Editorial/Opinion ....................Pages 12,13 Education

Mayor wins Education Budget cut appeal for now

By ARIAMA C. LONG

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

After a group of teachers and parents jointly filed a lawsuit against the city over education budget cuts in June, a judge ordered the Department of Education (DOE) to “vacate” the city’s education budget. To which Mayor Eric Adams immediately appealed, ending a brief stalemate.

The budget process was on hold this week because of the city’s court appeal, but as of Wednesday, Aug. 10, an appellate judge ruled that schools could move forward with the 2023 budget cuts. They were supposed to be back in court at the end of August.

“We’re urging the city, the mayor, and city council to immediately work on a budget modification to restore funding to public schools to ensure that public education is adequately and effectively funded,” said Education Law Attorney for Advocates for Justice Laura D. Barbieri on Tuesday.

When Adams and the City Council agreed to the adopted budget early in June there was an immediate backlash over cuts to schools. The cuts were based on the Fair Student Funding formula and projected decreases in schools enrollment. Two teachers and two parents resorted to filing a lawsuit to stop the cuts. The lawsuit states under the law that a mandated process, called Panel for Educational Policy, was violated when Schools Chancellor David Banks issued a vague “Emergency Declaration” on May 31 to adopt the budget without any board vote. The petitioners said that there was no real emergency though.

Last Thursday on Aug. 4, a public hearing was held. Barbieri said it was over an hour of “exciting” argument by the city and petitioners. She said that the court was ultimately swayed to listen to the teachers and parents about the city violating the law.

By Friday, Aug. 5, the judge ruled to vacate, or get rid of, the school budget for fiscal year 2023, said Spectrum News. It essentially asks for the City Council to revote on the budget while following the rules. The city then filed an appeal and got an “automatic stay” meaning that the budget cuts are at an impasse since the city is a political subdivision of the state.

Barbieri said that politically the mayor is “suffering” because of his actions surrounding the education cuts.

Just before the hearing Adams, the DOE, and Banks announced $100 million in federal stimulus as “additional flexibility of existing funding for schools for the upcoming school year” with $50 million in school budget appeals being sent to schools, a reallocation of existing funds.

“As two former New York City public school students ourselves, Chancellor Banks and I know there is nothing more important than providing the children in our public schools the resources they need to learn, grow, and thrive. The truth is that the city is facing a 120,000 drop in student enrollment, which had clear budget implications since February when the preliminary budget was released,” said Adams in a statement.

“We are committed to providing every available resource to our students. Still, we also must acknowledge the changing conditions that so many are unwilling to recognize and, just as importantly, that there is no hidden pool of city money or additional federal stimulus funds, as has been previously inaccurately reported, that we can tap,” continued Adams.

In response to the flexibility of funding, Speaker Adrienne Adams, Councilmember Justin Brannan, and Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph slammed the DOE for “pulling the wool over the public’s eyes” in a joint statement. They said that the DOE had avoided transparency and accountability during the city budget process.

After the judge’s ruling, Speaker Adams and Mayor Adams’ office got into heated exchanges over the DOE budget.

Speaker Adams blamed the DOE for a lack of transparency and cutting more from schools than they were letting on. She said the City Council is considering legal action as well to ensure that cuts are restored.

“Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks are risking the health of our school system and students, and they must resolve this issue immediately,” said Speaker Adams in a statement. “The Council and school stakeholders have been seeking such a resolution for weeks without a constructive partner at DOE. It is time for DOE to stop the chaos and confusion that its actions have created.”

Adams’ Press Secretary Fabien Levy fired back at the City Council about the “continued false attacks” on the budget process and the funds. He said the funding has been clear for months and that the City Council knew what they were voting for.

“The city charter is clear: The mayor puts forward a budget, and the City Council votes on it— that is one of its most important duties. Both sides did their job, except now the Council refuses to stand by its vote and is, instead, repeatedly issuing misleading and irresponsible statements,” said Levy in a statement.

