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International News
Turkey formally asks to join genocide case against Israel at U.N. court
By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press
Ankara, Turkey—On Wednesday, Turkey filed a request with a U.N. court to join South Africa’s lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, the foreign minister said.
Turkey’s ambassador to the Netherlands, accompanied by a group of Turkish legislators, submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
With the development, Turkey, one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, becomes the latest nation seeking to participate in the case. Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Libya have also asked to join the case, as have Palestinian officials. The court’s decision about their requests is still pending.
“We have just submitted our application to the International Court of Justice to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan wrote on the social media platform X. “Emboldened by the impunity for its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians every day.
“The international community must do its
part to stop the genocide; it must put the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters,” he said. “Turkey will make every effort to do so.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts, and criticized Western nations for backing Israel. In May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel, citing its actions on Gaza.
In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas a terrorist organization, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation movement.
South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention by its military operations in Gaza.
Israel has strongly rejected accusations of genocide and has argued that the war in Gaza is a legitimate defensive action against Hamas militants for their Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and in which 250 hostages were taken.
If admitted to the case, the countries who joined would be able to make written submissions and speak at public hearings.
Preliminary hearings have already been held in the genocide case against Israel, but the court is expected to take years to reach a final decision.
The court on Wednesday confirmed that Turkey filed a declaration for intervention
Nigerian protesters defy president’s request to stop amid worst cost-of-living crisis in years
By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press
Abuja, Nigeria—Protests against economic hardship continued for a fifth day in several Nigerian states on Monday, a day after the president called for an end to demonstrations that have faced a crackdown from security forces.
Far fewer protesters were seen compared to earlier demonstrations that drew thousands, mostly young people. Hundreds showed up in the economic hub of Lagos and a few northern states.
At least 13 people have been reported dead in the protests, which began on Thursday against the West African nation’s worst costof-living crisis in a generation and against the corruption and alleged bad governance that have stifled its development.
Nigerian security forces have been accused of using excessive force in the protests.
On Monday, President Bola Tinubu met with security chiefs in the capital, Abuja. A curfew was declared in northern Kaduna state—the sixth state to take such a measure since the protests began—after reports of looting.
The cost-of-living crisis is fueled by surging inflation, which is at a 28-year high, and government economic policies that have
pushed the local currency to record lows against the dollar.
Tinubu said on Sunday that his government was committed to addressing citizens’ concerns, but he provided no plan, according to the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence research firm.
A few protesters were seen waving Russian flags over the weekend and again on
Monday in northern Nigeria, whose population is among the worst affected. The Russian embassy in Nigeria denied any responsibility, saying in a statement that the flags are personal choices of the protesters and “do not reflect any official position or policy of the Russian government.” Waving the Russian flags would constitute
Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Rory Arnold/No10 Downing Street photo)
A man displays a placard as people protest over economic hardship on street in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, Aug 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Uprooted: Black Tompkins County herbalist forced to move beloved farm after neighbor’s racial harassment
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Herbalist Amanda David bet the farm on Rootwork Herbals in 2021 after achieving a lifelong dream of buying her own plot of land and sharing it with others. From the dirt grew the Jane Minor BIPOC Community Garden, a sanctuary for Black, Brown, and queer people to tend and harvest their own crops. Goats and chickens call the property home, as do David and her three children.
But now, just a few years later, friends are fundraising to relocate the New York native, who is Black, from her Tompkins County homestead due to continued alleged threats and racial harassment by her neighbor, who is white.
“I have been working hard for many years, never able to afford a home,” David said in a virtual call with the AmNews in June. “I was finally able to afford a home and as soon as I purchased it, I wanted this to be a place where Black and Brown folks can have access to this little piece of nature, [for it] to be a
sanctuary, a place where people can build community and reconnect to the land and all of those beautiful healing things that have been systematically taken away from us.
“To then almost immediately be subjected to this kind of racial harassment—the exact thing that I was trying to create safety around is now happening daily to us. Despite that, we have built
a beautiful community. We have classes and events that really bring people together [who] are really healing and it’s gotten to the point where it doesn’t feel safe to do that anymore.”
In 2020, David and her children moved to Brooktondale, a small town outside of Ithaca, initially renting the property. Early on, the neighbor’s alleged racist remarks
to David were directed toward the previous owner, who was Asian American. She purchased the home a year later, which is when the neighbor, named as Robert Whittaker in a lawsuit filed in June by the herbalist, “began making racially and/or sexually derogatory remarks” toward her.
The filing alleges he called David and her children anti-Black slurs
and remarks, some of which were captured on video and obtained by the AmNews. When she built a fence on the property line in response, Whittaker’s harassment persisted. He allegedly threatened to beat her son with a stick while referring to him with the n-word in one instance. Another incident in the lawsuit filing alleged Whittaker fired a gun from his porch when David hosted an event for Black teens. All the while, he allegedly continued to tamper with the fence she installed.
The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department arrested and charged Whittaker multiple times throughout the past three overs due to harassment against David, which led to two guilty pleas. She said multiple orders of protection, temporary and permanent, have not prevented him from engaging with her, and that he even referred to her by the N-word and an anti-gay slur to an officer, who noted the interaction on the arrest report. In February, a judge mandated that Whittaker surrender his firearms—both guns and pellet
See UPROOTED on page 31
Bronx Borough prez Gibson invests in fresh food farmers markets
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Councilmember Eric Dinowitz announced a $30,000 combined investment in Health Bucks, food access initiatives, and fresh food markets last week in an effort to address the high rates of food insecurity in the Bronx.
The announcement comes as the city’s health department reported that the Bronx is the most food-insecure county statewide, at 39%, with the second highest in Queens and the lowest, at 22.1%, in Richmond County, according to the BP’s office.
“As the cost of food increases, and access to fresh, affordable produce decreases, we are seeing firsthand the effect it is having on our communities,” Gibson said in a statement. “Many of our residents reside in food deserts without access to nutritious food options.” This lack, she said, “contribute[s] to poor health outcomes and health-related illnesses.”
Launched in 2005, Health Bucks acts as an incentive for New York-
ers to incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables into their daily diets. For every $2 spent at a city farmers’ market or green stand using SNAP on an EBT card, participants can get $2 in Health Bucks, up to $10 per day.
Gibson’s office contributed
$10,000 to invest in Health Bucks. Dinowitz contributed a $20,000 allocation for the Norwood Farmstand (East Gun Hill Road and Dekalb Avenue).
“Food insecurity continues to be a major issue in our communities,” Dinowitz said in a state-
ment. “With nearly 600,000 Bronx adults at risk of food insecurity in 2022 alone, we must doubledown on our efforts to meet our community’s needs. I am grateful for the work of organizations like GrowNYC, [which], through the Norwood Farmstand, have dis-
tributed thousands of pounds of fresh fruit and produce in Council District 11. Through discretionary funding, I have been able to support GrowNYC’s work and over the next few months, will be distributing thousands of dollars in Health
Several signs mentioned in lawsuit were put up on Whittaker’s property. (Photo courtesy of Amanda David)
Vanessa Gibson (right) at Norwood Farmstand green market. (Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson’s office photos)
Assistant Director of GrowNYC Food Access Initiatives Tutu Badaru (at podium), Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson (right), Councilmember Eric Dinowitz (left).
More good news from Florida for Harris
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
If Trump calling Kamala Harris the B-word and a “communist” are not signs of a campaign running amok and worried, the Republicans have more cause for concern coming from Florida on Tuesday where Trump’s lead over Harris is becoming narrower and narrower.
According to a new USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV survey of 500 likely voters released Tuesday, “Trump leads Harris by 5 percentage points in the survey, but that’s closer than the other recent polls and much less than Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 19-point blowout in 2022,” the survey noted. This, in effect, means that Harris is within striking distance of a 4.4% margin of error—another significant indication of Harris’s influence since she entered the presidential race.
Harris/Walz leads Trump by 3
Senior citizens reflect on 50 years of Harlem Week
By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews
percentage points in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, according to recent polls.
However, Democrats have fallen increasingly behind Republicans in voter registration. There are 1 million more registered Republicans in Florida than Democrats— a difficult hurdle for Harris/ Walz to overcome.
Florida continues to be a key battleground state and a critical one for Harris to win, keeping in mind that Trump bested Biden by 3.3% in 2020.
“Given those circumstances, I was surprised that Harris is within striking distance being only 5 points down,” said David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University Political Research.
Harris’s bid for office has brought some critically important changes to the race, and with the team mounting an enthusiastic campaign through the battleground states, some new developments can be expected.
Harlem Week held its Senior Citizens Day at the State Office Building on Friday while celebrating its 50th anniversary. Throughout the day, longtime Harlem Week attendees gathered for the annual event designed to celebrate and provide information to seniors.
“Harlem Week continues to be something that we all look forward to each and every summer,” Adleasia Lonesome-Gomez, 63, told the AmNews.
Lonesome-Gomez has been coming to Harlem Week since she was a child, and has fond memories of listening to Jazz at Grant National Memorial. Now as an attendee of seniors’ day, she says she loves the community coming together to celebrate Harlem, while continuing to pass down Harlem Week tradition to her children as well.
“Hopefully when I’m no longer here, it’ll be another 100 years, another 150—something that we need to keep going for generations,” Lonesome-Gomez said.
As they walked in, attendees
learned about various service programs available to them from groups like Black Health Matters and Visiting Nurse Services, and screened for blood pressure and vision from the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The first half of the day featured the premiere screening of “The First,” a film about Welsey Augustus Williams, the first Black firefighter to be promoted to an officer for the New York Fire Department. First Deputy Fire Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer and Assistant Fire Commissioner Jim Harding also presented a poster of the film in celebration of Harlem Week.
Voza Rivers, Harlem Week Board member and one of the original founders along with Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce CEO Lloyd Williams, spoke about the significance of Senior Citizens Day.
“This is one of the most important activities that we do because it is on the backs of the seniors who created the foundation that takes us into the future,” Rivers said.
E. Ronald Guy, 79, is the chair
of Ryan Health and remembers Harlem Day in 1974. As Guy was a member of the Harlem Youth (Haryou) organization in 1964, a community organization that worked to uplift Harlem residents in education and civic engagement, he is delighted to see how Harlem Week has grown over the last five decades and carried on that critical work.
“It has elevated our sense of community and commitment,” Guy said. “On a personal level, it made me want to be more engaged.”
Guy emphasized the importance of building connections between older and younger generations of Harlem.
“The two things we have to remember are the seniors who got us where we are and the young people to get us further,” Guy said. “We need to make sure that we connect the seniors and the young people together.”
New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, who represents District 30 (which includes Harlem), made an appearance to share information about benefits and recent legislation with seniors.
See HARLEM WEEK on page 38
Senior Citizens Day 2024 at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building. August 9.
(Photo by Jason Ponterotto/Special to the AmNews)
Kamala Harris at fundraiser hosted by Iowa Asian and Latino Coalition as U.S. senator (Gage Skidmore photo)
Kyia Williams: personal chef and culinary consultant
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
Kyia Williams moved from Baltimore to New York City in July 2014. “I just needed something different,” she said. “I needed a fresh perspective. Baltimore, my hometown, is lovely but it’s very slow, and I wanted to be able to put myself out there and see what would stick. I felt like there was no other place to do that other than New York.”
Williams began her New York sojourn working as a teacher. She assisted other educators at places like the Montessori Educational Play Space and at the Brooklynbased Little Sun People Childcare Daycare center in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Those were interesting gigs, but ultimately Williams progressed toward her calling. Since childhood, she’s loved cooking. Her grandmother, Alice Holland, taught her how to cook and by age 9, Williams was preparing dishes with her—pot roasts, pound cakes, fried fish, fried potatoes, oxtail soup, roasted cabbage, fried cabbage, steamed cabbage, collard greens, pig’s feet, blackeyed peas, potato salad.
Williams’ grandmother also taught her how to cook the kind of food that satisfied the community the family grew up in. Her family lived in the historically Black Baltimore neighborhood of Turner Station, an area that had been created just after the Civil War and one of the few places in Baltimore where African Americans could build and live in homes without facing discrimination. It was where all the musicians and politicians would come to eat, relax, and take part in local Black culture, and, incidentally, where Henrietta Lacks—whose cancer cells were stolen by John Hopkins University doctors and formed into scientifically important HeLa cells—once lived. From 2007 to around 2010, Williams attended culinary school at the now-defunct Baltimore International College, but she did not walk away with her degree.
“I didn’t finish. I ended up helping my mom take care of my grandmother,” she explained. Her extended family still resides in Turner Station, but Williams, her sister, mother, and their half-brother moved out of state.
Once Williams moved to New York, she was able to start cooking professionally. “I knew my passion was cooking, but New York was such a different space for me,” she said. “It’s so fast. And there were so many people [and] there were all these things. I was like, I don’t even know if I’m going to be good at this; it seems like there’s a lot you have to put in. But I had a lot of support in the community.”
Williams set up her company, Wildflower Kitchen, and became a personal chef and culinary consultant. Through advertising assistance from her sister, Khalilah Beavers, and word-of-mouth among those she has worked with, she began getting jobs
advising local restaurants about the best practices for managing their businesses.
“Most times they’re already doing well. But some businesses, they’re just starting out. One business I’m currently working with, they’re doing well, but they’re expanding. I think they’re looking for a team of individuals who can help with their special services and special events.”
As a personal chef, Williams has catered private events for the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Richard Beavers Gallery, Third Crown Jewelry, and the Farragut Stakeholders Group. She’s cooked for contemporary recording artists, visual artists, even celebrities like former NBA player Carmelo Anthony, the photographer Brittani Sensabaugh, NYC Council Member Chi Ossé, and the celebrated fashion stylist Mobolaji Dawodu.
Williams is currently developing a new updated website, KyiaW.com, so that restaurant spaces and cafes that need consultation and individuals who want to contact her for dining and catering experiences can do so.
“That’s really where I come in, especially when it comes to reading menus, giving advice, and trying to figure out a better system—or just an easier system so that everybody can follow it,” she said.
THE URBAN AGENDA
By David R. Jones, Esq
Will
the Mayor’s New FDNY Chief Embrace Diversity, or Put the Brakes on it?
It has been more than 22 years since the city’s storied fire department has been made to account for decades of racially discriminatory hiring practices, unabashedly aimed at keeping the number of Black and Latino firefighters to a minimum. Indeed, the fire department’s resistance to change has stood in stark contrast to efforts by the police department and other city agencies to boost recruitment of minorities and create diverse workforces that reflect the city they serve.
I remember days walking through my old Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn neighborhood, past firehouses where the firefighters – all of whom were white men – typically gathered outside. What they saw was a sea of Black and brown faces: homeowners, business owners, teachers, laborers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals all going about their lives. That image of white firemen, untethered for the most part to the community they worked in, sticks out. It raised a question that has vexed me ever since: Where were the Black firefighters?
In 2002, the Vulcan Society, a Black firefighters organization, filed a lawsuit against the City of New York alleging that the written exam used by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to screen applicants was discriminatory. The case would be a turning point in the decades-long battle to desegregate the FDNY. The lawsuit led to a federal judgement against the city and a settlement of the claims.
Relief provided under the 2014 settlement of the lawsuit included: the creation of a new exam; the appointment of a special monitor to oversee recruitment and hiring; the awarding of $98 million to Black and Latino victims of discrimination; millions in back pay to thousands of Black and Latino firefighter applicants who were either not hired or hired years later; the creation of a Chief Diversity Officer; and other reforms.
Fast forward to the present. Today, the term “DEI” which stands for “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” has become the latest dog whistle for forces in our society that want to turn back the clock on any progress made to level the playing field for people of color and address institutional racism. And with Mayor Adams this week announcing his choice to lead the FDNY, Robert Tucker, the question of diversity and the FDNY takes on new relevance.
Mr. Tucker is the CEO of a private security company. He has no government or public safety experience. A self-proclaimed “fire buff,” he will be taking over an agency with a long-time reputation as unwelcoming to minorities and women. The dissimilarity
between him and the mayor’s first pick to lead the FDNY, Laura Kavanagh, could not be starker. Kavanagh was a trailblazer, tasked with bringing change to an institution known for its overt racism and sexism. On her watch, recruitment of minority and female firefighters increased.
With the mayor’s support, Commissioner Kavanagh brought a forward-thinking, reform-minded agenda to the department that not surprisingly ruffled some feathers among the keepers of the status quo. Still, the number of minority firefighters in our city does not come close to reflecting the city’s diverse population. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, minorities make up about 70 percent of the city’s population. By comparison, the city’s fire department is currently about 28 percent minority (10 percent Black, 16.5 percent Latino, 2.5 percent Asian and less than one percent Native American). Of the 11,000 city firefighters, 142 are women, or about 1.6 percent.
Kavanagh’s tenure leading the FDNY was short-lived. Citing the need to spend more time with family, she stepped down last week after just two years as commissioner. It’s apparent, however, that her detractors played a part in her early departure. Even so, the FDNY is more diverse as a result of her efforts. And that’s a good thing. Which begs the question: will the new fire commissioner embrace the progress that has been made to diversify the agency, or put the brakes on it?
For example, will the new commissioner be a vocal supporter of beefing up mentoring programs, establishing more recruiting stations in minority neighborhoods and overall expanding the pool of minority and women applicants? Will he be open to innovative methods to increase representation of minorities such as awarding extra points on the firefighter exam to applicants who are city residents? Or will he take his cues from the Uniformed Firefighters Officers Association, which is openly anti-diversity?
Being a city firefighter is a tough job. It takes a special form of courage, commitment and selflessness to be willing to go into harm’s way, and put your life on the line to save others. I have the utmost respect for the men and women who make this sacrifice. But for too long, a culture has existed within the FDNY that associated opening up opportunities for people of color (and women) to join and advance within the ranks of the fire department with lowering standards.
We’ll have to wait and see if the new commissioner is actually committed to rooting out racism and sexism at the FDNY. Or just talking about it.
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.
Personal chef Kyia Williams. (Ian Reid photo)
Study shows high pollution levels in NYC subways; Black and Brown commuters most impacted
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
PLOS One, a science and medical journal, published a new study last week showing increasing concentrations of air pollution on platforms and in train cars throughout the New York City subway system, which impacts all commuters, but have a disproportionate effect on low-income Black and Hispanic New Yorkers, who already have longer-than-average commute times.
The study sampled 3.1 million working commuters across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, analyzing their trips through a racial justice lens. It also examined general home-to-work mobility patterns and possible exposure levels to the subway’s high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), particulate matter is the mixture of solid particles, like dust, dirt, soot, or smoke and liquid droplets found in the air. These particles can also be found at construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires, power plants, and from cars. The EPA confirms that particulate matter can get deep into your lungs and even the bloodstream in some cases. This may cause serious health problems, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, meta-
bolic, and neurological disorders.
The EPA said PM2.5 poses the greatest risk to health. Despite trains being widely recognized as a safer and more environmentally friendly way to travel as opposed to gaspowered cars and buses, the city’s subway system still contributes to high PM2.5 levels for New Yorkers.
This comes from metal-rich particles mostly generated by the wear and friction of brakes and between rails and wheels, said the study. The subway’s train frequency, station depth, ventilation, age of the station, and piston effect are also contributing factors.
The longer people are exposed to the PM2.5 levels, the higher the possibility of negative health outcomes. The PLOS One study analyzed economically disadvantaged communities and racial minority groups living farther from the city center of Manhattan, and confirmed that on average they take more frequent and longer subway trips and are disproportionately exposed to air pollution in the subway.
“The disparity here is less about the pollution on one line or one platform compared to another, but rather it is mostly about the duration of exposure, because most people in lower-income communities live further away so they are having longer commutes and therefore higher exposure,” said Masoud Ghandehari, New York
University’s Tandon School of Engineering professor, and chief researcher on the study, in a Newsweek interview.
Ghandehari added that stations and platforms don’t have air purification systems and are, therefore, more polluted than the actual subway cars.
Mayor Eric Adams, at an in-person conference on Aug. 13, said that he was unfamiliar with the subway study. He did, however, acknowledge the long-standing issue of air pollution in the city’s subway system based on his own experiences. Adams served as a NYPD transit police officer from 1984 to 2006 and recalled certain practices he and his colleagues had to perform to minimize health risks.
“When I was a transit cop, there was a well-known ritual we would do at the end of the tour. You take water drops, put it in your nostrils, and you have to blow out all the steel dust,” said Adams at the conference. “And it was very [real], everyone knew that. That is how you clear the steel dust out of your nostrils, and people don’t realize that it exists.”
Danny Pearlstein, Riders Alliance policy and communications director, confirmed that the “steel dust” and particulate matter in the city’s subways have been an issue since the system was built over a century ago. In some subway systems overseas, trains
use rubber wheels, but Pearlstein said there are still emissions of a sort in those instances.
He highlighted the often overlooked issue that high PM2.5 levels impact transit workers of color, who are more likely to spend more time than the average commuter in the subway and outside of more ventilated train cars. He hypothesized that the constant exposure may have contributed to MTA workers dying from COVID19 during the pandemic.
“There’s a lot of study and discussion about why so many transit workers died right at the beginning of the pandemic. They were exposed in close quarters, exposed to one another [and] the MTA initially didn’t allow them to wear masks because it wasn’t a part of their uniform,” Pearlstein said. “And a possibility is that their respiratory systems were already compromised because of unsafe particulate matter in the workplace.”
The city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) workforce is about 47% Black and 19% Hispanic workers, according to city reports from 2022.
“This is an important issue that people need to take a look at and related to that it may require some investment,” Pearlstein said. “There’s tens of thousands transit workers and millions of transit riders in the subway who should be taken care of, especial-
ly because disadvantaged communities are the most vulnerable populations here.”
