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A
new global
By MARIA CHENG AP Medical Writer
International News
health emergency: What is mpox, where are the outbreaks, and what is the WHO doing?
LONDON (AP)—The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Wednesday that the increasing spread of mpox in Africa is a global health emergency and warned that the virus might ultimately spill across international borders.
The announcement by WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the U.N. health agency’s emergency committee. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent on Tuesday, August 13.
WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, already exceeding last year’s figures. So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in a single country: Congo. Scientists are concerned by the spread of a new version of the disease there that might be more easily transmitted among people.
Here’s what is currently known about mpox, and what might be done to contain it.
What is mpox?
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958, when there were outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys.
Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals. In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time and triggered outbreaks in more than 70 countries across the world that had not previously reported mpox.
Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills, and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals.
What’s happening in Africa that’s causing this concern?
The number of mpox cases in Africa has jumped dramatically. Last week, the Africa CDC reported that mpox has now been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160% and deaths have increased by 19%.
Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and might spread more easily. Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands, and feet, the new form of mpox causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing they’re infected themselves. WHO said mpox was recently identified
Family nurse practitioner prepares syringe with mpox vaccine for inoculating a patient at vaccination site in Brooklyn. Gay and bisexual men at high risk for mpox infection should get vaccinated against the virus even after the current outbreak ends, government health advisers said (AP
the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in Congo. Tedros said there was concern about the further spread of the disease in Africa and beyond.
In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022.
What does an emergency declaration mean?
WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action, but the global response to previous declarations has been mixed.
Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the agency’s declaration of a public health emergency was meant “to mobilize our institutions, our collective will, and our resources to act swiftly and decisively.” He appealed to Africa’s international partners for help, saying the escalating caseload in Africa had largely been ignored.
“It’s clear that current control strategies aren’t working and there is a clear need for more resources,” said Michael Marks, a professor of medicine at the London (UK) School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “If a (global emergency declaration) is the mechanism to unlock these things, then it is warranted.”
What’s different about the current outbreak
in Africa compared to the 2022 epidemic?
During the global outbreak of mpox in 2022, gay and bisexual men made up the vast majority of cases and the virus was mostly spread through close contact, including sex.
Although some similar patterns have been seen in Africa, children under 15 now account for more than 70% of the mpox cases and 85% of deaths in Congo.
Before itthes emergency meeting, Tedros said officials were dealing with several mpox outbreaks in various countries with “different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”
“Stopping these outbreaks will require a tailored and comprehensive response,” he said.
Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Congo director, said that organization was particularly worried about the spread of mpox in the crowded camps for refugees in the east, noting 345,000 children were “crammed into tents in unsanitary conditions” whenthe country’s health system was already “collapsing” under the strain of malnutrition, measles, and cholera.
Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, said it was unclear why children were so disproportionately hit by mpox in Congo. She said it might be because kids are more susceptible to the virus or that social factors, such as overcrowding and exposure to parents who caught the disease, might explain it.
How might mpox be stopped?
The 2022 outbreak of mpox in dozens of countries was largely shut down with the use of vaccines and treatments in rich countries, in addition to convincing people to avoid risky behavior, but barely any vaccines or treatments have been available in Africa.
Marks said that immunization would probably help—including inoculating people against smallpox, a related virus. “We need a large supply of vaccine so that we can vaccinate populations most at risk,” he said. That would mean sex workers, children, and adults living in outbreak regions.
Officials in Congo have said it’s in talks with donors about possible vaccine donations and has gotten some financial aid from Britain and the U.S. WHO had already released $1.45 million from its emergency fund to support the response to mpox in Africa, but said it needs an initial $15 million to fund that response.
Associated Press writer Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Photo/Jeenah Moon)
Arva Rice bows out as CCRB Interim Chair as NYPD continues to dismiss disciplinary measures
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
New York Urban League (NYUL) president Arva Rice chaired her last Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) meeting on Aug. 15, marking her last day with the NYPD oversight agency after two and a half years.
She submitted her letter of resignation on July 22 and pointed to needing to prioritize NYUL’s work empowering Black Americans during this upcoming “monumental” presidential election.
“My tenure has shown that the Civilian Complaint Review Board is a vital resource for our city,” Rice said during the meeting. “I believe it deserves a full-time chair who is able to dedicate themselves completely to advocacy and leadership. It is my hope that in focusing my efforts elsewhere a new chair will be appointed who will continue this critical work. I urge the Mayor and the Speaker to come together and agree on a chair who will be able to lead the agency forward.”
But reporting by the Daily News and The New York Times this past April indicate the Adams administration pushed for her to resign. Mayor Eric Adams later denied the claims, saying during a spring press conference, “no matter who’s the chair, it has to be a dual agreement by the City Council and the Mayor”
The CCRB is an independent city agency
tasked with investigating police misconduct complaints parallel to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Fifteen board members are largely split between handpicks by the mayor and City Council. Three seats are selected by the NYPD Commissioner and one by the Public Advocate. The chair is a joint decision by the mayor and council.
Last month, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry celebrated Rice’s resignation on behalf of “hard-working police officers who have had their careers derailed by anti-police activists on CCRB’s board.”
Yet Rice’s stint was characterized not by advocacy, but rather by bureaucratic departmental victories. During her tenure,
the agency cut down investigation times, cleared a complaint backlog built up from the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded jurisdiction to investigate racial bias and fought for a budget increase to bolster staff.
Even her public criticism of the NYPD’s refusal to discipline the officers who killed Kawaski Trawick stemmed from the department’s delays in handing over bodyworn camera footage rather than over the preventable death of a gay Black New Yorker who called 911 himself to get back into his apartment.
“To their credit, the NYPD recognize that their delays in this case were obstructing the disciplinary process and many other investigations and have both and both agencies agreed to a policy which limited the NYPD to 90 days to respond to the CCRB’s requests for evidence,” said Rice in the April meeting.”While this MOU is an excellent start, it is not enough to ensure that we have comprehensive police accountability.” Rice also penned a letter in the CCRB’s most recent semi-annual report announcing her departure where she called the investigation’s outcome “an unacceptable circumvention of the disciplinary system.” Cops accused of misconduct avoiding disciplinary measures recommended by the agency after thorough investigations are not unique to Trawick’s killing. The final call lies with the NYPD Commissioner. Daniel Pantaleo’s firing over the death of Eric Garner was the only time over the
Largest street vendor protest in decades calls for more permits, less enforcement
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
More than 500 protesters marched on City Hall advocating for a bill package to strengthen protections, access and opportunity for street vendors. Organizers say it was the largest demonstration in decades over the long-standing issue.
Most participants at the Aug. 15 event were street vendors themselves, like the Street Vendor Project’s Calvin Baker. Baker sells general merchandise on Harlem’s 125th Street, an age-old corridor for Black street vendors in New York City.
“We have a 9-to-5 just the way [everyone does],” he told the AmNews. “We go to the store and we pay taxes on whatever we buy—most of us pay taxes. We pay rent. We buy clothes, we buy food for our kids, clothes for our kids. We want what you want.”
The city’s enforcement against the sidewalk market has been well-documented by the AmNews over the decades.
An article from Dec. 8, 1990 described the block between 7th and 8th Avenue with “the smell of incense mingled with that of fried plantains, and vendors dressed in colorful African clothing.” But the author noted such sights and smells were under attack after then-Mayor David Dinkins signed two bills strengthening the NYPD’s enforcement confiscating goods from unlicensed vendors, supported by “business owners, who are mostly whites and Asians living outside of the community.”
In 1993, Karen Juanita Carrillo of the AmNews reported Black street vendors began organizing regular rallies and printing their own newsletter to “maintain their right to a presence on Harlem’s most famous commercial block, 125th Street.”
Three decades later, enforcement and confiscation continues to be a challenge for vendors, according to Baker. He noted the Department of Sanitation’s issuance of $1,000 fines, both civil and criminal, for selling without a license or permit can
wipe out weeks’ worth of earnings. Earlier this summer, the AmNews reported vendor Edgar Telesford was ticketed while hawking water bottles and chips on 125th Street. His merchandise was seized.
CCRB on page 37
CCRB Interim Chair Arva Rice speaks at her final board meeting. (Tandy Lau photo)
Street vendors march to City Hall. (Jonathan Bloom Photo IG: jbloom94)
Biden’s capstone and thesis at the DNC
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
For nearly an hour at the opening of the 2024 Democratic National Convention this week, the incumbent president of the United States applied a capstone and thesis to his remarkable career in politics—part memory, part reflection, all an inflection point in American history. Toward the end of the speech, there was an Othello-like farewell when the president asked, “What shall our legacy be?What will our children say? Let me know in my heart when my days are through. America, America, I gave my best to you.”
Some of President Joe Biden’s best, most recently, has been devoted to assuring the continuance of democracy and fending off the proto-fascist aims of Donald Trump, whom he mentioned more than two dozen times, none of them flattering. After shuffling on stage at the convention to embrace his daughter, Ashley, he eased into his soliloquy with words about why he sought the presidency.
“We’re in the battle for the very soul of America,” Biden began. “I ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw at Charlottesville in August of 2017—extremists coming out of the woods, carrying torches, their veins bulging from their necks, carrying Nazi swastikas, and chanting the same exact antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the early ’30s... old ghosts, and new garments, stirring up the oldest divisions, stoking the oldest fears, giving oxygen to the oldest forces that they long sought to tear apart America.
“In the process, a young woman was killed. When I contacted her mother to ask about what happened, she told me. When the president was asked what he thought had happened, Donald Trump said, and I quote, ‘There were very fine people on both sides.’ My god. That’s what he said. That is what he said and what he meant.”
Biden didn’t have to say anything more about Trump because the elephant at the event, and certainly part of Biden’s thesis, had been properly nailed by Shawn Fain, head of the UAW, who called Trump a “scab,” the words emblazoned on his T-shirt, and Sen. Raphael Warnock, who declared Trump a “plague” on America. There were the expected speeches celebrating and elevating Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but few were as electrifying as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the first of
the speakers to mention Gaza and the turmoil in the Middle East. Her outrage toned down considerably, with a nod to Harris, Ocasio-Cortez said, “And she is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bring the hostages home,” to cheers from the crowd.
One of the networks gave a quick glimpse of the Rev. Jesse Jackson seated at the convention.
Biden did not miss this crucial point about Gaza. He devoted several moments to the situation.
“We’ll keep working to bring hostages home, end the war in Gaza, and bring peace and security to the Middle East,” Biden said. “As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza. A few days ago, I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to that goal than we”ve been since October 7. We’re working around the clock, my Secretary of State and I, to prevent a wider war; reunite hostages with their families; and surge humanitarian aid, health services, and food assistance into Gaza now; to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people, and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire in this war.”
Referring to protests being held near the convention, Biden said, “Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides. Just as we worked around the clock to bring home wrongfully detained Americans and others from Russia, in one of the most complicated swaps in history, but they’re home, Kamala and I are going to keep working to bring all Americans wrongfully detained around the world home. I mean it.”
It was well into the second day of the convention when Biden ended his remarks, but he set the stage for what could be an increasingly intensified meeting and unification event.
“I can honestly say, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, giving my word as a Biden—I can honestly say I’m more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator. I mean it,” he said again. “Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We’re the United States of America. And there’s nothing we cannot do when we do it together.”
Harris provided a portent of things to come when she suddenly appeared on stage in the middle of the proceedings, as if to create added momentum. It was just a sample of what the delegates had already experienced and what they can expect as they move toward her official nomination.
Road to the DNC: Black delegates travel from N.Y. to Chicago
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
As Chicago, host city for the Democratic National Convention 2024, fills with delegates and onlookers from across the country, Black and Brown delegates from New York State were especially eager to witness history as a Black and South Asian woman became the party’s presidential nominee.
This year marked the 26th time Chicago has hosted the DNC since 1864. The city is well prepared to receive politicians, advocates, media, protesters, and delegates of all kinds (alternate, at-large, elected, Party Leader and Elected Official Delegate (PLEO), committee, and pages). Traveling from “far and wide” doesn’t even begin to cover how long some people have been on the road to get there.
For some, a 12-hour drive from New York City the weekend before the DNC kickoff was a great way to see the country and arrive early.
Sabrina Gates, a first-time atlarge delegate from New York State, lives in Downtown Brooklyn. She and her colleague, Jabaran Akram, a first time Elected Delegate also from Brooklyn, opted to take the scenic drive over the course of about two days starting last Friday, Aug. 16.
“Super-excited to support [Vice President] Kamala Harris and the efforts of the Biden administration. I want them to continue. I think she’s done a fabulous job,” Gates said.
They packed up Akram’s car with bags, suits, a box of T-shirts, food, and all the fixings neces-
sary for a good road trip. Almost immediately after they pulled off, they were greeted with a wall of bumper-to-bumper traffic at the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge entrances. It took almost two hours just to get out of the city.
Their route took them along 80 West, through Jersey City and Pennsylvania’s Delaware Water Gap mountains. Into the night,
engage in this process and to have a voice, a real voice…I think once you understand that, once you understand the pain and death and the destruction that happened along with fighting for those rights, there’s nothing you would want to do but vote, but participate in this process, but honor the legacy of folks like John Lewis, who really wanted us to be
they took turns driving through pouring rain along pitch-black highways across the state and into Ohio. The first stop on their journey was in Sandusky, Ohio, in the wee hours of the morning. After sunrise, and some much-needed rest, Gates sat outside to take in Lake Erie—the lakeshore was right behind the motel. She ruminated about the DNC, the significance of the moment, the journey so far.
“When you look at what our forefathers went through just to get Black people the right to
a part of this American Dream.”
From Ohio, Gates and Akram continued their journey along the tip-top of Indiana through more storms, seemingly endless farmland, graffitied freight trains carrying lumber and tanks, miles of power lines, and angry-looking steel mills that appeared abandoned. They made it into Illinois and Chicago city limits early Saturday afternoon.
Gates was not the only person taking into consideration just how See DELEGATES on page 33
Jabaran Akram, first-time elected delegate from New York State. (Ariama C. Long photos)
Akram (driver’s seat) and Gates (right) on Brooklyn Bridge as they leave New York City.
Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but also a multi-billion dollar industry. So Tenika Foster-Jones hopes to usher in the next generation of estheticians as she develops her own business empire, Harlem’s Opulence Waxing Spa.
Originally from Mount Vernon, FosterJones began her journey in high school, where multiple trade courses were offered. But New York State’s 1,000-hour cosmetology education largely focuses on doing hair, not removing it. And her passion was in waxing.
“Of our 1,000 hours, we spend 700 of our hours on hair,” Foster-Jones said. “So you mostly learn hair. Skin is there, nails [are] there. Everything else, you learn a little bit. Just enough to pass your state exam.”
As a result, she ended up working in a full-service spa after high school. Thirty years later, Foster-Jones does everything from skin facials to teeth whitening to of course, waxing. Two years ago, she moved
into her location on Adam Clayton Boulevard.
But as Foster-Jones keeps Harlem looking good, she also desires paying it forward. It runs in the family.
“I was a very young little girl, my mom was a community activist,” she said. “She was very involved with the community. But I’ve always loved teaching and sharing. Yeah with the younger youth, you know, so I would talk to groups whether it’s in the church or whether you’re at a community center.”
Through such conversations, she met young people doing makeup or nails as a side hustle. Foster-Jones always asked if they were licensed, and if not, would offer to help them “take their work to the next level.” A few years ago, she partnered with Department of Education students.
“I go through [the] breakdown [of] each part of the appearance of [the] enhancement license to show them what it would take and how long they can get there,” she said. “Then once they get there, [I ask them] what’s a realistic goal of how they can make money.”
Which savings strategy works for you?
Sponsored content by JPMorgan Chase
Getting in the habit of saving money is important, as it helps lead to creating a financial cushion to cover future expenses. Saving is not easy, especially when everyday products are at an all-time high given recent years’ rising inflation and simply suggesting cutting back on small indulgences can be irritating.
Thankfully, there are options to help saving money become more of a habit to better equip you for life’s unexpected needs. Before determining how much to start saving, first understand money coming in and money coming out – like cost of rent, food, car or public transportation, utilities, and other direct payment expenses, such as subscriptions to various streaming services. Apps can help track these recurring expenses, making it a good time to reconsider or renegotiate them.
Once you’ve understood your monthly budget, check what’s remaining to determine a doable amount to start setting aside each month. When it comes to saving, there are various strategies, from keeping a certain amount in your bank account each week, to automating transferring money from your checking to your savings account each month. You can also save for something specific, like a vacation, home project, or a splurge you’ve had your eye on for a while. Here are a few saving account options to consider:
Standard Saving Accounts are the most common, easy to access and typically open. Savings accounts can often be accessed and managed online or through the bank’s mobile app, which can make things easier. Before choosing an account that best suits your needs, ask if there is a monthly service fee and potential ways to waive the fee.
Money Market Accounts are similar to savings accounts, but the customer receives more interest on their money, something that varies with banks. They usually require a minimum balance.
High Yield Savings Accounts are increasingly popular, often coming with higher interest rates, making them suitable for short-term savings goals. They work a lot like the typical savings account, allowing for deposits and withdrawals, but there may be transaction limits and minimum balance requirements. They are also protected up to $250,000 at FDIC insured banks.
Certificates of Deposit (CDs) are highly sought after when interest rates are favorable, but you must commit to leaving the money deposited in the CD untouched for the agreed upon term, which is usually months or years. There may be minimum deposit requirements, but they offer returns so are useful for short-term goals, such as the down payment on a house or car.
Long-Term Accounts provide an opportunity to accumulate returns over years, depending on how the markets fluctuate. These accounts are designed for a specific financial goal and have tax advantages. Consult your financial institution for long-term savings account options, some of which may include:
• 529 Plans: Saving over the years to pay for the education of a child, grandchild, or niece/nephew. Savings are tax-deferred and can only be used for the beneficiary’s education, whether for college or another educational institution.
• 401(k): Retirement savings accounts your employer offers. Contributions are usually made monthly (a percentage of the salary) via direct deposit. There are limits to how much you can contribute.
• IRA: There are various types of individual retirement Accounts (IRAs), offering another personal retirement savings option. Contributions are limited, not necessarily offered by an employer, and like the 401(k), they are only used after retirement.
Be sure to ask your bank or financial advisor whether the account you plan to open has a monthly deposit or balance minimum, or any additional requirements or fees. For more budgeting and savings tips, visit chase.com/financialgoals.
For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any individual. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy.
Tenika Foster-Jones at Opulence Waxing Spa. (Tandy Lau photo)
Deed theft cases threaten to deplete NY’s Black generational wealth
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
Deed theft cases continue to plague New York City’s Black community as many longneglected neighborhoods slowly transform into trendy districts.
Homeowners say they’re finding themselves having to fend off rapacious developers who might first ask if an owner’s willing to sell, but later insist that it’s now time for them to sell.
AmNews readers have been coming forward to detail the continued harassment, badgering, and mental torture they face while trying to fight off real estate speculators eager to take their homes.
Carmella Charrington said her father’s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, home at 212 Jefferson Avenue was sold out from under him by an out-of-state conservator. Her father, Allman Charrington, has been a partial owner of the house with his sister since the 1980s.
“My father has a conservator,” Carmella said, explaining he had someone appointed by a court to help him take care of his finances. She and her sister filed to be declared his legal guardians, but the court would not allow it.
Meanwhile, she claims their father’s Georgia-based conservator began liquidating his assets—including his Jefferson Avenue home.
“My father’s conservator allowed plaintiffs to file documents: There were plaintiffs who went to court and submitted whatever documents, whatever fake index, to make it look proper to say that they were going to sell this property,” she said. “That’s how it ended up being sold—because my father’s conservator signed off...If you look at the deed, they just signed off with a whole bunch of people saying they were heirs of the property, and this had never even [gone] in front of a probate court at all.”
Carmella claims the 12 people listed alongside the name for her father’s conservator on the January 12, 2024, sale transaction did not go to probate court to prove they had legitimate rights to the property— yet they are listed as sellers of the property in a deal that records the transfer of 212 Jefferson Avenue to the Long Island Citybased company 227 Group LLC for a total of $1.4 million.
The owners of 227 Group LLC are Etai Vardi and the brothers Elliot and Joseph Ambalo. These three have become infamous property flippers who were profiled by The City just last year as “Speculator Bros Ripping Off Heirs and Evicting Tenants Across NYC.” Allegations are that they use their company to contact distant heirs of deceased property owners and get them to claim a partial ownership status, which they can then sell to the Ambalos and Vardi.
The suspicion of fraudulent activity during the sale of 212 Jefferson Avenue prompted an examination in court. Carmella said she has also brought her case to
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recently disclosed that her office can now prosecute anyone who fraudulently steals a property owner’s home title or deed. These kinds of crimes now qualify as larceny and could lead to prison time for perpetrators.
Even though the case has not been decided yet, Carmella and her family say they were terrorized on January 24 this year when their home was broken into in broad daylight by speculators wielding hammers and chisels who used a range of tools to chip away at the front door with New York
you think that [it’s the truth].” Charrington and other owners have formed a coalition they’ve named Hands Off of Bed Stuy/ East New York Land Trust that aims to help owners join together to support each other.
Rachel Cyprien, who is among those who have joined the coalition, has been in a battle to get back the title to the multifamily home she purchased in Canarsie, Brooklyn, in 1998 with her father, Mecene Cyprien. Cyprien was a few months behind on her mortgage, in a deep depression and suffering from insomnia after the breakup of a 10-year relationship. A trusted friend told her she should contact Francklin Etienne, who was in the business of helping people when they faced the possibility of a foreclosure.
But instead of helping, Cyprien claims Etienne worked with a now-disbarred attorney, Andrien J. Wooley, to convince her to put her property in Etienne’s name while he supposedly worked to pay off the house debt. Although she initially agreed to do so and gave mortgage payments totaling $25,000 to Etienne for some nine months, Cyprien ultimately thought better of the plan and told Etienne she no longer wanted to do it. She stopped giving him the funds to pay her mortgage, but has not been able to get the deed to her property back. Cyprien is currently suing Wooley and Etienne in Brooklyn’s Supreme Court. Cyprien was in attendance when AG James held a community event this past June at Bed-Stuy’s Restoration Plaza to educate homeowners about deed theft ploys. “It was standing room only,” Cyprien said. “There were so many people in there!
“You know, no one talks about this; I know I didn’t talk. Here I am, an educated—fairly educated—Black woman. I’m a broker, right? And still I was embarrassed— too embarrassed to talk about what was happening to me. But when they had this, so many people came out, and what astonished me out of everything was the fact that out of everyone in there––the room was full, filled to capacity––everyone was Black. Latisha James was saying this is happening to Black and Brown people, but I didn’t see any Brown people in there. What I saw were Black people.
