-profits can write 20 grants instead of two using AI technology.

The Art and Activism panel included the work of artist Nikkolas Smith. His paintings feature art and wording that reflects racism in today’s society. He was featured on NPR and has a book coming out soon on his most recent art/ activism.

This year’s NAACP convention theme was “thriving together,” and the leaders, exhibits, speeches, youth, workshops, and thousands of members in attendance embraced this theme to not just fight, but to win.

These three brothers are filming the NAACP Boston Convention to create a documentary. From Brookline, MA, they are high schooler Jessie Givens (11th grde), Zachary Givens (8th grade) and Jude Givens (7th grade), pictured here with mother, Koinonia Martin-Page, with Brookline Interactive Group (BIG) Media. (Samuel Stiles photo)

Go with the Flo

Moshood Creations celebrates 29 years in Brooklyn

By NAYABA ARINDE AmNews Staff

Bed Stuy’s Restoration Plaza cheered on a dozen or so models as they quick-changed into the most spectacular garms.

came out to support the annual fashion show, which is something of a local legend by now.

New York Knicks player Jalen Brunson married his high school sweetheart Ali Marks in Chicago at the Ritz Carlton. The point guard’s fellow Knicks players Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo were in attendance, reported the Daily Mail. Brunson told People, “We wanted to bring all of our closest friends and family together in a city that means so much to both of us.” …

Madame Tussauds New York recently unveiled a new wax figure of Beyoncé. The wax museum tweeted out, “Beyoncé’s memorable look is a dazzling recreation of her showstopping Homecoming ensemble from her 2018 Coachella performance where she made history as the first Black woman to headline the festival. Debuting at Hudson Yards’ Edge, the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western hemisphere, the figure took in stunning sights of the New York City skyline in every direction.” …

On Thursday, August 10, the marvelous, legendary Ms. Melba Moore will be honored with the 2,760th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star will be unveiled at 1645 Vine Street, near the historic corner of Hollywood and Vine. Moore will receive her star in the category of Live Theatre/Live Performance. Guest speakers include Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, comedian Katt Williams, and veteran R&B hitmaker Freda Payne. Born in Harlem and raised in Newark, N.J., Moore is a five-octave singer, Tony Award-winning actress, and four-time Grammy-nominated artist. ...

Despite being one of the 39 independents SAG-AFTRA has given permission to film, Viola Davis told Deadline that she is bowing out of her ongoing movie, “G20,” for now, saying, “I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for the production to move forward during the strike.” The EGOT winner added, “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA, and the WGA.” …

Baba Moshood Afariogun presented his 29th fashion show in Brooklyn this weekend. To honor close to 30 years of bringing creative Afrikan style and fashion to Brooklyn, hundreds of people turned out to be dazzled by an array of local designers showcasing their latest lines. A packed crowd at

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams came through to applaud his mom Pat, as the popular fashionista popped on the Afrocentric glamor and walked the stage.

State Sen. Kevin Parker presented Moshood with a proclamation, and Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman once again

Fashion aficionado Kunle Ade, son of King Sunny Ade, brought his Naija band, who kept things Afro-juju lively and folks dancing for over four hours; and Lookman Afolayan Jr., from Buka’s restaurant, kept people filled up on jollof rice and puff puff. All in all, a good time was had by all!

Crowd in attendance for Moshood fashion show (Nayaba Arinde photos)

Moshood in crowd

Moshood presented Proclamation by State Senator Kevin Parker

Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzales was in attendance

Written by David Goodson

“Spence VS Crawford. UNDEFEATED. UNDISPUTED. UNPRECEDENTED”

Though the highly-anticipated epic battle failed to live up to expectations, the capacity crowd of 19,900 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the millions viewing from remote locales weren’t the least disappointed as they did bear witness to an pretty awesome prime time performance. Dubbed “Spence VS Crawford. UNDEFEATED. UNDISPUTED. UNPRECENTENDED” going into the promotion, the title was expanded to include another word by the end of the night — UNDENIABLE. On the grandest stage his sport had to offer, Terrence “Bud” Crawford strung together a performance on par with Reggie Jackson’s Game 6 of the 1977 World Series or then-NBA rookie Magic Johnson’s game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. Spence, during promotion of the fight, stated, “I’m Jamaican, we smoke BUD!” Instead he GOT smoked by Bud — thoroughly!

In order for Crawford to reach his athletic apex for this contest, a couple of key factors came into play. First, his optimal opponent is one that would implement constant forward motion and throw heavy blows with reckless abandon. He’d stay in his chest and try to break his will. Second, he needed that extra boost of adrenaline and motivation to bring forth that Zen-like focus that would enable him to visualize the fight unfolding in real time. Errol’s skillset and professional accomplishments provided exactly what was needed.

In the final press conference two days prior to the fight, Spence himself all but surmised this strategy, “I’m going to win because I’m physically and mentally the better fighter. I’m going to break him down and I’m going to break his will. He’s gonna find out that my skills are superior. “

Crawford gave proper context in his retort by stating, “When he gets in the ring, he gonna say, ‘I kinda underestimated this guy.’ On film, he looks one way, but in the ring, I see three of them.” Continuing his thoughts, Crawford stated: “He’s got the fundamentals, the durability, the stamina, the size, he’s strong, He’s the Big Bad Wolf. Come fight night, all that he says he is, he’s gonna have to show me.

On fight night, by most accounts, Spence lost EVERYTHING. He entered the ring first, so he lost the coin toss that determined which champion would be introduced last. He lost the ring walk, since Crawford was flanked by all-time great Eminem and when the bell rang to start the fight….WHOA!!! Crawford administered a methodical, surgical, algebraic angle/side/angle, side/angle/side, pillar to post whupping. There was nothing Spence could do as he out-thought and out-fought. Punishing jabs from both the southpaw and orthodox position were used simultaneously as a defensive tool and offensive weapon to thwart the rhythm of Spence. When he managed to get past the jab, a steady diet of powerful hooks, crosses and uppercuts were waiting with devastating results. By round 9, the violence became a reality and the fight was stopped.

Can we finally welcome back the sweet science to prominence as a sport? This is a major first step. Over and out. Holla next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.

Moshood Afargorin, P.A.Jumaane Williams, Designer Michael Williams, D.A. Eric Gonzales, and guest Williams Moshood

(Nayaba Arinde photos)

Union Matters

Teamsters say trucking giant Yellow Corp. is ceasing operations, filing for bankruptcy

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Troubled trucking company Yellow Corp. is shutting down and headed for a bankruptcy, the Teamsters said Monday.

An official bankruptcy filing is expected any day for Yellow, after years of financial struggles and growing debt. Its expected liquidation would mark a significant shift for the U.S. transportation industry and shippers nationwide.

“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said, in an announcement saying the union had been served with legal notice for the bankruptcy filing. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.”

Yellow is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The closure of the 99-year-old Nashville, Tennessee-based company risks a loss of 30,000 jobs. Yellow shut down operations Sunday, according to The Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.

As of Tuesday morning, no bankruptcy filings from the company could be found on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website.

The company’s collapse arrives just three years after Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., received $700 million in pandemic-era loans from the federal government. But the company was in financial trouble long before that — with industry analysts pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back decades.

When reached by The Associated Press, Yellow did not comment directly to the bankruptcy reports, but addressed contract negotiations between

the Teamsters and the company, which sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for Yellow’s survival. At the time, the Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with O’Brien pointing to Yellow’s “decades of gross mismanagement” and accusing the company of wanting workers to “to foot the bill” amid the company’s financial chaos.

“Yellow has not asked its union employees for any concessions in its efforts to approve its long-planned modernization effort... Yellow offered to pay its employees more, a lot more, but the (Teamsters) refused to negotiate for nine months,” a company official said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Monday night, accusing the union of trying to “destroy” Yellow.

Reports of Yellow preparing for bankruptcy emerged last week — as the Nashville, Tennessee-based trucker saw customers leave in large numbers, per The Wall Street Journal and FreightWaves. And the company reportedly stopped freight pickups earlier in the week.

These reports arrived just days after Yellow averted a strike from the Teamsters. On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, avoiding a planned walkout. The fund gave Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund earlier in the month.

Yellow has racked up hefty bills over the years. As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.

In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemicera loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense

departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”

The Teamsters supported the $700 million loan when it was first announced. As of June 30, Yellow had paid $67 million in cash interest on the loan, which is due in 2024, the company said.

The prospect of bankruptcy and current financial chaos at Yellow “is probably two decades in the making,” said Stifel research director Bruce Chan, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”

An investors note from financial service firm Stephens last week estimated that Yellow was burning daily amounts of $9 million to $10 million in recent days. Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022 according to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting. On Friday, he estimated that number was down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.

Former Yellow customers and shippers will face higher prices as they take their business to competitors, including FedEx or ABF Freight, experts say — noting that Yellow historically offered the cheapest price points in the industry.

Yellow’s prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money,” he added. “And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”

Children’s Law Center workers remain without contract

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

More legal services employees are trying to unionize as they face working without a contract.

Staff at the Children’s Law Center (CLC) held a threeday strike in late July, protesting management’s delays in coming to a contract agreement with its workers.

“No contract? No work! No peace!” staffers chanted as they marched along Brooklyn’s Court Street with picket signs and a symbolic giant inflatable rat.

“We have not had a contract in the entire time that we’ve been negotiating, for over two years,” Carly Coats, a CLC staff attorney, told the AmNews.

Staff have been asking to establish a contract with the management at CLC, a nonprofit, direct legal services agency that has never had contracts with any of its employees since its founding in 1997.

After voting to unionize with the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, UAW Local 2325, in 2020, CLC workers proposed a contract March 31, 2021. They wanted job securities and protections, and an increase in salaries to make sure that their incomes were more commensurate with average rates in the city.

But staffers say management has been bargaining in bad faith: They don’t appear to be genuinely interested in negotiating a true contract. Workers registered their complaints against CLC management with the National Labor Relations Board.

“We are attorneys, social workers, paralegals, and administrative staff, so there are several different levels of experience and levels of education that staff members have, but that doesn’t always factor into our salaries,” Coats said.

contract, as well as practices for our employment in general. We represent children and it’s exhausting work, but none of us get into it without really, really caring about the work that we do, and we wanted some protections for our caseloads and our case counts and for our supervision. Right now, we have extensive employee evaluations, but we don’t have any way to offer any feedback for our supervisors, and that can be very difficult and frustrating when we are working so hard, and we want to weigh in on the organization’s day to day operations.”

The not-for-profit CLC describes itself as a “legal services agency [that] provides zealous and effective representation to children in custody, visitation, domestic violence, guardianship, paternity, and related child protective cases.” They say their focus is on providing legal representation to vulnerable children.

CLC attorneys say that on average, they are assigned to work on more than 150 legal cases at a time—but that can mean more than 150 actual clients, who aren’t always accessible during standard work hours.

tributed

“We wanted to make sure that that was indicated in a

“We have to interact with every single one of our clients, and our clients are children, so we have to interview them after school or late in the night or when they’re not in school,” Coats explained. “We have to come in on school holidays and speak to them to provide the direct representation that we provide. And 150 cases doesn’t necessarily mean 150 clients: We have several cases where we represent four children in a family or even five or six children in a family...Right now, I think that most of us have between 140 and 170 cases, but there have been several times, especially in our less-staffed boroughs, where we’ve have had as many as 200 cases at any given time.”

AP Business Writer Matt Ott con-

to this report.

An excerpt from VP Harris’s speech to the NAACP

(Courtesy of Whitehouse.gov)

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Register to vote and then vote. (Laughs.) (Applause.)

And, again, let me thank the leaders who are here. Just let us reflect on what the folks here accomplished in 2020. We were in the height of a pandemic. There was an extraordinary amount of loss: loss of life, loss of community, loss of normalcy, people lost their jobs.

And in the midst of all of that, the leaders who are here gathered the courage and the optimism to talk with neighbors and friends and relatives and colleagues, and to remind them of the power of their voice through their vote, and achieved historic outcomes.

We had a record voter turnout for African Americans in 2020. We had a record turnout of

their civic responsibility and duty. Let us also mention the hypocrisy. Don’t these people really believe the words about “love thy neighbor”?

now capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for our seniors. (Applause.)

Because of that election and people voted, we have now capped the annual cost of prescrip-

will now get rid of all lead pipes in America over the next eight years. (Applause.)

Before, our small businesses, which are part of the lifeblood—the economic lifeblood, the cultural lifeblood—of our communities, were saying…, for minority-owned businesses, it’s hard to get access to capital. But because people voted and said small businesses are a priority, we have now, since we’ve been in office, increased to the highest rate the number of small businesses that have been created in any two-year period. And Black businesses are helping to propel those numbers. (Applause.)

The work we’ve done has been about saying that we need to hear the cries of families who know that the United States of America, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, has…one of the highest rates of

VP Kamala Harris (Jeanette Toomer photo)

Biden: “Time to reflect and repair”

President Biden’s appearance and remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium may not have received headline treatment by the mainstream press, but it was one of his most important speeches on the accomplishments of minorities in the military.

Since the event last Thursday was hosted by the Truman Library Institute in D.C., he praised Truman for passing Executive Order 9981, which prohibited discrimination in the military based on race, color, religion, or national origin. He also used the occasion to chastise Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and the GOP for not allowing numerous military promotions to pass as retribution for the Defense Department allowing paid leave for abortions.

Biden made special mention of the heroic deeds of the Harlem Hellfighters during World War I, “an all-Black regiment that spent 191 days on the front, longer than any unit of its size in history.” They, he said, were a link “in a distinguished line of ancestors and descendants, enslaved and free, risking their lives in every war since our founding for ideals they hadn’t fully known on American soil: equality.”

He cited the combat bravery and success of the Tuskegee Airmen, who flew “more than 15,000 sorties into battle.” Among the long line of African Americans who have been outstanding in their service to the nation, he invoked Lloyd Austin, a decorated four-star general and “the first-ever Black Secretary of Defense. He wanted to be here tonight, but he’s traveling to the Indo-Pacific to strengthen our security ties in the region.”

In concluding his salute to Black soldiers, Biden said, “Let me close with this: In June 1865, a major general from the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved Americans from bondage.” He reflected on what is now the Juneteenth holiday, the first “federal holiday since Dr. Martin Luther King Day, nearly 40 years ago...To think enslaved people remained shackled two years after the Emancipation. To think how many long nights they looked at the light of the North Star to keep the faith that despite America’s original sin of slavery, this nation could be saved.”

He said it was time for us “to reflect and to repair— and that process, Mr. President, begins with you.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

The Joke of the Decade—Closing Rikers

BY ELIAS HUSAMUDEEN

From 2019 to 2023, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and the city council have spent more than a billion dollars of taxpayers’ money for new programming including; housing, mental health care, violence prevention programs, and alternatives to incarceration. Since its inception and throughout the process, this has been a billion-dollar dream come true for some. However, not for the Black and brown communities.

Former NYC Council Speaker Cory Johnson, incumbent Speaker Adrienne Adams, and members of the city council passed laws to close Rikers, that were not based on facts but on fear, lies, deception, and political expedience. The Close Rikers law was arbitrary, fiscally irresponsible, morally questionable, and legally unenforceable.