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

48TH ANNUAL HARLEM WEEK RETURNS AUGUST 12-21 TO CELEBRATE ARTS, CULTURE, RESILIENCE OF THE HARLEM COMMUNITY

First Week Kicks off with Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run & Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk; Appearances and Performances from Kenny Lattimore, Lenny Green with Special Guest Tank, Ray Chew and the Harlem Music Festival All Stars, and More

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 5, 2022) – The 48th annual HARLEM WEEK returns August 12-21 for a 10-day live and virtual experience celebrating the people, arts, culture, entertainment, and history that Harlem is known for throughout the world. Centered around the theme, “Inspiration, Impact, and Legacy,’ the first week of this year’s HARLEM WEEK celebration will also include salute to Harlem luminaries, featured musical performances , virtual dance parties, livestreams and cornerstone events such as the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run/Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk, and A Great Day in Harlem. This year’s celebration will also commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the NBA, legendary Rucker Park and Harlem inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“All New Yorkers are invited to take part in the HARLEM WEEK experience from Aug 12 - 21 as we pay tribute to key elements of our city. Both seniors and children will be able to celebrate local education, restaurants, technology, and theater,” said Lloyd Williams, Chairman of HARLEM WEEK. You’ll hear music ranging from Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Hip-Hop, Soca, Latin, Caribbean, Afrobeat, and more. Remember - you haven't done this town ‘til you've done it Uptown, so do it up in Harlem. We look forward to seeing you!”

HARLEM WEEK kicks off Friday, August 12, with the first major public event, Senior Citizens Day. Taking place at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building, Senior Citizens Day events will include health demonstrations, health testing, performances, a Demystifying Technology panel, a Senior Hat Fashion Show, and more.

The celebration continues Saturday, August 13 with the Percy Sutton Harlem 5k Run & Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk. Centered around the theme “Save Our Children,” the 2022 race and Health Walk serves as a call to action against gun-violence in our communities. Participants are encouraged to register here.

The first weekend of HARLEM WEEK will conclude Sunday, Aug.

14 with “A Great Day in Harlem,” which will include performances and appearances by R&B artist Kenny Lattimore, Uptown Dance Academy, Artz, Roots & Rhythm, Impact Repertory Theater, The Mama Foundation’s Sing Harlem Choir, Isn’t Her Grace Amazing Choir, and a Concert Under the Stars Salute to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” album featuring Ray Chew and the Harlem Music Festival All Stars.

HARLEM WEEK will also be experienced around the world virtually through its website, HARLEMWEEK.com with additional performances, summits including Economic Development Day, the Health Summit, a Broadway Summit, the Harlem On My Mind Conversation series and the new Harlem Virtual Village where visitors can shop with exhibitors and vendors online as well as watch activities from the stage in an interactive platform on the site.

ADDITIONAL MARQUE EVENTS INCLUDE:

• NBA & Rucker Park Salutes: The Ruckers Pro Legends–Each One Teach One Reunion and Hall of Fame Induction, Alhambra Ballroom (Aug. 6); Harlem Basketball Legends Gala honoring Tom “Satch” Sanders, Salem United Methodist Church (Aug. 13); Philadelphia vs. Harlem All-Star Game, Rucker Park (Aug. 14)

• Senior Citizens Day (8/12): Recognizing that Harlem would not be the cultural staple it is today without the historic contributions of our elders, HARLEM WEEK will honor our seniors by providing an array of live and virtual summits and activities including health services, the Demystifying Technology panel, the Senior Hat Fashion Show Seniors, and more. (10-3pm; Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. Watch portions online via the HARLEM WEEK website.)

• Teen Takeover: The Code (8/12): Apollo Teen Takeover returns live on the soundstage of the iconic Apollo Theater for a one-night-only, exclusively teen event. On this magical night, guests are transported through music, dance, and visual arts produced and presented by teens.