City police standing by and watching from the sidewalk. The speculators had told the police that they owned the property, so even though they could hear Carmella and her father screaming inside the house, the police somehow believed the speculators were doing nothing wrong.
Since she started fighting to keep the property, Carmella Charrington has begun working with other property owners suffering some of the same problems. “The system is failing us,” she said. “If you don’t know, and if these people are coming to you and they’re telling you your property’s sold,
“The room was filled with Black people whose homes are being taken away or were taken away already. It’s really disgusting. And this woman who’s from my alma mater, Medgar Evers, spoke. She said the worst part about all of this is the amount of money—the generational wealth—we’ve lost. I mean it adds up to billions.”
New Yorkers who believe they may be a victim of deed theft can contact the attorney general by phone at 800-771-7755, by emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or by filing a confidential complaint. Homeowners who need free housing counseling and legal assistance can contact the Homeowner Protection Program at HOPP online or call 855-466-3456 to get help.
Speculators breaking in the front door of 212 Jefferson Avenue while cops watch from sidewalk (Screenshot from Carmella Charrington video)
The Charrington home at 212 Jefferson Ave in Brooklyn. (Carmella Charrington photo)
CCNY holds job fair
The City College of New York (CCNY) recently held a job fair at its Harlem location. More than 40 employers in banking and finance, city services, climate, construction, education, health, hospitality, restaurants, technology, transportation, and more were in attendance. The fair also featured panel discussions about “The Future of Green Jobs” and “Job Opportunities in Local, State, and Federal Government.”
The event was sponsored by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, West Harlem Development Corporation, and CCNY.
(Bill Moore photos)
Black women in Congress stamp Harris with seal of approval
By ASHLEIGH FIELDS Special to the AmNews
In America’s 235-year history, only three Black women have served as senators in Congress. The first was Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois; the second, Kamala Harris, was elected two decades later in California, following in the footsteps of Braun’s leadership. Much like her predecessor, her tenure was defined by efforts to condemn abortion bans, increase access to healthcare and promote safer gun laws.
Now that Harris is on a national stage as a presidential candidate, Black women in Congress have shared that this type of advocacy is critical for future generations and their inalienable rights.
“Vice President Harris has consistently demonstrated powerful leadership,” Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3) told the AmNews. “As a Senator, she tackled the maternal health crisis, expanded Medicaid coverage during the pandemic, and eliminated outof-pocket healthcare costs for
those in need. She also led efforts in tech and environmental justice, advocating for net neutrality, data privacy, and protections for communities most impacted by climate change.”
She spoke about the Vice President’s background as an attorney general and prosecutor in the Alameda and San Francisco District Attorney Offices respectively.
“Harris’s legal acumen was invaluable in crafting police reform legislation after George Floyd’s death and holding powerful figures accountable on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on election interference and Supreme Court nominees,” Beatty said.
She credited Harris with her approach to the nation’s influx of immigration, long an issue dividing both sides of the aisle.
“Her Central America Forward initiative, which secured billions to address the root causes of southern border migration, and her engagement with over 150 world leaders, reflect her strategic vision and respect on the global stage,”
Beatty said. “Vice President Harris’s relentless pursuit of justice, equity, and progress continues to shape the future of our nation, solidifying her as a formidable force in American governance.”
Harris’s opponent, former president Donald Trump, has been claiming cities like New York are overflowing with newcomers who are causing crime. He added that the Vice President is “incompetent” at a recent press conference, doubling down on the insults.
Despite this, Black women in Congress who have worked with Harris are behind her full force.
“Often, Vice President Harris cast the deciding votes on key legislation herself, like the Inflation Reduction Act, or for many of our groundbreaking nominees for judgeships or department heads,” Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12) told the AmNews Adams is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Harris’s sorority.
“But her greatest achievement will be unlocking the potential of millions of young girls, especially Black girls and others of color
across the country, who will look at themselves in the mirror and know that anything is possible for them, because of her.”
The support stems from a clear desire to impact marginalized communities through representation but also expand access to the American Dream. An unofficial Harris campaign slogan is “We are not going back.”
That affirmation is rooted in a refusal to return to an era where equal treatment and women’s rights had not yet been fulfilled under the law.
California leaders like Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) have said Harris’s presidential bid has uncovered an “opportunity for transformation,” bringing a sense of relief to the American people.
Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) who was appointed to the Vice President’s former delegation, added that Harris has been “consistent in her values” and envisions a presidency where she will “put the people first,” she said in an interview with The Hill.
Statistics show voters agree. A
new New York Times/Siena College poll shows Harris leading Trump in key states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin with endorsements from respected female political icons like Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and more.
“Vice President Harris is a friend and fearless leader who has blazed trails, representing many firsts, but in her words, ‘certainly not the last.’ I’ve had the great fortune of seeing the brilliance, effectiveness, and compassion of Kamala Harris firsthand as we entered Congress together in 2017, then as one of four members of Joe Biden’s vice president selection committee, and now as a co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign,” senatorial candidate Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-At-Large) said.
“I look forward to partnering with her administration in moving our country forward and ensuring we defeat the extreme TrumpVance Project 2025 agenda. I’m going to do all I can to elect her to the White House because with Kamala Harris at the helm, we are not going back.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, right, swears in Laphonza Butler, (D-Calif.), left, to the Senate to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein during a re-enactment of the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Butler's wife, Neneki Lee, center, holds the Bible. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP photo)
Union Matters
The more things change…
There was a time, not long ago, when the Democratic Party was generally considered the political party of middle-class working families, and the Republican Party was associated more with big business and the wealthy corporate 1%. Yet lately, many political pundits and historians have written—citing polling data for factual backing—that there’s been a change, one that some would call a reversal of party ideology, identification and a shift in party affiliation.
The Republican Party has been trending toward a multi-racial, working-class, blue-collar coalition, while the Democrats now have a larger share of followers among white college graduates. And another change: Union support for Democratic political candidates is no longer 100% assumed, assured, guaranteed, or delivered.
Many wonder what conclusions can be drawn. Do we now have an establishment progressive party and an anti-establishment conservative party? Some would point to radical fringes on both sides. The question that now begs an answer: Are there so many factions in both parties that their previous mainstream core beliefs and fundamental values are hard to define, or perhaps worse: They have dwindled to the point of uncertainty. They seem blurred, vague and ever-changing, causing alarms to go off. Many ask, “What do we really stand for?”
Many worry: “Can obscurity be far behind?” Today, because it’s not easy to explain where either party stands on certain issues, large numbers of voters are not affiliated with either party—no surprise there! They’re turned off by both, causing some voters to show interest in having a choice that includes third-party candidates.
All of this makes for a very interesting 2024 election season…one that also presents opportunities for union members and methods. So many factors—from big to small—all backed by countless surveys, focus groups, and consultants brimming with fresh ideas and nuance-savvy advice to guide every aspect of a candidate’s life, whether a firsttime contender or a seasoned politician working to keep the win column. From the candidate’s appearance to where they are from and what they might say, everything will all be researched, orchestrated, rehearsed, and made spontaneity-free and politician-lite. The guidelines and guardrails will be installed; stump speeches created and memorized for televised rallies (great for optics, but mostly “preaching to the choir”) with snippets posted on social media platforms and worked into costly media ads.
With baby boomers and senior citizens, who until most recently served as the largest and politically savvy voting population, starting to decline in number, and with the current push to entice younger, new voters to the polls, how
See CHANGE on page 35
Labor leaders stand up, show out for Kamala at DNC
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
The Democratic National Convention’s nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the next vice president commenced with a wave of endorsements from the nation’s largest labor unions.
On the very first night of the convention, an impressive gathering of union presidents took the stage. AFSCME’s Lee Saunders, SEIU (Service Employees International Union) President April Verrett, LIUNA (Laborer’s International Union of North America) President Brent Booker, Ken Cooper of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Claude Cummings Jr. of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and Liz Shuler of the AFL-CIO stood on stage together, they displayed the power of unions. They also made it clear that because the Biden-Harris administration supported labor for four years, unions are planning to help get the Harris-Walz team elected.
Members of the crowd welcomed the labor leaders with cheers of “Union Yes! Union Yes!” as they lined up center stage to speak about what it means to have a government that cares about everyday workers and how their lives function, versus living in a nation where the federal government allows the worst aspects of capitalism to assault workers.
“We are all in for Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris has always been all-in for us,” explained SEIU’s Verrett: “Vice President Harris joined fast food workers on the picket line, and she walked a day in the shoes of a home care worker. She shares our vision for a modern-day labor movement. A movement that meets the needs of workers in the 21st century. And an economy that is ready for the future.”
“Four years ago, we faced a pandemic and a recession, with a president who didn’t care one bit what working people were going through: Enter Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!” AFSCME’s Saunders told the crowd. “Within weeks, they passed the American Rescue Plan, pulling the economy back from the brink and putting us back to work. They’re guided by a basic principle — more freedom for working people, including the freedom to join a union.”
“Every step of the way, Kamala Harris has been there for us,” declared IBEW’s Ken Cooper: “She’s bringing back American manufacturing to forgotten
places throughout our country. She cast the deciding vote to save our pension plans. She’s lifted our apprentices up all over the nation. And guess what? She’s not afraid to use the word ‘union.’
“She has come through for all of us and it’s our turn to come through for her.”
“We all saw the digital divide during the pandemic,” said the CWA’s Cummings. “Millions of American families didn’t have access to high-speed internet at home. Too many kids were forced to go to online class in McDonalds’ parking lots. But as vice president, Kamala Harris helped pass the largest investment in broadband ever, she gave CWA members a seat at the table so we could work to connect every household to the internet, while creating good union jobs.”
“This election is about two economic visions,” reflected Liz Shuler of the AFL-CIO. “One where families live paycheck-to-paycheck, where people have no right to join a union––a CEO’s dream, but a worker’s nightmare––or, an opportunity economy where we lower the costs of groceries, prescriptions and housing. Where we go after big pharma, corporate landlords and price gougers. Where there’s no such thing as a man’s job or a woman’s job––or, like Donald Trump would say, a ‘Black job,’ just a good union job. That’s the future our president Joe Biden has fought for. And that’s the future Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will keep fighting
for. Let’s build it together.”
Union leaders were bound to be featured at this year’s DNC convention. Chicago had competed against the cities of Atlanta and New York for the chance to host this convention. They won their opportunity by pointing to Chicago’s long and storied union organizing history.
President Joe Biden’s pro-union administration and the basic math which shows that winning over blue-collar union votes in battleground states will help the Democrats win the Oval Office along with down ballot tickets, made having a show of force with labor leaders highly important. “Endorsements are much more than words on a press release,” Harris-Walz Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in an August 8 note regarding the importance of winning over union voters.
“In a fragmented media environment, union leadership is uniquely effective at breaking through to their members and [is] one of the most trusted institutions among their members. There are 2.7 million union members in the battleground states. That means something when roughly 45,000 votes in key states decided the election four years ago.”
The one major union leader not present at the DNC was International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien. The Teamsters have yet
Gregory Floyd President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
UAW President Shawn Fain wears his ‘Trump is a scab’ t-shirt at the DNC. (YouTube screenshot)
Opinion
Night, night, Trump!
If the opening night of the Democratic National Convention is a harbinger, then it will not only be a festive occasion, but one of singular significance—one for the ages. Most rewardingly, and in sharp distinction to the Republican confab, was the extent to which it was a reflection of American race, class, gender, and diversity. Sure, the political notables were present, but so were a number of ordinary people, none more powerful than the women talking about reproductive rights.
To have Hillary Clinton’s always-insightful voice merged with Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Grace Meng of NY, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a confection of ideas rarely heard at past conventions.
One of the real surprises was the appearance of Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors—when he called out Trump with Steph Curry’s meme of clasped hands beside his face and “Night, night” to Trump; the gesture was worth 1,000 words, and probably unprintable ones ones from the Trump camp.
Slated to follow these illustrious commentators are Bill Clinton, and Barack and Michelle Obama. This tag team on day two doesn’t need much bolstering, but Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth will also speak, and heaven only knows what surprises the coordinators will pull out of the hat.
No matter the presenters, the DNC has done a remarkable job thus far. All of this will lead to a resounding conclusion on Thursday, when Kamala Harris commands the stage as the first Black woman to accept the presidential nomination.
Even having accomplished this historical moment, though, the race is by no means over. It is to be hoped that the momentum to date is enough to propel Harris and Walz to the finish line so they can finish the work President Biden often promised to do.
Denial of development assistance not an answer to human rights violations in Uganda
By PROSPER AHABWE
By a letter signed on October 30, 2023, President Biden had Uganda kicked off the list of African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) beneficiaries, citing human rights violations, especially legislation against gay rights. This decision was not the first to be taken by Washington in the enforcement of human rights—the U.S. government has withdrawn aid from countries over the state of human rights violations in the past.
I acknowledge and appreciate the role played by the United States government through its development assistance programs to promote security, democracy, access to medical care, and economic empowerment to African countries, and Uganda in particular.
I do not intend to deny the fact that the government of Uganda has, over time and repeatedly, engaged in human rights violations (and I believe my fellow youths hold the same position), but the decision to remove Uganda from the AGOA beneficiaries is not the best in the circumstances.
First, Washingtson, as a long-time development partner of Uganda, is aware of the crippled democratic practice in Uganda. The voices of the people are rarely adhered to and therefore the actions of parliament and government do not represent the voices of the people of Uganda in general.
Therefore, it is unfair for Washington to condemn young and innocent Ugandans who work day and night to rise to the international market space through economic initiatives because of the actions of the government of Uganda. This is equivalent to punishing “children for the sins of their parents.” Punishing the whole Ugandan population, especially the young people, by withdrawing an opportunity they have already set their eyes on, is counterproductive to the rights of those whom the U.S. government seeks to protect.
prejudice. The proof of absence of violent gay phobia was exhibited even during the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief
Damaso
Second, the gay community in Uganda whose rights are intended to be protected by this decision will also be victims of its adverse effects when the economic incentives are withdrawn.
Reyes: Executive & Investigative Editor
Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor
Aaron Foley: News Editor
Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor
Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of
Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman
Third, apart from the biased government of Uganda, there is no outright manifestation of gay phobia among the people of Uganda, and therefore taking an action that is equally detrimental to all Ugandans amounts to
More than 100 Ugandans wrote petitions to the parliament against the bill, but these opinions were ignored—moreso not given a hearing. There is substantial proof that Ugandans are not generally homophobic.
Fourth, economically empowered people are better off, ready and able to fight and defend their rights against the government. Any actions that weaken the people’s ability to achieve economic steadfastness directly affect the development of human rights and democracy.
We need to note that while the government of Uganda will definitely benefit from the revenue that might be misused by abusing human rights further, the people of Uganda who are beneficiaries will be
empowered financially. On a balance of convenience, the benefit of the people of Uganda will outweigh the benefit of the government of Uganda in terms of taxes. The interests and well-being of the innocent people of Uganda should have been given great concern.
Lastly, history has shown that depriving a country of economic aid and development assistance has not improved the human rights situation. Examples from Nigeria, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Sudan, and other case studies can prove this finding. Therefore, I say that this decision was arrived at without due consideration of all factors and should thus be revised and subsequently reversed.
Prosper Ahabwe Julian is a Ugandan lawyer, economic analyst, and a reform activist.
Prosper Ahabwe (Photo courtesy of the author)
Start preserving affordable housing
By JODIE LEIDECKER, SUE SUSMAN, AND EDWARD RATLIFF
Jay Martin has long been the “Mr. Chicken Little” of the real estate industry, perpetually claiming the sky is falling. He cries “imminent disaster” and his usual solution is to give landlords more money.
But his cherry-picked information from the NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) reveals the truth: Rentstabilized housing is profitable! Landlords get an average net operating income (profit over expenses; NOI) of $333 every single month for each rent-stabilized apartment in the Bronx—and $605 per rentstabilized apartment per month in NYC overall. The Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) reports an NOI increase of 0.3% from 2021 to 2022, the most recent date for which there is information.
The RGB’s April 2024 report shows that since 1990, net operating income has increased 50% overall in NYC and 37% in the Bronx. The slight dip during the pandemic is at an end, with NOI on the rise, and plenty of money was still coming in over expenses.
That means it doesn’t make sense when Martin claims, “When NOI declines, it means operating expenses are greater than rental income and the value of the building declines.”
First, there’s no decline, and second, owners are still making a profit.
We wonder what landlords have been doing with the profits they’ve been making all along. Their buildings should already be wellmaintained because repairs and maintenance are factored into the costs the RGB considers.
It’s true that some landlords can’t meet their financial obligations because, speculating on a windfall, they overpaid for buildings: They planned to replace lower-paying tenants with higher-paying occupants in newly deregulated apartments. Those buildings had more maintenance and repair violations since owners declined to invest in
needed work.
This was typical of one hotspot for this speculation—the Bronx— but a 2019 change in the law meant the landlords could no longer deregulate the rent-stabilized homes. The speculators were out of luck— just as any other investor might be. Now they are begging yet again to raise the rents after their risky gamble didn’t pay off.
Unfortunately, Albany bent to big real estate demands this spring for big—and permanent— “Individual Apartment Improvement” rent increases in last year’s budget, especially in apartments landlords had been holding off the market for their Chicken Little scenario. Landlords didn’t even have to show their books to prove a dire need. Instead, they spent millions of dollars on a public relations campaign to get their way, millions they claimed they lacked for apartment repairs. After some landlords speculated and others neglected their property, consigning some older tenants to squalor, owners were rewarded with rent increases to upgrade the units and bring them up to code.
Our city and state governments should not be bailing them out with our rent money. Even in 2022, 50% of American renters already spend more than 30% of their income in rent.
Thankfully, some real solutions are on the horizon. Communityand tenant-owned and -controlled housing are coming ever closer to reality, with community land trusts, land banks, and bills to give tenants the opportunity to purchase their buildings, and proposals for more permanent social housing. That would ensure that tax dollar investments in affordable housing yield a strong and ongoing return for the people of this state and provide quality, stable homes for the people who live here.
Jodie Leidecker, Sue Susman, and Edward Ratliff are members of the Coalition to End Apartment Warehousing. Leidecker is an organizer at Cooper Square Committee. Ratliff is an active member of the coalition. Susman is head of the Central Park Gardens Tenants’ Association and runs an email list about affordable housing.
Siblings Week
CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.
I recently celebrated my first-ever Siblings Week. My sister and I do not live in the same city and we both have demanding jobs and obligations that make extended quality time together a bit difficult to achieve. Sure, we see one another for holidays, but between the cooking and extended family obligations, we often only have a small bit of time to really connect and catch up. We usually run errands together to get in our “sister time.”
For anyone who has siblings, whether you are close or not, you know there is a bond of understanding that you have with someone who has known you your entire life, who has a frame of reference for the various characters in your family, but who also has a different vantage point on certain events and individuals, depending on birth order or time away from home. My sister is my closest confidant and for that, I am incredibly grateful. I know that is not the case for everyone, but might I suggest Siblings Week as a way to (re)connect? We went on a siblings trip that included my brother-in-law and his siblings as well; no parents, no kids… just the siblings. Even if you can’t travel far or for an extended period of time, a little respite with the siblings is a great way to remember all of the crazy antics you’ve gotten into over the decades.
Telling stories that my sister barely remembers or has tat tooed into her memory pro duced more laughter than I
can recount. Debating the best musical artists of our upbringing over dinner was probably my favorite part of the vacation. Also, hearing stories from the other siblings is a way to see how families can be so different but so similar at the same time.
When I told my friends I was going on a siblings’ trip, many of them were inspired to make intentional time to spend with their siblings. Going away without kids and parents takes planning, but it is worth it. Luckily for me, my sister is the ultimate camp counselor. One of the best parts of the vacation was the amount of time we got to just “be.” We spent some days hanging out together, but we had autonomy over our schedules and convened for dinner every night, ranging from the casual to quite fancy. I couldn’t remember the last time I dressed up with my sister besides a wedding. I hope you will be inspired to plan a siblings’ trip. If you don’t have biological siblings, you can plan a trip with people who feel like siblings. It is so important to be intentional about spending time with those we love. We must make time to recharge with people who give us the energy and love and confidence we need in this world.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.
Jodie Leidecker (center) and Edward Ratliff (second from right) with members of the Coalition to End Apartment Warehousing.
Caribbean Update
Trinidad dumps Columbus’s ships from national symbols
BY BERT WILKINSON Special to AmNews
In a growing trend across the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and beyond, former European colonies in the region are ditching national symbols of oppression from public views, saying these affect national sensibility and must be replaced by local ones that appeal to citizens.
The latest of these is Trinidad, whose government announced over the weekend that the imprints of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus on his maiden voyage to the West Indies centuries ago will be scrubbed from the national coat of arms, 62 years after independence from Britain.
Back in 2020, there was also a debate about whether a huge bronze statue of Columbus should have been removed from its prominent position in downtown Port of Spain, Trinidad’s capital, but it remains in place to this day, although covered up and not as jarring to the eye as it had been for decades. Whether it will survive the new push by the administration of Prime Minister Keith Rowley to remove symbols of European colonialism in the coming months remains unclear.
“You see them—three Columbus boats in the emblem—they will go, and since we
have enough votes in the Parliament to do it, I can announce now that as soon as the legislative adjustment is made, that amendment should be made before the 24th of September,” Rowley told a conference of his governing People’s National Movement (PNM) during the weekend. “We are going to replace Columbus’s three ships—the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria—with the steelpan. And for logistical purposes, that will take place over a six-month period, allowing us to consume the stationery and other things we have in place and be replaced by our new intention.”
Other neighboring regional member states, such as Barbados, have taken similar action. Back in 2020, Barbadian authorities removed the statue of Admiral
Lord Horatio Nelson from Heroes Square and dumped it in a heritage museum away from public view, compared to its previous prominence. At the disposal ceremony, Prime Minister Mia Mottley was unapologetic about the move, saying that “while we accept that the statute of Vice-Admiral
Lord Horatio Nelson is an important historical relic, it is not a relic to be placed in the national Heroes Square of a nation that has to fight for too long to shape its destiny.”
Consideration about removing colonial symbols across the region has links to the reparations movement and plans by countries like Jamaica and Belize to become republics alongside Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, and Dominica, ditching the British monarch as their head of state and appointing a Black or Brown native president. Rowley also touched on the need for Trinidad to leave the British appeals court system and sign on to a native or regional one. “That should signal that we are on our way to removing the colonial vestiges that we have in our constitution, and I hope that we start with that and we end up getting up and no longer being squatters on the steps of the Privy Council,” Rowley said.