Aaron Donovan, MTA deputy communications director, declined to give an official statement in response to an AmNews inquiry. He pointed out that the study’s “disclaimer” about high PM2.5 levels notes that the EPA health outcomes guidelines are largely based on particulate matter from fossil fuel combustion and the inhalation of iron-based particles–as opposed to trains and metal particles. He noted that 41% of the subway system is outdoors and that 100% of subway cars contain MERV8 or MERV9 filters since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“I just want to say, overall, transit is how we reduce emissions in the city in general, right? So, the more people we take out of cars, put on buses, and in the subway, the more we improve the climate for all New York City residents. I don’t want to lose sight of that,” said Meera Joshi, New York City deputy mayor for operations, about the study. “But I know the MTA, and we’re happy to follow up with them, [were] very rigorous about air quality, which started during COVID, and they have retained some of that testing. But I am sure that that muscle that they exerted extremely well during COVID, since that was one of our only safe ways to travel, is still in place.”
Photo of 6 train in the New York City subway station. (Ariama C. Long photo)
Our New Harlem Renaissance: AmNews wins awards and recognition
AmNews Staff Reports
The New York Amsterdam News continued its winning streak in Chicago this month at the 2024 convention of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), winning an award for our series on the impact of bail reform. Executive and Investigative Editor Damaso Reyes, who reported and penned the series, also received the NABJ’s prestigious Ida B. Wells Award. The award “recognizes an individual who has provided distinguished leadership in increasing access and opportunities for Black journalists and improving the coverage of communities of color in American media.”
“Time and time and time again, when no one else would give me an opportunity, the Black press was there. When no one else would give me an opportunity to tell stories about my community, the Black press was there,” Reyes said during his acceptance speech.
“I am thrilled that our peers in the Black press are recognizing the transformative work we are doing and the impact our journalism is having,” said Elinor R. Tatum, publisher and editor-in-chief of the AmNews.
“These recognitions are testament to the transformative work every member of our newsroom and business department is doing to provide the community we serve with the racial justice journalism they need to be informed and active participants in our democracy,” said AmNews President and Chief Revenue Officer Siobhan “Sam” Bennett.
The 2024 ABJ honors are just the latest in a string of recognition for the paper. Earlier in the summer, the BlackLight investigative unit of the AmNews won a Deadline Club award for Digital Video Reporting for “Be-Loved,” our first documentary film, which explores the life and impact of a Harlembased credible messenger fighting to reduce gun violence in his community.
“This is such a raw and open discussion about gun violence and generational trauma that had us glued to the screen,” the judges wrote. “The perspective in this short documentary is often underrepresented when it comes to violence in communities that are neglected by elected officials. The journalists made the most of incredible access to this community and the multiple voices that
propelled the story. ‘Be-loved’ is someone we won’t forget.”
AmNews Science Reporter
Helina Selemon won a Solutions Journalism Network award for her reporting on the links between climate change and excess heat and gun violence.
“We loved this story for the way it brought to life a big issue with a surprising link to climate change,” the judges said. “The article found evidence for the link between gun violence and rising temperatures, using data and insights to make that link, presented visual-
was an exemplary piece of solutions journalism.”
The AmNews is also winning for more than just our journalism. Tatum was recognized by Editor & Publisher as one of its “15 over 50,” which recognizes news leaders for “their strong leadership skills, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence[,] and ability to lead during challenging times.”
They also named Reyes and Digital Editor Josh Barker to its 2024 class of “Editors Extraordinaire” and named the newspaper as part of its group of “News Media to Watch,” noting that the “Amsterdam News is all about listening to its community. In 2023, [the] Amsterdam News hosted community events and collaborations, resulting in a 30% increase in print circulation from one partnership alone. To better communicate, the publication reconceived the 114-year-old legacy print newspaper with gorgeous internally designed front covers and long-form investigative journalism from its BlackLight investigative unit.”
News Editor Aaron Foley was selected as a 2024 Maynard 200 fellow and will receive “two weeks of customized workshops, handson coaching[,] and peer networking sessions in March and July. The in-person training weeks are followed by a year-long, one-onone mentorship phase, wherein each Fellow is paired with an industry expert for dedicated coaching.”
Tatum was invited to speak at the Borealis’ Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund’s Kaleidoscope Live event, where she talked about the vital role the Black press plays in our society. Alicia Bell, director of the REJ Fund, also spoke warmly of the AmNews during the Knight Media Forum earlier this year. “What I saw from the Amsterdam News was a dedication to creativity,” she said, referencing our collaboration for a special issue “Black Future News.”
ly in graphs and charts. It had a human element[,] too, with different people and voices. It could have just focused on the evidence and the issues but instead it moved the story toward solutions, ticking all the pillars of solutions journalism. It had wide reader appeal and
ProPublica also selected the AmNews as one of three partners for its Local Reporting Network. The partnership provides three years of funding for the paper to hire a data investigative reporter who will work on the Beyond the Barrel of the Gun and Black to Nature reporting projects.
All of these awards, recognitions, and partnerships show that the 114-year-old newspaper is set to thrive in the digital age.
AmNews Executive Editor Damaso Reyes holds NABJ Salute to Excellence Award honoring his series on bail reform (AmNews photo)
New entrepreneurs graduate from Ponce Bank Small Business Boot Camp
Contributed Press Release
Ponce Bank recently celebrated the graduates of its Bronx, Manhattan, and New Jersey Small Business Bootcamps, part of a series of free programs providing essential business planning, strategies, and tools for growth to local small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, to help them achieve their goals.
During the event, three business owners from the Bronx and three from Manhattan and New Jersey, who previously pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges, were recognized and presented with awards they can use to grow their businesses. The awards are sponsored by Fiserv, a global provider of payments and financial technology, including the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform.
The Small Business Bootcamp Bronx award recipients are:
• Jennifer Silvestre, Nasir + Idie Kids, apparel and fashion for children with special needs, $10,000.
• Saraciea Fennell, The Bronx is Reading, promoting literacy and fostering a love of reading, $5,000.
The Small Business Bootcamp Man/NJ award recipients are:
• Wioletta Sudol, The Helper Bears, LLC, empowering older adults with tech education and confidence, $10,000.
• Emely Martinez, Roxanna, affordable, elite fashion for all body types, $7,500.
• Chere Montgomery, WealthStorm Consults, Business Consultants, $5,000.
“Small businesses are the beating hearts of our communities, providing jobs, cultural diversity, and aspiration to so many of our customers, and we’re proud to support these emerging community leaders in their journey through this powerful educational initiative,” said Ponce Bank President and CEO Carlos Naudon. With the support of the Business Outreach Center Network, whose mission is to improve the economic prospects of traditionally underserved groups, including low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs and their communities, Ponce Bank’s Small Business
Bootcamp has seen impressive attendance: More than 1,100 people from across the city have completed the Small Business Bootcamp since its launch in 2020.
During the graduation event, the award recipients shared what
these funds mean to them and how the experience affected their growth as future business leaders.
“I think a lot of things with smaller businesses, especially coming from places like the Bronx, we just don’t know what
resources there are. How can we move our business forward?…
The Boot Camp really allowed us to think through what next steps we can take advantage of at each stage,” said Silvestre.
“My involvement gave me a lot
of education so that I could lead a successful business, but winning this competition gave me the confidence I need, because people believed in my vision and what I’m trying to do to impact society,” Sudol said.
Union Matters
The stakes of an election have never been greater
GEORGE GRESHAM
The entrance of Kamala Harris into the presidential race has created a level of excitement, enthusiasm, and energy we’ve not seen since at least 2008. Maintaining this grassroots momentum through Election Day, November 5, will be essential to overcoming the big-moneyed interests backing the Trump/MAGA agenda. It is not hyperbole to say that our freedoms, livelihoods, and democracy itself hang in the balance.
The Biden-Harris administration has been— unequivocally— the most pro-worker in U.S. history. They inherited a disastrous situation when they came into office in January 2021, with an economy in dire straits thanks to a completely mishandled pandemic response. Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires had caused our national debt to skyrocket by $8 trillion while he routinely opposed minimum wage increases, weakened overtime protections, and gutted workplace health and safety rules.
By contrast, Kamala Harris has championed workers’ rights while fighting the price-gouging that is driving inflation. As president, her plan is to lower costs by reducing the price of childcare and prescription drugs, forgiving student loan debt, stopping big landlords from increasing rents by more than 5% a year, and combating the corporate greed that is fueling high costs of living.
In the realm of healthcare, she will preserve the Affordable Care Act, which saves those who buy health insurance $800 a year, and defend Medicare and Medicaid from cuts. She will build on her legacy as vice president, in which she has been a key partner in the successful fight to lower the prices of prescription drugs, including capping the cost of insulin for 4 million seniors at $35/month. She will maintain progress in closing racial disparities in healthcare through minimum staffing standards in nursing homes and in maternal care, and extending Medicaid coverage for a year after childbirth. And she will fight vigorously to restore the reproductive freedoms that were taken away from millions of Americans by Trump’s extremist Supreme Court appointees.
Kamala Harris’s bold vision of progress stands in complete opposition to Trump’s bleak and regressive agenda, embodied by “Project 2025.” This 900+ page document, which Trump is now trying desperately to disavow because it puts in writing exactly how he and fellow MAGA Republicans plan to seize and wield power, must be known by every voter.
“Project 2025” was created by the far-right
Starbucks’ new CEO has rep of not working with unions
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
Laxman Narasimhan has been removed from his seat as CEO of the Starbucks Corporation after a mere 17 months in the role.
Sales had been declining at the coffee company’s 38,000 worldwide stores under Narasimhan. But his departure also comes amid several other company woes. Management was facing the wrath of activist investors, and there is an active boycott of the chain due to its alleged activity in war-mired Israel. Starbucks has also had to plan to confront the growing unionizing efforts of Starbucks Workers United (SWU), which just this month announced that 15 different Starbucks stores across the country had joined their unionizing efforts. SWU already has more than 470 unionized stores.
In a terse statement, Starbucks said: “Laxman Narasimhan is stepping down from his role as CEO and as a member of the Starbucks board with immediate effect. During his tenure, he improved the Starbucks partner experience, drove significant innovation in our supply chain, and enhanced our store operations.”
Earlier this year, Narasimhan was said to have been willing to restart contract bargaining with SWU, but his newly announced replacement, Chipotle Mexican Grill CEO Brian Niccol, arrives with a strong reputation for being able to wrestle with workers who want to form unions. Prior to working at Chipotle, Niccol was the chief executive of Taco Bell from 2015 to early 2018 and had worked in executive roles at Pizza Hut and at Procter & Gamble.
During his tenure at Chipotle, the company saw only one of its 3,381 store locations successfully unionize and that was in October 2022 in Lansing, Michigan. When a Chipotle in Augusta, Maine began working with the organizers of Chipotle United to unionize in June 2022, management fought back by permanently closing that restaurant location. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) later fined Chipotle $240,000 for summarily firing that location’s 24 workers for trying to unionize. On top of the financial fine, the NLRB settlement also called for the company to “offer preferential hiring to these employees for any Chipotle job opening in Maine and post a notice advis-
ing employees of their NLRA rights at 40 stores throughout Chipotle’s Northern New England Sub-Region.”
Other incidents at Chipotle included a May 2019 case where a manager at Manhattan’s 117 East 14th Street store threatened to post more difficult shift assignments for unionizing workers. And at Manhattan’s 464 Park Avenue South restaurant, a manager told employees they would be fired for trying to unionize. The NLRB accused Chipotle of violating U.S. labor laws, because the location’s manager had reportedly told employees they could also suffer physical violence for trying to unionize. Workers were also promised the opportunity of a promotion if they told
on other employees who were talking about unionizing. In late 2022, Chipotle agreed to pay $20 million to 13,000 New York City workers because it had failed to comply with the city’s Fair Workweek Law, which mandates that employers create 14-day work schedules for hourly, part-time and shift workers that stay the same from week-to-week.
The Starbucks Corporation and its workers have been in an ongoing battle regarding unionizing. The SWU has claimed that Starbucks refuses to negotiate in good faith for a bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, the Starbucks Corporation has accused the NLRB of colluding with SWU to promote union membership.
The Starbucks Corporation logo in the window of a New York City franchise location. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)
Opinion
Black men to the KHIVE
Black men, don’t be bamboozled: Don’t go for the fake from the Trump team, because 12% of you voted for him in 2020. Trump’s campaigning on gold sneakers to you and saying that immigrants are taking your jobs are a false promise and an unproven claim. And even if the promise of gold sneakers proves true, then you shouldn’t be bought off so cheaply, as if there is a price and merchandise equivalent to the cost of your vote and freedom. Some folks are making the case that standing behind Kamala Harris is a sign of weakness, but nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t go for the okey-doke promulgated in 1972 when Rep. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to seek the highest office in the land. Remember that Shirley was a candidate in 12 primaries and earned 152 delegates (or 10%), notwithstanding an underfinanced campaign and the negativity from the predominantly male Congressional Black Caucus.
Black women, even when the call went out for Black men in 1995 for the Million Man March, you were there to answer the march’s purpose of unifying the Black family.
What Trump is seeking is a division in the Black community—the notion that Black men are for him and not for the Harris/Walz team. We don’t have to do a deep dive into the reason to reject Trump. He allegedly referred to Kamala as a “b---.” If Trump can shape his nasty mouth to refer to her in such a derogatory way, it’s not hard to imagine how, in the deepest recesses of his heart, he feels about you. In short, our appeal not only demands that you reject the idea that you are less inclined to vote for a Black woman as a sign of weakness, but declares that it is a sign of strength and commitment to join the KHive—the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz team—and deny Trump’s march toward a dictatorship.
A Secretary of Education from an HBCU: A necessary advocate for equity and justice
By DR. ANTOINE LOVELL
As the United States approaches the possibility of electing its next president, who is a graduate of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), it is imperative to consider the substantial influence this could have on the American educational landscape.
At a time when the nation’s educational system faces systemic inequities and funding disparities, appointing a current president of an HBCU as the next Secretary of Education could be a pivotal step toward resolving these issues. Such a leader would not only comprehend the distinct obstacles confronted by HBCUs but also possess the hands-on experience and dedication required to advocate for equitable funding and recognize the student loan crisis as a vital civil rights matter.
HBCUs have historically served as beacons of excellence and perseverance amid hardship. Despite ongoing underfunding and resource constraints, these institutions have persistently cultivated trailblazers, visionaries, and agents of change who have significantly influenced society. The presidents of HBCUs are at the forefront of these challenges, grappling with the intricate dynamics of overseeing institutions that frequently operate with only a fraction of the resources available to their counterparts at predominantly white institutions (PWIs).
This would enable these institutions to expand their programs, enhance their facilities, and provide more comprehensive support to their students. By recognizing that investing in HBCUs is not merely about supporting individual institutions, but also about nurturing the potential of thousands of students who are often overlooked and underserved, such an advocate would be instrumental in creating a more equitable educational landscape.
The student loan crisis: A civil rights issue
The student loan crisis in the United States has reached a critical level, with a disproportionate impact on students of color and those from low-income backgrounds. The situation is particularly dire for HBCU students, a significant number of whom are first-generation college attendees and come from economically disadvantaged families. The weight of student debt can have a long-lasting and detrimental effect, constraining career options and perpetuating cycles of poverty.
R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief
Cyril
The selection of a president from an HBCU as Secretary of Education would introduce a leader with extensive experience in managing and optimizing limited resources. Such individuals are adept at cultivating innovation and creativi-
ty in their institutions, thereby ensuring that students receive a high-quality education despite financial constraints. These leaders are acutely aware of the significance of funding for education, having personally observed the detrimental consequences of inadequate resources on their campuses. As a result, their advocacy for increased funding would not be driven by theoretical policy considerations, but rather by a profound personal understanding of the resources necessary to provide a comprehensive educational experience.
Equitable funding: A moral imperative
The disparities in funding between HBCUs and PWIs are significant and have been extensively documented. Despite enrolling approximately 10% of
all Black students in higher education, HBCUs receive a disproportionately small share of federal and state funding (UNCF, 2024). This inequity is not simply an issue of institutional survival; rather, it is a matter of justice and fairness. It is imperative that students attending HBCUs have access to the same opportunities, facilities, and support as those attending wealthier institutions.
An HBCU president serving as the Secretary of Education would undoubtedly be a strong proponent for addressing the funding disparities that exist. Their unique insight into the difficulties faced by underfunded institutions, combined with their unwavering dedication to leveling the playing field, would make them an effective advocate for policies that ensure equitable funding for HBCUs.
Identifying the student loan crisis as a civil rights matter necessitates a leader with a comprehensive understanding of how educational debt affects disadvantaged populations. Placing an HBCU president in the capacity of Secretary of Education would be instrumental in highlighting this critical perspective. Such a leader would champion initiatives that alleviate the weight of student debt, such as loan forgiveness schemes and enhanced support for need-based financial aid. Additionally, they would work to guarantee that students have access to reasonably priced education from the outset, minimizing the need for extensive borrowing.
An HBCU president serving as Secretary of Education would possess a distinct advantage in tackling systemic disparities in
Antoine Lovell (Photo courtesy of the author)
Elinor
Damaso Reyes: Executive & Investigative Editor
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Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman
The climate crisis is a mental health crisis. Building smart-surface public spaces is an easy prescription
By GREG KATS, HOWARD FRUMKIN, and GEORGES C. BENJAMIN
As the Conference of the Parties (COP) 28 closed with much fanfare and a first-time “transition away” from fossil fuels commitment that’s drawing skeptics, here’s what we do know: The planet we live on and need survival for is getting hotter. The hotter it’s getting, as even the COP28 admits, the less livable it becomes.
However, what the COP28 conveniently omitted—among other essential conversations—are the mental health consequences boiling rapidly from a hotter world. We also know that a hotter planet means we’re dealing with hotter surfaces. Surfaces determine heat, and plenty of cities in the United States were overheating this summer, along with other cities around the globe that are still overheating because they take no winter breaks.
We must explore and respond to the urgent mental health aspects of that. In the U.S., for example, even as 90% of the population can access air conditioning, hotter temperatures translate into more people staying indoors versus enjoying the company of others. Yet, even then, not all air conditioning access is equal: Public school systems filled with low-income students in cities from Philadelphia to Baltimore to Chicago to Detroit regularly shut down as their fall semesters burn amid overtime summer seasons. Old, deteriorated housing in cities like Philadelphia can barely manage to stay cool with window units and fans, on top of urban heat-island–fueled conditions triggering non-stop sweat and stress for residents lacking the means for adequate ventilation and cooling.
This all brews into a cauldron of frustration, social isolation, and emotional stew. That’s toxic for our communities, especially for our children. In many cases, it aggravates the spike in violence during heat waves as we’re now understanding those correlations. It raises anxiety and trauma to unprecedented levels. Wondering why just 36% of Americans believe in the American dream anymore? Climate crisis could partly explain that. Rising depression and feelings of helplessness lead not only to rising post-traumatic stress disorder, but as the Commonwealth Fund has pointed out, it leads to more “suicidal behavior and sub-
stance abuse.” The studies on this connection accumulate each year, such as warnings of climate anxiety among 18- to 64-year-olds in a German population survey in 2022 and from experts at Yale explaining even “physiological components [such as] heart racing and shortness of breath, and a behavioral component when climate anxiety gets in the way of one’s social relationships or functioning at work or school.”
It’s all real. And it eats away at the needed sense of social cohesion and bonding we need to get through this.
So, what can we do?
Public discourse often talks about a number of solutions, ranging from the dramatic reduction or “phase out” of fossil fuels (which we do need) to the development of clean energy in place of that while we’re also throwing carbon capture tech into the mix. Yet, these ingredients, while crucial, will take enormous time, infrastructure, investment, and politics. Our solution is rather immediate and found, simply, in smart surfaces: cool roofs and pavements, green roofs, urban trees, and more. These are relatively inexpensive and effective solutions that are vital to mental health.
Smart surfaces can dramatically improve outdoor livability and comfort while expanding climate resilience. Reflective, porous, and green surfaces can dramatically reduce radiant heat relative to dark, hot surfaces and cut citywide summer heat by 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Shade from trees can make people feel 10 degrees cooler.
Do the math and just imagine: Together, these strategies can make a 90-degree heat wave feel like a much more enjoyable and tolerable 75-degree day. Moreover, green spaces are attractive and welcoming, promoting social engagement that is the antidote for loneliness. Why would we overlook this?
Studies show that children who play in green settings have fewer behavioral difficulties, more “prosocial” behavior, and stronger relationships with other children. Other studies suggest that positive contacts in parks across racial and ethnic lines can lead to increased trust and lower levels of prejudice. Green space is also linked to reduced violence, and greater feelings of safety that bring more people into parks, all creating a virtuous cycle that further reduces crime
and strengthens communities.
Smart surfaces and green space can cool a city so people can enjoy the outdoors longer without overheating and children can play safely. They also cut energy costs, reducing financial-related anxiety. We’ve found that the deployment of a holistic smart-surface strategy nationwide could save communities more than $700 billion (or more) over 30 years in energy, public health, and other costs, while creating more than half-a-million new jobs. Even better: We don’t have to wait for destructive oil and gas industry interests to decide this for us.
But the sad part is that not enough cities are implementing these simple and effective solutions.
Over the last century, cities have lost significant tree coverage and, instead, find themselves covered in dark, impervious surfaces like asphalt. As a result, our cities are uncomfortably—even dangerously—hot in the summer, far more prone to flooding and mold, less shaded, less attractive, and more dangerous. These trends are most severe in lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color that are commonly 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the wealthiest, greenest neighborhoods in the same city. In addition, older adults who are socially isolated are at greater risk of heat-related injury and death.
