New York Amsterdam News: Issue #42 Oct.20-26, 2022

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International News

drought and desertification and floods. The country is among the top 10 most climate-vul nerable countries in the world.

Over 12 years ago, the world’s richest coun tries promised to deliver $100 billion every year from 2020 to 2025 to climate finance (money to help lower-income countries most affect ed by climate change adapt to its effects). But they’ve fallen short of their pledges, saying that the promised funding now likely won’t be deliv ered until 2023. But the climate crisis is devastat ing countries from Pakistan to Sudan right now.

month. They wrote that the idea did not go through any of the traditional chain of com mand protocols, and ultimately senior staff be lieved it did not have legal standing requiring them to follow through with the plan.

U.S. troops continue to be active in Soma lia––most recently conducting three airstrikes against al-Shabaab terrorists who attacked Somali National Army Forces near Beledweyne, Somalia, according to a press release by the U.S. Africa Command dated Aug. 9, 2022.

(GIN)—Flooding in the southern and coastal states of Nigeria has taken the lives of more than 600 people, displaced 1.4 million and destroyed roads and farmlands. Officials warn that the sit uation could continue into November.

Thirty-one of Nigeria’s 36 states have been affected in what media reports have called the worst flooding in a decade, drowning in frastructure and 200,000 homes, partly or wholly destroyed.

The country’s distinctive pitched, painted metal roofs are nearly totally swamped, as are cars and trucks full of food and fuel.

Sadiya Umar Farouq, Nigeria’s minister of humanitarian affairs, charged that inaction by branches of government other than her own was to blame.

By coincidence, the next United Nations Con ference on Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP27, will be held from Nov. 6 to 18 in the Egyptian Sharm El Sheikh resort. Ahead of the conference, climate activists, such as Adenike Titilope Oladosu, are intensifying the call for climate finance to ad dress the country’s climate crisis.

“The ongoing climate crisis in Nigeria has destroyed the livelihoods of millions of people that is worth billions of dollars,” Oladosu said. “This is a threat to food secu rity of the entire country. The climate crisis is the next pandemic if we don’t act fast.”

NIGERIAN COURT DROPS ALL CHARGES AGAINST BIAFRAN SEPARATIST LEADER

(GIN)—In a surprise development, Nigeria’s Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has exonerated the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, saying his extradition by force from Kenya and his subsequent arrest by Nigerian authorities had been illegal.

Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous Peo ple’s group, was originally arrested in 2015 on various terrorism-related charges. He escaped to Kenya in 2017 while out on bail.

The decision by a panel of three judges has been deemed a major blow to the government while Kanu has denied any wrongdoing.

The government has rejected the ruling and says it is exploring other legal options.

“Kanu was only discharged and not acquit ted,” said a spokesperson for Attorney Gen eral Abubakar Malami, so it’s possible he will not be freed imminently.

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“There was enough warning and informa tion about the 2022 flood, but states, local government and communities appear not to take heed,” she wrote on Twitter.

“We are calling on the respective state gov ernments, local government councils and communities to prepare for more flooding by evacuating people living on flood plains to high grounds,” Farouq said.

The unending flood has continued to wreak havoc across Bayelsa State, South-south Nigeria.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria the flood, which has displaced thousands of resi dents, compelled the electricity company in charge of the state to shut down public power supply as most transformers were submerged.

Nigeria experiences annual flooding, espe cially in its coastal areas, but this year’s floods are the worst in more than a decade. Authori ties blame the disaster on the release of excess water from Lagdo Dam in neighboring Camer oon and on unusual rainfalls.

TRUMP ORDERED ‘CATASTROPHIC’ PLAN TO WITHDRAW FROM SOMALIA AFTER HIS ELECTION LOSS (GIN)—In one of the unexpected nuggets of information revealed at the recent hearings on the January 6 invasion of the White House, it was learned that President Donald Trump or dered an immediate evacuation of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Somalia after his election loss in November 2020, according to multiple senior officials in his administration.

President Donald Trump ordered a rapid with drawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan and So malia but senior officials never followed through on the plan, according to testimony released by the congressional January 6 committee on Thursday.

“The order was for an immediate withdraw al, and it would have been catastrophic,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., one of two Repub lican members of the special panel. “And yet President Trump signed the order.”

Witnesses who spoke to the committee about the surprise withdrawal plan includ ed Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, former national security advisor to the vice president Keith Kellogg, and several other senior officials in the Trump administration.

Milley said he was shocked when he saw the withdrawal orders, signed by Trump on Veterans Day 2020, just four days after Joe Biden was de clared the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Mike Ozekhome, Kanu’s attorney, react ing to the judgement, vigorously asserted that the lower court “never evaluated the mountain of evidence regarding the forcible capture, kidnap, torture, extraordinary ren dition of Mr. Kanu from Kenya back to Nige ria on the 26th of June 2021.”

Asked what he planned to discuss with his client, he responded: “The U.N. has already said Nnamdi Kanu should be paid compen sation for the violation of his human rights… that his rights were brutally violated against the laws of Kenya, against the laws of Nigeria, against all international instruments dealing with extradition.

“He should be allowed to go home tomor row once we get a certified copy of the judge ment. Let my people go. That’s how it’s put in the Bible… If the federal government wants to pursue trifles against a citizen by appealing against such a well-rendered judgment, let me tell the federal government that if they appeal I will cross-appeal.”

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“The water levels are rising to an alarming level,” said Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, report ing from Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state in southern Nigeria. “The ferocity of the flow of water has also intensified. The flood waters from upstream are continuing to come this way.”

Environmentalists note that Nigeria pro duces less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions but suffers disproportionately from climate change, sharp increases in heat,

“It is odd. It is nonstandard,” Milley said in his recorded testimony. “It is potentially dangerous. I personally thought it was mili tarily not feasible nor wise.”

Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general, said after seeing the order he told senior staff the idea was “a tremendous disservice to the nation” and implementing it would be “catastrophic.”

Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa referenced the surprise memo in their book “Peril” on the Trump presidency, released last

The separatist movement’s roots date back to the year of Nigerian independence and the na tionalist aspirations of the Igbo ethnic group, whose leadership felt they could no longer co exist with the federal government dominated by the interests of the Muslim Hausa-Fulanis of northern Nigeria.

After two military coups in which the Northern state was triumphant, the Repub lic of Biafra was founded. Despite recognition

WORSE FLOODING IN A DECADE TAKES 600 LIVES IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA

photo)

Suppressing fire: Concealed carry restrictions temporarily upheld as lawsuit against New York State advances in court

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

No reason to suspect the Elmo and Spider-Man in Times Square are packing legal heat under those sweaty costumes, for now. State Attorney General Letitia James an nounced the full Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA) would remain in effect after a judge granted an interim administra tive stay for the contested New York state law last week. So no guns in Times Square, until a trio of Second Circuit judges decide on their motion to stay.

“I am pleased that the full Con cealed Carry Improvement Act will stay in effect and continue to protect communities as the ap peals process moves forward,” she said in her statement. “My office will continue our efforts to protect the safety of everyday New Yorkers and defend our commonsense gun laws.”

“The interim administrative stay of the district court’s tempo rary restraining order is an im portant and appropriate step and affirms that the Concealed Carry Improvement Act will remain in effect during the appeals process,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul. “My top

priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and we will continue working with the office of the at torney general to defend our gun safety laws.”

This news comes on the heels of the district court’s decision to limit parts of the CCIA, includ ing banning concealed carry guns in “sensitive areas” like Times Square, along with a wide range of other spaces including public transit, places of worship, and restaurants serving alcohol. The stay also allows the state to en force “good moral character” re quirements for handgun licenses,

GUNS on

AMNEWS EXCLUSIVE: Mayor Adam talks subway crime, asylum seekers, mandates

By NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor

Appearing more than com fortable with navigating every day NYC dilemmas at the press podium, Mayor Eric Adams deftly swerves questions with new stats and a let’s-focus-on-this-instead strategy. Pick a topic, this retired 22-year-vet NYPD officer-turnedstate-senator, and now New York City mayor quickly calculates a response that fits the administra tion’s messaging.

During this yet another hectic week for the city, the Amsterdam News was able to get a one-onone, in-person interview with

Mayor Eric Adams. The interview touched on a variety of issues, but subway crime is currently head line news.

Since 2021 crime in the city has risen by over 43%. Underground crime is in the news almost every day. On one journey—say from Brooklyn to Manhattan— a straphanger can encounter fellow riders experiencing pover ty, mental health issues, home lessness, aggressive panhandling, and, unfortunately, quite possibly a crime.

Adams seems to suggest that people were being subjected to media fearmongering and press emotional manipulation. “On av

erage we have less than six felony crimes a day,” Adams began. “On our subway system, we have 3.5 million riders a day. For the most part, your ride is uneventful, you’re not a victim of a crime. You may see someone who’s home less. You may see someone who’s loud. You’ll no longer see the en campments because we got rid of them. We took over 2,000 people who were living off the system, off the system. We have a greater presence of police that are riding trains visibly present. So, if you wake up every day and the New York Post is telling you that we’re gonna take the worst part of the

Election rundown for November 8 ballot

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

New York State’s general election is rapidly approaching with Elec tion Day on Nov. 8. There’s a wide range of state and federal offices on the ballot this year with Demo cratic incumbents, like Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, pulling out all the stops to get re-elected.

Early voting kicks off on Oct. 29 and goes to Nov. 6. The absentee ballot request deadline is on Nov. 7. Polls open on Election Day, Nov. 8, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The gubernatorial race sees Gov. Kathy C. Hochul and Lt. Gov. An tonio Delgado running for reelec

tion and their first full term after the scandals of their predecessors put both of them in office. Other major races include State Comp troller Thomas P. DiNapoli who is running for his fourth full term, State Attorney General Letitia A. James for her second full term, and Schumer for his fifth six-year term.

The bungled congress, assem bly, and senate redistricting pro cess this year split the primaries into separate affairs in June and August while creating a few new open seats that are up in gener al elections. Because of accusa tions of gerrymandering, a special master was eventually brought in for the assembly and senate maps.

For congress, candidates such as U.S. Reps Daniel Goldman in

District 10, Adriano Espaillat in District 13, and Jerry Nadler in District 12 are running in Man hattan. Nadler and Goldman were in exceptionally heated primaries since their seats were part of the redistricted seats.

For the state senate, candidates like Sen. Cordell Cleare in Dis trict 30 and longtime Sen. Robert Jackson in neighboring District 31 are running for reelection, also in Manhattan.

And in the assembly, State As semblymembers Eddie Gibbs, Inez E. Dickens, Alfred Taylor, and Manny De Los Santos are hoping to hold onto their seats in Harlem and the Bronx. Dickens has re cently considered going back to

Metro Briefs

AG James and Gov. Hochul release report on the role of online platforms in the Buffalo shooting

State Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul released a report on the role of online platforms in the tragic Buffalo mass shooting where 10 Black individuals were killed and three others were injured at the Tops grocery store.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reviewed thousands of pages of docu ments and social media content to examine how the alleged shooter used online platforms to plan, prepare, and publicize his attack. This investigation and subse quent report were completed in accordance with a referral from Hochul. During the course of the investigation, OAG obtained and reviewed external and internal content and policies of several of the online platforms used by the shooter. The report concludes that fringe online platforms, like 4chan, radicalized the shooter; livestreaming platforms, like Twitch, were weaponized to publicize and encourage copycat violent attacks; and a lack of oversight, transparency, and accountability of these platforms allowed hateful and extremist views to proliferate online, lead ing to radicalization and violence.

In the wake of these findings, James and Hochul are calling for federal and state reforms to combat online extremism and violence, including state legislation that would criminalize graphic images or videos created by a perpetrator of a homi cide and penalize individuals who reshare or repost those same images or videos.

State education department announces $34 million for public library construction statewide

The State Education Department awarded $34 million to 223 public libraries and systems statewide to support construction and renovation projects, Com missioner Betty A. Rosa announced. New York City public libraries will receive $10.3 million. These funds help libraries construct new buildings, create addi tions, update electrical wiring and computer technology, improve broadband in frastructure, meet energy-efficiency standards, and renovate facilities to provide full accessibility to library users with disabilities and create meeting spaces to ac commodate community needs.

Project activities eligible for awards include financing broadband infrastruc ture, construction of new library buildings, construction of additions to exist ing buildings, and the renovation or rehabilitation of existing space. The projects can include roof replacement; the purchase and installation of alternative energy sources, HVAC systems, windows, doors, and lighting systems; electrical up grades; and construction of new or replacement walkways, parking lots, stand by generators, and EV charging stations. In addition, new furniture, shelving, and equipment, including computer equipment, can be purchased for new or newly renovated spaces.

Priority is also given to renovations designed to provide accessibility for patrons with disabilities, and projects to extend library services to people residing in geo graphically isolated and economically disadvantaged and distressed communities.

City partners with CDC to deliver at-home COVID tests to blind and low vision residents

Mayor Eric Adams, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), the City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Test & Treat Corps announced that the city will distribute 10,000 COVID-19 at-home test kits that are more accessible to New Yorkers that are blind or have low vision.

The at-home test kits—manufactured by Ellume and sent to New York City by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—utilize easier-to-use test compo nents for those who are blind or have low vision and communicate with a user’s smartphone to give an electronic text readout of their result.

The more accessible test kits will be distributed in the coming weeks and will be available through MOPD and a host of additional partner organizations. Accord ing to an analysis from New York City Department of City Planning, there are ap proximately 1 million people across the city that have disclosed having some type of disability, of whom about 200,000 reported having vision difficulty.

Queens BP announces $2 million in free mental health services

Recognizing the many intersectional crises facing Queens and their impacts on

Georgia races once more in the political spotlight

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

If Georgia isn’t on Democrats’ minds, it should be. It shouldn’t take too much of a re minder to recall the election of 2020, and an outcome that delivered the Senate to the Dems. Well, that setting is once more on the horizon, and it could be even more critical when you consider the senate and guberna torial races.

During the recent debate between the Dem ocratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and GOP contender Herschel Walker, the two Black men went after each other like Ali v. Frazier, though Warnock seemed less inclined to truly take off the gloves. Recent polls indicate that Warnock is favored by 46.4% of respondents to Walker’s 43.4%, and given the margin of error it’s a vir tual dead heat.

Warnock has promised to be more aggres sive as the midterm election looms ever closer. He told the press he is ready to be less re strained in favor of more direct attacks on his opponent. After casting his vote on Monday, he

said “I guess he [Walker] expects the people of Georgia now to hallucinate and imagine that he is also a United States senator,” in reference to Walker flashing an honorary sheriff’s badge during the debate. “He’s clearly not ready.”

One woman polled said she will vote for War nock because she likes his position on Medic aid expansion and against the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and on women’s reproductive rights. She believed that Walker was “not qualified to serve.” On the other hand, another woman said she liked Walker when he spoke at her church. “He seemed like a good man,” she said, “and I’m a Christian and I’m conservative in my values.” Still, many Re publicans are having second thoughts about Walker after learning of allegations of violence against his ex-wife and that he paid for a former girlfriend’s abortion. “If these things are true,” one woman exclaimed, “that’s horrible.”

A recent poll has Brian Kemp, the Republi can governor, opening up a double-digit lead over Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams. Each new poll reveals an increase in Kemp’s lead over Abrams, who is once again seeking

the state’s highest office. Even some of those polled promised to vote for Kemp, though they oppose his views on abortion.

One person in the poll said she believed that Kemp has done a good job, and while she disagrees with Kemp on his opposition to abortion, “I can’t vote the other way on that one issue.”

At the moment Kemp maintains a margin al lead over Abrams and one he must keep in order to avoid a runoff in December. A Black man who works in communications said he plans to vote for Abrams because, “The conser vative side had gone full on hypocrisy. I can’t get behind a single conservative candidate.”

Turnout will be a key factor in determin ing who comes out on top in both races, and Black voters have overwhelmingly preferred Abrams and Warnock, unsurprisingly. Race, gender, educational background, and agegroups will be pivotal points in both the sen atorial and gubernatorial races, and as they always say there are polls and then there are polls, and they are only temporary barome ters of the moment.

With midterm Election Day nearing, GOTV efforts heat up

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The 2022 midterm election season promis es to be as momentous as the last presiden tial election, which helped put Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into office.

The Biden/Harris administration entered office in 2020 with 92% of the Black vote— mainly because it promised to move the United States away from former President Donald Trump’s full-throated embrace of white nationalism.

“Biden reported[ly] decided to run for pres ident upon hearing Donald Trump’s failure to admonish white nationalists and white su premacists who held a ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 where they enacted violence and murdered Heath er Heyer, a counter-protester and Black Lives Matter supporter,” notes Rashawn Ray in an article for The Brookings Institution.

“...Blacks helped to save American democ racy,” Ray contends—as do most other polit ical observers. “They enabled Democrats to overcome the appeals of a GOP leader intent on subverting long-held democratic institu tions and ushering in an era of authoritarian rule. A second Trump term likely would have featured more catastrophic attacks on the opposition, including delegitimizing civil so ciety organizations and packing the judiciary with loyalists. Eight years of Trump rule would have destroyed American democracy and al tered the future of the country and the world.”

But enthusiasm for the Biden/Harris ad ministration lost momentum as the presi dent struggled to get his progressive Build Back Better plan implemented. Biden wound up whittling down many of the plan’s social programs and efforts to fight climate change because two recalcitrant fellow Democratic Party representatives, West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema,

would not let the bill pass otherwise. Biden canceled up to $10,000 in student loan debt, but inflation is still weighing heavily on work ing families and recent Supreme Court deci sions are making it look like the U.S. will be governed by laws determined by a conserva tive, right-wing leaning judicial branch.

Now, with the midterm election season upon us, get-out-the-vote activists want to make sure that Black voters seize another opportu nity to flex their political muscles. Black voters can still make a difference at the polls. Accord ing to the Pew Research Center, “Black voters could play an important role in determining the outcome of key 2022 midterm races in the United States in November.”

In the state of Michigan, Tameka Ramsey, co-executive director along with Sommer Foster of the nonprofit civic engagement group Michigan Voices, told the AmNews that door-knocking, literature drops, text messag ing, phone calls, and events are part of their playbook for keeping Blacks in her state inter ested in the upcoming midterms.

“But you know this—this is the crazy part,” Ramsey added. “In the city of Detroit, for the first time in 70 years, there will not be a Black person on the ballot for Congress.” Redistrict ing in Michigan drew new boundaries which took away two majority Black districts—one of which was represented by Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, who is African American, and another which is represented by Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian American. Rep. Law rence has announced that she is retiring and, because of the redistricting, Rep. Tlaib is run ning in the primary for a new district.

“And so Black people don’t see representa tion by somebody who looks like them,” ex plains Tameka Ramsey. “And so that is a fear that we have that people won’t say, ‘Hey this is a Black person, they’re going to be looking out for my best interest. I’m gonna go vote for them.’ And so now, and I know this sounds

very weird, now we actually have to focus on values and on platforms and on educat ing people so that they can understand that sometimes even if it’s a brown person and not a Black person, like they can still repre sent you in your issues. Rashida Tlaib, the congresswoman, is amazing. Like born and raised in Detroit; like, she is just amazing. And I think that she has been able to talk to the issues of Detroiters because she’s lived here her whole life.”

It’s not unusual for Black voters to be hes itant about voting for politicians of a differ ent race. Too often, non-Black politicians pay little attention to the Black communi ty’s needs.

“I come from a single-mother household, living in subsidized housing. My father was in my life, but he had mental health issues, so he wasn’t always there,” confessed Ramsey. “Both of my parents are from Mississippi, they moved to Michigan at different points in their lives. But what my parents taught me about voting is that it was a survival mechanism for a lot of their family members—that they needed to have people who would be interested in them living or who would fight if there was an injustice to a Black person in the community.

“I think we moved away from that. We have to fight really, really hard in order to get the right people in office for our quali ty of lives. There were so many people who died during COVID from poor and lowincome communities, just because they didn’t have the representation that they needed or they didn’t have the resources or the money or the support that they needed. And so, voting actually is a form of survival for Black and brown people and I think we forgot about that. In order to stay alive, in order for our future generations to be able to thrive and not just survive, like we need to vote and get people in office that will con tinue to fight and save us.”

NJ legislators announce major gun safety initiative

By CYRIL JOSH BARKER Amsterdam News Staff

Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin and State Senate Presi dent Nick Scutari un veiled legislation that would establish new concealed-carry laws in New Jersey.

The legislation will prevent guns from ending up in the hands of the wrong people by requiring more comprehensive background checks before a permit is issued; prohibiting permit holders from carrying handguns in sensitive public areas such as gov ernment buildings, sporting arenas and bars; and imposing new insurance restric tions, among other measures.

“New Jersey con tinues to be a leader on gun safety with laws that help keep our communities safe,” said Scutari (DUnion). “This bill will help prevent gun vio lence with commonsense standards to require training, pro mote gun safety and prevent firearms from being carried into sen sitive locations. Final ly, this new law will help provide a tool for law-enforcement in our fight against illegal gun trafficking.”

Recent polls show that residents favor stricter gun safe laws by a margin of 5-1. The legislation is spon sored by Assembly man Joe Danielsen, one of the many rec reational hunters who believe that when it comes to keeping children and com munities safe, there is no conflict between sportsmen, responsi ble gun ownership and

gun safety laws.

“This legislation is de signed to make New Jersey safer in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen ruling that, left unaddressed, would undoubted ly hinder public safety for the more than nine million residents of our state,” said Coughlin (DMiddlesex). “By ensur ing that individuals can only obtain a concealed carry permit after ex tensive review and ap propriate training, we are standing up for vic tims of gun violence and helping to prevent future tragedies while abiding by the Court’s decision.”

The bill builds on other major common sense measures that the Legislature has passed in recent years, such as laws that regulate the sale of ammunition and increase penalties for ir responsible gun dealers and manufacturers.