They promised to move the jails closer to Black and brown neighborhoods; reduce recidivism, and lower the jail population. The jails never made it. The recidivism rate remains as high as the national

average, and the jail population continues to grow. The count of detainees at Rikers and NYC jails stood above 6,000 at the end of June 2023, surpassing the capacity of the new borough jails, which is 3,300. Be clear, we should have borough-based jails but only if connected to the courts.

According to NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, “The city won’t meet its 2027 deadline for closing Rikers Island and building four new jails.” The four new jails are part of the city’s $8.7 billion plan (now over $13 billion) to close Rikers, launched in 2019 by former Mayor Bill de Blasio. “If you’re asking me, do I think we are on the timeline to close Rikers in 2027, I’ll have to tell you NO. We are not on the timeline to close Rikers in 2027, either in the trajectory of the number of people being held there, or in the speed with which the new facilities are being built.” Yet he still supports a plan, which is undoubtedly fiscally irresponsible.

According to Mayor Adams: “The law calls for the jails to be closed. We’re going to follow that law.” The city has to start exploring an alternative to the current

A Nation In Reverse

By STATE SENATOR KEVIN PARKER

In the recent past, the powers that be in Washington, D.C., have been steering this nation on a reverse collision course by rolling back several civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution. The 14th Amendment established the theory of “substantive due process” and “the equal protection of the laws” for citizens. It’s a concept that underpins many liberties that we, as Americans, take for granted today. In particular, the privacy right to contraception, the right to marry another of a different race or the same sex, and a woman’s right to choose, are all constitutional rights and freedoms imperil at the gavel of today’s Supreme Court. In what uncomfortably feels like a systemic maneuver to take us back through the dark doors of our nation’s history, the Supreme Court has been viciously ripping these rights at the seams, thus destroying the very fabric of our democracy.

plan. “We have to have a Plan B because those who created Plan A, that I inherited, obviously didn’t.” Despite being halfway through his term, Mayor Adams has not come up with a Plan B and is still following Plan A. This means that the next mayor will have to deal with the consequences, and the taxpayers will continue to bear the burden of billions of dollars wasted with no results.

We proposed a Plan B www.rikersreset.com that involves staying on Rikers and sharing it with LaGuardia Airport. Why not stay on Rikers and transform it into a beacon, showing the rest of the world how reducing recidivism, rehabilitation, and ending generational incarceration can look if done correctly? It is worth noting similar advancements were made on Roosevelt Island, when known as Blackwell Island, over 70 years ago. Turning the tarnished island and ruins of dilapidated jail facilities, mental asylums, and alehouses into today’s Roosevelt Island. New York City is no stranger to these kinds of advancements.

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Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor

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Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising

The most recent example is the Supreme Court’s decision to roll back affirmative action in higher education. Affirmative action was first established in a 1965 executive order that instructed employers to “take affirmative action to ensure that equal opportunity is provided in all aspects of their

employment.” The Supreme Court then sanctioned affirmative action for university admissions constitutional in 1978 and subsequently on two other occasions. But late last month, the conservative justices of our highest court rendered a deadly blow to the future of affirmative action with a majority ruling erroneously recognizing the vestiges of slavery — the Black Codes, Jim Crow, and the New Jim Crow as relics, rather than the current reality for Black and Brown people. The conservative justices mistakenly believe that the adverse effects of generations of discrimination have been cured. Today’s Court concluded that the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body are no longer a compelling government interest in admissions decisions to allow states to craft narrowly tailored affirmative action policies. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the court’s ruling “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress,” adding that it cements “a superficial rule of colorblindness as a constitutional principle in an endemically segregated society where race has always mattered and continues to matter.” I couldn’t agree more.

Though the decision was rendered in the context of educational opportunities, the ruling provides a bleak forecast for other areas of affirmative action, like

in the awarding contracts to increase opportunities for minority-owned women businesses.. Moreover, universities have warned that eliminating affirmative action would significantly impact student diversity on campus. For instance, administrators at Harvard University posit that taking race out of its admissions process would reduce enrollment of Black students from 14% to 6% of its student body, and Hispanic enrollment from 14% to 9%.. The dire prediction also indicates that the ruling will result in a 14% drop in students studying the humanities.

This wave of reverse action began when the Supreme Court completely decimated one of the most important decisions in our modern era – the 1973 landmark case affirming a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. In June 2022, the Supreme Court, in one of its most gutwrenching reversals, dismantled Roe v. Wade, Here again, the disproportionately affected people are Black women who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are 3 to4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

But before the ink had dried on the recent affirmative action ruling, another Supreme Court decision signaled that LBGTQ rights and marriage equality are on a precarious legal footing. Ear-

See NATION IN REVERSE on page 29

Emmett Till: unfolding distortion of history

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

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

Back in 1955 justice was lost on America. Black citizens across the nation fell victim to lynch mobs, false imprisonments, and murder without recourse. A system was put in place to keep them down, and it worked – it worked well. As just a young, 14-yearold black boy, Emmett Till was murdered under these heinous circumstances; there was no recourse, and the woman who made the false accusation which led to his demise continued to lie about it even after his death— all the while a free woman. America has changed much since then. It doesn’t take a history degree to recognize that this unjust, unrectified murder in Mississippi was this spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement. The killing of Emmett Till was so grotesque, so disturbing, and the circumstances so infuriating, that it was itself the final straw for all those who silently sat and watched Black men and women, young to old, treated as less than human.

Recently, President Biden signed a proclamation which establishes a national monument to honor Emmett Till. It is a tribute not simply to Till, but the countless Blacks who were slaughtered, raped, and harmed simply because they looked different from their assailants. It is a monument of unity to show how far we have come in just 70 years, and how we must continue to confront racism head on in order to wipe away its final remnants.

Yet, for some unity seems opposite from the message they hope it would provide. Biden and his big media allies have seized this opportunity to push radical left-wing politics in some desperate attempt to rewrite history and paint Emmett Till as a martyr for hatred of those who bear a different skin tone from Till –but, hatred that, to the left, is apparently justified. Just watch the signing of the proclamation; listen to Biden’s speech about it. This isn’t mere con-

MTA fare hikes are coming

jecture, it is truth.

One would think it would be widely inappropriate for the President of the United States to push political propaganda while celebrating a young boy unjustly killed because of his race. You would be right to think that, but you would be wrong to think that someone on the left would think that to be right. Biden made it clear and unequivocal that he cares little about Till and more about pleasing his mindless base when he said, “At a time when there are those who seek to ban books, bury history, we’re making it clear — crystal, crystal clear: While darkness and denialism can hide much, they erase nothing.”

It would be easier to call this quote asinine if it weren’t equally as infuriating. Biden, at this momentous event that should have unified our nation chose instead to insert manufactured left-wing talking points during his speech about the monument,. And Biden wasn’t alone, Vice President Kamala Harris did the same, in some strange coordinated attack on Republicans: “Today, there are those in our nation who would prefer to erase or even rewrite the ugly parts of our past; those who attempt to teach that enslaved people benefited from slavery; those who insult us in an attempt to gaslight us.”

Why, in just about every article about this monument, is Ron DeSantis’ “slavery benefits” story mentioned? Is it just some big coincidence that DeSantis is on everyone’s mind, or is there something more sinister going on behind the scenes, something more coordinated?

Conservatives do not want to rewrite history and they don’t want to ban books. Conservatives do not want to do any of the dastardly things that left proclaims they want to do. We’ve seen time and time again that the left projects its own policy on Republicans in this manner. After all, the right isn’t tear-

ing down statues of historical figures, renaming holidays, assaulting people for their political beliefs, suing business owners for their religious beliefs, destroying people’s careers because they have the wrong views, slandering the dead because they had the wrong views when they were alive, prosecuting people and politicians who have different views from prosecutors, rewriting science textbooks to conflate sociology with science, or altering or outright refusing to air television shows that contain unpopular facts or narratives.

Emmett Till’s legacy, unyielding and profound, is firmly engraved in the annals of history, and we must resist any attempt by the left to distort or reinterpret it. It is indeed a distressing reality that the left has successfully imbued a generation of young minds with misleading and perilous ideologies. If we allow this trend to continue unchecked, in half a century, Emmett Till’s authentic legacy could be on the brink of being lost forever. The true essence of his life and death may become entwined with the left’s propaganda and politically charged narratives, obfuscating the real significance of his story. His tragic demise, which served as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement—a monumental stride towards affirming racial equality in America— may be repackaged as something it was never intended to be. Instead his death may become something entirely backwards, a false reality that says that even those who stood hand in hand with civil rights protesters were themselves guilty of the crime of racism because they were white.

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

It’s time to prepare for new fare hikes coming to New York City. For those of us who take the subway, buses, ferries, or even drive, we need to prepare ourselves to pay a bit more in the upcoming weeks. Due to budget gaps with the MTA, the subway will soon cost $2.90 per fare. The MTA has not increased prices in roughly eight years and their rationale in the new price hike is to deal with a budget gap of almost $3 billion by 2025.

I’m of two minds about the fare hikes. On the one hand, public transportation is a modern marvel. Where else can you get from the Bronx to Brooklyn in an hour for under $3? I can travel all over the city for mere dollars and depending on the time of day. The subway is often faster than sitting in a taxi, too. I often tell tourists to take a bus so they can see the city above ground. The bus lines that run on the east side can literally drop you off along Museum Mile with ease and convenience.

Sometimes when I need to clear my mind I take the Staten Island ferry and pass by the Statue of Liberty.

move freely throughout the city without worrying about how many times per day I used public transport. I use public transport less these days, but will occasionally buy a monthly pass for the convenience of it all. However, I understand many New Yorkers do not have that financial luxury and ultimately end up spending more because they pay for each ride and do not get the benefit of a monthly discount, largely because they cannot afford the large upfront cost of a monthly pass.

I often think of people who have families and must pay for several people to ride the subway. Because of the new fare hikes, many people will actually feel these fare hikes over time. It may seem like a few cents to some, but so many New Yorkers are literally counting pennies each day to make ends meet.

We are told the fare hikes are for infrastructure enhancements, not operating expenses. However, the price of the subway is increasing at a time when many feel the quality of service is decreasing. I don’t know what the solution in Albany should be, but as we raise fares (we know the subway will be $3 before we know it), we must remember families who need every penny that comes in. Hopefully organizations like Riders Alliance will continue to advocate for working class New Yorkers to help keep fares fair for all New Yorkers.

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

Before COVID had us on lock down, I always bought a monthly pass so I could

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

(Amanda Ulloa photo)

Caribbean Update

Second mass murder trial could take place in Suriname

BY BERT WILKINSON Special to

the AmNews

Just as the current 1982 mass murder trial of former Surinamese president and military strongman Dési Bouterse is nearing an end, the state’s prosecution office is getting ready to reopen investigations into the late 1986 massacre of a village where more than 50 elderly Maroon men, women and children were slaughtered by the local military.

Moiwana Village is just across the river border with French Guiana. Regular soldiers, who were chasing down a group of western-supported guerillas trying to reverse a February 1980 military coup in the Caribbean Community nation, were apparently frustrated that the villagers were unable to provide them with useful intelligence about the guerillas’ whereabouts; the soldiers lined up the villagers, executed them, and burned down the entire village.

Ironically, the guerilla group was led, back in the troubled ‘80s, by the man who is now the elected vice president of Suriname—Ronnie Brunswijk, then a young, brash low-ranking soldier who had been picked out by Western nations like the U.S., The Netherlands and France to lead a rebel force to fight the 1980 coup-makers. What ensued was a full-scale internal or bush war that had claimed nearly 1,000 lives, chased thou -

sands of people abroad, and dislocated thousands more. The guerillas would attack soldiers and state facilities and flee across the river into French Guiana, frustrating the military. On that day back in 1986, the soldiers took out their frustrations on Moiwana Village, slaughtering more than 50. A few dozens hid in the nearby jungle until it was all over.

Rights groups and relatives of the dead have complained bitterly over the decades that no real or official attempt had ever been made by successive administrations

to investigate the massacre, complaining that those guilty of the crime are operating with impunity in the Dutch-speaking country of about 600,000.

In the past week, however, the prosecution’s office has put out public notices asking witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the events of Nov. 29, 1986 to come forward, and provide their evidence to any police station in the country. For witnesses living overseas, they can either come back to Suriname or use digital or electronic means to pro -

vide their testimony. Former President Ronald Venetiaan had formally apologized to survivors on behalf of the state back in 2006, but no investigatory action of consequence has been taken.

So even as former President Bouterse appeared in court Monday of this week to appeal a 2019, 20-year jail sentence for the murders of 15 government opponents of his coup in late 1982, an already traumatized and weary nation could be getting ready to deal with another massacre from the past—from the period when the military believed that it could have successfully run the country. Democracy returned to the country at the turn of the 1990s and Bouterse was fired as military chief shortly thereafter, turning his energies into full-time politics. He made it to two terms as elected president before losing to the current governing coalition three years ago.

A court, which is hearing his case for the 1982 mass murders, is expected to render its verdict later this year after hearing the final set of arguments from the defense and prosecution this week. On Monday, Irwin Kanhai, Bouterse’s attorney, made no case submissions to the panel of judges telling the court that “I demand an acquittal and I maintain that my clients are innocent.” Bouterse has consistently denied ordering the executions but has accepted collective responsibility as the head of government at the time.

Americans will soon have to play by Europe’s new immigration rule

FELICIA PERSAUD IMMIGRATION KORNER

American citizens looking to travel to Europe next year will have to play by the region’s new immigration rules as well.

Americans will no longer be able to simply fly to Europe and show up with their passport at immigration in any of 30 European countries, including full Schengen members like Spain, France, and Italy; European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries like Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland; future Schengen members such as Bulgaria and Cyprus; and European microstates like Andorra and Monaco.

Every American citizen will have to apply for a European Travel Information

and Authorization System (ETIAS) travel authorization before traveling, though it’s not a visa.

The EU says the goal of the ETIAS is to tighten border security, as well as digitally screen and track travelers entering and leaving EU countries, something the U.S. does through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, (ESTA) program. But the ETIAS travel authorization will be needed to enter any of 30 European countries as often as you want for shortterm stay—normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

You can fill out the application form using either this official ETIAS website at https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_ en and pay EUR 7 or USD 7.79. Fill out the online form providing details about basic biographical information, travel plans and travel history, as well as other security questions.

Most applicants will be granted travel authorization within an hour and the authorization emailed. But if further checks are required, the process could take up to four days. This period could be extended by up to 14 days if you are requested to provide additional information or documentation, or up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview. This is why you should apply for an ETIAS travel authorization well in advance of your planned journey.

When you get your ETIAS travel authorization please make sure your name, passport number and other information is correct: if there is any mistake, you will not be allowed to cross the border.

The ETIAS travel authorization will be valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorization.

If your application is refused, the email will provide the reasons for this decision. It will also include information about how to appeal, details of the competent authority, as well as the time limit to appeal.

Remember that the ETIAS authorization is linked to your travel document, such as your U.S. passport. Both documents will be required for boarding flights, buses, or ships to enter European countries that mandate ETIAS.