If there is one priority that should be key to urban renewal agendas, it’s the imperative to build stronger bonds among urban residents. Cities should be jumping on every opportunity to do so. If they’ve really done the cost-benefit analysis that includes issues of health and livability, they’ll find it’s a no-brainer: Smart surfaces are a win-win-win for communities. Great public spaces—tree-shaded, cooler reflective streets, parks, playgrounds, trails, and plazas, designed with smart surfaces, enriched with greenery, and activated with great programs—will help build those bonds and better prepare us for the climate-centered future that’s already here.
Greg Kats is CEO of the Smart Surfaces Coalition. Georges C. Benjamin, M.D. is executive director of the American Public Health Association. Howard Frumkin, M.D., former director of the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, is senior vice president of trust for Public Land.
Thank you, Michael Bloomberg
CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.
Anyone who knows me is keenly aware of my thoughts about billionaires: I don’t think one person needs that much money in a lifetime. I think having ungodly amounts of money gives billionaires a disproportionate amount of power in almost every facet of politics and policy. And as we have seen in the likes of people like Elon Musk, some billionaires can model themselves after movie villains and begin to interfere in elections, technology, and so much more.
Although I was critical of Michael Bloomberg at times when he served as the 108th mayor of New York City, I must admit that my admiration of and gratitude to “post-mayoralty Bloomberg” knows no bounds.
Recently, the former mayor donated to Johns Hopkins University, his alma mater, essentially providing free tuition to medical school students for years to come. Just a few weeks ago, Bloomberg made a $600 million donation to various HBCU medical schools—the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C.; Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga.; and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., will each receive $175 million. Obviously, Bloomberg did not attend an HBCU, but his donations to these institutions are the largest three ever made to HBCUs and will roughly double the existing endowments of all three of these institutions. The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles will also receive $75 million. Bloomberg’s donation will assist Black medical students in their pursuit of becoming Black doctors for generations to come. My sister is a Black doctor and I see how much
her presence changes how patients receive care, better understand their own medical needs, and become more trusting of the entire medical profession. Black doctors matter to patients, their families, and nurses, and at every level of hospital administration. Bloomberg’s generous donation will ensure that more Black doctors will serve in hospitals and clinics across the country. I don’t think we’ll ever truly know the extent to which his donation will change the career and health outcomes and prospects of Black people for generations to come.
Each month I give a little money to the Meharry Medical School because I believe in helping the next generation of Black doctors succeed. My little donation is truly a drop in the ocean compared to Michael Bloomberg’s, but it is a reminder that we can all do our part to help create the world we want to see.
When evaluating politicians, I always remind my students that no elected official is perfect and we will always have areas where we disagree on policy, implementation, or perceived effectiveness. I also remind them that we must recognize when our electeds— past or present—use their power to help make the lives of citizens better. Bloomberg has done just that, and I will be forever grateful for his investment in the future of Black medical institutions and Black people more broadly.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQNYC.
Caribbean Update
Caricom, subgrouping differ on Venezuelan election results
BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews
A few decades of material and other assistance from Venezuela have paid off in an interesting way for some Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations, with some saying that the recent elections in the South American nation were free and fair while others have taken a more cautious and deliberate approach.
For example, the nine-nation Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), a subgrouping of the 15-nation Caricom bloc, is basically arguing that the results declared by the local electoral council gave controversial President Nicolas Maduro a win, and they are sticking with it and plan to continue doing business with a Maduro-led regime.
In the OECS, many of the nations—Antigua, Dominica, St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia—are all members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) grouping, formed by Venezuela and Cuba back in 2004. Many have received generous material aid from Venezuela, including prefabricated houses, cash grants, and concession oil under the PetroCaribe Initiative. Venezuela is usual-
ly among the first in the international community to offer or render assistance to regional member states in times of natural disasters and emergencies like hurricanes, floods, and volcanoes, so it has some level of geopolitical influence in the Caribbean.
In the subgrouping, Maduro can rely on the support of leadership in several member nations, chief among them Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and Dominica’s Roosvelt Skerrit, as his better friends in the region.
Gonsalves and Skerrit, two of the longest-serving prime ministers in the Caribbean, were among the first to congratulate Maduro. Gonsalves has been prime minister of the federation of St. Vincent and the string of Grenadine islands since 2001, while Skerrit has been head of government of the “emerald island” of Dominica since 2004.
These two are the influential heads of the OECS and in the larger CARICOM bloc, which was founded in 1973, as well. They have the ability to exert influence and leadership when necessary, so it was no surprise when the OECS threw its support behind Maduro and the Venezuelan regime even as votes were still being counted.
The international community has said that the main opposition grouping has won the elections and Maduro should demit (resign from) office.
“We stand on the principle that elections must be free as the expression of the will of the people and free from outside interference and they must be fair—contested in good faith and subject to the adjudication of independent mechanisms with relevant safeguards for verification and arbitration of any dispute, all within the framework of the national laws and regulations governing the conduct of elections,” the subgrouping said in a statement after a recent meeting.
”We congratulate President Maduro Moros on his victory and re-election to the presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for a third term and urge that every effort be made towards national reconciliation. The OECS further expresses its appreciation of the invaluable solidarity and friendship extended by [the] Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela[,] which has flourished for over two decades.”
The wider 15-nation Caricom grouping, on the other hand, said after its leaders’
summit in Grenada at the end of last month that while the Venezuelan elections were being held and votes were being counted, it was made clear that it had had no plans to say anything as a unified body.
“It’s not an indication that Caricom is divided on the issue. Caricom doesn’t have to have a position on the issue,” said Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell. “Elections in Venezuela, domestic matters—first; second, Venezuela is not a member of Caricom. And third, I think we expect, and it has already happened, that members will indicate their positions. We are happy with the fact that the people of Venezuela got the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to engage in elections, and so no, there is no division within Caricom on the issue, because there’s really no need for Caricom to have a division on the issue.”
Maduro and his late predecessor Hugo Chavez invested heavily in winning friends and influencing people in the Caribbean, rushing to the aid of several nations in distress in recent decades. For example, Dominica received 300 prefabricated houses after a destructive storm in the past decade.
What Project 2025 would mean for immigrants
Much has been said recently about Project 2025, particularly regarding its implications for issues like abortion and transgender rights. However, a critical aspect that has not received sufficient attention is what this initiative could mean for immigrants if Donald Trump and the Republicans win in November.
The document “2025—Mandate for Leadership—A Conservative Promise,” by Ken Cuccinelli, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2019 to 2021 in the Trump administration, outlines a vision for U.S. immigration policy that should raise serious concerns for everyone, especially immigrants. This “vision” would rely heavily on executive actions and proposes sweeping changes that could dramatically reshape the immigration landscape.
Among the most alarming proposals is the consolidation of key immigration agencies—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of
Refugee Resettlement (ORR)—into a single, standalone border and immigration agency at the cabinet level. This consolidation would not only create a massive bureaucracy with more than 100,000 employees, but also centralize power in a way that could significantly affect the lives of immigrants. By merging ICE and CBP into a Border Security and Immigration Agency (BSIA), the proposal aims to strengthen enforcement. But at what cost? The history of these agencies raises alarms about how such power might be wielded, especially against vulnerable immigrant populations.
Project 2025 also advocates for the aggressive use of military personnel and hardware to enforce border security, including preventing illegal crossings between ports of entry. This militarization of immigration enforcement echoes troubling times in history when force was used to control, rather than protect, human beings.
The plan also seeks to limit the classes of immigrants eligible for work authorization, end Guest Worker Visas, and maintain the cap on H-2B (seasonal non-agricultural) visas, as well as calling for eliminating the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, leaving no independent oversight to protect immigrant’ rights.
The restrictions don’t stop there. Project 2025 also proposes limiting the use of T and
U visas, which protect victims of trafficking and crime, undermining the protections for those who need them most. The plan includes repealing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations and transforming the H1-B program into an elite mechanism exclusively for the “best and brightest” at the highest wages.
Further, the proposal seeks to remove immigration judges from the Department of Justice and place them under DHS, potentially eroding the independence of the judiciary and turning immigration judges into mere enforcers of a harsh immigration policy.
For immigrants already in the U.S., Project 2025 would be likely to lead to increased deportations, reduced access to humanitarian protections, and a greater risk of being swept up in a system that treats immigrants as threats rather than contributors to American society. The proposal includes mandating the use of E-Verify, denying loans and federal assistance to non-citizens and nonpermanent residents, and significantly restricting the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) by reducing or ending visas for students from “enemy nations.”
Moreover, it suggests requiring states or localities applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid to commit to total information-sharing for both federal
law enforcement and immigration enforcement. This could include access to motor vehicle and voter registration databases, further marginalizing immigrant communities.
The potential impacts of Project 2025 on immigrants are profound and deeply concerning. This is not just a political document; it is a blueprint for the lives of millions of people who seek the American Dream yet may find themselves in an increasingly hostile environment. As immigrant voters and allies, we must remain vigilant and proactive. The time to help protect the rights of all people—regardless of their immigration status—is now, and that begins with our vote this November. The stakes are too high for complacency.
This is not just about an election or immigration; it’s about the soul of America and whether we will continue to uphold the values of diversity, inclusion, and opportunity that have made this country great. We must ensure that our voices are heard on November 5, and that the policies shaping the future of immigration in America are fair, just, and humane.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news on the Black immigrant communities of the Caribbean and Latin America.
José Tavarez President,
Will Chinatown’s borough-based jail save lives or destroy them?
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Black lives and White Street fuel two separate conversations about the same issue: The end of this month marks exactly three years before the city’s mandate to close Rikers Island comes into effect.
A citywide effort to hold Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to the shutdown’s 2027 deadline as Black New Yorkers continue to die in or after custody. But the solution plops a replacement “ethical” jail in Chinatown, a neighborhood of color often left to fend for itself as the city’s “dumping ground.”
“It’s just a lack of two communities seeing eye to eye and I’m lost in how to make it happen,” said organizer Five Mualimmak. “We [held] council meetings, and we wanted the community’s input, and it just turned into yelling matches, rallies that (were) fighting each other…every part of this jail is tearing New York apart.”
The lot at 124-25 White Street is likely to hold the world’s tallest jail by the time construction concludes, but currently, it isn’t much to look at. So far, a crane, backhoe, and pile of rubble surrounded by fencing and green tarp are all there is to show for this multibillion dollar project.
Unsurprisingly, Chinatown residents are not happy. This isn’t the first detention facility built in the neighborhood, so resistance expands far beyond a simple stigma against jails.
The proposed 295-foot-tall building symbolizes the continued disinvestment in an ethnoburb hit hard by 9/11’s toxic aftermath, Hurricane Sandy’s destruction, and COVID-19–fueled racism for many residents. Other concerns are more immediate, such as current construction damaging neighboring businesses and residences. And the jail will stand as an expansion to mass incarceration, casting a long shadow across the famous neighborhood.
“For Chinatown, it’s gotten pretty diverse [with] different perspectives,” said Beatrice Chen, executive director of Immigrant Social Services (ISS). “Some [aspects] are more progressive, and then some are more immediate, like the noise. How do we navigate that amongst our own community? There’s so many issues that we may conflate or not unpack.
“For us and Chinatown, the boroughbased jail [is many] stories. But that means Columbus Park is going to be shrouded in darkness.”
If height were everything in New York City, Krishaps Porzingis would still be a Knick. The construction of Chinatown’s “jailscraper” is supposed to reduce the
city’s jail population as one of four borough-based facilities designated to replace the infamous 400-acre Rikers Island complex by 2027. They will each detain a maximum of 1,040 people, factoring in a recent increase of beds. Comparatively, the Anna M. Kross Center, formerly Rikers’ biggest jail, could hold up to 2,106 people alone before closure last August, according to a DOC spokesperson.
Currently, four detention facilities—the Eric M. Taylor, George R. Vierno, Otis Bantum Correctional, and Robert N. Davoren centers—each hold more than 1,000 people on “any given day” on Rikers Island.
Many criminal justice reform advocates are counting the borough-based jails to address the city’s mounting carceral problems. Dana Kaplan, a senior advisor for the Lippman Commission, the task force as-
signed by the city to tackle Rikers’ closure, said initial neighborhood pushback led to lowering the jail’s original planned height limit from 450 feet to 295 feet. She said any further reductions would affect services.
“The point is to not cram individuals in; the point is to to develop facilities that actually have program space, smaller housing units, individual rooms, as opposed to smaller dorms or removing programs or the types of things that really could remove square footage, but would be in conflict with the other reform objectives,” said Kaplan.
Land before (building) time
124-25 White Street sits on what was once lush Lenape land. It’s hard to imagine anywhere in Lower Manhattan described as “bucolic” or “pastoral” these days, but early European accounts described a freshwater lake surrounded by verdant vegetation where Chinatown is located today, according to Dave Favaloro, the Tenement Museum’s senior director of curatorial affairs.
As the colonizers sank their claws deeper into the area over time and began developing New York City northward, green turned to gray.
Out of sight, out of mind and used as a dumping ground, not unlike the story of Rikers Island, the area—known as Collect Pond—became a vector of cholera and other diseases by the 1800s. The city built a canal to drain the polluted water. The waterway was later paved over and the city’s affluent eyed the newly minted Canal Street for luxury development two centuries before the boutiques and galleries of SoHo existed. They called it Paradise Square.
Segregated by class more than race, the neighborhood became a staging ground for middle-class reformers to address formative social movements in public health and environmental protection. The neighborhood also became the first stop for many immigrant groups, including the Southern Chinese. Nine Chinatowns exist in New York City today, but Manhattan Chinatown remains the Chinatown, thanks to its history.
A jail—the New York Halls of Justice and House of Detention—was built in 1838. Locals dubbed it “the Tombs” on account of its Egyptian-inspired architecture. The nickname was inherited by three other detention centers built on or around 124-25 White Street in the 20th century, including the immediate predecessor to the borough-based jail.
Today, Collect Pond Park remains as evidence of the once-freshwater supply, across from the criminal courts where reporters and protesters often gather for major cases like former President Donald Trump’s conviction over hush-money charges.
See JAIL on page 17
The new borough based jail is currently under construction. (Tandy Lau/AmNews photo)
The horrors of “Torture Island”
Rikers Island sits above a defunct landfill, surrounded by the East River, in the joint custody of Queens and the Bronx. Most New York City jails are found here. Just one MTA bus line, the Q100, crosses the bridge separating the complex from the rest of the Big Apple. A Department of Corrections- (DOC-) run bus shuttles visitors from Harlem and Downtown Brooklyn to Rikers.
Mayor Bill DeBlasio pledged to close Rikers Island back in 2017 after public support and advocacy championed by Campaign to Close Rikers organizations like Freedom Agenda. The jails were too old, too far out, and too dangerous, said the electeds, advocates, and legal professionals who developed the plan to replace the complex with a “more humane” facility in each borough, except Staten Island.
Three facilities would be placed right next to the criminal courts, so detainees could be efficiently transported to their hearings and remain more accessible to their attorneys, particularly overworked public defenders. A fourth, in the Bronx, would be a 10–15 minute drive from the county criminal courts.
Building designs boasted an emphasis on “dignity and respect,” a departure from the cold, damp halls of Rikers Island. Ample space would be carved out for healthcare, education, and recreation, preparing the people held inside for rehabilitation, reentry, and, when needed, treatment.
Meanwhile, the city would need to decarcerate—release people—to meet the significantly lower borough-based jail population cap of 3,300, even though it was recently raised to 4,160.
Once the city moves the jail population from Rikers, the land would be transferred to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) no later than August 31, 2027. The island would be reappropriated toward “sustainability and resiliency” through environmental justice research.
When the city committed to closing Rikers seven years ago, the jails’ human cost fueled the decision. Conditions led to a class-action settlement in 2015, leading to multiple court-ordered reforms and the appointment of a federal monitor to oversee them. Reports back then described both detainees and jail staff facing and perpetuating a “culture of violence.” Solitary confinement left many traumatized, including teenager Kalief Browder, who took his life a year after he was released from a threeyear detainment on charges for stealing a backpack that he was never convicted of. Inhumane conditions also stemmed from the jails’ themselves.
“The majority of weapons that are made at Rikers are literally coming from materials that are pulled from dilapidated buildings,” said Kaplan. “It’s unacceptable for people who are incarcerated and for correctional staff.”
Today, similar issues persist. An overwhelming majority of the 32 people to die in or immediately after DOC custo-
dy during the Adams administration were held on Rikers Island. All but one were not listed as white in the agency’s “Inmate Lookup” search.
The federal monitor’s recent status report, filed on June 27, reiterated the DOC’s “glacial pace” toward properly implementing reforms in the city’s jails.
Campaigning to close Rikers
Some see the horrors of Rikers Island as unique and exceptional, and that the city’s best shot ending those inhuman conditions is through the borough-based jails.
Ashley Santiago, senior community organizer at Freedom Agenda, said her nephew’s detainment on Rikers led her to
detainees are held on Rikers pre-trial—innocent before proven guilty and solely to ensure they show up for their court appearances. A sally port in the new facilities would allow direct transport from the jails to the courts in Chinatown.
Mualimm-ak, who spent 12 years on Rikers, said a borough-based jail would have allowed him to see his kids more frequently, interact with his lawyers more, and facilitate a speedier trial.
“All of these things are what we’re promising them—no one is getting[them] on Rikers right now,” he said. “No one is getting [them] until we build a humane facility.”
A chicken-or-the-egg scenario uniquely affects the Manhattan site—the neighborhoods are selected because the facilities need to be placed near the courts.
Kaplan said addressing community concerns and closing Rikers are not mutually exclusive.
“One can both believe that the presence of the detention facility in Chinatown— much like there has historically been a jail in that location—is not going to be devastating to the neighborhood, and still take very seriously what all the community issues are that people are identifying and seeking help with at the same time,” said Kaplan. “I don’t think it needs to nor should be an either/or question of do we support the right closure of Rikers or do we support the needs of the Chinatown community?” Santiago said that lost in the Chinatown jail conversation are justice-impacted people and their families. The Queens native also noticed an absence of other Black and Brown people at the table, despite those two racial demographics making up roughly 90% of those held in city jails. She left the Chinatown jail design meeting the “angriest” she’s ever been, feeling like people were more concerned about DOC’s gardening policies than the deaths on Rikers.
“They’re making [a] commotion, but nothing is happening,” said Santiago. “They’re not doing anything to save the people on Rikers.”
The many opinions fueling Chinatown’s resistance
advocate for the plan.
“Changing people’s environment will do a whole lot, because the borough-based jails will be closer, visitation will be up, and that will also bring violence down,” she said.
“When people feel loved and happy and they just saw their loved one and they’re living in that emotion instead of just torture all day, which leads to more violence...”
She recalled that “…the only time lawyers would talk to my nephew was at court dates. I would ask them, ‘You don’t go see him on Rikers?’ And they would scoff, like, ‘I’m not going to Rikers.’”
Borough-based jail proponents see the placement next to courthouses, like in Chinatown, as necessary. After all, most
Neighbors United Below Canal co-founder Jan Lee argues tackling the city’s mess falls unfairly into Chinatown’s lap as the neighborhood continues to reel from disinvestment. The third-generation resident questioned the viability of moving Rikers’ personnel problems inland.
“It’s beyond my comprehension why people have sudden faith in the Department of Corrections today,” said Lee. “There’s a leap of faith that one has to take, given the entire history of incarceration in New York and how it’s gotten to this point that you’re not transferring the horrors of Rikers Island into four separate communities.”
W.O.W. Project organizer and researcher Denise Zhou sees Rikers Island as a symptom of a “history of incarceration that has always been a history of reform.”
See JAIL on page 18
(AP Photo)
The then "new" Rikers Island prison in May of 1935 was "said to be the last word in penal institutions." (AP Photo/John Rooney)
“The plan was proposed as a solution to closing Rikers, and Rikers certainly should be closed,” said Zhou. “Rikers has always had a really terrible reputation as a facility, but you look at the history of any jail in New York…the narrative built around Rikers is the same narrative that has been ascribed to every single jail in New York. Look at the Tombs, for example—the Tombs was regarded as this horrible place and people wanted it shut down.
“There was also the New York Women’s House of Detention in the West Village—a jail that was really integrated into the neighborhood…this is a story that has happened over and over and over again. The way that the city government has handled incarceration and carceral expansion has always been to close down a jail and build a new one.”
In both cases, the city moved the existing detainee populations to Rikers. Ironically, previous Chinatown movements against jail plans secured 88 units of low-income senior housing known as Chung Pak. Yet the same center, adjacent to the borough-based jail site, now faces the brunt of the earth-shaking vibrations from when the city-contracted Gramercy Group demolished the previous facilities at 124-25 White Street. A massive crack was left on the first floor. Many residents have told Beatrice Chen, whose office is in the same building, that they cannot move out.
But more than a series of bridges separate Chinatown from Rikers Island, said Chen.
“We don’t really talk about Rikers’ closure,” said Chen. “It’s really more focused on this jail, but then it is actually all tied [together], because this wouldn’t have happened if Rikers didn’t fall to that. But for us, it’s human nature for what is right in front of us.”
Lee said educating locals often starts on the ground floor.
“We have to tell people the difference between a prison and a jail, so that it starts from that very basic level,” said Lee. “You get people saying, ‘We don’t want prisoners running around,’ and you have to start with the idea first that these are detainees. Two-thirds of the people haven’t had their day in court yet. These are not proven to be dangerous people. I just want to set the stage for how basic the conversation has to be from our perspective.”
Joe Chan is one of the few with open connections to both the neighborhood and the city’s carceral system. The long-time Chinatown resident formerly worked with reentry nonprofit Friends of Island Academy (now Youth Justice Network) and still carries his DOC clearance badge with him. He said he’s generally against the closure of Rikers, pointing to similar arguments made by Lee about the DOC.