Though New Jersey had broad discretion to regulate concealed carry permits for over a century, protections have been weakened in the wake of the Su preme Court’s Bruen decision in June.

Since then, Repub licans in New Jersey have introduced at least four bills to roll back gun safety pro tections, with bills that would bring more guns into schools, allow people to carry guns while driving, carry firearms into pri vately owned places without the proper ty owner’s consent, or allow ammunition magazines with unlim ited number of bullets.

In all, Republicans in the New Jersey Assem bly have introduced 33 bills that would increase the number of guns in communities or make it easier to gain access to dangerous weapons.

First Black woman Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco

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

Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that operates the park, ap pointed former public housing execu tive director Morgan Monaco as their new president and administrator. Monaco is the first Black woman to hold this position.

“I’m honored to be the first Black woman to take over the helm and open space in a sector that continues to diversify,” said Monaco. “I’m humbled to be that beacon, and I hope that another young Black girl sees my picture and says, ‘you know what I never thought about going into open space service but maybe I will.’”

A Manhattan native, Monaco was born and raised on the Upper Westside by a single mother in an apartment near Central Park. She moved to Brooklyn in the early 2000s to make the nearby borough her home. “I’ve had some pretty amazing walks in Prospect Park with my husband. Our love story begins

working for the Parks Department togeth er,” said Monaco reminiscing, “Some of my most favorite memories in our whole histo ry of knowing each other have been walks in Prospect Park.”

Monaco served in the city’s parks depart ment under former Mayor Bill de Blasio from 2014 to 2020. She was director of the MillionTreesNYC Initiative and later director of stewardship for Forestry, Horticulture and Natural Resources.

She also served in the nonprofit sector as the executive director of the Red Hook Ini tiative (RHI), a youth and community de velopment nonprofit for Red Hook Houses public housing development. She worked during the pandemic and helped to bring in funding relationships and new staff to help stabilize and grow RHI’s impact. “I felt like I wanted to go deep and work in one neigh borhood,” said Monaco.

Monaco joined the Prospect Park Alliance team in September of 2020. She is the first Black woman leader of the Alliance, further diversifying executive leadership within the open space sector. Monaco succeeds former

President Sue Donoghue, who was appoint ed New York City Parks Commissioner by Mayor Eric Adams earlier this year.

The Prospect Park Alliance has been work ing on restorations of the Endale Arch, Con cert Grove Pavilion, and the Flatbush Avenue entrances. Other projects include reimag ining the park’s historic house museum to recognize its role as a site of slavery and tell stories of enslaved Africans and the Indige nous people of the Lenapehoking. The park will also add a monument of political trail blazer Shirley Chisholm soon.

Monaco still lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their 4-year-old son. She said that her son adores Vanderbilt playground in Prospect Park.

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

Black New Yorker

Prospect Park Alliance President + Prospect Park Administrator Morgan Monaco (Contributed photo)

Councilmember Charles Barron challenges unequal distribution of shelters as city looks to East New York to house asylum seekers

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

There are currently nine districts in the Big Apple devoid of any city shelters. Brook lyn Community District 5, home to East New York, is not one of them. So when the city pro posed to relocate the influx of asylum seek ers to the neighborhood, Councilmember Charles Barron vehemently opposed, feeling other community districts were not pulling their weight in housing New Yorkers. In fact, he thinks they’re violating the city’s charter.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 12, Barron penned a three-point letter to the mayor, published here in the NY Amsterdam News, arguing the over representation of shelters in East New York vi olated the fair-share act, which requires a “fair distribution of the burden and benefits” throughout the city.

Earlier this month, Mayor Eric Adams an nounced a state of emergency as the shel ter system threatened to cave with the influx of asylum seekers sent by conservative lead ers from the southern border. But for East New York, the crisis is not new.

“When you say we have a state of emergen cy because asylum seekers are being bussed in, well, two things—one, we’ve been [in] a state of emergency, with homelessness in our commu nities with the people who are already here,”

said Barron. “So this is not a new state of emer gency. It’s been a state of emergency.

“Secondly, that the fair-share act of 1990, or the fair-share rule in the city charter of 1990s said that the shelter distributions have to be equitably, fairly distributed amongst all com munities that can’t be oversaturated in one, or communities that are Black and brown and low income, that’s the class and race.”

He pointed out a majority of the nine districts without a single shelter bed are predominant ly white and Asian communities with higher levels of income. Over 90% of Community Dis trict 5 is Black or brown and 28.9% of residents earn under the NYCGov poverty threshold.

“In other communities in Brooklyn, like Community District 10, which covers Bay Ridge, they have no shelters, and their popu lation is predominantly white and Asian,” said Barron. “And their poverty level is about 11%.

And then you have Community District 11 in Bensonhurst—their population is predomi nantly white and Asian. And their poverty levels are only 13%. They have no shelters.”

According to data from the NYC Department of Homeless Services given to City Limits in 2019, the other seven community districts are based in or around Morris Park, Greenwich Vil lage/SoHo, Ridgewood, Rego Park, Bayside, South Beach/Willow Brook and Tottenville. Only Bronx Community District 11 is the ma jority Black and brown neighborhood listed.

As the city struggles to house asylum seekers bussed from the southern border by Republi can figureheads like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Mayor Adams is finally coming around to ef forts with helping existing shelter residents find permanent housing, a recommendation made by groups like the Legal Aid Society and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) months ago.

“Housing experts and immigrant advocates like ourselves have also suggested solutions to relieve pressure on our overburdened shelter system, and it seems that the administration is finally listening and moving forward critical policy changes,” said NYIC executive director Murad Awawdeh. “As the mayor explained in his remarks, New Yorkers continue to step up to support our newest arrivals, and we will con tinue to do so. We look forward to working with the City to implement any logical and reason able plan to support asylum seekers to thrive in New York City.”

The Amsterdam News reached out last week to the mayor’s office for comment.

Barron specifically put the onus on Black leadership around the city to address the dis parities in shelters and housing across the five boroughs. And he called for their constituents to hold them accountable.

“In a city that has a $101 billion expense budget, and a $95 billion capital budget to give to build housing and bridges and roads and

schools and parks and all of that,” said Barron. “And a state that has a $220 billion budget, how do you have $220 billion in the state with all this Black leadership in high places?

“And $101 billion in the city, with all the Black leadership in high places, shows you that black faces in high places doesn’t mean Black power.”

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

Housing facilities for asylum seekers on Randall’s Island on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Go With The Flo

FLO ANTHONY

ity in every community by increasing awareness and ed ucation, improving access to care, and promoting the tools and skills that build posi tive mental health for those who need it most. Guests at the fundraiser enjoyed a spe cial performance by six-time Grammy Award-winning artist and pop culture icon, Dionne Warwick. Said War wick, “There’s something that can be done about mental ill ness and it takes all of us to do that. All we have to do is care, truly care, and always try to make people smile.” The same week, Warwick received the Trailblazer award at the Fashion Group International 38th Night of Stars.

Plaque unveiled for African American suffragists in Brooklyn

Former “Empire” stars Trai and Grace Byers, who por trayed Andre Lyon and Anika Calhoun on the show, are expecting their first child together after six years of marriage, according to Just Jared. Grace, who now plays Quinn on the Amazon Prime Video show “Harlem,” posted a photo of herself and her husband that showed her baby bump at the opening night of “The Piano Lesson” at the Barrymore Theatre in New York City. Trai makes his Broadway debut in the play which also stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Wash ington and Danielle Brooks. It is directed by Jackson’s wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson.

On Oct. 11, the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation cele brated its ongoing com mitment to support mental health with a cocktail fun draiser hosted by executive chairman of Saks and Presi dent of the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation Richard Baker and Saks CEO Marc Metrick at L’Avenue at Saks in New York City. The event raised $1.8 million to strengthen the Foundation’s mission to make mental health a prior

Kevin Hart, who is a longstanding friend of Audemars Piguet, co-hosted the 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in Bever ly Hills, California, and the launch of a book that charts the life and times of the iconic luxury sports watch, titled “Royal Oak: From Iconoclast to Icon” on Oct. 14. Guests included Hart’s wife Eniko, Audemars Piguet’s CEO for the Americas Ginny Wright, sports agent Rich Paul and his girlfriend, Grammy Awardwinning singer Adele, Kenya Barris and more.

In honor of Inner Beauty Day—a time set aside to bring global awareness and provide support for survi vors of human trafficking— beauty preneur Khadine Bakarat-Joseph, owner of Ve dette Beauty & Skincare, in partnership with the Brook lyn district attorney’s office’s Brooklyn Human Trafficking Task Force hosted “Strength in Beauty.” The midday affair provided local high school students a behind-the-scenes look at the business of beauty while delivering an impact ful, open dialogue of the dangers of human traffick ing. “Growing up in the Flat bush section of Brooklyn I suffered low self-esteem and was often bullied and found myself constantly seeking the approval of my friends,” said Bakarat-Joseph, who hosted the event at her Flatbush day spa.

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Voting rights struggles are not new for African Americans. On Saturday, Oct. 15, Brooklynites gathered to celebrate four notable women who fought in the early 1900s to ensure that African American women had the right to vote.

Congress had passed the 14th and 15th amendments granting Af rican Americans U.S. citizenship rights and prohibiting racial dis crimination in voting, but neither amendment was being enforced. So activists such as Sarah J.S. Garnet, Mary E. Eato, Dr. Verina MortonJones, and Lydia C. Smith formed and served as officers of the Equal Suffrage League (ESL), where they pushed to have Black citizenship opportunities made real.

The Oct. 15th plaque dedication, sponsored by the National Votes for Women Trail (NVWT) and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, brought out state and local poli ticians, members of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, mem bers of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s local Psi Lambda Omega chapter, and area residents to take part in honor ing these early activists. Dr. Judith A. Burgess served as the host of the cer emony at Cuyler Gore Park, which is across the street from the New Carl ton Rehabilitation & Nursing Center building at 405 Carlton Street—the former site of the YMCA, where the ESL used to hold their meetings.

Dr. Burgess did the primary re search on the work of these pioneer ing women suffragists, and she is a member of the NVWT. She remind ed the audience that the ESL activ ists being celebrated “didn’t sleep on the job. They worked hard to make sure that we had the vote.

“Now,” she said, referencing getout-the-vote efforts today, “we have to make sure that we have a democ racy.”

City Councilmember Crystal Hudson praised Dr. Burgess’ work promoting the history of Black women suffragists in Brooklyn. “It’s a real honor to represent a district that has so much rich history—particu larly by Black women,” Hudson said. “Not so long ago we renamed PS9 to Sarah Smith Garnet School because we know that Black women started so many movements here in Brook lyn—particularly the right to vote, the movement for women to be able to vote. And for Black women, spe cifically, to be able to vote. People like myself and the assemblymem ber, the state attorney general, and every other Black woman who’s ever been elected would not be able to stand before you as elected repre sentatives if it wasn’t for the history that’s come before us and the good fight that so many Black women have fought to ensure that.”

State Attorney General Tish James attended the ceremony—she is from the neighborhood and wanted to add her praise for the ESL activ ists and their efforts to push for pas

sage of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote: “It was a long, frustrating, and arduous effort, one in which our ancestors and our great grandmothers and our grandmothers, and—for some of us—our mothers never received proper credit for in the struggle. And the struggle, unfortunately, contin ues,” James said.

“Our foremothers never received proper credit for their efforts to shore up democracy in this country, despite being the Americans most committed to universal suffrage and, frankly, the Americans with the most to lose. … The hard work and diligence of our ancestors were cru cial for women gaining the right to vote. However, for Black women and our families, we know it’s only been 60 years,” James added, noting that the Black community, as a whole, has literally only had voting rights enforced since 1965.

Following readings of the biog raphies of Sarah J.S. Garnet, Mary E. Eato, Dr. Verina Morton-Jones, and Lydia C. Smith, Dr. Burgess took ceremony participants over to 405 Carlton Street. The audi ence applauded as she unveiled the new plaque on the building which states: “Road to the 19th amendment. Votes For Women. Af rican American women led by Pres. Dr. Verina Morton-Jones used this former YMCA in 1908 as headquar ters of the Equal Suffrage League of Brooklyn, William C. Pomeroy Foundation 2022.”

Khadine Bakarat-Joseph, owner of Vedette Beauty & Skincare, and guest speaker Jillian Smith

Dr. Judith A. Burgess unveiled the new plaque at 405 Carlton Street which celebrates African American suffragists (Karen Juanita Carrillo photos)

NY State Attorney General Tish James and City Councilmember Crystal Hudson attended the plaque dedication ceremony

Fun and food at Grand Opening of Key Food Clinton Hill

By NOSAYABA ODESANYA Special to the AmNews

Saturday, Oct. 15, the Widdi family hosted an Appreciation Day with the Grand Opening of Key Food, a 50 year neighbor hood staple in Clinton Hill at 991 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. At torney General Letitia James and former Assembly District 57th Leader Olanike Alabi attend ed this community event with many locals and families; chil dren ran around and enjoyed the big bouncy castle, face-painting, balloons, and nice weather. The DJ played every type of music as everyone greeted the Widdi family as they sat outside their new revamped and expand ed Widdi Family Market store. It looks brand new, is so much bigger than it was, and people seemed to really like it and were doing a lot of shopping.

Local vendors gave away tasty treats like the big barbecue sam ples, plant-based Owyn milk, the Maroon Sausage Company, Sha

li’s Banana Pudding, and June Shine Hard Kombucha.

There were also big raffles with 50- and 42-inch flat screen TVs,

massage guns, a Hoover Powder dash Pet carpet cleaner, a Magic Bullet, a mountain bike and blenders.

As the fall weather creeps in, it was a carnival atmosphere in perhaps the last big outdoor event for the neighborhood.

Jonelle Procope, at the helm of the Apollo for 20 years, steps down in June

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of the Apollo, announced on Tuesday that after 20 years at the helm of the iconic entertainment palace, she is stepping down on June 30, 2023. She is doing so as the Apollo completes a full-scale renovation of the building, rais ing $63 million of the $70 mil lion Capital Campaign to support upgrades and restoration, and a trove of successes. “It has been an honor to lead this organization through two decades of outstand ing performances, transformative educational programs, and civic advocacy,” she said in a press re lease. “The Apollo is a powerful catalyst for progress and innova tion, and as we near the comple tion of the capital campaign and begin restoration of the historic theater, it is the right time to wel come the next president who will lead the Apollo into the future.”

Having taken the historic the ater to the place she wanted it to be, Procope will continue to spearhead the Apollo Rising 2.0 campaign, the completion of the Apollo’s Victoria Theater, and the Apollo’s fall 2022 and spring 2023 seasons. In this capacity, she will work with the Apollo board of di rectors and senior leadership team to ensure a smooth tran

sition to the next president. The board of directors and its search committee will begin a national search to find her successor.

“For nearly nine decades,” she continued, “the Apollo has been a welcoming home for artists of color, a tireless advocate for Black culture and creativity, and a gal vanizing force for the performing arts in New York and across the U.S. It has been an honor to lead this organization through two de cades of outstanding performanc es, transformative educational programs, and civic advocacy. The Apollo is a powerful catalyst for progress and innovation, and as we near the completion of the capital campaign and begin resto ration of the historic theater, it is the right time to welcome the next president who will lead the Apollo into the future.”

That future will benefit from Procope’s tireless commitment and visionary leadership in trans forming the legendary Apollo into a renewed vibrant and cul tural resource in Harlem, and the Harlems of the world. Under her guidance, the Apollo has led the Ford Foundation to naming it one of America’s Cultural Trea sures and to significant support from foundations, corporations, and individuals across the coun try. She leads a staff of 81 full-time employees, and built, deeply en

gaged, and partnered with the or ganization’s board of directors. Procope also served as an execu tive producer on the Emmy Award nominated documentary, “The Apollo” (HBO), and on the New York City Mayor’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism Advisory Council to help safely reopen New York’s be loved cultural sector.

“The Apollo has long been a home for artistic innovation, a convener for public discourse, and a centerpiece of the Harlem community,” said Charles E. Phil lips, chair of the Apollo’s Board. “Jonelle’s extraordinary vision and stewardship over the past 20 years has expanded the organi zation’s role as one of the nation’s greatest cultural institutions.”

He said, “She has led the Apollo through an unparalleled period of growth, forged partnerships glob ally, strengthened the Apollo’s fi nances, broadened a uniquely diverse audience, and navigated the institution through a chal lenging pandemic. She has also built a diverse board of business and civic leaders, philanthropists and stakeholders, and created an experienced leadership team that, along with my fellow board mem bers, will continue to guide the organization as we prepare for Apollo’s next leader. On behalf of the Apollo Board of Directors, I’d like to express our deepest ap

preciation to Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and those in the city who are supporting Apollo’s continued vitality and capital im provements. And a special thank you to the Apollo’s Chairman Emeritus, Richard D. Parsons, who was responsible for bringing Jonelle to the Apollo and contin ues to lead the capital campaign.”

Along with the splendid de velopment she’s brought to the Apollo, her personal achieve ments are equally remarkable, having been profiled in The New York Times Public Lives column, which recognized individuals who have distinguished themselves by their significant contributions to New York City, named as one of Portfolio magazine’s “73 Big gest Brains in Business,” profiled in Ebony magazine, and honored by The New York Daily News as one of the “100 Women Who Shape Our City.” In addition to the Apollo Theater Board, Procope is a member of the boards of the 125th Street Business Improvement Dis trict, the Gracie Mansion Conser vancy, NYC & Company, SiriusXM, and Lincoln Center for the Per forming Arts. She also serves on the NYC Landmarks50 Adviso ry Committee. In 2021, Proco pe was featured on Forbes’ “50 over 50” Vision list, which high lighted “exceptional women who are shaping the future of science,

technology and art.” In 2022, she was awarded an honorary doctor ate from her alma mater, Howard University, in acknowledgement of her humanitarian and philan thropic contributions to society. Prior to becoming president and CEO of the Apollo in 2003, Proco pe served on the Apollo’s board of directors for four years. Before as suming her role as president and CEO of the Apollo, she held a va riety of senior positions in enter tainment law and media-related corporate affairs and manage ment. She began her legal career as an associate attorney at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Mea gher & Flom.

Keyfood owners Widdi Family with Olanike Alabi (Nayaba Arinde photo)

(Nayaba Arinde photo)

(Nosayaba Odesanya photo)

(Nosayaba Odesanya photo)

(Contributed photo)

Union Matters

Amazon faces off with union in fight for a second warehouse

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP)—The startup union that clinched a his toric labor victory at Amazon earlier this year is slated to face the company yet again, aiming to rack up more wins that could force the reluctant retail behemoth to the nego tiating table.

This time, the Amazon Labor Union and the nation’s sec ond-largest private employer are facing off in the town of Schodack, near Albany, New York. Workers at the ware house there, which employs roughly 800 people accord ing to Amazon, will finish voting in a union election on Monday. The votes will be tallied Tuesday by the National Labor Relations Board.

“There are also a lot of odds against us, but I think there’s definitely a huge possibility we might win,” said Sarah Chaudhry, an 18-year old who’s been organizing workers since joining the company two months ago. “I can’t jinx it.”

The face-off near the state’s capital—one of the most unionized metro areas in the country, according to Union stats.com—marks the third time the ALU is taking on Amazon following its initial win at a Staten Island facility in April. That victory, the first ever for an Amazon facility in the U.S., came as a surprise even to those sympathetic to the union’s calls for a $30 hourly wage and better work ing conditions for warehouse workers.

But soon enough, challenges began to appear. A loss at a second, nearby warehouse in May took some wind out of the union’s sail. Fractures were exposed when some prom inent organizers left the group.

Elsewhere, the union lost time and resources attempting to cement its lone win. Amazon has accused the ALU and the NLRB’s field office in Brooklyn of tainting the vote. In a quest for a redo election, the company filed more than two dozen objections with the agency, triggering a lengthy pro cess that could take years to resolve.

Last month, a federal labor official who presided over the hearings ruled against the company, which has noted it in tends to appeal. During an interview last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also signaled the retail giant could drag the

case to federal court.

“Amazon is ready to fight this to the death,” said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. “And the problem for the Amazon Labor Union is if you only have one warehouse… you’re never going to have enough leverage to force the company to bargain.”

The election in Albany offers the ALU a chance to show its win isn’t a one-off, experts say. Heather Goodall, the main worker organizer in the facility, launched the campaign at the warehouse in May, three months after joining the com pany and a month after the Staten Island win. Her passion for unionizing, she said, came from the death of her son, who committed suicide six years ago while working for a large company.

“So when I heard that there were working conditions that were suspicious in my own community —and I have a 17and 15-year-old that attends the school district in the area where Amazon conducts its business—I wanted to see first hand what was going on,” Goodall said.

Amazon launched its own campaign to push back the or ganizing effort. As it did with other warehouses, the com pany held mandatory meetings at the Schodack facility in an attempt to persuade workers to reject the union. It also put up flyers and signs across the warehouse urging work ers to “vote no.”

“Don’t sign an ALU card,” the company said on one sign posted on a screen at the facility. “The ALU is untested and unproven.”

“We’ve always said that we want our employees to have their voices heard, and we hope and expect this process allows for that,” Paul Flaningan, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement.

Last week, Amazon workers at a separate facility in Califor nia’s Moreno Valley filed for their own union election, seek ing to join the ALU. Nannette Plascencia, who has worked at the warehouse for seven years, said she and her colleagues have been attempting to organize the facility for more than two years, but the company’s famously high turnover rate had made it challenging to build up enough support.

Another election spearheaded by the Retail, Wholesale

and Department Store Union at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, remains too close to call with 416 challenged bal lots still waiting for adjudication. The vote, held this spring, was the union’s second attempt to organize there, following a prior loss that it contested.