The government there has already decided to establish a committee to review the placement of statues, monuments, and street signage in the Trinidad and Tobago federation.
Back in the 1970s, neighboring Guyana dumped a statue of Queen Victoria in a forested area after the country became a republic, but has since brought it back to stand in the compound of the supreme court.
Will VP Kamala Harris acknowledge her Caribbean roots as she campaigns for president?
This week, tens of thousands of people are in Chicago for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Some 5,000 delegates and alternates are there to approve a party platform and are expected to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris—the daughter of a Caribbean immigrant father who was born in Jamaica, and an Indianborn mother—and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as their presidential and vice presidential candidates for the November general elections.
As the daughter of an Indian-born mother and a Jamaican-born father, Harris stands in the arena on the shoulders of the late Caribbean American Congresswoman Shirley Anita Chisholm. Chisholm, the daughter of immigrants from then-British Guiana and
Barbados, was a trailblazer in American politics. On July 10, 1972, in Miami Beach, Fla., she made history as the first Black candidate to seek a major party nomination for president of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Her campaign slogan, “Unbought and Unbossed,” still resonates as a powerful reminder of her strength and determination.
It’s worth noting that, in 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Chisholm for the position of U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica— the very country from which Harris’s father, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University Dr. Donald Jasper Harris, OM, hails. Unfortunately, Chisholm’s health prevented her from serving in that role and the nomination was ultimately withdrawn. Yet, the symbolic connection between these two pioneering women is now undeniable.
As Harris formally accepts the Democratic Party›s nomination this week, she owes it to both Chisholm and Caribbean immigrant voters to fully acknowledge her Ca-
ribbean heritage. Harris is not simply a woman of “Black and South Asian” descent, as her White House biography states. She is also half-Jamaican and a Caribbean American woman.
Caribbean American voters will be closely watching to see whether Harris will embrace her roots and speak directly to our community as she seeks support in this critical election. Caribbean immigrants in the United States number more than 5 million nationally and make up approximately 10% of the foreign-born population. Most significantly, at least 50% are naturalized citizens and eligible to vote, according to U.S. Census data. Caribbean immigrants also represent a significant portion of the Black electorate, with Jamaicans comprising a substantial majority.
For many in the Caribbean diaspora, the Harris candidacy offers a unique opportunity. Not since the days of Alexander Hamilton or Shirley Chisholm has the prospect of a Caribbean-descended leader in the White House been so tangible. The idea
that someone with non-white Caribbean heritage could ascend to the highest office in the land is a powerful, historic possibility in 2024.
But now, as Harris stands on the precipice of history, the question remains: Will she also embrace her Caribbean heritage after the convention? Will she acknowledge her sole living parent—her father and his Jamaican roots—and the Caribbean community that is eager to support her? Or will she continue to prioritize her “Black” and South Asian identities, and speak only about her mother and her coconut analogy, while ignoring those of us in the Caribbean diaspora?
We, Caribbean immigrant voters, will be watching and listening. In the name of Shirley Chisholm, I hope she does acknowledge her Caribbean heritage.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news on the Black immigrant communities of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Current coat of Arms of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
U.S. Rep. Espaillat hosts ‘Dominicans for Kamala’ Breakfast at the DNC
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
Congressmember Adriano Espaillat hosted a ‘Dominicans for Kamala’ Breakfast during the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Tuesday with guest speakers and Dominican electeds from all over the country.
Espaillat is the first Dominican from New York State—and the first in the country— elected to Congress. “We do this every four years, and it’s an important kickoff for us in the Dominican community—and the Latino community in general—to begin the process of electing the first female president of these United States: Kamala Harris, our VP,” Espaillat said at the breakfast.
“Last night was an electric time as women took the stage. It was about my mother, my daughter, and my granddaughter,” Espaillat continued. “It was about how women can take charge and usher in—it’s not yesterday, it’s not tomorrow, it’s now.”
Other speakers at the breakfast included Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the first Dominican elected to that office in the city’s history; Bronx Assemblymember Karines Reyes; and Maryland House of Delegates Rep Joseline Peña-Melnyk.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant,” Reyes said. “I was born in the Dominican Republic, but I’ve made New York and the Bronx my home. What’s at stake in this election is so much more than just the White House. We need people in office who are not climate, science deniers. When we see what’s happening right now—La República Dominicana sufre (suffers), Puerto Rico sufre, Mexico sufre, South America sufre, because everything we do here impacts our countries back home, impacts our people, impacts our loved ones.”
According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanics make up about 19% of the nation’s population. As of 2022, that translated to a new high of roughly 63.7 million people, despite revised question wording on census forms and shifting categories about who identifies as Latino or Hispanic.
“It is really important because the Latino community is the fastest growing demographic, and there are a lot of us in the U.S., and we can vote,” said Peña-Melnyk, whose daughter is also a delegate. “It is important for us as Dominican Americans to come out and vote for Kamala Harris. She represents us in our values and we need to make sure that we tell our networks and that we’re active and involved and we show up at the polls.”
Reynoso emphasized the significance of potentially advancing the first Black woman and first South Asian into the White House, “but we also have to work toward winning the majority in Congress and making sure Hakeem Jeffries is the Speaker of the House.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced a $12.5 million investment into a new Do-
minican Center for the Arts and Culture in Washington Heights/Inwood, led by the Dominican Studies Institute (DSI) at the City College of New York. The center will feature a museum and exhibition space for Dominican and Latinx artists, a theater space or auditorium for performances and film screenings, and a children’s library that will focus on preservation of the Spanish language. Espaillat said efforts are also underway
for a national designation for Washington Heights as Little Dominican Republic.
“There has been untapped power in the Latino community for a long time,” said Hochul. “There are those across the country who are making a difference by running for office in Colorado and Maryland, Massachusetts, and people have been successful. By example, there is a path for more voices to be heard. This is a [Domin-
ican] community of 3 million strong in the United States, 1 million of [whom] live in the great state of New York.”
Hochul touched on the fact that “there’s a sentiment that a lot Latinos are trending toward the Republican party” and said, “We can’t let that happen, not on our watch. We have to let them know that we’re the ones fighting for families, for immigrants, for migrants, and all those who come here.”
Congressmember Adriano Espaillat hosts ‘Dominicans for Kamala’ Breakfast during 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Tuesday, Aug. 20 (Ariama C. Long photos)
Go. Kathy Hochul (podium) and Congressmember Adriano Espaillat (far right) speak about mobilizing Latino vote on Tuesday, Aug. 20
America’s safety net is failing gun violence survivors as they struggle to return to work
By SHANNON CHAFFERS Report for America Corps Member
“You have to pay rent, you have to clothe yourself, you still might want to go to a movie. You don’t have money to do any of these things, so it’s like they pigeonhole you back into what you’re known to do. And what I was known to do is sell drugs.”
As Kareem Nelson, 50, navigated his wheelchair through a Harlem park close to where he was born, he reflected on the financial challenges he faced after being shot and paralyzed at 20 years old. After a oneyear rehab process, he was unemployed and soon found himself back in the same position he was in before his injury.
“As a young adult coming back to [your] community in a wheelchair, it [makes] it hard for you to work. It makes it hard for you to get right back into society and be productive,” he said.
Growing up during the crack epidemic in the 1980s, Nelson started selling drugs at 12 years old, a decision he attributes to low self-esteem and a desire to fit in with his peers. By the time of his injury, he had moved to Baltimore. A dispute with another man there led to him being shot.
After his injury, Nelson was awarded Social Security disability benefits, which became his main source of income from public programs. With no work history at the time, though, he received just $583 a month, which was not enough to cover his expenses.
“No one person can live off of $583 a month. That is impossible,” he said.
The struggles Nelson faced in establishing financial stability while coming to terms with his disability are still common among gun violence survivors with limited resources. Inadequacies in the victims assistance and disability programs designed to mitigate these challenges have hindered their accessibility and effectiveness.
“There is no [existing] program that can assist a survivor with all of the needs that they may have in the aftermath of being a victim of gun violence,” explained Kimmi Herring, associate vice president of community pro-
be dealing with a lot of functional disability, and violence appears to be at least a partial driver of why this might be happening,” explained study co-author Daniel Semenza, a professor at Rutgers University.
The impact of this violence goes beyond direct victims. A follow-up study that surveyed Black Americans found that among Black men, hearing or witnessing shootings is linked to higher rates of functional disability, while Black women who have been directly threatened with firearm violence are more likely to have poorer functional health.
“Not only are more people sustaining gunshot injuries, but surviving, [which] is resulting in some of these functional disabilities. They’re also living in communities where it’s happening, and they hear about it, and that is shaping their everyday behaviors,” Semenza explained.
Joseph Richardson, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies community gun violence, said a variety of factors drive gun violence in these communities, including concentrated poverty, high unemployment, and easy access to guns. He has witnessed first-hand how a lack of resources for recovery can set gun violence survivors up to struggle both mentally and physically after their injury.
“More than likely…they’ll be discharged back to the same communities where they were injured, without ever having any resources or plan for how to reintegrate back into their community, knowing that they are suffering from physical injuries, some of which may be permanent, and also suffering from the psychological effects of being injured,” he said.
The challenge of returning to work
grams at Safe Horizon, a New York City-based victim assistance organization. Unable to work temporarily or permanently, survivors can struggle financially as they try to cobble together money from a variety of programs. If they are denied by these programs, or, like Nelson, can’t make ends meet even if they are accepted, they may begin or resume participating in illicit markets for income, putting them at heightened risk for reinjury. Research has shown that survivors of gun violence are more likely to experience a subsequent injury and to be arrested on a violence or weapons-related charge compared to the general population.
Across the country, Black and Brown Americans, who are disproportionately concen-
trated in under-resourced neighborhoods with high rates of violence, bear the greatest burden of this struggle. Gun violence has been the leading cause of death and disability for young Black men for decades, and is currently the second leading cause of death for young Black women.
A 2021 study of four cities—New York City, Newark, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia—found that communities with high rates of shootings have higher rates of functional disability among young men, defined as acquired difficulty in performing everyday tasks needed for independent living. Nonfatal shootings, in particular, were linked to higher rates of functional disability among young men.
“This is a population that really shouldn’t
Gun violence survivors who were working before being injured often face financial instability, because returning to their jobs poses both a physical and mental challenge, and sometimes simply might not be possible. Their recovery can involve adjusting to temporary or permanent physical disabilities such as paralysis; chronic pain; or difficulty walking, standing, or lifting.
In general, people with disabilities face significantly higher unemployment rates, with the gap historically sitting at 40%. They also struggle with holding onto employment or working the same hours as before their injury, and can face workplace discrimination.
“We had people who worked in warehouses, or worked for an airline, or [someone who] was a firefighter, and they couldn’t go back to those jobs because it wasn’t physically accessible for them,” said Candace Coleman, community strategy specialist at Access Living, a disability resource center in Chicago that recently conducted more than
Kareem Nelson struggled financially after being shot and paralyzed. The $583 per month he received in disability benefits did not cover his expenses. (PhotobyShannonChaffers)
150 interviews with gun violence survivors in that city about their experiences post-injury.
“Once I recovered, [I thought] I should be able to go back and make a life for myself,” said Andre Johnson, 42, who participated in Access Living’s study. He was 22 years old when he was shot and his friend killed in a carjacking incident in his hometown of Chicago. At the time, Johnson was in college studying engineering while working at a local electronics company. One of the bullets struck his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed. After a recovery and rehab process that lasted about one year, Johnson prepared to get back to where he left off.
“The goal was that: to finish school, and go back into the work that I was doing, because fortunately, it was indoors, so I just spent a lot of time on my computer,” he said.
But the journey was not as smooth as he had envisioned. It took seven years before he felt healthy and capable enough to return to school full time. The process involved navigating various challenges, including finding a supportive living facility that allowed him to live independently, and balancing mental health care with his coursework. After years of persistence, which included spending 10hour days at college to take afternoon and evening classes, Johnson completed his engineering degree in 2016.
After graduating, Johnson sought work in the technology sector, but rejoining the workforce proved challenging. He had to turn down one job offer because he didn’t have a reliable way of traveling to their offices.
Oftentimes, the health insurance people with disabilities receive through their work fails to cover all of their medical needs.
“One big thing people don’t realize is that even though you can recover [and] be able to work, there’s still an additional cost with disability. You can work the same job, but your [spending] still could be 20 percent more than an able-bodied individual,” he said.
Even survivors who have suffered more moderate injuries also face challenges returning to work. Michael Vella, a trauma surgeon at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center, co-authored a 2019 study that examined the patient-reported outcomes of 183 gun violence survivors in Philadelphia, and found that unemployment among this group increased by 14.3%.
“It’s a correlation, not a causation, so there may be other factors,” he said, “but if we just assume that it is from the gunshot injury, you have to assume it’s from functional limitations due to chronic pain—or probably just as important, the mental health aspect of it.”
Vella said one of the study’s most surprising findings was that almost a third of the patients who were sent home from the emergency room with minor injuries screened positive for PTSD.
“That’s really one of the big implications…that you can have a moderate physical injury, but a major impairment,” he said.
While difficulties working can present immediately after injury, they can also manifest later in a survivor’s life.
“People that I’m representing will have tried
to return to the workforce, and maybe have been successful for a number of years. Then, eventually at some point, the gunshot wounds have maybe hastened something physically going on, [such as] you have worsening arthritic issues, maybe you’ve had to now start using a cane to be able to walk,” said Ashley Sappenfield, a Social Security disability attorney who has represented gun violence survivors.
Andre
Johnson overcame various challenges in resuming his education and career after surviving a shooting in 2004 that left him with a spinal cord injury. In 2017, he founded Live Equipd, a company that helps health organizations acquire necessary equipment for patients with neurological disabilities. (PhotocourtesyofAndreJohnson)
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries administer shortterm national, publicly funded disability programs to replace workers’ wages. Some countries have multiple temporary programs of varying lengths, giving recipients more time to recover before they consider applying for a long-term disability program.
“The U.S. doesn’t have such publicly funded
at $798 per week. Job protections are also not provided by TDI, meaning if someone is fired while on that insurance, they have little legal recourse.
“It’s not a workable system for people,” said Moriah Engelberg, a campaign organizer at A Better Balance (ABB), a legal advocacy organization. “If you find yourself in any kind of health crisis, you can lose your job,
Piecemeal programs
After being shot, Johnson was approved for Social Security disability benefits and crime victim compensation—two of the programs that gun violence survivors turn to in the wake of their injury. In addition, just before his injury, Johnson had purchased a new life insurance policy, which he said became a key source of financial support.
“[Having] that particular insurance over those years, as I was going to the hospital, everything, it provided a kind of a safety net,” he said. “The combination of all of those things made the transition when you acquire disability much easier [for me] than in some cases.”
Indeed, gun violence survivors who must rely solely on the public programs for financial assistance often encounter an insufficient support system, a reality that advocates say results from the nation’s lack of an adequate safety net.
“[The U.S.’s] broad divestment from the well-being of whole communities… means any of us who depend on having a good social service infrastructure find ourselves with less than we need,” said Danielle Sered, executive director of Common Justice, a New York-based organization that develops solutions to violence.
For example, many other Organization
disability systems,” said Na Yin, a professor at Baruch College and co-director of the New York Retirement and Disability Research Center.
Instead, the existence and quality of shortterm disability programs vary by state. New York is one of just 14 states that has implemented, or will soon implement, a temporary disability or medical leave program. All of the states’ programs last one year or less, and many rely on private sector provisions.
“After one year, you either go back to work, or if you can’t, [you] consider [Social Security]. It’s a big jump from a one-year recovery from an injury to permanent long-term [disability]. There’s nothing in between,” Yin said.
New York’s temporary disability program is known as Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI). State law requires most employers to provide employees with disability benefits coverage for off-the-job injuries if they have been working full-time for at least four weeks, or part-time for at least 25 days.
Compared to other states, however, the benefits are very low. The program only replaces 50% of a worker’s average weekly wage for up to six months, and the maximum amount is capped at $170 per week—a figure that has not risen since 1989. Hawaii, the state with the next lowest cap, provides a maximum more than four times higher,
lose your health insurance, and then only get $170 a week for compensation.”
The program is so out of date that many people don’t know it exists.
“It’s not something that is really talked about. I worked in social services for four and a half years, and I had never heard about TDI,” Engelberg said.
ABB has fought to raise the benefit, and is currently working to pass a bill that would make TDI benefits equivalent to New York’s Paid Family Leave program, which was created in 2016. The legislation would add job protections to TDI; allow for intermittent leave; and, over four years, increase the wage replacement level to 67%, and the cap to 67% of the statewide average weekly wage (an amount currently equal to just over $1,150).
Assembleymember Michelle Solages, one of the bill’s sponsors, is optimistic that the bill will be passed during the next legislative session, which starts in January.
“I’m very positive about its passage in the next session. We did a lot of work and we gained a lot of ground last session, and this is going to be my top priority,” she said.
For now, without an adequate temporary disability program, gun violence survivors in New York have used another program
RETURN TO WORK continued on page 18
Financial Resources for Gun Violence Survivors in N.Y.
that gun violence survivors may be eligible for if they cannot return to work after their injury
New York law requires most employers to provide employees with disability benefits coverage for o the job injuries.
Federal and state funded program that o ers financial assistance to eligible victims of violent crime. The funds can be used to make up for lost wages.
Federal insurance program that provides benefits to eligible applicants with physical or mental disabilities that prevent them from doing substantial work.
Federal needs-based program for those who have limited income and resources, and have physical or mental disabilities that prevent them from doing substantial work.
Federal, state, and county-funded programs for needy individuals and families. Programs include cash benefits (Family Assistance, Safety Net Assistance), or benefits to pay for necessities like food (SNAP benefits)
Return to work
Continued from page 17
to make up for lost wages: victim compensation.
Unlike short-term disability, every state has a victim compensation program, which offers financial assistance only to “innocent” victims of violent crime. These programs are financed through a mix of federal and state funds, and eligibility requirements and benefits can differ by state.
A portion of victim compensation funds can be used to make up for lost wages. Because New York’s Office of Victim Services (OVS), the agency that administers victim compensation, is designated as the payer of last resort, those applying for lost wages compensation must first apply for TDI. The maximum OVS amount is much higher than TDI: $600 per week. The actual amount a person receives depends on their previous
50% of your average weekly wage
Maximum benefit:
$170/week, 26 weeks
Maximum benefit:
$600/week, $30,000 total
Average benefit: $1,537/month
Maximum benefit: $3,822/month
Eligibility for Medicare after two years
Average benefit: $697.89 per month
Maximum payment: $943 per month
Eligibility for Medicaid
Median cash benefit for cases with children: $575/month
Median cash benefit for cases without children: $380/month
Average SNAP benefit: $218/month per person
Must be employed or have been recently employed
Must not have been injured in commission of an illegal act
Must be innocent victim of a crime (i.e. must not have contributed to the crime)
Must have already applied for TDI
Must have su icient work history
Must have disability that prevents work for at least one year or will result in death
Must not have been injured in commission of a felony
Must make less than $1,971 a month, own less than $2,000 in assets
Must have disability that prevents work for at least one year or will result in death
Must have limited income (varies by household circumstances)
Must fulfill work requirements or obtain medical exemption
salary, and the amount they are receiving through TDI.
“If someone brought home $500 a week, [OVS] is going to look at the $170 [from TDI], and the difference of that would be $330, so that’s what they would consider: Are they going to pay you that $330?,” Herring said.
Once someone’s TDI benefits expire, OVS will also make up the difference, at up to a maximum total of $30,000.
Barriers to access
Like TDI, victim compensation has drawn criticism for its lack of accessibility. A 2022 report by Common Justice found that in New York, the funds are underused, especially in communities of color.
“There’s not enough public awareness of the availability of these funds, partly because very often, the way people learn about them is through the police,” Sered said. “If they don’t call the police, they don’t learn about it. Or if they do call the
police and the police don’t regard them as a worthy victim, or if their injuries aren’t immediately visible, or are actually more related to posttraumatic stress...they’re often not informed of these funds.”
After publishing the report, Common Justice campaigned for a new state law that goes into effect in December 2025, and eliminates the requirement that applicants report their crime to police to qualify for victim compensation.
“OVS has made a concerted effort to address disparities and inequities in marginalized communities, particularly those affected by gun violence and communities of color,” wrote OVS spokesperson Janine Kava in a statement.
These efforts have included providing funding to community-based organizations in high gun violence neighborhoods and working with street outreach programs, victims’ advocates, and Common Justice to raise awareness about the avail-
ability of victim compensation and expand access to the program.
The application process for these programs can also be a barrier for survivors. Applying for TDI requires information from the claimant, their employer, and their doctor.
According to the Workers’ Compensation Board, which oversees TDI, claimants should receive a decision on their application within 18 days of submission. However, Engelberg said that ABB’s helpline has received calls from claimants who have not received a decision within that time frame. She said that delays can often arise when the claimant’s employer doesn’t tell them to submit their application form directly to the employer’s insurance carrier. The claimant submits it to their employer instead, and it can take months for them to realize that the employer failed to submit the form on their behalf.
“None of this is easy or obvious for someone who is not particu-
New York Workersʼ Compensation Board (WCB)
New York O ice of Victim Services (OVS)
(SSA)
New York O ice of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and local departments of social services
larly savvy,” she wrote by email. Andrea Cyr, a spokesperson for the Workers’ Compensation Board, wrote in a statement that the board “strives to make the application process for disability benefits more clear and easier to use for employees and employers.”
In the past year, she said, the board has standardized and simplified the TDI application form, which now clarifies that an employer’s failure to complete their section of the form is not a basis for the insurance carrier to deny the claim. It also notifies claimants that if the employer fails to complete and return its part of the form within three business days, the employee can bypass them and send their application directly to the insurance carrier.
While awaiting TDI benefits, a person can apply for an emergency award of up to $2,500 from OVS— but they must wait to receive a decision on their TDI claim before
applying for lost wages compensation. Getting approved for victim compensation can also involve frustrating bureaucratic hurdles, and the wait time to receive a decision was almost four months in fiscal year 2023.
“I’ve worked with many survivors who find themselves extremely frustrated, not only from the incident itself, but now this benefit is not accessible as quickly as one might hope,” Herring said.
Kava said that since implementing workflow changes in February, OVS has reduced the average wait time to 95 days or about three months.