“Chinatown is a political mulching box,” he said. “We’re like every community’s dumping ground…if you close Rikers, all the corruption and all the mismanagement—it’ll be like a giant, contaminated petri dish. And we’re just gonna smear it and let’s take all of this stuff and put it in the Manhattan mega-jail.”
Will reality stop the borough-based jail before Chinatown can?
The city initially planned on closing Rikers by 2026, but officially postponed the deadline by a year back in 2020.
Now the borough-based jail plan will almost certainly kick the can down the road again. Last year, a public notice revealed the contract to construct the Brooklyn facility would run past 2029, as first reported by the New York Daily News. This year, city records showed even deeper delays for the Bronx and Queens borough-based jails. The jury remains out on when Chinatown’s facility gets built.
These delays do not come as a surprise to the plan’s proponents. NYC Comptroller Brad Lander expected such news during a March interview with the Amsterdam News. He still believes borough-based jails are the best option.
“If we don’t meet those deadlines, then Rikers Island is gonna stay open longer than we wanted to, but we still are better off moving forward to get it closed on the fastest timeline we reasonably can,” said Lander. “Look, no one wants to build a jail—everyone would rather use resources for parks and schools and libraries. But as part of a system that’s designed to keep people safe, you have to be able to have a humane and effective approach, and that’s not what Rikers is.
“The decision was made to build facilities nearer to the courts that can hold people awaiting trial…near to the court where their case is being processed and closer to where families could come to visit them. That’s why the borough-based jails [are] the right way to go.”
There’s also the matter of the facilities themselves, once intended as the antithesis of the overcrowded, under-resourced, presentday Rikers Island. But as city jail populations remain above the borough-based jail cap, the number of beds planned are ballooning, deviating from decarceration.
Advocates blame the Adams administration, pointing to the uptick in enforcement and slashing of social services. The boroughbased plan requires reducing the city jail population, so numbers trend up, not down.
Some advocates, like Katal Center for Justice’s director of advocacy Yonah Zeitz, believe the borough-based plan is no longer tenable under the Adams administration.
“The city’s plan to close Rikers by 2027 is effectively dead,” said Zeitz. “The Adams administration has missed or flat-out ignored every deadline and legal and process benchmark related to the city’s enacted 2019 closure plan. One key tenant of the plan is decarceration, and Adams’s ‘jail-first’ public safety [approach] has led the city’s jail population to go up instead of down—completely derailing the closure plan.
“Mayor Adams must commit to shutting down Rikers, passing a budget that reduces the jail population, and utilizing the city’s vast resources to expedite the process.”
Resignation among Chinatown’s champions
On the other hand, Chinatown’s advocates see the jail’s construction as inevitable.
“The only way to stop the borough-base[d] jails from being built is [if] more than half of
the City Council has to vote again against the closure of Rikers Island,” said Lee. “That is what’s in front of us…this shift is moving fast, and it is the law, so we have to be really clear: No one’s calling to change the law. Unless you’re willing to solicit the entire City Council to change the law, the jails are getting built. Rikers Island is getting closed.”
For Lee and Neighbors Below Canal, advocacy ultimately means gathering information for the Chinatown community and spreading the neighborhood’s story for the jail’s construction that he says the city is “dead set” on. He maintains if the city must build the facility, it should be kept at a functional, maximum size without impacting local residents, particularly the substantial population of elderly and those living with a disability.
“The damage is done—we’re getting the jail,” said Chan. “Not only that, there’s going
to be more money put into it [and] other people will benefit from that because this facility is going to be built as we go. They need to build in such a way to foresee the incoming traffic to be facilitated in the complex. We can force them to lower the numbers, because it’s built as we go.”
While the advocates who spoke to the AmNews were vastly divided about the borough-based jail plan, they overwhelmingly agreed on funding social programs, reducing the detainee population, and holding the DOC accountable.
Leah Faria, director of community liaisons for the Women’s Community Justice Association, said the common goal is safety, whether in the community or behind bars. Formerly held at the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers, the borough-based jail proponent calls herself both an abolitionist and a realist.
“We got to keep the conversations going and we got to educate to let them know we all fight for the same kind of goal,” said Faria. “It’s not us against them—we [are] just trying to get to a place where we can have safer communities, and the people within the communities can get whatever resources they need, whether it be housing, whether it be jobs.”
Darren Mack, executive director of Freedom Agenda, extended an open invitation to work together on middle-ground issues.
“I think residents of lower Manhattan and Chinatown who care honestly and deeply about preventing DOC abuses on Rikers now and in the borough-based jails in the future can be an important voice in this conversation,” he said by email. “As the jail designs are finalized, they can help shape this plan for the better, including fighting against the mayor’s constant pressure to add beds and reduce therapeutic housing units in the jails.
“They can also pressure this mayor to reverse his destructive course and use supportive housing, mental health supports, and other community alternatives to incarceration to bring down the population at Rikers as we move toward the borough-based jails and a smaller carceral footprint by 2027.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who 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.
AmNews Archives November 1975
Black Philanthropy Month: NYCHA’s recycling entrepreneur Brigitte Charlton-Vicenty
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
Black Philanthropy Month (BPM) is a global movement centered around funding equity across the Black diaspora. This year’s theme is “Afro-Futures of Giving,” a call for a focus on giving towards afrofuturistic and green initiatives, which NYCHA’s The Inner City Green Team (ICGT) embodies.
After a groundswell of support for racial equity on the heels of the global protest movements of 2020, that fervor – particularly among funders – has waned. However, there are still organizations pre- and post-COVID committed to funding and advancing racial justice.
BPM was founded by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland in 2011. It officially launches on August 1 each year and includes year-round initiatives by its backbone organization, the Women Invested to Save Earth Fund (The WISE Fund). Copeland is a cultural anthropologist, diplomat, impact designer, and creative at Georgetown University and University of Pennsylvania. She has also been a dedicated environmentalist for decades.
“I have always been a steward of the planet since the day my mother took me to upstate New York to see the foliage when I was eight years old,” said Brigitte Charlton-Vicenty, founder of ICGT. “The magnificence of all the beautiful colors and witnessing the power of nature made me want to care for Mother the way She cares for us, which became my first moment of obligation.”
A native New Yorker, Charlton-Vicenty grew up in the South Bronx with her mother and in Harlem with her father and grandmother. She thought she was doing the right thing by placing recyclables in the designated bins at her development as a kid, but realized that all of her individual efforts to help the planet from her building had been fruitless. Although the city did declare residential recycling as law, over 500,000 residents in the city’s public housing communities did not have access to these programs to safely dispose of their recyclable materials, electronics, textiles, or food scraps, she said.
“Until 2006, when I witnessed [recyclables] being thrown in with the garbage, I was flabbergasted to
learn that all my neighbors’ and my efforts over many years were in vain because NYCHA was not in compliance with the [city’s] recycling laws,” Charlton-Vicenty said. “I envisioned a perfect opportunity to help establish a viable recycling program in my development when I came across a posting urging residents to get involved with the community’s ‘Green Agenda.’”
Inspired by her mother being a powerhouse for the community as a teen, Charlton-Vicenty dedicated her life to promoting a real recycling program in the city’s various public housing buildings. She entered and won $20,000 in the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge: Zero Waste in Shared Space contest in 2017, allowing her to pilot her recycling idea.
The international competition sought solutions to improve recycling capture rates, increase resident engagement in a meaningful way, mitigate litter, and reduce the amount of time employees spend dealing with
waste. Her program launched at a NYCHA development in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood.
ICGT now employs Black and Brown residents in green and recycling jobs. Charlton-Vicenty explained that NYCHA residents have some of the highest unemployment rates in the city and are in critical need of jobs. “Our workforce development model focuses on scaling the service to provide green-collar jobs, environmental leadership, and skill-building for NYCHA residents. We train and hire residents to engage fellow residents,” Charlton-Vicenty said.
She added that NYCHA developments were considered impossible to recycle because of their density and limited space, and haphazard attempts were made to start programs in the past. ICGT filed a lawsuit against NYCHA, forcing the entity to roll out NYCHA Recycles! at all of its 338 developments in 2016.
“I call my work my ‘green ministry’ and I have been privileged to
learn my purpose on this planet,” Charlton-Vicenty said. “It is to serve and deliver the message that everything that impacts our environment impacts us all. In my work, Afrofuturism expands the consciousness of our connectedness in marginalized communities to our planet and each other.”
Charlton-Vicenty became an Echoing Green (EG) fellow in 2020. EG is a diverse investment company that supports entrepreneurs that was founded in 1987. In honor of BPM this August, the company is highlighting Charlton-Vicenty.
“The Echoing Green Fellowship was the first organization to support my environmental activist vision. Becoming part of the EG family is incredibly validating and is a social entrepreneur’s dream,” she said. “The global nonprofit provides funding and resources to social innovators with the brightest ideas and talent to make great changes in their communities. We are a tribe of leaders who started at the grassroots level and are
committed to solving social issues on every platform.”
ICGT hopes to continue addressing the city’s environmental issues, green leadership, youth development, and the creation of approximately 1,200 sustainable green-collar jobs for NYCHA residents.
“My idea was visualized out of frustration to find an easy and convenient way for my neighbors and me to recycle. My literal soul was ignited to uncover the truth, and I was compelled to think of a better solution,” Charlton-Vicenty said. “Getting to the bottom of this injustice was deep-rooted because I come from a disenfranchised group that no one in the mainstream environmental community wanted to help. I am determined to pick up the mantle to lead the charge and disprove the stereotype that POC in marginalized communities are not interested in issues like recycling, climate change, and environmental justice.”
Photo of Inner City Green Team. (Contributed by Inner City Green Team, Inc. photo)
Ray Chew leads Harlem Music Festival All-Star Band, discusses life and new music
By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews
The multi-talented musician and Harlem native Ray Chew is often described as “music director to the stars,” thanks to his accomplishments as music director for Dancing with the Stars; formerly with American Idol and It’s Showtime at the Apollo; and 1980s performances as a member of the Saturday Night Live Band for the long-running sketch comedy show.
This month, Chew returns to Harlem Week to celebrate its 50th anniversary as bandleader of the Harlem Music Festival All-Star Band. He spoke to the Amsterdam News via Zoom about his upcoming album and new single, “Jam”; his life; and his roots in Harlem Week.
AmNews: It would be amazing if you would talk a bit about your roots in Harlem.
Ray Chew: That was the venue, you know—James Brown, Aretha Franklin, all Motown—everybody had to play the Apollo. I would be backstage, trying to get a glimpse of who might be coming in. And you could tell who some of the important artists were because the line would be wrapped around the block. Twice around the full city block for James Brown, for the Temptations, for Aretha Franklin. The line would wrap twice.
Growing up, I knew how the culture affected me. And my mother was a visionary and she wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be a product of the streets, so she got me into music lessons at age 5 and 6. I had a scholarship, and I started studying at the Harlem School for the Arts and every music institution she could get me in, so music education—music study—was a big thing. Then I went to the High School of Music and Art (135th Street)... Let me go back.
The Amsterdam News was right around the corner from the Apollo, between 8th Avenue and 126th Street, and we always knew how important the Amsterdam News was to the community because we didn’t have a major outlet. We couldn’t depend on the Daily News or the Post to serve the community, but the Amsterdam News did that. So thank you over the years for that.
AmNews: Did you know as a little kid that you wanted to do music, or were you more going with the flow regarding your path in life in conjunction with your familial influence?
Chew: Yeah— my father was a musician. He played piano and vibes, and he had instilled in me a sense of what music was about. We always had music—he would play his vibes and his piano, and I would sit and play and work with him, so it was in my blood. Music was something that I’ve always been hearing and feeling and knowing that I’d always be doing. It wasn’t even necessarily a different choice, or a choice
that wasn’t desired by me. And they made sure I had great training—teachers and mentors, and people who were professionals in the business to guide me toward what a career would look like.
AmNews: Let’s talk about your new song “Jam” and how you got that together, and then we’ll move into your wonderful event in Harlem Week. Chew: I had an idea, and I talked about my journey, but in January of this year, 2024, God tapped me on the shoulder and said, “It is time for you to express in your own voice as an artist the wonderful gifts I have for you.” The title of my forthcoming album is “My Journey”—I already had a title for the album. This was going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and one of the things that came to me was the style of how I wanted to express myself. I had many different things to say, and I could say them with an R&B background, a jazz background, a classical background, but I wanted to start the party off with a party, so “Jam” is right in that two-step party style. I was feeling that.
Then I thought, I need to get some help with the track and the beat, so I got Kid Capri. He was out in the studio, and we got the beat popping, and I thought, “We gotta get that iconic voice, a voice that everybody’s going to know and represents classic R&B.” Who other than Stephanie Mills? I flew down to North Carolina to connect with her and she was in great spirits.
Our friendship is deep and long, and she gave of herself and I’m appreciative of that.
Next up, I thought, “We’ve got the party going, who rocks the party? Oh, MC Light!”
So I gave her a call. I said, “Just give me eight bars,” and she said, “Don’t worry,” and she gave me eight bars.
Finally, the party rocker himself: Doug E. Fresh. Doug E. Fresh is still the party rocker. He’s the man, and he put his touch on it, put his voice on it, and I got some beat box. We’re going to do some other mixes with him. So, there you go, that’s “Jam.”
It was wonderful to hear these legends, iconic legends, just say, “Of course I’ll do it.”
AmNews: I would love for you to encourage young people that even if it doesn’t
happen at 20 and 30 and so forth, life is a forward-moving trajectory, and what your thoughts are about that.
Chew: Absolutely. Life—you can put it as a series of seasons. Life can be cyclical. Life can take you on hills and valleys. But the one thing that is the constant is that time moves forward, so wherever you were yesterday, figuratively or literally, that is not where you are today. Your biggest triumphs and awards and everything—that’s still yesterday. You hear people saying, “You can’t live off of yesterday,” and that’s right. But it would also apply to some of your lows— the things that may hurt you, the pain that you felt, loss. I would encourage everybody that the term “stuck” is a misnomer because again, time marches on, so it is important that I help encourage those to know that, especially with the community of Harlem, and Harlem is celebrating 50 years of Harlem Week.
I want to thank the community of Harlem, the village of Harlem. It’s a wonderful thing, to know that you always have a place to go. For more info, visit www.allthingschew. com/ray/ and www.harlemweek.com.
Ray Chew (Photo courtesy of Ray Chew Records)
Schomburg adds Afro Mexican photography to its archives with ‘Visibility & Resistance’ exhibit
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
The new exhibition “Visibility & Resistance: New Acquisitions, Contemporary Afro Mexican Photography,” on view at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture through December 2, 2024, showcases the work of four contemporary Afro Mexican artists. The photographers––Dolores Medel, Hugo Arellanes Antonio, Koral Carballo, and Toumani Camara—are all recipients of Mexico-United States Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS) Fulbright grants. They came to the Schomburg this past Friday, August 9, to talk about their work and their communities.
The exhibition is part of a new effort by the Schomburg to enhance its documentation of Afro Mexicans. The famed African diaspora library had only a scattered collection of information about Black Mexicans, such as a copy of the 1837 congressional decree that abolished slavery throughout the country and some photos of Black Mexicans working in silver mines in the 20th century. Other documents, also on display in the exhibition, include books that detail Black life in Mexico during the 1700s.
Renee González de la Lama, director of the COMEXUS program, said at the opening of the exhibition that when she initially saw the the Schomburg’s documentation about Afro Mexicans, “I was really sad to see that the Schomburg’s photographic archives had examples of all the people from all the Latin American countries except Mexico.
“In Mexico,we have many firsts that I believe are important in this context, not only among photographers, but with the presence of Afrodescendant
populations. We had, for example, the first Black president on the American continent, the first Black governor on the American continent. I think these are firsts that are also important in the context of the Schomburg’s research.
“There is also the fact that Mexico was the country that welcomed many slaves who fled [the United States after] slavery had been abolished in our country. They came to enrich Mexico with a Black population that went beyond the population that had arrived enslaved.” Mexico’s Black community can be found in areas throughout the nation and have traditionally established villages in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Veracruz, and Coahuila. The photographers whose work is on display hail from the Costa Chica region, Veracruz, Puebla, and Mexico City. They spoke about how the regions they were raised in have influenced their photography.
Dolores Medel, who is from the Tuxtla region of Veracruz, called her native state “a jungle region where tabaco grows—where there is a tradition of witchcraft or shamanism and where there is also a lot of traditional music, like the son jarocho…and also there is a cosmopolitan region. There were migrations coming in from different parts of the world––Africa and the Caribbean above all. I think that has an influence on me because the setting and the environment is very accessible and allows me to see stories and to tell stories.”
The Schomburg Center’s director, Joy L. Bivins, said the “Visibility & Resistance” exhibition is both beautiful and “meaningful, and it intersects with our nearly century-long project of uncovering the genius of people of African descent around the world through their cultural production.”
For more info, visit www.nypl.org.
Those attending the opening of the Schomburg's Visibility & Resistance exhibit were treated to a traditional Afro Mexican Danza de los Diablos presentation led by the artist Baltazar Castellano Melo.
Untitled 2018 by Toumani Camara (Karen Juanita Carrillo photos)
Henry, 2017 by Koral Carballo (Manon Loiseau photo)
Coming soon: Kids’ Night on Broadway offers free tix for kids
By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews
The earlier young people can be exposed to theater, the sooner they can be inspired and see creative possibilities for themselves. It is about to be that time of the year again—Kids’ Night on Broadway— when young people ages 18 and under get to attend a Broadway show free of charge with an adult paying full price for a ticket.
This Broadway League program will mostly take place during 18 shows on Tuesday, August 20, in New York City. (One additional show, “The Great Gatsby,” will offer it on Wednesday, August 21.) The list of 19 Broadway shows total includes: “Aladdin,” “& Juliet,” “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “Chicago,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Hadestown,” Hamilton,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Lion King,” “MJ,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “The Notebook,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” “SIX,” “Suffs,” “The Outsiders,” “Water for Elephants,” and “Wicked.”
To learn more and be the first to know when tickets go on sale, sign up for the Broadway Fan Club at www.kidsnightonbroadway.com. (You have to be at least 13 years old to join the free Fan Club.) By visiting the site, you’ll get additional information about this marvelous event.
Kids’ Night on Broadway is celebrated with in-theater special activities, including talkbacks, singalongs, art projects, Kids’ Night on Broadway activity books, and more. Select restaurants will offer exclusive discounts as well.
Audience members attending their first Broadway show can let the world know with “My First Broadway Show” stickers, available at participating theaters. Everyone attending Kids’ Night on Broadway must have a ticket to the show they choose. The offer is applied as 50% off each ticket
when purchased as a pair; no additional “free” tickets are added to orders.
Kids’ Night on Broadway is a year-round national audience development program of the Broadway League, presented by the New York Times. Since 1996, more than 200,000 kids and teens have attended Broadway shows through this program.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with some of the Black stars in various musicals currently running on Broadway about how important it is to see shows at an early age. It was wonderful to receive responses from Noah J. Ricketts (“The Great Gatsby”), Nikki M. James (“SUFFS”), and Stan Brown (“Water for Elephants”) about how young they were when they first experienced theater.
“I think [I was] about 12 or so,” Ricketts recalled. “I was shipped off to theater camp after a skateboarding incident left me with a broken arm. Up until that time, I was a sports kid like most boys my age. When I entered theater camp, my entire world changed. I was suddenly thrust into a world with endless possibility and adventure. The turning point for me was playing Joe in ‘Schoolhouse Rock Live.’ I’ve never looked back.”
James remembered that “my parents took me to see ‘Cats’ when I was in kindergarten. This was around the same time I sang on stage for the first time—at my kindergarten graduation.”
Brown said, “I was 8 years old. I remember having a fixed (but very real) smile the entire time. I was hypnotized.”
Sharing how theater made them feel, Ricketts admitted, “It was a terrifying yet gratifying experience. For the first time, I was able to express myself using my body as the instrument. It made me feel powerful. For the first time, the audience got to see all of me.”
James said, “I remember being total-
ly enthralled and dancing down the mean streets of 1980s NYC, thinking ‘I can’t believe people get to do this for their job!’”
Pondering that role that early exposure played in what they do today, Ricketts said, “I’m constantly tapping into the joy I had as a young kid in theater. I think it’s important. Now that it’s become my profession, I find it even more important to tap into the why—why I started in the first place and why I continue with it today. I think it’s because behind the veil of a character, you’re able to reveal so much truth.”
James proudly proclaimed, “Of course, this experience directly influenced me being able to see performing as a career path. The bonus was how exciting it was to be transported to a magical place in a way that only live theater can do.”
The show that inspired Brown was the Radio City Christmas Spectacular: “I still say (at 61) that it was the moment that lit the possibility within me of being on stage.”
Considering the importance of this generation getting to experience live theater, the actors proclaimed theater’s value.
“In this age of AI, Instagram, and TikTok, I think we are more isolated than ever before,” Ricketts said. “Theater is a communal experience. You’re experiencing the highs and lows of the human condition with an audience of strangers…and for those couple of hours, you’re tethered to the people around you. That’s something that can’t be replicated. That shared experience brings us together like no other medium.”
For James, “Live entertainment is one of the last places in our world where we can really put down our phones and connect with other people. The stories we tell can be transformative and transporting, but I think it’s also valuable to remember that we can create community with each other.”
“Experiencing live theater invites young
people into the present moment,” said Brown. “It offers a break from technological distractions and fosters genuine human connection and self-awareness. More than ever, immersion in storytelling is needed in developing a reliable sense of ‘now’ and enhancing emotional and intellectual presence.”