Unlike Starbucks stores that have voted to unionize by the hundreds in the past year, organizing Amazon ware houses is a much more arduous task. The facilities typical ly employ hundreds—or thousands—of employees. And it can take months to build up enough showing of support for an election.

Amazon warehouse workers at a facility in Garner, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, have been organiz ing for months and plan to file for an election by the end of summer next year, said Tim Platt, an Amazon worker who’s been soliciting support for the campaign under a group called Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Em powerment, or CAUSE. Organizers are taking their time to file for an election so they can be confident of the outcome by the time workers start voting.

The workers there chose not to align with the ALU, though organizers still coordinate with each other routine ly. Platt said workers might join another union in the future. They’ve met with the Teamsters, which launched a division last month focused on organizing Amazon workers. But for now, Platt said they’re only focused on organizing.

Mendoza, ALU’s director of communications, said the union is trying to support other workers forming their own organizing committees across the country. Howev er, their main task will be filing their own election peti tions and building up more support at the facility that voted to unionize in case it needs to call for an action, such as a strike.

The union has been able to hire two full-time staff to help out with trainings and meetings. A $250,000 dona tion from the American Federation of Teachers has also allowed them to get office space in Staten Island. They’re building support, but it takes time, Mendoza said.

“You can lose some elections or win other ones,” he said. “We’re not concerned about an individual result the way Amazon is. They can’t really afford to lose one.”

Amazon workers reject union bid in upstate New York

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP)—Amazon workers in upstate New York overwhelmingly rejected a union bid on Tuesday, handing a second defeat to the labor group that’s been attempting to drag the company to the negotiating table since its histor ic win earlier this year.

This time around, warehouse workers near Albany cast 406 votes, or about 66%, against the Amazon Labor Union, giving the company enough support to push back the fledgling group composed of former and cur rent Amazon workers.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, 206 workers, or 33.6%, voted in favor of joining the union. The agency said 918 employees were eligible to vote, and the 31 ballots that were challenged by either Amazon or the union were not enough to sway the outcome.

The facility is located in the town of Schodack, near one of

the most unionized metro areas in the country, according to Unionstats.com. It’s what’s known as a non-sort center, a warehouse where employees pack more bulky items such as rugs, patio furniture or outdoor equipment.

Experts had noted a win there would have given the union more leverage in its quest to negotiate a contract with Amazon and a chance to demonstrate its prior win at a fa cility on Staten Island, New York wasn’t a one-off. For now, those hopes seem to be dashed.

This was the fourth union election at an Amazon ware house this year, and the third one led by the Amazon Labor Union. Following their unexpected win in April in Staten Island, the group was stung by a loss shortly there after at another, smaller facility nearby. A union election in Alabama, led by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, re mains too close to call.

Many believed organizing the second Staten Island facility would be more challenging due to the larger share of part-

time workers, who might have other sources of income and less of a connection with their co-workers. The union had less time to convince workers. And Chris Smalls, the fired Amazon worker who leads the union, and other organizers were also more distracted with media appearances and de fending their historic win.

Amazon has been trying to undo the ALU’s lone victo ry, filing more than two dozen objections to the election and seeking a redo vote. Last month, a federal labor offi cial concluded the union should be certified as a bargain ing representative for the warehouse. Amazon, which hasn’t recognized the union, said it intends to appeal the decision and CEO Andy Jassy has also signaled the company could take the case to federal court.

ALU organizers have said they were focused on pressur ing Amazon to negotiate a contract at the facility that voted to unionize and petitioning for more elections. Last week, Amazon workers at a separate facility in California filed for their own union election, seeking to join the ALU.

maz jobrani

Live and Dry Sat, Nov 5 @ 7:30 & 9:45PM Fearless and funny Iranian-American comic Maz Jobrani riffs on politics, parenthood and the immigrant experience.

represent! a night of jazz, hip hop and spoken word

Sat, Nov 19 @ 8PM

For one night only, NJPAC’s City Verses welcomes Rakim, Speech, Chuck D, Black Thought, Nikki Giovanni, jessica Care moore, Mayor Ras Baraka, The Last Poets, Javon Jackson, Ravi Coltrane, A Christian McBride Situation and many more.

boyz II men

Sat, Nov 26 @ 8PM

“End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “Motownphilly,” “On Bended Knee”...nobody does R&B like Boyz II Men.

neil degrasse tyson

The Cosmic Perspective Dec 8 @ 7:30PM

Take a journey to the far reaches of the universe in this cosmically fascinating conversation with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

the hip hop nutcracker

with special guest MC Kurtis Blow Sat, Dec 17 @ 2 & 7:30PM

NJPAC’s original holiday mashup remixes Tchaikovsky’s ballet with supercharged hip hop dance.

Fantasia

Jazzmeia Horn

Andrew

Foundation.

Rakim Chuck D Speech

Generous support for

Hip Hop Nutcracker

provided by

Smart Family Foundation/David S. Stone,

Stone & Magnanini.

Freedom Fighter— Charles Sherrod

A recent documentary on the “rebellious life” of Rosa Parks, a feature film on Emmett Till, and the death of the Rev. Charles Sherrod on Tuesday at his home in Albany, Georgia at 85 all are storied reminders of the Civil Rights Movement.

Most people know of Parks’ gallant stand in Montgom ery and Till’s brutal murder in 1955, which sparked the movement— and an incident Parks said was on her mind when she took her bold action. But less is known about Minis ter Sherrod, a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and its first field secretary.

Sherrod was among the members of SNCC who made sure theory and practice were applied in the fight to end racism and discrimination.

Those ardent followers of the move ment may recall segments of “Eyes on the Prize,” a remarkable docu mentary in which you can view Sher rod in the student “Freedom Singers” from Albany State College. Sherrod is also seen working the rural sec tion of Georgia, a region where he focused his attention on his militan cy and creating cooperative farms.

This is just a notice on his passing and later we will profile his signifi cant contributions in a future pro file. Even a lengthy obituary can’t capture the dedication he gave to liberating the oppressed in this country.

Presente, Rev. Sherrod you fought the good fight and left behind an equally formidable companion, Shirley, to continue the struggle. The two of you can be compared to other dauntless duos, and you will be missed.

As his wife said, “His life serves as a shining example of service to one’s fellow man.”

Fighting race & class in homeless shelter distribution

By ASSEMBLYMAN CHARLES BARRON

We, listed below, adamantly oppose Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed relocation of asylum-seekers at the facility located at 501 New Lots Avenue in East New York, Brook lyn.

We oppose this for the following reasons:

1. You recently declared a state of emer gency in New York City, regarding the influx of asylum-seekers. However, East New York was already in a state of emergency regard ing the oversaturation of homeless shelters in our district. This oversaturation is a vio lation of the Fair Share Act. Your proposal to use 501 New Lots Ave will only exacerbate an already existing out of control situation regarding housing the homeless.

2. The proposed site at 501 New Lots Avenue is one block away from an already existing shelter used to house homeless women, and two blocks away from a child

AMNEWS READERS WRITE

care center and a school. Presently, we are having major challenges and suffering seri ous consequences in that area. We already have a functioning task force of communi ty leaders, city agencies, faith-based insti tutions, and community organizations to address this community crisis.

3. We say, that as mayor, you should not violate the Fair Share Act in communities that are already over saturated. You should not force this on our community. We call on you to follow the law and house the asylum seekers in those communities that are not oversaturated and have not historical ly shouldered their fair share of providing temporary shelter.

We understand the tremendous burden and pressure put on you by elected officials from other states, who spitefully made their politically charged decision to send asylum seekers to New York and other locations. However, Mayor, there are 9 districts in this

city without any shelters and the 2 districts with the most continue to receive shelters.

We want to go on record and say that we whole-heartedly support temporary hous ing of asylum-seekers as a solution to the state of emergency, however, the inequity in this plan will only worsen our situation.

Mr. Mayor, we urge you to cease and desist moving forward with this plan. Thank you.

Charles Barron, NYC Council Member 42nd District

Sandy Nurse, NYC Council Member 37th District

Alice Lowman Acting Chairperson, Com munity Board 5 Melinda Perkins, District Manager, Community Board 5

Paul Muhammad, Co-Chair of the Land Use Committee of CB5 Pastor Anthony Graham, New Hope Family Worship Center Joyce Scott-Brayboy, Emerald Green Tenant Association

Trump has been issued a subpoena by the January 6th committee. What’s next?

By JAMES B. EWERS JR. ED.D.

If you play word association games, the words crime and guilt go together. Indict ment and charges go together too. Addition ally, procrastination and delay are words used when people want to put off bad news.

If you are bogged down in the criminal justice system, these words have meaning. The former president is drowning in a sea of criminal allegations, and he knows these words quite well. Over time, this mischie vous pattern of behavior has been his call ing card.

He won the White House because Amer ica was blindfolded and didn’t see him for what he was.

people support him given his track record? Wake up! This man is borderline on many fronts.

The January 6th Committee met last week and dropped this news on America. The Committee voted 9-0 to subpoena him. If you didn’t watch it, hit the rewind button because it’s a history lesson.

Representative Liz Cheney, R-WYO said, “We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion and every American is entitled to those answers so we can act now to protect our republic.”

I suspect if the Democrats keep the House, the January 6th Committee will contin ue its work. If not, the evidence they have gathered and the long hours of research ing the facts will simply go away. Memo ries will become shorter, and evidence will disappear.

The former president wanted the Su preme Court to intervene in the classified documents fiasco. They rejected his plea, so he is left without them being a safeguard.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor

Nayaba Arinde: Editor

Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor

Trouble found him before, and it con tinues to track him relentlessly. It appears with each passing day, there is a new allega tion against him. If you are a support er of his and an unpaid minion of the former presi dent, then brace yourself for more chaos.

Damaso Reyes: Investigative Editor

Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus

I have found it suspicious as to why people con tinue to support him. The ques tion at the proba tion desk is why do

The former president in a written 14page response has called the subpoena a witch hunt. Is Mr. Trump suggesting that he should not be subjected to traditional rules and regulations? Taking classified docu ments to your house is not illegal? Now Mr. Trump’s lawyers are scrambling to put to gether a plausible defense. I think for his lawyers that it’s like the nightmare on Elm Street. Do his attorneys believe he can beat these allegations?

Their public answer is yes, and their behind closed doors answer is no. That is what I think.

The House Select Committee met for the ninth time, and this could be their final meeting. New footage and new testimony made the January 6th attack on the Capitol look darker and more destructive.

The mid-term elections in my opinion will loom large if the truth is to take its rightful place.

Bradley P. Moss, a lawyer specializing in national security issues said, “Mr. Trump just lost his last shot at keeping the clas sified documents away from the govern ment. And he will never see them again unless he is indicted and maybe then, maybe not.”

As the days of fall come upon us, it may also signal the fall of Donald Trump. Like a multiple-choice test, he kept choosing the wrong answer. Had the former presi dent chosen truth and honesty, he would not be in this tumultuous state. He, along with his followers, sidestepped right and tried to justify wrong. To borrow a widely used phrase, that is not the American way.

So now as the end is approaching, he is grasping for air. Mr. Trump is beyond em barrassment as he is trying to hold on to whoever and to whatever.

Run, run, run but you sure can’t hide. Maybe Mr. Trump should listen to these Temptations lyrics?

There could be a message in there for him.

PayPal just gave America an eerie glimpse into the future. Now, there’s no going back.

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

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

Our right to free expression is unques tionably the most significant of all of the liberties that we hold most dear. It is the foundation of every right that we enjoy as Americans and is the reason why so ciety exists in its current form as well as the reason why it will continue to evolve each year so long as this right exists.

As we are well aware, the First Amend ment guarantee of free expression only extends to censorship by state actors such as Congress, local governments and school boards. That’s why, when a private entity decides to suppress speech, we frequently tolerate a certain degree of censorship before reacting and resisting. No revolution is necessary to change the policy of even the largest corporations and no blood or death is required to strike fear into the hearts of private organizations. Instead, we need only to vote with our wallets and choose to transact with new companies that emerge as a result of the improper deci sions made by the existing companies.

Governments, on the other hand, do not provide us with this right; therefore, we must be willing to fight to the death to restore the principles we desire should the government overreach.

But what happens when a business with the same impact on your life as the government goes badly? Recent ly, the payment processing behemoth, PayPal, crossed a line by implement ing one of the most alarming and to talitarian rules ever imposed on clients by a private company. PayPal, a compa ny already reviled for its poor custom er service and arbitrary rules, decided to begin assuming the role of the thought police by modifying its terms of service to allow it to collect a $2,500 fine in ad dition to freezing a person’s funds if they spread “misinformation.”

It is not difficult to imagine the con sequences of a payment processing giant instituting such an oppressive policy, making it not only the arbitrator of truth but also giving it a stranglehold over a person’s livelihood when it dis agrees with that individual. The chilling impact on speech was evident, for in stance, when the Canadian government

began to freeze the bank accounts of protesting truck drivers during the pan demic. It seems that PayPal, observing the effect Canada’s policy had on pro tests—essentially eliminating the pro tests overnight—decided to introduce a similar rule to establish themselves as influential speech moderators.

Misinformation is harmful to society and should not be tolerated. However, creating rules that permit a single body to determine what constitutes misin formation and what constitutes truth is inappropriate. Frequently, misinforma tion is just an unproven theory or a dis puted viewpoint that causes dissidents to consider the opposition as the enemy.

Thankfully, PayPal reversed this deci sion, explaining that it was an error and was never intended to be included in the terms of service. Whether or not this is the case, it is evident at this point that PayPal is ready, willing and able to intro duce repressive and restricted policies on the platform if public opinion shifts in the appropriate direction. If PayPal wants to improve its public image, it must explain in detail how and why the error occurred. Furthermore, PayPal should seek to identify the individual or individuals responsible and explain why they were granted the permis sion to amend the terms and even why they were permitted to consider those changes. In the absence of full transpar ency, it will be impossible for customers to trust PayPal’s word, given the compa ny’s existing poor reputation.

There is no doubt in my mind that sit uations similar to this will continue to recur in the private sector and the chill ing impact they will have, in the ab sence of a government response, will likely manifest itself once more. What, after all, prevents other large tech plat forms or even traditional banks from establishing themselves as the arbiters of truth and denying access to money, the basic means of subsistence in the modern world to those who propagate ideas with which they disagree? The answer is nothing; the only thing pre venting them from using this option is the market, but should the market shift

in the direction of socialism, Marxism, or communism, this future seems less improbable and more inevitable. It is only a matter of time before the preva lent view of speech shifts from freedom to restriction. Even worse, once this day arrives, the chilling effect on speech will be so severe that there will be no going back, as the repercussions of speak ing out against the platform will be too strong for the average individual to bear.

This raises the question of how far we are prepared to go to support the old saying that private companies can do whatever they want because they are not governmental entities. Private compa nies should have the flexibility to conduct business as they see fit, and this includes highly restrictive speech rules. Nonethe less, there comes a point when the notion of private company freedom undermines the rights that allow society to exist.

Today, we permit corporations to do whatever they wish because they have their own freedom of speech rights, al lowing them to determine who can access their platform and what they can say on it. However, PayPal’s case renders this premise essentially worth less. PayPal is a global platform that pro cesses more than one trillion dollars. Are we prepared to concede that a plat form with near-monopoly power over our livelihoods should be entitled to impose onerous speech restrictions? A practically unstoppable force with con siderably more power than the govern ment should not have that authority.

This situation exemplifies the notion that corporations are the true govern ment. Unless something is done to prevent it, the eerie scenario in which corporations dictate our lives will become increasingly plausible. Whatev er the resolution, be it a constitutional amendment, a Supreme Court opin ion, or some other agreement, the best we can do for the time being is vote with our dollars to ensure that the Amer ican people are not held by the neck and shackled to the unchecked power of corporate behemoths that seek to do more than conduct business, but to control our lives and our thoughts.

Armstrong Williams (@ARightSide) is manager / sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Sta tions and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. www.arm strongwilliams.co | www.howardstirk holdings.com

Dangerous waters

CHRISTINA GREER PH.D.

Our democracy is in danger, folks. I don’t want to sound alarmist or his trionic, but we are in dan gerous waters right now. Never have I seen so many Americans emboldened to say racist, anti-immi grant, anti-Muslim, an tisemitic, and anti-LGBT sentiments. I am seeing more and more fright ening videos of ordinary white Americans depu tizing themselves to stop and harass people of color in stores, on the street, or just doing mundane activ ities while minding their own business.

What is so disturbing, but not surprising at all, is the vitriolic and incendiary language of the 45th presi dent. Of course, he still be lieves in fanning the flames of white supremacy. I have sadly grown accustomed to his rhetoric over the years; he is going to say what he feels to try to inspire his fol lowers. He will consistent ly try to scare them into believing they are losing “their country.” Rally after rally he uses racist dog whistles and now blatant statements to frighten his supporters into “fighting” for what is theirs. And in a nation that believes in sell ing guns and ammunition to anyone, this rhetoric is laying the foundation for violent responses, similar to what we saw on Janu ary 6, 2021. Sadly, that was likely a foreshadow of what is to come if the Republi can party does not get their supporters under control.

What is even more dis turbing, beyond the vio lent rhetoric of the former president and so many Re publican candidates for office, is the absolute si lence by prominent Re publicans on the local, state, and national levels.

Where are Mitch McCo nnell, Mitt Romney, Liz

Cheney, Lindsey Graham, and Susan Collins? Why aren’t prominent Repub licans denouncing these white nationalist state ments against Blacks, Jews, Muslims, immi grants, and so many other groups?

When we go to the polls on November 8, 2022, we must remember that our freedom and our democ racy are on the ballot. We must have qualified mem bers of Congress who denounce far flung con spiracy theories. We must support candidates who have promised to uphold the Constitution and the will of the people, not the whims of the 45th pres ident. We need people with courage, convic tions, ideas, and dignity. We need people elected who care about this coun try and the future of this nation, both economical ly and ideologically.

I am ringing the alarm. We are in troubling times with some real dangerous people on the ballot. One need only look at the Re publican Trump loving candidate for New York governor to see how the seeds of division know no geographic boundar ies. We must vote, have a voting plan, and make sure everyone we know and love has a voting plan as well. We must educate ourselves and prepare for Tuesday November 8th like our lives depend on it. We have no time to waste—get to work.

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

Caribbean Update

Africa-Caribbean air charter service set to roll; govt invests in carrier

By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

When African and Ca ribbean leaders met at summit level formally for the first time late last year, they not only talked about cementing relations in a number of areas, but both sides had also agreed that a sustained relationship would be worthless with out easy, regular transpor tation links.

Several attempts over the decades to initi ate both scheduled and charter air services be tween the continent and the 15-nation commu nity failed to take off for a number of reasons, in cluding burdensome visa requirements, low pas senger support and a lack of tour package arrange

ments to make travel easy for tourists and the busi ness sector.

This past August, Afri can delegates attending a major African-Caricom summit in Barbados came by a special charter plane from Nigeria in a matter of hours, circumventing the old, tried but much criticized routes which re quire passengers to transit London, various American cities, The Netherlands or Canada. This is the system European colonizing na tions had set up for people flying between Africa and the Caribbean to ensure continued passenger sup port for their own carriers.

Given their geographic locations, an aircraft can fly non-stop from Barba dos, Guyana and/or Su riname to West Africa in

five or so hours. Instead passengers fly all the way north to Europe or North America and come right back down to Africa.

But left to Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Brown, such travel folly could soon end through a pioneering effort between some “wealthy” Nigeri an investors and the Anti guan government.

Newly minted Antiguan Airways is getting ready for its inaugural flight to the continent at the end of this month even as the local opposition has deemed the effort as “a pie in the sky” dream of PM Browne. Brown first announced this bold ini tiative in July. This is part of the reason for the skep ticism about the project.

Browne, 55, says Antigua

will hold about 20% of the shares in the airline. The Nigerians who will lease a Boeing 767-300 aircraft with nearly 270 seats, will hold the rest of the stock. Both sides are confident this effort will succeed as the timing might never have been better for such a service to start up. There could be up to three flights weekly to Ghana and Nige ria with other cities added in the coming months of ficials said.

“We have not made any monies available to Anti gua Airways. What we did do though, is to list it as a citizenship by invest ment program. We have allocated up to 10 citi zenship files. If and when they are subscribed to, then we will get, I believe, about 20% of the shares in

the company. My under standing is that the ser vice will start as a charter service. We’ve been told so far that the arrangements to lease the plane and to start operations are on target,” Browne said, call ing the effort a “pioneer ing move.”

At the investment con ference in Barbados two months ago, several del egates, particularly those who did not make the spe cial charter, complained bitterly about the time it took to get from the con tinent to the Caribbean. In most cases, more than a day.

Host Prime Minister Mia Mottley had said at the conference that political will and support will be needed to keep any inter continental airlinks going.

“I have spoken to enough people in the last three years to know that this is now an act of po litical will and individual will. It can only be a mind set that stops a plane from traveling 2,000 km less be tween Bridgetown [Barba dos] and Dakar, Senegal than between Bridgetown and London. Ordinary citizens of ours do not have the luxury of pre senting for official visas where those exist—not to our countries because we have all removed them. But if the only way to get there is through North America and Europe, then how will you get the tran sit visa to move people here if we don’t build the bridge across the Atlantic through air bridges?” she questioned.

The LA city council debacle and the little talked about issue of Latino racism

FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER

In November last year, one month after the now dis closed racist rant from three Hispanics on the Los Ange les City Council was actual ly spewed, the Pew Research Center released a study that found that 62% of Hispan ic adults thought having a darker skin color hurt their ability to get ahead in the United States today.

At the same time, the same study, “Majority of Latinos Say Skin Color Im pacts Opportunity in Amer ica and Shapes Daily Life,” found that 48% of His panic adults said they had often or sometimes heard a Hispanic friend or family member make comments or jokes about other His panics that might be con sidered racist or racially insensitive.