Sered said another drawback to victim compensation is that the program is better suited for people who have regular employment. People who were underemployed or had irregular employment have a more difficult time providing the paperwork necessary to demonstrate their loss of income.
“It’s a really important benefit, but it is mostly available to people who have consistent salary conditions, or where their income week to week is the same, and the pay stub reflects that,” she explained.
Kava said that the documentation required for lost wage claims is unique to each person’s circumstance, but individuals whose jobs don’t have a set schedule are requested to submit tax returns and complete an OVS employment questionnaire to demonstrate loss of income. Both programs can deny claims from people whose injury they suspect was acquired in the commission of an illegal act. In general, they are unsuited for people who were making money off the books.
“Some of the participants that we work with—they’re in the streets—and some of them do not have jobs, or the job that they had is not legit. They’re suffering from the loss of income, even though it can become illegal [where] their income comes from,” said Carolyn Dixon, who works with victims of gun violence through Life Camp, a gun violence prevention organization based in Queens.
This means gun violence survivors like Nelson, who are more likely to re-engage in risky activity like drug dealing after their injury, are less likely to see financial relief that could help prevent them from doing so. If these survivors are suffering from severe injuries, they may qualify for Social Security benefits like Nelson did. If their injuries are more temporary, or they are denied Social Security benefits, the main remaining option is public assistance through their state’s welfare programs.
These programs include cash assistance and food stamps, but they can vary state to state in terms of accessibility and generosity. In New York, the median amount received for cash assistance is $380 per month for cases without children and $575 per month for cases with children, according to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).
Emily Lundgren, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society, explained that part of the cash benefit goes directly toward rent payment, in what is known as “shelter allowance.” The recipient can use the remaining portion for any other expenses. For example,
Nelson watches a basketball game in Harlem park. His organization, Wheelchairs Against Guns, hosts basketball tournaments at this court (PhotobyShannonChaffers)
an individual in New York City with no other income is entitled to a maximum of $215 in shelter allowance and $183.10 for other expenses. These grant amounts are set by state law, and haven’t risen for over 10 years. Advocates say they fail to meet cost of living needs, especially in New York City.
“I’ve lived here for a long time, and I’ve never known a place where $215 would cut it [for rent]. In addition to that, $183.10 is very little to survive on for a whole month in this city,” Lundgren said.
These programs have also been criticized for a convoluted application process. In New York City, this process has resulted in many applicants experiencing delays or being denied despite qualifying for help. In addition, those who do qualify for public assistance must fulfill work requirements, or be approved for a medical exemption, adding
support program, Safety, Emotion, Loss, and Future (SELF), speaking to the challenges that survivors face in regaining a sense of safety, adjusting to new emotions and loss, and maintaining a focus on the future.
“[It] allows for individuals who are returning to work to establish or reestablish norms, in terms of being able to not be fidgeting when they hear a loud noise, or being able to establish a relationship with a stranger,” Williams said. “You have to learn how to trust again, you have to learn how to be safe again.”
KAVI’s Social Work Coordinator Nathan Aguilar facilitates some of these groups, which meet virtually once a week for 10 weeks and are tailored to participants of similar age, gender, or experience.
“I’m always amazed at how open people are about sharing their experiences, how trusting and how vulnerable people can be when you establish a place [where] they feel safe, where values are respected,” he said.
Interested participants are also matched with a caseworker as they seek employment or education opportunities. Williams emphasized that the process can help people in their recovery by giving them a sense of self-sufficiency.
“Employment and educational opportunities for victims of gun violence add to their healing,” he said. “Yes, there’s the physical portion of the healing, but the mental and emotional portion of the healing is only aided by them gaining a sense of efficacy in themselves. As they achieve more, as they do more, they’re more likely to heal from their traumatic experience.”
Nelson’s experiences attest to this reality, although it took him many years—and another near-death experience—to get to a place of healing. One night, almost two decades after he was first shot, Nelson found himself in a life-threatening situation once again.
“Having to beg for my life that night showed me what life was,” he said. “That was my rock bottom. And that day, I vowed never to deal with the streets [again].”
After the incident, Nelson resolved to create an organization, Wheelchairs Against Guns. Through community events and workshops at New York City schools, he and his staff try to prevent gun violence by teaching young people skills he wished he had had as a child.
an additional hurdle to the process for applicants with disabilities.
OTDA declined to comment.
Returning to work: Community programs provide support
In the absence of government support, some community organizations have started their own programs to help survivors in the wake of their injuries.
Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI), a violence prevention organization in Brooklyn, reaches out to survivors through their hospital-based violence intervention program at Kings County Hospital, and their community outreach program in Bedford-Stuyvesant. KAVI’s co-executive director Ramik Williams said that in addition to helping survivors apply for the financial assistance programs, the organization also runs a survivor
“I found my purpose, and that purpose was to [teach] kids tools that I didn’t have growing up. Conflict resolution, critical thinking, how to build and maintain positive self-esteem, and financial literacy…if I had those tools, my decisions would have been different.”
Shannon Chaffers is a Report for America corps member who writes about gun violence for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
Next week, we will explore gun violence survivors’ experiences with the Social Security disability system.
Double-whammy: How heavy rains and high tides hurt NYC’s Black and Brown neighborhoods
By ROXANNE L. SCOTT Special to the AmNews
Normally, Estefani Nuñez parks the small yellow school bus she drives each day by the side of her home in the Rosedale neighborhood in Southeast Queens. On the day before she knows it’s going to rain, she parks a block away. When it does rain, she puts on her tall black boots to wade through water to make sure the children she has to pick up get to school on time.
Sometimes the boots aren’t enough, and she is forced instead to wear garbage bags over them.
Once in a while, when the water is too much, her own two kids become trapped at home because the flooding prevents them from leaving their house to make it to class.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Nuñez lives with her husband, elderly parents, and children in the five-bedroom home she purchased in September 2018. “By the end of November, the house flooded,” she said. When she called firefighters, they simply told her that this happens here all the time.
Nuñez lives on a block that runs perpendicular to Brookville Boulevard, at the dead end of her street; her home overlooks a marsh. From her front step, she can see fields of grass and a small body of water. Depending on the height of the tide, the water can swell and enter her property, soaking her yard and submerging her basement. On days when the tides are high and it’s rainy, flooding swamps her entire block.
Historic disinvestment in Black and Brown neighborhoods across the city has now left homeowners at the mercy of flooding that has been intensified by the climate crisis. Residents have pushed for solutions for decades, but many believe their concerns are ignored.
“It’s a double-whammy,” Nuñez
said about the effect of high tides and intense rainfall on her street. Brookville Boulevard, or Snake Road as locals call it, has always been prone to high water. News outlets have long documented the threats of flooding in the neighborhood, as well as fatal car crashes that have occurred on the road, which has little protection, such as guardrails and shoulders, to protect drivers from skidding into the marsh. In 2019, the MTA rerouted the Q114 bus due to the flooding and constant road closures, but now neighbors fear that an already dangerous road will become even more unsafe as the city gets wetter due to climate change.
Sea level rise will exacerbate high tides, putting New York City on the path to get more tidal flooding due to climate change. By the 2040s, the city is expected to see 60–85 days of tidal floods, according to the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment.
As the tides rise, low-lying neighborhoods in southeast Queens, the Rockaways, and others near Jamaica Bay, some of which are at sea level, are at risk of even more flooding. Nuñez described the flooding on her block as an ocean.
Not only will the city see more chronic tidal flooding, more extreme rainfall may affect neighborhoods like Rosedale where Nuñez lives. In 2021, heavy rain from Hurricane Ida killed more than a dozen New Yorkers, mostly in Queens. By the end of the century, New York City could see up to nearly a third more rainfall each year. If Nuñez remains in Rosedale, there are likely to be more days that her kids will be stuck at home because of the flooding on her block.
City officials acknowledge that if nothing is done, flooding on Snake Road will only worsen. Now, $3 million in federal money is paying for a feasibility study of a nearly onemile section of the roadway that runs in the middle of wetlands. The Brookville Boulevard Flood Mitigation Study will look at alternatives to relieve flooding, including raising the road and placing signs and warning devices along the route. The study is expected to launch this year and will take nearly three years to complete. And while city officials refer to the study as imperative and game-changing, residents have been waiting for years for solutions to make the boulevard safer.
Estefani Nuñez in front of her Rosedale home where she lives with her two children, elderly parents and husband. Nuñez says she experiences flooding from high tides and rainfall. (Damaso Reyes photo)
Shifting tides
Rosedale was originally built on swampland and has been prone to flooding for much of its history. Redlined maps from the 1930s outlined not only the racial composition of the area, which was mostly white at the time, but also environmental threats. For Rosedale and surrounding areas, that meant being a low-lying area as well as a lack of sewers.
In the 1970s, Black New Yorkers who moved into the neighborhood were met with violence. In 1974, the home of Trinidadian immigrants was pipe-bombed, and some white residents formed the group Returning Our American Rights (ROAR) to prevent Black people from buying houses. A federal lawsuit was filed against ROAR, and ultimately, one of the leaders of the group was accused of bombing the home.
Today, Rosedale is predominantly Black and Brown, and systemic disinvestment means that this part of the city is playing catchup when it comes to largescale infrastructure fixes. It’s one of many areas that are now on the frontline of the climate crisis.
Crystal Brown has lived in neighboring Brookville since 1987. She moved there from Rochdale Village, a cooperative built in the 1960s as an experiment in integrated housing. Although she describes Rochdale as a beautiful community, she wanted to own a home.
She travels on Snake Road a few times a month to go to the beach in the summers in the Rockaways or to go shopping. It’s also a shortcut to get to some parts of Nassau County. She’s always been concerned about the safety of the road and said her worries have only increased with climate change.
“God forbid there should be any kind of evacuation from Rockaway,” she said. “It would be a nightmare.”
The Rockaway peninsula is designated “red” on the city’s evacuation zone map, which means if a mandatory evacuation is issued during a dangerous storm, people in that zone will be ordered to leave first.
State Senator James Sanders Jr., who represents the area, expressed concern about another storm like Sandy hitting the peninsula. In a 2022 letter of support for the city’s application to fund the Brookville Boulevard study, Sanders wrote, “elevating and repairing this road would mean that the Rockaway residents would be prepared for the next major storm event and would be able to evacuate in an efficient manner, if needed.”
Heavy Rains
Continued from page 22
Local resident Guy Lalanne said using Snake Road can cut down his commute by 15 minutes—an essential block of time during an emergency. Originally from Haiti, Lalanne moved to nearby Springfield Gardens in the early 1990s. He recalls the day he closed on the house he bought with his mom and two siblings because there was a rainstorm—but there wasn’t any flooding and he wasn’t informed that downpours would be a persistent problem.
Shortly after he moved in, heavy rainfall caused flooding in front of his home, which is on a hilly block. “It was like a river,” he remembered about the day. “I wish I had a kayak.” He said poor drainage systems and catch basins filled with leaves exacerbated the problem.
Like his neighbor Nuñez, Lalanne needed garbage bags to walk to his vehicle for a time. His home is also near the marshland and he gets both tidal and flash flooding. “The study is the best
excuse,” he said about previous proposals to study the area that haven’t come to fruition.
In 2013, former Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans to fund repairs post-Sandy and build resiliency projects under the NY Rising program. The $750 million initiative was supposed to identify New Yorkers’ most urgent needs.
However, even when he was in office, many of those plans didn’t come to fruition, including a proposed study to raise Brookville Boulevard.
Around the city, flood mitigation plans are in the works, from protecting NYCHA residents to building flood barriers along the Lower East Side to sea walls and surge gates in the Rockaways and Jamaica Bay.
Brookville Boulevard in Queens and Staten Island’s Travis Avenue share many things in common, including flash flooding. The water on both roads gets so bad that they become impassable. Both are also surrounded by wetlands. In the case of Snake Road, the surrounding wetlands are governed by state, federal, and local government, which, accord-
ing to local politicians, makes it easy to pass the buck about who is responsible for fixing the road. Travis Avenue, however, shows that there is a precedent in the city for raising roads affected by flooding. The Travis Avenue Elevation Project will raise a nearly 1,000foot section of the road.
In 2018, the project received funding to begin the following year, but it is years behind schedule and not set to be completed until next year. The program was part of the city’s Raised Shorelines initiative under the de Blasio administration.
Other proposed projects under the initiative included crown walls in Old Howard Beach and stormwater management in Mott Basin. Howard Beach is another area in Queens, on Jamaica Bay, prone to both flooding from the tides as well as rainfall.
A sinking liability
Nuñez’s husband worked two fulltime jobs to save up for the house she bought six years ago. Her family is just one of many newer arrivals in the area. Amy Chester, director of Rebuild By Design, said
Crystal Brown on Brookville Boulevard, also known as Snake Road. Brown has lived in the nearby Brookville neighborhood since the late 1980s. She moved to the area in order to own a home. In addition to flooding, she’s also concerned about the dumping that goes on in the wetlands. (Roxanne Scott photo)
A graphic of 2023 1-3 bedroom home sales in community districts 12 and 13, which includes neighborhoods in Southeast and Eastern Queens. (Judy Huynh of Rebuild By Design)
solutions to the climate crisis have to be balanced with the city’s need for housing. Last year, more than 2,500 one- to three-family homes in Queens were purchased in or near flood risk areas, according to a data analysis by her organization.
Mayor Eric Adams has proposed the “City of Yes” rezoning plan, which would add more housing across the city in the years to come. Rebuild By Design used 2023 data to reveal that about 20% of sales of one- to three-family homes in Queens happened in floodplains.
According to the organization, last year more than 160 homes sold in ZIP code 11422, where Nuñez lives, are at high risk of coastal and stormwater flooding. That means Nuñez and her neighbors may end up pouring their money into homes that will inevitably flood.
A road to safety
Possible options to keep New Yorkers safe include buyout programs. “There are communities in New York City that already are asking for buyouts and have [been] since Hurricane Sandy,” said Chester. “That’s definitely a solution in the areas that we aren’t able to protect.” Her organization is working with the state on what a buyout program could look like in Northern Queens, another section of the city fatally affected by Hurricane Ida. She said it’s key that a program offer options for residents to stay in New York City or nearby. Shortly after Hurricane Ida, some residents in Southeast called for a buyout program.
While some New Yorkers are open to buyouts, others aren’t. “I think it’s a terrible idea,” said Lalanne. He’d rather see flooding fixes made so residents can stay in their homes. Furthermore, buyout programs can be limited in scope, reactive to particular disasters, and can either miss those most in need of the programs or stoke fear of gentrification according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Chester is also worried about measures already on the books to keep New Yorkers safe, including New York State’s flood disclosure law, which went into effect earlier this year. It requires sellers to alert buyers of a home about flood risk, including whether the home is in a hazard zone or if there’s damage from past flooding. Before the laws, sellers could pay a $500 fee to opt out of disclosing a home’s flooding history.
However, she said the new law doesn’t go far enough. It mandates that flood history be disclosed at the time of sale, not when the home is advertised. “When you
actually read the legislation, you realize that it was very specifically drafted to make the real estate industry happy,” Chester said.
Lalanne said flooding has subsided in recent years where he lives. “To their credit,” he said about the city, “they’ve spent a lot of money in the area.”
Southeast Queens is undergoing a more than $2.5 billion effort by the city to improve infrastructure, including installing miles of sewers, adding catch basins to capture stormwater, and replacing water mains. Some projects, according to the city, have been finished ahead of schedule. Despite the high price tag, city officials acknowledge that residents have waited far too long
for upgrades in an area that has historically seen disinvestment.
In Rosedale, a $52 million project is underway to manage stormwater and ponding by adding catch basins, as well as replacing curbs, sidewalks, and pedestrian ramps. The project is not specific to where Nuñez lives, though.
Another important thoroughfare in Rosedale and Springfield Gardens is the residential 147th Avenue. Despite infrastructure fixes, a small section of the road near Brookville Park still floods. “If we can’t fix that road, how are we going to fix Snake Road?” said Lalanne. At least, more than 30 years after he moved to Southeast Queens, there’s funding yet again, to look at Brookville Boulevard.
Sanders said that while community recommendations for the roadway are valiant efforts, scientific expertise is needed for next steps to study Brookville Boulevard. The federal money will allow the city’s Department of Transportation to do this. The agency did not provide a timeline for when the study is set to begin, but said in an emailed response that preparation for the study is “ongoing.”
As far as what residents can do in the meantime, as the study gets underway, “I’ve always felt that the first thing a resident, including myself, needs to do is…as much for themselves as possible,” Sanders said. “And there are many resiliency features that we can do to
our individual home.”
For Nuñez, that advice falls flat. She’s one of those residents who has done everything possible: She’s upgraded her yard with permeable concrete, attended countless community and civic meetings, contacted her local elected officials. She’s lost hope that anything will be done to fix the flooding. After living in Rosedale for six years, Nuñez and her family are ready to move again. “Maybe somewhere in Long Island,” she said. She doesn’t have any other problems with Rosedale: “It’s really just the flooding.”
This story was made possible by a grant from the Alicia Patterson Foundation.
Estefani Nuñez stands in front of her home where water has collected after a recent rainfall. (Damaso Reyes photo)
Health
Black Health Matters CEO focuses on our community
By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA Special to the AmNews
Roslyn Y. Daniels, founder and CEO of Black Health Matters, spoke with the Amsterdam News for a Q&A about the Black Health Matters Summit and Expo, the status of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the overall health and wellbeing of the Black community. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
AmNews: Why is the Black Health Matters Summit and Expo so important?
Daniels: It is important to meet people where they are. The Black Health Matters Summit and Expo is unlike any other type of patient education event. It combines the best of Black culture. We have education, we have screenings, we have networking, we have fitness, we have music, we have fun, and we feel that’s the best package to help educate Black folks. Often, we feel so disenfranchised from the medical establishment and we don’t want to do it the way everybody else has done it, so we’re creating a new model that is very engaging, that’s unique. People come away literally transformed and have more courage to tackle more health issues or health information than ever before because we’re bringing the community together. When you have that foundation, you feel that anything is possible.
AmNews: What do you have planned for the 2024 Summit?
Daniels: We have as a host Malik Yoba, who disclosed recently in our promo that he’s had a heart condition. Everybody needs a testimony, so we can talk about that he’s of the age of our audience and I think that will be compelling. We have Cynthia Bailey, who is part of the “Real Housewives” franchise and a big fibroids awareness advocate. She likes to use that platform to speak about why we need to be aware and how we can be misdiagnosed. We have key community partners—Memorial Sloan Kettering and Mount Sinai Hospital will be there, providing
screenings, which are incredibly important. We have the New York Black Nurses Association, who are going to teach CPR training, which is something where Black folks don’t get enough training. People can have conversations with them about some of their health concerns.
Between the screenings; the resources from the city of New York, whether it be mental health test-
ing, Medicaid, Medicare; and more, it’s going to be a great mix of information and resources.
AmNews: Can you tell the AmNews readers about how you became so devoted to Black health issues?
Daniels: I had this wonderful relationship with my grandmother and I lost her when I was 17. She went to the hospital and died three
they were huddled and crying… and that wasn’t going to help my grandmother. It didn’t help her and it wouldn’t help anybody else, so I saw then that there was something bigger than them, than me, than the love I had for my grandmother. I just didn’t think it was right, and I found that maybe the hospital she was in wasn’t as up to par as you would find in a suburban setting.
All of these things were breadcrumbs. Now this is my life’s work, because through policy, we can see change. I launched Black Health Matters to be the North Star for the thousands of people who passively thought health was attainable but didn’t quite know what to do. Health literacy is the bedrock, is the foundation for healthy living, and there are people who don’t understand the fundamentals.
If you’re not drinking water, if you’re not reducing stress, if you’re not sleeping, if you’re not eating nutritious foods, if you’re not exercising, you won’t have the same outcomes as someone who does these things. There are so many things that we can build as a part of our everyday practice that are going to help us be healthier. We want to make sure people understand the fundamentals and then grow with their health as they age. That’s what our website does: It provides that type of information.
AmNews: What lessons have we learned as Black community over the last few years during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
days later, so even though she was so beloved, my family didn’t know she was sick, her spouse didn’t know she was sick; she was probably living with pain, discomfort, fear, anxiety, everything, but chose not to share. I think people back then—we’re talking about the ’70s—were pretty much stoic about their health situations, so when she expired, my parents were in the room, so was I, and
Daniels: Black bodies just don’t do well in this society. Our life expectancy is much lower than our white counterparts. Black women die in childbirth at a greater rate than they do in certain countries in Africa. What [COVID-19] did was reaffirm that disparities exist from all perspectives, so pharmaceutical companies started to include more diversity types of initiatives within their overall organizations. I think it was a very dark moment in our society, but it helped to leapfrog people in understanding that [they] can’t take [their] health for granted and that [they] have to do something and be more focused about [their] health.
Roslyn Y. Daniels, founder and CEO of Black Health Matters (Heather Butts photo)
Arts & Entertainment
NYPL celebrates James Baldwin’s 100th birthday with two candid exhibitions
By LEAH MALLORY Special to the AmNews
The New York Public Library is honoring the 100th birthday of writer, activist, and library patron James Baldwin with two exhibitions containing never-before-seen writings by him, giving the public a deep dive into the artistic and personal elements that shaped and defined his legacy.
“You’re seeing highlights from childhood to his death,” said Barrye Brown, curator of Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books at the Schomburg Center and the Baldwin exhibition “Jimmy! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth.”
“You’re getting this glimpse into his social circles and his creative process in terms of writing all of his novels, essays, and plays. You’re getting a glimpse into his personal relationships and friendships.”
The “James Baldwin: Mountain to Fire” exhibition within the Polonsky exhibition of the New York Public Library’s Treasures at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (42nd Street Library) features see works from Baldwin’s earlier years of publishing, including draft pages from “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Giovanni’s Room,” and “The Fire Next Time.”
“It’s sort of like James Baldwin 101,” said Charles Cuykendall Carter, assistant curator of the Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle and curator of “James Baldwin: Mountain to Fire.” He invited the public to come to the exhibition to “learn his origin story and learn about his most important works. It’s a really good primer for getting to know James Baldwin.”
From hurried handwritten notes and letters sent to literary acquaintances to rough drafts and essays of writings that would later become revered in the literary world and early book covers and graphics that evoke nostalgia, the exhibitions present a candid portrait of the author’s philosophical and artistic mind.
“He stands as a model for bravery to speak truth to power, but also to write what you feel you need to write, even if other people tell you that you shouldn’t write that,” said Carter.