Thinking about what they want young people to take away from seeing a Broadway show, Ricketts said, “I want the audience to use the show as a mirror. In what ways are you like or unlike the characters you’ve seen?…and with that information, how can you make the world a slightly better place?”
Hoping to inspire, James said, “We are capable of great things, and we can also celebrate the small things!”
Brown wants young people to have “a greater sense of presence and connection, the power of being fully engaged in the moment, and how it enriches their interactions and understanding of the world around them.”
Take a young person to Broadway for free—you’ll be glad you did!
Noah Ricketts in scene from “The Great Gatsby” (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman photo)
Nikki M. James in a scene from “SUFFS” (Joan Marcus photo)
Noah Ricketts in scene from “The Great Gatsby” (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman photo)
Stan Brown from Broadway’s “Water for Elephants” (Contributed press photo)
HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS
By SUPREME GODDESS KYA
| CONSULTATIONS 866-331-5088
S. Lewis
As slow as things have been, the faster they will flow this week. The fulfillment of an accomplishment will bring you joy. August is about staying consistent, committed, and concentrated on your mission and doing things that are conducive to your schedule. Rearranging or cleaning out your home or space, plus a change in your diet, is essential this week. Wise women and men will counsel you this week, or you will seek out their counsel. Listening is key for digesting what they have to say and applying the information when needed. Rely on your instincts this month as they will guide you to the right place in the right moment of time.
Ask yourself what changes and adjustments are needed to follow through with your agenda. Change comes with uncomfortable circumstances that introduce you to new opportunities you didn’t see before. Change is a new chapter in one’s life. What new chapter do you want to write, paint, or create to tell your story? Every day, minute, hour, and second count—they all add up to some forthcoming event.
Can you feel the freshness awakening in you? Neptune retrograde in Pisces has you heading to a new destination, going through the old and the new. When you are still and allow the things you hold onto to pass you by, then you can see the deeper meaning of what you are seeking and the newness will be shown to you. Remember: through the awkwardness, delays, and detours, there’s an opening. The journey is the experience.
The things you didn’t see are now revealing themselves to you—although you may have felt it last month, this week emphasizes what you felt. It’s a great week to make adjustments and improvements to enhance your reputation in some type of way and be seen. Any public agenda will be extended to your new quest ahead. Something this week will feel like a spiritual selfdiscovery. Apply the footwork.
August is a quirky kind of month, with a profound twist by the evening of the 20th. What you need to see will be revealed this week. Your vision will need a bit of adjusting, like wiping your glasses to clear off the debris. Spend time in nature to be grounded; even when your day is productive, just a few minutes in nature will rejuvenate your spirit. Visit a nearby body of water, be it a lake, pond, river, or fountain.
Say the magic word and do the magic work. This is a great week of opportunity, advancement, invention, and attending gatherings and functions. You have all the starts in motion for you, working at your command. You must apply the sweat, time, effort, and energy. Find time to clear your space, rearrange your schedule, and take inventory of the changes needed around you. Get a visual overview of what needs to be down for you this week. Write it down.
Prepare for quirky twists and turns to usher in something for the people during this Full Moon in Aquarius at 26 degrees with a T-square Uranus. Revelations, truth serums, and financial and third-party legal affairs are likely during this time. When the old is on the brink, ushering in the new, mostly everything will be exposed before forging the new agenda into place. By mid-April of next year, the newness will begin to be established and will set the tone, thanks to Pluto in Aquarius. “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life.”—C.
A termination, cancelation, ending, and/or separation is taking place for the grand opening of a new foundation. Yes, you had something in mind back in March of this year and now it’s time to build on that foundation. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, and why. Once you do that, fill in the blanks to sketch it out to see the vision. Keep your emotions in check and watch the words you utter. This week has a kickback to what you say and what you do, with a message to relate or receive. The choices you make will create your reality.
The best part of life is creating what your heart leads you to do. Your body functions like a computer: you command what it will do. Your ancestors will guide you and are always with you. This will give you insight of your new journey ahead, be it an expansion to an existing establishment or a new foundation. Community work is required if you need to volunteer or help someone out. Great rewards will show up by August 27.
When you have a plan in motion, stick to it until the end. Call all your friends, family, colleagues, and associates to help you complete the mission. It’s time to elevate on a new project. The changes coming your way are preparation for an exciting mission ahead. This comes with a decision to make a change for you to pivot for your advancement. Follow your gut instinct, as you will receive information instantaneously and meet folks that have additional information for you.
This is an “invite-only” or a “private meeting taking place” type of week. This can also be a week to unwind, rejuvenate, and receive clarity about something you ask the universe to reveal to you. It’s a power-move weekly cycle to network, change up your scenery, paint the walls in your home, rearrange the furniture, and change up your appearance, even your hair style. What is coming next is a new level of change in your life to rise to the occasion. This energy has been present since the last week of March.
Are you ready for a soul searching journey? You are on a spiritual mission this cycle week. Pay attention to messages and conversations, and when you go outside, make a grand entrance with your appearance because people will see you and hear about you. What is it that you have a passion for, and what do you want to do within your relationships and partnerships?
August is an Alpha month for you to do whatever your heart guides you. Make sure you treat yourself. It’s a time to do some house cleaning, healing, discarding items you no longer use, conversing with family members, and clearing old debts. Speak the words of what you wish to manifest, and follow up with the work to build your foundation. Follow up on any doctor appointments, phone calls, and business affairs.
Talking SCHOP! Feeling Latin-ish
By KYSHA HARRIS AmNews Food Editor
Last week, I attended a cocktail reception to celebrate the release of food personality Marisel Salazar’s first cookbook, “Latinish.” Our hostess, Caroline Hachett, invited a small group of food editors to her minimalist-maximalist apartment and cooked up some of the recipes from the book. We had a time!
Born of Cuban, Panamanian, and Peruvian heritage, Salazar’s appreciation for Latin-ish foods developed when she was a teenager, from traveling around the world with her parents because her stepfather served in the U.S. Navy. In that formative time and into her adult years of travel, Salazar began to recognize Americans abroad who were missing the Latin-based regional American foods like Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, Southwestern, Floribbean, Latino Southern, Latino Midwestern, and—of course—our wonderful NYC Latino. Latin-ish celebrates all of the American Latino cuisines, from breakfast to dessert and all of the spices, sauces, sides, and staples in between.
As I arrived, our hostess greeted me with a warm hello and some Texas Ranch Water (p. 168), a cocktail of blanco tequila, Topo Chico, and lime with a salt rim. Effervescent, bright, and fun, it was the perfect way to welcome me in and pique my appetite, too.
Latin-ish dishes were spread all over the fabulous Mid-Century Modern artistic apartment. I said a quick hello to those around the table (because…food) where Esquites herb salad (p. 88), collard green empañadas (p. 66), and Dominican spaghetti (p. 59) lived. I cannot lie: I went in on that salad a couple of times. It was like elote in a bowl but brightened with tons of herbs. I will definitely be making that one.
The coffee table housed good ol’ American guacamole (p. 202) and fresh corn tortilla chips (p. 206) that were a bomb together. There were also Puerto Rican party sandwiches (p. 41), made with canned lunch meat and jarred cheese on crustless white bread—think pimento cheese but make it Latin-ish.
Dessert was Salazar’s plantain upsidedown cake (p. 137) with vanilla ice cream, and I ate every bite of it (because I love anything banana-ish). It was moist and not too sweet. All I needed was some dark chocolate to make it Kysha-ish.
Thank you to Caroline Hachett for the gathering and congratulations again to Marisel Salazar for this little piece of food joy. “Latin-ish” is due online and on actual
shelves on August 20. Happy eating and thanks for reading!
Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email at AmNewsFOOD@ SCHOPnyc.com. Follow on Instagram and Facebook @NYAmNewsFOOD.
Kysha Harris is a chef, food writer and editor, culinary producer, consultant, and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for more than 22 years. Follow her on Instagram at @SCHOPnyc and on Facebook at @SCHOPnyc.
With author Marisel Salazar (Kysha Harris photos)
With hostess Caroline Hachett
Table of Latin-ish goodies
Inside the collard green empañadas
Last piece of plantain upside-down cake
‘Pre-Existing Condition’ is powerful theater
BY LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews
“Pre-Existing Condition,” playing at the Connelly Theatre (220 E. 4th Street), is a must-see! This production is the tremendous work of Marin Ireland and has stunning direction by Maria Dizzia. It tells the story of a woman and her process of trying to heal and find herself after being physically abused by her boyfriend. This is such a common story that the characters do not have full names: the main character is A; her therapists are B and C; and her boyfriend and other male and female characters are D.
The actors portraying C and D play multiple roles with ease and distinction. This cast delivers spot-on, penetrating, and sometimes funny performances, and each actor brings their own take to their roles.
The main character, A, is poignantly played by Tavi Gevinson. We first see A speaking with C, who is playing the character of a lawyer. A is wondering about what legal process she can follow for the trauma she has experienced. Gevinson inhabits this character with great depth, passion, and empathy.
Character B, one of the therapists in the group therapy sessions, is played by the incomparable actress and playwright Dael Orlandersmith. Every time she takes the stage, she delivers her lines with brilliance and
heart. She leaves an indelible mark on the audience.
Sarah Steele plays character C and multiple other roles as one of the domestic violence group therapists; a friend of both character A and her abusive boyfriend, and a friend from A’s hometown, now on her own in the big city.
Ireland carefully and painstakingly lets the audience in on the common ways that female domestic violence victims are viewed, and how they often take on the belief that somehow they are at fault for being abused. Ireland delves into the stereotypes associated with battered women; the audience also bears witness to how a woman can betray her own friend when she takes the side of the friend’s abuser. There are so many moments that shine a light on the unfair fate that befalls so many victims of domestic violence that you cannot help but be captivated.
“Pre-existing Condition” runs for 90 minutes with no intermission. The production features scenic design by Louisa Thompon, costume design by Enver Chakartash, lighting design by Isabella Byrd, and sound design by Palmer Hefferan.
Ireland has delivered a very relevant work, and a piece that should get an important conversation going. For tickets, visit preexistingconditionplay.com.
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• Current Shareholders are not eligible to apply.
• Applicant/Head of household must be at least 18 Years Old at the time of the lottery.
• Preference will be given to documented veterans selected in the lottery that are NY State residents only.
• Any applicant that does not have the proper family composition will automatically be disqualified.
• ONE REQUEST ONLY PER APPLICANT. Any applicant placing a duplicate request will not be entered into the lottery. An applicant can only submit a paper entry or an on-line entry. If applicants enter on-line and also mail in a letter or postcard, they have submitted a duplicate request and will not be eligible for the lottery.
• An applicant whose name is selected in a lottery cannot be included in the family composition of any other applicant who is selected in the same lottery for that particular housing company development. Failure to comply will result in the disqualification of both applicants.
Additional Information: A $75.00 non-refundable application fee will be required only for applicants that are selected from the lottery. Waiting list will be established by a limited lottery. There will be a limit of 350 applicants drawn from the Studio Lottery.
Jazzmobile at Marcus Garvey Park
HOW TO APPLY: ONLINE You can now apply to a lottery online through Mitchell-Lama Connect. Applying is fast, easy and you will be able to check the status of your entry to see if you have been selected. To apply on line go to: https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/lottery.html#ml-home
BY MAIL Mail Post Card or Envelope by regular mail. Registered and Certified Mail will not be accepted. Clearly print your full first and last name, current address and last 4 digits of your social security number and the bedroom size lottery that you wish to apply for. If you do not include the last 4 digits of your social security number or fail to indicate the bedroom size lottery, you will not be entered into the lottery. Mail post card or envelope to:
The Danny Mixon Quartet, with special guest Antoinette Montague, recently graced the stage at Marcus Garvey Park as part of the Jazzmobile Summerfest series.
Dael Orlandersmith in scene from “Pre-Existing Condition” (Emilio Madrid photo)
(Bill Moore photos)
A ‘Great Day’ in Harlem
Among those who turned out to celebrate the 2024 Harlem Week’s Great Day in Harlem were members of Uptown Dance Academy; the Sing Harlem
Choir; AFRIBEMBÉ ; Felipe Luciano and Vy Higginsen; Artz, Rootz & Rhythm; Ray Chew; and Congressmembers Adriano Espaillat and Yusef Salaam,
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, the Honorable NYS Assemblymember Inez E. Dickens, NYS Senator Cordell Cleare, and more.
Movie nights and presidential birthdays in Martha’s Vineyard
Peacock’s limited series, “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” closed the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival the weekend of Aug. 9. The soldout screening was attended by executive producer Will Packer, cast members Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, and Chloe Bailey. The afterparty was held at the Loft with more A-list guests who included Ledisi, my favorite actor Glynn Turman, my Howard University classmate Lynn Whitfield, and more. “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” premieres on Peacock Sept. 5.
Barack Obama, who recently had a 63rd birthday party at a restaurant in the Katama section of Martha’s Vineyard, near his and wife Michelle’s home, has shared his annual Summer 2024 playlist. People reports that the former president told influencer Carter Gregory of thecarterb, that his playlist included Charli xcx’s “365”, Beyonce’s “Texas Hold Em,” and Billie Eilish’s “CHIHIRO,” plus older songs like “How Do U Want It” by 2Pac featuring K-Ci & JoJo and “Silvio” by Bob Dylan. Meanwhile, Spike Lee recently posted on Instagram that he returned to Martha’s Vineyard from the Paris Olympics to attend Obama’s birthday celebration.
The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and Primary Wave Music presented its 3rd Annual Gala, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of her historic visit to South Africa. The gala on Aug. 9 at the St. Regis Atlanta also marked Whitney’s three historic post-apartheid performances and visits that followed Nelson Mandela’s election win in South Africa. Kevin Frazier of “Entertainment Tonight” and Pat Houston, president of the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation, hosted the event with Jonathan Slocumb as MC.
Lisa Ruffin, founder of the 30th Annual Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant, and judges announced that Zaya Campbell won this year’s coveted title. 12-year-old Zaya is the daughter of Grammy-winning songstress Erica Campbell of renowned gospel duo Mary Mary, and music producer Warryn Campbell. Actor Michael Beach hosted the pageant, which was held in Los Angeles, while judges included James Pickens Jr., Ella Joyce and Lamon Archey. For the past 30 years, dozens of girls ages 6-12 have participated in this scholarship program.
GO WITH THE FLO FLO ANTHONY
Councilmember Yusef Salaam (Bill Moore photos)
Ray Chew and Harlem Music Festival All-Star Band
Sing Harlem Choir
Owens Cookout, St. Peter’s Jazz, NAMA, Roy Haynes lauded
On August 17, everyone is invited to bassist and composer Endea Owens’s Community Cookout at Marcus Garvey Park (enter at East 122 Street & Madison Avenue). Free live jazz and free meals served from 3–4:45 p.m. or whenever food runs out; meat, fish, and vegetarian options will be available.
The mission of the cookout is to provide relief to individuals who might be food-insecure, in addition to encouraging community members from all walks of life to “break bread together.” Her concept blossomed during the COVID-19 pandemic that halted life in New York City. She assembled a band to play a community event in Harlem, while serving free meals to well over 100 people. The Community Cookout, as she began calling it, became a source of nourishing uplift in a difficult time and her music the rainbow in a frightening experience. “If you have the ability to do something, you should do it, so it wasn’t even a second thought to create the [Community] Cookout, to create something that would benefit everyone,” Owens said during an NPR/Jazz in America radio interview.
Some may know Owens as bassist for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” She originally started with Jon Batiste’s Stay Human house band and remained after his departure under the Late Show Band with bandleader Luis Cato. Owens often still found herself as the only woman in the band, but her musicianship has rendered her a first-call musician despite the traditional domination of men in the music world.
Her mentor, Marcus Belgrave, hired Owens for her first gig when she was an adolescent in the YouthVille Detroit music program, where she was first exposed to jazz. She credits Rodney Whitaker, her teacher at the Detroit School of Arts, with showing her how to play the bass correctly. Fellow Detroit native bassist Marion Hayden was also influential, recommending Owens for her very first tour at Spelman College. Owens released her debut album of her own compositions, “Feel Good Music,” in 2023.
St. Peter’s Church (619 Lexington Avenue), defined as the “Church of Jazz” since its 1965 Jazz Ministry (founded by Pastor John Gensel), has been producing a weekly jazz vespers series every Sunday at 5 p.m. This grand ritual, which has presented jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, continues its final two weeks of August with the trio of Roni Ben-Hur on guitar, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Jason Tiemann on August 18, and the last week of August 25 features the drummer Ronen Itzik.
St. Peter’s Church also offers a lunchtime series Wednesdays Jazz on the Plaza at 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. August 21 will feature Miki Yamanaka Quartet, the young Japanese pianist who is beginning to glow from her many bright performances at Smalls and Mezzrow. August 28 brings saxophonist Billy Harper Quintet—the native Texan, now an elder statesman, remains a force whose definitive sound immediately captures listeners’ attention. He served in the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers boot camp during the late 1960s. He was a long-standing member of Max Roach’s quartet and was later featured with Randy Weston’s African Rhythms ensemble. For more info, visit www.saintpeters.org/ events.
Harlem’s New Amsterdam Musical Association (NAMA) is one of 30 selected as
awardees from 350 applications across the United States, and will receive capital funding from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund 2024. This is a highly competitive program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and NAMA’s grant award is designated to help cover costs for renovations of its more than 100-year-old front façcade, windows, doors, and electrical upgrades. These much-needed conditions have been a problem for many years, dating back to John E. Johnson’s NAMA presidency, when fundraisers and hiring workers were always on the agenda.
“History is crucial to our nation’s understanding of where we’ve come from, who we are today, and how we envision our future,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. “These grants will support critical preservation efforts to revitalize and
sustain tangible links to our African American historic places that we hope will inspire future generations.”
Current President Imani Scott credited to Johnson as her main supporter when she joined the organization. “John E. was a great inspiration to me, and his spirit keeps me moving forward,” Scott said. “The diligence of our members and the community are important to NAMA in preserving our historical, musical, and cultural legacy.”
On Mondays and Wednesdays, visit NAMA (107 West 130th Street) for live music and jam sessions. For times and schedule, visit www.namaharlem.org.
NEA Jazz Master drummer Roy Haynes has received dozens of awards, including three-time Grammy winner; first recipient of the Living National Treasures of Jazz Award presented by the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.; Martin Luther King, Jr. Music Achievement Award in his native home of Boston; Danish Jazzpar prize; and in 1996, knighted by the French government with the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) continued Haynes’s string of awards with a proclamation from State Senator Leroy Connie in recognition of his achievements in music and his invaluable contribution to the borough of Queens. Unfortunately, Haynes was not available, but his daughter Leslie Haynes accepted on his behalf, thanking JCAL for recognizing her father in Queens, where he planted his roots and raised his family. He now lives on Long Island.
The idea to present Haynes with the award was the brainchild of JCAL’s resident music curator, percussionist Steve Kroon. The presentation was held during JCAL’s Queens Riddim & Jazz Festival that featured the fresh vocals of Samara Joy.
Haynes, a living legend, has performed for two presidents, Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan, as well as the King and Queen of Thailand. His career includes his own groups, like the Hip Ensemble and later his eight-year run with Fountain of Youth that featured aspiring musicians David Wong, Marcus Strickland, Jaleel Shaw, and Martin Bejerano; and collaborations with Chick Corea and Pat Metheny— Haynes has played with everyone from Miles Davis to Sarah Vaughan (long- standing stint), Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Lester Young, Billie Holiday… on and on. When Max Roach parted from Charlie Parker, he had only three words: “Hire Roy Haynes.”
Haynes is an iconic jazz musician whose playing styles influenced swing, bebop, straight-ahead, and avant garde. His musical legacy swings on as his sons Craig and Graham, his grandson Marcus Gilmore, and so many generations he has mentored and influenced continue to add their own creative sound to the Haynes tradition.
Endea Owens (Anthony Arti photo)
Endea Owens jams with some young music makers. (Anna Yatskevitch photo)
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Date: Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM
Venue: CHASE BANK
Harlem Community Center Branch 55 West 125th Street
Betw. Malcolm X Blvd. & 5th Ave.
Don't miss this opportunity to network with industry leaders and gain valuable insights into the future of banking and finance!
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CLASSROOM IN THE
Sam Greenlee, author of ‘The Spook Who Sat by the Door’
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
In a forthcoming book on Malcolm X and the CIA, an epigram reads “You know they call CIA agents spooks? First time we’ll ever get paid for that title,” wrote author Sam Greenlee in his seminal work, “The Spook Who Sat by the Door.” For many activists, as well general readers interested in the intrigue of the CIA through the lens of an African American agent, Greenlee’s book, like John A. Williams’s “The Man Who Cried I Am,” was an essential part of their arsenal as they studied ways to end an oppressive racist society. By the time you read this, Greenlee, who died in 2014, would have been celebrating his 94th birthday.
Born on July 13, 1930, in St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, Greenlee was the son of a railroad union activist and a singer and dancer. He grew up in West Woodlawn and attended Englewood High School. A track scholarship from the University of Wisconsin gave him a beginning in higher education and while we have no record of his athletic experience, he did very well academically, earning a B.S. degree in political science in 1952. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (Beta Omicron 1950). From 1952 to 1954, Sam served in the U.S. Army with the final rank of first lieutenant.
It was perhaps during his stint as a foreign service officer with the United States Information Agency (USIA) in Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Greece, where he studied at one of the universities, that he acquired an understanding of how various state department agencies functioned.
He was one of the first African Americans to work in this capacity. Upon mustering out of the service, for the next three years, he enrolled in graduate studies in international relations at the University of Chicago.