Similar shares of His panics who identify with a lighter skin color, (48%),

or darker skin color, (52%), said they had heard these types of comments or jokes from friends or family at least sometimes, according to the study.

Hispanic by the way, refers to people who speak Span ish or are descended from Spanish-speaking popula tions, while Latino refers to people who are from or de scended from people from Latin America which is taken to mean the original people of Latin America.

In May 2022, another Pew study found that skin color was linked to greater La tino-on-Latino discrimi nation. “About four-in-ten Latinos with darker skin (41%) say they have expe rienced discrimination or unfair treatment by anoth er Latino,” the report said.

Fast forward to the stun ning disclosure nearly a year later, on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in National His panic Heritage Month, via a leaked audio tape published by the Los Angeles Times.

In it, three U.S. born

Hispanic American Los Angeles City Council mem bers—identified as Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León—are heard engaging in shocking racist and crude remarks about Black, Jewish, Indigenous, Armenians and gay people with Ron Herrera, head of the L.A. County Federation of Labor.

The hour-long secret ly recorded conversation captured the Democrat ic politicians and the labor leader discussing how to maximize Latino political power in the city as part of the redistricting process that was underway last fall; and also on how to take in fluence away from Black political leaders.

It featured the Council’s first Latino woman pres ident, Martinez, who re signed on Wednesday, Sept. 13, after fallout from the tape, saying among other things that fellow gay Councilmember Mike Bonnin was a “diva” and his adopted Black son “looks

like a little monkey” or “parece ch****to.”

Martinez, de León, Ce dillo, and Herrera also dis cussed Black political power in Los Angeles and what de León terms “the Wizard of Oz effect.” She also used the “F” word to deride L.A.’s progressive top prosecutor because he is, in her words, with “The Blacks,” and dismisses in digenous Oaxaca Mexicans as “little, short dark people” who are “ugly.”

The Indigenous people of Oaxaca, by the way, are descendants of the inhab itants of what is now the state of Oaxaca, Mexico and were present before the Spanish invasion.

The leak has now forced the little-talked about issue of Hispanic anti-Black ness, including in their own Latino community, into the public arena.

Axios’ Race and Justice Re porter Russell Contreras told Axios Today: “There is color ism if you’re indigenous and there’s colorism, if you are of

African origin. … It’s some thing that has deeply di vided Latino communities across the United States, but it’s rarely discussed.”

And Raúl Pérez, pro fessor of sociology at the University of La Verne, dis closed that it’s the kind of thing he’s heard his whole life. “If you’re Latino, you know this happens be cause we’ve witnessed it. We notice it at family gath erings, we notice it in ev eryday life with family and friends and communities,” he told Axios.

Experts say the far-right extremism among some Latino residents stems from those identifying as white and as having an ti-Black sentiment. It is why so many in the Latino community attacked the Black Lives Matter move ment and voted for Donald Trump despite his widely disparaging remarks on Latin America, Latin Amer ican immigrants and his push to build a wall to keep them out.

Ironically, also quoting a Pew Research poll, “Latino people are the second most discriminated against ethnic group after African Americans.”

So, what’s missing from this picture in the minds of ‘white Latinos’? In a coun try where the white, rightwing majority view the growing brown and Black majority as a threat, it is un fortunate that the mental slavery of the so-called ‘white Hispanics’ has led them to also believe that they too are “superior” to Black and dark-skinned people.

Yet, at the end of the day, in the eyes of white su premacists, we are all seen as “mud people.” So-called white Latinos, blinded by the inherited skin color of their former colonizers, would do well to remem ber that.

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

Work of ‘God’s favorite artist’—Zeph Farmby— on view in Brooklyn

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Zeph Farmby was seen installing his latest mural at Dumbo’s Time Out Market in the Empire Stores mall on Thursday, Oct. 6.

His work, entitled “Even Through The Rain We Shine,” is set to hang on the 5th floor, at the entrance to the rooftop lounge where tourists and locals come for food, shows, and events—and to gaze out at the vista along the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.

Farmby and his assistant, Nylah Hindsman, were working for the fourth day in a row on the mural— while also prepping for the night of art participants coming to take part in DUMBO’s monthly First Thursday Gallery Walk. The walk would take partic ipants from the 5th floor to a guided gallery walk throughout DUMBO.

“We’re working maybe 9 to 10 hours some days, yeah,” Farmby explained. “So, we’re definitely trying to get through it. It’s not half as actually hard toward the bottom. There’s much more detail on the top [of the mural] than on the lower half. So that’s why we’re working from the top down: to get the hardest part out the way first and then it will flow much easier.”

Representatives from Time Out Market contacted Farmby about painting the mural, he says, when he ran a jewelry store in the mall. “They reached out to

me actually, yeah. Someone from marketing came downstairs where there’s a jewelry store now, I occu pied that space with my art studio and I had that one for two months and they saw my work there because people from Time Out, they have their office here.

“They would pass by my space, seeing me in there

working all the time, and next thing you know…the people from the C-Suite told me they would like to change the work that was here. There were just some graffiti letters that were up. So now they prefer to have something that will actually translate to a lot of people that pass by going to the food court.”

‘God’s favorite artist’—Zeph Farmby and his assistant, Nylah Hindsman, are putting up a new mural in Dumbo’s Time Out Market. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

Factcheck: False: If you are immunocompromised, you cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Claim: If you are immunocompromised, you cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Factcheck: False. While some individuals who are immunocompromised do not have a robust enough immune system to develop an immune response to the vaccine and need to look to other treatments, those who are immunocompromised and have no contraindications and can mount a response to the vaccine can and should get vaccinated and boostered.

By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA Special to the AmNews

The COVID-19 pandemic has been frightening enough for individuals who do not have underlying healthcare con ditions. For those who are immunocom promised, that fear was heightened by the reality that contracting COVID-19 might mean an immediate trip to the hospital or ICU. Vaccines changed that for millions of

immunocompromised people, and yet the myth that those individuals are unable to get vaccinated persists.

What does it mean to be immunocom promised? According to Yale Medicine, “It’s when your immune system isn’t working as well as it should to protect you from in fection—or that your immune system can’t distinguish between normal and foreign cells.” Why is this important with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic? This can lead to

an inability to mount an effective response to the COVID-19 vaccine, an inability to effectively defend against the COVID-19 virus, or a response to the virus that leads to a long-lasting, lengthy infection.

It is this last point that has some re searchers particularly concerned as it re lates to variants. According to research published in Nature Medicine and in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnolo gy News, “New research reveals that the

A nurse administers a COVID-19 booster shot at a vaccination site in Eastmonte Park, Altamonte Springs. The third shot was offered to immunocompromised individuals, with all of the more than 300 appointments filled on the first day the shots were available in Seminole County. (Photo by Paul Hennessy /Sipa via AP Images)

many SARS-CoV-2 variants are likely formed in chronic COVID-19 patients who suffer from immunosuppression. The research suggests that a weakened antibody response, particularly in the lower airways of these chronic patients, may prevent full recovery from the virus and drive the virus to mutate many times during a lengthy infection. The virus’s ability to survive and reproduce in the

See HEALTH on page 35

‘A Strange Loop’ to celebrate LGBTQ+ community Oct. 27

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

“A Strange Loop,” winner of the 2021 Tony for Best Musical, is doing something amazing for the LGBTQ+ community during LGBTQ+ History Month. October 27, the show located at the Lyceum Theatre at 149 W 45th St., will have a Big, Black and Queer Night, a spe cial performance of people of the LGBTQ+ communi ty. Bob the Drag Queen— actor, comic, podcast host and season eight winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”—will host the evening and mod erate a talkback for the mu sical creator, Michael R. Jackson, who did the book, music and lyrics. The musi cal, which tells the story of Usher, a big, Black, queer man trying to write a musi cal about being a big, Black, queer man has stunning di rection by Stephen Brackett, wonderful choreography by Raja Feather Kelly and is something you have to ex perience firsthand. The en semble cast members play thoughts in Usher’s mind.

The cast stars Jaquel Spivey as Usher, Antwayn Hopper as Thought 6, L Morgan Lee as Thought 1, John-Michael Lyles as Thought 3, James Jackson Jr. as Thought 2, Jason Veasey as Thought 5 and also features Edwin Bates, Kyle Ramar Freeman, Zachary Myers, Jon-Michael Reese and Mars Rucker. One more member of this very queer and capable cast is John-Andrew Morrison (JAM), who plays Thought 4 and Usher’s Mother. In the role of the mother, his char acter is very critical of Usher for his gay lifestyle. Watch ing him do the role is very moving because it shows both sides of the issue. How a mother might reject the idea of having a gay son and expect him to come to God and get his life together. But, it also shows how he tries to

tell her over and over again that this is who he is and she simply doesn’t want to listen.

It was absolutely wonder ful to speak with Morrison about this very important role. A Q&A that follows shows that “A Strange Loop” is more than just a musi cal for many people. It is a chance to see acknowledg ment, love and understand ing for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

AmNews: As a member of the LGBTQ+ communi ty and an actor in a musical on Broadway that shines a light on this seldom rec ognized community in a positive way, what does it mean to you to be a part of this show?

John-Andrew Morrison: I am so proud of our little queer show I can’t even tell you. I’m so proud to be in a show that so many fellow queer folks can find some solace in and maybe even a little bit of healing. Also, just the fact that in a time when “Don’t Say Gay” laws are being passed and Trans rights are being squashed, to have a show on Broad way with a marquee that says “Big, Black and Queer

American Broadway show” feels a little bit like a state ment that “oh no we are here and we ain’t going no where. Deal with that.” I love it.

AmNews: You play Thought 4, Usher’s Mother, a charac ter that is very critical of Usher. What does your character rep resent to you and how closely do you identify with the almost hopeless struggle of LGBTQ+ youth to be acknowledged, accepted and loved by their family especially?

JAM: I am fortunate to have had a mother that was supportive, but I grew up in Jamaica and homo phobic rhetoric, and how normalized it is there, was all around me constant ly. There were many people who looked at me sideways from the time I was very young and didn’t even know what sexuality was. Folks kind of already damning you before you know your self. I also understand the struggle of a parent trying to protect their child in the system they live in. If you live in a church and that is how you understand the world and they are saying

that something about your child is wrong, I understand the fear and the wanting to change that because you love them. It doesn’t mean that it’s not painful to re ceive, but I try and find the love. I remember my mom would always say, “I fuss at you because I love you.” It’s so complicated, that rela tionship, but I’m glad I get to portray it and I’m glad that so many people can realize they are not alone. I think that’s really impor tant to be able to go to a show and identify, and also see other people having that recognition. It’s powerful to know you are not alone in this experience.

AmNews: What do you want members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel when they come to the Big, Black and Queer Night for this special evening’s per formance, especially during LGBTQ+ History month?

JAM: Just come. I want you to come and just take the ride. I know they will laugh because our show is as Black as it is queer and there are going to be so many moments of recogni

tion for them. So, if you’ve seen it before and you know what’s up, just come again and you’re going to find so many other layers and de tails and enjoy it on a whole other level. If you’ve never seen it, don’t try to learn anything about it, sit your behind in that seat and let us take you on a journey. But real talk, I want them to feel loved and feel how much we are doing this show just for them. We think about that every time we step on that stage, and we can’t wait to have you in the audience.

AmNews: How has this musical changed the way the LGBTQ+ communi ty is viewed by society? Do people come to you after the show and say inspiring reactions?

JAM: Change is glacial but change is also person al. I think we change hearts and minds one person at a time. One of the things that I’m most proud of is that even thought this a queer show, straight people, white people, Asian people, Latin people all come up to me and go, “I know those people, those people are my

family.” Because the show is so specific and so honest people recognize the truth in the show and can relate it to their personal experience. So that’s one thing. The per sonal part is thrilling. We had a young gay Black man come to the show with his mother and grandmother and we chatted with them after on Mother’s Day. And I was like, “You brought your mom and grandmother to see this on Mothers Day?” His mom chimed in and said, “I bought the tickets.” Well later on, we got mes sages from that young man saying that his mother, his grandmother and himself have been having the most frank, honest and heart felt discussions about life and their experiences, and he was so thankful. A white dad came up to me once after the show with tears in his eyes and he said thank you so much for making my queer kid feel so seen and validated. Thank you. I also had a woman who stopped talking to her family, espe cially her mother, come up to me in tears and thank me for helping her understand her mom’s perspective just a little bit more. But mostly people come up to me and say I was their mother and they’re a little mad at me and also a little loving with me and my typical response to them is: “I’m sorry and you’re welcome.” Come to the show and find out why.

Tickets for the evening— open to all—are available at Telecharge.com (212947-8844) or www.tel echarge.com or the box office. Special group rates are available at https:// www.broadwayinbound. com/shows/a-strange-loop or 800-714-8452. For more info, visit www.strangeloop musical.com. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twit ter and YouTube at @stran geloopbway.

pg 17, 18 | Film/TV pg 19 | Jazz pg 24

Usher and his Thoughts in a scene from “A Strange Loop” (Marc J. Franklin photos)

John-Andrew Morrison

August Wilson’s ‘Piano Lesson’ officially opens at Barrymore Theatre

Thursday, Oct. 13 saw a bevy of red carpet arrivals for the much anticipated revival of August Wil son’s “The Piano Lesson” at Broad way’s Barrymore Theatre. Celebrity guests included Eric Benet, Karamo Brown, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Nick Cannon, Rachel Chavkin, Edie Falco, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Whoopi Goldberg, Danai Gurira, Ethan Hawke, Sunny Hostin, Ruben San tiago Hudson, Oscar Isaac, LL Cool J, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, EJ John son, Woodie King Jr., Cherry Jones, Star Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, JaQuel Knight, Richard Lawson, Tina Lawson, Spike Lee, Nia Long, Patti LuPone, Richard Maltby, Camryn Manheim, S. Epatha Merk erson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kenya Moore, Joe Morton, Donna Murphy, Nicole Ari Parker, Phylicia Rashad, David Rockwell, Al Roker, Kelly Rowland, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Sherri Shepherd, Bevy Smith, Tasha Smith, Jurnee Smollet, Uma Thur man, Lorraine Toussaint, Danielle Monet Truitt, Tamara Tunie, Amirah Vann, Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Wil liams, Dave Winfield, George C. Wolfe, Jeffrey Wright, and the cast of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” including Samuel L. Jack son, John David Washington, Dan ielle Brooks, Trai Byers, Ray Fisher, April Matthis, Michael Potts, Nadia Daniel, Jurnee Swan, Shirine Babb, Charles Browning, Peter Jay Fer nandez, Sharina Martin, Warner Miller, Doron JePaul Mitchell, Kim Sullivan and show director LaTan ya Richardson Jackson.

Kandi Burruss

Brian Moreland

Sharina Martin

April Matthis

Danielle Brooks

Sherri Shepherd

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Cookie Johnson & EJ Johnson

Samuel & LaTanya Richardson Jackson

Tonya & Spike Lee

EJ Johnson

Al & Deborah Roker

David Winfield

Bev Smith

Lorraine Toussaint

John David Washington

Joe Morton

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Anna Maria Horsford

Irene Gandy & Sunny Hostin (Bill Moore photos)

NadiaDaniel & JrneeSwa

Digital restoration of ‘SLAM’ to screen at Sundance 2023 for 25th anniversary

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

The iconic Black film, “SLAM” surrounding the story of a trou bled, yet good-hearted poet (Saul Williams) who finds love (Sonja Sohn) and his voice at a local slam poetry session in Washington, D.C. has been restored as a part of the Sundance Institute’s Archives & Collection program in celebra tion of the 25th anniversary. The film first premiered at Sundance in 1998 and won the Grand Jury Prize. It has been restored from the 35mm interpositive, and a new DCP was created in collab oration between Sundance Insti tute, the Academy Film Archive, the UCLA Film & Television Ar chive and Lionsgate.

“A story that remains as timely today as it was in 1998, ‘SLAM’ exposes the structural inequi ty of the criminal justice system, and the liberative ability art has to transcend. From the impact of poetry and spoken word to

discussions on racial inequality and justice reform, ‘SLAM’ start ed a critical dialogue and gave a voice to an emerging art form that is now commonplace. Revis iting this pivotal work for the up coming Festival, ‘SLAM’ invites audiences to re-engage with its in fluence on the art of spoken word and discourse on the criminal jus tice system through a contempo rary lens,” writes Sundance.

Directed and written by film maker Marc Levin, “SLAM” touched multiple communities with its gripping account of the Black experience in Washington, D.C. in the 90s. Williams master fully plays a brilliant creative mind and wordsmith who finds him self in trouble for the murder of his friend. As he prepares himself to do time for a crime he doesn’t commit, he connects with his beautiful and searingly powerful love interest, Sonya Sohn.

“‘SLAM’ sparked a movement, spreading spoken word poetry around the world,” said Marc

Levin, director of “SLAM.” “The key players stayed true to the mission, pursuing a life of independent cre ative expression and social action. Now, 25 years later, I find myself filming the real-life story of Halim Flowers, whom we met back then in the D.C. Jail, and who ultimate ly found the magic door out. Many thanks to Sundance, the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Film Archive, and Lion sgate for recognizing and restoring the film. Its power remains undi minished, but sadly so do the con ditions it captured so vividly.”

“‘SLAM’ anticipated a cycle of poetry via the spoken word movement that democratized the voices and voicing of poetry for new generations,” said Saul Wil liams, screenwriter and star of “SLAM.” “We are still experienc ing its ripple in popular culture and academia, worldwide. With its focus not only on poetry, but criminal justice and marijuana, ‘SLAM’ remains a testament of the times.”

Two books on Black women in the digital age

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

In the 21st century, Black women have been at the center of digi tal communication and activism. The Black feminist movement has moved into the global realm of humanistic thought and experi ence, due to the unrelenting work of Black women who continuous ly shared their articulation of deep historical and innovative modern knowledge. The term “misogy noir,” which describes “anti-Black and misogynistic representation[s] shap[ing] broader ideas about Black women, particularly in visual culture and digital spaces,” accord ing to the NYU Press, was coined and widely spread via social media, first becoming viral, then grow ing into a legitimate term that has been documented and used in ed ucational arenas. Tarana Burke’s #MeToo hashtag created a new paradigm that changed the world, highlighting rape culture in film and media realms, tearing down

the toxic reign of film mogul and gatekeeper, Harvey Weinstein.

Nonetheless, long before the advent of social media, Black women have been using media platforms like newspapers, pam phlets and microphones to spread their political and socially aware messages. Here are two books that explore the potency of Black wom en’s voices and the usage of digital media to change culture forever.

“Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women’s Digital Resis tance” by Moya Bailey (NYU Press)

Moya Bailey, associate profes sor at Northwestern University and the creator of the term “mi sogynoir,” expands on her global ly game-changing concern of the cultural abuses of Black women in the digital landscapes with her book “Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women’s Digital Resistance.” “At a time when Black women are depicted as more ugly, deficient, hypersexual, and unhealthy than their non-Black counterparts,

Bailey explores how Black women have bravely used social-media platforms to confront misogynoir in a number of courageous—and, most importantly, effective— ways,” writes NYU Press. This book is an essential resource regarding the power and persistence of Black women’s social media engagement to disrupt their problematic mis treatment by highlighting abuses

and refusing to back away from correcting misinformation and misrepresentation.

“Digital Black Feminism: Crit ical Cultural Communication” by Catherine Knight Steele (NYU Press)

Assistant professor of commu nication at the University of Mary land - College Park, Catherine

Knight Steele writes a historical ac count of Black women’s intelligent usage of various forms of commu nication including social media to create space for their voices and influence. NYU Press de scribes, “‘Digital Black Feminism’ walks readers through the tech nical skill, communicative exper tise, and entrepreneurial acumen of Black women’s labor—born of survival strategies and econom ic necessity—both on and offline.”

Spanning from the 20th to the 21st century, the book ties the docu mentation of articles and essays by Black feminists to the bloggers and social media mavens of today. “To truly ‘listen to Black women,’ Steele points to the history of Black fem inist technoculture in the United States and its ability to decenter white supremacy and patriarchy in a conversation about the future of technology.”

Note: Journalist Jordannah Eliz abeth highlighted “Digital Black Feminism” in August 2021.

(Courtesy image)

(Courtesy image)

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By GODDESS KYA

October 20, 2022 — October 26, 2022

Rebirth of A New Nation: The first solar new moon in Scorpio at 2 degrees is on October 25. Venus, Sun, and Moon are all stationed at 2 degrees in conjunction. One of the number two aspects is that two is the number of unions between a male and female being equally yoked. “It takes two,” “it takes two to tango,” and “it takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make it outta sight.” Numerically speaking, October is a 7 universal month and the week of the new moon is a 2 universal week. The new moon is on October 25 (2+5=7) and Venus, Sun, and Moon are stationed at 2 degrees. This is a remarkable intense sensitive psychic awakening rising from the dead like Kanye said in his song “Praise GOD,” “We gon praise our way out the grave, dawg living, speaking, praise god walking out the graveyard back to life, I serve, follow your worth, see with new sight, into the night, let’s get right.” This is an awakening experience from the depth of your soul for restoration. Claim it, Own It, Be it, Walk it Like You Talk it. Define time is upon us to rise to the occasion. Economics must be restored to its rightful owners.

Organization and balance are key. Keeping your commitment to self and others. October is the sneak peek of the upcoming 2023 year. This is a phe nomenal time to enroll in continuing education courses, programs, com munity outreach, teaching, and volunteering your services. Themes such as relocating, change in your appearance, family obligation, and relationships be it business or personal are all evolving for your growth. Keep a pocket planner for upcoming appointments and events, to keep abreast of your schedule. A cycle of love, romance, appreciation, compensation, rewards, unexpected gifts, and doing your due diligence. October 20-21, schedule time for self-love and self-maintenance.