Baldwin’s “truth-telling” is more relevant than ever today, Carter said.
“He basically told America what was going to happen to America if America did not get things together,” said Schomburg visitor Isoul Hussein Harris. “And as we see, America still has not gotten things together, and all of [Baldwin’s] prophecies are coming true. The chickens are coming home to roost, so to speak.”
Robyne Walker Murphy, another visitor, echoed similar sentiments, noting Baldwin’s ability to offer hope while telling hard truths. “I thought he was brilliant in the way that he articulated the African American experience and [how] Black people experience racism in this country in a way that’s very critical, but also in a way that exhibited a lot of hope for what the future could bring if his warnings were heeded” she said.
The curators explained that the library played a critical role in fostering that brilliance. Baldwin visited the 135th Street li-
brary—now the Schomburg Center—as a child, encouraged by one of his school teachers, who recognized his talent for writing, the curators said.
“He’s often quoted as saying that he came to visit the 135th Street branch library at least three or four times a week, so as a small child, he’s in this library environment, surrounded by books by and about Black people. If you can just only imagine [it], that has to be an incredible experience for a young Black child growing up in Harlem.”
When Baldwin became a teenager, he
visited the 42nd Street library, at the coaxing of another school teacher. There, he learned how to do research for the first time, said Brown.
“It was very shortly after that he developed a really strong relationship with that library too, not only to do research but as a hangout when he was a teenager,” Carter added. “He had a lot of different jobs in Midtown and he would just come to the 42nd Street Library as a place to meet friends on the steps. He would hang out in Bryant Park on breaks from work.”
The 42nd Street Library would be referenced several times in Baldwin’s first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” indicating how significant it was to his life and the 135th library for his beginnings.
“The character John Grimes—the main character who’s 14 years old in ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’—is very much a version of James Baldwin at that same age, and there’s a scene where John Grimes passes by the 42nd Street Library and he thinks about how one day he’ll get the nerve to go into that building, but not yet,” he said.
The “James Baldwin: Mountain to Fire” exhibition takes its name from two of Baldwin’s novels, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “The Fire Next Time,” which for Carter encapsulate Baldwin’s trajectory from budding writer to outspoken activist.
“‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ in 1953 was the first novel to establish Baldwin as an up-and-coming writer, and then in 1963, ‘The Fire Next Time’ brought him into the Civil Rights Movement as one of its most important voices,” Carter said.
The title, “Jimmy! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth,” comes from a eulogy by poet Amiri Baraka at Baldwin’s funeral in 1987, explained Brown. “Baraka delivered the line, ‘For Jimmy was God’s Black revolutionary mouth,’ speaking to Baldwin’s “never-ending commitment to radical truth-telling,” said Brown. “That, to me, is the enduring legacy of James Baldwin, and it’s a lesson for us all. The 100th birthday celebration helps to preserve that legacy, honoring Baldwin’s impact through the timelessness of his work.”
Visitors can also enjoy walking tours, artistic and writing workshops, and various other free events.
For more information, visit: www.nypl. org/spotlight/baldwin100.
Exhibition dates:
“James Baldwin: Mountain to Fire,” open through fall 2025
“Jimmy! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth,” open through February 28, 2025
“Jimmy! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth” exhibition title on wall at Schomburg Center (Leah Mallory photos)
James Baldwin Time Magazine cover at “James Baldwin: Mountain to Fire” exhibition
Black History comes alive in Paris during the Olympic games
By MILBERT O. BROWN, JR. Special to the AmNews
France—and Paris in particular—has always had a warm and welcoming relationship with America’s Black citizenry, embracing their athletic competitiveness, military service, and literary and musical contributions. For two weeks, the world witnessed magnificent athletic performances during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as members of team U.S.A. captured the largest haul of medals—but for visitors to the games, there was more to enjoy than athletic competition. Parisian ambience offered visitors fresh morning croissants, warm evening breezes, and relaxing nightly glasses of wine that soothed the soul.
Art enthusiasts had the opportunity to delve into the his -
tory and artistic brilliance of the Louvre Museum. Its displays provided a visual feast for the eyes.
The River Seine provided tourists with a slice of nature in the heart of the city with its unique blend of bustling activity and serene calm.
Many Black folks gravitated to the city’s Montmartre section, the neighborhood where past giants like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker once walked.
Black history is alive in Paris
In the 100 years before Lauren Scruggs became the first Black American female fencer to hear the American national anthem as an individual gold medal winner in the sport, there was William DeHart Hubbard, who, at
in 1924, was the first Black American to receive
unit to combat duties. The regiment ignored the wishes of the U.S. Army and the Black soldiers became an essential part of the war effort in France. The French dubbed the unit as the “Men in Bronze” and the Germans more famously labeled the unit the “Harlem Hellfighters” because of their courage and ferocity on the battlefield. On the unit’s uniforms was a symbol of a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike.
More than 300,000 African American soldiers served in World War I overseas in the American Expeditionary Force. More than 40,000 to 50,000 Black troops were assigned to French commanders.
“The French were much more accepting of having Black soldiers,” said Fabienne Germe,
Continued
the Paris Olympic Games
Olympic gold in the long jump. The 369th Infantry Regiment was an all-Black National Guard
unit based in New York. When WWI started, the American Army refused to assign the Black
Black school-aged children view art at Louvre Museum in Paris during summer field trip (Milbert O. Brown, Jr. photos)
Malmunacu Mustafa rides a train to northern France to care for her mother. Mustafa is from Sierra Leone, but has been working as a maid in Paris for a few years.
a tour guide with Walking the Spirit Journeys: Black Paris & Beyond Tours.
After the war, the regiment was awarded France’s highest honor for bravery: the Croix de Guerre medal. According to Germe, America would not bestow medals on their Black soldiers until 73 years after World War I.
In addition to their service as soldiers, members of the 369th Regiment functioned as an all-Black military band under the direction of James Reese Europe, an Army lieutenant and a ragtime and jazz bandleader who helped bring the jazz sound to France and initiated the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance.
Josephine Baker, born in St. Louis, Mo., broke barriers as one of the world’s most influential dancers and singers in France. She established her own home in Paris and became a French citizen. When World War II began, Baker, by then an international performer, asked the French military, “What can I do for France? What can I do for my country?”
“She became a spy for France and managed to gather much information. Because Baker was an entertainer, she could cross borders without limitation,” said Germe, who specializes in her company’s Black jazz and entertainment culture tours. She added that the French people celebrate Baker because of her cultural inspiration in the arts and her love for her adopted country.
A few years after the war, a droopyeyed Harlemite left his New York environment for a new direction: a life free to find his identity and voice in 1948 Paris. He would later say his reason for leaving America was for self-preservation from America’s Jim Crow racism. That dark-skinned, frail-looking 24-year-old fellow was James Baldwin, a then-unknown writer with about $40 in his pocket. He would later join up with a collection of artists and scholars that included Richard Wright and Baker. Baldwin was encouraged by his mentor, Wright, to complete his first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” Baldwin and Baker’s fame did not alienate them from humanitarian causes—they were supporters and advocates of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Years after the conversations between Baldwin, Baker, Wright, and Duke Ellington, their legacy rests in the high point of spiritual reverence. When walking down the streets where these greats once moved, their whimsical whispers of joy—a testament to the excitement they once brought to Paris as proud Black Americans—can still be perceived.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z spotted in NYC
FLO
ANTHONY GO WITH THE FLO
Beyoncé and Jay-Z recently had a monumental weekend in New York City. On August 16, the superstar couple were spotted leaving ZZ’s in Hudson Yards in midtown-Manhattan after attending a private event. The following evening, they reportedly dined al fresco at Lucille in Brooklyn. For the dinner date with her husband, Beyoncé wore a $2,455 Pucci blazer, $875 matching wide-leg pants, and $400 Cigni head scarf, and carried a $375 Yummy pouch. Jay wore a sweatsuit with the new Louis Vuitton Timberland boots. Meanwhile, Queen Bey, who has won 32 Grammy awards, racked up 10 nominations for the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards nominations for her hit album “Cowboy Carter.” The nominations include the People’s Artist of 2024, Song of 2024, and more…
“Unprisoned” star Kerry Washington is one of the hosts of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which runs through August 22 in Chicago, reports Variety. The DNC will have a few A-list celebrity guests, including a “Scandals” reunion with Washington and Tony Goldwyn, who portrayed the president of the United States on the drama. Each host will serve as master of ceremonies for one of the four nights of the convention. Washington will host on August 22, the final night, when Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to officially accept the Democratic Presidential nomination…
The USTA and ESPN announced a multi-layered collaboration with Alicia Keys’s Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen” that will see the show’s music filling channels and platforms over the three weeks of the U.S. Open, which takes place in Queens, New York. The collaboration will include a remix of the song “Kaleidoscope” from Keys’s 13-time Tony-nominated musical, created for this year’s U.S. Open. The remix is featured in the event’s U.S. Open Manifesto Video, which will debut on opening night of the Main Draw. Said Keys, lead producer of “Hell’s Kitchen,” “We are so excited to have the opportunity to team up with two iconic, landmark New York institutions, the US Open and Broadway in a first-of-its-kind partnership.” “Hell’s Kitchen” is currently playing at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. The U.S. Open kicked off on August 19 and runs through August 25…
We hear:
“Law & Order: SVU” star Ice-T, his wife Coco, and their 8-year-old daughter Chanel were spotted shopping at Gucci at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, then enjoying lunch at an Italian restaurant…
1976 Olympic Gold Medalist/Light Heavyweight/ Heavyweight champion Michael Spinks visited the Hamptons for the first time on August 17 and attended a cocktail party at the home of Martin and Jean Shafiroff in Southampton. The soirée celebrated Jean gracing the cover of Social Life magazine. From there, Jean took Michael and yours truly to the Southampton Arts Center SummerFest Gala as her guests…
Corrina Santana, worker at Restaurant Tato in Montmartre section of Paris, where a lot of Black artists lived, including James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. Santana has lived in Paris for 16 years and is native of Dominican Republic
Friends Diallo Cheriff, 22 (left), and Alimou Amina, 23 (right), share a story as they return rental bikes. There were reports that Paris wants to be car-free by 2035
Eyes of a taxi driver—Kabanga David has been driving a taxi in Paris for about 25 years. He is a native of Congo, now claims Paris as his home (Milbert O. Brown, Jr. photos)
HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS
By SUPREME GODDESS KYA
—Mandy Hale
Positioning plus preparation is key this year with vision, while focusing on your mission leading to your purpose. What occurred for you last October until now is vital. Take time to reflect. What you seek is in progress: it’s in the ingredients, details, experiences and the relationships you build. Find time to clear your space for the new to arrive into your life. Financial, social, and spiritual aspects are highlighted this week. It’s a good time to showcase your skills, talents, expertise, and gifts to the world. Do what’s in your best interest this week.
You are juggling many things at once and things are up in the air. It’s a cycle where you or other folks may not respond in a timely manner. But the information will come through in the old-fashioned way. Review your finances, food intake, and inventory on business/personal issues as this week sets the tone for managing responsibilities. It will be great to get ahead when possible. Rewards, recognition, a separation of some sort, and advancement in the workplace are themes for you by August 30. Buckle up: you have a lot of planning and preparation to do to carry out a mission.
It is easy to put your mind to something you want to do, yet doing the footwork is important to make it happen. Apply some pressure; not much but just enough for a comfortable ride and a smooth flow. Tap into your creativity and let it flow. You have so much to say it may help when you draw it out, write it out, present a PowerPoint presentation to see the vision and operations of things. This week, change your routine a bit to get a better perspective. Step outside, take a deep sigh, and then express to yourself what you feel and see what images come to mind.
When water flows, it flows. When air hits the water, the water flows differently. This week feels like that. Things in your life went from smooth sailing, back to ratchet hustle and bustle life. The universe is showing you something on the spiritual and physical plane that will grab your attention to make you think about certain things in your life. When the 411 comes, ask yourself what were you doing, who were you with, and where were you when it happened. When you ask, you receive the information at its appointed time.
This cycle week, major events are taking place to set the tone and raise the bar. Your anticipation and energy is required in preparation of what you want to occur. Just know plans are thought out, yet sometimes play out in a different way. That’s the best part of a plan: you direct it to happen in your mind in the spiritual realm, but in the physical realm, it can play out even better. Uranus will station to retrograde on September 1, and the few days leading up to that day are crucial. Pay attention. In order to do so, sometimes being still is your best approach.
You are ready to flip the switch back on when Mercury begins its retrograde in Virgo ending in Leo. Things must come to light and information will be available to you. The way you will receive this information is through messages, conversations, symbols, and whatever else occurs in your normal daily affairs. Take note and listen very clearly. When it resonates or rings a bell in your ear, take note of what you had plans on doing by a certain time, as that will give you hints to something. Change is happening mentally, spiritually, emotionally and soulfully. You are going through a whirlwind change of direction in your life. Whatever you need to give up, give it up to move forward in life.
All the stars are in motion with Mercury stationing direct on August 28, 2024, with the Uranus retrograde beginning on September 1, 2024. The end of August is full of surprises, like a surprise guest popping up at your home unexpectedly or like the events that took place around July 15 with airlines, banks, and health networks. August and the end of September, towards the 27th of the month, are full of this energy, with all types of news from the grapevine traveling at the speed of light. Keep your eyes peeled and mouth closed since loose ships sink ships. “Don't waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all.”
Preparing for the new agenda to roll into effect means staying in preparation for the grand opening or debut of your work. You can feel it coming this week. It will be accompanied by the odd, sudden, and surprising effects that detour you off-track for a minute, only to realize you needed more information to progress forward with your agenda. Follow up on any appointments, medical or otherwise, and change up your hair and wardrobe for a better vibe. Your intuition is strong this week, so if you are called to do or say something, follow through.
It’s time to talk that talk in a short and concise manner and then walk the walk with a comeback showing what you are capable of. It’s on you to determine the direction you want to go and the people you like to involve in your community. Financial gains on investment are due. When you have bases loaded, a grand slam is needed to lead the team. Remember it’s been a team effort to get where you are; along the way, people play their role when it’s time.
Did you have fun taking a dip in direct motion for a few days and then retrograding to revise what you did? Well Virgo, now it’s time to go full throttle when Mercury transits back into Virgo. Right now, ego-driven energy is occurring on a global scale. What brings people together is a common ground and a mutual innerstanding that the soul needs to know. This week is about the change of a spiritual and mental aspect that you have a deep passion for that’s ready to come out. Figure out what your next move is and then work on it until it’s a physical thing.
As you flow through the airways of change, the only thing that matters is what you believe in. Allow your voice to be heard in the channels of communication through the airways, be it via social media or through simple conversations that carry out the message. You may not know who is looking at you or watching you— let’s see when Mercury transits into Libra.
August was a truth serum month on the physical and spiritual levels mixed with emotions and logic. What you felt was real and your dreams had information for you. When something doesn’t click, that means there’s something that stops the connection. What disconnected energy you felt helped you to see a different side of the story. Once you discuss or solve the issue, the connection will be fixed and can flow. Sometimes humanity goes through things to grow.
Look what the wind has blown in for you. You have messages all around you accompanied by change. Some of the messages are for you, and some are for you to deliver. There is something you want to do. Ask for what your heart guides you to do and then apply the footwork to see results. Help is on the way when it’s time; right now, you have to figure out in what new direction you are headed.
AmNews FOOD
Talking SCHOP—Doing It! Black Chef Series x Harlem Week
By KYSHA HARRIS Food Editor, @SCHOPnyc
Last week was epic—a rediscovery of why I do what I do, the fine chefs who also do it, and the people who like what I do. The bonus is doing what I love to do in Harlem with a team of talented Black chefs and staff. It had me at the highest of high vibrations.
The founder of the Black Chef Series, Chef Lance Knowling, once again invited me to join him for dinner, this time in honor of Harlem Week at the new Victoria on 125th Street. Along with chef Chris Scott of Butterfunk Biscuit (now in Harlem), Executive Chef Melvin “Boots” Johnson of the Victoria restaurant, and legendary Chef Herb Wilson prepared a fivecourse meal highlighting Blackowned food brands like Ratcliff Premium Meats, McBride Sisters, and Live.Loud.Foods.
When determining my firstcourse dish, I followed suit from my first Black Chef Series dinner, a Ladies Night of Black female chefs, documented on these pages. I’d just gotten my Ancestry.com results, showing my 25% Italian heritage, so I prepared a dish that honored my Louisiana Southern roots and my affinity for Mediterranean food: collard pappardelle “pasta” with pork sage ragu.
To follow the Southern Amer-
ican-Italian fusion idea and honor the season, I prepared watermelon carpaccio: thin slices of seedless watermelon topped with ricotta salata cheese, red pearl onion, Castelvetrano olives (my olive bae), micro arugula, jerk pecans, watermelon Meyer lemon vinaigrette, and fruity olive oil. The combination of sweet, salinity, spice, acid, crunch, citrus, and “green” played so well together and were the perfect start to the meal.
After my course came Chef Chris’s stunning miso-cured scal-
lop and smoked trout salad with mixed grains and salmon roe, topped with sorrel, chervil, and a buttermilk dashi. I melted into this dish, which was filled with rich umami goodness. I need him to give me this recipe.
Chef Wilson and his talented staff were up next with sautéed Maryland soft-shelled crab with truffled creamed corn and tomato confit. I copped two of these crabs for lunch the next day, served over herbed orzo—summer on a plate.
Chef Boots’s main course laid down chicory coffee braised
short rib with chipotle yam hominy grits, sweet garlic bordelaise, fried corn ribs, asparagus, and popcorn cream. It was “Goodnight Irene” lights out. This dish also came home with me and made two more small meals that still hit.
Finally, the reason we were all together: Chef Lance whipped up a dessert of blackberry mascarpone mousse with Jersey sweet corn fritters, roasted pineapple anglaise, and crumbled brown butter pecan brittle. Tasting all of the components separately was
a vision. I know the guests had a treat eating the composition. It was good to be in community with a like-minded team of people with a common goal of pushing out the best food and experience for our guests. My word for the evening is “capacity” and realizing how much we have in us that we don’t know about until we push it. Thank you to Chef Boots and the Victoria for hosting the event, to my fellow chefs for their professionalism and experience in what they do, and to the passionate staff who supported us along the way. Keep pushing in your hospitality careers. Stay tuned for my watermelon carpaccio recipe in the coming weeks. It has to be tested a couple of more times (wink) before I share it with you.
Happy eating and thanks for reading!
Kysha Harris is a chef, food writer and editor, culinary producer, consultant, and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for more than 22 years. Follow her on Instagram, @SCHOPnyc, and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc.
For questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations, email to AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc. com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @NYAmNewsFOOD.
My watermelon carpaccio with Castelvetrano olives and ricotta salata first course
Chef Chris Scott’s miso-cured scallop salad second course
Chef Boots’s braised short rib main course All hands on deck at pass
Chefs Boots, Wilson, and Scott (l–r) discuss main course in kitchen (Kysha Harris photos)
Spread Love & Eat brings a healthy and delicious alternative to Canarsie
By YASMIN MINOS Special to the AmNews
Nestled in the heart of Canarsie, Spread Love & Eat offers a welcoming environment, delicious and flavorful vegan food, and a couple of non-vegan options. The restaurant provides the community with good food and a healthier alternative to the prevalent fast-food shops in the area.
Owner Dony Theodore, who also runs its sister shop, Spread Love & Juice, was inspired by his grandmother, who originally encouraged the idea after Theodore retired from his 25-year military service.
“I always wanted to have a healthy place where people could come to eat in the area. And another reason is that [my grandmother] passed away, and I would be able to continue her dream,” said Theodore.
The restaurant opened after the juice bar in 2020, and the location for both comes from his own personal connection to the area. Theodore grew up in Canarsie, after moving as an immigrant from Haiti in 1991.
Theodore sees running the restaurant as a way to take care of and give back to the community by allowing people to come and enjoy good healthy, prepared food.
The menu has a variety of options from salads, sandwiches, poke bowls, and soup joumou, a traditional Haitian dish. Theodore’s favorite is the Oyster Mushroom, which is freshly grown and sourced to the restaurant every three days from a local company. According to Theodore, a lot goes into its preparation and it’s well worth it for the combination of delicious flavors and amazing crunch with every bite. Theodore’s care for the community as well
as his personal history shines through in many of the decor and style choices for the restaurant. He cites the diverse places he traveled to while serving in the military as influences on the resturants’ aesthetic.
“I was in the military for 25 years, so I was all over the world. So everywhere I go, a memory of a certain place, and I say, ‘I like this or that.’ That’s why I took my time decorating,” he shared.
For instance, one of the most eye-catching parts of the decor is the mural depicting polaroids of various historical places around Brooklyn, such as Coney Island and the old Canarsie movie theater. There are also allusions to Theodore’s Haitian background with the incorporation of a replica of “Le Marron Inconnu,” also known as Nèg Mawon. This statue is seen as a symbol of Black liberation and the struggle for free-
dom in Haiti.
“Every time I go to Haiti I drive by the statue. It’s like a memory of a slave trying to free himself. He has a conch, that he’s [using] to call all the other slaves to free themselves,” Theodore said. “Having the statue there [helps] to remind us to understand and represent our culture.”
Food remains an important part of culture, especially for Black people, and creating a space for Black people to experience delicious, affordable food that doesn’t put their health at risk is such a powerful thing.
“I’m proud of what I do. The hard work, it pays off,” Theodore said.
The restaurant will host its five-year anniversary event on Aug. 31.
For more information, visit www.spreadloveeat.com and follow their Instagram page @spreadloveeat.
Nèg Mawon Statue (Yasmin Minos photos)
Spread Love & Eat Restaurant
Signature Oyster Mushroom Dish
New literary works from Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alexis Pauline Gumbs
By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews
Black literature, and exploratory genres within the realm of nonfiction, make this world of writing and expression dynamic and eclectic. The new works of celebrated author and journalist, Ta-Nehisi Coates and independent scholar, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, titled “The Message” and “Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde” are wonderful examples of Black books that are different, thoughtful and can solely come from the minds of two individual authors whose minds are bright, clear, complex and introspective.
“The Message” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
In his compelling new work, “The Message,” Ta-Nehisi Coates embarks on an intellectual journey that extends beyond the boundaries of conventional narrative and reportage. Initially intending to craft a book on writing in the vein of George Orwell’s seminal essay “Politics and the English Language,” Coates finds himself navigating far deeper waters. What emerges is an exploration of how the stories we tell—be they journalistic, imaginative, or mythological—both reveal and distort our understanding of reality.