However, a valid ETIAS will not guarantee entry. When you arrive at immigration, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions, just like when a visitor arrives at a U.S. border.

“In the past week, however, the prosecution’s office has put out public notices asking witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the events of November 29, 1986 to come forward, to provide their evidence to any police station in the country.”

Health

SJF gives hefty $25,000 grants to Black maternal health groups

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

The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund (SFJ) honored four grassroots Black maternal health organizations during the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx game last Friday.

The Tsais launched the SFJ in 2020 in Brooklyn with a commitment to fight for racial justice and plan for the economic recovery after the COVID pandemic. SJF will match donations up to $25,000 to Brooklyn Perinatal Network, Caribbean Women’s Health Association, Haven Midwifery Collective, and Irth organizations as part of their “You Belong Here” campaign.

The campaign aims to promote a culture of belonging across Brooklyn with a focus on raising awareness about the racial disparities in maternal mortality and health this year.

“Health equity is an essential right and critical to belonging and equality. Given the disparities in Black maternal health, this is especially important for our work toward social justice here in Brooklyn,” said Clara Wu Tsai, vice chair of BSE Global, in a statement. “We started the Social Justice Fund to bring together people and organizations with a shared commitment to inclusivity, justice, and equal opportunity. We are proud to support these four organizations dedicated to im-

proving health outcomes for pregnant people of color in Brooklyn.”

Statistically in New York City, Black mothers are a little over nine times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts due to inequities in health care access and quality. The highest rates reported are in neighborhoods such as Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush, and Williamsburg.

Brooklyn Borough President (BP) Antonio Reynoso dedicated millions in the fiscal capital budget as well as launched a maternal health campaign focused on getting critical resources to Black and brown birthing people. Black maternal health leaders in Brooklyn said that they appreciated Reynoso’s attention to the issue, but a majority of the funds went to city-run birthing centers and the hospital system.

They felt left out financially from a mission they helped build.

SJF Executive Director Gregg Bishop said that the Fund specifically wanted to support and fund organizations that were already doing meaningful work in the community.

The organizations were recognized during the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx game at Barclays Center. Joe and Clara Tsai are the billionaire owners of the Barclays Center, the New York Liberty team, and the Brooklyn Nets.

Representatives of the organiza-

tions showed up to enjoy the game and take center court during halftime. Attendees included former journalist Kimberly Seals Allers, Brooklyn Perinatal Network (BPN) Deputy Executive Director Denise West, Certified Midwife Trinisha Williams, BPN Executive Director Ngozi Moses, Caribbean Women’s Health Association Executive Director Cheryl Hall, organizer and educator Xamayla Rose, and BPN Chair Bettie Mays.

Each woman had their own story to tell about why they have dedicated their lives to helping other Black and brown women safely have children.

Moses is originally from Guyana in South America and studied as a pharmacist. She said she got involved with maternal health and BPN when she felt disrespected at a local clinic. “They threatened to call the police on me because I challenged a prescription that was written for my four-month-old. What they didn’t know was that I was a pharmacist and I could read the prescription. It was adult doses,” said Moses. “I was dismissed as ignorant and my accent was very Caribbean. But she made the biggest mistake of her life because here I am advocating 35 years after, organizing against that kind of care.”

Allers had a fraught pregnancy experience at a highly-rated hospital despite having done research. She created the Narrative Nation and the Irth app, which lets users leave a Yelp-like review of doctors, hospi-

tals, and obstetrician-gynecologists.

“This seems to be one area where the system has continued to fail us,” said Allers.

West said that her own mother was left temporarily blind for a month after giving birth to her. She believes in preventative maternal health care.

“Our biggest obstacle is capital funding. This health disparity has caused a lot of people to die,” said Williams, from her firsthand experience as a midwife for 21

years. “I don’t feel that midwives or people like myself should now fund the healthcare system in order to make change.”

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

(Far right to left) former journalist Kimberly Seals Allers, Deputy Executive Director at Brooklyn Perinatal Network (BPN) Denise West, Certified midwife Trinisha Williams, BPN Co Founder Ngozi Moses, Caribbean Women’s Health Executive Director Cheryl Hall, Xamayla Rose, BPN Chair Bettie Mays, and three other attendees. (Ariama C. Long photos)

Photo of the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx game at Barclays Center on Friday, July 28.

The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund honored four grassroots Black maternal health organizations during the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx game on Friday, July 28.

Beyoncé’s BeyHive buzzes at MetLife’s Renaissance stop

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

New York and New Jersey were abuzz during Beyoncé’s Renaissance’s MetLife stadium stop. The megastar had the whole globe buzzing as fans anticipated her show on Sunday, July 30, in East Rutherford, N.J. The show brought out a huge, vibrant crowd to witness Queen Bey. Many BeyHive members took pictures and videos as they captured unforgettable moments before showtime.

The two-and-a-half-hour show officially started at 9:30 p.m. Oprah and Gayle King were special guests in VIP seating, arriving shortly before its start.

“Renaissance,” the name of Beyoncé’s seventh album, represents the rebirth of herself as a woman and an artist. The tour further explores the theme of rebirth as the

audience is taken on a journey into Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s youth, and includes flashback visuals and music from her previous albums. Another message from the “Renaissance” theme is for people to embrace their own stories and journeys.

Knowles-Carter began the show with ballads, something fans like Courtne Orona greatly appreciated. “I love that she started off with ballads, because I felt like that really brought us in, warmed us up to her,” Orona said.

Knowles-Carter was immediately comfortable with her fans, greeting them as soon as she hit the stage. She read posters wishing someone a happy birthday and personally said names of the BeyHive from their signs. She showed gratitude to the audience by expressing how blessed she is in performing every day and that she doesn’t take it for granted.

Beyoncé shared her perspective on life— “It’s not about perfection, it’s about enjoying your life, enjoy the flaws and all”—as she segued into her ballad of the same title. The lighting and sound were in unison as the staging crew worked hard to avoid mishaps. Knowles-Carter and her team made sure to keep songs on the playlist that represented power and love to match interlude visuals. Fans were singing along, dancing, and screaming loudly throughout the stadium as they reveled in the presence of their Queen Bey.

Knowles-Carter’s team knew it was impossible to fit all the fan favorites from her impressive catalog into one show. Instead, they mixed her songs creatively, and Beyoncé’s band also played melodies from songs that were not on the “Renaissance” album. The show’s seamless transitions encouraged fans’ dancing and singing to

older hits.

Beyoncé has changed her sound throughout the years while still sounding authentic. Orona was surprised by the latest album’s sound, although it still resembles music Beyoncé creates. “It was genuine to the [LGBTQ+] community and very respectful,” said Orona. “It didn’t feel like she was ripping [them] off.” Knowles-Carter represented the LGBTQ+ community and Black community well with her diverse band and dancers. Her new tour dancers had a segment to demonstrate their voguing skills, a dance popular in the queer community. An exciting moment for the BeyHive was when Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé’s first-born daughter, joined her on stage. Carter made her special appearance during the song “My Power,” and stayed for the duration of “Black Parade.” Carter wowed the audience

“Renaissance” bold on stage’s screen (Brenika Banks photos)

“Renaissance” bold on stage’s screen (Brenika Banks photos)

Beyonce

Continued from page 17

with dance moves that kept up with the professional dancers. At the end of her performance, she revealed a shirt that read “New York,” paying homage to her father Jay-Z’s hometown. Blue Ivy received a standing ovation and many cheers from the crowd.

Orona said she respects Beyoncé for acknowledging all her fans in the stadium. The screens, lights, and energy didn’t make Orona or her friends feel like their seats were out of reach. “We were up there, but it still felt like we were right in front of her,” said Orona. “It was beautiful, so magical.”

During her dazzling performance of “Plastic off the Sofa,” Knowles-Carter unveiled an alluring silver version of her Loewe custom “hands-on” bodysuit, which was gold during previous shows of the tour.

Orona said she had a “buzzing” feeling after leaving the concert. “I felt very energetic after seeing someone put their whole heart and soul into a show.” She was impressed with Beyoncé’s capability to outdo herself and level up with every tour.

Orona will always remember Beyoncé for being one of the greatest performers in our lifetime. “I don’t think there’s going to be someone who comes anywhere near what she’s brought to the stage consistently over the last almost two decades now.”

As a true professional, Beyoncé thanked her entire crew, the band, and the audience for coming. “I would like to thank all of you for your beautiful energy and all your loyalty,” said Knowles-Carter. “I hope y’all had the best night!”

The New Jersey “Renaissance” show ended at midnight. The tour continues until Oct. 1. For more info, visit www. beyonce.com.

Blue Ivy Carter representing New York after her dance performance of her mother’s song, “Black Parade” (Brenika Banks photos)

Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy Carter performing “My Power”

Beyoncé performing “America Has a Problem”

Beyoncé after performing Renaissance album’s last song, “Summer Renaissance,” during the show’s finale.

AmNews Food

Elevate summer entertaining with an enjoyable crunch

As families and friends gather on patios and decks to enjoy the warmth of summer and meals fresh off the grill, many are searching for that perfect ingredient that can complement salads, appetizers, main courses, desserts, and more.

This year, you can turn to pecans to elevate meals and give your guests something

to rave about. Iconic for their flavor versatility, shining in a wide range of profiles from sweet and spicy to salty, smoky, and savory, they’re a tasty addition for favorite summertime recipes.

From an enjoyable crunch to comforting creaminess and a satisfying chew, pecans deliver a perfect bite and texture. These

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Pecan Salsa, for example, are loaded with fresh flavors for an easy, nutritious warm-weather meal.

Taste is just the beginning—pecans also pack a nutritious punch with a unique mix of health-promoting nutrients and bioactive compounds. Known for their rich, buttery consistency and naturally sweet taste,

pecans have a longstanding tradition as a nut topping. They’re sprinkled atop this Spiced Pecan Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese for a refreshing seasonal salad with a nutty crunch.

To find more recipes that take summer entertaining to the next level, visit EatPecans.com. (Family Features)

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Pecan Salsa

Cook time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork loin chops (each 1-inch thick)

3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon, kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 medium peaches, diced

2/3 cup raw pecan pieces

2 tablespoons red onion, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper

2 teaspoons lime juice

Season pork chops with 3/4 teaspoon salt

and black pepper to taste.

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Grill pork chops until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5–6 minutes until food thermometer inserted in center registers 135 F.

Transfer to plate and let rest at least 5 minutes until internal temperature rises to 145–160 F.

Gently stir peaches, pecans, onion, basil, jalapeno, lime juice, and remaining salt.

Add salsa on top of each pork chop and place remaining salsa on side.

Spiced Pecan Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Spiced Pecans—

1 large egg white

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups pecan halves

Salad—

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons, extra-virgin olive oil or pecan oil, divided

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

pepper, to taste

2 large peaches, halved and pits removed

6 cups mixed baby greens (such as arugula, spring mix and spinach)

4 ounces soft goat cheese

To make spiced pecans:

Preheat oven to 275 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In medium bowl, whisk egg white, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt until well combined. Fold in pecans and mix until evenly coated in mixture. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 45–50 minutes, stirring occasionally until pecans are fragrant and goldenbrown. Allow to cool completely.

To make salad:

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

In small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Brush cut sides of peach halves with remaining olive oil and grill 3–5 minutes— until grill lines appear and peaches become tender. Remove peaches and cut into slices.

Divide greens among four plates. Top with grilled peach slices and goat cheese. Divide 1 cup spiced pecans evenly among salads and reserve remaining cup for snacking. Drizzle each salad with vinaigrette.

2 inter-generational novels to delve into

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH

Special to the AmNews

Postmodern Black literature explores many dimensions and layers, and embodies stories that are able to unfold in imaginative, speculative manners that were not deemed possible 100 years ago. There is room now to explore the overlapping of time, and the exploration of past, present, and future generations. Autumn Allen’s young adult novel, “All You Have to Do,” explores the experience of two young boys in two different generation seasons in Black American history, and Denene Millner’s “One Blood” spans from the Great Migration and the civil unrest of the 1960s, to the quest for women’s equality in the early 2000s— offering a story of Black women who live life with passion, vulnerability, and courage.

All You Have to Do by Autumn Allen (Penguin Random House)

The young adult novel, “All You Have to Do,” follows the lives and experiences of two young men who attend the same prestigious university three decades apart from one another. Though one student studied in 1968 and the other in 1995,

they both encounter incredible amounts of racism. An examination of how things rarely change, and stay the same, “All You Have to Do” takes you on an emotional journey through the pain and suffering of Black manhood and American life. This imaginative book with a message deserves a read from young readers and adults alike.

One Blood by Denene Millner (Forge, MacMillan)

Denene Millner’s epic story surrounding the lives of Black women within a family and bloodline that begins with the protagonist Grace’s grandmother, Maw Maw, and travels through to the lives of her daughter and beyond as Grace’s daughter is put up for adoption without her giving her consent. Her daughter, though, has the wandering dreams of upward mobility but has to grapple with the news of being adopted. An interesting and penetrating inter-generational story about the lives of Black American women, “One Blood” is a great addition to bookshelves.

Black authors now have the freedom to tell stories the way they truly desire. There are no more rules or respectability, cen-

sorship of the telling of Black life stories. As the decades continue on, we are going to read more creative and out-of-the-box story

structures and unique lifestyles of Black characters. “All You Have to Do” and “One Blood” are beginning to break the mold. Let’s hope

New Black short-story collections

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to

the AmNews

When we think of collections of Black writing, we tend to imagine collections or poems, speeches, and essays by internationally recognized Black writers and speakers like Baldwin, Morrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and others. But today, essays and short-story collections are more accessible and publishers are willing to publish new and current Black writers’ collection works. LaToya Watkins and Jamel Brinkley have proven this with their new shortstory collections “Holler, Child” and “Witness: Stories.” Both collections are built with a major theme, where a number of short stories support the overall story arc of the books.

The stories in “Holler, Child” denote an intimate and emotional reckoning with the characters, who are each introduced as individual protagonists in each piece.

The 10 stories in “Witness”’ are set in the changing landscapes of contemporary New York City. With an

inviting and eerie plethora of characters, which range from ghosts to children and everyone in between, the book challenges each protagonist to “live through the responsibility of perceiving and the moral challenge of speaking up or taking action,” writes Brinkley’s publishers.

It is always important to explore the collections of new writers as well as writers of the past. The art of the short story, essay, and creative nonfiction will expand and grow in the realm of Black literature in the near future, similarly to Black speculative, intergenerational writing.

Supporting unique lesser-published writing formats will open the door for future short-story writers to find their voices and footing in the competitive publishing world.

“Holler, Child” and “Witness: Stories” are powerful stories infused with passion, vision, and understanding of human nature in a manner that is acute, wise, and entertaining to read. Make sure you add these books to your collection this year.

these authors continue to tell stories that are outside of the linear limitations that our culture has put upon our artistic people.

BroadwayCon 2023: As always, as amazing as can be!

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

If there is one event that I look forward to every year, it’s BroadwayCon.