An astounding weekly supportive cycle for all aspects of your life to blossom in the departments of relationships, business, home, family, and finance. Trav eling, changing the ambiance in your home or workplace. It’s time to make way for improvement and advancement to think big expanding your craft to the next level. Remember the foundation of why you begin the journey and start adding different flavors to your products or services. October 22-24, credit is given when credit is due. Recognition, rewards, appreciation, and new relationships began out of the blue, also meeting folks and colleagues you haven’t seen in a while.

New beginnings are a pivotal point in your life including your lifestyles, business relationships, and new terms and conditions. Begin this October with the concepts of new changes and new directions with a new attitude to draw to you the resources needed. Breakups and transformation are not always easy; it’s a time to take the lead in your affairs. Grab a pen and paper to begin planning the next chapter of your life. October 25-26, review or seek counsel before signing legal documents, also a time to sharpen your skills.

Divine intervention where spiritual and physical meet for a special pur pose. The unanticipated wild card occurs to make adjustments in your schedule or double-take to put you on notice. Things get uncomfortable only for you to get comfortable developing and working on the things you love. Listen to your heart and emotions and the direction they are pulling you to evaluate yourself. The details, signs, symbols are all there for you to gain insights and fully understand the lesson when you have the ah-ha mo ments. Awareness and déjà vu at their finest are orchestrated by the divine creator. Tap in.

Do you have a passion? Your passions can open avenues and doors to opportu nities. What’s your vision and mission for your passions? What is your “why” to the reasons of what you want to do? What is your purpose? Why are you here? There may be some questions on your mind until the vision comes through, or a conver sation helps you to understand yourself more. When the vision comes, work on it. This week, new ideas are awakened; partnerships are formed, or a meeting of self. Visit a nearby body of water, or listen to the water and reflect on your next goals.

In the song “it’s written all over your face,” there is no need to say it. Follow what you love to do as a spiritual and physical alignment of revelations occurs to progress you forward. Sudden changes within your environment are a big focus to shift your plans and possible relocation. A cycle to assist a family member, friend, business partner, and folks asking if you can lend, or support them monetarily. Overall, a month for self-development and self-reflection to

Vinateria

better yourself in life, aiming toward your goals and navigating through life changes. October 22-24, allow your heart and passion to guide you.

Emotionally check in on yourself and your health as you are receiving signs re garding that matter. A cycle to explore your creativity to create your dream vision/ goal. There is no easy way to get what you want without applying the footwork to reap the rewards. Release, remove, and discard things that do not serve a purpose to your soul for self-growth as you work toward your goal. Temporary things are changing for you to manifest the resources you need to progress forward in life. October 25-26, level up and get comfortable doing things differently.

A groundbreaking monthly cycle in financial blessings in business, investments, partnerships, and one-on-one relationships flourishing. Obtain the innovation spark within you to complete tasks such as plan ning, gathering resources, investing, building on the building blocks for your growth on your journey. The new birth of a sudden development, assignments, and introducing yourself into new alliances. Set the tone and put people on notice that you mean business.

Evolution is upon you with your due diligence in business and personal affairs. Growth is the theme for October and next year. Scale and position yourself in the mindset of where you are heading, and command, and the rest will flow. Listen to your spiritual guides directing you. Emphasis on partnerships and networking widens your services, and products, sharpening your skills, and mental environ ment to educate yourself. Mental and spiritual, a decision is upon you to make a move. October 20-21, what’s it going to be? It’s up to you to make the change.

When you do a great deed for self ffirst, then others, the universe con spires in your favor. Now it’s time to build on what you established this year moving forward. You have the resources, people, and agenda for advance ment. Please remember not to abuse the power as karma will come back to bite you like a bow arrow aiming for the target. October 22-23, repentance is in effect for the betterment of self-evolvement. Let it go.

A spiritual attack happens in the flesh and on a soul level. The ques tion becomes how you are attached to the things that are not keeping you vital online or your immune system up to code. When a ship sails it’s on a mission to its destination and there’s no time for wishing should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, you’ve got to do something about it to stop the bleed ing. During this cycle, you realize you have been sitting on a goldmine. October 25, it’s your time like the phoenix rising from its ashes. Get to stepping.

You sense the new, exciting excursion just around the corner, river bend, or upon arriving that gives you goosebumps. Yes, it’s divine timing to make it happen as you are already in process mode. No need to talk, it’s time to demonstrate. You completed the cycle of talking. It is show me the money time like in the movie “It’s all about the Benjamins” and yes, I want to get paid in full like the movie title. You write it, you name it, you claim it, you be it, you live it, you see it until you own it. Bring it into existence.

Rare Beauty and the BIPOC community: Match or miss?

By MARGRIRA Special to the AmNews

Full disclosure: I discovered Rare Beauty before the official hype, spend ing my own hard-earned money again and again. It took me a minute to real ize that the brand belonged to Selena Gomez.

Many years ago, at a film junket, I met Ms. Gomez and thought she was one of the kindest spirits that I ever met. This was long before Rare Beauty was a ‘thang’ and I never forgot the kind way she treated me and the thought ful manner in which she listened. She is the daughter of a Mexican father and mother of Italian ancestry. I remem ber thinking, “she’s been raised cor rectly” so it was no surprise when, in 2020, Gomez announced the launch of the Rare Impact Fund.

It started with kindness. The first-mo ment Rare Beauty products were sold, 1% of sales were dedicated to increas ing access to mental health resources and services, especially for underserved communities. In an intelligent move, they had funds added to the good fight by engaging in a strategic partnership with the goal to raise $100 million over the next ten years.

If they reach that goal it will make the Rare Impact Fund one of the most prom inent mental-health organizations as sociated with a corporate entity. And to ensure maximum impact, Rare Beauty formed the Rare Beauty Mental Health Council, which is made up of expert ad visors from leading universities, organi zations, and companies with a focus on mental health.

It’s interesting to see how blushes, highlighters, lip glosses, foundation, skin tints, and every single product from the Rare Beauty lineup can both achieve their goal as a beauty brand and still help the community with their mental health needs.

Selena Gomez is just 29 and splits her time as an entrepreneur with her duties as an actress, singer, producer and ac tivist. She clearly wins at everything she puts her hand to and her beauty brand, Rare Beauty is just another example of that march toward becoming a legend.

The Rare Beauty team understands the complex needs of the BIOPC communi ty. Here are the best products actually worth your money:

—Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is easily the best-pigmented blush you’ll ever use. It’s super spreadable, creaseless, and lasts all day long over any type of foundation.

—Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Lumi nizer Highlight can get you either a dewy look or a classic highlight. Plus the shade range features soft pinks to darker nudes and bright golds, suiting every skin tone.

—Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner is perfect for liquid liner nov ices and experts alike with a tip smooth enough to create the perfect wing.

—Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Founda tion Brush is a game-changer infused with fibers that does a better job than any fingers can do to blur your base products.

You can find out more about the Rare Impact Fund on rarebeauty.com at www. rarebeauty.com/pages/rare-impact.

—Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen: Rare Beauty offers 24 dif ferent shades and SPF 20 along with a hydrating tinted moisturizer that im mediately blurs skin with glowy light to medium coverage that feels weightless on the face.

—Rare Beauty Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Prime & Set Mist hydrates, primes, sets and refreshes skin with soothing in gredients niacinamide and waterlily.

— Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip BalmStay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm offers five stunning shades that are non sticky and formulated with a nourishing blend of sunflower seed oil, waterlily, and lotus seed to keep your lips smooth and hydrated.

Toshi Reagon’s conviction that music can be transformative in consciousness and action is revealed through this intimate residency, featuring Be Steadwell’s Queer pop songs, disco’s death and resurrection with a beat, and a song cycle that explores how sacred sounds become the engine of revolution.

TICKETS ON SALE

(Courtesy images)

New York Comic Con 2022: What a community!

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

There is nothing in the world like New York Comic Con! NYCC 2022 that was held at the Jacob Javits Center Thursday through Sunday, had an amazing VIBE! You got the sense of going into a place where you were part of a community. It was so welcoming whether you were a video gamer, a sci-fi lover, a lover of manga, old-school shows, movies and cartoons and new school. The VIBE started before you reached Jacob Javits as there were so many people cosplaying in full costumes walking to the event. Once you stepped inside of Javits there were men, women, and chil dren dressed in full costumes. You had too many characters/people adorned in cosplay to name walk ing about—but for a taste try Nezuko, Spiderman, Riddler, Poison Ivy, Ahsoka Tano, Sabine, Uzui, Ichiago, Mario, Black Pan ther, Spongebob with an attached painting of his pineapple home on his back, Bayoneta and Wolverine.

There was merchandise of all types everywhere you turned, includ ing t-shirts, posters, artwork, paint ings, sweatshirts, mugs, Funko Pops, video games, figurines, stuffed an imals, dolls, collectible dolls, skate boards, lightsabers, jewelry, you name it, it was there. As I walked around my daughters I came upon a stunning, vibrant booth that sold pins, pins with so many different characters from shows like “Black Clover,” “Toyko Ghoul,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” “Fairytail,” “My Hero Aca demia,” “Demon Slayer,” “Avatar,” “Ranking of Kings,” “JJK” and still more. Herds of people were in the booth thrilled to grab up their favor ite characters, it was a delight to see their excitement. What was anoth er delight for me was to find out that the man ringing the card purchases up was African American Raemon Speights, who was the creator of the pins and designer of the booth. An employee of the Pink Club, the booth held pins representing over 20 different anime licenses, with a vari ety of pins produced from 600 tem plates. The Pink Club creates and works with a manufacturer to pro duce the pins. Speights shared that this was his second year at NYCC. “I feel great! I love seeing and meet ing all the fans and having cool con versations. Everybody is welcoming. That’s what I look forward to, it’s the

(Jasmine Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo)

Photo of panel from Marvel’s “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” (Courtesy photos)

NYCC

community. Everyday you hear of things that divide us, pink collect ing brings everyone together. People tell me stories of how they met their significant other and lifelong friends pink collecting,” Speights said. Spei ghts possesses a degree in media arts and animation, was a tattoo artist for eight years and then got a job at Pink Club as a pin creator.

As everyone walked around it didn’t matter your age or ethnic background, this was a commu nity of people that came together to experience a fabulous, memo rable and moving time! That could mean going to the many booths with activities, doing gaming at hundreds of computers set up for people to play at or spinning wheels and winning prizes, or going to the displays of your fa vorite cartoons, anime, TV show or manga and taking pictures with the character in huge set back grounds or getting autographs from comic book writers, video game creators, sci-fi actors and cartoon voice actors and other creatives. Marvel, Disney, Playbill, Funimation, Viz were just some of the groups represented at this mega event.

Did someone say panels? Panel abounded for everything you could think of connected to sci-fi, anime, cartoons and manga. You had panels on every single day. Depending on the status of the shows those panels delivered sneak peaks for the next season of a series whether it was an imated or not and they also let you in on the shows in the pipeline for 2023, like Marvel’s animated series “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” which will premiere on Disney Chan nel and Disney+. An action comedy, this animation will star a female Af rican American hero. Yes, you heard me right, Diamond White will play Lunella Lafayette/Moon Girl and she has a 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur. The panel had White and Fred Tatas ciore (voice of Devil Dinosaur), and Gary Anthony Williams (Pops) who were joined by executive music pro ducer Raphael Saadiq, executive producer Steve Loter, supervising producer Rodney Clouden and pro ducer Pilar Flynn talking about the storyline that centers on an African American teenage girl! The theme song is done to hip hop music and Moon Girl is having fun. She’s on rollerskates and slapping her girl friend five. The animation looks like a blast! The crowd was very enthusi astic to hear and see what this show will look like when it comes out on

Disney on Feb. 10, 2023. The show has also already been picked up for a second season, prior to its debut. This is just a marvelous example of how Disney is inclusive in its pro gramming.

One of my favorite panels was a mix of old and new school with “Star Trek,” which did three separate panels in the 90-minute time slot it had! Dressed in my Uhura cos tume to honor the memory of the late legacy-maker, Michele Nichols, I sat with my fellow Trekkies, many also dressed in full attire to repre sent the series they grew up with. These panels had the creatives and cast from “Star Trek Discovery,” “Star Trek Prodigy” (the animation) and “Star Trek Picard.” You almost felt like Scottie had beamed you up! It was GLORIOUS! Star Trek Discovery was already an inclusive series with people of various races and sexual orientations being aboard, but ev eryone was loving the Black female captain played by Senequa Mar tin-Green. Martin-Green joined the panel via Zoom. Other cast mem bers were Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz, along with executive produc ers Michelle Paradise, Alex Kurtz man, and Rod Roddenberry, son of the late Gene Roddenberry. Attend ees got to see a sneak peak at Season 5 and hear what new characters will be coming to the series. Audience members were thrilled that the show has Rapp and Cruz to represent the gay community and one shared that they inspired her to come out to her family. “Star Trek Prodigy” gave us the creatives and voice actors. This series again stars an African Amer ican teen, a boy named Daal played by Brett Gray. Panelists included actors Kate Mulgrew, Gray, Jamel la Jamil, executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman, Alex Kurtzman, Rod Roddenberry, and director and executive producer Ben Hibon. People in the audience were visibly moved when the final panel came out because it had actors we know and love, including Patrick Stew art, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Jon athan Frakes, and Brent Spiner. Be tween “Star Trek Picard” and “Star Trek: Next Generation” fans couldn’t believe they were in the room where it happened. When audience mem bers went to the microphone they tearfully shared that these shows saved them. These shows helped them to feel they were part of a community, instead of alone. Fans thanked the creators and cast for bringing to life such powerful shows, with such beautiful messages of hu manity and acceptance.

There is absolutely NOTHING LIKE NYCC! I can’t wait until next year!

(Jasmine Armstrong photo)

(Jasmine Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo) (Linda N. Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo)

(Linda N. Armstrong photo)

Raemon Speights, Pin and booth designer from Pink Club sporting some of his creations at NYCC 2022.

(Jasmine Armstrong photos)

CARTER RESIDENCY, SISTAS’ PLACE, MINGUS, SWEET LOU

The NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter is the most recorded bassist in jazz history and aside from a boatload of international prestigious honors he has accumulated three Grammy awards in the process. His many accomplish ments only suggest one thing, he is at his best in any configuration or musical genre.

For the month of October Carter has been enjoying a month-long residency at Birdland Jazz Club (315 West 44th St.) for the week of Oct. 20-22 the bassist will lead his Big Band, and Oct. 26-29, he will be joined by pianist Bill Charlap, a duo which is sure to create a col orful collage of varied melodies and rhythms to warm the spirits. Both musicians studied and played classical music which often ap pears in their layers of jazz lyricism. Cart er’s collaborations with Black Star and John Patton, his time as a member of the second Miles Davis Quintet and playing with the likes of Sam Rivers, Lee Morgan, and McCoy Tyner will certainly add multi-textures to the breezy stylings of Charlap, who has a long time standing with his New York Trio of bass ist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart.

For tickets visit the website birdlandjazz. com or call 212-581-3080.

Standing ovations plus loud cheers came from a gratified audience after seeing drum mer and composer Will Calhoun perform at Brooklyn’s Sistas’ Place (456 Nostrand Ave.).

On Oct. 22, Calhoun’s Quintet will return to

the same little revolutionary oasis where jazz notes dance. Two sets at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

The two-time Grammy award winner’s quar tet will include sahu-bassist Rachin Ausur, sax ophonist Eric Person, trumpeter Wally Roney Jr., pianist Hector Martignon and Calhoun on drums and indigenous percussion. “For the evening we will definitely pay tribute to a great musician and friend Pharoah Sanders, play ing Monk is always a must for me, along with some Randy Weston since he was a Brooklyn cat, saxophonist Jackie McLean, a few orig inals and poetry.” As a multimedia artist be ready for a collage of varied music and art.

Admission is $25 with reservation call 718-398-1766.

Charles Mingus is one of America’s most prolific bassists and composers, his music continues to influence generations of as piring and established musicians. His com posing skills for ensembles and specific musicians in his various groups have linked him with Duke Ellington, whose composi tions included parts for certain group mem bers. The Mingus Big Band is one of the successful repertory bands that includes the Mingus Dynasty, and Mingus Orchestra, to the high school students who play the charts and compete in the Charles Mingus High School Competition, who continue to keep his music alive. Mingus, who transitioned in 1979, would be in his centennial year.

This Grammy award winning Mingus Big Band has been playing the bassist’s music in noted New York City clubs since its inception in 1991. Beginning on Oct. 26, the 14-piece jazz ensemble will begin a weekly residen cy at Manhattan West’s new variety venue

Midnight The atre (75 Manhat tan West Plaza), every Wednesday night with sets at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The group, founded by the late Sue Mingus, features new arrange ments of Mingus compositions that encour age new exploration of his music.

Many Mingus Big Band fans have been anxiously waiting for the ensemble to find a new home, since its inception they first held down a weekly residency at Fez Under Time Café, Joe’s Pub, Iridium and finally the Jazz Standard where they became a Monday night institution for 11 years only stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the jazz club’s demise. The band’s Grammy win was a result of their 2011 “Live at Jazz Standard.”

A new album, “The Charles Mingus Centen nial Sessions,” was released in October 2022.

Check them out at their new home the Midnight Theatre.

Ticket link: https://www.midnighttheatre. com/tickets

Papa Lou, Sweet Lou are monikers when referring to alto saxophonist and compos er Lou Donaldson. The NEA Jazz Master is known for putting the soul funky blues in jazz with his hit album title “Alligator Boo galoo” (Blue Note 1967) which made both R&B and jazz charts. The name “Sweet Lou” references the sweet rhythms and mel odies flowing in his dreamy soulful bal lads from his many albums such as “Sweet Lou,” “Blues Walk” and “LD + 3 with Three Sounds” (all on Blue Note Records).

Most recently, a section of N.C. 740 in

Stanly County was named in the musi cian’s honor. Drivers can now see the “Lou Donaldson Boulevard” signs along a fivemile section of N.C. 740 in the Badin area in appreciation of the musician’s contribu tions to the music world. N.C. Senator Carl Ford, who is also a musician, noted, “I think it’s great to honor this man here today and with those signs to honor him from now on. There’s a lot of things that put Badin on the map, but not as much as Lou.”

Officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation joined Donaldson as well as local and state officials in a ceremony on Oct. 14, at Cedar Grove AME Zion Church in New London, N.C. Lou’s father, Louis Donald son Sr., was a preacher at this church when Lou was growing up. “There are so many great things going on in Badin and in Stanly County, but this is one of the really impor tant things that we’ve done,” said N.C. Rep resentative Wayne Sasser, who participated in the event. The renowned saxophonist and composer Bill Easley drove down from his home in Durham, N.C. to support his friend.

Donaldson, who was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2012, noted at this street-naming ceremony, “This is the greatest day that has ever hap pened to me,” he told the Stanly News & Press after the dedication ceremony, “This town has meant everything to me.” Don aldson will celebrate his 96th birthday at Dizzy’s jazz club on November 7.

LD at Lou Donaldson Boulevard Highway Naming (Photos courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Transportation)

Lou Donaldson with his daughter, Carol Webster

Bill Easley & Lou Donaldson

CLASSROOM

Susie King Taylor, a devoted teacher and first Black nurse

By HERB BOYD Special to the Am s

Susie King Taylor’s book “A Black Woman’s Civil War Memoirs— Reminisces of My Life in Camp with the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops, late Ist Carolina Volunteers,” is a unique and valuable perspective on the war. It’s an insightful reve lation that begins with her own life story, which is perhaps best pre sented here in her own words. “I was born under the slave law in Georgia in 1848,” she begins, “and was brought up by my grandmoth er in Savannah. There were three of us with her, my younger sister and brother. My brother and I being the two eldest, we were sent to a friend of my grandmother, Mrs. Wood house, a widow, to learn to read and write. She was a free woman and lived on Bay Lane, between Haber sham and Price streets, about half a mile from my house. We went every day about nine o’clock, with our books wrapped in paper to prevent the police or white persons from seeing them…She had twenty-five or thirty children whom she taught, assisted by her daughter, Mary Jane. The neighbors would see us going in sometimes, but they supposed we were there learning trades, as it was the custom to give children a trade of some kind.

“After school, “ Ms. Taylor con tinued, “we left the same way we entered, one by one, when we would go to a square, about a block from the school, and wait for each other.

“I remained at her school for two years or more, when I was sent to a Mrs. Mary Beasley, where I continued until May, 1860, when she told my grandmother she had taught me all she knew, and grandmother had better get someone else who could teach me more, so I stopped my stud ies for a while. A month after this, James Blouis, our landlord’s son, was attending the High School, and was very fond of grandmoth er, so she asked him to give me a few lessons, which he did until the middle of 1861, when the Savan nah Volunteer Guards, to which he and his brother belonged, were

ordered to the front under Gener al Barton.”

It was during the early stages of the war that she, having acquired the ability to write, began writing passes that Blacks had to have in order to move about. She was soon dispatched to St. Simon’s where she was soon put in charge of teaching the children on the island. But she made one demand—she needed books. The general said she would have them in a week. “In a week or two I received two large boxes of books and testaments from the North. I had about forty children to teach, besides a number of adults who came to me at night, all of them so eager to learn to read, to read above anything else. Chap lain French of Boston, would come to the school, sometimes, and lec ture to the pupils on Boston and the North,” she related.

Along with her teaching, Taylor often worked as a nurse, though this experience is not fully dis cussed in her memoirs. We do learn, however, that she often ac companied Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, on her rounds, particularly after the Fort Wagner massacre. This was during Barton’s eight months in the Sea Islands. Like Barton, Taylor endured and tended to the wounded, doing all she could to alleviate the pain and sickening circumstances of the soldiers. In cluded in her memoirs is a letter to her from Colonel Trowbridge, an officer of the 33rd Regiment, about her inability to be placed on a pen sioner’s role for her actions. “Dear Madam, the manuscript of the story of your army life reached me today,” the colonel wrote. “I have read it with much care and interest, and I most willingly and cordially indorse it as a truthful account of your unselfish devotion and ser vice through more than three long years of war in which the 33d Reg iment bore a conspicuous part in the great conflict for human liber ty and the restoration of the Union. I most sincerely regret that through a technicality you are debarred from having your name placed on the roll of pensioners, as an Army Nurse; for among all the number

of heroic women whom the government is now rewarding, I know of no one more deserv ing than yourself.” Un fortunately, she never received pay for her ser vices, and this includ ed her care for many who were afflicted with smallpox and unable to receive vaccinations from the disease.