• Percy Sutton Harlem 5k Run & Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk: SAVE OUR CHILDREN (8/13): The Percy Sutton Harlem 5k & Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk “SAVE OUR CHILDREN” Health Walk, sponsored by New York Road Runners and The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, has attracted runners and walkers from the Tri-state area. With the theme “SAVE OUR CHILDREN,” everyone is invited to join the walk and make a statement against gun violence in our communities. (8-12pm)

• Great Jazz on the Great Hill (8/13): Bring a picnic, blanket, and dancing shoes for Great Jazz on the Great Hill, featuring live music and swing dancing in a beautiful park setting. The event will feature performances by Jimmy Heath Legacy Band, Antonio Hart Quartet, and Tammy McCann. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West. This event is presented by Jazzmobile and the Central Park Conservancy. (4-7pm; Great Hill in Central Park West)

• A Great Day In Harlem (8/14): The day will begin at 12pm with the opening of the International Village featuring vendors and exhibitors with items for sale ranging from arts & crafts, jewelry, clothing, unique accessories, international foods, and more. Entertainment from the stage is presented in four segments. Artz, Rootz & Rhythm featuring local, community, and emerging performers of varying genres; The Gospel Caravan featuring local, national, and international gospel performers; and the day closes with the Concert Under Under the Stars featuring national and international performers performing backed by the Harlem Music Festival All-Star Band led by “Music Director to the stars” Ray Chew. (12-7pm; Ulysses S Grant National Memorial)

About HARLEM WEEK:

For a complete list of events, please visit www.harlemweek.com.

HARLEM WEEK is an annual celebration of the best of Harlem which works to promote its rich African-American, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, and European history, as well as arts, culture, religion, business, entertainment, and sports. HARLEM WEEK began in 1974 as HARLEM DAY, a one-day event of encouragement and fellowship in Harlem for New Yorkers and beyond. Given the huge success of the celebration, additional days were added to showcase the community’s rich economic, political, and cultural history. HARLEM WEEK 2022 Presenting Sponsors include The City College of New York and The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors include: Mayor’s Office of Media Entertainment, MTA, National Park Service, NYC & Co.,& West Harlem Development Corp.

Co-Sponsors include: Apollo Theater, Ben & Jerry's, Carver Federal Savings Bank, Coca-Cola, Columbia University, DASNY, Enterprise, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement,HCDC, IEI, Jazzmobile, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lexus, Lincoln Ctr, Memorial Sloan Kettering, MetroPlusHealth, NYC Parks & Recreation, NYCT, NYPD, NYS Office of General Services, Office of Assemblyperson Inez Dickens, Office of Congressman Espaillat, Office of Assemblyman Al Taylor, Office of State Senator Cordell Cleare, Rise Up NY, Spectrum, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, United Federation of Teachers, United Way, WBLS-FM, West Harlem Innovation Network and Zipcare.

Partners include: Alex Trebek Foundation, Evetta Petty, Flame Keepers, Fox 5 TV, Harlem Brownstone, Harlem Hospital, Harlem Mothers SAVE, Her Game 2, ImageNation Cinema Foundation, Irene Gandy Furs, Jazz at Lincoln Center, LDI, Macy's, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Metropolitan Opera, National Action Network, NBA,NY County DA,NY Liberty, NYC Office of Small Business Services, New York Urban League, NYS of Health ,Office of NYC Councilperson Kristin Jordan, One Hundred Black Men, P.C. Richards & Sons, Police Benevolent Association, Shubert, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Cliffs at Harlem and WPIX-11 Supporting partners include: Charter, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and the NAACP.