This year, BroadwayCon 2023 took place at the Marriott Marquis from July 21–23 and it was marvelous. It was everything that I love about Broadway—a place to bring people together and feel the warmth of this wonderful community.

BroadwayCon was as inclusive as always and had Broadway panels about Broadway classics, current shows, and upcoming delights. BroadwayCon 2023 was a place where you could come in full cos-play or simply stroll around the Marketplace on the fifth floor and see all types of merchandise— artwork, pins, jewelry, T-shirts, jackets, full theatrical costumes, and show posters.

Madame Tussaud’s had a display from the now-closed “Phantom of the Opera” with the Phantom and Christine on the boat, and you could lie on pillows and pose with them.

Walking around, it was not unusual to suddenly hear someone belting out a show tune, and all were welcome.

Panels covered every facet of Broadway one could imagine, from plays that came and went but left their mark,such as “KPOP” and “Ain’t No More,” to ones that are still to come, such as the 30th anniversary production of the Who’s “Tommy.”

This theater event welcomed everyone, with panels including “Drag Is Life: Drag artists and the fight for LGBTQ+ Rights.” There were panels about non-traditional casting on and off-Broadway. There were panels about autism and Broadway; panels about “Musicals & Mental Health.” At any

point during each of those three incredible days, multiple panels were going on simultaneously, so attendees had a plethora of choices.

I moderated two panels this year and would just like to share a bit from them. The first was about “Fat Ham,” which recently closed on Broadway. With me were Adrianna Mitchell, who played Opal; Benja Kay Thomas, who played Rabbi; and Calvin Leon Smith, who played Larry. It was truly riveting to speak with them about this play and their roles, and what it meant to have a play like this, first off-Broadway and then on Broadway.

“Fat Ham” was James Ijames’s take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of “Hamlet.” He set it in a family’s backyard at a wedding barbecue, and Hamlet was a gay college student named Juicy. The actors talked about the importance of the timing of this play, especially with how society can be unfair to the LGBTQ community.

When asked about breaking the fourth wall (speaking directly to the audience), which often happened in the play (and was quite humorous to experience as an audience member), the cast

was candid as they shared what that can mean for an actor. While Thomas enjoyed doing it, she also said she could sometimes get carried away. Mitchell said that it was like having a spiritual connection to the different audiences. Smith, however, said that breaking the fourth wall was something he struggled with because it leaves an actor vulnerable. That response was an eye-opener for me and for those who attended the panel, all of whom had seen the production multiple times. My next panel was a one-onone with the two-time Tony- and Drama Desk-nominated actress Kara Young. Young has had a marvelous career thus far, one that I have followed closely. She talked about her journey and the role that her Black theater community has played in supporting her and calming her doubts when they occur. She talked about her regard for those actors who set the way for her, especially Ruby Dee. This was very important, because this September, she will play a role that Ruby Dee originated in her husband Ossie Davis’s play “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton

Patch,” when she takes on the role of Lutiebelle

Linda Armstrong joined by Kara Young at a panel on Young’s acting journey at BroadwayCon 2023. (Jasmine Armstrong photo)

“Fat Ham: The Bard Couldn’t Have Imagined This!” panel moderator Linda Armstrong, with actors Calvin Leon Smith, Benja

Kay Thomas, and Adrianna Mitchell sharing a laugh. (Dorian Duhon photo)

Gussie Mae Jenkins.

Young was also excited about finally getting to work with the fantastic Broadway director Kenny Leon, and said that what makes him special is that from day one, he is all about the work,

As I walked around BroadwayCon 2023 and visited the Marketplace, I was appreciative of the beautiful Broadway-related items

on sale, from T-shirts, pins, and jewelry to posters and costumes. A few things truly caught my eye.

The Lights of Broadway/Show & Cards are baseball-style cards featuring Broadway shows and Broadway history; they are traded like baseball cards and used to raise money for organizations connected to assisting people in the business. This group is the brainchild of Dori Berinstein, who is the co-creator/producer, and

Justin “squigs” Robertson, co-creator/artist.

“We have raised money for 30 different charities and have donated over $200,000 over the past seven years. We are celebrating theater and keeping people’s passion up! The group is international, with trading cards and collectors in Paris and London.

There are cards autographed by celebrities, 3D cards, foil cards, and other types of designs. Col-

lectors are kids, adults, and every kind of person you can imagine,”

Berinstein said.

When we stopped by Meow Cleeva, we saw gorgeous, original mixed-media prints and character descriptions of Meow Cleeva, a character created by artist Martha Colon, who also did book illustrations. (Her Instagram is @ meow_cleeva.)

There was truly something for everyone. AMDA was recruiting,

and members of the Dramatists Guild staffed a table to recruit young playwrights.

As always, BroadwayCon 2023 was an event to be experienced and cherished, and to continue to grow an appreciation and love for all things THEATER.

BroadwayCon is produced by Mischief Management. See you again next year!

For more info, visit www.broadwaycon.com.

Aly Moyano, costume designer. and Grace Close at Aly’s booth at BroadwayCon 2023 (Jasmine Armstrong photo)

“Oddment & Tweak” booth had a lot to offer at BroadwayCon 2023 (Jasmine Armstrong photo)

“Goosebumps” booth at BroadwayCon 2023 (Dorian Duhon photo)

Meow Cleeva artist Martha Colon at Marketplace BroadwayCon booth (Dorian Duhon photo)

Continued from previous page

Hargrove Big Band, Newport Fest, Faddis at 70

Parson, and the young saxophonist Erena Terakubo, whose rendition of “Stars Fell on Alabama” lit up the room, with her warm tone and lyrical phrasings. The young lady was an additional asset to an already well anchored ensemble.

Roy Hargrove, undeniably one of America’s most remarkable trumpeter/flugelhornists and composers of the late 20th-21st century, is honored every month at The Jazz Gallery (1158 Broadway), which pays tribute to his legacy with the Roy Hargrove Big Band, on August 3 with two sets at 7:30p.m. and 9:30p.m.

The trumpeter first organized the Roy Hargrove Big Band in 1995, as a one-night affair to perform at the short-lived Panasonic Village Jazz Festival in New York City. But as usual with Hargrove’s new inventions, his big band became a worldwide phenomenon with distinct arrangements of his compositions and some favorite songs by his contemporaries.

The big band is an all-star line-up of eclectic musicians such as trumpeters Nathan Eklund and Duane Eubanks; trombonists Gina Benalcazar and Rashaan Salaam; saxophonists, alto sax and band leader Bruce Williams, tenor sax Camille Thurman and baritone sax Jason Marshall; and rhythm section bassist Danton Boller, pianist Tyler Bullock, guitarist Saul Rubin, and drummer Willie Jones. The Big Band features original band members and musicians who performed in his various ensembles.

As a purveyor of boundless flirtations with music that danced in his head and those outside influences that sparked his creativity like the imaginative Miles Davis, Hargrove took his fans on diversified excursions leaving them on the ledge to ponder what was coming next. He drew from a variety of genres: hip-hop, soul, R&B, straightahead and bent idioms that encompassed his experiences from RH Factor to his trio musings, his hip quintets as a member of the Soulquarians, and his Afro-Cuban band Crisol, which won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album in 1998 for ”Habana.”

Hargrove transitioned much too soon (November 2, 2018), at the age of 49. Fortunately, the two-time Grammy winner and co-founder of The Jazz Gallery left behind a diverse jazz catalog to be enjoyed, studied and performed.

For tickets and reservations visit jazzgallery.org

The Newport Jazz Festival on August 4-6 is set to be this year’s paramount music event on the east coast. The festival, located in Rhode Island at Fort Adams State Park, features three stages all within short walking distances.

The performance line-up is outrageous— it doesn’t matter whether you purchase a single-day ticket or three-day pass; once in your seat or standing up, be ready to swing in the deep, deep part of the jazz pond. Is this just pontification? Don’t think so. A partial

list includes: vocalist Claudia Acuna, still a young gun pianist Julius Rodriguez, Charles Lloyd New Quartet, Charles McPherson Quintet, guitarist Julian Lage, Derrick Hodge, Christian McBride’s Jam Jawn (his soul funk jazz band), Bobby Watson AllStar Quintet (trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Curtis Lundy, drummer Victor Jones, vocalist Carmen Lundy). James Brandon Lewis, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Dave Holland New Quartet (Kris Davis, Jaleel Shaw, and Nasheet Waits), Somi (who weaves African rhythmic stories with glowing Harlem textures), Harlem’s own Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix, and Melvis Santa & Jazz Orishas.

This is pianist, percussionist, singer and composer Santa’s debut performance as a bandleader at Newport. She is the second Cuban female to lead a band at this festival; the first was legendary vocalist Celia Cruz. Santa is a young guru, who habitually combines the Black diaspora with her Cuban heritage, and Afro Cuban traditions. Her American jazz influences are actively absorbed from Brooklyn and Harlem where she performed her first gig at Minton’s. For the past two years when not committed to her own projects, she tours with Kenny Garrett. For this maiden voyage, the Grammy-nominated singer will be joined by her band Jazz Orishas with bassist Rashaan Carter, trumpeter Josh Evans, Brazilian jazz guitarist Vinicius Gomes, and drummer Allan Mednard. “Jazz Orishas has Afro Cuban, jazz and Brazilian influences,” said Santa. “I’m freaking out in a good sense about this Newport performance, it’s such a great opportunity and so exciting.” For a

complete schedule and tickets visit newportjazz.org or contact jazztickets@newportfestivals.org.

What!! Jon Faddis is 70 already, where did time go? It seems like yesterday he was just 18 years old joining Lionel Hampton’s big band. And just recently, his fans filled Dizzy’s jazz club to capacity each night in Manhattan during his four-day engagement to celebrate his BIG 70. Dizzy’s Club was most apropos for the celebration, since Dizzy Gillespie was Faddis’ mentor and great friend until his death. Faddis came out to an enthusiastic audience, who gave him an immediate standing ovation. The set opened with his mentor’s critically acclaimed “Gillespiana” album (1960 ) composed by Lalo Schifrin. The able band’s interpretation was most expressive, covering the record’s multiple movements from “Blues,” “Pamamericana,” “Africana” and “Toccata.” It was an amalgamation of swinging blues, African rhythms and Latin melodies where at times Faddis’ stratospheric notes ricocheted off the sky, as the audience in awe shouted wow!! The roaring percussive conversation with drummer Dion Parson and guest Alioune Faye on djembe and sabor were an unforgettable jazz moment, as was the entire show. The performance offered the many sides of Faddis—his super notes flying high as astronauts and then his muted soft tones that gave ears a serene groove; just listen to his album “Remembrances”

(Chesky Records, 1998).

The trumpeter’s established band members included: pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Todd Coolman, drummer Dion

Faddis sang Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” (with a comedic accent on “woorld”) in Satchmo’s voice of course. “I like singing this song, everybody knows it and it’s a good way to connect to the audience, and it’s a tribute to Louis Armstrong,” said Faddis. “Singing became part of my repertoire over the years because as Pops and Clark Terry said, when you get old, you have to save your chops and singing helps.” Another surprise guest was the trombonist Steve Turre, who led the band in a fiery version of Dizzy’s original tune “Night in Tunisia.” The audience sang a rousing happy birthday at the end of the set, along with a few standing ovations.

During Faddis’ illustrious five-decade career, he has made valuable contributions to the jazz community including his ten-year (1992-2002) tenure as leader of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. “It was George Wein, who brought me on board for that project,” said Faddis. “I was honored to be in a position to commission new works (by over 35 composers) and tour the world, performing for the President of Chile, and the King of Thailand. I tried to mix generations of younger and older musicians to inspire each other. Renee Rosnes (pianist) was an indispensable part of that band for ten years.”

As a first call trumpeter, Faddis has recorded across genre lines with such iconic musicians as Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Lalo Schifrin, Tina Turner, Charles Tolliver, Oscar Peterson, and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. As a leader, he has recorded a dozen albums. “Contracts were offered to me but they weren’t that exciting,” says Faddis. “When very young I was asked to sign a ten-year contract. Most companies offered contracts in their favor; it wasn’t a win-win situation.”

While Dizzy was Faddis’ hero and mentor, he was also influenced by Snooky Young (lead trumpeter with Jimmie Lunceford), Bill Chase with Woody Herman, and Bill Catalano, Jr., who was Faddis’ instructor while he was still living in California and exposed him to live jazz playing at an early age. Faddis’ New York City influences were Clark Terry, Harry “Sweets” Edison (Count Basie), and Ernie Royal (Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Woody Herman). “There were so many older musicians, who treated me like a son and some like a brother,” said Faddis during a phone interview. “I was on cloud nine working with those guys.

CORRECTION: The G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum in Dothan, Alabama was originally a segregated Greyhound Bus Station (not U.S. Post Office as stated in last week’s column).

Jon Faddis (Ron Scott photo)

Migrants

Continued from page 3

New York City isn’t as apt at playing host.

“People need to understand that African communities need to be comfortable to talk to someone,” said Kouyate. “When they’re coming here, they are my son, they are my uncle. When it’s a senior, that’s papa…[the migrants that] come today, we already have something for them to eat. The bread and the mayonnaise and the egg, that’s what we do in Africa.

“They’re going to feel welcome. That’s why when we have something and [ask] them to come, they always come. Because they know we’re here for them. When you have workers [at shelters] and they don’t look like them, they’re not going to understand them.”

This Saturday marks one year since the first migrant bus arrived from Texas. Yet the situation is nowhere near resolved, with asylum seekers recently sleeping on the streets outside Midtown Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hotel, which was retrofitted into both an arrival center and shelter; the hotel’s shelter was at capacity.

Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition—of which ACT is a member agency—says that Black migrants, like African asylum seekers, face additional disparities even in an already difficult predicament.

“We have a racist criminal justice system, which then puts them [mi -

grants] in line with interactions with law enforcement [which] almost always and immediately means an interaction with immigration officials,” said Awawdeh over the phone. “The historical nature of Black immigrants in New York has been one of huge importance here. And to see that Black immigrants continue to sit at the furthest of the margins, [and] continue to be the most vulnerable and marginalized parts of our community, is just unconscionable in a city like New York.

“We have so much more work to do. It’s incredibly heartbreaking to see that the vast majority of people who are sleeping outside of the [Roosevelt] Hotel are Black migrants.”

An asylum seeker named Marie Noel sought ACT’s assistance with obtaining her IDNYC card and health insurance. She says she initially left Cameroon with her brother for Brazil due to an abusive marriage, but soon found out her spouse had followed her to the South American nation. She showed photos of conspicuous burn marks all over her arm and torso from having hot water poured over her.

So Marie Noel trekked through South and Central America, entering California after reaching the southern U.S. border. On her journey, she was extorted out of at least $8,000. She ultimately landed in New York after her initial plan to stay with someone she knew in Florida fell through.

“When [I] came here people welcomed [me] and [asked] what do you need? How can we help you?” said Marie Noel. “We’re here, we

need work, but everything [I] asked them they didn’t help [me] with. [I] had food and somewhere to sleep but everything else, they listened [to me] but they never solved [my] situation.”

She initially stayed at a shelter, but is now living with a host family.