“The Spook Who Sat by the Door” (1969), Greenlee’s most lauded work, received the book of the year award from the London Sunday Times and the Meritorious Service Award from the USIA. Wanda Macon in “The Oxford Companion to African American Literature,” wrote that the satirical novel “criticizes the racist
atmosphere of the United States by examining the life of a fictional Black CIA agent, Dan Freeman. It is evident that Greenlee creates his images from his experience in the military and the United States Information Agency.”
Macon goes on to explain Greenlee’s use of the term “spook” both in the title and the novel “possess a sense of duality or ‘double consciousness.’” In effect, it can be viewed as the racial pejorative and the slang term for CIA spies. Greenlee’s “multifaceted character,” she added, “begins to examine the mask that has been worn by African Americans for generations to hide their true feelings.” Greenlee lived on the Greek island of Mykonos for three years with his Dutch-born first wife, Nienke de Jonge.
The film version of the book, directed by Ivan Dixon and starring Lawrence Cook, is included in the National Film Registry’s catalog of
American movies. Jazz great Herbie Hancock wrote the film score. While the novel is considered his most significant publication, Greenlee was a prolific short story writer, and many of his pieces are featured in Negro Digest and its successor Black World. A remastered version of the film by Tim and Daphne Reid was released in 2004 and will be screened here in Harlem at the Maysles Theater on Sunday, August 25.
Among his other publications are “Blues for an African Princess” (1971) and “Baghdad Blues” (1976). He was named Illinois Poet Laureate in 1990, which is just one of several awards bestowed on him, along with the distinction of being inducted into Chicago State University’s Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. Greenlee was working on “Djakarta Blues,” an unfinished memoir at the time of his death on May 19, 2014, on
Malcolm X’s birthdate.
In his magnum opus, Greenlee posited this tactic. “Freeman had had years of practice at the game before adopting the cover he had assumed at the CIA and the present cover as a playboy of the midwestern world. That might save him, but it was important nevertheless that he establish an organization that would survive him. Once they discovered him, he would disappear. There would be no martyr making trials and no more public assassinations as with Malcolm X. He would just disappear and the white man, confident in the eternal passivity and stupidity of the Negro, except for rare individual exceptions, would assume that the organization would die with Freeman. It must not be so.”
As esteemed poet Haki Madhubuti noted, “he was a good man and a fine poet.”
ACTIVITIES
FIND OUT MORE
Macon’s profile offers a taut and strong introduction to Greenlee’s legacy but we suggest you read his novel to get a sense of his creative imagination.
DISCUSSION
Greenlee’s early years eluded our minor search into his life, but the proliferation of obituaries and biographies may provide some evidence of his formative years.
PLACE IN CONTEXT
Born as the Great Depression wreaked havoc around the globe, Greenlee survived this despair and even the tumult and turmoil of the 1960s.
THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY
Aug. 11, 1921: Alex Haley, author of “Roots” who worked with Malcolm X on his autobiography, was born in Ithaca, NY. He died in 1992.
Aug. 13, 1911: James B. Parsons, the first African American with a lifetime appointment to the federal bench, was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He died in 1993.
Aug. 14, 1966: Acclaimed actress Halle Berry was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
Sam Greenlee in Chicago in 1973. Greenlee, who was best known for his 1969 novel “The Spook Who Sat by the Door,” later adapted the book into a political drama movie. (AP Photo/Sun-Times Media)
guns—but they have since been returned, according to David.
While Whittaker faces both civil and criminal actions, David’s options remain limited. Sally Santangelo, executive director of CNY Fair Housing, which represents David, said most injunctive relief obtained by the organization in past harassment cases comes from landlord-tenant disputes rather than neighbor versus neighbor.
“It’s possible that the monetary damages could be significant enough to force him to sell his property or allow her to move, or the threat of that might be enough,” Santangelo said. “Even if a court couldn’t act directly to force him to sell his property, it’s possible that it could happen as a result of monetary damages.”
While David weighed her options the first time she spoke to the AmNews in June, she now believes moving would be the safest option.
Mutual aid efforts defending David sprang up following the harassment, with a Signal group formed by sympathetic fellow farmers and herbalists. Some are in her immediate vicinity while others offer broader support from a distance. One member, Erica Frenay, said Whittaker seems to behave more pleasantly when white people like her are present.
“We’ve tried to step in to do things, like put up the security cameras along that border, that she really doesn’t feel comfortable going to,” Frenay said. “The batteries in those cameras seem to die frequently and so we replace the batteries whenever that’s needed. Some people in the network have helped take care of her animals when she doesn’t feel comfortable going outside to take care of the goats and the chickens.
“We’ve also done other things that are not physical support, but more mental [and] emotional, because this history was going on for a while before the Signal rapid response group started. We’ve helped her to organize a spreadsheet and folder of documentation so whenever she has filed a police report or talked to a lawyer or the D.A., we try to document all of that.”
Her town, which is included in the township of Caroline, is overwhelmingly
Turkey
Continued from page 2
in the case, adding that South Africa and Israel have been invited to “furnish written observations” on the request.
In a statement to the media, Hamas welcomed Turkey’s request to join the lawsuit and said it affirms Erdogan’s support for the Palestinian cause.
“No country in the world is above international law,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X earlier. “The case at the International Court of Justice is extremely important in terms of ensuring that the crimes
white—more than 85%, according to the 2020 Census. Just 2.2% of the population is Black. With Rootwork Herbals’ potential relocation, the local community stands to lose a significant resource.
“This [is] not just straight-up farming, but Amanda has a whole medicine school where her students can go up there and di rectly understand how to create herbal med icines that have been ancestral and passed down,” said Onyx Ramírez, senior commu nications manager for the Black Farmer Fund. “She has the garden beds, which are accessible for people in the community to be able to grow their own stuff. And beyond that, Amanda hosts so many healing com munity events…it’s been withheld for the purpose of keeping people safe.”
Whittaker’s lawyer did not respond to AmNews’ requests for comment by press time.
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who 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.
committed by Israel do not go unpunished.”
Keceli also called for the immediate implementation of precautionary measures ordered by the court, including a halt to military offensives and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Since Erdogan took power in 2003, former allies Turkey and Israel have experienced a volatile relationship, marked by periods of severe friction and reconciliation. The war in Gaza has disrupted the most recent attempts at normalizing ties.
Associated Press writer Molly Quell contributed from The Hague.
Farmers market
Continued from page 3
Bucks to members of our community. I want to thank the Bronx Borough president for partnering with our community in this critical endeavor.”
The Norwood farmers market has been a staple in the community since 2013 and is part of the larger GrowNYC Farmstand network.
“By accepting nutrition benefits and offering Health Bucks incentives to customers using SNAP, we’re ensuring more New Yorkers can access fresh, local food while fostering an equitable regional food system,” said Tutu Badaru, assistant director of GrowNYC Food Access Initiatives.
“Health Bucks provide a match of up to $10 a day for fresh fruits and vegetables, increasing shoppers’ purchasing power.”
Nigeria
Continued from page 2
treason and be treated as such, Nigeria’s military chief Christopher Musa said after meeting with Tinubu.
Pro-Russian sentiments have been growing in parts of West Africa, where Moscow is increasingly welcomed by militaries that have staged coups and severed ties with the West. One is in Nigeria’s northern neighbor, Niger, where French and American troops
have been asked to leave and Russia has been chosen as a new security partner.
On Sunday, Tinubu warned protesters not to let “the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda” in Nigeria, which currently holds the rotational chair position of West Africa’s regional bloc.
Nigeria’s secret service said it had apprehended some tailors in northern Kano state it said were responsible for making Russian flags being distributed in the area. It said an investigation was ongoing.
Amanda David on her property. (Courtesy of Amanda David)
Norwood Farmstand green market at East Gun Hill Road and Dekalb Avenue, the Bronx. (Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson’s office.)
More U.S. schools are taking breaks for meditation. Teachers say it helps students’ mental health
By SHARON JOHNSON Associated Press
Rex, Ga.—The third-grade students at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School had only a few days until summer vacation, and an hour until lunch, but there was no struggle to focus as they filed into the classroom. They were ready for one of their favorite parts of the day.
The children closed their eyes and traced their thumbs from their foreheads to their hearts as a pre-recorded voice led them through an exercise called the shark fin, part of the classroom’s regular meditation routine.
“Listen to the chimes,” said the teacher, Kim Franklin. “Remember to breathe.”
Schools across the U.S. have been introducing yoga, meditation, and mindfulness exercises to help students manage stress and emotions. As the depths of student struggles with mental health became clear in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year endorsed school use of these practices. Research has found school-based mindfulness programs can help, especially in low-income communities where students face high levels of stress or trauma.
The mindfulness program is provided by Inner Explorer, an audio platform and reached Smith Elementary through a contract with the school system, Clayton County Public Schools, where two-thirds of the students are Black. GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that matches communities with local nonprofits, helps Georgia school systems pay for the program.
Joli Cooper, GreenLight Fund Atlanta’s executive director, said it was important to the group to support an organization that is accessible and relevant for communities of color in the greater Atlanta area.
Children nationwide struggled with the effects of isolation and remote learning as they returned from the pandemic school closures. In 2023, the CDC reported that more than a third of students were affected by feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness. The agency recommended schools use mindfulness practices to help students manage such emotions.
“We know that our teenagers and adolescents have really strained in their mental health,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told the Associated Press. “There are real skills that we can give our teens to make sure that they are coping with some big emotions.”
Approaches to mindfulness represent a form of social-emotional learning, which has become a political flashpoint with many conservatives who say schools use it to promote progressive ideas about race, gender, and sexuality.
Advocates say the programming brings much-needed attention to students’ wellbeing.
“When you look at the numbers, unfortunately, in Georgia, the number of children of color with suicidal thoughts and success is quite high,” Cooper said. “When you look at the number of psychologists available for these children, there are not enough psychologists of color.”
Black youth have the fastest-growing suicide rate among racial groups, according to CDC statistics: Between 2007 and 2020, the suicide rate among Black children and teens ages 10 to 17 increased by 144%.
“It’s a stigma with being able to say you’re not OK and needing help, and having the
ability to ask for help,” said Tolana Griggs, Smith Elementary’s assistant principal.
“With our diverse school community and wanting to be more aware of our students, how different cultures feel and how different cultures react to things, it’s important to be all-inclusive with everything we do.”
Nationwide, children in schools that serve mostly students of color have less access to psychologists and counselors than those in schools serving mostly white students.
The Inner Explorer program guides students and teachers through 5- to 10-minute sessions of breathing, meditating, and reflecting several times a day. The program also is used at Atlanta Public Schools and more 100 other districts across the country.
Teachers and administrators say they have noticed a difference in their students since they’ve incorporated mindfulness into their routine. For Aniyah Woods, 9, the program has helped her “calm down” and “not stress anymore.”
“I love myself how I am, but Inner Explorer just helps me feel more like myself,”
Aniyah said.
Malachi Smith, 9, has used his exercises at home, with his father helping to guide him through meditation.
“You can relax yourself with the shark fin, and when I calm myself down, I realize I am an excellent scholar,” Malachi said.
After Franklin’s class finished their meditation, they shared how they were feeling.
“Relaxed,” one student said.
Aniyah raised her hand.
“It made me feel peaceful,” she said.
The Associated Press’s education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Malachi Smith meditates during mindfulness session in his classroom at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School in Rex, Ga. School districts across U.S. have been introducing yoga, meditation, and mindfulness exercises to help students manage stress and emotions.
(AP Photo/Sharon Johnson)
Eagle Academy for Young Men in Queens receives $10,000 grant
Contributed press release
The Eagle Academy for Young Men in St. Albans, Queens, has received a $10,000 grant from AXS TV and Spectrum as part of “AXS TV’s Band Together for Music Education,” an ongoing initiative connecting AXS TV with affiliates, local communities, and schools to sup -
port music education programs and the benefits they provide students. New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks participated in the celebration of the grant, highlighting his role as the founding principal of the first Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx and later as president and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation.
New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks with Spectrum’s vice president of government affairs Rodney Capel at Eagle Academy’s graduation ceremony (Contributed photos)
Health
In Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, company cancels plans for grain export facility in historic Black town
By JACK BROOK Associated Press Report for America
Wallace, La.—Residents of a historic Black community in Louisiana who have spent years fighting against a massive grain export facility set to be built on the grounds where their enslaved ancestors once lived appear to have finally halted the project.
A representative from the company, Greenfield Louisiana LLC, announced during a public hearing on Tuesday evening that the company is “ceasing all plans” to construct a grain export facility in the middle of the town of Wallace in St. John the Baptist Parish. After a moment, opponents of the project broke out in cheers and began clapping and hugging each other.
“I’m still obviously in disbelief—I can’t believe this is happening, but I’m ecstatic, and all praise to the ancestors,” said Joy Banner, a Wallace resident and one of the most vocal opponents of the project. She and her sister, Jo, founded the Descendants Project to preserve the community’s heritage.
The Army Corps of Engineers had already found the 222 acre (90 hectare) facility could have an adverse impact on cultural heritage sites in Wallace, and was tasked with reviewing Greenfield’s application. The Army Corps also found the project could affect historic properties in Wallace, including the Evergreen, Oak Alley, and Whitney plantations. There also remained the possibility that the area contained burial sites for the ancestral Black community.
The company’s announcement signaled a rare win for a community in a heavily industrialized stretch of the Mississippi River known as “Cancer Alley” for its high levels of pollution. Wallace is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of New Orleans.
“I think all of the fighting—it is coming from the love and the passion for our communities we have here along the river, and to show the world we can and you should fight,” Banner said. “We are recognizing that we do have power—that power comes from the love we have for our community.”
Earlier this year, the Banner sisters’ nonprofit purchased a plantation that had been the
site of the 1811 German Coast Uprising, one of the largest slave rebellions in American history. They plan to transform it into an educational space.
Army Corps representative Brad LaBorde said his agency had not been informed in advance of the company’s unexpected decision to cancel plans for the facility.
“We don’t know exactly what that means,” LaBorde said. “We
still have an active permit application, so, if it is Greenfield’s intention to no longer pursue the project, then we would ask (them to) formally submit a withdrawal to us so that we can conclude the review.”
Lynda Van Davis, Greenfield’s counsel and head of external affairs, said the long delay in government approval for the project has been “an expensive ordeal,” adding that she did
not have an answer for when the company would submit a formal withdrawal to the Army Corps.
“This has been a difficult ride the whole time. We didn’t wake up yesterday and say we’re done,” Van Davis said. “We said we’ll stay in the fight a little bit longer, because we’ve become friends with this community. Unfortunately, how long are we supposed to stay in this fight?”
Some community members had supported the project, believing it would bring jobs to their town, even as opponents of the facility said tourism surrounding cultural heritage was already a thriving industry that deserved greater investment.
“I was looking forward to economic development in my community—jobs, new businesses, just all-around better living for my community,” said Nicole Dumas, 48, a Wallace resident, who supported the project.
But the evening became a celebration for others. Angelica Mitchell, 53, held back tears as she took in the company’s announcement. Mitchell is still recovering from treatment for a rare form of cancer that had attacked her pancreas, but she chose to attend the public hearing despite her health struggles. The facility would have been built within a few hundred feet of her home.
“To hear that they are backing out, I am so excited—my prayers have been answered, because I’ve been praying for this for the last three years,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been asking God, just don’t let this plant come into our community. I don’t want this for our children.”
Jack Brook is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Lynda Van Davis, Greenfield’s counsel and head of external affairs, announces the company is “ceasing all plans” to build a grain export facility in the historic Black community of Wallace, La. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
Helen Keller Int’l offers free eye exams
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
The Helen Keller International’s New York Vision Program (NYVP) will conduct free eye examinations for families with children at events on Friday, Aug. 16, at the Abe Stark Older Adult Center @ Millennium Development (10315 Farragut Road) from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., and on Friday, August 30th with City Councilmember Crystal Hudson’s Back to School Event at Jackie Robinson School, 46 Mckeever Place, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.—both in Brooklyn.
The events are part of the NYVP’s efforts to make eye health care available for more New York City residents, particularly those who normally forego vision tests because they can’t afford them.
In an emailed Q&A with the AmNews, Melinda Birks, the program operations officer for Helen Keller International’s U.S. Vision Program, and her team explained how their free vision screenings, eye exams, eyeglasses, and referral program works.
AmNews: What will the vision screening entail?
Melinda Birks: Helen Keller International partners with communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty.
vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Helen Keller’s U.S. Vision team helps eliminate the primary barriers to vision care for vulnerable children and adults: access and expense. Since the program’s start in Washington Heights in 1994, it has expanded to several states across the country where the need is highest. Last year alone, Helen Keller screened nearly 114,000 individuals, of [whom] 67% needed and were provided with no-cost prescription glasses.
AmNews: Why would—or should— anyone who hasn’t been screened in the last year or more do a vision screening?
Birks: As many as four million children and 12 million adults in the United States suffer from impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error. Combining refractive error––nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism––with more serious eye disorders such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye turn), vision loss is the single most prevalent disabling condition in the United States. Left untreated, vision impairments can affect a person’s social life and relationships, a child’s academic future, an adult’s ability to provide for their family.
scared of vision tests? Are there good reasons to be scared of vision tests?
Birks: Helen Keller’s vision model is simple, flexible, and cost-effective. Services are on site at no cost to the children or adults. Participants are first screened by Helen Keller’s vision team using the Snellen eye chart. Those who fail the screening— typically about a quarter of participants— receive a refractive error assessment from a licensed optometrist. If the person needs glasses, they are able to choose from a variety of frame styles. Their stylish,tailormade prescription glasses are provided to the participant, at the same site, within three to four weeks, all free of charge.
A small percentage of individuals may have symptoms of a more complicated eye condition and are then referred to a local eye care provider partner for a full eye examination.
AmNews: Do you know what percentage of New Yorkers don’t regularly get their eyes checked? Why is it important to do so?
Birks: Nearly two out of three adults in the U.S. report having vision problems. Although refractive error is easily addressed with a pair of prescription eyeglasses, many families in New York City –where as many as one in five people live in poverty –cannot
Tai Chi Classes for Mind, Body, and Spirit
Learn the basic concepts, exercises, and techniques of Tai Chi in this series of free, weekly in-person classes, led by martial arts instructor Malik Cadwell, a Mind/Body Therapist with the MSK Ralph Lauren Center in Harlem.
access for this essential care include cost, insurance, transportation, and long wait times at local clinics. In an informal survey conducted by Helen Keller Int’l with lowincome clients nationwide, nearly two in three reported that they could not access an annual visit to the optometrist.
AmNews: Who are you looking to screen? What age groups? Why?
Birks: Helen Keller’s vision team meets children and vulnerable adults where they are––in schools, community-based service programs, homeless shelters, and public housing. By providing services on site, at no cost to the individual, we can help alleviate stresses like transportation, cost, insurance, and time to find and visit a doctor. Helen Keller’s licensed optometrists provide onsite vision screenings. Participants needing glasses can pick out their own frames from a selection of fashionable and trendy options, and within weeks, those needing vision correction are provided with no-cost prescription glasses.
For more information, visit Helen Keller’s website, https://helenkellerintl.org/, Helen Keller’s U.S. vision work, https://helenkellerintl.org/us-vision/, or impact of timely
Religion & Spirituality
Kamala Harris: A Baptist with a Jewish husband and a faith that traces back to MLK and Gandhi
By DARREN SANDS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON—Black clergy who know
Vice President Kamala Harris, now the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, marvel at the fusion of traditions and teachings that have molded her religious faith and social justice values.
A Baptist married to a Jewish man, she’s inspired by the work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and influenced by the religious traditions of her mother’s native India, as well as the Black church.
“She’s had the best of two worlds,” says her longtime pastor, the Rev. Amos Brown, who leads the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco.
In interviews, religious leaders and theologians told the Associated Press that the Harris candidacy has special symbolic significance in the wake of President Joe Biden’s departure from the 2024 presidential election campaign, not only because she would be the nation’s first female president, but she’s a Black American with South Asian roots and her two cultures are intrinsically linked.
Clergy and scholars have noted that the concept of nonviolent resistance, a critical strategy in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, gained influence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in India, who was an inspiration for America’s Black preachers and civil rights leaders for many decades. Gandhi was a Hindu who preached HinduMuslim unity.
“It may be through the Negroes that the unadulterated message of nonviolence will be delivered to the world,” Gandhi said in 1935 to a visiting delegation led by Black U.S. theologian Howard Thurman.
Those shared cultural links can be found in Harris’s family history, too. Her maternal grandmother was a community organizer, and her grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, was a civil servant who joined the resistance to win India’s independence from Britain.
Harris’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan, even met King as a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, where she participated in civil rights demonstrations.
“She was conscious of history, conscious
of struggle, conscious of inequities. She was born with a sense of justice imprinted on her soul,” Harris wrote of her mother in her 2019 book “The Truths We Hold.”
The Black church tradition has also influenced Harris.
“The vice president has a strong Christian faith that she’s talked about a lot,” said Jamal Simmons, a pastor’s son and Harris’s former communications director. As a Democratic strategist, he has helped candidates make inroads with faith communities.
“She was raised in a Christian church, and attended Christian churches throughout her life, and I think that still influences her—her worldview and her ethical commitments,” he said.
The Rev. Freddie D. Haynes III, who currently leads Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, first met Harris at Third Baptist in San Francisco, sparking their more than 30-year friendship. Haynes, whose family has close ties to Third Baptist, was guest-preaching at the time while visiting his mother. Harris, then the Alameda County district attorney, had just joined the congregation.
“She has always understood that Jesus and justice go together, so it’s not hard to see why she chose a church that has that kind of justice DNA,” said Haynes, whose grandfather shaped Third Baptist’s social justice identity as its pastor. Then his father
carried it on during his time in the pulpit.