By HERB BOYD

Special to the AmNews

That old expression about not keeping a good thing down has a fresh currency when it comes to HARLEM WEEK. Promoting a theme of “Inspiration, Impact, and Legacy,” the 48th annual event, which is known to last an entire month, will be a 10-day live and virtual experience, Aug. 12-21. Several of the usual festivities are scheduled, including the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run/Anti-Gun Violence Health Walk, A Great Day in Harlem, and salutes to a diverse ensemble of luminaries and civic leaders. Rucker Park, along with a commemoration of the NBA’s 75th anniversary and Harlem’s inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, are highlights of the eventful WEEK.

“All New Yorkers are invited to take part in the HARLEM WEEK experience from Aug. 12-21 as we pay tribute to key elements of our city. Both seniors and children will be able to celebrate local education, restaurants, technology, and theater,” said Lloyd Williams, chair of HARLEM WEEK. “You’ll hear music ranging from Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, Soca, Latin, Caribbean, Afrobeat, and more. Remember—you haven’t done this town ‘til you’ve done it Uptown, so do it up in Harlem. We look forward to seeing you!”

On Friday, Aug. 12, HARLEM WEEK gets underway on Senior Citizens Day, which will take place at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. This is always a well-attended public event with the elderly looking forward to health testing, health demonstrations, and just a chance to renew acquaintances since the advent of COVID.

The pace picks up on Aug. 13 when runners and walkers test their new sneakers at the Percy Sutton 5K event, which this year has the theme of “Save Our Children,” as well as a call to action against the menacing spread of gun violence. And if you still have legs, get to the Great Hill in Central Park West where the Jimmy Heath Legacy Band, the Antonio Hart Quartet, and Tammy McCann are featured acts, from 4-7 p.m.

At the conclusion of the first weekend of HARLEM WEEK on Sunday, Aug. 14 “A Great Day in Harlem,” a signature moment, will include performances and appearances by R&B artist Kenny Lattimore, salute to 90-year-old Caribbean Legend Lord Nelson (aka “The Soca Daddy”), Uptown Dance Academy, Artz, Roots & Rhythm, Impact Repertory Theater, The Mama Foundation’s Sing Harlem Choir, Isn’t Her Grace Amazing Choir, and a Concert Under the Stars Salute to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” album featuring Ray Chew and the Harlem Music Festival All Stars.

For those unable to experience the events in person, HARLEM WEEK can be experienced around the world virtually through its website, HARLEMWEEK.com with additional performances, summits including Economic Development Day, the Health Summit, a Broadway Summit, the Harlem On My Mind Conversation series and the new Harlem Virtual Village where visitors can shop with exhibitors and vendors online as well as watch activities from the stage in an interactive platform on the site. Next week we will bring you up to date on events, meanwhile for a complete list of events, please visit www.harlemweek.com.

BIPOC interior designers and the Kaleidoscope Project’s Firehouse Showhouse

By JA’TAE JOYNER

Special to the AmNews

Amy Lynn Schwartzbard, founder of the Kaleidoscope Project, will be presenting another collaborative project, the Firehouse Showhouse, on Aug. 20 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, along with four BIPOC designers and design teams, including Everick and Lisa Walker Brown, Everick Brown Design; Denise Gordon, Tanya Lewis and Marilyn Lavergne, The Austin Gray Design Group; Virginia Toledo, partner in Toledo Geller; and Rasheeda Gray, Gray Space Interiors.

The Kaleidoscope Project’s upcoming showhouse venture, the Firehouse Showhouse, constitutes the revitalization plan to help continue to build “community identity” and “stimulate economic growth” within this TDI district. In the last eight years there has been a timely, concentrated investment in the Pittsfield community that dates back to an agreement made by the City of Pittsfield and MassDevelopment signed in 2014 that states by receiving “Transformative Development Initiative assistance,” MassDevelopment will account for providing a district revitalization plan including evaluat[ing] sites, properties, housing stock, and buildings for appropriate reuse.” Standing in between greenery and deteriorating buildings, the Firehouse Showhouse is distinct from its neighbors with its rich, vibrant approach to residential living, pro-

See KALEIDOSCOPE PROJECT on page 32

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