With the war over and Reconstruction under way, she and her hus band Edward King left the regiment and re turned to Savannah. There she opened sev eral schools while her husband struggled in vain to find gainful em ployment and sadly died as a result of an ac cident while working as a longshoreman.

Eventually she, faced with the advent of char ter schools, was no longer able to make a living as a teacher. She bundled her child and took a job with a wealthy white woman from Boston. Though she was no longer in the South, she remained concerned about lib erty, justice and equality. “Living here in Boston where the Black man is given equal justice, I must say a word on the general treat ment of my race, both in the North and South, in this twentieth centu ry,” she recorded in her memoirs. “I wonder if our white fellow men realize the true sense or meaning of brotherhood. For two hundred years we had toiled for them; the war of 1861 came and was ended, and we thought our race was for ever freed from bondage, and that the two races could live in unity with each other, but when we read almost every day of what is being done to my race by some whites in the South, I sometimes ask, Was the war in vain? Has it brought freedom, in the full sense of the word, or has it not made our con dition more hopeless?”

By 1874, she began a succession of jobs with white families in the Boston area before marrying Rus sell Taylor in 1879. No matter where she roamed or resided, she was a staunch foe of Jim Crow and the KKK. Towards the end of her life she provided assistance to Afro-Cubans at the end of the Spanish American War. In 1886, she played a critical role in organizing the Corps 67 of the Women’s Relief Corps, and held a number of leadership positions, including president of the Corps, and later was a member of the allBlack corps of Boston, called the Robert A Bell Post.

After her death on Oct. 6, 1912, she was the recipient of many tributes and honors, most notably having a school dedicated to her in 2015 in Savannah, and a histor ic marker for her by the Georgia Historical Society.

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

As I’ve done, read ing Taylor’s book de tails her remarkable life and remains the most reliable resource.

DISCUSSION

She was reluctant to beat her own drum, but much of her devotion to treating the injured and afflicted was done at the risk of her life.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Born a score of years before the outbreak of the Civil War, she lived into the first decade of the 20th century.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Oct. 16, 1969: Jazz trumpet master Roy Har grove was born in Waco, Texas. He died on Nov. 2, 2018.

Oct. 16, 1995: A mas sive march on Wash ington took place in “A Day of Atonement,” led by Minister Louis Farra khan.

Oct. 17, 1956: Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first Black female astronaut, was born in Decatur, Al abama.

Susie King Taylor

Education

How increased access to childcare bolsters Black women workers

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

Reliable access to childcare in New York City has always been a gamble, especially when COVID hit. City council passed legislation last week that takes aim at address ing systemic issues with childcare services and increasing support for Black and brown women workers.

According to a city economic report, in January 2021 an estimat ed 519,000 workers in the city were not working because they had to take care of a child at home. Many of whom are statistically women and women of color.

“Childcare remains one of the biggest challenges for working women and families across New York City,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement. “Expand ing affordable, accessible, and high-quality childcare on a uni versal basis has always been a top priority for this Council. With the passage of this unprecedented leg islative package, our city will help families get the care they need for their children while boosting our economy and recovery.”

Councilmember Crystal Hudson, a co-sponsor of the child care bills, said that she is proud to work toward a universal childcare system in the city that can tangibly address the lingering effects of the pandemic felt disproportionate

ly by women and women of color across the five boroughs. “Uni versal childcare will help narrow this persistent gap, ushering more women back into the workforce and ensuring parents do not have to choose between their families and their careers,” said Hudson in a statement.

A National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) study said that 22% of Black women across the U.S. lived in poverty between 2014 and 2018, even though they are “more likely than white women to be the pri mary breadwinners for their families.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black women and their families faced financial security in general as well as job shortages in the childcare industry, which also highly employs Black and brown workers. A NWLC survey in May 2021 later showed that the median annual earnings of working Black mothers in New York was $40,700 compared to the $75,000 median annual earnings of white and non Hispanic fathers.

NWLC’s recommendation to support financially stressed Black women is to expand access to af fordable, high quality childcare, which could increase their income and lifetime savings.

The extensive package of child care bills passed by city council would do just that. It requires var ious initiatives, including a report on how to support working moth

ers and caregivers, a childcare task force and advisory board, a direc tory of childcare programs in the city, a grant pilot program to boost accessibility, and financial assis tance to families and childcare providers.

“Women who leave the work force to care for their children will lose more than $480k in their life time, money families desperate ly need. New York City is in the midst of a childcare crisis, which means that women and caregiv ers are experiencing an economic crisis,” said Councilmember Jenni fer Gutiérrez, who also sponsored one of the bills.

Gutiérrez said that the bills will not solve all of the problems par ents and providers face today, but it’s a step towards the city realiz ing a long held vision of universal childcare.

Wonderschool CEO and Founder Chris Bennett is a huge proponent of universal childcare and univer sal pre-K as the beginning ring in the step ladder to higher education for underserved communities. He said that there’s a shortage of child care facilities and slots for chil dren, and that many home-based childcare providers, smaller and usually run out of private homes, struggle to access necessary fund ing due to regulations.

“A lot of the policies are made for center-based programs. They were designed for those,” said Bennett.

“Home-based programs tend to serve Black and brown commu nities. And the ultimate goal is so that they can access universal pre-K funds so that they’re able to better serve Black and brown chil dren.”

Because of a lack of funding, home-based providers can’t ad minister universal pre-K. Bennett considers universal pre-K crucial to shaping the minds of impres sionable children under the age of five. “If they’re being raised in an environment that’s loving, provid ing the right social emotional sup port around other children, then they’re set up to be able to do that later on in life,” said Bennett. “Chil dren who don’t get access to it, it stunts them. Children who don’t get access to it have worse health outcomes, less likely to be em ployed later on.”

Committee for Hispanic Chil dren & Families President & CEO Ramon Peguero, Esq. said that uni versal childcare programs must meet family needs, including dif

ferent modality options in their community, programs that speak their language and reflect their culture, those that offer mixed-age settings, and those that offer nontraditional hours of care.

“The pandemic taught us that access to childcare is essential to a healthy and prosperous economy,” said Peguero. “This is especially true for Black and brown commu nities working in sectors that don’t afford the privilege of virtual work, and are often forced to choose be tween caring for their children and having a job. Childcare ensures a stable workforce, the bedrock for a thriving economy.”

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

Childcare providers with toddlers (Contributed photos by Wonderschool)

Guns

mandating holders to impart recent social media activity. And prevents strangers from concealed carrying guns onto private property without the owner’s consent.

The CCIA came as a response—and concession—to the United States Su preme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen to strike down the state’s license re quirements for carrying concealed guns in public as unconstitutional. But in a game of legislative whack-amole, the new law’s constitutionality is also getting challenged through the case Antonyuk et al. v. Hochul.

While “Big Apple” gun violence pre vention efforts largely concentrate on “ghost guns” and other illegal fire

Election

Continued from

arms, unfettered public concealed carry brings a slew of new issues in the country’s most densely-pop ulated city, as reported earlier this summer by the Amsterdam News. Returning fire during a shooting puts bystanders at higher risk—whether the gun is legal or not.

The dangers are especially high in crowded areas like Times Square, prompting Mayor Eric Adams to sign bill Intro 602-A last week, which desig nates the tourist hub as a conceal-carryfree zone via the CCIA. The legislation’s author, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, called the move an important effort “to prevent an exacerbation of the gun violence crisis” during the Mayor’s Office announcement.

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s harm ful decision to strike down New York’s century-old gun laws places New Yorkers at risk of increased gun

on. There are a total of four proposals.

violence,” she said. “After our part ners in the state legislature passed sensible legislation to limit the areas where a person can carry a weapon, the Council completed its duty to define the Times Square area, one of the ‘sensitive locations’ where strict firearm regulations are enforced.”

The city’s gun violence preven tion czar Andre “A.T.” Mitchell is also a proponent, telling the NY Am sterdam News that Times Square is “too crowded of an area for random people to be out there with a legal or illegal firearm.”

In conjunction, Mayor Adams also signed Intro 518-A, a bill intro duced by Councilmember Shaun Abreu for the mayor’s office to pro duce an annual report on each ille gal gun seized by or surrendered to the NYPD. As for his thoughts on the CCIA, he said the city would comply

with any judicial ruling. But he hopes Times Square doesn’t become the wild, wild west.

“There’s no sign on your forehead saying, ‘I’m the good guy, I’m the bad guy,’” said Adams. “And anyone who believes a place like New York could become Dodge City and all of a sudden, you are in danger and your loved ones, your family members, your children, because now all the il legal gun owners are now carrying a gun in a city like New York, as densely populated like New York.”

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

Metro Briefs

the wellness of our families, Bor ough President Donovan Richards Jr. announced today a ground breaking $2 million partnership with therapy platform BetterHelp to bring free mental health services to Queens residents.

Announced at Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities’ Corona headquar ters one day after World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, the part nership with BetterHelp—the na tion’s leading virtual mental health therapy provider—will see up to $2 million worth of the organization’s services split among 10 different community-based organizations from across Queens.

3

the city council in the next elections for District 9 in Harlem because of tensions with current Councilmem ber Kristin Richardson Jordan.

Additionally, there are state su preme court, civil court, surrogate court, and ballot proposals to vote

The first is about combating the impact of climate change under the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, which authorizes the sale of state bonds to fund environmental protection and clean energy proj ects. The second adds a statement of equitable values to the city char ter to remedy “past and continuing harms and to reconstruct, revise, and

reimagine our foundations, struc tures, institutions, and laws to pro mote justice and equity for all New Yorkers.” The third establishes a per manent citywide Racial Equity Office to advance racial justice in the city’s planning process. The fourth propos al amends the city charter to create a “true cost of living” measure to track the actual cost in New York City of meeting essential needs.

Visit nycvotes.org for more info.

To check voter registration, visit nycvotes.turbovote.org/. Find your poll site at findmypollsite.vote.nyc/.

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

Each CBO will receive $175,000 worth of services to make available across their networks, with the re maining $250,000 being distribut ed to constituents at the discretion of the Queens Borough President’s Office. The announcement comes two weeks after the inaugural Queens Wellness Day in Flushing, which saw hundreds of community members participate in meditation and heal ing sessions, as well as a comprehen sive health resource expo.

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Religion & Spirituality

Retired Navy Yard Hospital and Department of Education cook, Beatrice Mobley, 96, preaches Sunday service

By NAYABA ARINDE Amsterdam News Editor

The amazing Beatrice Mobley is 96 years old. Featured in the Amsterdam News last week, Oct. 13, 2022, the re tired Navy Yard Hospital and Depart ment of Education cook preached Sunday service on Oct. 15 at St. John Fire Baptized Holiness Church in Bed ford-Stuyvesant. Fiery and committed to her faith, the lady known as Mother Mobley stood at the podium and spoke to and sang with the congregation which included Pastor Donna William son-Parker; and Kenny Mobley, one of her 15 grandchildren. A Savannah, Georgia transplant when she was 19 years old, Mother Mobley is one of the oldest surviving employees of the old Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital. She went on to work as a cook for the New York City Department of Education.

She said she cooked and took care of the children for over 37 years in the public schools; PS11, PS9, PS42, and PS

The Force MDs get their ‘Way’

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews

The legendary hip hop/soul group, The Force MDs, were recently honored with a street co-naming in their native Staten Island. Over a thousand people attended the unveiling ceremony at the intersection of Grandview and Brabant Street at Mari ners Harbor on Saturday, Aug. 27, rang ing from relatives, childhood friends, fans, musical associates, and the like. The Audio Two, Nice & Smooth, and VJ Ralph McDan iels attended.

Initially known as “The LDs” (The Lundys and Daniels), then the Force MCs in 1981, they grew up in Staten Island’s Mari ners Harbor housing projects, consist ing of brothers Antoine “T.C.D.” Lundy, Khalil Lundy, and Stevie D. Lundy, plus their uncle, Jessie D (Jessie Lee Daniels); and childhood friends Charles “Mercury” Nelson, DJ Dr. Rock, and “Trisco” Pearson.

They were discovered by hip hop radio pi oneer, Mr. Magic, while singing on the Staten Island Ferry, then were soon signed to Tommy Boy Records.

In exclusive interviews with the AmNews, surviving members expressed their con tent: “One of the things that inspired me to get the street co-naming is to secure my family’s legacy because if you don’t tell your story, somebody else is going to do it for you,” Khalil explained. “The members we lost know we’re gonna make sure their contributions to the hip hop/R&B culture never go in vain.”

He also noted that several politicians sup ported the campaign and attended the un veiling ceremony, namely Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks, Congresswoman Nicole Maliatakis, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Sen. Diane Savino, and State Assemblyman Charles Fall. He also noted that many were upset that Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella did

287. She said that she had to retire in 2010, because of a heart condition.

Happiest she said working with her

not attend.

Khalil’s brother, Stevie D added: “The street co-naming was so overwhelming, not just to us, but to a lot of people in Staten Island. I’m just happy that it finally hap pened. It’s great for us to have a landmark in our hometown. I felt we did put the work in for it to happen.”

Adding that they’re confident in “know ing that the members that passed—T.C.D, Mercury, Trisco, and Jessie—are looking down and enjoying this accomplishment.”

Throughout the 1980s and ’90s they cre ated many classic quiet storm baby-making tunes; namely “Love Is a House,” “Tears,” and “Tender Love.”

Their younger cousin, Jessie Jr., whose father transitioned to the ancestors this past January, said it was a great occasion which helps their family’s name continue living for future generations.

“It was a phenomenal move that helped secure the legacy of the group,” he stated.

church community, Mother Mobley proudly states that she has attended the church for 79 years.

Their nephew and youngest member of the group, Zieme Capers, also paid homage. More information can be found at: https://theforcemds.com/

Pastor Donna Williamson-Parker enjoys Sunday service as Mother Beatrice Mobley, 96, preaches (Nayaba Arinde photo)

transit experience and highlight it on our front page every day, you’re gonna start feeling unsafe.”

Or maybe straphangers are experi encing a legitimate concern of a real rise in danger potential.

“We’re fighting a perception issue,” Adams insisted. “I just gave you the numbers.”

Many New Yorkers would disagree, the AmNews pointed out, and if a per son’s perception prevents a person from doing something because they fear a certain interaction, then that is their reality.

Adams purports that if it doesn’t happen to one personally, then the feared perception is not reality. “If you’ve read every day of those six crimes they highlight, then I go on the subway system and I see some one homeless, I hear loud noises, I see disruption, that is impacting on how I feel…and I don’t see police as much as I want to…so we have to get rid of those six crimes, we can’t have any crimes. But, at the same time, we have to do those visible things of making sure people feel comfortable when those police officers are riding through the car. Now they are not

standing looking at their phones.”

The former NYPD officer, who began his 22-year career as a tran sit cop, seems to somewhat discount that for many MTA train and even bus-riding New Yorkers their sense of safety has been altered. He insists that the city is not eating itself.

“People are feeling unsafe, what is driving the feeling of being unsafe is not the personal interaction, it is not based on what has happened to me—this is what I’m being told.”

So, journalists shouldn’t report on the crime because people may think it is worse than it is?

The mayor repeated that with 3.8 million riders, six felonies aren’t a bad ratio.

Assaults and murders though? It’s relative, he seems to be declaring.

The 3.8 million is still not the 5 million plus usual pre-pandemic day average though, and the crime rate may have something to do with that considerable dent. People are voting with their feet, and perhaps using the subway as sparingly as they can for work, school, appoint ments, and visits.

$2.75 shouldn’t be the price for trauma Adams switched up.

“When you have a system that is telling us ‘Hey officer, you don’t have

the right to take that person off the train that is yelling. Your city council, your state lawmakers, they’re saying that you can’t go up to that person and remove that person from the subway—you can’t have it both ways.”

Within a couple of hours of the in terview on Monday, Oct. 17, one man fell to his death on a Queens subway track. Reports citing the police de partment state that in a fight over a cellphone, Carlos Garcia fell or was pushed into the path of an F train at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue subway station. Heriberto Quintana, 48, has been charged with manslaughter.

On Saturday at the E. 149th Street and Southern Blvd. station in the Bronx, fellow subway riders had to help a 26-year-old man up off the tracks after he was pushed by a man described in some reports as exhib iting possible mental challenges. A week ago in Far Rockaway, Queens, Jayjon Burnett, 15, was gunned down on the A train. Cops were on the plat form when that shooting happened, as they were in Queens when Garcia was killed.

On a PR subway ride on Tuesday, MTA President Richard Davey said, “The police were on the platform yesterday when that incident oc curred…They were at the station at Rockaway last week…For some of

these senseless crimes that are oc curring, even the presence of police hasn’t been able to stem that.”

According to NYPD’S own record ings, this year 22 people have been pushed onto train tracks, and 10 killed.

Two weeks into Adams’ term on Jan. 15, 2022, Michelle Alyssa Go was standing on a Times Square platform when she was pushed into the path of an oncoming R train. On April 12, Frank James allegedly shot 10 people riding on an N train in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. None of the injured died, but the fears during the subsequent lockdown and search for the shoot er put the city on tenterhooks. Only to be shaken again on Tuesday, Sept. 20, when a video circulated of a vi cious assault at the Howard BeachJFK Airport station. There, just after 5 a.m., a man savagely beat and kicked a woman, and threatened a man who tried to intervene in the Queens subway station attack.

New Yorkers say that $2.75 shouldn’t be the price for trauma.

“The train station is like being in the psych ward sometimes,” health worker Jillian Monroe told the Am sterdam News.“There’s instances of mentally-ill people approaching you, smoking, drinking, peeing on the tracks, talking loudly to people intimidating them—like they need supervision.”

The MTA stated this week that they will now announce the presence of police officers on the trains as a means to deter crime; this was met with a muted response from riders.

“The MTA, the police, the may or’s office—they need to do more to protect the riders,” Monroe said. “So many of us have no choice but to take the train, but we need to feel secure, not scared.”

Permanent real affordable housing New York City has an incredible 100-billion-dollar expense budget and a 95-million-dollar capital budget, and it is a conundrum to many that issues like homelessness in NYC are as burgeoning a problem as they are.

“There are too many people that believe anytime you build something new you’re going to displace ten ants,” Adams offered. “That is not the fact. We have to start governing cities based on the facts, not based on the sound bites and our emotions.”

People standing on the other side of that viewpoint may be from areas where so many new condos have been and are being built in the in creasingly gentrified neighborhoods of parts of Brooklyn and Harlem for example. “That UCL report clearly pointed out [that] building housing

New York activists and electeds seek disbandment of NYPD’s Strategic Response Group

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

Last Wednesday, elected officials, civil rights nonprofits, avid copwatchers and grassroots organizers descended upon City Hall Park for a rally demanding the abolishment of the NYPD’s controversial protest-busting Strategic Response Group (SRG). The unit came under scrutiny for their tactics during Black Lives Matter movements, including a June 2020 mass arrest in the South Bronx where protest ers were zip-tied and beaten by police accord ing to the NYCLU and Human Rights Watch.

“For the last almost three years, I have seen and experienced the SRG’s violence first hand,” said NYCLU organizer Isabel Leyva. “In my work, I have had dozens of conversations with community members, leaders and activ ists. And what has been clear is that the SRG does not keep us safe. For activists who engage in protests and for the monitors who monitor those protests, the SRG being on the ground is a red flag and is a sign of danger.

“It means that a non-violent protest can turn to violence and chaos at the drop of a hat. Over and over again, the SRG inflicts violence and militarized tactics on our community mem bers. This unit is trained to do this.”

The SRG was formed in May 2015 as a coun ter-terrorism unit. Currently, it operates under the NYPD’s Special Operations Bureau and re

sponds to large-scale events ranging from pro tests to parades with “multiple missions that include disorder response, crime suppression, and crowd control” according to the depart ment website.

Council members present championed Intro 0277, which would stop the NYPD from deploy ing the SRG to break up nonviolent protests. The bill’s author, Council District 36’s Chi Ossé, told the Amsterdam News he saw red flags in the unit’s tactics long before he was elected to rep resent Bed-Stuy and northern Crown Heights.

“The reason I ran for office was actually in the outrage and protest movements of the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd,” he said. “And as someone that was on the ground for a decent amount of days that summer, I witnessed a lot of aggression from the SRG in terms of how they interacted with non-violent Black Lives Matter protesters. As someone that was out there, as well as some one that understands American history and the importance of movements and protest ing and speaking up about racial justice and inequality, I found their behavior to be com pletely inappropriate.

“When it came to the genesis of this bill, this was something that immediately came to mind, because of how undemocratic the SRG can be in terms of interacting with non-violent protesters, as well as the extreme discrimina tion that I’ve seen in terms of how they interact with Black Lives Matter protesters versus say, an

anti-vax protest.”

Ossé wasn’t the only one to mention the SRG treating protesters differently based on what they were protesting. Activists from grassroots movement NYC for Abortion Rights say the SRG is always present at the organization’s clinic de fenses, providing escorts for anti-choice pro tests but manhandling those seeking to protect the Planned Parenthood branches.

Brief fireworks occured at the rally when a pair of men in FDNY t-shirts confronted the speakers. They were promptly drowned out by the rally attendees and pressured to leave.

Last September, the NYCLU produced a report on the SRG, highlighting around 66% of complaints against the unit brought to the Ci

vilian Complaint Review Board between 2015 and 2021 were by Black New Yorkers, although the data does not include allegations made during or after the George Floyd protests.