Through the years, Haynes and Harris connected over their shared faith. Haynes said she admired his ability to blend Black Christian theology in the pulpit with the cadence and rhythm of hip-hop. It was Harris’s commitment to serving the most vulnerable that impressed him.
“Her spirituality has been informed by a sense of justice for those who are othered, disadvantaged, and treated as second-class citizens,” said Haynes.
As a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harris was immersed in a cultural environment influenced by deep faith. The fellowship and service she learned at her alma mater is key to understanding the spirituality driving her sense of purpose, said Matthew Watley, pastor of nearby Kingdom Fellowship AME, one of the fastest-growing churches in America.
Watley said Howard’s commitment to service through religious passion and academic prowess never leaves its students. Several of Harris’s friends, including a line sister in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., worship at Kingdom Fellowship, where Harris has attended twice in recent years.
Joshua DuBois, former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said because of the influence of Eastern and Western cultural and religious traditions, Harris exudes a kind of ecumenism that makes her candidacy appealing to an array of religious voters.
“I think that presidents are grounded in their faith and inspired by their faith in numerous ways. It’s the wellspring that they draw from,” said DuBois, who worked under former President Barack Obama’s administration. “When you know the world is going mad, how do you connect to some-
thing larger than yourself?”
Haynes added that “I also think faith can help you with prioritization. Oftentimes, you can only focus on one thing as president and you face the question: Who needs you the most? I think that is certainly how Jesus walked. That’s how Gandhi walked.”
Black women, including clergy and activists who have not stopped organizing and praying since the COVID-19 pandemic, are quickly embracing Harris.
The Rev. Traci Blackmon, who joined 4,000 Black clergy on a recent pro-Harris call organized by the Black Church PAC, co-founded by the Rev. Michael McBride, a longtime Harris supporter and pastor of The Way Christian Center in Berkeley, said the outpouring of support for her is connected to the anticipated ugliness and opposition she is bound to face in her sprint against former President Donald Trump.
“She should be president because she’s equipped, prepared, and the best candidate for the job,” said Blackmon, a St. Louis-based United Church of Christ minister, who spoke to the AP as Harris gathered delegate support.
McBride told the AP that he was still in the pulpit on the Sunday when Biden withdrew his candidacy. After the benediction, McBride said, one of the church mothers stood up, shared that news, and asked, in effect, “What do we do now?”
McBride and many other Black pastors who have been calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war will be looking to Harris for leadership that would bring about peace. Brown, her own pastor, was among the Black clergy who visited the White House in recent months to appeal to the Biden administration.
“To me, it’s a matter of peace and justice,” Brown said.
After Harris was endorsed by Biden. she sought out Brown with an evening phone call, about an hour before the AP reached him at his home in San Francisco.
“I’m calling my pastor,” Harris said in her typical greeting, referring to the man whom staffers in her office are instructed to get to know during their first week on the job. She wanted her pastor to pray, and pray Brown did, that Harris “would be the quintessential instrument to bring healing, hope, and wholeness” to the United States of America.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
(Photo courtesy of United States Senate—Office of Senator Kamala Harris)
Attorney Michael A. Hardy rests in power
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
A long line of Michael Anthony Hardy’s friends and colleagues wrapped around First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem last Thursday, August 8th. The line replicated the ones that often formed at courthouses where Hardy’s legal genius was on display, and was now one for his memorial services. He died on July 22, twenty days after his 69th birthday. It took an assembly of notables to chart his remarkable passage, but when the Rev. Al Sharpton said “He was my brother,” it drew sustained applause from the crowded church.
“We are honoring a tremendous human being,” said the Rev. Dr. Michael Walrond, Jr. the church’s senior pastor. After a welcoming prayer by Rev. Dr. Lakeesha Walrond, president of the New York Theological Seminary, Byron Neal filled the church with a powerful heartfelt rendition of “What a Wonderful World,” a world many said Attorney Hardy helped to protect and perfect.
His brother-in-law Marc Heyison delivered reflections on Hardy’s life, noting that the lawyer “Never took any prisoners, nor ‘asked why me?’” He was always ready and willing to serve. Chris Murray, Tasha LaTouche Burris, and Tim Nanni re-
counted his record of service. Jack Giordano recalled visiting his ailing friend in the hospital and being told to hurry on because he had some business to take care of.
The flow of encomiums was paused and Minister Tyrone Richardson offered a special version of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready.” The Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, chairman of the board of the National Action Network (NAN), spoke about Hardy being amongst its founding members.
Speaker of the New York City Council, Adrienne Adams, said she had known Hardy for many years and Mayor Eric Adams supple-
mented her warm regards, noting that he stood on Hardy’s shoulders. Those shoulders were emphasized by Attorney General Letitia James. Hardy’s niece, Samantha Heyison, recited some of the highlights of his legacy, particularly how his commitment and insight were so instrumental in the successful challenges to the New York Police Department’s stop and frisk policy, which unduly targeted Black and Latino men. She read that her uncle first joined NAN in 1991, after leaving the New Alliance Party. Four years before, as most informed New Yorkers know, Hardy
began his long defense of Sharpton in the Tawana Brawley case and later brought justice to Eric Garner, after a police officer killed him in a chokehold.
But it was left to Rev. Sharpton to capture the essence of his relationship with Hardy and for several minutes he enthralled listeners of Hardy’s legal brilliance and tenacity. “He was as selfless a person as anyone I’ve ever met,” the reverend said, making it clear that their legal battles were a shared experience in which they were in mutual accord. “Michael is not dead,” he repeated several times. “When Kamala Harris puts her hand on the bible to be sworn in as the first Black woman president, Michael will be there.”
On the following Saturday at NAN, Heyison said that people will get a chance to offer their memories of Hardy, who is survived by his wife, Dr. Robin Brown Hardy; his sister Gena LaTouche, his nieces Samantha, Lauren, Kristen, Alexandra, Tasha, Suzanne, Ionya, Tanaisha; nephew Jason, and godson, Marcus AI; his mother-inlaw Mildred Brown, sister and brother-inlaw, Tanya and Marc Heyison. His Band of Brothers includes Tim Nanni, Stephen Hansen, Chris Murray, Wylie Stecklow, and Jack Giordano. Hardy was cremated by the Owens Funeral Home in Harlem.
Rev. Dr. Lakeesha Walrond, Rev. Dr. Michael Walrond Jr, and Rev. Al Sharpton (Bill Moore photo)
Harlem Week
Continued from page 4
Other speakers provided voter registration and banking information while trainers from NY Road Runners also led an energetic workout session.
Stephanie Francis, 75, is an original Harlem Week Board Member who also helped develop the first Harlem Day. She likes reflecting on her support of seniors in the early days of Harlem Week to now being a “super senior,” herself.
Francis says that when Harlem Day and eventually Harlem Week was developed, it was built on the focus of supporting small businesses and vendors and bringing the community together as Harlem had been struggling in the early 1970’s financially.
“We got together - Lloyd (Williams), Marvin Kelly, Anthony Rodgers, Grace Williams,” Francis shared. “Names that you may not hear as much because some of them have transitioned but the thing that’s most important, we stood together.”
Francis is proud of how Harlem Week and its leadership continues to pass through the multiple generations of its leaders like her grandson, Taj.
“It’s not going to live if it doesn’t live,” Francis said. “Hopefully more people will come and support because the love is there, the energy is there.”
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FreshCleanNYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/04/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 20 Pine Street Unit #1004, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful act.
External Affairs LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/05/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 329 East 6th St, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 25, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 25, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 24, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 24, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 26, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 26, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 27, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 27, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Formation of BE CLEVER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 1180 Sixth Ave., 8th Fl., NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of ALM FIRST EXECUTIVE BENEFITS
LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Texas (TX) on 11/14/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the TX addr. of LLC: 3800 Maple Ave., Ste. 600, Dallas, TX 75219. Cert. of Form. filed with Jane Nelson, Secy. of State, 1100 Congress Capitol Bldg., Rm. 1E 8, Austin, TX 78701. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of 471 WASHINGTON STREET LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/12/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Brian Richard Lenker, Esq., Brach Eichler L.L.C., 101 Eisenhower Pkwy., Roseland, NJ 07068. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
ANA SOLUTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/05/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 203 East 72nd St, New York, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Qualification of ATLAS VI DEKALB LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 40 W. 57th St., 29th Fl., NY, NY 10019. 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. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
HEYDAYDREAMS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 6/21/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 242 W. 104th St. Suite 3ER, New York, NY 10025. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 28, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 28, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF FORMATION of NYC Catalyst Fund, LLC (the “LLC”) filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (“SSNY”) on 05/20/2024. Office location: New York County. The principal business address of the LLC is: One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006. SSNY has been designated as the agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail service of process to c/o New York City Economic Development Corporation, One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006, Attention: General Counsel. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of 107 PARRISH POND LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/18/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of LAFAYETTE AND PATTERSON LENDER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/25/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/01/22. Princ. office of LLC: 520 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate investments.
Notice of Qualification of FlexLegal Services, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/28/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Madison Ave., 8th, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NYC FOREIGN AUTO SALES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/24. 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, 645 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of SUBIN, LLP Cert. of Reg. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLP: 515 Madison Ave., #8076, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLP at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Law.
LEGAL NOTICE
Formation of THE CLAYTON FARM LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/26/2024. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address SSNY shall mail process to 300 W. 53rd St., Apt. #5B, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
LEGAL NOTICE
Formation of ARCHIE STUDIOS LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/26/2024. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address SSNY shall mail process to 300 W. 53rd St., Apt. #5B, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Angel Charlie & Co LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/17/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 11 Broadway, Suite 615, New York, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Qualification of CASCADE GROWTH LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/05/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/07/24. Princ. office of LLC: 330 Third Ave., Apt. 21E, NY, NY 10010. 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 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Independent financial sponsor.
Notice of Qualification of INVESTCORP US PRIVATE CREDIT FEEDER, LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/13/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/08/22. Princ. office of LP: 280 Park Ave., 39th Fl., NY, NY 10017. NYS fictitious name: INVESTCORP US PRIVATE CREDIT FEEDER, L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDEX NO. 850248/2022
COUNTY OF NEW YORK
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO WACHOVIA BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE, FOR J.P. MORGAN MORTGAGE TRUST 2005-A1,
Plaintiff, vs.
FRANK STEO, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE HAMPTON HOUSE CONDOMINIUM, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE-DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY; 115 ESSEX STREET LLC; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; CASPER R. CALLENTRUST, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; "JOHN DOE" (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1; "JOHN DOE" (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2, "JOHN DOE #3" through "JOHN DOE #12," the last ten names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.
Plaintiff designates NEW YORK as the place of trial situs of the real property SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Mortgaged Premises:
404 EAST 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021
Block: 1473, Lot: 1188
To the above named Defendants
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff ’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF
SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $532,000.00 and interest, recorded on February 03, 2004 , in CRFN 2004000065608, of the Public Records of NEW YORK County, New York. , covering premises known as 404 EAST 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021.
The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.
NEW YORK County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.
NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.
Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
Dated: July 12 th , 2024
Notice of Qualification of GRAMERCY E 22ND OWNER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/17/24. 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, Div. of Corps. - John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of JFH BRAND HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/15/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/19/24. Princ. office of LLC: 350 Fifth Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10118. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
Autobahn Collision And Repairs LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on May 25, 2024. Office location: Richmond County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1388 Richmond Rd, Staten Island, NY 10310 Purpose: Any lawful act.
JENPONYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/20/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 1460 BROADWAY, 11F, C/O ANNE CHANG, New York, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful act.
LONG ISLAND FOREIGN AUTO SALES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/24. 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, 645 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
2MFINITY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/20/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 86-42 131st St, Richmond Hill, NY 11418. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT. NEW YORK COUNTY. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF WELLS FARGO COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE SECURITIES, INC., MULTIFAMILY MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2020-SB80, Pltf. vs. 300 WEST 114 TH OWNER, LLC, et al, Defts. Index #850012/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered January 17, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 28, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a Parcel I, 2107 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, a/k/a 2107 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10026 a/k/a Block 1847, Lot 59; Parcel II, 2109 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, a/k/a 300 West 114 th Street, New York, NY 10026 a/k/a Block 1847, Lot 60. Approximate amount of judgment is $4,102,281.91 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. GEORGIA PAPAZIS, Referee. BALLARD SPAHR LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 1675 Broadway, 19 th Floor, New York, NY 10019. #101360
SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. UKOHA OLUGU IGWE and GOSPEL OLUGU IGWE, if living, and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirsat-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, Defts. - Index # 850036/2018. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 26, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 16,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $91,615.59 plus costs and interest as of February 27, 2024. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NEW YORK COUNTY. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF WELLS FARGO COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE SECURITIES, INC., MULTIFAMILY MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES, 2020-SB80, Pltf. vs. 372 WEST 127 TH OWNER, LLC, et al, Defts. Index #850013/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered January 16, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 28, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a 372 West 127 th Street, New York, NY 10027 a/k/a Block 1953, Lot 59. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,487,171.64 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. PAUL SKLAR, Referee. BALLARD SPAHR LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 1675 Broadway, 19 th Floor, New York, NY 10019. #101359
H' CHILDREN GROUP FAMILY DAYCARE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/17/2024. Office location: BRONX County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 3205 GRAND CONCOURSE APT 2B, BRONX, NY 10468 Purpose: Any lawful act.
Commons Software LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/12/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 10 Hanover Square Apt 6S, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstOBJECT N. LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 11, 2024 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 Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $23,248.49 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 850186/2023.
SOFIA BALILE, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
DLG# 39358
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF MANAGERS, Plaintiff -againstDAVID SCHILLER AS EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF MARVIN SCHILLER, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Amended Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated on February 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 11, 2024 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 # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $28,189.58 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 850199/2022.
DORON LEIBY, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 35579
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE ATALANTA CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against- PATRICK LEUNG, LUZIA DOS PRAZERES, et al Defendant(s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale nd dated February 28, 2024 and entered on April 17, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 18, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, the condominium unit known as Unit No. 7B in the building known as "The Atalanta Condominium" together with an undivided 1.9549% in the Common Elements. Block: 190 Lot: 1440
Said premises known as 25 N. MOORE STREET, APT 7B, NEW YORK, NY 10013
Approximate amount of lien $58,834.98 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 160015/2023.
MARK MCKEW, ESQ., Referee
Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff
60 East 42nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10165
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -against- UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF RECA DANIELLE BARWIN, if living and if they be dead, etc..., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 28, 2023 and entered on March 26, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on August 28, 2024 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 tenantin-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 0.8100% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1305.
Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, UNIT HU4, NEW YORK, NY
10019
Approximate amount of lien $45,365.82 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850059/2022.
GEORGIA PAPAZIS, ESQ., Referee
DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 38752
Dog Person Coffee LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/07/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC.: 7014 13TH AVENUE SUITE 202, BROOKLYN NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Formation of OMNI NOSTRAND PARTNERS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
KETTELY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/25/24. 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, 470 W 165th Street, Apartment 24, New York, NY 10032. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstZEFERINO T. TRINIDAD AS FIRST SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE TRINIDAD FAMILY TRUST DATED MARCH 21, 1998, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on February 21, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 11, 2024 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 .019728% 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.
Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $17,485.64 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850147/2023.
ALLISON FURMAN, ESQ., Referee
DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff
242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
DLG# 39106
Notice of Qualification of GREYSTONE MONTICELLO FUNDING SH-74 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/23/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Third Ave., 21st Fl., NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Engaging in and exercising all powers permitted to a limited liability company formed under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act.
NOAH 2004 REALTY, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/04. 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, c/o Antonino Settepani, 602 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, not in its Individual Capacity, but Solely as Owner Trustee of CSMC 2019-RPL11 Trust , Plaintiff, vs . UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF Hyunjeong Han, If Living, and If THEY Be Dead, Any and All Persons Unknown to Plaintiff , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on May 17, 2023 and a Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on April 9, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on September 18, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 70 Little West Street, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10004 a/k/a 70 Battery Place, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10280. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 16 and Lot 1878 together with an undivided 0.36855 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $665,379.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850044/2021. Cash will not be accepted. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.
Thomas R. Kleinberger, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Notice of Qualification of LS RETAIL, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Georgia (GA) on 07/22/09. Princ. office of LLC and GA addr. of LLC: 11175 Cicero Dr., Ste. 650, Alpharetta, GA 30022. 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. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 214 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company. Name: FATHI ELGADDARI, DMD, PLLC. Articles of Organization filing date with the Secretary of State (SSNY) was 06/21/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as the agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to 35 EAST 85 STREET, 1N, NY, 10028, USA. The purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
THE NEW YORK INJURY LAW FIRM PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/23/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the PLLC, 48 Wall Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Law.
Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of New York ACTION TO FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE Index #: 850192/2022 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Plaintiff, vs Lixin Wang If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Board Of Managers Of The Park Avenue Condominium, United States Of America Acting Through The IRS, People Of The State Of New York John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 120 East 87th Street New York, NY 10128 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of New York. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Lixin Wang Defendant In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Francis A Kahn of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Twenty-Ninth day of July, 2024 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York, in the City of New York. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, executed by Lixin Wang dated the May 26, 2016, to secure the sum of $750,000.00 and recorded at CRFN 2016000203383 in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County on June 16, 2016. The property in question is described as follows: 120 East 87th Street, NEW YORK, NY 10128 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department's website at WWW.DFS. NY.GOV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to "save" your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner's distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: August 1, 2024 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 81995
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
INDEX NO. 850116/2020
COUNTY OF NEW YORK
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-AR39, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR39 Plaintiff, vs.
DOUGLAS DAVIS, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR INDENTURE TRUSTEE TO CITIBANK, N.A., AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE OF SACO I TRUST 2006-12, MORTGAGE-BACKED NOTES, SERIES 2006-12; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU ; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU,
"JOHN DOE #1" through "JOHN DOE #12," the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint,
Plaintiff designates NEW YORK as the place of trial situs of the real property
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Mortgaged Premises: 259W 131ST STREET , NEW YORK, NY 10027
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff ’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $1,430,000.00 and interest, recorded on September 01, 2006 , in Instrument Number 2006000497991 , of the Public Records of NEW YORK County, New York. , covering premises known as 259W 131ST STREET , NEW YORK, NY 10027.
The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. NEW YORK County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.
NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.
Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
Corey Robson, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590
516-280-7675
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 29, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 29, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, Plaintiff AGAINST Joseph Ceccarelli; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 29, 2021, and Amended September 23, 2022, and Amended April 18, 2024. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, in Room 130, located at 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on September 18, 2024, at 2:15PM, premises known as 200 East 32nd Street, New York City, NY 10016. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of NY, Block 912 Lot 1165. Approximate amount of judgment $1,676,660.05 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 850018/2017. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 1st Judicial District. Arthur Greig, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: April 26, 2024 80510
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 30, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 30, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
RT HORATIO PROPERTY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/29/24. 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, 167 Madison Avenue, Suite 205, #328, New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Election
Continued from page 10
Heritage Foundation with the involvement of Donald Trump’s closest allies, including six of his former Cabinet secretaries: his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, his senior adviser Stephen Miller, his personal attorney Jay Sekulow, and dozens more. It is the roadmap for carrying out an authoritarian project to roll back decades of progress and strip away our rights. Its priorities include attacking women’s health and equality by eliminating all references to “gender equality” and “reproductive health” from every federal law and regulation (you can read it for yourself on page 3–4 of the document), taking away access to free emergency contraception (page 485), cutting overtime protections for workers (page 592), weakening child labor laws by allowing children under 18 to work in “inherently dangerous jobs” (page 595), eliminating the Head Start early education program (page 482), and legalizing workplace discrimination against LGBTQ+ people (page 584).
Through their “Project 2025,” MAGA Republicans have said the quiet part out loud. Never before have Americans seen an outline, in such excruciating detail, of how our rights will be systematically taken away through executive action.
The stakes of this election have never been clearer. Whatever it is that motivates you to get to the polls, whether it’s the excitement of a Kamala Harris presidency, the fear of another Trump one, or perhaps a combination of emotions, the important thing is that we do not sit this one out. We have an historic opportunity to build on the progress of the past four years, fix our democracy, defeat the authoritarians who seek to rule over us, and set our country on a path toward a shared prosperity for all.
George Gresham is president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union of healthcare workers in the nation.
HBCU
Continued from page 12
the educational system as a whole. With a thorough grasp of the difficulties faced by students of color from kindergarten through higher education, they would be wellequipped to eliminate these barriers. This would entail fostering an educational environment that is responsive to diverse cultures, expanding the diversity among educators, and implementing policies that promote fairness and inclusiveness at every level of education.
HBCU administrators have consistently been leaders in developing initiatives and programs that promote the academic and personal success of their students, while fostering inclusive campus environments. Their extensive experience in this area would undoubtedly be an asset in shaping national education policies, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, are afforded the opportunity to flourish.
A vision for the future
The potential selection of an HBCU president as Secretary of Education by a Democratic ad-
ministration would be a daring and forward-thinking measure aimed at tackling significant challenges in American education. This choice would demonstrate a dedication to equity, fairness, and the acknowledgment of the indispensable contributions of HBCUs to the country’s educational system.
A leader with such qualities would possess a distinct combination of experience, enthusiasm, and commitment to the position. They would not only champion the interests of HBCUs, but would also relentlessly strive to guarantee that all students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, have access to the necessary resources and support to achieve success. Their leadership would be guided by a profound comprehension of the interdependence of educational fairness and social justice, shaping policies that foster fairness and equal opportunity for all.
In considering the future, it is evident that the educational system confronts formidable obstacles that call for visionary and sweeping leadership. The selection of an HBCU president as the Secretary of Education would
epitomize the tenacity, resourcefulness, and dedication to justice that are crucial for fashioning a more inclusive and equitable educational environment. Such an appointment would not only pay tribute to the heritage and accomplishments of HBCUs, but also set the stage for a brighter and more egalitarian future for all students.
