WWW.AMSTERDAMNEWS.COM
Vol. 113 No. 7 | February 17, 2022 - February 23, 2022
THE NEW BLACK VIEW
©2022 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City
ADAMS VS EVERYBODY
(Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office) Mayor Eric Adams holds a roundtable on gun violence at Our Children's Foundation in Harlem on Sunday, January 2, 2022.
Mayor fights for changes in bail reform By STEPHON JOHNSON Amsterdam News Staff
ed amendments to New York’s bail laws to allow judges to consider a defendant’s dangerousness, especially for individuals New York City Mayor Eric Adams is accused of perpetrating gun violence,” stuck between the community that put said Adams in Albany. “We also support him in office and the community that, removing overly burdensome disclofrom the outside looking in, he’s serving. sures. The extensive requirements of the The mayor took to Albany this week to new discovery bill have led to too many address his issues with bail reform. Speak- delays and dismissals.” ing in front of state legislatures, Adams The current bail reform law helps went on the offensive on bail reform, but reduce the amount of time someone supported Raise the Age legislation. spends in jail awaiting trial because they “And as I’ve previously mentioned, don’t have the money to pay bail. Watchwe also ask for the state to make target- dogs such as the Center for Court Inno-
Immigrant community demands health coverage for all By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Black immigrants and asked that the state pass Coverage for All. The rally was held in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. building in Harlem on Friday, Feb. 4. Community-led groups gathered to Activists from the New York Immihighlight the need for health care for See HEALTH BILL on page 6
vation suggest that this would reduce the prison population by almost 40% by eliminating cash bail from most arrests. Adams supports Raise the Age (the state legislation that changed the age when a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18 in criminal), when he said, “Too many New Yorkers in their late teens and early twenties have abused this change, demanding young people under 18 take the fall for guns that are not truly theirs. The law is being used to victimize our youth.” However, Adams, and others, have used the recent fatal stabbing of Christi-
na Yuna Lee, by Assamad Nash, who followed her into Chinatown home early in the morning, as fodder for fighting against bail reform and blamed bail reform for the recent uptick in crimes. Two weeks ago, NYPD stats declared robberies up 33%, grand larceny up 58.1%, citywide shootings up 31.6% from this time in 2021. Murders saw a 15.2% decrease. Adams has used this to rail against bail reform despite critics saying he’s comparing apples to oranges. In a recent open letter to the AmNews, See BAIL on page 6
New York fires unvaccinated workers By STEPHON JOHNSON Amsterdam News Staff
workers, who make up less than 1% of the city’s workforce, over their fight against vaccinations from the COVIDThe city kept its promise and almost 19 infection. 1,500 municipal employees are withThe less than 1% of municipal workout a job. ers fired also represents the most City Hall fired 1,430 public sector See TEACHERS on page 6
Six Ways to Boost Recovery in the City’s Black Communities Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5