According to the NYPD, changes were made to the SRG after reviewing and implementing suggestions from organizations like the NYCLU last summer. A police spokesperson said the unit is trained in team tactics and specializes in reducing injuries during arrests, citing less than 10% of complaints against individual of ficers during the George Floyd protests were members of the SRG. The department says the SRG is now kept at a distance from protesters and can only be called in by a police executive.

“Finding the right balance in policing pro tests does not come with certain or obvious answers, it is an ongoing process,” added the NYPD spokesperson.

To compile instances of SRG violence, the NYCLU partnered with composer Michael Genese for a digital soundwalk, linked by QR code stickers at the locations of the incidents. It can be found at https://www.michael genese.com/srg-home

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

“They violate our freedom to assemble.” Councilmember Chi Osse speaking at the City Hall Park rally against the SRG. (Tandy Lau photo)

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HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -againstCHARLES LEO FONAROW, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated April 5, 2022 and entered on April 19, 2022, I, the unde rsigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse lo cate d on the por tico at 60 Centre Street, New York on November 9th, 2022 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, ly ing and being in the Borough of Manhattan, Coun ty of New York, City and State of Ne w York, being an undivid ed ownership interest as tenant-incommon with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the build ing located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appur tenant undivided 3.1810% common in terest percentage. This a fore closure on ownership in terest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations Declaratio n of Co venants, Condition s 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 Time share Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302

The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial Districts COVID-19 Policie s and Foreclosure Auction Ru les.

All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and so cial distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or th e so cial distancing mandat e will be removed from the auction. Said pr emises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $38,120.82 plus interest & costs. Premises will be so ld subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale Index Number 850106/2020

HAYLEY GREENBERG, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 1159 0

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -againstMICHAEL C. ROGERS, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated April 5, 2022 and entered on April 19, 2022, I, the unde rsigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse lo cate d on the po rtico at 60 Centre Street, New York on November 2nd, 2022 at 2:15 p.m. an undivided ownership interest as tenant in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the bu ilding loca ted at 102 West 57th Stre et, New Yo rk, NY To gether with an undivided 009864% interest in the common el ements. This a fo reclosure on ownership in terest in a time share unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use ba sis every year, in accor dance with and su bject to declaration s. Declaration of Covenants, Condition s and Restrictions dated October 10, 20 08 and Octo ber 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York The Time share Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lots 37 and 39.

REFEREE WILL NOT ACCEPT CASH AS A DEPOSIT OR PAYMENT, ONLY BANK OR CERTIFIED FUNDS WILL BE AC CEPTED

The Foreclosure Sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial Districts COVID-19 Policie s and Foreclosure Auction Ru les.

All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and so cial distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times.

Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or th e so cial distancing mandat e will be removed from the auction. Said premises known as undivided ownersh ip interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Un it at 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $29,976.06 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be so ld subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale

Index Number 850105/2020

BRUCE N. LEDERMAN, ESQ., Refere e

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 1159 0

N9 36 3V LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 09/29/22. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY de signated as agent upon wh om process may be served against LLC to: 345 W. 30th St., NY, NY 10001.

Purpose: any lawful act.

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST SERIES 2016 -CTT, Plaintiff, vs JAMES S. COHEN A/K/A JAMES STERLING COHEN AS CO-EXECUTOR OF THE ES TATE OF CYNTHIA PRICE COHEN A/K/A CYNTHIA P. CO HEN A/K/A CYNTHIA COHEN, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosur e and Sale and Decision and Order on Motion duly entered on May 11, 2022, I, the under signed Referee will sell at public auction at the portico of the New York County Co urthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on November 2, 2022 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 35 West 83rd Street, New York, NY 100 24 All that certain plot, piece or parce l of land, with the build ings and improvements th ereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Boro ugh of Manha ttan, County, City and State of New York, Block 1 197 and Lot 18. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,460,113.41 plus intere st and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850141/2015. Cash will not be acce pted. COVID-19 sa fety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale

Paul R. Sklar, Esq., Refe ree

Knuckles, Komo sinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 1 0523, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK - COUN TY OF NEW YORK

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-5, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-5, V.

DONNA FERRATO, ET AL

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Fore closure dated May 10, 2022, and entered in the Office of the Cler k of the County of New York, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-5, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-5 is the Plaintiff and DONNA FERRATO, ET AL are the Defendant(s). I, the under signed Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE, at the PORTICO OF THE CIVIL SUPREME COURTHOUSE, LOCATED AT 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on November 2, 2022 at 2:15PM, premises known as 25 LEONARD ST APT 3, NEW YORK, NY 10013 : Block 179, Lot 1003:

THE CONDOMINIUM UNIT (H EREINAFTERE REFERRED TO AS THE UNIT) KNOWN AS RESIDENTIAL UNIT NO. 3 IN THE BUILDING (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE BU ILDING) KNOWN AS THE SIMON & MILLS BUILDINGS CONDOMINIUM AND THE STREET NUMBER 25 LEONARD STREET, BOROUGH OF MANH ATTA N, CITY, COUNTY AN D STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850294/2017. Ronald Ze zima, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Su ite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, At torneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. LOCATION OF SALE SUBJ ECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDA NCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

DC TERRA VILLAGE LLC

MCMLXXXVIII LLC. Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 09/6/2022. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designat ed as agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: 200 E. 36 th Street, 4A, NY, NY 10016. Purpose: an y lawful act.

NOTICES

Arts of Or g. filed with SSNY on 05/27/2022 Office Location: NY County. SSNY des ignat ed as agent up on wh om process may be served against LLC to: 91 Leonard St., 6G, NY, NY 10013. Reg. Agent: US Corp. Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave., Ste. 202, Bklyn, NY 11 228. Pur pose: an y lawful act.

CARALEX PROPERTIES LLC filed Arts of Org. with the Se ct'y of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/10/2022. Office: Ne w York County. SSNY has been designated as agen t of the LL C upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: The LLC, 440 E. 57th St., #4A, Ne w York, NY, 100 22 Purpo se: any lawful act.

DAVIDSON CAPITAL LLC Arts of Or g. filed with SSNY on 05/27/2022 Office Location: NY County. SSNY des ignat ed as agent up on wh om process may be served against LLC to: 91 Leonard St., 6G, New York, NY 11228. Re g. Agent: US Corp Ag ents Inc., 7 014 13th Ave., Ste. 202, Bklyn, NY 11228. Purpo se: any lawful act.

COVID CO2 Tracker, LLC Arts of Org. file d with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/6/2022. Office lo cation: NY Co un ty SSNY designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 315 E 69th St., Apt. 9JK, NY, NY 10021. Purpose: any lawful activity

No tice is hereby give n that an On-Premises Liquor License for beer, wine and spir its has been applied for by the under signed to permit the sa le of beer, wine and spir its at re tail rates for on-premises consumption (bar) at MT 181 Waverly LLC located at 150 West 10 th Street, New York, NY 10014 unde r the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law MT 181 Waverly LLC

Articles of Organization (DOM-PROF.LLC). Jennifer Toh, MD, PL LC filed with the Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 9/8/2022. Office loc.: NY Co un ty SSNY is designated as agent of DOM-PROF LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The addr ess SSNY shall mail copy of pr ocess to 105 W. 86th St., #501, New York, NY 10024 Purpose: The practice of Medicine.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUN TY OF NEW YORK

HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff, -against- UN KNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF RECA DANIELLE BARWIN, if living, and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or wh o ma y claim to have an interest in, or gene rally or specific lien upon the real property described in th is action; such unknown per sons being herein gener ally described and intended to be in cluded in the following designat ion, namely: the wife , wido w, hu sband, widower, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, ex ecutors, administrators, devisees, le gatees, cred itors, trustees, committees, lienor s and a ssignee s of such deceased, any and all persons der iving intere st in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or ei ther of them, an d their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executor s, administrators, devisees, le gatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and wh ose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, JAN BARWIN AS THE HEIR OF THE ESTATE OF RECA DANIELLE BARW IN, De fendants. INDEX NO.: 850059/2022 FILED: September 30, 2022 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, and to se rve a copy of your answer, or, if the co mplaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of ap pearance on the Plaintiff's attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days af ter completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by perso nal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear or an swer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by pub lication pursuant an Order of the Hon. Francis A. Kahn III, a Justice of the Supreme Court, New Yo rk County, dated September 28, 2022 and entered September 29, 2 022. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Timeshare Mo rtgage in the amount of $29,354.08, re corded in New York County Clerk's Office on March 1, 2019 in CRFN: 20190 00 068725 of Mort gages covering the (1) 0.81 00% undivided tena nt in common interest and (2 ) 0.8100% undivided tenant in common interest in the Timeshare Un it identified as HNY CLUB SUITES Phase II which comprises a portion of the NYH Cond ominiu m at the premises also referre d to as the New York Hilton, 1335 Av enue of the Americas, Unit HU4, New York, New York 100196012. The relief sought in the within action is a final Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale directing the sale of the (1) 0.8100 % undivided tenant in common in terest and (2) 0.8100% undivided tenant in common interest in the Timeshare Unit identified as HNY CLUB SUITES Phase II wh ich comprises a por tion of the NYH Condominium at the premises also referr ed to as the Ne w York Hilton, described a bove to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage. New York County is designated as the place of trial on the basis of the fact that the real proper ty affected by this action is locate d wholly with in sa id Co unty Da ted: August 4, 2022 Westbury, New York, Ma ria Sider is, Esq. DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 242 Drexel Av enue, Westbury, New York 11590 (516) 876-0800 WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

PATTY O'BRIEN LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 5/2/2022. Office location : NY Co un ty SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 13 Longworth Ct., West Brook, NJ 08092.

Purpose: Any lawful act.

No tice of Qualification of STABILIS JV LENDING LLC Appl for Auth filed with Se cy of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/14/22. Office lo cation: NY Co un ty LLC formed in De laware (DE) on 02/22/22.

Princ. office of LLC: 140 E. 45th St., Ste. 22-C, NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail pr ocess to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Al bany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Ce rt of Form filed with DE Secy of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity

No tice of formation of A&P DECOR LLC Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 10/03/2022. Office loca tion: NY County. SSNY designat ed as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 2075 2nd Ave., Apt. 20E, New York, NY 10029. Purpose: any lawful act.

No tice of formation of CALL TO GATHER LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State Ne w York (SSNY) on 09/21/2022. Office loca tion: NY County. SSNY designat ed as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy to: 226-230 E 12th St., 7E, New York, NY 10030. Purpose: any lawful act.

No tice of formation of CL EARLINE RE LLC Arts of Org file d with SSNY on 08/22/2022. Office loca tion: NY County. SSNY designat ed as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 950 Th ird Avenue, 23r d Floor NY, NY 100 22

Purpose: any lawful act.

SUPREME COUR T OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK

Index #: 154442/2022

Summons

The Plaintif f de signates New York County as the basi s of Venue due to Defendant's resi dence and where cause of action arose.

_______________________________________X

BIG YUK CHIU, Plaint iff, -againstCLAUDE LOUZON , Defendant(s), _______________________________________X

TO: THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S)

YOU ARE HEREBY SU MMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with th is summons, to serve a no tice of appearance, on the Plaintiffs' attorney within twenty (20) days af ter the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (o r with in thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this summons is not pe rsonally de livered to you within the State of New Yo rk); and in ca se of your failure to ap pear or an swer, judgment will be ta ken a gainst you by default for the relief de manded herein.

Da ted: May 23, 2022 New Rochelle, NY

Yours etc. Todd Rothenberg, Esq. Atto rney for Plaintiff 271 North Avenue, Suite 115 New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801 (914) 235-7234 to dd@trothenbergesq.com

To: Claude Louzon 90 Prince Street, Apt. 8-S a/k/a 8 B-S New York, NY 10012

Claude Lo uzon 184 Thompson Stree t, Apt. 4-J New York, NY 10012

Claude Lo uzon 350 West 14th Street, Apt. 7-C New York, NY 10014

This action arises from a breach of a personal guaran tee of a commercial lease. Plaintiff seeks a money judgment from De fendant in sum of $654,64 2.20.

RitzyDitz LLC Arts of Org. filed with SSNY on 06/2/2022. Office Location: 1216 Bdwy, Fl 2, PMB 1031, NY, NY 10001. SSNY desig nated as agent upon wh om process may be served against LLC to: US Corp Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave., Ste. 202, Bklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: any lawful act.

No tice of Formation of NO MAND ADVISORY LLC Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/26/22. Office lo cation: NY Co un ty Prin c. office of LLC: 15 E. 30th St., Unit 48D, NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon wh om process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail pr ocess to Joh nathon Gibson at the princ. office of the LLC Purpose: Any lawful activity

NY CITY PSYCHOTHERAPY

LCSW PLLC, a Prof LLC Arts of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/29/20 22 Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served SSNY shall mail pr ocess to: The PLLC, 82 Nassau St., #60683, NY, NY 10038. Purpose: To Prac tice The Profession Of Li censed Clinical Social Work

No tice of fo rmation of FIVE IRON GOLF INDIANAPOLIS LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State NY ( SSNY) on 06/15/2022. Office loca tion: NY County. SSNY designat ed as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to c/o 883 Aven ue of the Amer icas, Floor 3, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: any la wful act.

No tice of Qualification of SU PER NICE GUYS, LLC Appl for Auth filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/21/22. Office lo cation: NY Co un ty LLC formed in De laware (DE) on 04/28/22. Princ. office of LLC: 335 W. 38th St., Apt. 5, NY, NY 10018. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail pr ocess to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Al bany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Ce rt of Form filed with Secy. of State, PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity

No tice of Qualification of MONDAY MORNING MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl for Auth filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/31/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/13/22. Princ. office of LLC: 41 Madison Ave., 40th Fl., NY, NY 10010. SSNY de signated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Ce rt of Form filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Do ver, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity

RMR Solutions LLC Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/3/2022. Office location: NY County. SSNY de signated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 496 W 133rd St, Apt. 2E, New York, NY 10027. Purpose: any la wful activity

No tice of Formation of SUANNE MANAGING LLC Arts of Org. file d with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/15/22. Office lo cation: NY Co un ty Prin c. office of LLC: 680 Fifth Ave., 23rd Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon wh om process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail pr ocess to Winter Management Co rp., Attn: Benjamin J. Winter at the princ. office of the LLC Pu rpose: Any lawful ac tivity

No tice of Formation of OR BITAL KITCHENS USQ LLC Arts of Org. file d with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/29/22. Office lo cation: NY Co un ty Prin c. office of LLC: 74 5th Ave., NY, NY 10011. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upo n whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail pr ocess to c/o Corp oration Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543 Purpose: Any lawful activity

No tice of formation of STRONG & FREE LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State New York (SSNY) on 09/13/2022. Office loca tion: NY County. SSNY designat ed as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy to: 244 We st 136th St., Ground Floor, New York, NY 10030. Purpose: any la wful act.

No tice of Formation of RK ART LLC Arts of Org. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/29/22. Office location: NY County SSNY de signated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpo se: Any lawful activity

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900 SPIRITUALIST

that is combined with market rate does not displace tenants. When are we going to go based on facts and not our opinions?”

The 61,000 people in city shelters speaks to the severe lack of perma nent real affordable housing. The issue came to a head this month when another crisis shone a glaring light on this one. Adams declared a state of emergency and said the city’s resources were stretched to breaking point, as Texas Republi can Gov. Gregg Abbott seemed to be making a political point by sending dozens upon dozens of buses filled with Southern-border asylum seek ers to Sanctuary City New York.

Twenty-thousand migrants have arrived in the city, including almost 6,000 students enrolling in the school system. Housing has been a headline issue for weeks. The city seems reluctant to divulge broad lo cations of where migrants are being sent, minus assessment centers like Randall’s Island tents and Manhat tan’s Row NYC. Adams said that de spite the fact that neighborhoods like Brownsville and the Bronx have over 25 shelters a piece, while Bay ridge and Bensonhurst have zero— as Councilman Charles Barron has pointed out—“We’re going to put them all over the city. Everybody. Staten Island said we don’t want some of the migrants. We said no. Everywhere in this city where we have space, it doesn’t matter if it’s Bayridge, it doesn’t matter if it’s the East Side of Manhattan, this is a crisis. Everywhere we can house people we are going to. I’m not ac cepting any calls from anyone tell ing me no please don’t build it here. No. This is a crisis. Everyone is call ing for us to house people. Every one has a shared responsibility.”

Even though that does not seem to be the case currently?

“We are looking for places in Ben sonhurst and Bayridge, and any councilperson who is complaining that it’s not in Bayridge or Benson hurst, we are telling them give us a lo cation that you found that we didn’t find. Give us a location. Some have done that in Manhattan. People have called to say, ‘Hey we found hotels in Manhattan,’ and we’re going to them.

So, I’m saying the same thing to those who are saying there’s none in Bay ridge, ‘Hey councilperson, let me

know a location you know there so we can get some people over there.’ We went through those areas to find emergency hotels that we could use, we couldn’t find any. So, if they have some, let us know we’re gonna do it.”

“The City Charter’s Fair Share rule says that you cannot over-saturate one area with shelters, and that is what we are seeing,” Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron told the Amsterdam News. “Brownsville and the Bronx have over 20 shelters a piece, but majority-white neigh borhoods like Bensonhurst and Bayridge have none. They said they can’t find any appropriate space there, but they always manage to find space in the Black and brown communities. We just want an eq uitable distribution of the shelters.”

The mayor toured the Randall’s Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center on Tues day. Despite some well-publicized opposition to it, and the city council berating the plan, he was, as of press time, standing by his decision. There are 1,000 beds, showers, TVs, games, and culturally sensitive food, but it is still a transit desert, and prone to flooding or ponding with, the city says, an evacuation plan.

“There are better options that New York City should explore to provide healthier and safer condi tions for people who have already experienced so much trauma,” City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said, voicing concern as soon as the idea was announced. At the beginning of the month, before this week’s drastic drop in temper atures she stated, “Given its own flood risks in the middle of hurri cane season and colder temper atures from exposure to the East River as winter approaches, Ran dall’s Island is inconsistent with hu manitarian relief.”

Reports state that the Orchard Beach tented facility cost $325,000 to disassemble, and Randall’s Island took the same amount of city funds to put up. Adams said that the “hu manitarian crisis” is costing NYC 1 billion dollars, and as of now Gov. Kathy Hochul has sent 100 Nation al Guards members but no dollars.

Mayor Adams said he is unwav ering. Randall’s Island is happen ing, even though the original tent site, Orchard Beach, succumbed to heavy rain and flooding on Oct. 1 through 3, days after it was built, and just before it was due to open.

“It wasn’t flooded,” Adams retorted,

“people are using the wrong terms. It was puddling, and we could have fixed it. But Commissioner Niccum said, ‘Listen we have an incline on Randall’s Island, why don’t we do it there?’ Now we could have easily just kept going and been bullheaded and stubborn, and said it’s going to be too humiliating to go in another direc tion. I’m not doing that. I don’t care about people saying you tried some thing, and it didn’t become ideal. We can’t be afraid to try during a crisis.”

School budget

Then there’s the Department of Education, and Adams’ controver sial move to cut $300,000 from the school budget. He told the Amster dam News: “We did not cut 300 mil lion dollars in the budget. The City Council voted on the budget. All that information they had in front of them. This is the first time in history that a council voted on a budget then protested the budget that they voted.”

Post intense COVID-era proto col, in the wake of months of pro tests from education activists, parents, and students decrying the reduction or lack of school services, Adams rejects the critique. Declar ing instead that his administration said that they “were going to protect 100% of fair student funding. We’re never going to cut anything. The number of students that [schools] have, we’re going to make sure they get the money they’re supposed to. We have federal dollars that are going to run out. We have a 10-bil lion-dollar projected budget deficit. The City Council said we know that the student population dropped, we know that we were propping up the budget with federal dollars that’s going to run out, give it to us anyway. And we said no. We’re going to wean you off those fed eral dollars by 25% now. Next year we’re going to wean you off by 50%, and then the year when it runs out completely, we’re gonna wean you off completely because there’s no more federal dollars. This was all COVID money. So, if we’re going to act like the class sizes remain the same and we’re gonna give you the same dollar amount, that’s very ir responsible.”

Not addressing directly the city’s $8,300 million reserve bumped up by the Wall Street $51 million un expected windfall which gave the city a projected $ 5 million, Mayor Adams determined, “This is a re

sponsible budget, with a 10 billion dollars budget deficit.”

Twenty-thousand new New York ers including almost 6,000 chil dren, but Adams said for some the Big Apple was not their final desti nation. “Thousands have left to go where they wanted to go. We’re in terviewing the migrant and asylum seekers and we’re saying where did you really want to go, because they compelled them to get on the bus to come to New York, and we’re seeing people say I want to go to Miami, I want to go to Maine, I want to go to this place. We’re as sisting them to get in contact with their families. So, although 20,000 went through our system, a sub stantial number went to where they really wanted to go. And those who are staying here, we have a legal obligation to make sure that they are in our education [system]. We can’t tell people, no matter what their classification is, that their children can’t go to school.”

Six thousand new children in the school system, would that make him add some money back to the school budget?

“Yes, remember there’s fair stu dent funding, for every child you have there’s a dollar amount at tached to that child. So, now we put an additional 500 students in the school, we’ve got to give them the additional money for those 500 students. That is why we say we are not going to spread the money out all over the place. People are talking about equality; it should be equity. Give schools and students what they need. We keep a pot of money for these emergencies to do this eval uation. If you need more; you have a higher number of children with dyslexia; if you have a number of homeless children; a high number of children from domestic violence, living in a shelter, we need to be there to give you the money that you need. Not just say you’ll give every school the same dollar amount, the needs are different.”