The book is structured into three interwoven essays, each tackling different as-
pects of narrative and mythmaking while reflecting on their implications for truth and temporal awareness. “The Message” comes during a time of intense global and American political upheaval, and it serves as a clarion call for a critical reevaluation of the myths that shape our perceptions and actions. Coates’s analysis encourages readers to untangle themselves from the nar-
ratives that distort our understanding of history, identity, and written expression. By confronting these myths head-on, Coates argues, we open ourselves to the liberating power of uncomfortable truths and the potential for genuine change.
“Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde” by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
In “Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life
of Audre Lorde,” Alexis Pauline Gumbs presents a re-examination of one of the 20th century’s most influential voices. Audre Lorde, renowned as a groundbreaking writer and activist, is often remembered for her quotable aphorisms and her role as a beacon of wisdom on diversity and resistance. Yet, Gumbs’s work seeks to delve beyond these familiar aspects, exploring Lorde’s intricate engagement with the natural world and the profound, often overlooked dimensions of her philosophy. Central to this exploration is Lorde’s concept of survival, which extends far beyond the conventional understanding of merely enduring oppression or battling illness. For Lorde, survival encompasses a holistic relationship with our ever-evolving planet and the intricate dynamics of existence within it.
Lorde’s poetry and prose serve as guides for understanding survival as an act of aligning with the planet’s rhythms and transformations, rather than merely enduring against them. Through meticulous research into Lorde’s unpublished manuscripts and lesser-known writings, Gumbs uncovers layers of Lorde’s thought that challenge the reductionist view of her as just a collection of memorable quotes. “Survival is a Promise” revitalizes Audre Lorde’s work by illuminating its eternal relevance and depth.
New Black poetry from Brad Walrond, Cheryl Clarke
By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews
In two new poetry collections published as emblems of two Black American poets whose collections are woven portraits of history, culture, and invaluable knowledge of the world that surrounded them, Brad Walrond’s “Every Where Alien” and Cheryl Clarke’s “Archive of Style” are inspiring and refreshing artistic takes on Black life.
“Every Where Alien” by Brad Walrond
In the collection “Every Where Alien,” Brad Walrond takes readers on a journey through the vibrant, complex landscape of New York City’s 1990s and early 2000s underground art movements. This collection is more than just a poetic tribute; it’s a profound exploration of blackness, queerness, and desire as seen through the lens of New York’s rich cultural fabric.
Walrond’s work can be characterized as an Afro-futuristic and Afro-surrealist odyssey, seamlessly blending homage with innovation.
The collection serves as a bridge between past and present, connecting the revolutionary spirit of the New Black Arts Movement, Black Rock Coalition, and Underground House Music-Dance community, and more with today’s cultural landscape. By doing so, Walrond illumi-
nates how these often-undertold histories continue to inspire and shape contemporary culture.
In his holographic odes, Walrond pays tribute to a diverse pantheon of creative forces. The collection weaves together the legacies of both legendary figures and contemporary trailblazers, creating a tapestry that includes James Baldwin, Nina Simone, and Octavia Butler, alongside Larry Levan,
Erykah Badu, and Yasiin Bey. This melding of past and present demonstrates the ongoing dialogue between these influential figures and the dynamic energies of today’s cultural scene.
Through his vivid portrayals and passionate engagement with cultural history, the poet invites us to reflect on our shared humanity and the ways in which we are all interconnected.
Archive of Style: New and Selected Poems by Cheryl Clarke
Cheryl Clarke’s “Archive of Style: New and Selected Poems” stands as a tribute to one of the most influential Black feminists, LGBTQ activists, and educators of our time. With a career spanning more than four decades, Clarke offers a long-awaited retrospective of her work, showcasing her profound contributions to poetry and activism.
The book is a carefully curated anthology that covers Clarke’s career, featuring selections from her seminal works, including “Narratives: Poems in the Tradition of Black Women” (1982), “Living as a Lesbian” (1986), “The Days of Good Looks: Prose and Poetry 1980–2005” (2006), “By My Precise Haircut” (2016), and “Targets” (2019).
From her early groundbreaking poetry in “Narratives” to her more recent reflections in “Targets,” Clarke’s work has consistently illuminated the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Her work has become a cornerstone of LGBTQ literature, and this collection reaffirms her status as a foundational figure in the literary and activist landscapes. By presenting selected poems alongside new works, “Archive of Style” offers a comprehensive view of Clarke’s development as a writer and thinker, capturing the essence of her voice and vision. Through her words, readers are invited to confront issues of race, gender, and sexuality with honesty and empathy.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Chicken Bone Beach, Charlie Parker Fest, Donald Harrison
The Chicken Bone Beach Jazz on the Beach Thursday Free Concert Series has only a few weeks left. On August 22, the series will feature drummer, composer, and big band leader Ulysses Owens, Jr. and local jazz artists with the John Lamkin Quintet; on August 29, saxophonist Melissa Aldana Quartet and local artist Dwain Davis & Friends; and closing the series out on September 5, trumpeter, composer, and 10-time Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval and local artist Cintron.
The action takes place at Kennedy Plaza (between Mississippi and Georgia Avenues on the Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.), at 7:00 p.m.
If you’re wondering how the name Chicken Bone Beach came about, yes, there is a storied tale behind the name. It’s much too long for this short piece, but you can read “Chicken Bone Beach: A Pictorial of Atlantic City’s Missouri Avenue Beach” (Sunbury Press, 2017) by Cheryl Woodruff-Brooks.
For more information, visit chicken bone beach.org.
We can call alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, also known as “Bird,” a genius or innovator, but those words don’t come close to representing the colossal imprint he made on the world of American music, the generations of musicians he continues to influence, and anyone who comes within earshot of his depth-defying rapid chords and preposterous improvisations. It’s like someone saying “Okay, I see Art Tatum playing, but there must be another person.”
People saw Parker playing and asked where he was hiding his other set of hands.
The U.S. Postal Service issued a 32-cent commemorative postage stamp in Parker’s honor in 1995; in his hometown of Kansas City, he is celebrated with a 10-foot-tall bronze head sculpted by Robert Graham. In the saxophonist’s adopted New York City home, there is an annual Charlie Parker Festival that has extended beyond its original two days. On August 23, the 2024 festival will feature bassist and composer Christian McBride Big Band, and the rising comet young trumpeter Wallace Roney, IV will blaze the Marcus Garvey Park stage (124th Street and 5th Avenue entrance), 7–9 p.m.
There is so much to say about the eighttime Grammy winner McBride and all the noted musicians with whom he has played, but two names will do. In 2007, he performed with two of America’s greatest innovators: NEA Jazz Masters Sonny Rollins and Roy Haynes. He leads five groups: Inside
the genius Roney family, his late father Wallace Roney and mother Geri Allen, his uncle Antoine Roney and cousin drummer Kojo Roney, who both had the audience on the edge last week at Jazzmobile. Marcus Garvey Park is the place again on August 24 for the all-day Charlie Parker Festival (3 p.m.–7 p.m.). The all-star lineup will include the uncompromising songstress Carmen Lundy, who can shout out a hard swing tune, or come sweet and sassy; pianist Helen Sung featuring saxophonist Chris Potter. Sung glows whether leading a small group or big band; Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few. Collier, a striking force out of Chicago like Parker gives his soul, spirit and intense improvisation; the young vocalist Tyreek McDole recently won the 2023 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition; and the DJ Kulturedchild aka Angelika Beener, whose love of music keeps her engrossed in a variety of musically oriented projects may have her at the DJ board, MC’ing, hosting writing or producing or the like, be ready for whatever she prepares it will be well worth it.
Straight; his 18-piece big band; A Christian McBride Situation, his experimental group; and New Jawn. Why so many groups? Easy: He’s from Philly and digs good music, James Brown funk, and the Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP). He loves the exploration of sounds and hearing the outcome. He enjoys playing it all! He was named artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, succeeding the festival’s founder and artistic director, George Wein; he curates and advises the annual James Moody Jazz Festival; and since he’s not busy enough, he hosts NPR’s radio show, ”Jazz Night in America.”
The brilliant young trumpeter Wallace Roney, IV, opening for McBride’s big band, is an imaginative voyager forging new paths for a future today. He is of course, a member of
The following day, August 25, the CP Festival moves down to Manhattan’s lower East Side to Tompkins Square Park (East 10th Street and Avenue A). The lineup will include NEA Jazz Master drummer Louis Hayes, supported by the 25-year-old Cameroonian vocalist Ekep Nkwelle and pianist/vocalist Alexis Lombre. The bill also features SuperBlue, the genre-bending collaboration between vocalist Kurt Elling and guitarist Charlie Hunter, featuring the Brooklyn-based Huntertones Horns; and DJ KulturedChild, aka Angelika Beener, host of WBGO’s podcast Milestones. Parker, who died in 1955 at age 34, lived near Tompkins Square Park at 151 Avenue B from 1950–54. That residential building between Ninth Street and 10th Street is landmarked.
For complete listings of Charlie Parker Festival events, check cityparksfoundation. org/charlieparker.
On August 28, NEA Jazz Master and Big Chief Donald Harrison returns to Jazzmobile at Grant’s Tomb (122nd Street and Riverside Drive), 7–8:30 p.m. The native of New Orleans, the Big Chief of the Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group swings into Harlem on his Crescent wave with his unique interpretation of this music called jazz. The saxophonist, composer, and arranger expands parameters with his nouveau swing fermentation of assorted genres, from his native second-line to bebop to hardbop, soul, hip hop, salsa, reggae, and even smooth jazz. You haven’t heard this music played until you hear Harrison’s perspective.
Correction: The August 18 Jazz Notes column stated Roy Haynes had been leading his Fountain of Youth group for eight years. The correct number is 19 years. We apologize for this error.
Helen Sung (Kat Villacorta / Maureen McFadden photo)
Carmen Lundy (Contributed press photo)
Delegates
Continued from page 4
important this year’s DNC is. Even further up north in Massachusetts, dozens of New York’s Black delegates, politicians, and advocates wrapped up another major political event, held annually on Martha’s Vineyard.
The third annual 2024 Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) Martha’s Vineyard Summit featured speakers like Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN); Tarrus Richardson, founder and CEO of Private Equity firm IMB Partners; NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie; Harlem’s Councilmember Yusef Salaam; and Michael Blake, a former New York Assemblymember and former DNC vice chair.
Ny Whitaker, a former White House senior advisor and founder and chief strategist at PROJECT NYNE PRODUCTIONS, attended the summit on Martha’s Vineyard on Friday, Aug. 16. She said plenty of people like her were flying from Massachusetts back home to New York City and then on to Chicago for the DNC by Sunday, Aug. 18. She’s excited about the prospect of building a coalition with other party members from all walks of life at the convention.
“For me, this feels electric,” said Whitaker, who worked on former President Barack Obama’s campaign more than a decade
ago. “I think of Shirley Chisholm, Gloria Steinem—women’s shoulders we stand on, particularly since the women’s movement started in Seneca (Falls) in New York. I’m literally getting on a plane, giving love to my family, and heading right back out. I think it’s so worth it.”
Brooklyn Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman, who is a delegate and a member of the DNC’s rules committee, had her two-hour flight booked already. On Saturday, she said she planned on getting in on Sunday to prepare for the convention.
Zinerman said that although Harris was the only one as the presidential nominee being considered on Aug. 1, based on virtual delegate votes, it’s still a bit of a precarious situation going into the DNC.
“This is the business of it. There’s always something that could happen,” said Zinerman about the in-person part of the convention proceedings. “There could be a protest. I think she’s going to move forward, but the procedural process of making public and transparent what has happened leading up to this…technically, she is [the nominee], but until she makes her speech before all of the delegates and they get the chance to ceremonially say that they pledge their support for her, it’s not a done deal.”
Unfortunately, by Monday morning, there was a slew of delays coming out of John F. Kennedy (JFK) and LaGuardia airports, and many of the New York State del-
T: 10
egation were held up on the tarmac. Many reportedly scrambled to drive to Chicago or find alternative flights.
At the delegation breakfast, House Dem-
ocratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, U.S.
ator Chuck Schumer, and Governor Kathy Hochul wished everyone from the home state safe travels.
Sen-
Chicago’s Skywalk Toll Road. (Ariama C. Long photos)
Chicago’s skyline.
CLASSROOM IN THE
Mary Eleanora McCoy, noted leader in women’s clubs and civil rights
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
There may be lingering doubts about whether the expression “the real McCoy” might be attributed to Black inventor Elijah McCoy. However, it is incontrovertibly true that he was married to Mary Eleanora McCoy, who established recognition of her own in women’s clubs and the early Civil Rights Movement, particularly in Michigan.
Michigan historian Dr. DeWitt Dykes has crafted a lengthy exposition of her life in Darlene Clark Hine’s “Black Women in America—
An Historical Encyclopedia.” He wrote that she “rose from humble beginnings to become a person of great influence in social improvement and philanthropic clubs and organizations in Michigan.”
Born Mary Eleanor Delaney on Jan. 26, 1846, in Lawrenceburg, Ind., in an Underground Railroad station. She was the child of an enslaved mother and father.
Her formal education, according to Dykes, consisted mainly of attending classes at mission schools and in private homes. Later, there were lessons derived from Freedom Schools in St. Louis, Mo., in 1860. She married Elijah in 1872, becoming his second wife. By the 1880s, she was living in Detroit, where her husband set up shop and began a
long line of inventions. While he tinkered away, Mary was an active member of several women’s clubs.
Her activism was such that she was soon deemed the “Mother of Clubs.” In 1895, she was among the founders of the Inasmuch Circle of King’s Daughters and Sons Clubs, which was often cited as the first of its kind in Michigan. When the
Twentieth Century Club began in 1894, Mary was the first Black charter member. Four years later, she was one of the co-founders of the Michigan State Association of Colored Women and during the same year, called the first meeting of the Phillis Wheatley Home for Aged Colored Women in Detroit, serving as its vice president.
She was also a major financial supporter of the McCoy Home for Colored Children. Working in association with the indefatigable Lucy Thurman, Mary helped to organize a chapter of the National Association of Colored Women, in effect, the state’s associate branch of the group. She was formidable in the creation of the Sojourner Truth Memorial Association, which provided college scholarships to children of the formerly enslaved.
An extension of all her endeavors arrived with the wave of activity in women’s suffrage, and she became involved in the movement. In 1913, she marched in the Woman Suffrage Parade in the nation’s capital and seven years later, attended the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s Victory Convention in Chicago.
In 1920, the McCoys were involved in a traffic accident that left Mary seriously injured. As a result, her health rapidly declined. She died on November 17, 1923, in Detroit and is buried in Ypsilanti, Mich.
In 2012, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame and four years later, the Mary E. McCoy Post Office Building on E. Jefferson Street was dedicated in Detroit. Rep. Brenda Lawrence introduced the legislation to rename the building.
ACTIVITIES
FIND OUT MORE
More information about Mary McCoy can be found in historical manuals in Michigan.
DISCUSSION
It would be of interest to know the extent of the accident and how it happened.
PLACE IN CONTEXT
Born in bondage before the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850, Mary McCoy became a tireless advocate for women’s rights and civil rights.
THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY
Aug. 19, 1940: Singer Johnny Nash was born in Houston, Tex. He died in 2020.
Aug. 21, 1904: Jazz giant Count Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J. He died in 1984.
Aug. 24, 1950: Edith Sampson became the first African American appointed as a representative to the UN. She died in 1979.
Wayne Detroit United-States Post Office Jefferson Station
Mary Eleanora McCoy
to effectively reach voters has become the topic of the day. Surely, for such diverse voting populations and so many variables, a “one size fits all” solution will not work. But what medium to use? From TikTok to direct mail, audience demographics will be analyzed, scrutinized, tested, and tested again to help predict who, what, or where are the best influencers. This is where the lessons learned and methods used by union organizers can come in handy.
After years of declining numbers, union membership shows signs of making a comeback. Currently, there are many examples of workers in industries throughout the nation previously thought to be out of the possibility of unionizing. From Amazon to Starbucks to McDonalds––workers are slowly but surely signing up. The method used is old-fashioned but tried and true: The union drive comes from within. Workers talk to their fellow workers. They know the problems. They see the solutions. They
wear the same uniforms. They are trusted as “one of us” and their co-workers listen.
While the various social media platforms, catchy TV ads and high-profile interviews, and traditional oversized postcards and lawn signs have proven to reach millions of people with evidence of their individual and collective impact, communicating directly to voters—shaking hands, coming face-to-face with the candidate or a well-chosen surrogate and taking a selfie—has an important role in winning elections, too.
Gone are the “whistle-stop” campaigns, but the need to see the candidate—get a vibe—know that you saw them, but more importantly, feel like you were also seen—has its place in winning elections as well. Perhaps in this time of great change, this time of altered dictionary definitions and role reversals, labor unions, which have remained steadfast in who they represent and what they represent, are now presented with a newly created vacuum they can fill. We span all the demographics and political ideologies, and have the outreach network and skills—new and old—to make an impact.
As the adage says: “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” It applies to politics—labor unions have always been, and still are today, great influencers. They provide a template for communication and action. The labor movement has endured union bashers, union busters, unfavorable court rulings, and anti-labor appointees, but workers remain confident that we’re on their side largely because we “see” one another and have never forgotten the value of the “human touch.”
That’s our secret weapon. As many of our union brothers and sisters will no doubt get involved in the upcoming election— knocking on doors and making calls--political strategists, the campaign gurus and operatives at all levels should take a cue from us: Nothing replaces that human touch.
Just ask Christian Smalls, a Staten Island Amazon worker, who would have his lunch or grab a smoke in the company’s parking lot day after day, all while talking up joining a union--a previously unthinkable achievement that was ultimately achieved.
Kamala
Continued from page 10
to endorse any candidate for the presidency and O’Brien was a featured guest at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Members of the Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) though, made it a point to come out with an endorsement of Vice President Harris. In an August 13 press release, the TNBC praised the Harris-Walz team for “advancing labor rights and supporting working-class Americans” and pointed to Trump’s anti-worker and anti-Black policies. The Democrats still want to court the Teamsters’ entire 1.3 million members though, and Vice President Harris is due to sit down for a roundtable discussion with union members soon.
On top of the other union endorsements, the DNC saw a fiery speech from the president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Shawn Fain. The strategic head of the UAW famously led workers in a trilateral strike against General Motors, Stellantis, and the Ford Motor Company last year. This was the strike which saw Pres.
Biden become the first sitting president to walk a picket line. Fain’s UAW recently filed an unfair labor practice FCC complaint against former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the two giggled during an X/Twitter interview about their ability to fire any workers who even talked about going out on a strike. Fain showed up at the DNC to endorse Kamala Harris’s presidency because, he said, “Kamala Harris is one of us: she’s a fighter for the working class. Donald Trump is a scab!”
After pointing to all the times Trump promised to do more for workers but consistently did nothing, Fain said, “In the words of the Great American poet Nelly: ‘It’s getting hot in here!’” The UAW leader peeled off his jacket to reveal that he was wearing a tshirt emblazoned with the words: “Trump is a scab. Vote Harris.” “It’s hot in here,” Fain said to hoots and applause from the audience, “it’s hot in here because you’re fired up and you’re fed up and the American working class is fired up and fed up. The American working class is in a fight for our lives.”
Education
How will Kamala Harris help public schools?
By QUINTESSA WILLIAMS Word in Black
As Kamala Harris prepares to formally accept her party’s presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on August 19, voters will want to hear about her vision for improving public education.
Known for her advocacy of universal preschool, significant teacher pay raises, and initiatives aimed at diversity and inclusion, a Harris administration could adopt an educational platform that positively affects Black students. In addition, given Gov. Tim Walz’s support for progressive, equitable education policies in Minnesota, selecting him as her running mate could also be a sign that she’ll champion support for public schools.
Why her education agenda matters to Black K–12 students
Black students face significant educational disparities due to systemic racism, underfunding of schools in Black communities, and discriminatory systems. Harris’s education agenda could help address these inequities by focusing on increased funding and ensuring that schools serving predominantly Black communities have the resources to provide a high-quality education.
Educational track record as senator
Before becoming vice president in 2021, Harris served as the junior U.S. senator from California from 2017–21. The education policies she supported were intended to provide students with equitable educational opportunities and prepare them for college and future careers. Two of the four education-related bills she backed were directly related to K–12 schools.
• The Family Friendly Schools Act would have directed the Department of Education to provide grants to local school districts to support aligning the school day with family work schedules and building stronger relationships between families and school districts.
• The 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act would have directed the Department of Education to fund school districts to cover the costs of STEM education activities for girls and children from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Harris also cosponsored the Strength in Diversity Act, which would have promoted school diversity initiatives, including busing. However, the Republican-controlled Senate blocked passage of these bills under former President
Donald Trump’s tenure.
The 2020 presidential campaign
In 2020, Harris ran for president but lost the nomination to Joe Biden. However, during her campaign, she advocated for universal preschool and free college, and called for a $13,500 raise for every teacher by the end of her first term. She also criticized conservative politicians for “attacking” public schools and teachers during the pandemic.
Given those advocacy and legislative efforts, here’s what Harris’s education policy agenda could look like as president.
Universal preschool
I am running to declare education is a fundamental right, and we will guarantee that right with universal pre-K and debt-free college.
Kamala Harris, January 2019
Harris could advocate for nationwide access to free preschool for all children. This would level the educational playing field from an early age by allowing all children to start their education earlier, which research shows can lead to better long-term academic performance.
Increased funding for Title I schools
We must strive for a more equitable public education system that will lead to better school and life outcomes for all children.
Kamala Harris, October 2019
Harris has advocated for more significant investment in Title I schools, which serve low-income communities and often have high percentages of Black students. As president, she could prioritize increasing funding for Title I schools, providing resources needed for smaller class sizes, advanced technology, updated textbooks, and extracurricular pro-
grams. This could also fund services such as school counselors and nurses, as well as after-school programs, which are crucial for addressing the needs of students in underserved communities.
Related: The Surprising Reason Black Schools Face a ‘Fiscal Cliff’
Teacher pay raises
You can judge a society by the way it treats its children, and one of the greatest expressions of love that a society can give to its children is educating those children with resources they need.
Kamala Harris, March 2019
Harris has previously supported substantial increases in teacher salaries. As president, she could push for federal funding or incentives for states to boost pay for K–12 teachers. This move could attract more qualified individuals to the teaching profession and improve teacher retention rates, which could enhance the overall quality of education.
Teacher diversity and anti-bias training
While you teach students about our nation’s past, these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history.