Allassane, 38, also sought ACT’s help with obtaining health insurance and applying for a New York State ID. The Senegalese migrant arrived this past May after leaving his home due to a serious safety concern and is awaiting work authorization. He’s currently staying in a men’s shelter.

Buses, shelters and legal cases are only a fleeting first step for the African migrants. Asylum seekers cannot currently work until their applications have been pending for over 180 days.

The migrants repeated their desire to legally earn money at any capacity. Allassane said he was open to any legitimate employment, and saw himself working as a deliveryman. Back in Senegal, he was a car salesman. As for Marie Noel, she fantasizes of one day opening a hair salon in New York City and living in her own apartment. She’s even excited about paying her taxes. The American Dream, she calls it.

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

Metro Briefs

Continued from page 3

Enjoy face painting, business-to-business networking, bouncy castles, NYC agencies onsite assistance, music and games, and M/WBE certification information. For more information about participating, email to outreach@bronxchamber.org.

–– Compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

New Jersey

Continued from page 4

segregated African American burial ground — it is where some 200 Trenton citizens from the 1860s are interred, at least 10 of whom are Civil War veterans.

The idea of establishing the museum was promoted and organized by the 6th Regiment United States Colored Troops reenactors. Members of the 6th Regiment USCT created the Locust Hill Project with the aim of restoring the building on the site and making it an interpretive center/museum. They also want the headstones in the adjoining cemetery repaired and maintained.

––compiled by Karen Juanita Carrillo

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nycommunitytrust.org/philanthropist

CLASSROOM IN THE

Evelyn Boyd Granville, one of the celebrated ‘Hidden Figures’

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

She donated her papers and other memorabilia to the archives at Smith College.

DISCUSSION

Would love to get a better idea about her Ph.D. dissertation.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Living nearly a century, Evelyn “figured” prominently in the world of mathematics, academically and scientifically.

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

There are two Evelyn Boyds in my family tree, but neither is nor was as distinguished and accomplished as Evelyn Boyd Granville— who played a prominent role in helping NASA land on the moon. Granville is considered one of the acclaimed “Hidden Figures,” the Black women who worked in the shadows at NASA, but nonetheless were key scientists and mathematicians, as Granville was. According to a recent obituary, Granville was the second Black woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics. She died June 27 at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland. She was 99.

Granville was born on May 1, 1924, in Washington, D.C. Her father, who worked various odd jobs due to the Great Depression, separated from her mother when Granville was young. She and her older sister were raised by her mother and aunt, both of whom worked at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Granville was a high achiever at Dunbar High School and valedic-

torian of her class. With a partial scholarship from Phi Delta Kappa supplemented by her aunt’s financial support, she entered Smith College in 1941. She majored in mathematics and physics with a keen interest in astronomy.

In 1945, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi and graduated summa cum laude. A brief summary of her life indicates that “encouraged by a graduate scholarship from the Smith Student Aid Society of Smith College, she applied to graduate programs in mathematics and was accepted by both Yale University and the University of Michigan; she chose Yale because of the financial aid they offered. There, she studied functional analysis under the supervision of Einar Hille, finishing her doctorate in 1949. Her dissertation was ‘On Laguerre Series in the Complex Domain.’”

Her teaching career began at New York University Institute for Mathematics and in 1950 she accepted an appointment at Fisk University. Among her outstanding students were Vivienne Malone-Mayes and Etta Zuber Falconer, who earned

doctorates in mathematics. Two years later, she returned to the nation’s capital for a position at the Diamond Ordnance Fuze Laboratories. She moved to IBM as a computer programmer in 1956 and after the company received a NASA contract, she took a position at the Vanguard Computing Center in D.C. By the early ‘60s, she married the Rev. G. Mansfield Collins and lived in Los Angeles after a short stay in New York City. In L.A., she worked for the U.S. Space Technology Laboratories which later became the North American Aviation Space and Information Systems Division. Among subsequent projects was her work for the Apollo program, including celestial mechanics, trajectory computations, and “digital computer techniques.”

Because of the restructuring at IBM, Granville accepted a full professorship in mathematics at California State University in 1967. Three years later, she married a realtor, Edward V. Granville. After retiring from the school in 1984, she taught at Texas College in Tyler, Texas. for four years and in 1990 joined the fac-

ulty at the University of Texas as the Sam A. Lindsey Professor of Mathematics. During her tenure, she assisted in the development of elementary school math enrichment programs, and at the same time immersed herself in the fight for the stronger inclusion of women in tech.

In 1989, Granville was awarded an honorary doctorate by Smith College, the first by an American institution to a Black woman mathematician. The Evelyn Boyd Granville papers, donated by her in 2015, are located in Smith College’s Special Collection.

Among her many honors and awards is one from the National Academy of Engineering in 1998; the United States National Academy of Sciences inducted her into its Portrait Collection of AfricanAmericans in Science. In 2000, she was awarded the Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal, the Yale Graduate School Alumni Association’s highest honor. And In 2001, she was cited in the Virginia state Senate’s Joint Resolution No. 377, designating Feb. 25 as “African-American Scientist and Inventor Day.”

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

July 31, 1921: Civil rights immortal, Whitney M. Young, Jr. was born in Lincoln Ridge, Ky. He died in 1971.

Aug. 2, 1924: Heralded author, James Baldwin, is born in New York City. He died in 1987.

Aug. 4, 1961: Former President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii.

Evelyn Boyd Granville (undark.org photo)

Vendors

the city council, the number of “non-veteran general vendor licenses” is limited to 853, but there is no limit on the number of general vendor licenses available to certain veterans who reside in the state or their surviving spouses/domestic partners, said the DCWP.

ingly accustomed to the routine by now, remained calm and kept unpacking her goods as she spoke with them. At least two departed, but one officer stayed to stand across from her table. The squad car stayed parked near the corner.

go after the real criminals? Why are you so focused on us?”

hibitions along with running his own LLC.

Murray said that as a vendor protected by the First Amendment, he has had more leeway than other vendors in the area.

That law has done little to stop people from vending wherever they can to make money.

Near the corner of West 125th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, street vendors can regularly be seen setting up tables to sell their wares. Men and women up and down the boulevard sell all kinds of goods to passersby: wholesale sunglasses, scented oils, belts, handbags, and custom clothes. Even more have some sort of food or treat.

One woman, who identified herself as Kady, is a Nigerian immigrant who lives in the Bronx. She traveled down to Harlem on a recent morning to display her collection of kente-cloth hand fans and jewelry near the bus stop of this busy corner. She has been doing this to make money for about three years, she said, as she unfolded an array of bright-gold–looking chains from boxes stored on a large handcart. She didn’t say that she was licensed.

“They take stuff,” said Kady, when asked about her relationship with local law enforcement. She claimed that she has also been ticketed at least three times in the amount of $250 for her setup. A few minutes after she spoke with the Amsterdam News, a police squad car and three officers showed up to question her. Kady, seem-

Salou BB, 39, is a street vendor with his sunglasses table set up outside of H&M on the same block. He said that he has been vending all kinds of things for years in Harlem and hasn’t experienced that same level of harassment. He claimed that he had a license and a tax identification number, though. He said the real issue with vending is that newcomers to the neighborhood who live on 125th Street don’t necessarily buy from street vendors the way Black residents have in the past.

Dante Pelayo, aka the Divine Styles, is a poet and rapper who recently turned 41 and operates “The Divine Styles Pop Up” bookstore. Pelayo can be seen on different corners along 125th Street, selling his books and engaging in conversation about books and other topics with his customers. He vends to fundraise his virtual open mic platform, Original Poets Open Air Open Mic.

Continued from page 3

has steadily decreased to 33% by 2019, the report says. The drop-off was significant in 2020 and 2021.

From 1985 to 2021, 42% of convictions involved Black people, yet they made up 15% of the state’s population in 2019. New York City has a conviction rate that is 5.7 times higher for Black people than white people, the DCJ concluded.

Ward added that a high percentage of Black and brown people released from state prisons are entering city shelters because of these convictions and not qualifying for housing. He said the shelter system here is “unfit” and “uninhabitable” because of unaddressed conditions. “This issue behind Fair Chance for Housing is also a racial justice issue, and that’s why it’s so fundamentally important,” he said.

Kandra Clark, vice president of policy and strategy with Exodus Transitional Community, runs a supportive housing program for formerly incarcerated people similar to Fortune Society. “It is so sad to see how many New Yorkers face

Still, he said very loudly that he was determined to stay on the block. “[I’m] planning to fight,” he said. “Not going anywhere.”

Various creatives look to street vending on 125th Street as a vital option to operate their businesses and earn income.

Karan Menardy, 52, is well-known with her business, “Lucian Dolly,” in front of the Apollo Theater. She sells jewelry, T-shirts, purses, hats, and more. Menardy expressed frustration that store owners often call the police on vendors like her and others with “ridiculous complaints” because they believe the vendors are stealing business from their stores. She also attested to feelings of harassment from NYPD and other agencies that regulate the vendors.

“We don’t want to break the law, but in the meantime, our kids are in school. We got to feed them. It’s like we’re taking chances. There are so many other crimes that are happening in the city. We’re not doing no harm to anybody. Why don’t you

housing discrimination daily. People with conviction histories are perpetually punished, making their families more likely to experience intergenerational homelessness,” said Clark in a statement. “We must break this cycle of poverty and provide families the opportunity to flourish in their homes and communities.”

Clark said that Fair Chance is just “smart legislation” that should be passed immediately. Plenty of electeds in the city and state agree.

East Harlem’s Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs is the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the state assembly and was a huge proponent of getting Clean Slate passed at the tail end of the June legislative session. He said, in a statement, he wholeheartedly supports the Fair Chance Housing Act and that it would allow people with conviction histories to access stable housing.

“An individual’s conviction history doesn’t solely affect them. It can affect their family as well and lead to a neverending cycle of instability,” said Gibbs.

Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa said someone’s past should not determine whether or not they live in dignified and affordable housing. “The Fair Chance for

Pelayo, who currently stays in a shelter, uses his business to help encourage literacy and inspire Black pride among his customers. One of Pelayo’s common spots is in front of the Victoria Theatre, which is under renovation to become a Marriott hotel. Like many vendors, Pelayo expressed concern that his business is being pushed out to make way for the new renovation.

“The Marriott says we have to move. We’re actually better if we stay right here. Why don’t you put a little box or a stand for us? Come on, we belong here! Build upon what we already got. We’ve been here so long, how about we grow upon that?” Pelayo said. “It would be dope if we could build upon those spaces so we can have a strong vending community here. Because we make Harlem.”

“Provide funding for us so we can apply for loans to help grow our vending business to make it great, because it is going to make the city great. Give us the money to grow,” he continued.

Laronz Murray, an artist out of Brooklyn who began vending in Harlem two years ago, sells his pieces of artwork, including paintings and drawings. He also hosts ex-

Housing Act alleviates an already difficult process while working towards our goal of securing permanent housing for all New Yorkers, especially for the disproportionate numbers of formerly incarcerated people of color,” she said in a statement.

Ward concedes that there may need to be provisions in the bill, similar to those in Clean Slate when it comes to certain sexual or egregious conviction records, in order to get it passed.

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

Originally from Trinidad, Franklyn Grenaway is a Vietnam War veteran who first came to Harlem in the early 1970s and began his 50-year career as a designer and artist. Grenaway sporadically vends on 125th Street, selling his “HBCU Knowledge” line of apparel products. Despite never having attended a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), he was fascinated with the history of these schools and noticed there was a need for more HBCU promotional products. He was amazed by the level of pride and community that those who attended HBCU schools feel.

Grenaway shared his fond remembrance for Mart 125, the open-air vendors’ market across from the Apollo Theater built in 1986 that ran until 1997. He said a space that provides shelter and support for vendors such as that is much needed today.

“The bank is not giving you any loans, especially if you are a vendor on 125th Street,” Grenaway said. “Vending is the only way [for] many of us who are trying to continue thriving and continue being successful small business entrepreneurs. It is the only place we can turn to promote or sell.”

District 9 Councilmember Kristin Richardson Jordan’s office developed the Evolved Harlem Merchants Coalition, a group dedicated to supporting “merchant

Continued from page 3 See VENDORS on page 36

Congressman Bowman reintroduces bill to ban legacy admissions in colleges

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

Congressman Jamaal Bowman reintroduced his Fair College Admissions for Students Act, which works to stop prestigious universities and colleges nationwide from giving children of alumni preferential treatment in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning affirmative action in schools.

Bowman argued that legacy admissions overwhelmingly benefit well-connected students, who are predominantly white and wealthy, in the same way “race-conscious” admissions benefit students of color, lower-middle class students, and

immigrant students.

“All students deserve an equitable chance to be admitted to institutions of higher education, but many are overlooked in the admissions process due to the historically elitist and racist legacy and donor admissions practices at colleges across the country,” said Bowman. “In the wake of the Supreme Court’s shameful decision to end race-conscious admissions policies, we’re about to see colleges across the country get even richer and whiter than they already are.”

The Fair College Act would build on the Higher Education Act of 1965, which bans schools from federal student aid programs if they give special preference to legacies.

James Murphy, the deputy director of

higher education policy at Education Reform Now, said in a statement that the organization worked on the legislation with Bowman and Sen. Jeff Merkley from Oregon.

“Providing a birthright advantage to applicants lucky enough to be born into wealth and privilege is not just profoundly unfair; it runs contrary to higher education’s mission to serve as an engine for social mobility, by providing an advantage to those who least need one,” said Murphy.

Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president for The Education Trust, said they are committed to creating opportunities in higher education for all students, but especially students of color and students from lowincome backgrounds.

“This practice is historically built on systemic racism, whereby the nation’s most prominent institutions worked to diminish Jewish and immigrant enrollment, and over time included more racial minorities and others deemed unworthy of access to higher education,” said Pilar in a statement. “The Fair College Admissions for Students Act addresses these inequities by reversing historical wrongs and we are proud to support it.”

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

Jamaal Bowman (Corey Torpie photo)

Closing Rikers

Continued from page 12

We are New York City. If China could build skyscrapers in six months and the United Arab Emirates could build entire cities (Dubai) in the desert, why is it New York City (America) can’t build a 100-acre campus-style facility on Rikers, and lease the remaining 320 acres to expand LaGuardia Airport?

Rebuilding and reimagining Rikers will do more to reduce recidivism and rehabilitate the incarcerated than four new borough-based jails could ever offer. By treating criminal justice and jail reform as an investment for social and economic

International

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Nation in reverse

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development, New York City could turn Rikers into a beacon for the rest of the world. This would be an investment in “the communities” of one of the most powerful cities in the world.

Again, we are New York City!

By Elias Husamudeen contact@ rikersreset.com

Elias Husamudeen is the founder of Eli-Global Reform Foundation. The Eli Foundation is a coalition of like-minded partners that support jail and prison reform at every stage of the process.

African Leadership University are turning the east African country into an alternative of choice for African students to studying in western countries.

Meanwhile, Canada is taking steps proactively to woo qualified Africans wishing to study in Canadian institutions. In 2018, the Office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Client Support Center services (IRCC) said it regularly hosts webinars to explain the permit application process. Further, it has launched a Student Direct Stream in Senegal and Morocco, and a new initiative called the Nigeria Student Express to expedite processing of applications—all of which led to an increase in the approval rate from 20% in 2019 to 80% in 2022.