Asked about the continued steady flow of the migrant buses, Adams said, “Not necessarily. The city ad ministrator of El Paso is saying that because of the decompressive strat egy that the president put in place based on what we asked for, they basically can stop sending those number of buses that we were get ting. We know it’s probably gonna take a few days before it normalizes, but we believe that we’re going to

see a smaller number, and eventu ally there’s no reason to be contin uously sending these buses here.”

Crisis after crisis after crisis

Ten months in, is he doing as well as he wanted to do?

“Yes, yes. Do you know what I in herited?” he laughed. What grade would he give himself?

“I’ll give myself an ‘I’—an incom plete, and we’re moving towards completion. We had COVID. We had monkeypox. We had crime, with an economy that was in the pan. We were dealing with crisis after crisis after crisis. And people don’t reflect on all those crises that we were dealing with because we nav igated them without people know ing it. You don’t remember what the energy was like at the end of the year? People tried to tell me to close schools—I kept schools open. People said I would never be able to get NYCHA Land Trust passed.”

As Adams’ press secretary Fabian Levy repeatedly reminded the mayor that he had a room full of people awaiting him, utilizing the last few seconds of the scheduled in terview, the AmNews pressed, speak ing of the New York City Housing Authority, is he privatizing NYCHA?

“No, see those are all those rumors.” That’s it. And yet pol icies and buildings on the sites beg to differ.

Does he regret firing municipal workers who did not get the COVID jab, only to allow athletes to play in the city with or without the shot?

“We made it fair,” Adams swerved, “entertainers from other cities were able to entertain you without the mandate. We evened the playing field. Why am I going to tell New Yorkers that you can’t entertain, but I’m allowing other people to come into the city and entertain.”

But what about the essential workers who were fired? “The es sential workers did the right thing. Remember those people who were let go, they were holding up slots of who we could hire. They made a de termination. We got through COVID because of mandates, we need to be clear on that, if we didn’t have those mandates we would not have not gotten through COVID, and Black and brown people were the most who were losing their lives.”

Answering if those essential workers will be rehired, Adams said as he left the Blue Room, “It’s in the courts. The courts will decide.”

International

by some African states and tacit support from such countries as France and Israel, the Nigerian Federal Military Govern ment (FMG) refused to allow the oil-rich east to secede.

An increasingly vicious war followed. The Nigerian military with its superior forces ruthlessly drove back the Biafran fighters. Appalling hardship ensued for the civilian population of Biafra: massa

cres were reported as the FMG’s soldiers advanced, and famine took hold after the Nigerian government blockaded Biafra and banned Red Cross aid.

The world appeared to ignore the de veloping humanitarian disaster leaving hundreds of thousands to die of mal nutrition before Biafran resistance was ended in 1970 and its officers surren dered.

Although the secessionist rebellion was defeated, the movement has seen a re vival under Kanu. Its adherents face per secution by the current Nigerian regime.

Health

immunosuppressed patient’s body—without restriction—leads to the evolution of many variants.”

This is supported by the authors of the New England Journal of Medicine arti cle “SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Patients with Immunosuppression.” According to the authors, patients that are immunocom promised have a greater possibility of per sistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to the possibility of a multitude of variants. “Such patients should be prioritized for anti-COVID-19 immunization not only to protect them from SARS-CoV-2 but also to mitigate persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections.”

What can people who are immunocom promised do to protect themselves and guard against pervasive COVID-19 infections? Sever al things. First, as stated above, they should get vaccinated and get boosters if safe and med ically indicated for them to do so. According to Dr. Torian Easterling, the first deputy com missioner and chief equity officer for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in an interview with the AmNews, “We know that the guidance has been up dated” and people who are immunocompro mised are now encouraged to get more than one booster shot. According to Easterling, that is “step one.” Easterling’s comments are sup ported by other experts regarding the ability for people who are immunocompromised to

get more than one booster shot.

Second, according to Easterling, “There are treatments available…there are mono clonal antibodies that health systems do have available that can really support an in dividual who is immunocompromised and is affected with COVID.”

Third, if someone who is immunocompro mised does test positive for COVID-19, they should talk with their healthcare provider about options and treatments. According to Easterling, “[It’s important that] individuals know where they can get tested and [check] in with their provider that in the event that they do become positive with COVID-19 that they speak with their provider about what's the right treatment for them.”

Other safeguards include: ensuring that people around the person that is immuno compromised have been recently tested for COVID-19, continuing to wear masks that are well fitting, hand-washing, and avoid ing large indoor crowds.

Updates on COVID-19 prevention and treatment for individuals who are immuno compromised can be found on the NYC DOH page COVID-19: Prevention and Groups at Higher Risk: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/ covid/covid-19-prevention-and-care.page

For more information regarding vaccines and boosters in New York City, please go to www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vac cines.page. These and other resources can also be accessed on the AmNews COVID-19 page: https://amsterdamnews.com/covid/

Nnamdi Kanu (GIN)

Yankees and Astros renew heated rivalry in the ALDS

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Yankees season could have ended in abject dis appointment after a crushing 6-5 road loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. The defeat put them down 2-1 in the best-of-five divisional series facing elimination back at Yankee Stadium for Game 4. If they ever needed Gerrit Cole to live up to the nine-year, $324 million contract he signed with the team in December of 2019, it was Sunday.

The 32-year-old, five-time All-Star, who led the American League in wins last season with 16 and all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts this season tally ing 257, responded to the charge, unleashing a reper toire of pitches that shut down the Guardians batters. Cole went seven innings, striking out eight in giving up two runs. Outfielder Harrison Bader’s three-run homer in the second was enough offense to power the Yankees to a 4-2 win.

Still facing the prospect of an early playoff exit, the Yankees jumped on the Guardians early in the de cisive Game 5 in the Bronx on Tuesday afternoon. Giancarlo Stanton crushed a three-run homer in the

first inning and they never looked back, tacking on two more in a 5-1 victory as starter Nestor Cortes and three relievers shut down their determined but over matched opponent to send the Yankees to the Amer ican League Division Series.

“We definitely had to throw the first punch in a game like this,” said Stanton afterwards.

There, they will take on a different beast in the Houston Astros, guided by manager Baker, who is only missing a World Series title on what is inargu ably a Hall of Famer resume. This is the third time the Yankees and Astros are meeting in the ALCS in the last six years.

The Astros had the best regular season record in the AL at 106-56. The Yankees registered the second most, going 99-63. Game 1 was last night in Hous ton, with Justin Verlander, one of the greatest pitch ers in the game’s history, and baseball’s earned run leader this season at 1.75, facing the Yankees’ Jame son Taillon, who was 14-5 with a 3.91 ERA during the regular season.

Game 2 is tonight in Houston while Games 3, 4 and 5 are scheduled to be held at Yankee Stadium Satur day, Sunday and Monday respectively.

BMCC volleyball thriving under new head coach Nia Bell

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Heading into the City Univer sity of New York Athletic Con ference (CUNYAC) Volleyball Championship next Monday, Borough of Manhattan Com munity College (BMCC) is looking to dominate. The Pan thers have already secured the CUNYAC regular season title by going an undefeated 8–0 in conference play. Leading the team to success is first-year head coach, Nia Bell.

Growing up, Bell’s mother,

Dr. Linda J. Bell, worked as a volleyball coach and then in athletic administration. When her mother coached, Bell often trained with the team. She spent time in the North east visiting her grandpar ents, and decided she wanted to try out New York City. “I’ve always been a country girl…so I wanted to experience some thing else,” said Bell, 25.

She held two assistant coach ing positions prior to BMCC.

“I’m very passionate about coaching and passionate about the sport in general,” Bell said.

“I really wanted to share my story with younger girls and help them.”

Bell is inspired by the cama raderie on the BMCC team.

Despite the many demands on the players’ time, including jobs and family obligations, they make time to be togeth er. “Sometimes it’s hard for teams to have that bond. I love the great energy that they have and being positive about play ing together,” she said.

She encourages her play ers to go for what they want on the court and in life with

gusto just as she’s going for her goals. “I want this experience to help them in their futures,” Bell said. “I know that a lot of them want to go on to fouryear schools, so I’m showing them what it is to be at a fouryear and be a student-athlete, how much work you have to put in if you really want to play.

… Some of them are not quite ready for that next level, so I’m training them for that.”

During this season BMCC has had two CUNY Player of the Week honors and four Rookie of the Week honors. Bell said

sophomore outside hitter Jo sanne Lewis helps her team mates boost their confidence.

Freshman setter Emmanuella Aurel is an all-around awesome athlete, who pushes hard in ev erything she does.

BMCC volleyball has been Bell’s total focus for the season. She’s been in touch with some local volleyball clubs, and she will explore club coaching once the season is done. “My biggest goal is to be CUNYAC champ,” she said. “As long as the girls improve and play to their best abilities, I’m happy.”

Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is a central figure in his team’s best-of-seven ALCS series versus the Houston Astros (MLB.com photo)

Coach Nia Bell has made BMCC volleyball a powerful presence (John Kelly Jr. photos)

The Jets’ surprising 4-2 success tour heads to Denver

By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews

It’s still too early to make a strong case for the Jets being a playoff team. But they are moving in the right direction. Trending up as they ride a three-game winning streak into Denver to face the Broncos this Sunday.

Going into Week 7, the Jets, who haven’t been Super Bowl champions since 1969, have already won the same amount of games, four, that they did all of last season. They improved to 4-2 with a 27-10 road win last Sunday over the 3-3 Green Bay Packers and the NFL’s reigning MVP, quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets are off to their best start since going 4-2 in 2015 under former head coach Todd Bowles, who is now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and gen eral manager Mike Maccagnan. Secondyear head coach Robert Saleh and current GM Joe Douglas have the Jets sitting right behind the 5-1 Buffalo Bills in the AFC East race. The Miami Dolphins and New Eng land Patriots are both 3-3.

The Jets’ and Packers’ offense struggled to score points for the first two quarters and went into halftime tied at 3-3. Jets quarter

back Zach Wilson one day hopes to match the success of his boyhood idol Rodgers but didn’t resemble the future Hall of Famer in passing for just 28 yards in the first half.

“As long as I can remember playing football, I was a big fan,” said the 23-yearold Wilson. “I wouldn’t say I was a Packers fan, but I was just an Aaron Rodgers fan. I grew up watching him.”

Wilson got to watch Rodgers from the side lines under attack from Jets defensive line man Quinnen Williams, who consistently put pressure on the 38-year veteran. Williams had five tackles, two for losses, two sacks, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble.

“He’s playing at a different level,” said Saleh of the 24-year-old Williams, who the Jets drafted with the third overall pick in 2019. “Obviously, we’re only six games in, so he’s got to continue. We’ve got 11 more left. But [if] he keeps doing this, there’s no reason he shouldn’t make the Pro Bowl, be All-Pro and earn all the accolades he can get.”

Williams said his performance is part of a collective team effort. “It was coming in and doing our job, playing football on Sunday as a unit.” The Jets’ defense held Rodgers to just one touchdown and sacked him a total of four times.

“As a team,” added Williams, “the biggest thing for us is execution and communication week in and week out. We know our downfall is when we don’t commu nicate, but when we do, 100%, all 11 on the field, we’re a great defense.”

Wilson didn’t need to put up big numbers guiding the offense. He finished only 10-18 for 110 yards and no touchdowns. The of fense was carried again by the running game led by sensational rookie Breece Hall. He had 116 of the Jets’ 179 yards on the ground.

“I feel like a lot of people expected that it would be a surprise if we won this game,” said Hall, “but we ex pected to come in and win this game.”

Resolute Giants stake their claim in the NFC East race

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Who saw this coming?

Surprising may not be a strong enough adjective. Shocking is a more apt characterization of the Giants’ 5-1 start to the season.

They are too far out of the gate to describe their record as a fluke. The parity that permeates the NFL dictates the Giants may indeed have staying power.

Where they end up when their final regular season game on Jan. 8 versus the Eagles in Philadelphia is in the books, less than three months away, is to be determined.

But today, as the Giants head into Week 7 to face the 2-4 Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, they are one of the top teams in the league.

After defeating the Baltimore Ravens 24-20 at MetLife Stadium last Sunday, the Giants, second in the NFC East, are one of only three teams with just one loss, along with the 5-1 Buffalo Bills of the AFC East and the 5-1 Min nesota Vikings of the NFC North.

The 6-0 Eagles are the NFL’s lone undefeated squad. Execution,

limiting mistakes and a fine at tention to detail have been the most important aspects of the Giants playing as well as any team in the fourth quarter of games. They have overcome def icits of 10 points or more three times thus far.

“We just focus on the things we need to do, which is to make sure we understand what we need to do as a team, first and foremost,” said Giants head coach Brian Daboll on Monday as reported by the team’s website. “Study our opponents, go out there, practice well, put everything you have into the week leading up to the game.

“If you do that, you can live with the results,” Daboll expanded. “If you’re doing things right during the week and putting everything you have into it, your preparation and coaching staff, support staff, players, and trainers. There’s only one game a week obviously and it’s not many of these things. So, everything we’ve got each week and that’s really where we focus.”

The Giants doubled the Ravens’ points in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 to Baltimore’s seven,

and pressured their dynam ic quarterback Lamar Jackson into an interception by safety Julian Love with 3:04 remain ing followed by rookie defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux forcing a Jackson fumble at 1:40 which was recovered by fellow lineman Leonard Williams that closed out the win.

Offensively, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was middling but ef fective, going 19-27 for 173 yards, the longest passes 18 yards—one apiece to wide receivers Darius Slayton and Marcus Johnson. The statistics that mattered most were Jones had two touchdowns and no interceptions.

“It’s just a tough group,” said Jones after the win. “We’ve got a compet itive spirit, a competitive stami na, something Dabs has preached since he got here in the spring.

“I think guys have really taken to that and really tried to make that something we show every time we get on the field. It’s a tough, gritty group. It wasn’t perfect again today, a lot of things we can clean up and do better but found a way to win down the stretch.”

Quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants will go into their matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road this Sunday 5-1 and in second place in the NFC East (Bill Moore photo)

Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams had two sacks and a forced fumble in a 27-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday (Bill Moore photo)

NY and NJ Big East teams excited to start the season

last year’s run to the title game of the post-season WNIT.

“It’s a big confidence-boost er,” said Cooks, who promised to bring personality, colorful hair and great lashes. “We’re trying to get everyone on board. We’ve worked really hard. The whole summer, we rarely went home. Me and Lauren wanted to stay in the gym so much. Finding that consistency so this year can be so much easier because we already know what we’re capable of. … By the time it’s my last college game, I want to be proud of myself.”

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Picked to finish seventh in the Big East Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the players of St. John’s Universi ty are ready to hit the court and show their stuff. Fifth-year forward Rayven Peeples said she believes the Red Storm has the right pieces to be successful and the veterans will be an asset.

“We’ve worked on what’s needed to be worked on,” said fifth-year guard Kadaja Bailey, who was named to the Preseason All-Big East Team. “We try to stay focused on what we can do, what we do on the court. Basically, just staying locked in.” Sixth-year guard Mimi Reid is a transfer, choosing to utilize her COVID bonus year (she missed her freshman year due to injury) to finish out her playing days at St. John’s after play ing at Ole Miss. “The teammates made me

feel welcome,” said Reid, who is from the Bronx. “I’m excited to play with them.”

Senior guard Lauren Park-Lane and grad uate student post player Sidney Cooks of Seton Hall University are ready to play hard and win this season. Both were named to the Preseason All-Big East Team. Coach Anthony Bozzella said Park-Lane, and im probable basketball hero due to her petite size, is one of the most competitive players he’s ever seen. Cooks said they will build on

Park-Lane said she’s excited about the Pirates’ depth. “We have a lot of talented players this year,” she said, giving props to fresh man guard/forward Shailyn Pinkney and junior guard Amari Wright. “Of course, our transfers are very talented. Once we put it all together and we’re meshing…I feel the sky’s the limit for this team and I can’t wait.”

After three years impacted by the pan demic, Park-Lane is looking forward to a senior year with everyone healthy and no game cancellations. “Just being able to hoop with my teammates and have fun,” she said.

As always, expectations are high in the Big East

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

This season marks the 41st year of NCAA women’s basketball play in the Big East Conference.

At Tuesday’s basketball media day at Madison Square Garden, players and coaches spoke of their hopes and preparations for the big season ahead. As expect ed, University of Connecticut is the unanimous preseason favor ite, but the Huskies are without Paige Bueckers, who will miss the season due to a knee injury.

Georgetown University play ers are pleased to embody all that a student-athlete can be.

Senior forward Graceann Ben nett said when she was being re cruited it was important to pick a school with intense academic rigor. “Have a degree that has a lot of value after I stop playing basketball. It’s totally worth it,” said Bennett.

Junior guard Kelsey Ransom took part in the Big East’s recent Transition Game program, which gave players a glimpse of life after college. “I appreciate

being at a school that prepares us for the time after basketball,” she said.

Marquette University head coach Megan Duffy said she enjoyed being back in Madi son Square Garden seeing all the other coaches. “It will be an interesting year for the Big East,” said Duffy. “We have a lot of new faces. I think it’s going to be extremely compet itive and you’ll see different styles of play. Our job in nonconference is go out and make some statement wins and set

the tone. Once we get into con ference play…we jockey for position. This year is unique because I think a lot of teams have a great opportunity to have a successful year.”

This is DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno’s 37th season. His players are ready to take in his expertise and de liver on the court. “I think this is going to be a very competi tive season,” said senior guard Kierra Collier. “We’ve got a lot of newcomers, so we’re building that team chemistry to being

the best team that we can be.”

After three years impacted by the pandemic, Collier wants to enjoy bonding with the fans this season. “Being able to take in the full experience,” she said.

Even without Bueckers, Con necticut is strong and has height, athleticism and an intense focus on winning its 12th NCAA title.

Three players—sophomore guard Caroline Ducharme, junior forward Aaliyah Edwards and sophomore guard Azzi Fudd—are all named to the Pre season All-Big East Team.

St. John’s is looking to improve (Lois Elfman photos)

Seton Hall wants to build on last season’s success

The coaches of the Big East are motivated for tough competition (Lois Elfman photos)

DePaul players are ready for action

Georgetown plans to dispel its low ranking

Sports

As the Knicks open the season, will anyone emerge as their bona fide star?

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Knicks began their 2022-23 NBA regular season last night facing the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, a young team led by 23-year-old point guard Ja Morant, one of the league’s best and most electrifying young stars. He is the embodiment of the term franchise player. The Knicks are trying to develop or acquire one of their own.

Morant, drafted No. 2 overall in 2019, has transformed what was a regressing franchise with a fan base that grew ap athetic into one of the best and most appealing teams in the league. The Griz zlies were 33-49 the season before select ing Morant, finishing 12th in the Western Conference. Last season, the Grizzlies were 56-26, second in the West.

Right behind Morant in 2019, the Knicks took RJ Barrett with the No. 3 pick. They hope the 6-foot-6 guard-forward will take a substantial step in his progression, and emerge as the bona fide star the franchise desires and needs to become more than an NBA Play-in Tournament team. The blunt reality Knicks fans must accept is that teams devoid of transformative talent

such as Morant will be clawing to gain traction in the mid tier of the standings. The Knicks were beneficiaries of a per fect storm of a 2020-21 season. The league and the world adjusting to a new normal in the aftermath of the peak of the COVID19 pandemic, and a career year by forward Julius Randle, who made All-NBA Second Team, were prevailing factors in the Knicks compiling a 41-31 record in the abbreviat ed schedule and No. 4 placing in the East. Last season the Knicks regressed. Some viewed it as water seeking its own level. They ended 37-45, No. 11 and one spot out of the Play-in.

With the addition of point guard Jalen Brunson, the former Dallas Maverick signed as a free-agent in July, the Knicks are betting he will help increase Randle’s and Barrett’s efficiency. But the core of Brunson, Randle and Barrett need consis tent production on both ends of the court from a young support group led by center Mitchell Robinson, guards Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, and forward Obi Toppin.

If they all perform reasonably well and experience favorable health, always a critical qualifier, the Knicks should be in solid postseason contention.

Ben Simmons will be the key to a Net championship run

By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews

The dissension the Nets experi enced over the past two seasons will slowly fade, as their main storyline as they open the new season is can Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons lead the team to an NBA championship? The Nets hosted the New Orleans Peli cans last night at the Barclays Center to begin what should be an interesting 82game regular season journey.

They’ll be back home tomorrow to play the Toronto Raptors, then go on the road to meet the Memphis Griz zlies on Monday and Milwaukee Bucks next Wednesday. Key to Brooklyn’s suc cess and their ability to make it to and succeed in the postseason even with Durant and Irving, is Simmons. His return after missing all of last season due to a back injury and mental health issues will be heavily scrutinized.

Before last night, Simmons’ last game was in June of 2021 when his

former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, were eliminated from the playoffs in a major upset by the Atlanta Hawks.

Simmons started in all four of the Nets’ preseason games, going up against the Sixers, Miami Heat, Bucks and Minne sota Timberwolves in preparation for his comeback.

“We’ll be patient with Ben because he is an incredibly talented and unique player, but he’s not going to be at his best in the short term,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “He’s just got to con tinue to slog through this period of returning to play and getting his confi dence, timing and rhythm back.”

The Nets were 44-38 last season and finished as the seventh seed in the East. This season, with Durant, Irving and Simmons apparently all on the same page, most projections have them as a top 4 seed in the conference and a favor ite to win the title. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be one of the top title contend ers if their three best players remain in a good physical and mental space.

Center Mitchell Robinson and guard Quentin Grimes will be vital to the Knicks’ goal of returning to the playoffs (Bill Moore photos)

Mitchell Robinson

Ben Simmons

Quentin Grimes

Kevin Durant

As the Nets begin the season with high expectations, they are counting on Ben Simmons to return All-Star to form the team’s core with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (Bill Moore photos)

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