Kamala Harris, July 2024
Recognizing the impact of teacher expectations on student performance, Harris could advocate for policies aimed at increasing teacher diversity and providing anti-bias training for educators. A diverse teaching workforce that reflects the student population can positively impact student achievement, particularly for Black students. Anti-bias training would help teachers recognize and address their implicit biases, ensuring that Black students are treated fairly and have equal opportunities to succeed.
Expanding STEM education
You are the leaders in this new era. Our nation and our world will require the smart people that you are to lead on issues that require dedication and development of skills around science and technology and engineering.
Kamala Harris, September 2021
Given her legislative efforts as a senator, Harris could push for increased funding and resources for STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—education, particularly for girls and underrepresented minorities. This could include grants to schools for updated resources and teacher training programs. In the long run, these investments could help equip Black students with the skills they need for high-paying, in-demand STEM careers.
Discipline reform and restorative justice in education
As President, I plan to invest money in states/localities to end juvenile incarceration in favor of restorative justice programs and wrap-around services, except for the most serious crimes.
Kamala Harris, September 2019 Harris has spoken out against the schoolto-prison pipeline, which disproportionately affects Black students through punitive disciplinary policies. Her policy agenda could include reforming school discipline practices, advocating for restorative justice programs focused on conflict resolution, and keeping students in the classroom rather than suspending or expelling them. Addressing the root causes of behavioral issues and promoting positive school climates could help reduce disparities in discipline and improve educational outcomes for Black students.
Potential long-term impact
By advocating for policies that address educational inequities and provide greater resources to underserved schools, Harris could lay the groundwork for a more equitable and just education system where every child, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, can have access to high-quality education. As a Black woman who has broken numerous barriers throughout her career, Harris also brings a distinct perspective to the presidency. She understands the educational challenges facing Black communities, and her track record shows she’s committed to solutions.
(United States Senate - Office of Senator Kamala Harris photo)
Continued from page 3
past decade a CCRB investigation led to an officer getting kicked off the force. ThenCommissioner James O’Neill faced a noconfidence vote from the PBA over the firing.
Just this Tuesday, Aug. 20, current Commissioner Edward Caban dropped abuseof-authority charges by the CCRB against NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey after a substantiated misconduct complaint that he had sprung a former officer from police custody after he was arrested for allegedly chasing three teens with a gun. The agency recommended the NYPD dock 10 days of vacation time.
ProPublica reported earlier this month that Caban frequently uses an obscure authority known as “retention” to bury misconduct investigations by the CCRB, including a substantiated complaint by William Harvin Sr., who accused an officer of tasering him four times while restrained on the ground. The agency recommended disciplinary action back in 2022, but the NYPD never served the officer and later promoted him.
Earlier this month, LatinoJustice PRLDEF sued the NYPD for failing to punish the officer accused of misconduct in Harvin’s case. “[Harvin] went to the CCRB, he filed a
Street vendors
Continued from page 3
Yet legal vending remains limited despite past reforms under the de Blasio administration due to caps on food vendor supervisory licenses and general vendor licenses. The previous legislation led to the rollout of 4,450 new supervisory licenses over a decade.
One of the bills called for by the protesters would increase the vendor license cap each year over five years before totally lifting the cap. Sponsoring councilmember Pierina Sanchez, the daughter and granddaughter of street vendors herself, estimates around 80% of street vendors in her Bronx district operate unlicensed.
“I’ve got 20 co-sponsors on my piece of legislation. This bill is data supported and this fall, we’re kicking off conversations to bring everybody to the table,” Sanchez said during the rally. “We know the system is broken, we know we have to increase the number of permits and we have to improve the way we do enforcement.”
Three other city council bills accompany Sanchez’s in the “Street Vendor Reform Package.” If passed, they would remove criminal charges for unlicensed vending (making all fines civil penalties), allow carts to park further from the curb, and establish an office within the Department of Small Business Services to help street ven-
complaint, he sat for an interview, the investigator [took] a sworn statement, he cooperated with the investigation,” said Andrew Case, supervising counsel at LatinoJustice. “And when the investigation was concluded, they analyzed the evidence and they determined Detective Torres had violated the law. They send that to the NYPD, and the first step in the discipline process is for the NYPD to type up the charges and physically serve them on an officer. This takes maybe a day at the most, if they choose to do it.
“They have not served this officer for over two years. They have simply sat on this case and done nothing at all. It’s an intentional effort to stop the disciplinary process from going forward. So we filed a lawsuit [representing] Mr. Harvin…basically what we’re saying is the NYPD has an obligation to fill its function as a government agency that disciplines its workforce the same as any other agency does.[If] the police commissioner has sole power of the discipline, that involves the responsibility to actually execute it, even just a process of it.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
dors comply with licensing requirements.
The NYC Street Vendors Justice Coalition organized last Thursday’s rally. Multiple languages were spoken during the demonstration including Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Shawn Garcia, the director of advocacy at member organization Transportation Alternatives, said rights for street vendors impact all New Yorkers.
“We’re a transit equity organization, and where we find the intersection with street vendor justice and transit equity is about how our streetscape in New York City really should be designed to support how people move, how people live [and] how our neighborhoods operate culturally,” he said over the phone. “Street vendors are a critical part of the New York City streetscape, and creating a more conducive way for street vendors to operate safely and without harassment, goes to strengthen how our streetscape looks generally.
“We’re always pushing for safer conditions for pedestrians, users of our streets, and street vendors are included in that equation for us.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
PUBLIC NOTICE
DEMOCRACY PREP NEW YORK SCHOOL MEETING OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Pursuant to Section 104 Public Notice of the Open Meetings Law, this notice is to inform the public that the board of trustees of Democracy Prep New York School will hold a board meeting on August 27th, 2024 at 8:00 am., local time. The address is: 1767 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10035 4th Floor.
Some board members may choose to participate remotely via video conferencing, but as of this notice it is not clear what their location will be. Please contact Cecil Frazier at cecil.frazier@democracyprep.org for such information once it is finalized.
Religion & Spirituality
An offering, a fire, a prayer—how a Mexico City community celebrates its pre-Hispanic origins
By MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ Associated Press
MEXICO CITY—Claudia Santos’s spiritual journey has left a mark on her skin.
Soon after the 50-year-old embraced her pre-Hispanic heritage and pledged to speak for her ancestors’ worldview in Mexico City, she tattooed the symbol “Ollin,” which translates from the Nahuatl language as “movement,” on her wrist.
“It’s an imprint from my Nahuatl name,” said Santos, wearing white with feathers hanging from her neck to perform an ancestral ceremony on Tuesday in the neighborhood of Tepito.
“It’s an insignia that represents me—my identity.”
Since 2021, when she co-founded an organization that raises awareness of her community’s Mexica heritage, Santos and members of close Indigenous communities have gathered by mid-August to honor Cuauhtémoc, the last emperor or “tlatoani” of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, as the capital was known before it fell to the Spaniards in 1521.
“It’s important to be here, 503 years after what happened, not only to dignify Tepito as an Indigenous neighborhood where there has been resistance, strength, and perseverance, but also because this is an energetic portal, a sacred teocalli (God’s house in Nahuatl),” Santos said.
The site she chose for performing the ceremony has a profound sacred meaning in Mexico’s history. Although it’s currently a Catholic church, it’s also where Cuauhtémoc—a political and spiritual leader—initiated the final defense of the territory that was lost to the European conquerors.
The site is aligned with the sun, Santos said. “Our grandfather, Cuauhtémoc, is still among us. The cosmic memories of our ancestors are joining us today.”
Although he was not present during the pre-Hispanic rituals, the priest in charge of the Tepito church allowed Santos and fellow Indigenous leaders to move freely through the esplanade of the temple. Their preparations started early each morning with placing roses, fruit, seeds, and sculptures
of pre-Hispanic figures, among other elements.
“I’m very thankful to be given the chance of occupying our sacred compounds once again,” Santos said. “Making this connection between a religious and a spiritual belief is a joy.”
This year’s activities began August 9. Before Tuesday’s ceremony, a Mayan spiritual guide was also invited to perform a ritual at the main entrance to the church.
“This is an act of kneeling with humbleness, not in humiliation, to make an offering to our Creator,” said Gerardo Luna, the Mayan leader who offered honey, incense, sugar, liquor, and other elements as a nourishment for the fire. “The fire is the element that links us to the spirit of the Creator, who permeates everything that exists.”
Luna also praised the opportunity to practice his beliefs in a Catholic space. “There are different ways of understanding spirituality, but there is only one language, the one of the heart,” he said. “Our Catholic brothers breathe the same air as us. We all have red blood in our veins, and your bones and mine are the same.”
Some locals approached the church and joined both Mayan and Mexica ceremonies. They were drawn in by the sound of a conch shell that was blown to announce the rituals and the smoke released by lighting a resin known as copal.
Lucía Moreno, 75, said that participating made her feel at peace. Tomás García, 42, added that he is Catholic, but these ceremonies “purify” him and allow him to let go of any wrongdoing.
Others, like Cleotilde Rodríguez, call upon the ancestors—and God—with a deeper need for comfort. After the Mexica ritual, the 78-year-old said she prayed for
her health and well-being. No doctor or medicine has cured her aching knees, and none of her 10 children visit her or call to ask how she is. Another son, she said, died by suicide some years ago, and she has not felt at ease since.
“This is what has happened to me, so I hope that God allows me to keep working, that my path is not shortened,” Rodríguez said. “Otherwise, what is going to become of me?”
The tlalmanalli, as the Mexica ceremony is known, is an offering to Mother Earth. All members of the community are encouraged to participate and benefit from its spiritual force.
“What people take with them is medicinal,” Santos said. “It is all blessed, so people leave with medicine for life, which they can use in moments of sadness.”
Santos was not always aware of the depth of the Mexica and other pre-Hispanic worldviews, but a couple of decades ago, when feeling that Catholicism no longer fulfilled her spiritually, she started looking for more.
She researched Buddhism and Hinduism. She practiced yoga and studied the awakening of the mind. But still, she wondered: “What’s in my country? Why, if other nations have gurus, aren’t there any widely known spiritual references in Mexico?”
And then she found them. The Mexica provided her with answers. They were wise, spiritual people who resisted what others
brought upon them, and always connected to their ancestors and the profoundness of their land.
As part of her transformation, Santos received a new name, this time in Nahuatl and tied to the pre-Hispanic calendar. Just as her parents baptized her in the very same Tepito church where she now performs Mexica rituals, she embraced her current spirituality in a “sowing” ceremony, where she became Ollin Chalchiuhtlicue, which means “precious movement of the water.”
The name, she said, also comes with a purpose. As directed, she defined her life mission after the ceremony and chose to comply with Cuauhtémoc’s final wishes for his people: Maybe the sun has gone down upon us, but it will come out again. In the meantime, we must tell our children— and their children’s children—how big the Motherland’s glory is.
“Through the spirituality of our Mexica tradition, we are taking back our dignity and the essence of our Indigenous community,” Santos said. “Being here today is a joy, but also a work of resistance.
“Tepito exists because it has resisted, and we will continue resisting.”
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US and with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Claudia Santos performs ceremony with residents and members of Amaxac Indigenous organization to commemorate 503rd anniversary of fall of Aztec empire’s capital, Tenochtitlan, in Mexico City (AP Photo/ Eduardo Verdugo)
At DNC, onlookers get window into Black, NY culture
By ASHLEIGH FIELDS Special to the AmNews
Black culture and the Black family structure were on full display at the Democratic National Convention on night two. Audience members enjoyed an enthusiastic ceremonial roll call where historic leaders like Rep. Maxine Waters, Gov. Wes Moore, Rev. Raphael Warnock, and Nikema Williams swayed to classic hits from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, Aretha Franklin, and Lil Jon, who appeared in person to perform portions of “Turn Down for What” and “Get Low” as they cast their respective delegations’ votes for Kamala Harris, the sitting vice president who now is on the path to succeed the president.
New York made a strong statement with filmmaker Spike Lee front and center with Gov. Kathy Hochul, as she referenced the historic feats of female New Yorkers during her remarks.
“We are also not just the birthplace of great progressive movements; we are the birthplace of Shirley Chisholm, we are the birthplace of Geraldine Ferraro, we are the home of Hillary Clinton, and that’s why, as the first woman governor of New York, I am so proud to cast 298 votes to make Kamala Harris the first female president of the United States of America,” Hochul said, fu-
eling an already ignited crowd.
During this brief history lesson, NY Attorney General and Howard University graduate Letitia James stood by Hochul’s side, cheering on the decision to support Harris as a fellow alumna. As the celebratory mood subsided, a more serious tone took its place when world leaders spoke to the threat associated with another four-year term for former president Donald Trump.
“Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others,” said Michelle Obama, wearing braids down her back. “She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt the business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance.”
Much of her speech focused on policies amplified by Trump that would harm everyday Americans.
“It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people’s lives better. Look, because cutting our healthcare, taking away our freedom to control our bodies—the freedom to become a mother through IVF like I did," Obama said candidly, "those things are not going to im-
prove the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters.”
“Why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership? Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics.”
A family affair
The convention provided an opportunity to redefine gender roles among presidential spouses at every level, giving equal weight to remarks from a previous First Lady and her spouse, and offering the spotlight to an aspiring First Gentleman in a blended family.
Michelle Obama’s husband and the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama, doubled down on the narrative hammering the notion that the country must band together to build on the achievements of his vice president pick and the current president, Joe Biden.
“Now, the torch has been passed. Now, it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. And make no mistake, it will be a fight,” Barack said. “For all the incredible energy we’ve been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.”
Most poll watchers believe the final decision will fizzle down to ballots cast in the five battleground states. According to Navigator
Research, the vice president is behind in Arizona and Pennsylvania, but tied with Trump in Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
“And as we gather here tonight, the people who will decide this election are asking a very simple question: Who will fight for me? Who’s thinking about my future, about my children’s future, about our future together?” Barack Obama said. “One thing is for certain: Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question. We do not need [another] four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.
America’s ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”
As the Obamas used the national stage to cement their belief in Harris’s abilities, her husband Doug and stepson Cole Emhoff used the opportunity to highlight her quiet strength.
“We might not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America,” Cole said of his stepmom before introducing his father. Emhoff and Harris met on a blind date that led to their marriage on August 22, 2014. On Thursday, they will celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary as Harris accepts the Democratic nomination for president.
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Case
SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. UKOHA OLUGU IGWE and GOSPEL OLUGU IGWE, if living, and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirsat-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, Defts. - Index # 850036/2018. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 26, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 16,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $91,615.59 plus costs and interest as of February 27, 2024. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.
Notice of Qualification of CASCADE GROWTH LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/05/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/07/24. Princ. office of LLC: 330 Third Ave., Apt. 21E, NY, NY 10010. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Independent financial sponsor.
Notice of Qualification of JFH BRAND HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/15/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/19/24. Princ. office of LLC: 350 Fifth Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10118. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of COMVEST GROUP HOLDINGS LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/01/02. Princ. office of LP: 360 S. Rosemary Ave., Ste. 1700, W. Palm Beach, FL 33401. NYS fictitious name: COMVEST GROUP HOLDINGS L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. #101, Dover, DE 19904. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of SUBIN, LLP Cert. of Reg. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLP: 515 Madison Ave., #8076, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLP at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Law.
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Notice of Qualification of LAFAYETTE AND PATTERSON LENDER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/25/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/01/22. Princ. office of LLC: 520 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate investments.
RT HORATIO PROPERTY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/29/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 167 Madison Avenue, Suite 205, #328, New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Notice of Qualification of ALM FIRST EXECUTIVE BENEFITS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Texas (TX) on 11/14/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the TX addr. of LLC: 3800 Maple Ave., Ste. 600, Dallas, TX 75219. Cert. of Form. filed with Jane Nelson, Secy. of State, 1100 Congress Capitol Bldg., Rm. 1E 8, Austin, TX 78701. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of 471 WASHINGTON STREET LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/12/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Brian Richard Lenker, Esq., Brach Eichler L.L.C., 101 Eisenhower Pkwy., Roseland, NJ 07068. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of ATLAS VI DEKALB LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 40 W. 57th St., 29th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
FreshCleanNYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/04/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 20 Pine Street Unit #1004, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful act.
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Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 25, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 25, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 24, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 24, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 26, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 26, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
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Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 28, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 28, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 29, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 29, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
LONG ISLAND FOREIGN AUTO SALES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 645 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
NYC FOREIGN AUTO SALES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 645 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Commons Software LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/12/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 10 Hanover Square Apt 6S, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Dog Person Coffee LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/07/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC.: 7014 13TH AVENUE SUITE 202, BROOKLYN NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company. Name: FATHI ELGADDARI, DMD, PLLC. Articles of Organization filing date with the Secretary of State (SSNY) was 06/21/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as the agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to 35 EAST 85 STREET, 1N, NY, 10028, USA. The purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
CheKells Enterprise LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 6/7/2024. Office location: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 928 E 86th St, Brooklyn NY 11236 Purpose: Any lawful act.
Blue Diamond Trading Company L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/31/2024 Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S #742246, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Autobahn Collision And Repairs LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on May 25, 2024. Office location: Richmond County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1388 Richmond Rd, Staten Island, NY 10310 Purpose: Any lawful act.
JENPONYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/20/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 1460 BROADWAY, 11F, C/O ANNE CHANG, New York, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstLYNN CAMPBELL, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 6, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.00986400000% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $12,386.86 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850233/2023. ROBERTA E. ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee
DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP
PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
DLG# 39324
Notice of Formation of MRA IVC MANAGER I, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Metropolitan Realty Associates LLC, 555 Madison Ave. - 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
MATAURO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/22/10. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Matthew Klein, 375 Willowemoc Rd, Livingston Manor, NY 12758. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Qualification of FlexLegal Services, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/28/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Madison Ave., 8th, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstGARY C. MORSE, VASSO G. MORSE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on March 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an undivided 0.0381% interest in common Elements. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $22,122.59 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 850285/2023.
GEORGIA PAPAZIS, ESQ., Referee
DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP
PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff
242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
DLG# 39078
Notice of Qualification of TH MSR HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/25/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Arizona (AZ) on 06/30/24. Princ. office of LLC: 1601 Utica Ave. South, Ste. 900, St. Louis Park, MN 55416. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Executive Director, 1300 W. Washington, 1st Fl., Phoenix, AZ 58007-2929. Purpose: Owning and managing mortgage servicing rights.
THE NEW YORK INJURY LAW FIRM PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/23/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the PLLC, 48 Wall Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Law.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstSHARAD BHAGU PATEL, NISHA SHARAD PATEL, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .019728% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37.
Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $23,707.35 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850179/2023. SOFIA BALILE, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39301
KETTELY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/25/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 470 W 165th Street, Apartment 24, New York, NY 10032. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of New York ACTION TO FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE Index #: 850192/2022 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Plaintiff, vs Lixin Wang If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Board Of Managers Of The Park Avenue Condominium, United States Of America Acting Through The IRS, People Of The State Of New York John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 120 East 87th Street New York, NY 10128 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of New York. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Lixin Wang Defendant In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Francis A Kahn of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Twenty-Ninth day of July, 2024 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York, in the City of New York. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, executed by Lixin Wang dated the May 26, 2016, to secure the sum of $750,000.00 and recorded at CRFN 2016000203383 in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County on June 16, 2016. The property in question is described as follows: 120 East 87th Street, NEW YORK, NY 10128 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department's website at WWW.DFS. NY.GOV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to "save" your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner's distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: August 1, 2024 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 81995
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF MANAGERS, Plaintiff -againstDAVID SCHILLER AS EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF MARVIN SCHILLER, et al
Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Amended Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated on February 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 11, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $28,189.58 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 850199/2022.
DORON LEIBY, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 35579
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE ATALANTA CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against- PATRICK LEUNG, LUZIA DOS PRAZERES, et al Defendant(s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale nd dated February 28, 2024 and entered on April 17, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 18, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, the condominium unit known as Unit No. 7B in the building known as "The Atalanta Condominium" together with an undivided 1.9549% in the Common Elements. Block: 190 Lot: 1440
Said premises known as 25 N. MOORE STREET, APT 7B, NEW YORK, NY 10013
Approximate amount of lien $58,834.98 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 160015/2023. MARK MCKEW, ESQ., Referee Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff
60 East 42nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10165
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstOBJECT N. LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 11, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $23,248.49 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 850186/2023.
SOFIA BALILE, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39358
Notice of Qualification of INVESTCORP US PRIVATE CREDIT FEEDER, LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/13/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/08/22. Princ. office of LP: 280 Park Ave., 39th Fl., NY, NY 10017. NYS fictitious name: INVESTCORP US PRIVATE CREDIT FEEDER, L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of 20 EXCHANGE PLACE OWNER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/12/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Stephen Benjamin, 729 7th Ave., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., No. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstZEFERINO T. TRINIDAD AS FIRST SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE TRINIDAD FAMILY TRUST DATED MARCH 21, 1998, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on February 21, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 11, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .019728% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37.
Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $17,485.64 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850147/2023.
ALLISON FURMAN, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39106
Notice of Formation of OMNI NOSTRAND PARTNERS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NOAH 2004 REALTY, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/04. Latest date to dissolve: 12/31/2099. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Antonino Settepani, 602 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of CARTOON PHYSICS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 207 W. 25th St. - 6th Fl., NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, not in its Individual Capacity, but Solely as Owner Trustee of CSMC 2019-RPL11 Trust , Plaintiff, vs . UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF Hyunjeong Han, If Living, and If THEY Be Dead, Any and All Persons Unknown to Plaintiff , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on May 17, 2023 and a Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on April 9, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on September 18, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 70 Little West Street, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10004 a/k/a 70 Battery Place, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10280. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 16 and Lot 1878 together with an undivided 0.36855 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $665,379.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850044/2021. Cash will not be accepted. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.
Thomas R. Kleinberger, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Notice of Qualification of GRAMERCY E 22ND OWNER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/17/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps. - John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of LS RETAIL, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Georgia (GA) on 07/22/09. Princ. office of LLC and GA addr. of LLC: 11175 Cicero Dr., Ste. 650, Alpharetta, GA 30022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 214 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
ANA SOLUTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/05/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 203 East 72nd St, New York, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -against- CHLOE A. CALLOW, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on March 6, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $12,452.09 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850190/2023.