US STANDS TO LOSE ANOTHER ‘VITAL AFRICAN ALLY’ AS NIGER MILITARY OUSTS PRESIDENT

(GIN) Located at the crossroads of North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, Niger is the largest country in West Africa and the 6th largest country in Africa, yet it is hardly a familiar name like Nigeria, Ghana, or Kenya.

That is about to change.

Last week, Niger’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, was unceremoniously removed from office by his presidential guards, soon joined by the Nigerien military. Besides the fact of an attempted coup, here are some additional details about this relatively unknown country.

Niger is the least developed country in the world—10 million persons (41.8% of the population) live in extreme poverty.

lier this month, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado web designer confirming a First Amendment right to refuse services to same-sex couples. Since the 1969 Stonewall Riots, the LGBTQ community has fought hard for their rights. After a protracted battle, they finally had a significant victory in June 2015, with the Supreme Court ruling requiring all states to acknowledge and respect the validity of marriage licenses granted to same-sex couples. Some said the high court would never roll back Roe v. Wade.

A nation with frequent droughts and poverty, with several jihadist insurgencies in the region, it is said to be one of the worst places in the world to live and grow up. Niger was in 189th place out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge, and the living standards of a country, according to African-volunteer.net.

Niger sits on some of the world’s largest uranium deposits but is one of the “Heavily Indebted Poor Countries” (HIPC). Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, such as crops and livestock, and the export of raw commodities.

While Nigeriens struggle to eke out a living against the odds, the international community, particularly the U.S. and France—has focused on the possible loss of an African ally, a partner in a manyyearslong war on terrorism in Africa.

It will not be the first such loss —Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso have already forced out their western allies to “diversify their partnerships”—inviting in their stead members of the Russian group Wagner.

Until the coup, Niger was one of the few countries in the region that agreed to house U.S.-drone bases and hundreds of American Special Forces and logistics experts who are involved in counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram and ISIS affiliates. The U.S. has more than 1,000 service personnel in the country. France had 1,500 which were moved from Mali to Niger in 2022 as its relations with Mali declined.

In April, Germany joined France and the U.S., announcing it would take part in a

Dominican heritage

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Café’s Emelyn Stuart, a veteran and the first Afro Latina to own an independent movie theater in New York, for her leadership and dedication to serving the community through art and culture. He also recognized EBC High School’s Principal Dr. Shawn Federico Brown for the culture of trust and collaboration he has built in Brooklyn classrooms. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, City Comptroller

Brad Lander, and Assembly Member Brian Cunningham provided remarks, as well as Cristina Contreras, board chair of the National Dominican Day Parade, and representatives from the event’s sponsors, Ponce Bank and Aetna. Sazon Perez treated Brooklynites to Dominican savory and sweet eats, including pollo al horno, maduros, yuca, pernil, and more.

And it did! How secure is marriage equality when the conservatives have begun chipping away at wellestablished precedent?

Throughout my tenure in the New York State Senate, I have stood on the right side of these issues through legislation like my law declaring racism a public health crisis and directing the state legislature to establish a working group to remedy the crisis. Additionally, I point to my legislation directing the Department of Labor to conduct a study on the employment rate of transgender persons in New York State, and requiring the State Civil Service Commission to publish reports annually

three-year European military mission aimed at improving Niger’s military.

Niger is also a key ally of the European Union in the fight against irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa.

Military aid clearly dominates the record of U.S. grants to this destitute country. In early 2021, the U.S. said it had provided Niger with more than $500 million in military assistance and training programs since 2012, one of the largest such support programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The European Union earlier this year also launched a $30 million military training mission in Niger.

During his visit to Niger in March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the West African country as “a model of resilience, a model of democracy, a model of cooperation.” But that didn’t last long. Following the overthrow of President Bazoum last week, Blinken issued a warning, that U.S. partnership with the country depends on democratic governance and respect for the rule of law.

The Nigerien coupsters responded: “We, the Defense and Security Forces, united within the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, have decided to put an end to the regime you know,” Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said, according to Agence France-Presse

“This follows the continuing deterioration of the security situation, and poor economic and social governance,” he added.

And finally, Bazoum is actually the second democratically elected president of Niger after Mahamane Ousmane, who was elected but soon removed in a military coup in 1996. Although U.S. law decrees that aid must be suspended if the coup is violent, it is not

relating to diversity within state government. These few examples are indicative of my commitment to ensure equitable outcomes for my community.

We cannot eradicate the warped thinking that fuels these outdated ideas and attitudes. Still, as a humane society, we must work toward quelling the environment of hate that is perpetuating in our nation. As a legislator, I am also determined to do my part by working with my colleagues in government to protect the progress we have made at leveling the playing field for Black and brown communities. I call on all conscious citizens to stand up, stand out, and speak up!

known what action the U.S. took at the time. Turning to questions of a Russian role in the overthrow of Bazoum, there are no obvious signs of Moscow’s footprint in the Niger coup, which is mostly driven by internal matters, according to Le Monde. But there was a comment from the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary outfit led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who commented in a voice message posted on a Wagner-branded Telegram channel. “This is actually gaining independence and getting rid of the colonialists,” the Putin ally said.

After Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, this week’s coup appears to be a symptom of a backward slide in democracy. But this may not be the case, considering the corruption and poor governance that have been denounced for years.

Young people and rural areas are paying the price, says analyst Garba Moussa.

“On the one hand, there are the young people who have no jobs and no hope. On the other, there’s rural Niger, which is forced to go and beg in the sub-region.

“So, all in all, there is simply a kind of elite that has monopolized economic power without any thought of redistributing income. So, in my opinion, any change at some point will give us hope.”

(GIN photo)

Dominican Heritage dancers at Jay Street Borough Hall (Nayaba Arinde photos)

Religion & Spirituality

Rev. Daughtry Global Ministries celebrates Kwame Ture with ‘A Time of Remembrance and a Time of Reunion’

On Saturday, July 29, 2023, after walking in steaming summer heat from the Barclay’s Center to his House of the Lord Church (Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn), 93-year-old Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry kicked off his tribute to the late Kwame Ture (formerly Stokely Carmichael). Called “A Time of Remembrance and Time of Reunion,” the program highlighted the work and ideology of the Trinidad and Tobago-people–focused international activist.

From his time with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the All African Revolutionary Party, to his “Back Power” slogan contribution and more, the man was celebrated for his unwavering commitment to the liberation of oppressed Black people the world over.

Stories were told by those who knew him for his life long fight for fairness, acknowledgment, and redressing the imbalance hampering the international progress of Africans in the diaspora. Among the segment of people who have tuned into the grassroots fight to deliver Black people from historic institutionalized racism.

Daughtry’s symbolic march was in remembrance of the June 6, 1966, protest march, where civil rights activist James Meredith was shot and wounded by a white salesman in Mississippi, on the second day of his 220-mile March Against Fear. Meredith planned the march to encourage Black voter registration in Mississippi. Because Meredith was injured and unable to continue, civil rights leaders, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Floyd McKissick (C.O.R. E.), and Ture (SNCC), continued the march to Jackson in his place, with Meredith rejoining near the end. It

was during this march that Ture coined the phrase “Black Power.”

That was the foundation of the celebration at the historic House of the Lord Church. There, Daughtry, alongside his wife pastor Rev. Dr. Karen Smith Daughtry, delighted in Ture’s legacy as “a model and inspiration for Black Power, and for the revolutionary idea he popularized as ‘Black Power.’”

The celebration consisted of music and a video presentation of the life and times of Ture, presented by Bob Brown, co-director of

the Pan-African Roots. There was a lively interactive panel discussion with speakers including Brown; Don Rojas, director of communications, Institute of the Black World, who sent a long statement regarding the impact of Ture’s work internationally, but particularly in the U.S.; Viola Plummer, co-founder, December 12 Movement (D12); Sekou Odinga, founding member, the Black Panther Party, and New York City Councilmember Charles Barron.

Invited special guests and rep-

resentatives included Stop the Violence Bring the Peace Rally, Elite Learners Inc., Tailor-made for a King, Man Up! Inc., and the Ceasefire Initiative.

The speakers emphasized Ture’s militant activism and advocacy for Black racial pride and self-determination, as well as his relentless anti-imperialism. His stance was the hallmark he shared with his militant precursors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Paul Robeson.

Daughtry, founder and presi-

dent of Herbert Daughtry Global Ministries (HDGM), sponsored the event. Known as the People’s Pastor, he is the former national presiding minister of the House of the Lord Churches and founding president of the Black United Front.

“We are proud and honored to celebrate Kwame Ture for the many contributions he made to people of African ancestry,” Daughtry said. “As we celebrate what would have been his 82nd birthday, Kwame Ture continues to be an inspiration to us all.”

Charles Barron, Revs Herbert and Karen Daughtry (Bill Moore photos)

Guests from Guinea

Panel discussion on Kwame Ture

Viola Plummer, Rev. Karen and Rev. Herbert Daughtry

Sheila Oliver

Oliver. I don’t know, I can’t speak of anyone in New Jersey that knows all of those things like Sheila Oliver. There’s no place in New Jersey that this woman from Newark hasn’t been exposed to.

“She’ll know a certain thing. She’ll know something about that community that nobody else knows because she has been around so long, and she cares about people, and it just comes across in her policy decisions, in the way she deals with people.”

Oliver first made her mark working in Newark, says Joyce Ann Morgan, the former Democratic chair and auditor of Pennsylvania’s Lehman Township (and, full disclosure, Morgan is also a family relative of this article’s author). “Sheila came from the Ken Gibson movement,” Morgan said, explaining that when she was out with her young daughter knocking on doors and registering people to vote, a young Sheila Oliver was also out doing voter registration work. Oliver played a part in helping Newark elect its first African American mayor.

Oliver’s political ascent following her work with the movement to elect Ken

Gibson was steady. “She had risen, and she became very powerful because she was real. You walked the streets; she knew the people––she talked with the people. She was a person of the people. I can say that clearly: Sheila Oliver was a leader in the Black community, and not only the Black community. She was a champion for the people who needed a champion, who didn’t have a voice.”

No cause of death was initially given for Sheila Oliver’s passing, but she had been suffering occasional health crises the past few months.

As acting governor, she signed a handful of bills, including a 2021 measure that established a pilot program to overhaul the state’s juvenile justice system in four cities,which aimed to reintegrate young people into their communities.

Murphy’s office announced July 31 that Oliver was hospitalized while filling in for Murphy, who was in Italy on a family vacation. She was admitted to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston with an undisclosed medical condition, the governor’s office said, declining to elaborate.

In 2010, Oliver became the first Black woman to serve as assembly speaker,

before losing the position to Assembly Member Vincent Prieto in 2013.

She served in the Assembly since 2004 and was on the Essex County board of chosen freeholders from 1996 to 1999. She was born and raised in Newark and has a sociology degree from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University.

Oliver was a compelling public speaker and frequent attendee at Murphy’s bill signings and other events, where he typically introduced her as his “rocking” lieutenant governor.

In 2021 while unveiling tighter gun legislation alongside Murphy, Oliver’s voice cracked as she lamented the gun violence that disproportionately affected cities in the state. Speaking in her native Newark, Oliver lamented what she suggested was runaway gun violence.

“We are tired of funerals and memorials,” Oliver said. “Growing up in Newark, I tell young people I could go to any section of this city by myself or with my friends. Our young people cannot do that today.”

She was twice elected lieutenant governor alongside Murphy, beginning in 2017 and again in 2021. Oliver was just the second person to hold the post of lieutenant governor, a newer state government

position that began under previous Gov. Chris Christie.

It was unclear who would immediately succeed her. The state constitution calls for the state Senate president to serve as acting governor if the governor and lieutenant governor are out of state or incapacitated.

Oliver’s family released the following statement when they announced her death:

“It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey. She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero. As we come to terms with this profound loss, we kindly request that you respect the privacy of the Oliver family during this difficult time as they grieve their beloved Sheila.

Sheila Y. Oliver leaves behind a legacy of dedication, service, and inspiration. We will remember her commitment to the people of New Jersey and her tireless efforts to uplift the community. Further information and details regarding memorial arrangements will be provided in due course. Until then, we appreciate your understanding and support. May her memory be a source of comfort and strength to all who knew her.”

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

Index Number 162556/2015.

MARK MCKEW, ESQ., Referee

Armstrong Teasdale LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

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

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

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

Index Number 850038/2022.

MATTHEW D. HUNTER, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

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

Notice is hereby given that an on-premises full liquor license, Serial #1366952 has been applied for by Bowery Bungalow NYC LLC for the address located at 495 Broome St, New York, NY 10013, under the ABC law

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

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

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

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

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT- COUNTY OF NEW YORK

U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAMP TRUST

2005-AHL2, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES

2005-AHL2, Plaintiff, AGAINST NILLIE JACOB, et al. Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on May 4, 2022.

I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on September 6, 2023 at 2:15 PM premises known as 203 West 81st Street 4E, New York, NY 10024.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for the First Judicial District, New York County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County, and State of New York. Block 1229 and Lot 1039.

Approximate amount of judgment $1,401,190.22 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #850133/2016.

Mark McKew, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLP - Attorneys for Plaintiff - 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747

LEGAL NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

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

C. CLARK, CAROLINE A. KAPLAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 3, 2023 and entered on January 10, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse located on the portico at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 23, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Section: 4 Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY. Approximate amount of lien $30,764.82 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850112/2022.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

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

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

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

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

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

L.A. Opulence LLC Arts. of Org. filed 10/20/20. Office: NY County. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 1074 East 73rd Street, Apt. 1, Bklyn, NY 11234. Purpose: General.

TOM KLEINBERGER, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

The above sale, originally scheduled for July 26, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. has been postponed. The new sale date has been rescheduled for August 23rd, 2023 at the same time and place.

TOM KLEINBERGER, ESQ., Referee

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

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. TAX REVOLUTION INSTITUTE, INC., Deft. - Index #850169/2023. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 20, 2023, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57th STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $73,772.32 plus costs and interest as of January 4, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. VERNDELL H. GILDHOUSE and NIHAT A. SURGUT, Deft. - Index #850093/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 22, 2022, I will sell at public auction Outside on the Portico, NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.0519144314871446% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES –PHASE I located at 1335 Avenue of Americas, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $120,199.18 plus costs and interest as of October 21, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell & Novitz, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS

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

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

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

Lounge Kat Studios LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/09/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: Lounge Kat Studios LLC, 1412 Broadway, 21st Fl., Ste. 21V, NY, NY 10018. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of KEPPEL US MANAGEMENT LLC

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

Holistic Flavors LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/29/2022. Office Location: NY County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 150 W. 140th St., #2E, NY, NY 10030. Purpose: Any lawful act.

PUBLICATION

ANNOUNCEMENT

NOTICE of FORMATION of a DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP

Notice of Formation of YES WE DID! LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 02/01/2023. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to YES WE DID! LLC, 130 Jane Street, Suite 5J, New York, NY, 10014. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of 625 MADISON REO JV SUB 2 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/21/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/13/23. Princ. office of LLC: One Vanderbilt Ave., 28th Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate.