As the nation confronts pressing concerns of systemic racism, economic disparities, and educational inequalities, the leadership of an HBCU president holds the potential to precipitate transformative change. This form of leadership acknowledges the capacity of education to serve as an instrument of emancipation and empowerment, and it is an outlook that the upcoming administration ought to enthusiastically embrace.
Dr. Antoine Lovell is an assistant professor of social work at Morgan State University whose research focuses on the risk and protective factors among unhoused youth and emerging adults in public housing. A leading voice on race, public housing, and social justice, Lovell is committed to advancing equity and supporting students at HBCUs.
Breakdancing and hip hop culture are highlighted at the Paris Olympics
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
Breakdancing is considered one of the five elements of hip hop culture, which celebrated its 51st birthday on Sunday, August 11, along with MCing, DJing, knowledge, and the visual art form graffiti. At the Paris Olympics that concluded on Sunday, for the first time, breakdancing was an Olympic sport. The results reflect the globalization of hip hop.
Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, a native of Toronto, Canada, who was also raised in Vancouver, took home gold. Danis Civil of France, who also goes by the moniker Dany Dann, won silver, and American Victor Montalvo of Kissimmmee, Florida earned a bronze. On the women’s side, Ami Yuasa of Japan captured the gold, Dominika Banevič of Lithuania seized the silver medal, and Liu Qingyi of China won bronze.
Opinions about breakdancing in the Olympics, which as of now is not slated to be at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, varied, from being praised to criticized as being not worthy of an Olympic sporting event.
The Amsterdam News spoke exclusively with world-renowned breakdancer Jorge “Popmaster Fabel” Pabon, who began his career in the early 1980s and was featured in the pioneering hip hop cult classic film “Beat Street,” about the physical and mental skills it takes to be an elite breakdancer and his thoughts on its genre as an Olympic competition.
“Any B-girl, B-boy, rocker, or breaker that has the aim to compete at the highest levels
Canada’s Phil Wizard won the gold medal at in the men’s breakdancing competition at the Paris Olympics.
(Wikipedia Draxisme, Design sans titre (21), CC BY 4.0)
needs to learn the history of the dance, first and foremost,” said Pabon, who has taught popping and locking at workshops globally and for the past 25 years at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “Secondly, they should cross-train mentally, spiritually, and physically. Learning the foundational dance steps, techniques, and moves is not enough to be a top competitor.”
Pabon noted that aspiring breakdancers should consider learning the roots and history of certain African and Indigenous dance forms.
“West African dances such as the Nigerian dances of the Orishas and Senegalese cultural dance forms, Native American dance forms such as grass dances and other wellgrounded movements, Afro-Caribbean
dance forms such as Puerto Rican/Boriken and Cuban, Rhumba, Mambo, Bomba, Plena and Salsa, [as well as] American Black dances such as the Jitterbug/Lindy Hop, Huffing/Tap dance, [and] James Brown’s Good Foot.” Pabon is adamant that knowledge of these creative expressions will help young dancers understand the foundation of modern art forms.
“Mixed feelings from the start,” Pabon, who was born in Spanish Harlem, said of his initial reaction when it was announced that breakdancing would be in the Paris Olympics “I was delighted that our sacred dance and culture was, once again, acknowledged as being worthy of such a prestigious platform. However, I was also concerned about cultural appropriation at its highest level.”
Pabon is ambivalent in his assessment of the breakdancing competition in Paris.
“There were some amazingly talented dancers that competed, not ‘athletes,’ as they were titled by some of the Olympic press,” he said. “However, one dancer in particular (Australian Rachael Gunn) somehow managed to be inappropriately and prematurely added to the list of competitors. Her lack of expertise and skill level seemed to have gone viral on social media and certain press. Besides this unfortunate debacle, most of the dancers were up to par and battled intensely.” Gunn, nicknamed Raygun, whose performance at times seemed to be more parody than a serious presentation, lost her three round-robin battles by a combined score of 54-0.
Records and redemption marked the Olympic track and field competition
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to t he AmNews
In a bold and brilliant 4x100 relay, Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. finally got her gold medal. She claimed silver in the 100 meters behind Julien Alfred, the firstever medalist from Saint Lucia. Richardson has gone from outcast to outstanding over the past three years with the golden moment anchoring the relay with a flash of athleticism and a dash of attitude.
While attention is paid to the big moments, there are also other stories worth sharing. Among the finalists in the women’s 200 meters, brilliantly won by Gabby Thomas, was Jessika Gbai, a 2022 graduate of Howard University. For David Oliver, director for the track and field program at Howard, it was a poignant moment. Gbai joined the track team as a walk-on.
“Safe to say that is the highlight of my coaching career to this point,” said Oliver, himself a 2008 Olympic medalist in the 110 meter hurdles. “It was testament to her hard work and dedication that she’s displayed since I first met her. … She was a studentathlete that was very intent on trying to be the best she could be in the sport.”
The United States women 4x100meter relay gold medalists, from left: Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabrielle Thomas, Twanisha Terry, and Melissa Jefferson, stand on the podium at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/ Bernat Armangue)
Oliver said the entire Olympic track and field competition was outstanding. He praised the women’s 100 meter hurdles, won by first-time Olympian Masai Russell of the U.S. “Her victory there was spectacular, as I think that is the most difficult event to pick a winner in as there were probably 10 women who legitimately could have won the gold medal,” he said. Another highlight was Sydney McLaugh -
lin-Levrone winning the 400 meter hurdles in world record time. “There was no way anyone was going to be able to run with her,” said Oliver. “Sydney is just on a different plain.”
The distance races also earned praise from Oliver, especially Ethiopian-born Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan, who won bronze medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and gold in the marathon.
There were some impressive results from U.S. women in the field events. Valarie Allman was a repeat gold medalist in the discus. Annette Echikunwoke’s silver medal in the hammer throw was the first-ever for a U.S. woman. Tara Davis-Woodhall won the women’s long jump, and the bronze medalist, Jasmine Moore, became the first U.S. woman to win medals in both the long jump and triple jump.
The history of colonialism and immigration leave their marks on the Olympics
By JAIME C. HARRIS Special to the AmNews
When the first slave market in Europe, known as Mercado de Escravos, was established in Portugal in the town of Lagos between 1441 and 1444, and with it the commencement of the importing of slaves from West Africa, the world was forever changed. The colonization of Africa by European countries later followed.
Centuries before the Berlin Conference of 1884 and 1885 formalized European colonization of Africa, the seizing of land and vast human and natural resources had begun. Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria and the most populated city in sub-Saharan Africa, draws its name from the Portuguese word for lakes.
The indelible imprint of colonialism and its unmistakably lasting remnants, and polarizing modern day immigration were optically apparent on the soccer pitches, basketball courts, track stadium and everywhere else sporting events were held at Paris Olympics, which concluded on Sunday. Several European teams, among them France’s men’s soccer and basketball contingents, were
predominated by athletes of African descent. Both won silver medals in their respective sports.
The soccer team, coached by Thierry Henry, one of the greatest strikers of all-time, a Black man, whose mother is from Martinique and father from Guadeloupe, lost
in the finals 5-3 to Spain in extratime. The basketball team fell to the U.S. in the gold medal game 98-87. Emmanouil Karalis, who took bronze in the pole vault representing Greece, is Ugandan on his mother’s side. NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who
led the Greek squad to the medal round, was born in Athens but his parents immigrated to Greece from Nigeria.
The United Kingdom’s top male and female sprinters, Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith, are both Black. Smith
is a three-time Olympic medalist, including winning a silver in Paris in the women’s 4x100 meter relay as the UK finished second to the U.S. Meanwhile, Hughes helped the U.K. men’s team earn a bronze in the 4x100.
The presence of African descendants in the Olympics traces to Constantin Henriquez, considered to be the first known Black athlete to compete in the Olympics and first Black gold medal winner, both achieved at the Paris Olympics in 1900 representing France in rugby.
Born in Haiti in the late 1800s, the exact date is unknown but estimated to be around 1877. Henriquez’s father, a Haitian politician, sent him to France in 1893 to study medicine. Soon after his arrival, Henriquez began playing rugby and excelled at the sport.
It has been well documented that athletes of African descent are subjected to racial slurs and even physical assault playing in professional sports leagues in Europe. Yet their ancestral lineage, resulting from millions brought forcibly and millions voluntarily seeking improved economic opportunities, has reset the course of the past, present and future.
An Olympics like no other; long overdue medals are awarded in Paris
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
It was an Olympics with a lot of rain, incredible performances and records broken. Simone Biles established herself as the undisputed queen of gymnastics. Swimmer Katie Ledecky became the most decorated U.S. woman Olympian. The U.S. women’s soccer team returned to the top of the medal podium with its first gold medal in 12 years. These games also featured something never before seen: reallocation ceremonies. The first one happened on August 7 when figure skaters from the 2022 Olympic Winter Games marched into Champions Park. This was more of an allocation because no medals from the team competition had been awarded because what country would receive which medals remained at issue until recently. On a sunny day in Paris, the skaters of Team USA and Team Japan received their gold
medals and silver medals.
“As an Olympic medalist myself, I feel for them,” said Sylvia Hoffman, who won bronze in the two-woman bobsled in the 2022 Winter Olympics. “I was super excited to receive my medal in Beijing (site of the Games). I gotta take it with me everywhere. … I’m really happy that they were able to experience their medal ceremony at an Olympic Games, which is so very special.”
Two days later, 10 athletes representing seven countries at three Olympics received medals as a result of previous medalists being disqualified. The longest wait was for Beverly McDonald of Jamaica, bronze medalist in the 200 meters at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
“Even though they have been waiting for years and some of them probably pushed it aside at some point…the [result] was changed and that’s what matters,” said Hoffman. “You do hope that the right thing can be done.”
The two gold medalists were
both Americans, Erik Kynard Jr., winner of the men’s high jump, and Lashinda Demus, winner of the women’s 400 meter hurdles at the 2012 Olympics. Demus was joined by the silver medalist, Zuzana Hejnova of Czech Republic, and bronze medalist Kaliese Spencer Carter of Jamaica. Queens-born and Long Island-raised Chelsea Hammond-Ross was awarded a bronze medal in the long jump for the 2008 olympics.
“I’m just so happy I was able to be with the ladies I competed with,” said Spencer Carter. “I was happy, regardless of the fact that I have lost so much in those years, endorsement wise and otherwise. But I am very grateful that we received the ceremony, which was well deserved. It was great going out there and the crowd cheering. Not the same feeling as if it were in the Olympic stadium after our race, but I am still grateful for the fact we have gotten what we deserved after so many years.”
France’s men’s Olympic soccer team, including head coach Thierry Henry, pictured instructing his players, was predominated by those of African descent. (FIFA photo)
Kaliese Spencer Carter (left) and Chelsea Hammond-Ross were two of the three Jamaican athletes to receive reallocated medals. (Photo courtesy of Chelsea Hammond-Ross)
HBCU All-Star Dream Classic showcases educational and career opportunities
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
The second annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) All-Star Dream Classic was held on August 10 at Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem. The event featured 40 of the best men’s and women’s HBCU basketball players from close to 30 different schools representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the HBCU Athletic Conference (formerly known as the Gulf Coast Conference), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and independent college conferences. Sponsors included Champion, M&T Bank, Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, Wilson, TriState Sports, SLAM, Pure, HBCU Only, Cirkul, Citywide CCS, Aloft Hotels, and Rucker Pro Legends. Among those in attendance were basketball icon and Harlem native Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland, who was a prolific scorer for HBCU Norfolk State in the late 1960s, and New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, who represents the 9th council district of Harlem.
In the women’s game, Althea’s Aces
bested Harris’ Hoopers 84-79, and ML Kings defeated Dinkins’ Dunkers 124-119. The teams were named after HBCU alums and luminaries: tennis great Althea Gibson (FAMU), United States Vice President Kamala Harris (Howard), former New York City Mayor David Dinkins (Howard), and civil and human rights activist Martin Luther King (Morehouse).
The HBCU Dream Classic founder and organizer Darryl K. Roberts expressed that he conceptualized and implemented the event as a means to expose youth to pathways toward higher educa-
tion at HBCUs, as well as various career options.
“There are opportunities and there are resources for you to receive access to certain things, whether it’s higher education, whether it’s a trade or a job,” said Roberts, who also serves as the CEO of Bridging Structural Holes, a non-profit organization focused on fostering strategic partnerships with corporate, community, and philanthropic institutions to address economic, educational, and social inequities. “So we’re hoping by doing events like this, they’re
able to see the sponsors that we have, and they’re also able to see how we get organizations involved and provide us with volunteers, and then they’ll see the educational components and think that, well, why not? Maybe I should go to an HBCU. I see all these great things, all these great athletes.”Roberts, a graduate of Lincoln University and member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, detailed integral aspects of HBCU history and culture.
“Fraternities and sororities were created because of the same reasons that HBCUs were created: because
of racism, discrimination, and segregation. Predominantly white institutions did not want people of color to become organized and members of [their] fraternities and sororities,” he elaborated, “because they always thought that, okay, I could deal with one black person, but if I had to deal with a whole army of them, that’s a problem. So they did not want us to become part of those organizations.”
For more information on Bridging Structural Holes and its initiatives, contact Roberts at 212-658-1913 or dkr@bridgingstructuralholes.com.
The Yankees provide Aaron Judge protection with the return of Stanton
By JAIME C. HARRIS
AmNews Sports Editor
Pennant and wildcard races in Major League Baseball continue to be tight as the regular season has 46 more days remaining including today’s slate of games. Out of baseball’s six divisions, only the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies in the East (seven-game lead) and the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central (7.5) held more than a 3 1/2 game first place advantage. In the American League East, the 70-50 Yankees were a half game behind the 70-49 Baltimore Orioles at the start of Tuesday’s schedule. The Mets were 61-57 and trying to recover from being swept in a threegame series this past weekend by the Seattle Mariners out West.
The Yankees were hammered on Monday night 12-2 in Chicago by the White Sox, who have the worst record in MLB at an ignominious 29-91 after the win. The defeat was the Yankees fourth in their last seven games. They completed their
three-game series against the White Sox yesterday (Wednesday) and begin a three-game set versus the Tigers in Detroit tomorrow.
The Yankees lineup has been infused with a much needed impactful bat as designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton was activated from the injured list on July 29 after being out five weeks with a strained left hamstring, which he injured on June 22 running the bases. Before his season was interrupted, in 69 games played, Stanton was hitting .245 with 18 homers.
On Sunday, in a 8-7 win versus the Rangers, batting fourth in the cleanup spot behind Aaron Judge, who has been increasingly intentionally walked by opposing managers, Stanton crushed a a three-run home run in the fifth after Judge was given a free-pass by the Rangers, his sixth over a span of their last eight games. On the day Stanton knocked in four runs. It was just his second home run since coming back from the injured list, the first coming on Saturday in a 9-4 loss.
“I get on base and hopefully the guys behind me do their thing and today it worked out,” said Judge, who going into Tuesday’s game led MLB with 42 home runs. Additionally, he was first in RBI with 107, second in batting average at .329 and first in walks with 99. The 32-year-old Judge is well on his way to capturing his second AL MVP after winning the award in 2022. His teammate Juan Soto is one of top challengers for the honor.
Soto, batting in the No. 2 hole in the lineup, was hitting .302 (ninth), tied for sixth in home runs (30), was ninth with 82 RBI and second in walks at 98.
The Mets began their game Tuesday at Citi Field in Queens against the Oakland A’s one game behind the Atlanta Braves (62-56) for second place in the NL East and one behind them in the race for the third and final NL wildcard spot. The three-game series ends on Thursday and the Mets will host the Miami Marlins for four games tomorrow through Monday.
Giancarlo Stanton’s presence back in the Yankees lineup provides the team another dangerous hitter for the opposition to face to go along with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. (AP Photo/John Munson)
HBCU Dream Classic founder, Darryl K. Roberts (wearing hat), flanked by players from the men’s game and action from the women’s match up. (HBCU Dream Classic/ Darryl K. Roberts photo; Derrel Johnson photo)
Sports
LeBron, KD, and Curry advance their shining legacies by winning gold in Paris
By JAIME C. HARRIS
AmNews Sports Editor
The debate over who the greatest five, 10, and 50 basketball players of all time is subjective, exhaustive, and redundant. It is an argument that will never be definitively settled and essentially is little more than a lure for social media clickbait, sports talk show rants, and barbershop banter. Where LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry rank among their multi-generational and historical peers is insignificant and imprecise. What is more measurable is the global impact each has had on the sport. Numerous players, both U.S. and foreign born, have patterned their games and the building of the brands on the models constructed by the aforementioned trio. Anthony Edwards, a member of Team USA that defeated France 98-87 in the gold medal game on Saturday to earn the men’s Olympic basketball program its fifth consecutive gold medal, has often shared that Durant has long been his basketball idol.
The 23-year-old Edwards was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Around the same time he was forming his skills as a young boy, nearly 4,400 miles away in Les Chesnay out-
side of Paris, a younger Victor Wembanyama, now 20, began honing his basketball talents and mimicking the remarkable abilities displayed by Durant. As fate would have it, all three were on the court in Saturday’s gold medal game, Wembanyama scoring 26 points and depleting every joule of energy in trying to will France to victory. But the legacies of James, Durant, and especially Curry had more chapters to be written. Curry staged one of the most astounding shooting exhibitions anyone has ever witnessed, scoring 36 points and drill-
ing nine three-pointers, lifting the United States from a 17-point deficit in a 95-91 win over Serbia in the semifinals. Then in the finals, when France, riding a magical carpet guided by the aspirational home crowd in Bercy Arena in Paris, trailed the Team USA by just 82-79 with 2:48 to play, Curry made the first of his four three-pointers over the next two minutes and 13 seconds to put the U.S. up 85-79—the closest France would be again. For the day, Curry netted eight treys totaling all of his 24 points. His teammates, nearly all certain to some-
day be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, were left awestruck as were the tens of millions watching around the world. It reaffirmed that over the past two decades Curry has demonstrably changed how the game is played.
“I was just trying to settle us down,” Curry said of his late game heroics. “It had been awhile since we had a good possession.”
The 35-year-old Durant set the tone for Team USA in their opening game of the tournament, making his first eight shots and scoring 23 in a 110-84 win over Serbia. He posted 15 on Saturday and his 518 points going back to the 2012 London Games and four gold medals are the most all-time for a men’s Olympic basketball player.
As for the 39-year-old James, he was the alpha who ensured the mission of the U.S. coming away with gold was not undermined by egos and personal agendas. He was deservingly named the tournament’s MVP, averaging 14.2 points on 66% shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 6.8 rebounds. The quibbling as to who is better between him and Jordan will continue and intensify after James’s latest achievement. What matters is both, along with Durant and Curry, have accorded us a lifetime of indelible sports memories.
A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart lead Team USA to eighth consecutive Olympic gold
By LOIS ELFMAN
Special to the AmNews
The women’s basketball final at the Paris Olympics was close from start to finish. The French squad, playing on Sunday in front of an enthusiastic home at Bercy Arena, was determined to do one step better than their male counterparts, which lost to the U.S. men’s team in the gold medal game on Saturday. France led Team USA by as much as 10 points, but ultimately the U.S. women’s basketball team extended its streak to eight straight gold medals with a 67–66 win. The victory was also the women’s program 61st in a row in Olympic competition. But they had to breathe a sigh of relief when France’s Gabby Williams, a former UConn standout, hit a shot as time expired in an attempt to tie the game and send it into overtime. But it was ruled a two-pointer instead of a three as her feet were straddling the three-point line, kindling a celebration by the U.S.
“Eight straight golds is insane honestly,” said New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, who was outstanding in the tournament. “Each one is so different, and so, so special and so, so hard.”
The Las Vegas Aces two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson powered the U.S. with 21 points,
13 rebounds, and four blocks.
While Wilson and Stewart were indisputably Team USA’s best players, and Wilson cemented herself as the preeminent player in the world, the Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper, who played collegiately for Rutgers University, joined Wilson as a heroine of the gold medal game. She came off of the bench to make crucial plays on both ends of the court, and changed the tempo and temperament of the game in favor of the U.S.
“[Copper] was the energy surge that Team USA needed to be able to stabilize all the ef-
forts that A’ja Wilson and Stewie were trying to conjure up offensively for the team,” said two-time Olympic gold medalist DeLisha Milton-Jones (2000 and 2008), now a coach at Old Dominion University.
“Kah would come flying in and get big rebounds,” she added. “Then, A’ja’s ability to block shots saved possessions as well. A’ja and Kah, they were the two that really put the exclamation point on the game for Team USA along with big free throws being made.”
This victory marked the sixth gold medal for 42-year-old Diana Taurasi. Although she
did not play in the gold medal game, Milton-Jones, who played on the 2008 Olympic team with Taurasi, said her contribution to the team was decisive.
“It’s a beautiful melody that she speaks when she’s talking about the game,” said Milton-Jones. “She’s a tremendous teammate because she cares. She wants to make those around her better. … Diana has now crowned herself an iron woman when it comes to Olympic play and she’s deserving of that. Although she didn’t play a second in this game, I know her impact was tremendous from the bench and in the locker room.”
Kudos also go out to a resurgent Australian team, coached by New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, which won bronze, its first Olympic medal since 2012, spurred on by the return of three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson at 43-years-old after a 12-year absence.
The USA women’s Olympic basketball team display their gold medals after defeating France 67-66. (USA Basketball photo)
The USA men’s Olympic basketball team won its fifth straight gold medal by defeating France 98-87 on Saturday. (USA Basketball photo)