ROBERTA ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP
PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39359
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, Plaintiff AGAINST Joseph Ceccarelli; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 29, 2021, and Amended September 23, 2022, and Amended April 18, 2024. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, in Room 130, located at 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on September 18, 2024, at 2:15PM, premises known as 200 East 32nd Street, New York City, NY 10016. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of NY, Block 912 Lot 1165. Approximate amount of judgment $1,676,660.05 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 850018/2017. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 1st Judicial District. Arthur Greig, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: April 26, 2024 80510
Notice of Qualification of GREYSTONE MONTICELLO FUNDING SH-74 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/23/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Third Ave., 21st Fl., NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Engaging in and exercising all powers permitted to a limited liability company formed under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act.
Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #NA-0267-24130536 for beer & wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a Deli under the ABC Law at 231 E. 116 th St., NYC 10029 for on-premises consumption; Los Dos Amigos 116 Corp.
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Harlem Week’s Black Health Summit ‘bigger than ever’
By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews
For one of the final events for the 50th anniversary of Harlem Week, community members came out in droves on Thursday for the second annual Health Summit at the Alhambra Ballroom, a partnership between the annual event and Black Health Matters (BHM) geared toward sharing health and wellness information addressing health disparities of Black Americans.
“It’s bigger and better than ever,” said Rosalyn Y. Daniels, founder and CEO of BHM. “I think that’s because [attendees] were in the Harlem Week state of mind which meant they were up for fun, information and entertainment.”
Long lines wrapped around 125th Street to enter the Alhambra for the event with some even leaving once they heard it was at capacity. In the Grand Ballroom main hall, a packed audience listened to sessions featuring discussions on issues like voting and health, early detection, cancer, HIV, sickle cell, and kidneys from different medical experts, community leaders, and influencers.
Mona Richardson, 64, made it into the building but said she was unable to make it into the main hall and opted to watch the livestream. She also said she wished more resources were also given in the brochures they were provided.
The lineup of hosts included news anchor and host of WABC’s “Here and Now” Sandra Bookman, model and reality show star Cynthia Bailey and actor Malik Yoba. Multiple guests said they learned of the event after watching Bookman preview it on an episode of her news program. One of them is Alfred Evans, 63, a poet who came all the way from Brooklyn and said he felt at home with Harlem Week.
“I realized I have to be responsible for my own health,” Evans said. “I was glad to see that they had a forum like this. So I made it my business to come.”
Yoba, a Harlem native, shared that after having heart surgery, he felt it was important to be involved in the Summit. He also has fond memories of growing up and experiencing Harlem Week and is glad to have been a part of the 50th anniversary.
“It’s beautiful that it’s still going so I’m happy to be here to support,” Yoba told the AmNews .
Guests were also informed about illnesses that may be harder to detect including peripheral artery disease and food allergies. The Crystal Ballroom featured tabling of medical services from companies like Genentech and NYC Health Hospitals, as well as screenings for prostate cancer and other blood testing from Mount Sinai.
Maria Davis, an AIDS survivor, advocate and music industry insider, spoke on the panel discussing the virus’ impact on Black community. “It’s like the for-
gotten virus now because people are not talking about it,” Davis explained. Davis uses her platform “Mad Wednesday’s” to talk with community members about pressing issues including health
and wellness. She emphasized the importance of keeping community members educated about HIV because African Americans make up the highest number of new infections.
“I think that community education has fallen off the grid,” Davis said. “HIV and AIDS is not over. People are still getting infected with HIV, which is a preventable disease.”
Attendees were able to visit the various tables in the Crystal Ballroom. Alhambra Ballroom. August 15, 2024. (Jason Ponterotto photos)
During the “Early Detection : How We Overcome Barriers to Access and Why It’s Important” session featuring (L to R) Staci Hargraves, Diane Nathaniel, and Dr. Davida White. Alhambra Ballroom. August 15, 2024.
Carlos Mendoza’s moves have the Mets in the wildcard hunt
By RUDY ROBINSON Special to the AmNews
Carlos Mendoza, in his first year as the manager of the New York Mets, has been analogous to a test pilot, navigating a roster that has enough talent to compete for a postseason spot but with glaring flaws that leave the team with little margin for error.
The former Yankees bench coach has maneuvered around many obstacles this season. A questionable starting pitching rotation, slumping hitters and injuries to key players forced him to make numerous adjustments. With the Mets’ record at 65-60 after catcher Francisco Alvarez’s dramatic one-out, game ending home run on Monday night at Citi Field to give them a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles, hopes to earn one the three National League wildcard berths remain strong. Fans remain fully engaged with 37 regular season games left for the Mets.
Mendoza has made multiple changes since he wrote his first opening day lineup. Shortstop Francisco Lindor was moved from the No. 3 hole to leadoff. He has responded by hitting 24 home runs and scoring 83 runs (ranking 8th and 4th in the league respectively). Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, originally at the top of the lineup, slid down to No. 2. Although he injured his right shoulder in Sunday’s game, a 3-2 loss to the Marlins, he hit his 18th homerun. The positive news is an MRI came back clean and he was not placed on the injured list.
Nimmo’s bat is critical to the Mets as his 71 RBIs were second on the team to Lindor’s 72 when the Mets hosted the Orioles again on Tuesday night. He also led the team in on-base percentage at .343 midweek and was third in hits behind Lindor’s 134 and impending free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso’s 116. Alonso topped the Mets in homers with 27.
Mendoza also made the mid-season insertion of J.D. Martinez into the lineup and more recently moved Alonso, who had been entrenched as the cleanup hitter at No. 4, to the five hole. Veteran players don’t always agree with being shuffled around but Mendoza’s alterations had the Mets sixth in runs scored per game at 4.78 and fifth in home runs
with 158 in all of MLB.
The pitching staff has also been modified. Losing ace pitcher Kodai Senga, who injured his calf on July 26 in his only start of the season after being out for the previous 102 games with a shoulder strain, was a major setback for Mendoza’s crew. Prized prospect Christian Scott for a large part of the season hasn’t helped. However, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana have earned run averages within the league’s top 20. The bullpen had to survive a slow start and suspension by closer Edwin Diaz but still has 31 saves, tied for fifth in the league. But they still give up too many leads or don’t hold them as the season reaches its stretch run.
Finding a way to correct their 477 walk rate as of Tuesday, the second worst in MLB behind the Chicago White Sox’ 496, won’t be easy for Mendoza but thus far the Mets have averted disastrous results.
Not expected to be a playoff team when the season began, Carlos Mendoza’s management has had a major impact on the team’s success. Shuffling the lineup and changing pitchers within a game are two of a manager’s toughest jobs. Consistency is necessary for success although it becomes a challenge over 162 games.
Mendoza has shown the ability to make many of the right decisions so far. He’s made mistakes that arguably cost the Mets some games as all managers have with their ball clubs. Let’s forgive him. He still has time to make up for it.
As the calendar rapidly moves toward September, the final month of the Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge sits atop MLBbro’s #HighFive List at the end Week 19 after becoming the fastest player in major league history to reach 300 home runs—132 games faster than any player in history of the majors.
The Bronx Bro Bomber did it in just 955 games when he smashed his milestone homer on August 14 in Chicago in a 10-2 Yankees win over the White Sox. To open Week 20, Judge led all of the MLB with 44 home runs, 111 RBI, an OPS of 1.166, and second position in batting at .331.
At No. 2 is Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene. He began this week at No. 4 in ERA at 2.83 after his seven innings of one-run baseball in his start against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 13. Greene struck out eight while only walking one and surrendering four hits.Unfortunately, on Saturday, he was placed on the 15-day injured list with soreness in his right
(pitching) elbow. The 25-year-old, who was selected for the NL All-Star team this season, had a 0.98 ERA in his last 46 innings before the arm issue.
Despite a tough stretch for his Pirates, who started this week having lost 11 of their previous 13 games, Andrew Mc -
Cutchen has done his part to help them right their ship. The 37-year-old veteran right fielder has been swinging the bat well and was third of the Pirates in hits (89) and total bases. His 16 home runs as of Monday left him only four away from his first 20-plus honer season since he
did it as a Philadelphia Philly in 2021; it would be the10th time he reached the mark in his notable career.
The Minnesota Twins’ Simeon WoodsRichardson threw a career-high seven innings, allowing just two runs while issuing no walks and striking out seven on August 10 versus the Cleveland NL Central, then came back last Friday with a win over the Texas Rangers giving up only three hits and two earned runs in five innings for a 4-3 Twins win. Woods was scheduled to face the San Diego Padres last night on the road with a 4-3 record and 3.77 ERA.
Closing out the group is Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams, the inaugural winner of the MLBbro.com “Bob Gibson Pitcher of the Year” award, making his first appearance on the #HighFive this season after a back injury sidelined him until late July.
Since making his 2024 season debut on July 28, Williams had taken the mound seven times going into the Brewers’ road game on Tuesday night versus the St. Louis Cardinals with a 1.29 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, and four saves in seven innings pitched.
First-year Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (right), speaking with third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, has guided his team to wildcard contention. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Five of top Black players in baseball led by Yankees Aaron Judge have put their imprint on Major League Baseball this season. (MLBbro.com photo)
The Liberty return from Olympic break and clinch playoff spot
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
Olympic gold secured, it is back to New York Liberty business for Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu after they were integral components of Team USA’s championship squad in Paris.
The Liberty opened their postOlympic schedule last Thursday on the road by dismantling the Los Angeles Sparks by 10368, led by Stewart’s 27 points. It was the Liberty’s third win this season by 35 or more, setting a new WNBA record.
Two nights later, they pounced on the Las Vegas Aces in another road game, coming away coming with a 79-67 win as Ionescu was the team’s top scorer with 23.
The victory over the Aces gave the Liberty the distinction of being the first WNBA team to clinch a playoff spot this season.
The Liberty went into their match-up on Tuesday at the Barclays Center—their first game at home since July 16—versus the Dallas Wings 23-4, the best mark in the league, ahead of the Connecticut Sun at 19-7 before
facing the Sparks at home on Tuesday. The Liberty will host the Wings again tonight (7 p.m.) before the Sun visit Brooklyn on Saturday night (7 p.m.).
The Minnesota Lynx were in third at 19-8 and the defending champion Aces, with the world’s best player and MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson, who was dominant at the Paris Olympics, were fourth at 17-9 before Tuesday’s league schedule.
While almost all members of the Liberty contributed offensively, Jonquel Jones was a huge defensive presence, with 17 rebounds in the win over the Aces.
“Sometimes, that’s our best offense—knowing we can keep the floor spaced and shoot the ball with confidence, knowing JJ is down there,” said Ionescu. “If we do miss, she cleans it up almost every single time.”
Ionescu said the players are extremely happy to clinch a spot in the playoffs, but the goal remains continuing to win games in regular season and then succeed in the playoffs. “Obviously, it’s a really long season,” she said. “We’re just kind of getting back into it, but it’s nice
to see we’ve been able to pick up where we left off and keep grinding away.”
Stewart said she and Ionescu are glad to be back with the team, some of whom were Olympic adversaries. Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello coached the Australian team that the U.S. downed in the semi-finals, and Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally played on Team Germany, which the U.S. defeated in pool play.
“We obviously won a gold medal and did something really special in continuing to extend that streak—eight straight golds—but also something special with that team,” said Stewart. “Then, we were excited to be back with our teammates and staff, and know that this second half of the season is really important. There are no excuses.
“Nobody cares if we just came off the Olympics and we have a game four days later and a ninehour time zone change. When you think about it, it’s a little bit wild…Our teammates have really worked hard while we’ve been gone. We’ve got bigger things to do.”
Women’s sports docuseries ‘Like a Girl’ returns for second season
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
Excitement for women’s sports is soaring in the wake of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where women or women’s teams won two-thirds of U.S. gold medals. Those eager to learn more about what goes into being a championship athlete, particularly in lesser-known sports like flag football, as well as exploring issues in sports, such as body image, can delve into those subjects on season two of “Like a Girl,” available on Fuse and sponsored by Garnier Fructis and Pizza Hut.
Joy Taylor and MJ Acosta-Ruiz take over as executive producers and hosts this season. “Being two sportscasters who genuinely and organically talk about women’s sports already and are fans of sports—to be able to have a platform to tell even deeper stories and really dive into different lanes of the sports world is something that is very exciting,”
said Acosta-Ruiz.
In the premiere episode, world flag football champion Diana Flores, who is an ambassador for the NFL, spoke about how supportive her parents were, even though there were few girls in her sport.
“It’s a theme throughout the show to emphasize the positive elements in these athletes’ lives,” said Taylor. “While, of course, we deal with a ton of misogyny, racism, sexism, and challenges, there are also people who are advocates. That can really…create an environment where we don’t have to have conversations about discrimination. That’s amazing as well.”
Early in their careers, Taylor and Acosta-Ruiz covered youth sports. “We know at a very visceral level what it means to have that genuine support,” said Acosta-Ruiz.
Upcoming episodes will feature MMA fighters from Combate Global; an inside look at
Angel City FC, a women-run, professional soccer team; rapper and college basketball sensation Flau-jae Johnson; professional tennis player Taylor Townsend; and Olympic gymnast Emma Malabuyo, who represented the Philippines at the Paris Olympics and is a UCLA teammate of Jordan Chiles.
They are excited to showcase emerging sports for women along with traditional sports, like tennis and basketball. Bringing lesser-told stories to the forefront can open a world of possibilities for girls and women trying to find a sport that is a good fit. Taylor also noted that flag football is a great door-opener as women work their way into coaching men’s sports.
“We both understand the power of storytelling,” said Taylor.
“Our hope is that as viewers are watching these stories, they also become fans,” said Acosta-Ruiz.
Liberty forward Jonquel Jones pulled down team-high 17 rebounds in 79-67 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday. (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty photo)
Joy Taylor (l) and MJ Acosta-Ruiz host season two of “Like A Girl” (Fuse Media photo)
Sitting volleyball standout Sydney Satchell heads to Paris for Paralympics
By LOIS ELFMAN
Special to the AmNews
When Sydney Satchell was a student-athlete at Howard University playing lacrosse, she was a huge supporter of the women’s volleyball team. She attended all the home games and even traveled to nearby away games. After undergoing a below-the-knee amputation on her left leg after a 2015 car accident, it was volleyball that brought her a fresh sense of purpose and exhilaration.
Satchell’s prosthetist introduced her to sitting volleyball.
“When they originally suggested it, I said no thank you, because I was ignorant [about] the value, the athleticism, the opportunities, and all of it,” she said.
It took her several months to become open to exploring paralympic sports. “My first sitting volleyball development camp in Oklahoma was February 4, 2016,” she said. “I remember walking in the gym. I was wearing my prosthetic, but I was also using a crutch to get around. We’re about to start practice. I’m saying hello to everybody and essentially everybody started disssembling… I found myself doing the same thing and was intrigued about how they got to this point.”
There are six players per team on the court for sitting volleyball, which is athletic and fast, like the standing game. Satchell felt an immediate sense of community, and it enhanced her confidence.
ment with a minor in psychology and planned to coach lacrosse, which she did for a while. After committing to sitting volleyball, she left her job and moved to Oklahoma, where the national team’s resident program is based, to pursue a dream of competing at the highest level.
“What I do now is ministry,” Satchell said. “Outside of volleyball, I help lead a church called the Birthing Room. Faith has always been intermingled with volleyball.”
This trip to Paris will be Satchell’s first Paralympic Games— she is the only first-timer on the team. The games open on August 28 and sitting volleyball action starts the next day. The U.S. women are the defending gold medalists.
Even at age 32, Satchell is feeling the excitement.
“It allowed me to engage with my new normal,” she said. Despite a steep learning curve, she progressed quickly.
Being involved soon led to other changes in her life. At Howard, she majored in sports manage-
“I’m really excited just to be among the other athletes, to compete,” she said. “This will be one of the largest crowds I’ve ever played in front of, so I’m really excited to be in a gym full of energy.”
UFC title contender Khalil Rountree Jr. is inspired by Muhammad Ali
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
Khalil Rountree Jr. hopes to continue a long legacy of Black UFC light heavyweight champions that includes Quinton Jackson, better known as Rampage; Daniel Cormier; and current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, when he challenges UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 307 on October in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The AmNews spoke exclusively with Rountree on Sunday at Fanatics Fest NYC, held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, to discuss how he gained interest in MMA, the people he admired, his desire to pursue high aspirations, and why he believes he will become the champion in October.
“My biggest inspiration when it comes to fighting is Muhammad Ali, not only because of his skills, but because of who he was as a person and to the world,” Rountree said of the icon who was known as “The greatest.” “Not only Muhammad Ali, but Anderson Silva,” he added, referring to the now-retired former UFC champion who holds the record for the longest championship reign in UFC history at 2,457 days.
“Anderson Silva is the true definition of a martial artist,” Rountree said. “These are two men that I can identify with based on race, so I see these guys as inspirational. Anything that I do with my career, I try to follow in their footsteps so that I can be a pos-
itive image to people who look like me and young boys who grow up and maybe they’re looking for some type of leadership or some type of inspiration.”
Rountree’s father was a tour
manager for the four-time Grammy Award-winning group Boyz II Men, and was shot and killed in an attempted robbery when the UFC competitor was only two years old. Rountree aims to be a positive influence for his nieces, nephews, and countless other youth whom he might affect directly or indirectly.
Rountree was introduced to mixed martial arts by his older brother, Donavon Frelow, a retired MMA competitor.
About becoming the new champion in October, Rountree said, “(I’m going to put on) an outstanding performance, an impressive performance, a memorable performance,” he said. “From my end, a memorable, exciting, incredible performance…”
On September 14, Brooklyn’s Edgar Berlanga will face the biggest challenge of his career when he meets up with Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. On the same day, UFC Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Howard University alumna and volleyball player Sydney Satchell will head to Paris next week to compete in the Paralympics. (USA Volleyball photo)
UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree will take on light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 307 on October 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Derrel Johnson photo)
Sports
The Jets and Giants, facing quarterback uncertainties, meet up to close preseason
By JAIME C. HARRIS
AmNews Sports Editor
The Giants have a quarterback problem. Daniel Jones’s readiness to capably command the offense is suspect after his performance on Saturday against the Houston Texans on the road in the Giants’ second preseason game. Conversely, the Jets have no trepidations regarding their starting QB’s abilities. Aaron Rodgers is one of the sport’s all-time great talents. But at 40-years-old and missing all but two minutes and four snaps of the 2023 campaign after tearing his left Achilles tendon in the Jets’ season opener, durability is what’s most in question.
The Jets and Giants will match up this Saturday (7:30 p.m.) at MetLife Stadium, their shared home, for their final preseason game ahead of Week 1 of the schedule when the Jets play away in San Francisco versus the 49ers on Monday night, September 9. The Giants, meanwhile, will begin their season by hosting the Minnesota Vikings on September 8 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The 27-year-old Jones, now in his sixth season with the Giants after they drafted him No. 6 overall in 2019, missed 11 of the team’s 17 games last season, first due to a neck injury and then a torn ACL in his right knee sustained on November 5 in Week 9. He exhibited anx-
02/22/24
iety, uncertainty and unsteady timing in the pocket against the Texans in the 28-10 loss. Jones was 11 for 18 for 138 yards, but continued to exhibit his turnover issues that have plagued him and frustrated the Giants fanbase for much of his pro career, throwing two interceptions, one while being sacked— ultimately returned for a 5-yard touchdown by Jalen Pitre of the Texans in the first quarter. Jones, in his first game since the knee injury, played the entire first half.
“That’s what these games are for too. Some evaluation part of it, but, obviously you have a plan going into it,” said Giants head coach Brian Daboll. “Again, there [were] some good things. Good to get him out here and then a couple things we’ll learn from and that’s what these things are for.”
Jones struck a positive chord on his return.
“I feel good physically. Yeah, the knee felt good … grateful for all the people who’ve helped me get to this point, all the doctors and trainers
and staff we have here who have helped me.
“It was fun to be out there. Didn’t start perfect, like I said, but we got going and I felt good.”
The Giants’ offense is still establishing its identity under assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka after the departure of two-time Pro-Bowler Saquon Barkley in free-agency this past winter. Barkley inked a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants’ longtime NFC East rival.
With U.S. Open set to begin, Coco Gauff looks to defend her crown
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
02/29/24
American tennis sensation Coco
Gauff, 20, will attempt to win her second straight U.S. Open women’s championship when the 2024 tournament begins on Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens.
While Gauff entered the 2023 U.S. Open playing well and having won the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open, her first WTA 500 singles title, and her biggest title as a singles star to that point, the same cannot be said about this year. Gauff, who was a flag-bearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, failed to medal in singles, doubles, or mixed doubles action. This month, she lost in the second round of the Canadian Open and last week, she was ousted in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters.
Gauff will need to turn things around if she is going to make a deep run in this year’s Open.
Poland’s Iga Świątek, who won bronze in Paris, is No. 1 in the WTA women’s rankings released on Monday and will be one of the favorites. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who Gauff defeated in last year’s U.S. Open women’s final, is ranked third in the world after No. 2 Gauff and is a candidate to walk away with the title in Queens after capturing the Cincinnati Masters last week. China’s Zheng Qinwen, who won gold at the Paris Olympics and was a finalist in the Australian Open last January, losing to Sabalenka, is a threat to emerge with her first career major championship. Other top Americans on the women’s side include No. 6 Jessica Pegula, No. 10 Danielle Collins, and No. 14 Madison Keys. On the men’s side, an American has not won the U.S. Open championship since Andy Roddick hoisted the trophy in 2003. With no American male in the top 10 of the latest ATP rankings and participation by arguably the greatest tennis player ever, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who has won a men’s record 24 grand slam titles, and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, winner of this year’s French Open and Wimbledon, it will
be difficult to end that streak. Djokovic defeated Alcaraz to earn a gold medal in the Olympics men’s finals earlier this month. Taylor Fritz, who at No. 12 is the topranked American male, has lost all 10 of his matches against Djokovic and Alcaraz, with nine of those at the hands of Djokovic. Americans Ben Shelton, No. 13; Tommy Paul, No. 14; and Sebastian Korda, No. 16 are America’s other top contenders. U.S. Open Fan Week, which commenced on Monday, continues through this Sunday and features the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament, practice sessions for top players, a Block Party with DJ D-Nice on Friday, and Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on Saturday. For more information, visit usopen.org.
Coco Gauff, at last year’s U.S. Open post-match ceremony after capturing the title, seeks to repeat as women’s singles champion. (Margot Jordan photo)
(L) The Giants will rely heavily on two-time Pro-Bowl linebacker Brian Burns while (R) the Jets have expectations that running back Breece Hall (left, speaking with teammate Sauce Gardner) is poised for a potential All-Pro season. (AP Photos/Seth Winig)