Broadway & 166th, L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/08/00. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 3956 Broadway, New York, NY 10032. Registered agent address c/o Herbert Wetanson, c/o The BBQ Restaurant, 27 W. 72nd Steet, New York, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

ARWA PROPERTIES GROUP NY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/21/2023. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 237 Eldridge St., Apt 2, NY, NY 10002. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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

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

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CINEMAINTENANT LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 20 March 2023. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the served upon him/her is: 1850 Amsterdam Avenue New York NY 10031. The principal business address of the LLC is 1850 Amsterdam Avenue New York NY 10031. Dissolution date: perpetual. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Name of LLP: ZAHN LAW GROUP LLP. Date of filing of Notice of Registration with the NY Dept of State: 11/20/2019. Office of the LLP: NY County. The NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLP at: 757 Third Ave., 20th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Purpose of LLP: Any lawful purpose. The LLP will have a perpetual existence.

Goat Getters Entertainment LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 7/11/2023. Office location: NY County. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S #573402, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION of FASHION BY SABINE LLC, Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York on 06/12/2023. Office location: New York County. Principal office of LLC: 548 West 28th Street, Suite 645, New York, New York 10001. The New York Secretary of State is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail process to Fashion By Sabine LLC c/o Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, PC, 21 Main Street Ste. 200, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NORTH 43rd, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/04/01. Latest date to dissolve: 12/31/2099. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 147 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Coeus Digital Media LLC. Filed 12/22/22. Office: NY Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: C/O Firstbase Agent LLC, 447 Broadway 2nd Fl #187, New York, NY 10013. Purpose: General.

Notice of Qualification of 625 MADISON REO JV LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/21/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/13/23. Princ. office of LLC: One Vanderbilt Ave., 28th Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate.

Notice of Qualification of 625 MADISON REO JV SUB 1 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/21/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/13/23. Princ. office of LLC: One Vanderbilt Ave., 28th Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate.

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Vendors

Continued from page 27

culture” and Black entrepreneurship. Nova Felder, who works in the council member’s office and is a lead organizer of the coalition, said he used to sell books with his father as a child. He helped create the task force focused on issues in street vending about a year ago. “I came to understand why Black people vend on the streets,” said Felder about his childhood. “One, because it’s lucrative, but two, a lot of times we’ve been pushed out of traditional business, especially in New York City where rents are too damn high. This was a way for people to survive.”

Lloyd Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of Harlem Week, spoke to the Amsterdam News about the situation with street vendors in Harlem, as well as Adams’s recent decision. Williams said the transfer of enforcement from DCWP to DSNY “actually makes sense.”

“The fact that the street vendors are reacting—I understand that, but it’s a simple question of are we communicating that,” Williams said. “Consumer Affairs has a very small enforcement staff and Sanitation has a greater responsibility to maintain the street beds and the sidewalks in all of the areas, so, there’s a logic for moving it from one (DCWP) to the other (DSNY). But because they have not sought to communicate with each other and to explain why certain things happen, everything is seen in an adversarial relationship.”

Discussing ways to support street vendors in Harlem, Williams highlighted the need for improved communication between vendors, as well as with store owners and the city agencies across the board, along with having designated groups and spokespeople to address vendors’ concerns.

“There is the ability for all to survive and all to thrive if they are organized in where they are and how they place themselves,” he said. “There could, in fact, be the opportunity to have store owners and street vendors actually complement each other in promoting each other’s presence [by saying] that you can come and ‘get some books, when you visit my clothing store.’

“The question continually goes back to how we organize, so that there are persons who are designated to speak for the interests of the vendors. They may say, ‘Let’s organize so that there is a spokesperson speaking for all of the vendors of clothing, let’s get a spokesperson that is speaking for all the vendors of [other goods].”

As a co-founder of Harlem Week, which features multiple events for street vendors throughout each summer, Williams also noted a solution to help vendors is strategic placements so they are not immediately in competition with store owners or each other.

“For example, street vendors who are selling books are not in competition with stores immediately in front of them that are

selling clothing,” Williams said. The question is “how do we arrive at that balance that needs to take place.”

Former Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields is another staple in the Harlem community and the second Black woman to hold that position. Fields said that street vending definitely needs regulation that can provide for the vendors themselves while maintaining public safety. She’s not necessarily in agreement that it should be handled by Sanitation.

Fields recalled that during her time as a city councilmember, from 1989 to 1993, street vending was “out of control,” which led directly to the controversial establishment of the Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market on 116th Street in following years. The open air African market had its own designated lot, controlled by the nearby masjid (Muslim house of worship) and is now a popular tourist attraction in Harlem.

“We recognized that we needed more small stores for Black people and small business locations, and everyone could not be on 125th Street,” said Fields. “It was in direct response to wanting to create opportunities for those who wanted to do business.”

While the African market was successful, other similar projects have failed to get off the ground. Mart 125, according to Amsterdam News archives from 1991, had 52 Black vendors who often complained about the high costs of booth rent. The city evicted them in 1998, and the building has sat vacant and deteriorating since, reported Patch.

Fields added that a horrific fire at what was Freddie’s Fashion Mart in 1995 also led to a crackdown and regulation of vendors. The New York Times reported that a tenant dispute between a Black-owned church, a Jewish landowner, and an African-owned record store was at the heart of the fire and subsequent shootings and suicide at the mart. Reverend Al Sharpton and others had rallied with a boycott in front of the mart for weeks leading up to the tragedy because the owner of Freddie’s did not employ Black workers.

These kinds of boycotts against whiteowned businesses in Harlem that refused to hire Black people were common, reported the Amsterdam News at the time. There were reports going back to the 1930s that food and goods sold to Black residents in Harlem were purposefully “shoddy and overpriced,” and there was a prejudice against Black workers and street vendors, according to AmNews archives.

The racially charged incident in 1995 claimed eight lives. That was then, though, and times inevitably changed.

Felder said the laws over the last five decades are the culmination of a criminalization of Black street vending. He said that a “negative campaign fueled by brick-andmortar businesses” in 1979 inspired the cap on general street vending licenses in the city’s administrative code.

Another vendor advocate in the councilmember’s office, Robert Jackson, remembered that in the 1980s and ’90s, some people would set up along Harlem (and citywide) streets, selling contraband. He

figured that is why there’s still a profoundly negative view of street vending.

“I remember them selling TVs, T-shirts, DVDs, hats, Black Power paraphernalia,” said Jackson. “I wouldn’t call it hustle culture. It’s entrepreneurship.”

Some activists and members of the community fought against the removal of vendors from the 125th Street stretch. They correctly suspected that a total facelift of the popular 125th section was afoot. The big chain stores began to pepper the area around the Apollo Theater: the Gap, Red Lobster, American Eagle, AMC, Children’s Place, Starbucks, etc.

The fear now is that Sanitation, as a “real strong enforcement agency,” will throw vendors’ goods in the trash, said Felder. That hasn’t necessarily happened on a large scale as feared in Harlem, but there have been instances where street vendors were overly ticketed or “harassed,” he said.

Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, deputy director of the Street Vendor Project (SVP), drilled down on the policy and enforcement aspect of street vending. She said the city agency that oversees enforcement of street vending was somewhat of a “hot potato” situation for years until 2021. Years of advocacy work on behalf of vendors, she said, convinced leadership to move vending oversight from primarily the NYPD to the DCWP. However, many times, the police were still involved, she said.

Under Sanitation, Kaufman-Gutierrez said that there was little notice or outreach done for street vendors. She said that vendors are treated as a “quality of life issue” that harkens back decades, and is a racial justice issue hiding behind veiled language.

“The manner in which the transition took place was very non-transparent,” said Kaufman-Gutierrez. “So unfortunately, it’s the continuation of policy that has harmed these small businesses for so long, which is saying ‘all we have for you is enforcement.’”

Kaufman-Gutierrez said that the vendor caps in the 1970s and ’80s coincided with the rise of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and public-private partnerships, which saw vendors as a “blight” or “an eyesore.” By the 1990s, police sweeps were instituted to “clean up the streets,” she said. At that time, Rudy Giuliani was mayor. The bulk of other vendor restrictions were created by the Street Vendor Review Panel (Panel) in 1995 under Giuliani’s guidance.

According to a city report from 2021, under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city Council okayed new vending regulations by creating the Office of Street Vendor Enforcement (OSVE) and the Street Vendor Advisory Board. Local Law 18 of 2021 was then supposed to make room for more “mobile food vendors” or pushcart owners—a separate type of classification from general vendors, to get licenses and permits. Among other suggestions to make street vending easier, the board recommended that the city repeal the panel since it “has not met or altered restricted streets in any way since the early 2000s.”

The SVP’s agenda follows many of the

board’s progressive recommendations, such as eliminating caps on licenses, creating an office of street vendor education, ending criminal summonses for vendors, and opening up more streets for vendors.

Of course, street vendors tend to agree with the board about legislation reform and are against the Sanitation oversight.

Calvin “Watchman” Baker, 61, is a vendor who works with SVP and has been selling for decades. He usually sells watches, rings, chains, colognes, T-shirts, and hats. Baker said that at one time, Harlem vendors had an unofficial “license” deal with local precincts under the table to allow vendors as long as they followed rules and regulations. He didn’t want to identify which ones or specific cops involved. Baker is advocating for more education and workshops to teach vendors how to apply for loans and resources to grow their businesses.

“It’s a part of American culture, not just Black culture,” said Baker of street vending as he multitasked at his table to fix a man’s watch. “You go all the way back, you see vendors. This is how a lot of businesses got started—selling things door to door and in the streets.”

Baker said there has always been harassment and arrests of vendors, and confiscations of their goods. “First and foremost, they’re looking at our stuff as junk,” he said of law enforcement and some agencies.

Shanny Herera runs a mobile jerk chicken spot with her husband, Hannibal, and is a co-lead organizer at Evolved Harlem Merchants Coalition. They started up their business during the pandemic when both of them were out of work. They are thriving as entrepreneurs and recently wanted to give back to the community with a free food event in Harlem for Father’s Day this year. They do have a food handler’s license and temporary mobile vendor license, she said, but the police shut them down because of Adams’s new city codes banning sidewalk barbecues.

“It is a regulation about Black people and their culture,” said Herera. “They think that when Black people gather, there is always a violent outcome.”

Sanitation didn’t comment directly and instead unhelpfully referred the Amsterdam News to the DCWP. A spokesperson for the DCWP confirmed that the department no longer oversees vending enforcement.

“We continue to license general vendors and also conduct enforcement for consumer protection issues like price posting and price gouging, as we do with retail businesses across the city,” said the DCWP.

Any change to the cap on the number of vendors would have to go through the city Council or New York State Legislature, said the DCWP.

The 125th Street BID declined to comment.

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

The Liberty keep rolling with wins over the Sparks

By LORI WALLEN Special to the AmNews

With back-to-back wins over the Sparks at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, including a 76–69 victory on Tuesday night, the Liberty have won seven of their last eight games heading into tomorrow’s matchup with the Minnesota Lynx on the road. They are 20–6 and have the second-best record in the WNBA behind the 24–2 Las Vegas Aces.

Guard Courtney Vandersloot led the Liberty with 23 points and Breanna Stewart added 16 points despite missing eight of nine 3-point attempts. In defeat, the Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike’s 20 points put her ahead of Candace Parker for second on the Sparks’ all-time scoring list.

The 33-year-old Ogwumike, who played college ball at Stanford, ended the game with a career total of 5,691 points as a Spark. She now stands behind only 2015 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, who has 6,263.

On Sunday, the Liberty took down the Sparks 87–79 behind Stewart’s 25 and guard Marine Johannes’ 15 off the bench for the team’s deep bench.

The Liberty’s championship aspirations continue to grow as their loaded roster has gelled. Forward Jonquel Jones averaged

Liberty’s Jonquel Jones was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games from July 18 through July 23

(NY Liberty photo)

more than 13 points in the month of July and was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games from Tuesday, July 18, through Sunday, July 23.

The Liberty’s only defeat during their cur-

rent stretch was last Friday against the Lynx at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They fell 88–83 when guard Sabrina Ionescu scored 31 and Stewart contributed 23. Stewart is second in the WNBA in scoring at 22.9 points

per game behind the Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd at 24.3 points per game.

The Liberty face the Lynx tomorrow on the road and will have a big meeting with the Aces at the Barclays Center on Sunday.

Long Island Nets and Liberty team up with St. John’s for sports law program

BY LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Liberty partnered with St. John’s University School of Law to host a sports law summer program for 20 local high school students from underrepresented communities. The goal is to increase diversity in the legal profession.

“We try to use our platform to create access to opportunity,” said Jackie Wilson II, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at BSE Global, parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty. “So, it is impactful and important that we be able to change the way that young students dream. I’m a big proponent of people aspiring to what they see.”

The 10-day program took place last week and this week at Barclays Center with students participating in daily classes and being exposed to different career paths. The students were selected from a field of applicants. Among the topics was the intersection of sports law and social justice. The participants got to attend a Liberty game last week versus the Atlanta Dream.

Wilson, who is an attorney, practiced for several years after law school

before utilizing his legal acumen and skills in the sports world. He shared his path with the program participants and informed them of the different avenues in which they can use a legal education.

“We had the opportunity to put them in front of practicing attorneys and people like myself, still using my legal background and knowledge in my day-to-day work but in a very different way than they may have assumed by watching attorneys on TV,” said Wilson. “Law school teaches you critical thinking skills, writing, problem-solving and issue spotting.”

The high school juniors and seniors also learned about networking and got a start on building their network of contacts. They got to meet people who work in the sports industry, including from BSE, the Brooklyn and Long Island Nets, and the New York Liberty. Faculty from St. John’s University School of Law also

participated in the programming, giving the students insights into the scope of law school and what goes into preparing and applying.

Wilson said the 20 students were energetic and inquisitive, and they had a diverse range of reasons for participating. “Their energy fueled the speakers,” he said.

Students listen attentively at the St. John’s University School of Law sports law summer program (Long Island Nets/Barclays Center photos)

Liberty CEO Keia Clarke addresses participants of the St. John’s University School of Law sports law summer program held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Rob Parker, pioneering sports journalist, to be inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

As a young boy growing up in Jamaica, Queens, Rob Parker dreamed of becoming a first baseman for the New York Mets.

Indeed he went on to become a seminal figure in the sports world, but not as an athlete. Instead, Parker is one of the country’s leading sports journalists.

His pioneering career will be honored tomorrow (Friday, August 4) with induction into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual convention held this week at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama.

“If you would have told me back when I started my career in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1986 that I would be inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame, I would have told you ‘no way, no how,’’’ Parker told the AmNews from his home in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday.

“This ride has been tremendous,” Parker continued. “It’s had bumps and turns, and good and bad, and all that other stuff. But

the one thing I always feel good about is that I’ve stayed consistent. Consistent in my mind is that I’ve always worked hard, and I’ve always worked hard at trying to help other people in this business.”

In his 37-year career, the 59-year-old Parker has broken barriers and reached back to lift up younger sportswriters coming up behind him. To date, he has mentored more than 50 journalists, including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Next spring, Parker will teach a Baseball Writing class at the University of Southern California that he developed.

He is currently a co-host of “The Odd Couple,” a nightly national show on Fox Sports Radio with former New York Times sportswriter Chris Broussard. Parker is also an analyst for the MLB Network and adjunct professor at USC.

At just 22, Parker was hired by the New York Daily News, at the time the largest newspaper in the country. The Southern Connecticut State University alumnus who also holds a master’s degree from Columbia University is the founder and editor of MLBbro.com, a website that covers Black and brown Major Leaguers. The site em-

ploys a part-time staff of over 60 people. In February 2023, MLBbro. com and the MLB formed an unprecedentedpartnership.

In 1993, he became the first Black sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press. At the time he was hired, the newspaper was 161 years old. Later, Parker was the first Black sports columnist at Newsday in 1995. He was also the first African American to cover the Cincinnati Reds on a daily basis when he joined the staff of the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1991.

Additionally, Parker has blazed a trail in radio. He was the first on-air person hired at WDFN-AM in Detroit, the city’s first all-sports station. Parker has been a mainstay on TV as well. He worked 20 years at WDIV-Local 4, the NBC affiliate in Detroit and was an analyst for ESPN for eight years, primarily on the popular show First Take. He also did a five-year stint on FS1’s Undisputed and The Herd as an analyst.

Parker’s roots as a sports journalist are

steeped in his alma mater, Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village, New York, which last year inducted him into its Hall of Fame.

Gymnastics Hall of Famer Wendy Hilliard launches podcast for sports moms

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

Since founding the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation in 1996 to provide low-cost and free gymnastics to youth in underserved communities, Wendy Hilliard has connected with many parents who have anxiously watched their children compete. Over the last few years, that has taken on a new dimension for Hilliard, a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, as her son, BJ Mensah, has risen in

the ranks of competitive tumbling. Mensah now competes internationally, and Hilliard has had to learn how to take on the supportive mother role and let his coach do the rest.

Recently, Hilliard launched the podcast “Champion Sports Moms,” where she interviews other former athletes, some of whom are now coaches, about how they are raising the next generation of champions.

The women share their experiences and life lessons. To date, Hilliard has interviewed former New York Liberty player Kym Hampton, Olym-

pic gymnast Kathy Johnson Clarke, four-time track and field Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs, and Rutgers head gymnastics coach Umme Salim-Beasley, all of whom are raising children who have pursued their own athletic dreams.

“I work so much with youth, and I’ve raised elite athletes through my foundation,” said Hilliard. “I happen to know a lot of female athletes, and their kids are champion athletes. Because I work with so many parents who don’t have an athletic background, I know there

are a lot of questions they have about the process.”

Most of the children are in different sports from what their parents played, so obviously the parents aren’t their coaches. Even Hampton, whose daughter plays basketball (currently at the Division I level), knew she had to turn the coaching over to others. Hilliard hopes the discussions on her podcast are beneficial to all parents.

“They’re going to learn that everybody goes through a similar process in sports,” said Hilliard. “What

we’re trying to tell them is the patience that you have to have, and you have to have a certain level of trust in your coaches…You have to let the process work.”

It’s important for parents not to get swept up in their children’s successes, Hilliard said. She admitted she’s excited about her son competing at a high level, but given her background, she focuses on his needs and expectations. “It’s about hearing from people [who] have done this and are giving their advice to other parents,” she said.

Jamaica, Queens native Rob Parker, one of the nation’s leading sports journalists, will be inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame tomorrow (August 4) in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wendy Hilliard discusses raising young athletes with former Liberty player Kym Hampton

Wendy Hilliard with WABC-TV anchorwoman Sandra Bookman at Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation gala (Photos courtesy of Wendy Hilliard)

Aaron Judge returns to try and save the Yankees’ floundering season

By MARK GRAY, MLBbro Special to the AmNews

Aaron Judge returned to the New York Yankees lineup last Friday after a prolonged hiatus that put the team in postseason peril.

The 2022 American League Most Valuable Player was activated from the injured list after tearing a ligament in his right big toe when he ran into the right field fence while making a catch on June 3 in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Despite Judge’s absence and his need to get his timing at the plate back, it’s obvious that pitchers still approach him very carefully as he walked three times in a 1–0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

His presence was significant in Game 2 of the three-game series as Judge collected three hits and a home run to lead the Yankees to an 8–3 victory. He also inspired his fellow MLBbro Giancarlo Stanton, who broke an 0–11 stretch with a homer of his own.

Most of all, Judge’s return means hope for the Yankees, who after losing 5–2 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in the Bronx, were

55–52 and in last place in the American League East. They trailed the division leading Orioles (66–41) by 11 games going into Wednesday’s Major League Baseball schedule. But the Yankees were still in the thick of the wild card race, sitting 3.5 games out of the third spot.

“It’s not 100%. I don’t think it’ll be 100% until the end of the year,” Judge said to reporters at Camden Yards last weekend. “I think our biggest goal is just getting to a point where I could play, I could tolerate it.”

While Judge tried to project confidence that his injury was something he could play through for the remainder of the season, he was cautious to remind fans and followers that he probably wasn’t going to be without discomfort as long as he is on the field.

The all-time American League singleseason home run king, set last season when he hit 62, is mindful that despite being cleared to play, the process of a full recovery will be incremental.

“We’re at a point where, talking with a couple of doctors, the ligament is stable. The last couple of MRIs didn’t really show much healing, but this one did. We’re in a

really good spot right now,” he said.

As of Tuesday, Judge, who played in 157 of the Yankees 162 regular season games last season, had appeared in just 53 this year. He was batting .298 with 20 home runs and 42 RBI.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone doesn’t expect Judge to be the team’s savior, but acknowledges that having the captain back makes an immediate difference. However, he said they need to approach the still recovering slugger’s return with caution.

“We’ve got to be smart about that and make sure that in talking to Aaron, making sure he’s honest with his feedback about how he’s recovering, how he’s bouncing back,” Boone said. “Obviously, how the toe’s doing, but how everything else is doing.”

The Yankees were 35–25 when Judge went on the injured list and plummeted afterward, going 19–24 prior to his return.

“Any time you’re sitting out, even if we were winning and we had an eight-game lead in the division, or we were 10 games out of it, I want to be back out there battling with the guys,” Judge said.

Superstar Mookie Betts says he never wanted to leave the Red Sox

By RON AGERS, MLBbro Special to the AmNews

Mookie Betts says he wanted to stay in Boston his entire career, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

Conversely, Shohei Ohtani, the 2021 American League MVP and frontrunner this season, hasn’t said publicly that he wants to remain a Los Angeles Angel. He is facing the same dilemma Betts did during his final year in Boston. The Angels held onto the two-way Japanese starting pitcher/designated hitter, who will be a free-agent after this season, as Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline passed. They decided to ride out their run for the playoffs with Ohtani and gamble on signing him in the offseason.

The Red Sox traded Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers on February 10, 2020, in a blockbuster threeteam deal that included the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers received Betts and pitcher David Price; Price announced last December that he would not play this season.

In return, the Red Sox acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo, catcher Connor Wong, and infielder Jeter Downs (since waived).

The Dodgers won this trade with the eye test, particularly considering that Betts helped deliver the Dodgers Nation a long-awaited World Series

championship in 2020. If a fan researched advanced stats, they would find that according to Baseball Reference calculations, Verdugo and Wong with a 10.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for Boston. Since Opening Day in 2022, Betts has a 10.9 WAR for Los Angeles and 18.5 overall as a Dodger, nearly doubling Verdugo and Wong.

This season, Betts has played at an MVP-caliber level. Going into Tuesday’s game versus the Oakland A’s, the 30-year-old, seven-time AllStar was batting .277 with 27 home runs and 68 RBIs as of Tuesday. Playing in more than a recent 20game stretch, Betts hit a solid .373 with eight homers and 20 RBIs. More importantly, Betts has stayed healthy, playing in 99

games for the 59–45 Dodgers, who are in first place in the NL West He has become the most talented utility player in baseball with his move to second base this season in addition to being a six-time Golden Glove outfielder.

In an interview on the online show “Foul Territory,” Betts said that he wanted to stay with the Red Sox and would have accepted an

extension if they would have one.

“Even though I wasn’t really ready for [the trade to the Dodgers]—I know people don’t believe me, but I wanted to stay in Boston my whole career,” Betts told former teammate Brock Holt during his appearance via MassLive. “That was my life. I knew everybody there. It was a short flight to Nashville [Tennessee, Betts’s hometown]. It was perfect.”

When Holt asked Betts if he would have signed a long-term deal for the $365 million he received from the Dodgers or a similar amount, he claimed that “didn’t happen.”

The Betts and Ohtani situations are different. Ohtani has made it clear that he wants to experience winning a World Series. The Angels are not considered a title contender this season and, at 56–52 as of Tuesday, were fourth in the NL West and three games out of the third wild card spot.

Even though Betts had his reservations about being traded, he said life in L.A. is great and he looks forward to being a Dodger, presumably for the rest of his career.

“It is what it is. But when that move happened, I was sad,” Betts said. “I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to go out West.’...[But] it was kind of actually a blessing in disguise. My family loves it. It’s a different way of life. The weather is beautiful…Being in LA has been awesome. I’m really happy.”

Aaron Judge returned to the New York Yankees lineup last Friday after being out since June 3 with a torn ligament in his big right toe (JC Gamble photo)

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts won the World Series and American League MVP in 2018 as a member of the Boston Red Sox (Kevin Reece photo)

The Mets look to the future with consequential deadline trades

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Mets came into this season with credible World Series aspirations.

By Tuesday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline, they had reshaped their roster, trading their two pitching aces and closer.

High-priced hurler Max Scherzer was dealt to the Texas Rangers last weekend and the franchise’s prized winter free-agent signing, 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, was dealt back to Houston Astros—with which he won the World Series a season ago—on Tuesday.

The Mets also traded closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins this past weekend and outfielder Mark Canha to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. The collective deals by and large yielded the Mets a bevy of talented but unproven prospects. It’s a roster reconstruction, no matter how Mets general manager Billy Eppler framed the upheaval.

“It was a strategic decision,’’ explained Eppler after moving Scherzer and Robertson and prior to reuniting Verlander with the

Astros. “We took this opportunity to serve another goal of the organization, which is to enhance the farm system. But I do want to be clear, it’s not a rebuild, it’s not a fire sale, it’s not a liquidation. This is just a repurposing of (team owner) Steve’s (Cohen) investment in the club and kind of shifting that investment from the team into the organization.”

At his first press conference on Tuesday as a Ranger, Scherzer said he was informed by Eppler when inquiring about the Mets’ front office’s immediate plans that the organization would be pivoting from contending this season to shaping the outlook for the future.

“His answer was that the team is now kind of shifting vision and that they’re looking to compete now for 2025 and 2026, and that 2024, that it was not going to be a reload situation in New York, and that it was going to be more of a transition in 2024,” Scherzer revealed.

The Mets were 50–56 when they faced the Kansas City Royals Wednesday on the road, fourth place in the National League with virtually no chance of catching the Atlanta Braves, which were in first place at 68–37. The Mets were a disconcerting seven

games behind the Brewers for the third wildcard spot, with another four teams ahead of them in the race.

Scherzer, 39, posted a 9–4 record with a 4.01 ERA this season with New York. He was signed by the Mets in November 2021 to a three-year, $130 million contract. The threetime Cy Young Award winner went 11–5 in 23 starts last season with a 2.29 ERA, helping the Mets to a 101–61 mark, tied with the Braves for the third-best record in the league.

The 40-year-old Verlander, also a threetime Cy Young Award recipient, was inked to a two-year, $86.7 million contract last December and had his final start with the Mets on Sunday, beating the Washington Nationals 5–2 at Citi Field and earning his 250th career win. He was 6–5 in 16 starts during his brief Mets tenure with a 3.15 ERA.

So now, during the next off-season, the Mets will look to leverage their acquired assets for more established players via the trade route, develop the youngsters they believe have the potential to be impact players on the Major League level and continue to use Cohen’s deep pockets in free-agency.

The Mets, who began this season with the highest payroll in MLB history at $353.5 million, have been an abject disappointment to fans that rightly had high hopes the team would end what is now a 37-year World Series winning drought.

Crawford defeats Spence in spectacular championship bout performance

By DERREL JOHNSON

Special to the AmNews

On paper, Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr was supposed to be

a competitive matchup. Boxing fans and journalists alike had clamored for it for five years, debating who would come out on top, because it was expected to be a 50/50 fight.

(R)Terence Crawford put on a spectacular performance last Saturday in Las Vegas in defeating (L) Errol Spence by ninth round TKO in their welterweight championship bout (Esther Lin/Showtime photo)

Instead, it was an annihilation.

Crawford, the WBO welterweight champion, had made history by claiming the WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight titles and becoming the first male to be a twotime undisputed champion in the four-belt era after previously accomplishing the feat at light welterweight. (Claressa Shields has also achieved that mark.)

Traditionally a slow starter, Crawford dropped Spence for the first time in his career in the second round and dropped him two more times in the seventh, before referee Harvey Dock mercifully stopped the fight in the ninth round in a shocking outcome.

“Errol Spence is a tremendous talent and he’s got a great jab,” said the 35-year-old Crawford after what was arguably one of the most remarkable performances in boxing history. “We were worried about the jab coming in because that’s how he sets up all of his shots. Our main focus was the jab. You take away his best attribute, the rest is history.”

Crawford’s words at the final press conference two days before the

matchup turned out to be prescient.

“Everything about me is better than Errol,” Crawford boasted. “When you look at what I do in the ring, it’s better than what he does. Come fight night, I’m going to prove every doubter wrong. I’m going to show that I’m the best fighter in the world.”

Crawford referenced his past performances as evidence of his claimed brilliance. “I’ve never had a close fight,” he recalled. ”I’ve never had a fight where people thought I lost. I’ve looked spectacular every time.”

Crawford was ahead 79-70 on all three scorecards, with each judge giving Spence only the first round.

Spence credited his opponent for the win and stated his intentions for the future. “He was just the better man tonight,” Spence conceded, before saying they need to fight again, this time at super-welterweight.

“I’m going to be a lot better,” Spence predicted. ‘It’ll be a lot closer. It’ll probably be in December and the end of the year. I say we gotta do it again.”

From a financial standpoint, Spence has to trigger the rematch clause. But will a move up to super welterweight change the outcome? That doesn’t seem likely.

Coming up Jake Paul battles UFC legend Nate Diaz in a boxing contest Saturday in Dallas.

Emanuel Navarrete will defend his WBO junior lightweight title against Oscar Valdez, in Glendale, Arizona, on August 12.

Aljamain Sterling, who defeated Henry Cejudo to retain his UFC bantamweight title at UFC 288 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., will defend his title against Sean O’Malley at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday, August 19, at UFC 292.

TheMets traded ace Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers last Saturday (Wikipedia, All-Pro Reels Max Scherzer (52033391830) (cropped), CC BY-SA 2.0)